Showing papers by "Rush University Medical Center published in 1980"

Fusion of phospholipid vesicles with planar phospholipid bilayer membranes. II. Incorporation of a vesicular membrane marker into the planar membrane.

Abstract: Fusion of multilamellar phospholipid vesicles with planar phospholipid bilayer membranes was monitored by the rate of appearance in the planar membrane of an intrinsic membrane protein present in the vesicle membranes. An essential requirement for fusion is an osmotic gradient across the planar membrane, with the cis side (the side containing the vesicles) hyperosmotic to the opposite (trans) side; for substantial fusion rates, divalent cation must also be present on the cis side. Thus, the low fusion rates obtained with 100 mM excess glucose in the cis compartment are enhanced orders of magnitude by the addition of 5-10 mM CaCl2 to the cis compartment. Conversely, the rapid fusion rates induced by 40 mM CaCl2 in the cis compartment are completely suppressed when the osmotic gradient (created by the 40 mM CaCl2) is abolished by addition of an equivalent amount of either CaCl2, NaCl, urea, or glucose to the trans compartment. We propose that fusion occurs by the osmotic swelling of vesicles in contact with the planar membrane, with subsequent rupture of the vesicular and planar membranes in the region of contact. Divalent cations catalyze this process by increasing the frequency and duration of vesicle-planar membrane contact. We argue that essentially this same osmotic mechanism drives biological fusion processes, such as exocytosis. Our fusion procedure provides a general method for incorporating and reconstituting transport proteins into planar phospholipid bilayer membranes.

Fusion of phospholipid vesicles with planar phospholipid bilayer membranes. I. Discharge of vesicular contents across the planar membrane.

Abstract: Multilamellar phospholipid vesicles are introduced into the cis compartment on one side of a planar phospholipid bilayer membrane. The vesicles contain a water-soluble fluorescent dye trapped in the aqueous phases between the lamellae. If a vesicle containing n lamellae fuses with a planar membrane, an n-1 lamellar vesicle should be discharged into the opposite trans compartment, where it would appear as a discernible fluorescent particle. Thus, fusion events can be assayed by counting the number of fluorescent particles appearing in the trans compartment. In the absence of divalent cation, fusion does not occur, even after vesicles have been in the cis compartment for 40 min. When CaCl2 is introduced into the cis compartment to a concentration of greater than or equal to 20 mM, fusion occurs within the next 20 min; it generally ceases thereafter because of vesicle aggregation in the cis compartment. With approximately 3 x 10(8) vesicles/cm3 in the cis compartment, about 25-50 fusion events occur following CaCl2 addition. The discharge of vesicular contents across the planar membrane is the most convincing evidence of vesicle-membrane fusion and serves as a model for that ubiquitous biological phenomenon--exocytosis.

Value of radiation therapy in the management of patients with cerebral metastases from malignant melanoma: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Brain Metastases Study I and II.

Abstract: Sixty patients from two Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) studies with cerebral metastases from malignant melanoma were analyzed to determine the response to whole brain irradiation. General performance status, neurologic function, and specific neurologic symptoms were evaluated for rate and duration of improvement. Also analyzed was the influence of chemotherapy and steroids, although neither was a controlled factor. Results indicate a significant benefit from radiation therapy in terms of symptomatic and neurologic function improvement. Symptomatic improvement was observed in 76%, with 31% completely improved. Of the four most frequent symptoms, complete or partial improvement was observed as follows: headache—27 of 37 patients (73%); motor loss—14 of 23 patients (61%); impaired mentation—13 of 24 patients (62%); and convulsions—10 of 12 patients (83%). Improvement in neurologic function class was observed in 18 of 44 patients (41%). Median survival for Study 1 patients was 10 weeks (range 1–200) and that of Study II patients 14 weeks (range 1–76). These results are comparable to those found in radiation therapy of brain metastases from all other primary tumors. Cancer 45:679-683, 1980.

Results of re-irradiation for cerebral metastases.

Abstract: After an initial course of radiation, 56 patients with cerebral metastases had their brain retreated at least once for recurrent neurologic symptoms. The most common primary was from either the lung or breast. The frequent symptoms were headache, weakness, seizures, visual problems, and/or mental changes. Forty-two (75%) of these patients responded to the second course of treatment. The median duration of response was 10 weeks and median survival was 14 weeks.

Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the skin: light microscopic, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical analysis.

