THE USE OF HISTAMINE AS A STANDARD TEST FOR DIMINISHED RESISTANCE IN SUPRARENALECTOMIZED RATS

Of all the drugs thus far used in testing the resistance of suprarenalectomized rats, histamine has been found to be the most satisfactory. It is a readily obtainable and comparatively stable drug, producing characteristic symptoms. Its M.L.D. for a given strain of rats can be established within narrow limits, and the difference between the M.L.D. for normal and suprarenalectomized rats is comparatively great (1:20).

Structure and functional connections of presynaptic terminals in the vertebrate retina revealed by activity-dependent dyes and confocal microscopy

The fluorescent dyes sulforhodamine 101 (SR 101) and FM1-43 were used as activity-dependent dyes (ADDs) to label presynaptic terminals in the retinas of a broad range of animals, including amphibians, mammals, fish, and turtles. The pattern of dye uptake was studied in live retinal preparations by using brightfield, fluorescence, and confocal microscopy. When bath-applied to the retina-eyecup, these dyes were avidly sequestered by the presynaptic terminals of virtually all rods, cones, and bipolar and amacrine cells; ganglion cell dendrites and horizontal cells lacked significant dye accumulation. Other structures stained with these dyes included pigment epithelial cells, cone outer segments, and Müller cell end-feet. Studies of dye uptake in dark- and light-adapted preparations showed significant differences in the dye accumulation pattern in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), suggesting a dynamic, light-modulated control of endocytotic activity. Presynaptic terminals in the IPL could be segregated on the basis of volume: bipolar varicosities in the IPL were typically larger than those of amacrine cells. The combination of retrograde labeling of ganglion cells and presynaptic terminal labeling with ADDs served as the experimental preparation for three-dimensional reconstruction of both structures, based on dual detector, confocal microscopy. Our results demonstrate a new approach for studying synaptic interactions in retinal function. These findings provide new insights into the likely number and position of functional connections from amacrine and bipolar cell terminals onto ganglion cell dendrites.

Calcium channel immunoreactivity in the salamander retina

This study reports the distribution of the alpha1D and alpha1E calcium channel subunits in the neotenous tiger salamander retina based on immunohistochemical techniques. Confocal and light microscopy were used to localize staining with fluorescently tagged antibodies to alpha1D and alpha1E in cross-sectional and flatmount preparations of retina. Alpha1D-immunoreactivity (alpha1D-IR) was localized to the inner and outer plexiform layers (IPL and OPL, respectively), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and optic fiber layer. Alpha1E-IR was found predominantly in the IPL, with scattered, weak representation in the OPL. Alpha1E-IR was not detected in the GCL or fiber layer. These findings suggest that different alpha1 calcium channel proteins have distinctive distributions in retina, which may reflect their unique and different roles in retinal processing and homeostasis.

Does long-term finasteride therapy affect the histologic features of benign prostatic tissue and prostate cancer on needle biopsy? PLESS Study Group. Proscar Long-Term Efficacy and Safety Study

OBJECTIVES

Finasteride, a common agent used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), inhibits 5-alpha-reductase. Testosterone is converted by 5-alpha-reductase to the more potent dihydrotestosterone, which is the primary androgen in the prostate. Leuprolide is a stronger antiandrogen that is used to downstage prostate cancer before radical prostatectomy. Leuprolide induces marked atrophy of prostate carcinoma cells, which sometimes makes pathologic diagnosis of cancer difficult, although evaluation at radical prostatectomy is easier than at biopsy. It is unknown whether finasteride produces similar changes, which would result in greater diagnostic difficulty because such changes would be seen on biopsy to rule out cancer in men with suspicious clinical findings treated for BPH. The current study investigated the histologic effects of finasteride therapy on human prostate cancer and benign prostatic tissue on needle biopsy.

METHODS

In blinded manner, we reviewed 53 needle biopsy specimens showing prostate carcinoma (35 treated with finasteride, 18 with placebo). Also reviewed in blinded manner were 50 benign needle biopsy specimens (25 treated with finasteride, 25 with placebo). The Gleason score, number of cores involved, percentage cancer involvement in a core, percentage of atrophic changes in cancer cells, presence of mitoses, blue-tinged mucinous secretions, prominent nucleoli, and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia were documented for each case in the cancer group. The percentage of atrophy, basal cell hyperplasia, transitional metaplasia, chronic inflammation, and stromal proliferation was documented for each case in the benign group.

