Divergent effects of classical inducers on rat plasma and microsomal fraction paraoxonase and arylesterase

The effects of three different enzyme-inducing agents (phenobarbital, 3-methylcholanthrene and rifampicin) on plasma and liver microsomal fraction paraoxonase and arylesterase were studied in rats. Although phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene each increased the esterase activities in microsomal fraction, only 3-methylcholanthrene was capable to increase them in plasma. By contrast, the administration of rifampicin decreased both enzyme activities in liver and plasma. The results indicate that at least there exists two esterase activities in rat liver microsomes which hydrolyse both paraoxon and phenylacetate, but only one of them is released into the blood.     

Low-dose postoperative transconjunctival application of mitomycin C in rabbit trabeculectomy

PURPOSE: Mitomycin C (MMC) is commonly administered during filtering surgery to enhance the success of the procedure. Unfortunately, the increased success rate is associated with complications, including late bleb leaks, endophthalmitis, and ciliary epithelial toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate a safe and effective dose regimen for MMC to reduce incidence of those complications. METHODS: Trabeculectomy was performed in 36 rabbits. MMC was applied only during surgery, only one day after surgery, or once daily after surgery for 3 days at lower concentrations. Balanced salt solution (BSS) was administered during surgery to one group as a placebo. The time to bleb failure was determined and the eyes were evaluated histopathologically. Success and toxicity were compared for the different treatment groups. RESULTS: The mean time until trabeculectomy failure was 2.83 days for the placebo group, 6.33 days with administration of MMC 0.5 mg/mL during surgery, 7.83 days with administration of MMC 0.5 mg/mL once after surgery, and 11, 9, and 4.83 days with administration of MMC 0.1 mg/mL, 0.05 mg/mL, or 0.025 mg/mL, respectively, once a day for 3 consecutive days. On electron microscopic examination of the ciliary epithelium, toxic effects were greatest with MMC concentrations of 0.5 mg/mL and were less with lower concentrations. CONCLUSION: The effect of MMC on trabeculectomy survival was dependent on both the concentration and the method of administration. Lower concentrations with multiple postoperative administrations were as effective as but caused less ciliary body toxicity than intraoperative administration of higher concentrations.     

The effect of running-induced intervertebral disc compression on thoracolumbar vertebral column mobility in young, healthy males

Several previous studies have shown that intervertebral discs compress under the forces of axial loading, but few thus far have examined the effect of disc compression on the mobility of the spine. The purpose of this study was to determine if decreases in disc height and the mobility of the vertebral column between T7 and S2 in young, healthy males occurred after running and if there was a positive correlation between these two variables. The population of interest consisted of 30 18- to 25-year-old healthy males who ran 10-70 miles per week, all of whom had no previous or current back pathology. Following an 8-minute warm-up on a Fitron bicycle, vertebral column height (from C7 to S2) and vertebral column lateral flexion to the left (from T7 to S2) were measured. Directly following measurement, each subject ran 7 miles on a predetermined flat, paved course at a comfortable pace. Immediately following the run, each subject was measured again for vertebral column height and lateral flexion to the left. Paired t-tests revealed significant decreases in both vertebral column height and left lateral flexion. Pearson's r revealed only a small correlation between the decreases in these two variables. Although the correlation was not significant, the decreases in both variables may have implications for physical therapy with respect to range of motion measurements, because range of motion may change with varied amounts of disc compression, and for exercise programs for patients with various back pathologies, because certain back pathologies may be influenced by the degree of disc compression. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1992;16(1):19-24.     

Retroperitoneal benign schwannoma. Report of a new case

The schwannoma is a tumor resulting from the Schwann cells of neural shwath, being its retroperitoneal localization quite unusual. This tumor is clinically unspecified and in most of the cases it originates symptoms coming from the compression of the close structures when its localization is retroperitoneal. Its diagnosis is quite often fortuitous being confirmed by anatomopathological study afterwards. The treatment is surgical radical exeresis with subsequent followup. We report a new case of this uncommon retroperitoneal pathology in a female patient showing a nonspecific clinic. Two years after the surgery she remains asymptomatic without any radiological evidence of recidive.     

Massive lymphatic involvement secondary to prostatic adenocarcinoma

Prostatic carcinoma may be diagnosed by the clinic manifestations or by the symptoms for locoregional disemination and distance metastasis. The lymphatic system is the first metastatic station, which is affected in a high percentage of cases. Event it may simulate lymphoproliferatives process and it si uncommon the lymphatic macroaffectation at first. In theses cases, the histologic and immunohistochemical study by the determination of prostatic specific antigen in lymph nodes can provice the diagnosis. Treatment of these tumors is palliative with hormonotherapy. Prognosis is bad with a low survival at five years.     

