Knee and hip joint biomechanics are gender-specific in runners with high running mileage.

Female runners are reported to be more prone to develop specific knee joint injuries than males. It has been suggested that increased frontal plane joint loading might be related to the incidence of these knee injuries in running. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if frontal plane knee and hip joint kinematics and kinetics are gender-specific in runners with high mileage. 3D-kinematics and kinetics were recorded from 16 female and 16 male runners at a speed of 3 m/s, 4 m/s, and 5 m/s. Frontal plane joint angles and joint moments were ascertained and compared between genders among speed conditions. Across all speed conditions, females showed increased hip adduction and reduced knee adduction angles compared to males (p < 0.003). The initial peak in the hip adduction moment was enhanced in females (p = 0.003). Additionally, the hip adduction impulse showed a trend towards an increase in females at slow running speed (p = 0.07). Hip and knee frontal plane joint kinematics are gender-specific. In addition, there are indications that frontal plane joint loading is increased in female runners. Future research should focus on the relationship of these observations regarding overuse running injuries.

Prevalence of smell loss in Parkinson's disease--a multicenter study.

Previous data on the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) range from 45% to 90%. The present multicenter study aimed to provide data on the prevalence of smell loss in a large sample of PD patients from three independent populations. Olfactory sensitivity was tested in 400 patients from Australia, Germany, and The Netherlands by means of a psychophysical olfactory test, the "Sniffin' Sticks", which is comprised of 3 subtests of olfactory function. Out of the total number of patients 45.0% presented as functionally anosmic, 51.7% were hyposmic, whereas only 3.3% were normosmic. This indicates that 96.7% of PD patients present with significant olfactory loss when compared to young normosmic subjects. This figure falls to 74.5%, however, when adjusted to age-related norms. Thus, olfactory dysfunction should be considered as a reliable marker of the disease.

Polyadenylation of ribosomal RNA by Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is the leading fungal pathogen in immunocompromised patients such as those with AIDS and malignancies. It is a polymorphic organism existing as a unicellular yeast or as filamentous forms that include pseudohyphae and true hyphae. While studying the early period of hyphal transformation, comparing cDNAs from yeast to those in early transition, we were surprised to find 25S rRNA represented frequently in our differential display assays, suggesting that our reverse transcription with poly-T primers was copying rRNA with extended poly-A 3' ends. We now report that both the yeast forms and germinating organisms polyadenylate some of their 25S rRNA transcripts. We also found a rapid and transient enhancement of this process upon stimulation with serum. These data indicate that 25S rRNA polyadenylation is part of the biological repertoire of C. albicans and its transient upregulation just prior to hyphal development raises the possibility of a regulatory role in this transition.

Expression of deoxyuridine triphosphatase (dUTPase) in colorectal tumours.

We report the generation of 2 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), 2B12 and 3E6, suitable for the detection of human dUTPase in routinely processed paraffin sections by immunohistochemistry. Using these MAbs, we observed nuclear expression of dUTPase in the proliferation zones of normal colorectal mucosa as well as in hyperplastic polyps. Colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas revealed a wide spectrum of dUTPase expression, ranging from 5 to 63% (median 42%) and from 5 to 71% of tumour cells (median 42%) respectively. Non-parametric correlation of dUTPase expression with proliferation as determined by a Ki-67 antigen-specific MAb revealed a significant and moderately strong correlation between proliferation rate and dUTPase expression in adenomas, but not in adenocarcinomas. This finding was confirmed by double-labelling immunofluorescence. Unexpectedly, we found significantly lower levels of dUTPase expression in primary colorectal carcinomas without lymph-node metastases at the time of surgery (Dukes A and B stages) than in Dukes C carcinomas. While this observation requires confirmation in larger studies, it suggests that dUTPase expression may be a negative prognostic marker in colorectal carcinomas. Moreover, these reagents should prove useful in the context of attempts to develop dUTPase inhibitors for cancer chemotherapy. Since it has been demonstrated that dUTPase expression can mediate resistance to 5-fluorouracil, it is also possible that these MAbs may be helpful in identifying patients with colorectal carcinomas resistant to adjuvant chemotherapy using this and related compounds. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:614-617, 1999.

