L-ascorbic acid produces hypoglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia in anaesthetized rats

L-Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) produced a marked reduction in the blood glucose concentration following intravenous injection (20-100 mg kg-1) to anaesthetized rats. This hypoglycaemic effect was accompanied by an increase in plasma insulin concentration. D-ascorbic acid produced a similar hypoglycaemic effect.     

Diagnostic value of GDx polarimetry in a Taiwan Chinese population.

PURPOSE: To study the diagnostic ability of scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDx VCC) for early glaucomatous (EG) eyes and glaucoma-suspect (GS) eyes in a Taiwan Chinese population. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included 82 EG eyes (mean deviation, MD: -3.32 +/- 2.20 dB), 45 GS eyes (MD: -2.43 +/- 2.16 dB), and 62 normal eyes. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness of each subject was measured using GDx VCC and Humphrey Field Analyzer visual field testing. Measured GDx VCC parameters were compared among groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AROC) curve of each parameter was used to differentiate normal from EG eyes or GS eyes. The correlation between MD and each parameter was also evaluated. RESULTS: For both normal versus EG and normal versus GS, the largest AROC values were for nerve fiber indicator, superior average thickness, and inferior average thickness. There was no significant correlation between MD and GDx-VCC-measured parameters either in EG or GS eyes. CONCLUSIONS: GDx VCC shows only moderate ability to distinguish normal eyes from eyes with early glaucoma. However, its diagnostic role in eyes with suspicious discs and normal visual fields is uncertain at this moment in the Taiwan Chinese population. Further studies are needed to address this issue.     

Serum gastrin levels in children with peptic ulcer disease.

Fasting serum gastrin values were measured by radioimmunoassay in 53 children with peptic ulcer disease. The mean fasting serum gastrin levels for children with chronic duodenal ulcer, acute gastric ulcer, acute duodenal ulcer who were younger than two years old and acute duodenal ulcer who were older than two years old were: 46.2 +/- 25.7 pg/mL, 46.9 +/- 43.5 pg/mL, 47.9 +/- 12.0 pg/mL and 37.5 +/- 17.8 pg/mL, respectively. Children with peptic ulcer disease did not have elevated fasting serum gastrin levels when compared with age-matched controls. We conclude that a fasting serum gastrin value cannot be used as a screening test for peptic ulcer disease in children, except for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.     

X-ray evaluation of radial shortening for Kienb?ck's disease.

The effect of inclination of the distal radius to subsequent lunate collapse is controversial. Therefore we evaluated the postoperative x-ray course of 10 patients with stage II, III, or IV Kienb?ck's disease who were treated only with radial shortening and followed up for an average of 25 months. The three patients who became worse as determined by x-ray evaluation had lunate fossa inclinations of less than 12 degrees after surgery. The four patients who improved had lunate fossa inclinations greater than 12 degrees. Appropriate radial shortening with adjunct wedge osteotomy to increase lunate fossa inclination may prevent further lunate collapse.     

Spurious hyperchloremia and decreased anion gap in a patient with dextromethorphan bromide.

Although cold syrup containing dextromethorpan bromide is widely administered, the bromism due to cold syrup has not been reported. We report a patient who had negative anion gap with hyperchloremia and conscious loss because of daily intake of cold complex syrup (containing dextromethorphan bromide 0.4 mg/ml, acetaminophen 8.33 mg/ml) for headache for 4-5 years. The bromide content in cold complex syrup resulted in serum levels of bromide that interfered with the automated analyzers for chloride content. When conscious change is due to bromism, hemodialysis instead of forced hydration and diuresis should be performed immediately. Therefore, patients with a markedly negative anion gap with hyperchloremia should be considered as having halide intoxication.     

Intraocular pressure-dependent dynamic changes of optic disc cupping in adult glaucoma patients.

The authors performed a study of intraocular pressure-dependent changes in optic disc cupping in 17 adults with chronic open-angle glaucoma. Analyses with the Rodenstock Optic Nerve Head Analyzer were performed at baseline low intraocular pressure during therapy, after elevation of intraocular pressure (from therapeutic failure or noncompliance), and after reduction of intraocular pressure with successful therapy. Optic disc cupping increased significantly upon short-term increase of intraocular pressure from baseline of 20.4 +/- 2.5 mmHg to 31.1 +/- 5.9 mmHg. Optic disc cupping reverted to baseline after persistent intraocular pressure reduction to 19.3 +/- 4.8 mmHg. These data demonstrate intraocular pressure-dependent dynamic changes of optic disc cupping in patients with demonstrable glaucomatous optic nerve damage. They underscore the detrimental effect of elevated intraocular pressure and the beneficial effect of intraocular pressure reduction on optic disc cup changes.     

Immunohistochemical study of lymph nodes in patients with cat scratch disease.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Bartonella henselaeis the causative agent of cat scratch disease (CSD), manifesting as fever and acute regional lymphadenopathy. Although serologic testing is the reference method for diagnosis, successful use of immunohistochemical (IHC) stain of regional lymph nodes for the diagnosis of CSD has been reported. To determine the characterization and diagnostic potential of IHC in lymphadenopathy of CSD, lymph nodes were excised from patients with suspected CSD for further evaluation. METHODS: Polyclonal antibody-based IHC studies were performed for the detection of B. henselae. Between January 2001 and December 2004, the reference laboratory of the Center for Disease Control, Taiwan, received a total of 377 sera from 352 reported suspected CSD cases. Twenty-three formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lymph nodes from 16 patients and two skin biopsies from two patients suspected of having CSD were included in this study. Nine of them were serologically confirmed to have CSD and the others were seronegative but suspected to have CSD by the attending physicians. Seven lymph node specimens were obtained from tuberculosis patients for comparison. RESULTS: We demonstrated that the microorganisms existed in the cytoplasm of histiocytes within the granulomatous lesions in nine lymph nodes and one skin biopsy. Among the nine lymph nodes with IHC (+) stains, three were seronegative. On the other hand, three cases were IHC (+) and six cases were IHC (-) among nine seronegative patients. In addition, two seronegative patients with skin biopsy showed one IHC (+) and one IHC (-). CONCLUSION: IHC can contribute to the etiologic diagnosis of B. henselaelymphadenopathy when serology and molecular techniques are not available.