Eicosanoids and essential fatty acid modulation in chronic disease and the chronic fatigue syndrome.

Abnormalities of Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) incorporation into phospholipid are found in chronic diseases. More recently changes in circulating EFA metabolites (EFAM) together with EFAM hypo-responsiveness of immune cells and EFAM production from cells have been found associated with disease. We hypothesize that changes in ratio of EFAMs are the normal physiological responses to stressors, but when stressors are excessive or prolonged, EFAM systems may become unpredictably hypo-responsive owing to factors such as receptor down regulation and substrate depletion. In time, many homeostatic system become deranged and held in that state by minor stressors. Literature review of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) shows hyper and hypo-responsiveness in immune function, several Hypothalamo-Pituitary (HP) axes and sympathetic nervous system, all relatable to dysfunctional changes in EFA metabolism. For the first time, we explain chronic immune system activation and hypo-responsive immune function in CFS; through EFAMs. Dietary EFA modulation (DEFA) can alter ratios of both membrane EFAs and produced EFAMs, and if maintained can restore hypo-responsive function. We discuss dietary strategies and relevance in CFS, and a case series of CFS patients applying DEFA with other titrated published managements which saw 90% gaining improvement within 3 months and more than 2/3 fit for full time duties. This hypothesis and DEFA may have relevance in other chronic conditions.

Atrial myxoma: a rare cause of progressive exertional dyspnoea.

A 40 year old man suffered eight years of vague but disabling symptoms, initially thought to be related to post viral fatigue syndrome, but ameliorated by the removal of a large atrial myxoma. The diagnosis of atrial myxoma is notoriously difficult, but should be excluded by echocardiography if there are predominant symptoms of progressive exertional dyspnoea, even in the absence of cardiological signs.

Efficacy of ivermectin against Parelaphostrongylus andersoni (Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

Ivermectin was injected subcutaneously at 200 and 400 micrograms/kg of body weight into seven white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in an attempt to control the muscle nematode Parelaphostrongylus andersoni. Counts of first-stage larvae in feces dropped to zero at 17 to 18 days posttreatment. Larvae reappeared in feces 1.5 to 6 wk later in six deer. Four deer were treated again approximately 9 wk after the first treatment; larval counts dropped to zero in 12 to 18 days. Larvae reappeared in low numbers 45 to 55 days after the second treatment. Because deer were held indoors on cement and the prepatent period of these worms is approximately 2 mo, the reappearance of larvae was not due to reinfection by accidental ingestion of gastropod intermediate hosts. Results suggest that ivermectin at dosages of 200 or 400 micrograms/kg of body weight suppressed larval production by adult female nematodes for several weeks or destroyed first-stage larvae in the lungs.

Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae) and a protostrongylid nematode in woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) of Alberta, Canada.

Two size-groups of dorsal-spined, first-stage, nematode larvae were found in feces of woodland caribou, Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin), in Alberta from 1976-1982. Larvae from caribou feces in northeastern Alberta were 451 +/- 17 micrograms in length, while those from west-central Alberta were 362 +/- 18 micrograms in length. Larvae collected from west-central Alberta developed to the infective stage, experimentally, in the terrestrial gastropod Triodopsis multilineata (Say) and were infective to captive mule deer fawns, Odocoileus H. hemionus (Rafinesque). Adult nematodes, identified as Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei (Hobmaier and Hobmaier, 1934), were recovered from the skeletal muscles of the mule deer.

Studies on the efficacy of implants as orthodontic anchorage.

The abilities of two types of small cylindrical endosseous implant to resist movement when loaded with constant forces of orthodontic magnitudes were tested. Pairs of Bioglass-coated implants and pairs of Vitallium implants of the same size were implanted into the femurs of twelve rabbits. After a 28-day healing period, these implants were loaded with forces of 60 grams, 120 grams, and 180 grams. Analysis of implant movement after 28 days revealed that no statistically significant movement occurred at any of the three force levels for either type of implant. Histologic evaluation revealed a connective tissue encapsulation with the Vitallium implant and an implant-bone bond with the Bioglass implant. No histologic evidence of implant movement was observed for either implant type at any force level.

Observations on Turgida turgida (Rudolphi, 1819) (Nematoda: Physalopteroidea) in the American opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

Turgida turgida is a common parasite of the stomach of the American opossum in Florida. Worms were usually found attached to the greater curvature of the corpus of the stomach. Ulcers always occurred at the site of the attachment. Large ulcers were associated with groups of adult parasites and were found in the oldest experimental infections. Turgida turgida fed on food within the stomach of the opossum and attached to the stomach wall when not feeding. Third-and fourth-stage larvae were found in opossums in Florida mainly from May to August suggesting that this is a major period of transmission.