Human hair follicle regeneration following amputation and grafting into the nude mouse.

In this study we investigated the capacity of the human hair follicle to regenerate a fiber-forming bulb after its amputation. We removed the bases from terminal follicles from a variety of sites and transplanted the follicles onto athymic mice, either still attached to a skin graft or as subcutaneous implants of individual follicles. External hair growth was observed on the skin grafts, and histology of the follicles revealed restoration of dermal papillae and follicle bulb structures. This result suggests that the capacity of hair follicles to regenerate their lower structures after removal, which was first demonstrated on whisker follicles, may be a general phenomenon. It emphasizes the importance of specific cellular subpopulations within the follicle and the role of dermal-epidermal interactions in adult follicle activities.

Osmosin and ileal ulceration: a case report.

A 78-year-old woman presented with an acute abdomen and was found to have a perforation of her terminal ileum. She did not survive the post-operative period and at necropsy was found to have numerous ulcers of the ileum. In the ulcerated areas there was a transmural chronic inflammatory infiltrate, but no evidence of granulomata. We believe that this ulceration was caused by ingestion of Osmosin tablets containing indomethacin and suggest a possible pathogenesis.

Recurrent strangulated obturator hernia.

A case of recurrent strangulated obturator hernia is presented. The difficulty in diagnosing obturator hernia and the high mortality associated with strangulation are highlighted from a literature review. A high index of suspicion in older patients presenting with intestinal obstruction without an obvious cause, possibly combined with CT scanning of the pelvic region, may lead to earlier diagnosis and operation and a more favourable outcome in such cases.

The impact of an air ambulance system on an established trauma center.

Hospital competition for air ambulance business has resulted in implementation of a helicopter service before the medical staff can prepare for the increased patient load. We reviewed the effect of an air ambulance on an already established trauma center (TC) by analyzing the impact of the helicopter trauma patient load during the initial year of operation. The helicopter carried a three-member flight crew consisting of a pilot, paramedic, and critical care nurse. Admission data of all flights from February 1982 through February 1983 were reviewed. Of the 325 air missions launched, 192 (59%) were for the transport of trauma victims. One hundred forty (73.6%) patients were transported from local hospitals, the remaining 52 (26.4%) from the accident scene. Ninety per cent of the injuries were due to motor vehicle accidents. Forty-nine per cent of the flights occurred on weekends and 68.8% were launched between 7:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. The average flight times from hospital and accident scenes were 37 min 30 sec and 13 min 30 sec, respectively. Of all trauma missions flown, 126 (65.8%) were considered new or 'captured' by the air ambulance system and brought to the TC. Thirty-seven (19.3%) patients died in flight, were DOA, or died within 1 hour of TC arrival. Eighty per cent of the deaths were from massive head injuries. The average injury severity score was 35.58 (all patients), 32.9 (survivors), and 45.80 (deaths).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Trans-species hair growth induction by human hair follicle dermal papillae.

A series of experimental bioassays has shown that the dermal papilla of the adult rodent vibrissa hair follicle retains unique inductive properties. In view of the many phenotypic and functional differences between specific hair follicle types, and the growing interest in hair follicle biology and disease, it remains important to establish that the human hair follicle dermal papilla has equivalent capabilities. In this study we tested the ability of human hair follicle papillae to induce hair growth when implanted into transected, athymic mouse vibrissa follicles. The implanted papillae that interacted with mouse follicle epithelium created new fibre-producing follicle end bulbs. The origin of the papillae in the recombinant structures was confirmed using laser capture microdissection and human specific gender determination by PCR. The demonstration that intact adult human dermal papillae can induce hair growth has implications for molecular analysis of basic hair growth mechanisms, particularly since the study involved common epithelial-mesenchymal signalling and recognition properties across species. It also improves the prospects for a cell-based clinical approach to hair follicle disorders.