PHARMACOKINETICS OF ALCURONIUM IN ELDERLY PATIENTS UNDERGOING TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT OR AORTIC RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

The pharmacokinetic behaviour of alcuronium was studied in threepatients undergoing resection of an aortic aneurysm, and inanother two patients undergoing total hip replacement (groupI). A control group of five elderly patients undergoing relativelyminor surgery was included (group II). In group I patients,the values of the pharmacokinetic parameters such as plasmaclearance, elimination half-life and the apparent volume ofdistribution of the drug were found to be comparable to thoseobtained in normal young patients in previous studies. The groupII patients, however, were found to have a prolonged eliminationhalf-life as a result of reduced plasma clearance, possiblyan age-related effect. The differences between these two groupsof patients may be explained by the differences in the extentof haemorrhage and fluid replacement or changes in blood circulation,or both. However, alcuronium must still be used cautiously inboth groups of patients, especially in the light of a recentfinding that patients undergoing aortic reconstructive surgeryhave a high frequency of functional renal failure after operation.     

Pigmented carcinoid tumour of the thymus

An asymptomatic thymic tumour, classified as a carcinoid tumour on the basis of its light and electron-microscopic appearances, is described. This tumour was atypical in having foci of melanin pigmentation, the pigment being contained in dendritic melanocytes and melanophages. We suggest that the pigmented cells are not neoplastic and represent latent thymic melanoblasts stimulated in some way by the carcinoid tumour. Alternative explanations are discussed.     

Congenital fiber type disproportion myopathy in Lowe syndrome

Two brothers with the typical clinical features of oculo-cerebro-renal syndrome of Lowe exhibited delays in developmental milestones, muscular weakness and hypotonia, and high serum creatine kinase activity. The biopsied muscle revealed selective type 1 fiber atrophy and mild type 1 fiber predominance, similar to that observed in congenital fiber type disproportion myopathy. The abnormal fiber type distribution may be responsible for the common finding of muscle hypotonia in this syndrome.     

北五味子对犬条件反射的影响

国外文献关于北五味子对条件反射的影响说法不一。本工作就此问题作某些探讨。以拍节音作为条件刺激结合食物强化对犬形成阳性条件反射,而后使其消退,并观察不同剂量的北五味子对消退抑制的影响。实验证明,在条件反射消退初期,对犬使用小剂量(0.03克/公斤)的北五味子能减弱消退抑制;0.05克/公斤时效果不定;0.1—0.2克/公斤时能加强消退抑制.但当消退抑制已巩固形成后,则北五味子不论剂量大小皆不表现任何影响。小剂量北五味子对消退抑制的影响在表现上与咖啡碱相似,但较后者为弱,因为后者当消退抑制巩固形成后仍能使消退抑制减弱。