Intraoperative electrical stimulation of cavernosal nerves with monitoring of intracorporeal pressure in patients undergoing nerve sparing radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the utility of intraoperative cavernosal nerve stimulation in facilitating atraumatic nerve dissection during radical prostatectomy, and thus help predict postoperative erectile function. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fourteen patients (aged 51-72 years) underwent nerve-sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy (NSRRP); 10 were potent before surgery (group 1), and four had erectile dysfunction (group 2). A multi-acquisition system (MacLab/8e) with a Macintosh computer was used for real-time display and recording of intracavernosal pressure (ICP) during surgery. Nerves were stimulated with a bipolar probe (monophasic rectangular pulses, 10 mA, 20 Hz, 0.22 s) before and after removal of the gland. The follow-up consisted of interviews with patients and their partners' 12-18 months after treatment. RESULTS: The mean (sem) basal ICP of 8. 0 (2.0) cmH2O remained unchanged during nerve dissection. The mean increase in ICP during electrical stimulation was >50 cmH2O in seven potent patients (group 1) and was sustained as long as the nerve was stimulated. Postoperatively, these seven patients reported erections sufficient for sexual intercourse. However, the three remaining patients in group 1 had pressure rises of <30 cmH2O, of whom two reported partial erections and one reported total impotence postoperatively. The recovery time for erectile function was 6-12 months after surgery. Two patients from group 2 had transient increases in ICP to <40 cmH2O; one had an increase to 20 cmH2O and one had no response at all. All four patients remained totally impotent postoperatively. There were no complications. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative electrical stimulation of the cavernosal nerves with ICP monitoring before and after NSRRP is a safe and reliable method for documenting nerve continuity and its functional status. Patients who have normal preoperative erectile function and show an adequate rise in ICP upon electrical nerve stimulation during NSRRP will almost certainly be potent after surgery. This tool may be used to facilitate atraumatic nerve dissection during NSRRP.

Efficient trans-splicing of mutated spliced leader exons in Leishmania tarentolae.

Every kinetoplastid mRNA receives a common, conserved leader sequence via the process of trans-splicing. In Leishmania tarentolae the precursor spliced leader RNA is 96 nucleotides, with a 39-nucleotide exon that is 7meG-capped and methylated on the first 4 nucleotides. trans-Splicing was inferred from the presence of tagged leader in the high molecular weight RNA population and confirmed for accuracy by cDNA cloning. Linker scan substitutions within the exon between positions 10 and 39 did not affect trans-splicing. The trans-splicing efficiency for three of the scan exons was proportional to the tagged:wild type ratio in the spliced leader precursor population. Two scan leader RNAs that were efficiently spliced showed reduced methylation. Longer exons showed reduced splicing, whereas 10- or 20-base pair deletions abolished splicing. These results indicate that size, but not content, of the exon is a constraint on the splicing process. These results, in combination with previous data eliminating a role in transcription initiation, suggest that translation may be the selective pressure on the leader content.

Intracavernous pressure responses to physical and electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve in rats.

OBJECTIVES: To better define the techniques of nerve-sparing prostate dissection that would result in preservation of erectile function, we characterize the effects of physical pressure on the prostate and cavernous nerve, electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve, and pharmacologic manipulations on intracavernous pressure (ICP) in normal and diabetic rats. METHODS: Fischer-34 rats, both normal and diabetic, underwent dissections that isolated the cavernous bodies and cavernous nerves. Cavernous body pressures were characterized during surgical manipulation, during electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerves, and following papaverine hydrochloride injection. RESULTS: In normal rats, baseline cavernous pressures ranged from 5 to 15 cm H2O (mean 12.29). In diabetic rats, the baseline pressure was significantly lower (3 to 7.5 cm H2O). Lateral nerve displacement caused ICP to rise to approximately 35 cm H2O in normal rats, but only to 20 cm H2O in diabetic rats. Electrostimulation resulted in cavernous pressure increases of 10-fold from baseline in normal rats and sevenfold from baseline in diabetic rats. ICPs were not disturbed appreciably with nerve-sparing dissection techniques. Neurotomy resulted in declines in baseline cavernous pressures in all rats. Electrostimulation of the distal end of a severed nerve resulted in pressure rises to 50% of those observed in rats with intact cavernous nerves. Intracavernous papaverine injection before or after nerve stimulation masked subsequent (expected) pressure changes. CONCLUSIONS: A change in cavernous pressure is a sensitive indicator of cavernous nerve manipulation. Both cavernous pressure measurements and electrostimulation of cavernous nerves may aid surgeons during radical prostatectomy.

Biologic response modifiers in the management of superficial bladder cancer.

For the treatment of existing transitional-cell carcinoma or for prophylaxis of recurrent disease, intravesical therapy should be chosen according to stage. Papillary disease (stages Ta, Tl) may be treated effectively either with an alkylating agent or with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). BCG is the agent of choice for the treatment of Hat carcinoma in situ (Tis), with the recommended treatment course comprising 12 weekly and 12 monthly instillations. Intravesical interferon and many of the other biologic response modifiers mentioned herein may be effective for patients with Ta disease who have failed BCG therapy.