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Microglia activation by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) significantly decreased choline acetyltransferase-immunopositive (ChAT+) neuron number and ChAT activity in rat primary basal forebrain mixed neuronal/glial cultures. The number of non-cholinergic (ChAT(-)) neurons was unaffected. LPS induced nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in microglia, increased the media level of the NO metabolite nitrite, and the NOS inhibitor Ng-nitro-L-arginine methylester (NAME) protected the ChAT+ neurons from LPS. The combination of beta-amyloid peptide (1-42) and interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) also increased the media nitrite level and decreased ChAT+ neuron number. Cholinergic neurons are lost early in the course of Alzheimer's disease, and the enhanced sensitivity of these neurons to microglial activation in mixed neuronal/glial culture may be useful for modeling Alzheimer's disease and developing therapeutic strategies to combat this disease.

The effect of an endogenous opiate, beta-endorphin, on the replication of HIV was investigated in brain perivascular microglia. Beta-endorphin enhanced the synthesis of p-24 antigen and transactivation of HIV promoter. Dialysed culture supernatants of endorphin-treated microglia re-activated latent HIV infection. These culture supernatants showed elevated levels of interleukin-1 beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Sub-optimal concentration of beta-endorphin potentiated GP-120-induced synthesis of these cytokines. Nalaxone reversed beta-endorphin-induced, but not GP-120-induced, cytokine production and enhanced HIV replication. These results suggest that endogenous opiates may contribute to the progression of AIDS dementia complex.

Most of the 19 cases of high myopia with esotropia fixus had the refractive error in childhood while esotropia fixus set in progressively during middle age. The eyeball was fixed in a position of marked adduction, and the forced duction test was positive. Electromyography showed normal innervation of the medial and lateral recti. Contracture of the medial rectus and thinning of the lateral rectus were observed during surgery. Histopathological examination revealed degeneration and fibrosis in the medial rectus. Etiology was not clear. Tenotomy of the medial rectus or that of the inferior rectus in addition, with fixation of the lateral rectus tendon to the lateral orbital rim produced satisfactory corrective results.

Seven compounds were isolated from the traditional Chinese Medicine Qianhu, roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn. Their structures were identified as psoralen (II), 5-methoxypsoralen (III), 8-methoxypsoralen (IV), pteryxin (V), peucedanocoumarin II (VI), beta-sitosterol (VII) and qianhucoumarin A (VIII) by physico-chemical constants and spectral analyses (UV, IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, EIMS). VIII is a new compound with the structure of 3'(R)-hydroxy-4'(R)-tigloyloxy-3',4'-dihydroseslin. Its absolute configurations were determined by chemical correlation with known compounds. II, III, IV and VII were first isolated from this plant.

Five compounds were isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Qianhu, roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum. Their structures were identified as 3'-angeloyloxykhellactone (IX), qianhucoumarin B (X), qianhucoumarin C (XI), Pd-III (XIII) and peucedanocoumarin III (XV). Among them, X and XI are new compounds, their absolute configurations were elucidated by chemical correlation with khellactones, as 3'(S)-acetoxy-4'(S)-hydroxy-3',4'-dihydroseselin(X) and 3'(S)-hydroxy-4'(S)-acetoxy-3',4'-dihydroseselin (XI). Compound IX was isolated from plants for the first time.

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) increased the formation of adrenochrome from adrenaline and the formation of formaldehyde from methanol in rat liver mitochondria and microsomes in vitro as well as in monkey liver mitochondria and microsomes in vivo. The effects were more prominent at higher TNT concentrations. These findings indicate that TNT enhances the production of superoxide radicals (O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The production of O2 was more prominent in systems containing added TNT than in those containing added benzyl viologen. H2O2 production by mitochondria was more pronounced in the liver than in other organs, but its production by microsomes was more pronounced in the brain than in other organs. The results suggest that TNT undergoes cycling reduction which produces oxidative stress.

The scleral encircling or explant procedures for treatment of retinal detachment usually lead to post-operative strabismus, due to traumatic muscular adhesion to the globe, explant interference with muscular function, nerve damage and muscular paralysis, excessive or prolonged stretching of the muscle and surgical muscular reattachment at an improper site. In addition, there may be muscular atrophy or cicatrizing transformation due to compression. In 3 patients, the authors made use of the cicatricial tissue in place of the original muscle with or without surgical adjustment of the other ocular muscles. Satisfactory cosmetic result and ocular motility were obtained in all 3 cases.