Abstract: Three primary skin carcinomas were analyzed by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. In all cases, local recurrences, regional lymph node metastases, distant metastases, or all three developed. One patient had elevated serum calcitonin levels that did not decrease after thyroidectomy but did return to normal after removal of the skin tumor recurrences, its metastases, or both.The tumor cells were arranged in solid clusters; a trabecular arrangement was occasionally seen. In 2 cases the cells were of intermediate size and showed vesicular central nuclei and pale, moderately abundant cytoplasm. In the remaining case the cells were distinctly smaller and either round or fusiform. Mitoses were more abundant in the latter case than in the former two.By immunohistochemistry, calcitonin- and somatostatin-containing cells were demonstrated in all cases and ACTH in one. By electron microscopy, the cases consisting of intermediate-size cells displayed moderately abundant neurosecretory-ty...

Extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Abstract: From 1964 to 1977, 42 patients with Stages I and II non-Hodgkin's lymphoma involving the extranodal sites were seen and treated with curative intent by radiotherapy in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. The initial pathologic specimen was reclassified according to the criteria of Rappaport et al.16 Diffuse histology was the most common histologic type found in 80% of the patients. The five-year actuarial survival and disease-free survival rates were found to be almost identical at 74% for Stage I and 38% for Stage II patients. The most common sites of origin were in the head and neck area in 19 patients and gastrointestinal tract in 15 patients. The sites of involvement in the head and neck area were many and varied, with parotid and nasal cavity being the most frequent. Survival rates and disease-free survival rates for different histologic types, various sites, and their patterns of recurrence are presented.

Clinical assessment of external pressure circulatory assistance in acute myocardial infarction: Report of a cooperative clinical trial

Abstract: The clinical effects of early application of external pressure circulatory assistance (EPCA) in acute myocardial infarction were evaluated in a prospective, randomized trial involving 258 patients in 25 institutions. All patients had mild left ventricular failure and received circulatory assistance within the first 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. There were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups, consisting of 142 patients and 116 patients, respectively, with regard to age, sex, race, previous cardiac history, electrocardiographic location of myocardial infarction, Norris prognostic index, admission heart rate, blood pressure and chest roentgenogram, and time from onset of symptoms to hospital admission. There were also no differences between the treatment and control groups with regard to antiarrhythmic, positive inotropic, diuretic and vasodilator therapy. Hospital mortality was significantly decreased, compared with that of control patients, in the group receiving 4 or more hours of external pressure circulatory assistance within the first 24 hours after admission (mortality rate 6.5 percent [7 of 108] in treatment group versus 14.7 percent [17 of 116] in control group, p

Anti-invasion factor containing cultures

Abstract: Chondrocytes are cultured to produce cartilage tissue from which an anti-invasion factor (AIF) may be recovered. Mammalian cartilage providing at least about 60% viable chondrocytes is enzymatically digested to denude the cells of their extracellular matrix. The denuded cells are plated at high density and cultured to produce cartilage tissue.

Fatal myocardial infarction and the role of oral contraceptives

Abstract: A collaborative case-control study was conducted in the 5 largest metropolitan areas in the United States in order to investigate the association between oral contraceptive (OC) use and death from myocardial infarction (MI) in young women. Potential cases were identified from computer tapes of the National Center for Health Statistics. The controls were selected from among women who died from or were hospitalized for acute conditions other than heart disease or from accidents; they were matched to cases on age geographic area and year of death. The population of study cases was defined to be all women age 15-44 who died of an acute MI during the January 1974-June 1975 period. 163 cases were classified as either MI or sudden death (SD). Information regarding cause of death personal characteristics OC use and the presence of conditions predisposing to MI was obtained from interviews with relatives and abstracts of hospital clinic and physician records. Odds ratios as approximations to relative risks for fatal MI in relation to OC use and the associated 95% confidence limits were calculated overall and for subgroups determined by demographic and health history characteristics. Odds ratios in the total study population were not significantly different from 1 but odds ratios significantly different from 1 were found when attention was restricted to white subjects without contraindications to OC use and including only those cases whose deaths were attributed to MI with the greatest risk of certainty. A signficant risk factor for fatal MI was smoking. The data suggest that use of OCs may increase the risk of death from MI.

