Free fatty acids in an animal model of reye's syndrome

Recent studies have indicated that viral infections, aspirin treatment and hyperammonemia are associated with Reye's syndrome. It has also been reported that free fatty acids in serum and total lipids in the liver of Reye's syndrome patients are elevated during illness. The role of the lipid changes in the development of the disorder cannot be optimally studied in human patients, because infection and aspirin ingestion occur prior to the earliest symptoms of Reye's syndrome. Effects of influenza B infection, aspirin treatment and hyperammonemia on the level of free fatty acids, total lipids and triacylglycerols in serum and liver of an animal model of Reye's syndrome are reported here. Hyperammonemia was produced in young, male ferrets either by feeding them small amounts of an arginine-deficient diet after overnight fasting or by an intraperitoneal injection of jackbean urease. The ferret model resembled Reye's syndrome in developing increased levels of individual and total serum free fatty acids, liver triacylglycerol and total lipids. The results also indicate that influenza infection or aspirin treatment, or both, while increasing the severity of encephalopathy in the deficient ferrets, did not cause a significant change in the level of serum free fatty acids. Other results suggest that elevation of serum ammonia, serum free fatty acid or liver lipids, either singly or in various combinations, does not provide conditions that can explain the rapidly developing encephalopathy in the arginine-deficient ferrets.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25111/1/0000543.pd

Determination of glucocerebroside, sphingomyelin, free fatty acid and total lipid by thin-layer chromatography and charring-scintillation quenching

A previously described method has been extended to various specific lipids of liver and brain. The basic method involves thin-layer chromatography followed by charring to reveal the bands. The intensity of each band is determined by suspending the silica gel in a radioactive scintillation gel and measuring the optically quenched activities. The lipids are extracted with hexane/isopropanol and, in the case of total lipid determinations, the extract is simply applied to a silica gel plate and charred without use of a development step. For brain cerebroside, the extract is applied to the plate and developed in the usual way. For liver cerebroside, the dried lipid extract is fractionated with a silica gel column to purify the glycolipid, which is then purified further by development with a plate. For sphingomyelin the ester type lipids in the extract are cleaved by alkali for 1 min and the resultant lipids are applied directly to the thin-layer plate. Free fatty acids are chromatographed and measured after a preliminary solvent partitioning to remove most lipids. The method is useful for samples of 5-40 [mu]g. Methods for quantitative application of samples to plates are described. A modification of the Camag sample streaker is described which yields precise 1-cm streaks.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/23807/1/0000045.pd

Primary extra-cranial meningioma in the right submandibular region of an 18-year-old woman: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Extra-cranial meningioma or ectopic meningioma is a rare tumor. This tumor has been reported in various anatomic sites in the head and neck, mediastinum, skin and soft tissues. We report a rare case of ectopic meningioma in the submandibular region detected by using fine-needle aspiration cytology, histopathology and immunohistochemistry. This case represents another unusual site for extra-cranial meningioma, which prompted us to report it.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>An 18-year-old Dravidian woman presented with swelling in the right submandibular region. The computed tomographic scan findings were suggestive of a neoplastic mass lesion in the right submandibular region. Fine-needle aspiration cytology led to the differential diagnosis of a monomorphic adenoma of a salivary gland or an ectopic meningioma. The patient underwent excision of the submandibular gland and tumor. The histological examination and immunohistochemistry studies confirmed that the lesion was an extra-cranial meningioma. At her two-year follow-up examination, there was no recurrence of the tumor.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our experience with this case indicates that, although rare, meningioma should be entertained in the differential diagnosis of a mass lesion in the head and neck region.</p

Formation of Free Fatty Acid and Ceramide During Brain Handling: Lability of Sphingomyelin

Intact brain and brain homogenates readily form free fatty acids and ceramides, even in the cold during subcellular isolation procedures. The fatty acid formation is slightly stimulated by chelators and might be due to phospholipid hydrolysis by lysosomal phospholipases. The ceramide formation is accompanied by loss of sphingomyelin and is apparently due to the action of neutral, metal ion-activated sphingomyelinase. The latter reaction is inhibited by EDTA whereas both degradative processes are inhibited by mercuriphenylsulfonate, the thiol-reacting inhibitor. Cerebroside does not seem to be a source of accumulated ceramide.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65296/1/j.1471-4159.1985.tb08737.x.pd

Coexistent Ampullary Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreatic Duct

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of ampulla has seldom been reported. However, metastatic SCC to ampulla of Vater is well known. We report a case of primary SCC of ampulla of Vater coexistent with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the distal pancreatic duct. A 50-year-old female presented with evidence of obstructive jaundice. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography revealed bulging papilla with ulcero-infiltrative growth at the ampulla of Vater. An initial endoscopic biopsy of the ampullary mass showed a well-differentiated SCC. The patient underwent Whipple's operation. Thorough sampling of the dilated portion of the pancreatic duct showed presence of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the distal pancreatic duct. Immunohistochemical study with synaptophysin and chromogranin was done with negative result, ruling out neuroendocrine differentiation. Also, a detailed clinical, endoscopic and radiological examination was carried out, that excluded the presence of primary SCC elsewhere