Death from ipecac intoxication in a patient with anorexia nervosa.

A patient with anorexia nervosa developed a fatal cardiomyopathy due to ipecac intoxication. Prodromal signs and symptoms included generalized muscle weakness, dysphagia, and severe palpitations. Autopsy revealed pathological changes in the heart and skeletal muscles.

Large-scale synchrony in weakly interacting automata.

We study the behavior of two spatially distributed (sandpile) models which are weakly linked with one another. Using a Monte Carlo implementation of the renormalization-group and algebraic methods, we describe how large-scale correlations emerge between the two systems, leading to synchronized behavior.

Ion exchange method for determining mephentermine sulfate in drug formulations: collaborative study.

Ion exchange chromatography is used to separate mephentermine sulfate from drug formulations. The drug is subsequently measured by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Assays on 4 commercial samples of tablets and injectables gave recoveries from 97.6 to 104% of declared. A collaborative study involving 2 tablet and 2 liquid formulations gave mean recoveries ranging from 94.7 to 99.3% and coefficients of variation from 1.39 to 2.00%.

Effect of liquid flavor supplementation of the diet on dairy cows in the transition period.

A 9-wk trial was conducted to study the performance of 24 Holstein cows during the transition period (3 wk prepartum to 6 wk postpartum). Cows were assigned to either a control or liquid-flavored (0.52 mL/kg of feed) total mixed ration in a randomized complete block design. The diets contained corn silage, alfalfa haylage, cottonseed, and a grain mix based on ground corn and soybean meal. Cows were fed to ensure 10% orts, and the diet provided (on a dry matter basis) 13% crude protein, 32% acid detergent fiber, 44% neutral detergent fiber, and 1.54 Mcal/kg of NEL prepartum and 17.5% crude protein, 30% acid detergent fiber, 40% neutral detergent fiber, and 1.57 Mcal/kg of NEL postpartum. An additional 2.3 kg of alfalfa hay was fed during the first 5 d postpartum. Weekly means of dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk protein, milk fat, SNF, somatic cell counts, and body weight (BW) were analyzed using a repeated measures procedure. There was no effect of treatment on these variables, and least squares means were 16.9 and 15.7 kg/d for DMI, 38 and 35.3 kg/d for milk yield, 3.10 and 3.11% for milk protein, 3.69 and 3.74% for milk fat, 8.37 and 8.16% for SNF, 1.99 x 10(5) and 4.33 x 10(5) for somatic cell count, and 631 and 651 kg for BW for cows fed control and flavored diets, respectively. Individual cow daily DMI data were fitted to an exponential model describing pre- and postpartum feed consumption [DMI = a - b x e(-c x t), where DMI was measured in kg, a = asymptotic DMI, b = potential fractional increase in DMI, c = fractional rate of increase in DMI, and t = days prior to calving or days in milk]. Fractional rates of increase in DMI were similar: 0.139 and 0.123/d for control and flavored diets, respectively. Data for both groups were separately analyzed using multiple regression with 3.5% fat-corrected milk as the dependent variable and BW and DMI as independent variables. More BW was mobilized per unit increase in 3.5% fat-corrected milk in cows fed the control than in cows fed the flavored diet. Cows fed the control diet tended to be in more negative energy balance during early lactation than cows fed the flavored diet. It was concluded that feeding flavor improved energy balance of cows in early lactation and may reduce the risk of health or reproductive problems.

Cryosurgical ablation of the normal ventral prostate plus adjuvant does not protect Copenhagen rats from Dunning prostatic adenocarcinoma challenge.

PURPOSE: We wished to determine if cryosurgical ablation of the normal ventral prostate of Copenhagen rats confers protective immunity against a subsequent challenge with Dunning R3327 MatLyLu prostatic adenocarcinoma. In human melanoma, tumor antigens have been characterized as normal cellular proteins. We reasoned that cryosurgical ablation of the normal prostate along with immunostimulatory adjuvants might release prostatic antigens to the immune system engendering an immune response and rendering rats immune to prostatic cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: On day 0, Copenhagen rats underwent cryosurgical ablation of the normal ventral prostate, cryosurgery and intraprostatic injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA), CFA injection alone, or laparotomy alone. On day 21, animals received a subcutaneous challenge of MatLyLu tumor cells. Tumor dimensions were recorded at regular intervals by a single blinded investigator. RESULTS: Animals receiving cryosurgical ablation of the normal ventral prostate or intraprostatic CFA developed tumors more frequently than animals receiving laparotomy alone and the effect was statistically significant if animals received both cryosurgical ablation of the prostate and intraprostatic CFA (3 experiments, 1 x 10(4) MatLyLu cells), total number with tumors/total number challenged: laparotomy alone 3/17, cryosurgical ablation 7/17, cryosurgery plus CFA 10/16 (p = 0.013 versus laparotomy, Fisher's exact test), CFA alone 9/17. CONCLUSIONS: Cryosurgical ablation of the normal rat ventral prostate and intraprostatic CFA does not protect against and can enhance the tumorigenicity of MatLyLu prostatic cancer cells at distant sites. This could be occurring through specific immunologic effects or non-specific mechanisms induced by cryosurgery and CFA.

High-efficiency synthesis of human alpha-endorphin and magainin in the erythrocytes of transgenic mice: a production system for therapeutic peptides.

Chemical synthesis of peptides, though feasible, is hindered by considerations of cost, purity, and efficiency of synthesizing longer chains. Here we describe a transgenic system for producing peptides of therapeutic interest as fusion proteins at low cost and high purity. Transgenic hemoglobin expression technology using the locus control region was employed to produce fusion hemoglobins in the erythrocytes of mice. The fusion hemoglobin contains the desired peptides as an extension at the C end of human alpha-globin. A protein cleavage site is inserted between the C end of the alpha-globin chain and the N-terminal residue of the desired peptide. The peptide is recovered after cleavage of the fusion protein with enzymes that recognize this cleavage signal as their substrate. Due to the selective compartmentalization of hemoglobin in the erythrocytes, purification of the fusion hemoglobin is easy and efficient. Because of its compact and highly ordered structure, the internal sites of hemoglobin are resistant to protease digestion and the desired peptide is efficiently released and recovered. The applicability of this approach was established by producing a 16-mer alpha-endorphin peptide and a 26-mer magainin peptide in transgenic mice. Transgenic animals and their progeny expressing these fusion proteins remain health, even when the fusion protein is expressed at > 25% of the total hemoglobin in the erythrocytes. Additional applications and potential improvements of this methodology are discussed.