Maternal restraint stress during pregnancy in mice induces 11ß-HSD1-associated metabolic changes in the livers of the offspring.

In rats, maternal exposure to restraint stress during pregnancy can induce abnormalities in the cardiovascular and central nervous systems of the offspring. These effects are mediated by long-lasting hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, little is known about the potential effects of stress during pregnancy on metabolic systems. We examined the effect of restraint stress in pregnant mice on the liver function of their offspring. The offspring of stressed mothers showed significantly higher lipid accumulation in the liver after weaning than did the controls; this accumulation was associated with increased expression of lipid metabolism-related proteins such as alanine aminotransferase 2 diglyceride acyltransferase 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and glucocorticoid receptor. Additionally, we observed increased levels of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, an intercellular mediator that converts glucocorticoid from the inactive to the active form, in the foetal and postnatal periods. These results indicate that restraint stress in pregnancy in mice induces metabolic abnormalities via 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1-related pathways in the foetal liver. It is therefore possible that exposure to stress in pregnant women may be a risk factor for metabolic syndromes (e.g. fatty liver) in children.

Usefulness of Dennis Colorectal Tube in endoscopic decompression of acute, malignant colonic obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopic decompression has been attempted in patients with acute colonic obstruction caused by colon cancer to avoid emergency surgery and multiple subsequent operations but has usually been unsuccessful. This is an evaluation of the usefulness of a new device for endoscopic decompression in these patients. METHODS: Nine consecutive patients (6 men, 3 women; 65 to 89 years of age) with acute colonic obstruction resulting from colon cancer underwent endoscopic decompression with a Dennis Colorectal Tube. RESULTS: In all 9 patients (1 with carcinoma of the sigmoid colon, 3 with carcinoma of descending colon, 2 with carcinoma of the transverse colon, 2 with carcinoma of the ascending colon, and 1 with carcinoma of the cecum), endoscopic decompression was successful. After decompressing and cleansing the colon for several days, a one-stage operation was possible in all patients. CONCLUSION: Dennis Colorectal Tube is an excellent device for endoscopic decompression of acute, malignant colonic obstruction.

Familial gastrointestinal stromal tumor with hyperpigmentation: association with a germline mutation of the c-kit gene.

We describe 2 siblings with multiple gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and cutaneous hyperpigmentation. Both had a point mutation of the c-kit gene. The patients were sisters who had exhibited cutaneous hyperpigmentation since their late teens, but the diagnosis of multiple gastrointestinal submucosal tumors was not made until they were 41 and 45 years old. Histologic examination showed that these tumors were GISTs expressing CD34 and Kit protein. Both patients died of GISTs. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis showed a mutation of c-kit in tumor DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded specimens. Direct sequencing analysis showed that the point mutation occurred at codon 559 of exon 11 (Val-->Ala). The same single-point mutation was detected in DNA extracted from peripheral leukocytes obtained from the younger sister and her 2 children (who had similar general hyperpigmentation) as well as in DNA from a skin biopsy specimen taken from the older sister. The germline mutation at codon 559 of the c-kit gene found in the present familial GISTs differed from that in a previously reported case of familial GISTs. We propose that GISTs caused by a germline mutation of the c-kit gene should be referred to as GIST-cutaneous hyperpigmentation disease.

Histone H3 messenger RNA in situ hybridization for identifying proliferating cells in formalin-fixed rat gastric mucosa.

To devise a more sensitive method for identifying proliferative cells in routinely formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, we applied an in situ hybridization (ISH) technique for the detection of histone H3 mRNA in rat gastric mucosa and amplified the signal by a silver intensification method. ISH was performed using a Fluorescein-labelled, single-stranded DNA probe for the human histone H3 gene. To determine the optimal conditions for detecting H3 mRNA in rat gastric mucosa, we tested the effect of changing conditions, such as fixation time and digestion time, by a proteinase before hybridization. Next, the proliferation indices obtained using H3 ISH were compared with those obtained using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry. In normal rat gastric mucosa, H3 ISH- and BrdU-positive cells were confined to the neck region of both fundic and pyloric mucosa. The two labelling indices were almost the same. In all the serial sections studied, H3 ISH-positive cells were almost always BrdU-positive too. Taken together, these results indicate that the H3 ISH technique is useful for the evaluation of proliferative activity in gastric epithelial cells by virtue of its detection of S-phase cells.

Electrophysiological study on the pathology of synkinesis after facial nerve paralysis.