RESULTS

No significant histologic differences were present in either the benign or cancer group between cases treated with finasteride and placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that finasteride treatment for BPH does not cause difficulty in the diagnosis of cancer in prostate needle specimens. It is possible that there are severely atrophic areas resulting from finasteride treatment that are undersampled. However, the conclusion that cancer seen on needle biopsy in men treated with finasteride is unaltered and readily identified as cancer remains valid.

Common urologic disorders. When to treat and when to refer

Healthcare will continue to see a trend toward fewer referrals to specialists. Consequently, primary care physicians must understand the evaluation and management of the most common urologic disorders. This understanding, coupled with the knowledge of when to refer to a urologist, will enable safe management.

Two phenylglycine derivatives antagonize responses to L-AP4 in ON bipolar cells of the amphibian retina

Light responses of retinal ON bipolar cells are mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptors selectively activated by L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4). Antagonists to L-AP4 receptors in ON bipolar cells have not previously been identified. This study examines the electrophysiological effects of (S)-2-amino-2-methyl-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (MAP4), (RS)-4-4-chloro-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (CDHPG) and (RS)-3,4,5-trihydroxyphenylglycine (THPG), at L-AP4 receptors in ON bipolar cells of the amphibian retina. Unlike its actions in spinal cord, in retinal ON bipolar cells MAP4 is a weak agonist which exhibits no detectable antagonism to L-AP4. On the other hand, CDHPG exhibits a mixture of agonist and antagonist properties. Addition of Co2+ and oxygenation of CDHPG turns the solution brown and enhances antagonist effects, suggesting that the antagonism reflects actions of a breakdown product of CDHPG. Although THPG did not prove to be this breakdown product, it also has electrophysiological effects consistent with an L-AP4 receptor antagonist. The results suggest that THPG and breakdown products of CDHPG may be antagonists to L-AP4 receptors in retinal ON bipolar cells, although the possibility that these compounds antagonize effects of L-AP4 by acting at some site in the transduction pathway of L-AP4 receptors cannot yet be excluded.

Postoperative hyperthermia in a patient having cortical brain resection

When a profound fever occurs in a surgical patient, clinicians usually start thinking about the malignant hyperthermia syndrome. Simple consideration of the clinical situation, the patient's medical history, and a few rapid laboratory assessments are enough to direct appropriate treatment.

Pharmacological properties of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors on ganglion cells of an amphibian retina

1. The pharmacological characteristics of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors on amphibian retinal ganglion cells were studied to determine their similarities or differences from NMDA receptors found in mammalian central nervous system (CNS) cells. Cells were tested with a variety of NMDA antagonists acting at sites on the NMDA receptor/ion channel complex. 2. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were obtained from ganglion cells of the larval tiger salamander with a retinal slice preparation. All cells responded with inward currents (Vhold = -70 mV) when exposed to bath applications of NMDA, kainate (KA), and glutamate (GLU). NMDA currents reversed near 0 mV and showed a negative slope conductance region in the presence of external Mg2+. 3. NMDA-evoked inward currents could be blocked by application of 300 microM D-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoate (DAP7), 100 microM Zn2+, 25 microM 7-chloro-kynurenate (7-cl-KYN), 1 microM MK-801, and 5 mM Mg2+. These results indicate that like mammalian NMDA receptors the amphibian NMDA receptor possesses binding sites for NMDA, glycine, zinc, dissociative anesthetics, and Mg2+. 4. NMDA responses were evoked in the presence of 1 mM extracellular Mg2+ in 100% of cells tested when held at -70 mV. Furthermore, there was a resting conductance at -70 mV and membrane current noise that could be attenuated by the application of NMDA-specific antagonists suggesting a tonic activation of NMDA receptors for cells at the resting potential.

