Few neocortial and thalamic morphological changes after a neonatal frontal cortical ablation contrast with the effects of a similar lesion in fetal cats.

To further understand the neuroanatomical consequences following perinatal brain injury, quantitative morphometric analysis was performed on the brain of cats receiving a unilateral frontal cortical ablation between postnatal days (P) 9 and P 14 and intact control cats. In all cats, the volume of the neocortex and thalamus was measured bilaterally and that of the thalamic ventrobasal complex (VBc) was measured ipsilaterally. In addition, using stereology, the neuronal and glial (presumably) cell packing densities (CPD) and the total number of neurons and glial cells (TCN) were measured in the ipsilateral VBc. The neuronal and glial cell cross-sectional areas (CSA) were also measured in the ipsilateral VBc. The mean ipsilateral and contralateral neocortex volumes were similar between the two animal groups. There was a statistically significant 14% and 13% reduction in mean ipsilateral and contralateral thalamic volumes, respectively for the lesioned animals, while the VBc shrank by 16% relative to intact controls. The mean neuronal and glial CPD were similar between the two groups. The mean neuronal TCN was reduced by 10% in the neonatal-lesioned cats, while the mean glial TCN was reduced by 31% in the same animals, however neither value reached significance. Lastly, the mean CSA of neurons and glial cells showed a tendency to be smaller in the lesioned cats by 8% and 9%, respectively. These results: (a) indicate that the neonatal lesion caused only minor morphological brain alterations and this sharply contrast with the marked changes previously reported in cats with a similar lesion sustained prenatally; (b) suggest that the enhanced behavioral recovery and/or sparing reported for the present cats compared to fetal-lesioned animals is at least partially due to the morphological sparing reported here; (c) together with previous findings in fetal cats, support the hypothesis that the morphological changes after a neonatal neocortical lesion are qualitatively different and may depend on different mechanisms as compared to those occurring after similar damage sustained prenatally.

Indicator organism sources and coastal water quality: a catchment study on the island of Jersey.

Compliance monitoring of bathing waters at La Grève de Lecq on the North coast of Jersey revealed a significant deterioration in water quality between 1992 and 1993, as indexed by presumptive coliform, presumptive Escherichia coli and streptococci concentrations. During the 1993 bathing season the beach failed to attain the compliance with the EC Guideline criteria for presumptive E. coli and streptococci. A bacteriological survey of the stream catchment draining to the beach revealed that: (i) concentrations of faecal indicator organisms were enhanced at high discharge after rainfall; and (ii) a captive water fowl population, which expanded between 1990 and 1993, was a potential source of faecal pollution. Strategies for catchment management are discussed.

Maternal and fetal brain and plasma levels of cocaine and benzoylecgonine after acute or chronic maternal intravenous administration of cocaine.

The effect of repeated i.v. administration of cocaine HCl (1.5, 3 or 6 mg/kg daily) from gestational day 8 through gestational day 18 was studied on maternal and litter parameters in the pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rat. These doses of cocaine had no significant effect on maternal weight gain or nutritional intake and did not significantly affect litter size. Levels of cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine in the brain and plasma of the dams and their fetuses were measured on gestational day 18 at 1, 5, 20 or 60 min after a single injection or 11 daily i.v. injections of cocaine (6 mg/kg). The shape of the time courses for cocaine differed somewhat between dams and fetuses, with fetal plasma concentrations of cocaine initially being lower than those of their dams and then by 5 min becoming equivalent to those of their dams. Although plasma concentrations of cocaine soon equilibrated between dams and fetuses, plasma concentrations of benzoylecgonine did not. Interestingly, brain concentrations of cocaine did not differ between dams and fetuses. The most remarkable finding was that the relative distribution of cocaine between brain and plasma differed after chronic vs. acute treatment, with a relative shift in the distribution of cocaine from plasma to the brain in the fetuses, and with the exception of the earliest time point measured, in the dams after repeated dosing.

Neurological and behavioral effects of a unilateral frontal cortical lesions in fetal kittens. I. Brain morphology, movement, posture, and sensorimotor tests.

Nine fetal kittens sustained removal of the left frontal cortex during the last third of gestation (E 43-55) and were compared to animals sustaining a similar lesion postnatally (P 8-14) as well as to littermate controls. Starting after 6 months of age the animals received a comprehensive battery of movement, posture and sensorimotor tests. The prenatal-lesioned cats performed worse in practically all 15 tests applied (significantly in 13 of them) compared to the neonatal-lesioned cats. Impairments included contralateral paresis of the limbs and face, defective limb placing reactions (with almost absence of the contact components) and a slight extensor hypertonus; tactile hypoesthesia in the contralateral face and hind paw; a bias not to use the contralateral forepaw in a food retrieval task, and an ipsilateral body turning bias. The neonatal-lesioned animals only showed minor defects in the contact components of the limb placing reactions and a tendency to a body turning bias. Morphologically, the brains of the prenatal-lesioned cats, but not of neonatal-lesioned or intact control cats, showed bilateral disruption of the cortical sulcal and gyral patterns, shrinkage of the ipsilateral hemisphere, and reduction in volume of the ipsilateral thalamus and cortex. We concluded, contrary to expectations, that the consequences of a prenatal brain lesion in the cat are worse than when a similar lesion is sustained neonatally.

Neurological and behavioral effects of a unilateral frontal cortical lesion in fetal kittens. II. Visual system tests, and proposing an "optimal developmental period" for lesion effects.