Is contralateral neck treatment necessary in early carcinoma of the tonsil

Abstract: One of the most distressing complications of radiation therapy of the head and neck cancers is xerostomia. Treatment of both parotid glands to high doses would be expected to result in high probability of symptomatic xerostomia. Treatment of early carcinomas of the tonsil with techniques to include bilateral upper neck nodes would result in xerostomia whereas treatment limited to the primary and ipsilateral neck only would avoid it. The latter technique has been used in 32 patients with carcinoma of the tonsil treated in Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center from 1965 through 1975. Of 20 patients with No or N1 disease treated this way, there were no contralateral neck recurrences with controlled primary and ipsilateral neck.

Transmission of human non‐a, non‐b hepatitis to chimpanzees following failure to transmit gb agent hepatitis

Abstract: Two colony-born infant chimpanzees were inoculated with documented infectious serum containing the GB agent. Serum aminotransferase levels remained within normal limits in weekly serum samples, and no abnormalities were detected in weekly liver biopsy specimens. Each of these chimpanzees was subsequently inoculated with serum containing an agent of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Each developed non-A, non-B hepatitis characterized by elevation of serum aminotransferase levels and histopathologic changes in liver biopsy specimens. Thus, the chimpanzee appears not to be susceptible to the GB agent, and prior inoculation with this agent does not appear to confer immunity to subsequent infection with human non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Bilateral hypernephroma with solitary pancreatic metastasis.

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

The isolation and characterization in vitro of normal epithelial cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts from rat urinary bladder.

Abstract: Epithelial cells, microvascular endothelial cells, and fibroblasts have been isolated in culture from normal urinary bladders of Fischer rats. Normal epithelial cells were cultured most efficiently when transitional epithelial sheets were plated on to collagen-coated roller flasks. The epithelial sheets were obtained by two micro-dissection techniques. In the first method, the epithelium was peeled as a large coherent sheet from the submucosal connective tissue following subepithelial injection of a collagenase solution, and after incubation of the bladders in the same enzyme solution. Epithelial sheets with intact basal cell layers were essential for culture success. On collagenous matrices, epithelial differentiation was similar to that in vivo. The in vitro transitional epithelium was composed of three cell layers, namely superficial, intermediate, and basal cells. Basal cells were attached to newly synthesized basal lamina by means of hemidesmosomes. Superficial cells were sealed at their apical lateral membranes by a junctional complex, i.e. a terminal bar. Asymmetric luminal membrane plaques were not apparent. In the second method, the epithelium was separated from the underlying connective tissue after collagenase--trypsin digestion of everted urinary bladders. Although the digest consisted mainly of epithelial cells, these rarely survived the first passage when plated on conventional plastic growth surfaces. After the third culture week, epithelial cells usually died and slowly growing colonies of fibroblasts or large flattened epitheloid cells became apparent. Epitheloid cells were identified by their typical ultrastructure as endothelial cells, showing Weibel--Palade bodies and pinocytotic caveolae. These cells were reactive with antiserum against factor VIII. The free surface of monolayer cultures was non-thrombogenic when incubated in the presence of platelets. Fibroblasts were isolated from heavily contaminated epithelial cell cultures after differential trypsinization. These three cells types represent the normal control cells of an in vitro tumor model for the study of invasiveness. All three cell types are involved in the formation and functional maintenance of the epithelial--stromal junction. The study of cell--cell and cell--matrix interactions may provide important clues for the understanding of tumor invasiveness, a process that starts at the epithelial--stromal junction and proceeds with its destruction.

Bronchial carcinoid metastatic to skin. Light and electron microscopic findings.

Abstract: This case report illustrates the value of ultrastructural examination of an undifferentiated carcinoma metastatic to skin. In this patient, ultrastructural study of a cutaneous nodule demonstrated cytoplasmic neurosecrctory granules characteristic of an amino precursor-uptake and decarboxylation cells (APUD) tumor and supported the diagnosis of metastatic bronchial carcinoid. Additional nine cases of bronchial carcinoids metastatic to skin are also briefly reviewed.

Validity of a back pain classification scale for detecting psychological disturbance as measured by the MMPI

Abstract: Constructed a Back Pain Classification Scale (BPCS) to detect serious psychological disturbance in low back pain patients, validated against the MMPI. One hundred and twenty patients with low back pain were classified as functional or organic on the basis of BPCS scores. The group identified as psychologically disturbed (functional) had significantly higher MMPI elevations on Scales F, HS, D, HY, PD, MF, PA, PT and SC. None of their scale scores was significantly lower than the group identified as organic. T-scores above 70 were present only on Scales 1 and 3, which suggests a high incidence of essentially neurotic disorders in patients classified as functional. The use of the BPCS as a viable alternative to the MMPI in the medical setting was discussed.