Prolonged depolarization in rods in situ

Intracellular recordings were made from rods in the superfused retina of the marine toad (Bufo marinus). It was found that injection of a brief depolarizing current pulse (0.04-1 nA) evoked a distinctive, long-lasting response, here called "the prolonged depolarization." The response appears to be regenerative, has a stereotypical waveform, is typically about 6 mV in amplitude and 3 s in duration, and has a relatively long recovery period (10-60 s). As a rule, the response cannot be directly evoked by light but the current-evoked response is significantly enhanced in the presence of steady illumination. The light-evoked hyperpolarization and the depolarizing spikes of the rod are both attenuated in the presence of the prolonged depolarization. The prolonged depolarization is not an altered manifestation of the depolarizing spikes of toad rods since both can be recorded simultaneously and steady illumination suppresses the spikes while enhancing the prolonged depolarization. The response is enhanced in chloride-free superfusate and also appears to be enhanced by the use of electrodes containing chloride. The response is markedly shortened in superfusates that lack calcium or contain 1-5 mM cobalt. On this and other evidence, it is suggested that the response may be generated by the sequential action of calcium channels and calcium-activated chloride channels. Although rarely evoked by light, the prolonged depolarization of toad rods is otherwise remarkably similar to the prolonged depolarization of turtle cones. It is proposed that the prolonged depolarization, in contrast to the feedback depolarization of cones, arises from mechanisms common to both rods and cones.

An eyecup slice preparation for intracellular recording in vertebrate retinas

This report describes a new preparation for intracellular recording from the vertebrate retina, the eyecup slice preparation. It consists of a small (2 X 5 mm) strip cut from the posterior wall of the eye and thereby keeps the sclera, pigment epithelium and neural retina in place. Initial results are presented here for two vertebrates: the turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans, and the toad, Bufo marinus. With conventional microscopy, the histological layers of the retina can be resolved, as well as individual photoreceptors, to provide landmarks for intracellular recording. When superfused, the eyecup slice remains in good condition for many hours and yields intracellular recordings of good quality and stability. Recordings of the light-evoked responses of cones and horizontal cells show that the slice is large enough to preserve the characteristic spatial interactions mediated by the laterally coursing neural networks of the distal retina. Recordings from rods show that full dark adaptation is achieved. Thus, photochemical dark adaptation as well as other normal cellular interactions between the neural retina and pigment epithelium can be preserved in this preparation, in contrast to isolated retinal slice preparations. The eyecup slice preparation might be particularly useful for work on mammalian retinas.

Prolonged depolarization in turtle cones evoked by current injection and stimulation of the receptive field surround

1. Responses evoked by stimulation of the receptive field surround were recorded intracellularly from cone photoreceptors in the retina of the turtle (Pseudemys scripta elegans). 2. A distinctive depolarizing response was evoked by flashing an annulus of light while steadily illuminating the centre of the receptive field. The response, here called 'the prolonged depolarization', was found in 67% of a sample of 125 cones and could reach some 20 mV in amplitude. 3. The prolonged depolarization is characterized by a set of properties which include: the capacity to persist up to 17 s after the flash, a stereotypical waveform, a long period of temporal facilitation, a very narrow dynamic range, and a long refractory period (30-45 s). 4. Depolarizing current pulses (0.01-0.1 nA) evoke a prolonged depolarization which is similar to and functionally interchangeable with that evoked by light. The prolonged depolarization is thus apparently generated by a voltage-sensitive mechanism intrinsic to the cone. 5. Brief depolarizing spikes were recorded in a small fraction of cones. The spikes appear to be dissociable from the prolonged depolarization although both might arise for similar regenerative mechanisms. 6. The prolonged depolarization is typically preceded by a graded, stimulus-locked depolarization which can also be recorded in isolation by flashing annuli of low intensity. The graded depolarization is probably a manifestation of the depolarizing influence arising from synaptic feed-back from horizontal cells first described by Baylor, Fuortes & O'Bryan (1971). 7. It is suggested that the graded depolarization triggers the prolonged depolarization and that complex responses arise from the interaction of these disparate components.

Light adaptation and responses to contrast flashes in cones of the walleye retina

The effects of light adaptation on the intracellular responses of cones to incremental and decremental light flashes were investigated in the superfused walleye retina. The time course of light adaptation was relatively slow, some 10-20 min being required to reach steady-state conditions. Under steady-state conditions: (1) both dark-adapted and light-adapted amplitude/intensity data were well described by the Michaelis-Menten relation, (2) the incremental response did not saturate on intense backgrounds and (3) the cone sensitivity conformed closely to Weber's law. Effects of the polarity and magnitude of the flash contrast were analyzed by deriving "equivalent contrast" relations for cones and comparing the results to those of recent psychophysical experiments. Results based on the response amplitude suggest that responses to negative contrast flashes may be enhanced by post-receptor mechanisms. Results based on cone latency suggest that equivalent contrast relations for visual latency may be largely shaped in the very early, quasi-linear phase of the cone response.

