Surgery for epilepsy. Selective partial microsurgical callosotomy for intractable multiform seizures: criteria for clinical selection and results

A series of 35 patients have been submitted to microsurgical callosotomy since February 1978, their age ranging from 6 to 42 years. The surgical procedure consisted either of a frontal parasagittal trephination or a larger frontoparietal rectangular craniotomy to allow the investigation of the surgical areas of the hemispheres with electrocorticography under local anesthesia. This allowed us to better follow the electrographic abnormalities and plan the extent of the callosal section suited to each case, in particular rostral and genual section, section of the trunk only or subtotal section sparing the splenium. In 2 cases, cortical resection was associated with the split. The callosal fibers which were divided by careful section under the resected portion provided a critical postoperative control of the extent of the lesion. Results and selection criteria will also be analyzed.     

The finding of Enterobius vermicularis eggs in pre-Columbian human coprolites

Enterobius vermicularis eggs were found in human coprolites collected in the archaeological site of Caserones, Tarapaca Valley, Chile, dating from 400 BC to 800 AD. The human pinworm had already been found in other pre-historic archaeological sites in America, and its introduction in this continent is discussed.     

Gibberella fujikuroi mutants obtained with UV radiation and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (nitrosoguanidine) and to a lesser extent UV radiation are very mutagenic for Gibberella microconidia. The recommended nitrosoguanidine doses lead to much higher frequencies of mutants than are found in other microorganisms. The frequency of mutants among the survivors increases linearly with the nitrosoguanidine dose (molar concentration X time); the absolute number of viable mutants in a given population reaches a maximum for a dose of ca. 0.7 M X s. The microconidia are uninucleate. The onset of germination brings about increased lethality of nitrosoguanidine, but it does not modify the action of UV radiation. Mycelia are more resistant than spores to both agents. Visible illumination effectively prevents lethality when given immediately after UV radiation. Auxotrophs and color mutants are very easily obtained. Pink adenine auxotrophs and several classes of color mutants are affected in the biosynthesis of the carotenoid pigment, neurosporaxanthin.     

The role of ADP in the modulation of the calcium-efflux pathway in rat brain mitochondria.

The role of ADP in the regulation of Ca2+ efflux in rat brain mitochondria was investigated. ADP was shown to inhibit Ruthenium-Red-insensitive H+- and Na+-dependent Ca2+-efflux rates if Pi was present, but had no effect in the absence of Pi. The primary effect of ADP is an inhibition of Pi efflux, and therefore it allows the formation of a matrix Ca2+-Pi complex at concentrations above 0.2 mM-Pi and 25 nmol of Ca2+/mg of protein, which maintains a constant free matrix Ca2+ concentration. ADP inhibition of Pi and Ca2+ efflux is nucleotide-specific, since in the presence of oligomycin and an inhibitor of adenylate kinase ATP does not substitute for ADP, is dependent on the amount of ADP present, and requires ADP concentrations in excess of the concentrations of translocase binding sites. Brain mitochondria incubated with 0.2 mM-Pi and ADP showed Ca2+-efflux rates dependent on Ca2+ loads at Ca2+ concentrations below those required for the formation of a Pi-Ca2+ complex, and behaved as perfect cytosolic buffers exclusively at high Ca2+ loads. The possible role of brain mitochondrial Ca2+ in the regulation of the tricarboxylic acid-cycle enzymes and in buffering cytosolic Ca2+ is discussed.     

Occurrence of oscillations in ATP synthesis and hydrolysis in chromatophores of Rhodospirillum rubrum

The conditions under which an oscillatory behaviour is observed during net hydrolysis or synthesis of ATP in chromatophores of Rhodospirillum rubrum FR1 are described. In the case of ATPase the oscillations are observed at low temperature (ca. 11°C) in the dark after an initial transient behaviour. These oscillations are attenuated or disappear by the addition of an uncoupler.Oscillations are also observed during ATP synthesis. At 3°C the oscillations appear spontaneously if photophosphorylation is measured during a sufficiently long time. At 30°C the mere intercalation of a dark period also at 30°C is sufficient to trigger the oscillations in the following light period.Abbreviations Bchl Bacteriochlorophyll - FCCP carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone - PMS phenazine methosulfate - TMPD, N,N,N,N tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Gerhart Drews as a homage for his permanent example as hard worker and careful scientist and also for his remarkable human quality     