By conducting electrophysiological tests on patients with facial nerve paralysis, the characteristics of synkinesis and the mechanisms of its manifestations were examined. The subjects were 114 patients of facial nerve paralysis on whom electroneurography (ENoG) and the blink reflex were conducted. As a result, it was indicated that synkinesis could be determined by the blink reflex, and that the frequency of synkinesis manifestation increased with severity of paralysis. From examination during the latent period, early component (SI) recognized in the cases of synkinesis was found to be the waveform which passed the fibers with a slow conducting speed. It was not related to the degree of degeneration of nerves for either the severe or light degeneration of nerves. From the above result it was concluded that synkinesis is generated as a misdirection of reproduced nerves.

Gd-DTPA enhanced MRI in Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Ten patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome underwent magnetic resonance (MR) scans. In many examinations, abnormal enhancement of the 7th nerve in the internal acoustic meatal segment through the mastoid segment was observed. Out of seven patients with cochlear and/or vestibular symptoms, only one showed abnormal enhancement of the 8th nerve, in addition to the 7th. The other 6 patients showed the same findings as in Bell's palsy, showing no enhancement of the 8th nerve. This suggests that clinical symptoms have no relation to the results of MRI. Enhanced MRI is the most sensitive means of making differential diagnoses between Hunt's syndrome and tumors, but it is impossible to detect all lesion sites corresponding to the symptoms in Hunt's syndrome.

Treatment of acute monoblastic leukaemia by combination of recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor and low dose of ara-C.

We present a patient with acute monoblastic leukaemia (AMoL) who achieved a complete remission on combination therapy with macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and low dose of cytosine arabinoside (ara-C). This 26-year-old man was admitted with a relapse of AMoL which proved refractory to several chemotherapeutic regimens. To kill dormant leukaemic cells, we administered 20 mg/m2 ara-C by continuous intravenous infusion and 800 x 10(4) unit M-CSF by 30 min drip intravenous infusion together for 14 d. The blasts disappeared, followed by a recovery of normal blood cells. The patient continued the complete remission for 5 months. This observation suggests that a combination M-CSF and a low dose of ara-C may be useful in treating some patients with AMoL.

[Conservative treatment of idiopathic facial palsy--effects of the administration of high-dose steroids in Bell's palsy].

The etiology of Bell's palsy is still obscure and its treatment remains controversial. As a conservative treatment for Bell's palsy, Stennert developed a new treatment method for the purpose of improving microcirculation, and reported an extremely high cure rate of 96%, drawing a great deal of attention. However, since the electrophysiological findings and side effects in these patients were not described satisfactorily in his report, this method has not yet come into wide clinical use. In the present study the efficacy of Stennert's method was assessed by electrophysiological examination in patients, and was compared with patients treated by conventional methods. The subjects of this study were 157 patients with Bell's palsy who were treated with a modification of Stennert's method between September 1987 and August 1990. The treatment protocol for the modified Stennert's method was as follows: hydroxyethyl starch 40 with 20% mannitol is given instead of Dextran 40 and prednisolone is stopped depending on the findings of electrical examinations. Fifty-three patients with Bell's palsy treated by the conventional method used in our clinic between November 1983 and August 1987 were used for the control group. The most remarkable difference between these two methods was the initial dose of prednisolone. In the group treated by the modified Stennert's method, 111 patients (70.7%) showed complete recovery within 1 month, and 154 patients presented (98.1%) showed complete recovery within 6 months, 3 cases presented slight sequelae. In the conventional treatment group, on the other hand, only 2 patients (3.8%) recovered within 1 month, and 43 patients (81.0%) recovered within 6 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Micro powder retention for retaining acrylic resin veneers. 1. Application of pressure sensitive adhesive].

Powder retentions are widely used in clinical for retaining acrylic resin facing of veneered crown. These retentions show relatively high bond strength and easy manipulation compared with the traditional retention devices of bar, hole, bead, loop and etc. However, the particle size of powders commercially available are above 250 microns and reduced the thickness of facing resin. Thereupon, smaller diameter of powder were trially applied, however, microparticles were submerged under adhesive and undercut effective for retaining resin was lost. In this research, a new powder retention system adopted pressure sensitive adhesive was studied. The trial adhesive includes volatile solvent like as the traditional adhesives. However, the solvent vapors rapidly and the adhesive applied onto the wax pattern showed pressure sensitivity. Six different sizes of spherical powder were used and the smallest and largest particle size were 90-110 microns and 230-250 microns respectively. New powder retention system applied sensitive adhesive exhibited excellent bond strength to photo polimerized composite facing resin and denture base resin. The powder of 110-130 microns diameter showed shear bond strength values of above 200 kgf/cm2 after 30,000 thermocycles.