Response properties of C-type horizontal cells in the retina of the bowfin

Intracellular recordings were obtained from biphasic- and triphasic-type horizontal cells (C cells) in the retina of the bowfin. For steady-state responses, both cell types displayed a linear stimulus-response function for responses up to at least 20% of maximum. In the linear range, responses to red/green mixtures were well predicted from the assumption that opposed inputs combine by simple summation. Action spectra were measured in the linear range for 30 biphasic and 12 triphasic cells. Biphasic cells showed their peak hyperpolarization near 530 nm and peak depolarization near 680 nm. Triphasic cells showed peak hyperpolarization near 450 nm, peak depolarization near 570 nm and small hyperpolarizing responses to deep red flashes (greater than 670 nm). The response to deep red test flashes was reduced by chromatic backgrounds which either depolarized or hyperpolarized the cell, in contrast to past findings in carp triphasic cells. In both classes of cells, the depolarizing input mechanism had a shorter latency than the hyperpolarizing mechanism, a result not previously observed in other fish retinas. Color opponency was maintained in both classes of C cells for stimuli of small diameter. The findings in bowfin and other species suggest that both feedback and direct pathways shape the depolarizing response of C cells.

Symmetry and constancy in the perception of negative and positive luminance contrast

The perception of suprathreshold luminance contrast was investigated by forced-choice psychophysical procedures that were designed to define contrast equivalence relations. Observers compared the perceived contrast of rectangular bars that were presented for 500 msec at 3.9 deg on opposite sides of the fovea. The results show a nearly symmetrical relation between the perception of negative and positive contrast that is largely invariant over four decades of background luminance. Thus, for any fixed background luminance, equal absolute contrasts evoke approximately equal perceived contrasts. Symmetry also held with variations in the width, the eccentricity, and the focus of the bars. Symmetry was investigated further by determining equivalent contrast relations for negative contrasts as a function of background luminance and by contrast scaling. These results show evidence for nearly perfect contrast constancy for targets of low to moderate contrast and departures form constancy for high-contrast targets. These new findings on negative contrast, symmetry, and contrast constancy are discussed in relation to underlying mechanisms for contrast perception and classic experiments on brightness and lightness constancy.

Cellular mechanisms for color-coding in holostean retinas and the evolution of color vision

Electrophysiological recording and microspectrophotometry were used to analyze retinal function in representatives of the two surviving genera of holostean grade fish--the bowfin (Amia calva) and gars (Lepisosteus sp.). The properties of the cone photopigments, horizontal cells and ganglion cells show that these holostean retinas have cellular mechanisms for color vision which are fundamentally similar to those previously described for teleosts, turtle and mammals. These findings suggest that trichromatic receptor systems and opponent color-coding mechanisms may have evolved in primitive Neopterygii or more ancient fish, before the advent of teleosts. In conjunction with other recent data on living representatives of primitive fishes, these findings also add renewed plausibility for the view that vertebrate color vision could have taken a common origin some 400 million years ago from an ancestral aquatic jawed vertebrate.

Bilateral hypernephroma with solitary pancreatic metastasis

A case of bilateral renal carcinoma with an uncommon solitary metastasis is presented. Therapeutic rationale is discussed.

Adenosine deaminase activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Relationship to B- and T-cell subpopulations

The level, phenotypes, and isozyme distribution of adenosine deaminase (ADA) were determined in lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The ADA level in lymphocytes from patients with untreated CLL was consistently lower than in lymphocytes from normal subjects. No significant differences were found in the phenotype or isozyme distribution. In untreated patients, the ADA level was inversely correlated with the lymphocyte count and the percentage of bursa-equivalent (B) cells. After therapy, a diminution in the lymphocyte count was associated with an increase of ADA activity towards normal levels. The ADA levels were slightly higher in the thymus-derived (T) than in the B lymphocytes from normal subjects. The B cells had lower activity than T cells in patients with CLL. They also had a lower activity than the B cells from normal subjects. The ADA level was 2.3-fold higher in T cells from patients with CLL than in normal T cells. The decrease in ADA levels is an anomaly that is reversible and appears to be a reflection of the proliferation of abnormal B cells in this disorder.