The effect of selenium (Se) deficiency, produced by feeding a Se-deficient diet, on the development of central nervous system (CNS) lesions was studied in mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes, administered in drinking water for 1 or 7 days in a daily dose of 10(9)organisms, or for 7 days in a daily dose of 10(7). Se-deficient mice differed from Se-normal controls in developing CNS lesions significantly more frequently. Moreover, regardless of Se status, mice receiving repeated doses of 10(9)organisms differed from those receiving a single 10(9)dose in showing CNS lesions at least twice as often. The majority of animals with CNS lesions showed an inflammatory pattern of rhombencephalitis (17/24), while only two of 24 showed choroiditis-ventriculitis-meningitis; five of 24 animals showed both inflammatory patterns. Listeria monocytogenes antigen was identified within the areas of inflammation by an immunoperoxidase technique. Neuritis of the trigeminal nerve was present in eight animals. The relative lack of pathological changes in the liver and spleen validates this murine model for the study of CNS listeriosis.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Metastatic Listeria monocytogenes infection of the peritoneum in mice with cyclosporine a-induced peritonitis.

Inoculation of mice with Listeria monocytogenes intragastrically or by parenteral routes has not been reported to cause peritonitis. In this study, however, severe listerial peritonitis was induced in mice infected subcutaneously and treated intraperitoneally with cyclosporin A (Cs A) in an oil carrier. In both uninfected and listeria-infected mice, intraperitoneal administration of Cs A consistently produced overexpression of P-selectin in the peritoneal microvasculature and pyogranulomatous inflammation of the peritoneum, suggesting that Cs A causes endothelial damage. We suggest that in listeria-infected mice the non-specific irritant peritonitis induced by the intraperitoneal administration of Cs A results in transfer of listeria-infected phagocytes from the liver and spleen to the peritoneal microvasculature, producing metastatic infection.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Coronary angioplasty in patients who were considered poor bypass surgery candidates.

In most patients who undergo coronary angioplasty (PTCA), coronary bypass surgery (CABG) is an alternative. Patients with severe symptoms secondary to coronary disease, amenable to PTCA, but who are poor CABG candidates are commonly seen. From April 1988 to December 1989 PTCA was performed in 751 patients. Patients with evolving infarction (47) were excluded. Of the remaining 704, 605 were considered candidates for CABG and they were compared to the 99 patients not felt to be candidates for CABG. The objective of this report was to compare these 2 patient groups. These salvage PTCA patients were older, had a higher incidence of heart failure, more prior CABG, higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and lower ejection fraction (all p less than 0.01). PTCA had a high success rate per lesion in both groups (96% CABG candidates vs. 95% salvage patients), but there were more patients whose culprit lesion could not be dilated in the salvage group (14% vs. 7%, p less than 0.02). Severe complications including Q wave infarction (2% vs. .3%) and in-hospital death (7% vs. 0.2%) were more common in salvage patients. As planned, emergency CABG was not performed on any salvage PTCA patient but on 2.6% of the other patients. Patients who may benefit from PTCA but were not felt to be operable made up 13% of our PTCA experience. PTCA can be performed in these patients but risks were increased.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Mycobacterium infection in a captive-reared capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus).

One captive male capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) was found dead on December 1993 at the breeding center of capercaillie in Catalonia, Spain. The bird was emaciated and, at necropsy, had numerous nodules of various sizes subcutaneously in the cervical region, pleura, lungs, liver, spleen, and mesentery. Microscopic examination revealed granulomatous lesions with central caseous necrosis, epithelioid cells, giant cells, and few lymphocytes in all affected organs. Numerous acid-fast bacilli were demonstrated in the tubercles with Ziehl-Nielsen stain.

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