Red blood cell sorbitol in diabetic children

When red blood cells (RBC) were incubated with various concentrations of glucose, the RBC sorbitol level increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The elevated RBC sorbitol level was not reduced by further incubation in a glucose-free medium. In both diabetic and non-diabetic children, an increase of RBC sorbitol levels occurred in the oral glucose tolerance test and the return to baseline was delayed in diabetics compared with non-diabetics. In the majority of diabetics (87%), RBC sorbitol levels exceeded the upper limit of the normal range, which was arbitrarily determined as the mean + 2 s.d., in healthy non-diabetic children and adults. A good correlation was observed between RBC sorbitol levels and plasma glucose levels (r = 0.644). In both diabetics and non-diabetics, no correlation was observed between RBC sorbitol levels and age, and in diabetics the RBC sorbitol level was not related to the duration of disease. A good correlation was observed between RBC sorbitol levels, and hemoglobin Alc (HbAlc) or fructosamine levels in diabetic children.     

Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B virus in Indonesia

The S-gene sequences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from 22 carriers in several islands of Indonesia were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and XbaI-SpeI fragments corresponding to nucleotides 93-529 (437 base pairs) in the S gene were sequenced. The 22 sequences, along with the 5 reported sequences from Indonesia, were compared with each other, and with the corresponding sequences of 20 clones from other countries including China, France, Great Britain, Japan, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, USA and USSR. When the 27 HBV DNA clones of various subtypes from Indonesia were classified by the homology in the nucleotide sequence into the five genotypes, twelve belonged to genotype B (subtype adw 7 and ayw 5), 13 to genotype C (adw 1, adr 10, ayr 1 and ar 1), and 2 to genotype D (ayw); none belonged to genotype A or E. Different subtypes of clones in the same genotype indicated that point mutations inducing d-to-y or w-to-r phenotypic changes would be common among Indonesian carriers. Comparison of the translation products of XbaI-SpeI fragments, now available for 47 HBV DNA clones of different genotypes (A 4; B 14; C 21; D 7; E 1), identified several amino acids characteristic to or influenced by the five genotypes as well as those highly conserved by clones of different genotypes.     

Effects of phenylephrine and prostaglandin E on ventriculo-arterial matching during halothane anaesthesia

We have investigated the effects of phenylephrine alone andcombined with prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) on ventriculo-arterialmatching during halothane anaesthesia in dogs. The ratio ofleft ventricular end-systolic elastance (Ees) to effective arterialelastance (Ea) was used as an index of ventriculo-arterial matching.In group 1 (n = 7), measurements were performed at control,1.5% halothane, halothane+phenylephrine 1–10 µgkg^–1 min^–1, and halothane + phenylephrine + PGE₁,0.2–1.0 or 1.0–2.0 µg kg^–1 min^–1.In group 2 (n = 5), dobutamine 2 and 5 µg kg^–1 min^–1was infused during halothane anaesthesia. Halothane 1.5% decreasedmean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output and Ees. Phenylephrinerestored MAP, but further decreased cardiac output. The decreasein Ees produced by halothane was reversed by phenylephrine.PGE₁ increased cardiac output and reversed the increases inEa and Ea/Ees during phenylephrine infusion. Dobutamine alsoreversed halothane-induced decreases in MAP, cardiac outputand Ees, and improved Ea/Ees. Our results indicate that combineduse of PGE₁ with phenylephrine can eliminate the vasoconstrictiveproperty of phenylephrine, resulting in an improvement in ventriculo-arterialmatching.     

Atopic retinal detachment. Report of four cases and a review of the literature

Summary Ocular complications of atopic dermatitis include cataract, blepharitis, keratoconjunctivitis, keratoconus, iritis and retinal detachment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of retinal detachment in atopic dermatitis patients. We examined four patients with atopic dermatitis and retinal detachment, and performed an extensive review of the literature. There have been about 130 reported cases of retinal detachment in patients with atopic dermatitis from Japan, in comparison with only a few reports from Europe and the U.S.A. An extensive review of the literature revealed that retinal detachment occurs at a young age in atopic dermatitis patients, and that often both eyes are involved. As retinal detachment is not a rare complication of atopic dermatitis, we propose that this type of retinal detachment is designated 'atopic retinal detachment'. Dermatologists should be aware of this potential complication of atopic dermatitis.     

Atrioventricular Septal Defect in Rat Fetuses Induced by Administration of Bisdiamine

ABSTRACT A high incidence of atrioventricular septal defect was induced in rat fetuses by administration of N, N -his (dichloroacetyl)-1, 8-octamethylenediamine, bisdiamine, to pregnant Donryu rats. Induction of atrioventricular septal defect was highly dependent on day of bisdiamine administration. When bisdiamine was administered singly on day 9.4 of gestation or consecutively on days 9 and 10 of gestation, the incidence of atrioventricular septal defect in fetuses increased. Survival rate decreased with increase in the amount of bisdiamine administered. Normalized incidence ⁵ for atrioventricular septal defect, which was calculated as a product of incidence and survival rate, was as high as 54.5% when 175 mg bisdiamine was administered on day 9.4 of gestation. Atrioventricular septal defect thus formed was of the complete type associated with either persistent truncus arteriosus or tetralogy of Fallot, indicating that the conotruncal portion was unexceptionally malformed. The present model is useful for analysis of development and pathogenesis of atrioventricular septal defect and also contributes to clarifying the normal development of atrioventricular valves and septa.     

A partially degraded form of human plasminogen in circulating blood

Summary A method for separate measurement of the amounts of the native form and partially degraded form of plasminogen and plasmin in human circulating blood was devised based on their different mobilities on disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The relative amounts in the circulating blood as estimated by the method were as follows: 78.5% native form, 6.1% partially degraded form and 15.5% plasmin, in the resting state of healthy adults. The partially degraded form increased to about 50% after strenuous exercise load. The present study showed that relatively large amounts of the partially degraded form can be produced in the circulating blood, even though abundant plasmin inhibitors exist there. These data suggest that the partially degraded form may play an important role in thrombolysis in vivo.