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Six boys and five girls with a mean age of 8.6 (range 3 to 13) years with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) were studied by MRI and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to find specific areas of vulnerability. Morphological anomalies shown in six of 11 patients by MRI were situated both cortically and subcortically: cortical atrophy (N = 2), dilated ventricle (N = 1), corpus callosum hypoplasia (N = 1), cerebellar atrophy (N = 2), one of the latter with Arnold-Chiari malformation (N = 1). Delayed myelination of the white matter was seen in two patients. Volumetric studies of the hippocampus showed morphological left-right asymmetry in five of eight patients. However, SPECT showed mild hypoperfusion of the left hemisphere in all 10 subjects. The negative left-right index was located especially in the left parietooccipital region, i.e. in the brain areas implicated in arithmetical and logical-grammatical functions, which are known to be affected in FAS. Normal left-right dominance was also lacking in the frontal area, i.e. the brain area affected in attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Detection of these abnormalities, although they are not unique to FAS, may be helpful in the diagnosis and any attempts at rehabilitation. Diverse morphological and functional abnormalities are more frequent than has usually been believed even in less impaired children with FAS.

We studied the effects of a 6% ethanol liquid diet administered for 5 wk on the pituitary-gonadal function of adult male rats. Because ethanol is known to reduce body weight, we used sucrose-fed animals as controls. No significant differences in body, testis, or prostate weights were found between the rats exposed to ethanol and their sucrose-fed controls at the end of the 5-week treatment. Seminal vesicle weights decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) in the ethanol-treated group. Serum and testicular testosterone concentrations were significantly reduced in the ethanol-treated group, to 43.6% and 48.3% of levels in the sucrose-fed controls, respectively (p less than 0.05). Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels of the ethanol-treated rats were 37.9% and 41.3%, respectively, of those of the sucrose-fed controls (p less than 0.01-0.05). The pituitary levels of these hormones were similar to those of controls, but the ratios of pituitary LH and FSH to their serum levels were clearly increased after ethanol exposure, to 492% and 206.1%, respectively (p less than 0.05). In contrast, pituitary prolactin (PRL) of the ethanol-treated rats was decreased to 40.2% (p less than 0.01) of sucrose-fed controls. Testicular content of LH receptors was significantly reduced (to 77.0% of controls; p less than 0.01), but content of FSH receptors was slightly increased by the ethanol diet (to 121.5% of sucrose-fed controls; p less than 0.05). No ethanol-associated changes were apparent in testicular PRL and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors or in pituitary GnRH receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Six boys and five girls with a mean age of 8.6 (range 3 to 13) years with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) were studied by MRI and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to find specific areas of vulnerability. Morphological anomalies shown in six of 11 patients by MRI were situated both cortically and subcortically: cortical atrophy (N=2), dilated ventricle (N=1), corpus callosum hypoplasia (N=1), cerebellar atrophy (N=2), one of the latter with Arnold‐Chiari malformation (N=1). Delayed myelination of the white matter was seen in two patients. Volumetric studies of the hippocampus showed morphological left‐right asymmetry in five of eight patients. However, SPECT showed mild hypoperfusion of the left hemisphere in all 10 subjects. The negative left‐right index was located especially in the left parietooccipital region, i.e. in the brain areas implicated in arithmetical and logical‐grammatical functions, which are known to be affected in FAS. Normal left‐right dominance was also lacking in the frontal area, i.e. the brain area affected in attention‐deficit‐hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Detection of these abnormalities, although they are not unique to FAS, may be helpful in the diagnosis and any attempts at rehabilitation. Diverse morphological and functional abnormalities are more frequent than has usually been believed even in less impaired children with FAS.

ObjectiveTo compare short-term effects of fine particles (PM2.5; aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm) from different sources on the blood levels of markers of systemic inflammation.MethodsWe followed a panel of 52 ischaemic heart disease patients from 15 November 2005 to 21 April 2006 with clinic visits in every second week in the city of Kotka, Finland, and determined nine inflammatory markers from blood samples. In addition, we monitored outdoor air pollution at a fixed site during the study period and conducted a source apportionment of PM2.5 using the Environmental Protection Agency's model EPA PMF 3.0. We then analysed associations between levels of source-specific PM2.5 and markers of systemic inflammation using linear mixed models.ResultsWe identified five source categories: regional and long-range transport (LRT), traffic, biomass combustion, sea salt, and pulp industry. We found most evidence for the relation of air pollution and inflammation in LRT, traffic and biomass combustion; the most relevant inflammation markers were C-reactive protein, interleukin-12 and myeloperoxidase. Sea salt was not positively associated with any of the inflammatory markers.ConclusionsResults suggest that PM2.5 from several sources, such as biomass combustion and traffic, are promoters of systemic inflammation, a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.