David L Kaplan

Mucopolysaccharides of aorta at various ages.

Summary Mucopolysaccharides were isolated from whole human aortae and characterized by analysis, enzymatic digestion, optical rotation and I.R. spectroscopy. Average age of the groups ranged from 21 to 72 years. Total MPS and galactosamine/glucosamine ratios showed no significant change with age. Of the 4 MPS fractions identified, hyaluronate and ChS-C decreased with age while ChS-B and heparitin sulfate increased. The data are discussed in relation to age changes in other tissues of mesodermal origin. It is assumed that the complex pattern of human aorta is the resultant of age changes per se superimposed on degenerative and reparative processes. We wish to thank the Dept. of Pathology for their cooperation in obtaining aorta.

Effect of Acid Mucopolysaccharides on Hair Growth in the Rabbit.

Summary Repeated intradermal injection of MPS initiated a hair growth cycle in the pigmented rabbit. Hep. S. was the most active in the reaction, followed by ChS-B. A single injection of MPS applied as the insoluble protamine complexes also stimulated hair growth, again with Hep. S. the most active. These experiments suggest an essential role of a sulfated MPS in the normal hair growth cycle, as suggested previously from the correlation of metachromasia and hair growth.

Oral Health, Dental Care and Quality of Life Issues in Parkinson's Disease

Quality is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary (1978) in general terms, as ‘‘characteristic or attribute of something; a property; a feature’’ and in linguistics as ‘‘the character of a vowel sound determined by the size and shape of the oral cavity and the amount of resonance with which the sound is produced.’’ Quality of life, for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), may well be expressed in terms of the linguistic definition and its implications for daily living. Dentistry and dental care speak uniquely to the quality of life in general, more specifically to the medically compromised, and especially to those with PD. The oral apparatus is singularly involved in nutrition, speech and, from birth, the psychological aspects of hunger, fear, and sensual expression. Diagnosing dental problems, correcting and maintaining this oral apparatus in PD patients is often hampered, if not totally frustrated, by the physical, psychological, and medical intervention sequelae of PD. Given the scope of oral input to patient well-being, the dearth of pertinent current literature specifically on the dental care of PD persons leaves the practitioner with more questions than answers. For example, the Fourth Edition of Dental Management of the Medically Compromised Patient Little and Falace (1993), has no specific reference to PD care. With our rapidly aging population it is surprising that epidemiologic litera-