Proliferative lesions of oviduct and uterus in CD-1 mice exposed prenatally to tamoxifen

Tamoxifen (TAM) is widely used as adjuvant breast cancer therapy after surgery and as a chemopreventive agent in women of child-bearing age. However, TAM therapy has been shown to result in an increased incidence of endometrial carcinoma in women. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of TAM (5 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg body wt) given i.g. to pregnant CD-1 mice (1x/day, days 12 through 18 of gestation) on their female offspring. Progressive proliferative hyperplasia of the oviduct was frequently seen in TAM-exposed offspring, reaching 100% incidence by 52 weeks in both treatment groups. These females also developed progressive proliferative uterine lesions, including moderate/severe cystic endometrial hyperplasia (34-50%) and polypoid adenomas (27-30%) between 53 and 78 weeks. Deciduomas (15%) occurred at young ages (12 and 24 weeks) while leiomyomas (14%), a malignant leiomyosarcoma, and ovarian granulosa cell tumors (14%), were found between 72 and 78 weeks. Our findings thus suggest a strong association between transplacental TAM and reproductive tract abnormalities in female CD-1 mice.      

Hypoglycémie hyperinsulinémique persistante du nouveau-né et du nourrisson

Persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycaemia of infancy (PHHI) is the most frequent cause of hypoglycaemia in infancy. Clinical presentation is heterogeneous, with variable onset of hypoglycaemia and response to diazoxide, and presence of sporadic or familial forms. Underlying histopathological lesions can be focal or diffuse. Focal lesions are characterised by focal hyperplasia of pancreatic islet-like cells, whereas diffuse lesions implicate the whole pancreas. The distinction between the two forms is important because surgical treatment and genetic counselling are radically different. Focal lesions correspond to somatic defects which are totally cured by limited pancreatic resection, whereas diffuse lesions require a subtotal pancreatectomy exposing to high risk of diabetes mellitus. Diffuse lesions are due to functional abnormalities involving several genes and different transmission forms. Recessively inherited PHHI have been attributed to homozygote mutations for the beta-cell sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1) or the inward-rectifying potassium-channel (Kir6.2) genes. Dominantly inherited PHHI can implicate the glucokinase gene, particularly when PHHI is associated with diabetes, the glutamate dehydrogenase gene when hyperammonaemia is associated, or another locus.     

Actuarial survival in the premature infant less than 30 weeks' gestation

OBJECTIVE: Because survival from admission to discharge does not provide parents and physicians information about future life expectancy in the premature neonate, we characterized the actuarial survival, defined as the future life expectancy from a given postnatal age, in a large inborn population of premature infants < 30 weeks' gestation. STUDY DESIGN: We determined daily actuarial survival of 1925 inborn infants (23 to 29 weeks' gestation) admitted to the Baylor Affiliated Nurseries from July 1986 through December 1994, stratified by 100-g birth weight and by 1-week gestational-age intervals. RESULTS: In the 501- to 600-g birth weight stratum, actuarial survival improved from 31% at birth, to 61% on day of life 7, and then to 75% on day of life 28; in the 901- to 1000-g birth weight stratum, actuarial survival improved from 88%, to 94%, and then to 98% throughout the same times, respectively. Similar trends were obtained when data were stratified by gestational age. CONCLUSIONS: Survival in the smallest infants improves dramatically during the first few days of life, but there is a significant risk for late death in the smallest of these infants.     

The efficacy of the ketogenic diet-1998: a prospective evaluation of intervention in 150 children

OBJECTIVE: The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-protein, low-carbohydrate diet developed in the 1920s for the treatment of children with difficult to control seizures. Despite advances in both the pharmacotherapy and the surgery of epilepsy, many children continue to have difficult-to-control seizures. This prospective study sought to determine the ketogenic diet's effectiveness and tolerability in children refractory to today's medications. METHODS: One hundred fifty consecutive children, ages 1 to 16 years, virtually all of whom continued to have more than two seizures per week despite adequate therapy with at least two anticonvulsant medications, were prospectively enrolled in this study, treated with the ketogenic diet, and followed for a minimum of 1 year. Seizure frequency was tabulated from patients' daily seizure calendars and seizure reduction calculated as percentage of baseline frequency. Adverse events and reasons for diet discontinuation were recorded. RESULTS: The children (mean age, 5.3 years), averaged 410 seizures per month before the diet, despite an exposure to a mean of 6.2 antiepileptic medications. Three months after diet initiation, 83% of those starting remained on the diet and 34% had >90% decrease in seizures. At 6 months, 71% still remained on the diet and 32% had a >90% decrease in seizures. At 1 year, 55% remained on the diet and 27% had a >90% decrease in seizure frequency. Most of those discontinuing the diet did so because it was either insufficiently effective or too restrictive. Seven percent stopped because of intercurrent illness. CONCLUSIONS: The ketogenic diet should be considered as alternative therapy for children with difficult-to-control seizures. It is more effective than many of the new anticonvulsant medications and is well tolerated by children and families when it is effective.