Nine fetal kittens sustained removal of the left frontal cortex during the last third of gestation (E 43-55) and were compared to animals sustaining a similar lesion postnatally (P 8-14) as well as to intact littermates. Beginning after 6 months of age, the animals' visual field and depth perception were assessed. In addition, pupil size as well as eye alignment were measured. On two visual field tests the fetal-lesioned cats showed test dependent decrements for some angles of vision. In terms of depth perception, only the prenatal-lesioned animals showed a higher binocular threshold; they also showed ocular misalignment which may have contributed to their depth perception impairment. Moreover, these animals had a larger ipsilateral pupil. The neonatal-lesioned animals were like normal cats for all tests and measurements. We conclude that, as for the tests reported in the preceding paper, the outcome for visual related behaviors of a prenatal frontal cortical lesion in the cat is also worse than that of a similar lesion sustained neonatally. Dysgenetic anatomical changes of the visual system induced indirectly by the frontal lesion are proposed as a possible explanation for these age-at-lesion differences. Based on the present work as well as on the literature, we propose the existence of an "optimal developmental period" for the best behavioral and anatomical outcome of perinatal brain lesions. We argue that this concept fits contemporary data and can better explain the different age-at-lesion effects of brain injury across animals species than the "Kennard Principle" (or "infant-lesion effect").

Black, middle-class women in San Antonio, Texas.

Fifty-six African-American women between the ages of 20 and 84 who had completed a minimum of 4 years of college and were employed in professional positions (eg, teacher, technician, lawyer, and physician) were identified in San Antonio, Texas. Specific information concerning marital status, income, home ownership, family of origin, presence of professional siblings, husbands' characteristics, medical and psychiatric health, and significant influences in their lives were obtained by a semistructured interview. This article summarizes the results of these interviews and presents the techniques used to identify this sample of African-American, middle-class women.

Determination of serum acetaminophen in emergency toxicology: evaluation of newer methods: Abbott TDx and second derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometry.

Newer methods for the determination of serum acetaminophen in emergency toxicology, the Abbott TDx immunoassay and second derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometry, were evaluated and compared to a high pressure liquid chromatographic procedure. The Abbott TDx immunoassay within-run and day to day precision yielded coefficients of variance below 2.7% and 7.2% respectively: Abbott TDx immunoassay results correlated well with those of high pressure liquid chromatographic in patient serums 15.0 to 333 mg/L acetaminophen; r2 = 0.954, n = 40. The Abbott TDx immunoassay assay was rapid, easy to perform, free of interferences from other drugs and exhibited no carryover from previous samples. The within run precision of the second derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometry method yielded coefficients of variance of less than 7.0%. Second derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometry results demonstrated good correlation with high pressure liquid chromatographic results in patient sera; r2 = 0.923, n = 40; however, performance deteriorated below 50.0 mg/L acetaminophen. Spectral interferences were noted at high concentrations of some drugs.

Urinary excretion of benzoylecgonine following ingestion of Health Inca Tea.

Four males ingested one cup of Health Inca Tea which contained 1.87 mg of cocaine. Urine specimens collected for 36 h post-ingestion were analyzed for benzoylecgonine (BE) by EMIT-d.a.u., TDx and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Positive immunoassay results were obtained for 21-26 h post tea ingestion. Discrepant immunoassay results occurred with only one specimen: EMIT positive; TDx negative, 0.25 mg/l; GC/MS, 0.273 mg/l. Quantitative TDx results were well correlated with GC/MS results, r2 = 0.963, n = 45. Maximum urinary BE concentrations ranged from 1.4-2.8 mg/l, occurring from 4-11 h, post ingestion. Total BE excretion in 36 h ranged from 1.05 to 1.45 mg, 59-90% of the ingested cocaine dose. Urinary excretion rate constant (Km) ranged from -0.073 to 0.111/h. Health Inca Tea ingestion should be considered when interpreting urinary BE concentrations.

Effect of indomethacin pretreatment on acute mortality in experimental brain injury.

The effect of indomethacin administration on the mortality rate of brain-injured rats was studied in four groups of animals subjected to a level of injury with a fluid-percussion apparatus predetermined to cause 50% mortality (50% lethal dose, or LD50). There were 24 animals in each of the following groups: 1) a control group, on which the LD50 was evaluated; 2) an ethanol-treated group with a mean blood serum level of 0.32 +/- 0.03 gm% (+/- standard error of the mean); 3) an indomethacin-treated group at a dose level of 3 mg/kg body weight administered intraperitoneally 10 to 15 minutes before injury; and 4) an indomethacin/ethanol-treated group. Significant differences in mortality rates were found in these experimental groups; namely, 50%, 58%, 8.3% (p less than 0.005), and 25% (p less than 0.05), respectively. The predetermined LD50 level of a 2.5- to 2.6-atm peak pressure pulse produced immediate apnea in all animals, which was either sustained (Type III), followed by temporary respiratory recovery (Type II), or followed by permanent resumption of breathing (Type I). The most important effect of indomethacin on respiratory function was manifested by a much higher percentage of Type I respiratory responses and a much lower percentage of Type II and III responses (hence a lower mortality rate). There was also a more rapid return to normal breathing in the postapneic period of recovery. Suppression of prostaglandin synthesis and of superoxide anion production at the of trauma may explain, at least in part, these favorable effects of indomethacin.

Superior gluteal artery aneurysm.

Aneurysms of the gluteal arteries are an uncommon complication of trauma to the gluteal region. A case report is presented following a gunshot wound to the buttock in a 36-year-old female. Diagnosis and management are discussed, with a review of the recent surgical literature.