Addition of an androgen-free epididymal protein extract increases the ability of immature hamster spermatozoa to fertilize in vivo and in vitro

The fertility of spermatozoa from the different epididymal segments of hamsters was tested by in-vivo insemination. Caput and proximal corpus spermatozoa were non-fertile; spermatozoa from the distal corpus epididymidis fertilized 13% (38/290) oocytes and those from the proximal and distal cauda epididymidis 71 and 87%, respectively. When tested by in-vitro insemination, distal corpus spermatozoa penetrated 44% of oocytes while those from the distal cauda fertilized 87% of oocytes. Spermatozoa from the distal corpus recovered in Medium BMOC fertilized 13% (28/219) of oocytes in vivo, while those mixed with an epididymal protein preparation (0.8 mg protein/ml) fertilized 24% (49/204; P less than 0.01) of oocytes. When distal corpus spermatozoa were inseminated in vivo with 0.8 mg epididymal protein preparation 34% (31/90) oocytes were fertilized and only 22% (23/103; P less than 0.05) oocytes were fertilized when the proteins were obtained from epididymides of animals castrated for 30 days. When distal corpus spermatozoa were preincubated for 5 h in medium without (control) or with protein preparation (0.8 or 1.6 mg protein/ml), a significant increase in in-vitro oocyte penetration was found (25 compared with 45%; P less than 0.05) when the protein was present at 1.6 mg/ml. These results confirm and extend previous observations suggesting a role for androgen-dependent glycoproteins secreted by the epididymis in the acquisition of fertilizing ability that occurs during sperm maturation.     

Polypeptide composition of rat sperm outer dense fibers. A simple procedure to isolate the fibrillar complex

Treatment of caput or cauda epididymal rat sperm with a low concentration (0.05%) of the cationic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and 30 mM 2-mercaptoethanol solubilized most of the sperm structures except for the sperm head and the outer dense fiber-connecting piece complex. The latter were purified, and about 10% of these complexes are formed by nine fibers attached to the connecting piece. Of these fibers, two are shorter than the other seven and presumably correspond to fibers 3 and 8 (Fawcett, D.W. (1975) Dev. Biol. 44, 394-436). Electron microscopy confirmed the purity of the isolated outer dense fibers and revealed their characteristic irregular cross-sectional shape. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate showed six major polypeptides (Mr = 87,000, 30,400, 26,000, 18,400, 13,000, and 11,500) with a high content of serine, aspartic and glutamic acids, proline, cysteine, leucine, and tyrosine. Furthermore, several lines of evidence indicate a close structural relationship between the components of 30,400 and 26,000 Da. The six major components of the fibers are phosphorylated at serine residues. These results indicate that the major components of rat sperm outer dense fibers are a unique family of phosphoproteins.     

Dietary docosahexaenoic acid is retroconverted in man to eicosapentaenoic acid, which can be quickly transformed to prostaglandin I3

In a 24 h kinetic study docosahexaenoic acid (DCHA, C22:6n-3) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) were given in a single dose to healthy male volunteers. PGI₃-M, the main urinary metabolite of prostaglandin I₃ was below the detection limit in the control periods, but was excreted already in the first 4 h after ingestion of DCHA or EPA and decreased thereafter. Excretion of PGI₂-M did not change significantly. In a second dietary trial DCHA and EPA were given cross-over to 7 healthy male volunteers for 6 days. PGI₃-M was formed after DCHA and EPA in amounts of 35 and 20 % of PGI₂-M and showed a considerable interindividual variation. The structure of PGI₃-M was verified by independant biochemical synthesis. Our data indicate that dietary DCHA is retroconverted to EPA in man, which is quickly transformed - like dietary EPA itself - to prostaglandin I₃. DCHA may therefore serve as a precursor fatty acid for EPA and its cyclooxygenated and lipoxygenated products.