Direct excitatory effects of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on rat hippocampal neurones in vitro

Intracellular recordings from granule cells of the rat dentate gyrus show neuropeptide Y (NPY) applied by pressure ejection from pipettes containing 1.2-12 microM by pressures of less than 200 kPa for 1-5 s in duration to consistently evoke membrane depolarisations accompanied by a reduction in membrane resistance. The depolarisations were accompanied by an increase in excitability. Since the depolarisations evoked by NPY were not attenuated by either tetrodotoxin or kynurenic acid a direct excitatory action of NPY is postulated.     

Comparative effects of dietary wheat bran and its morphological components (aleurone and pericarp-seed coat) on volatile fatty acid concentrations in the rat

Adult male rats were fed on diets containing 100 g dietary fibre/kg either as alpha-cellulose or wheat bran or the pericarp-seed coat or aleurone layers prepared from that bran by sequential milling and air elutriation and electrostatic separation. After 10 d, concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) in caecal fluid were significantly different between groups and fell in the order: aleurone greater than wheat bran greater than pericarp-seed coat greater than cellulose. This ranking probably reflected the ease of fermentation of fibre polysaccharides by colonic bacteria which also resulted in a considerably higher faecal bacterial mass in the aleurone group. Because of the differences in the volume of caecal digesta, the mass of caecal VFA was considerably the highest in the aleurone group, intermediate with wheat bran and equally low in the pericarp-seed coat and cellulose groups. The diet based on aleurone gave a relatively higher proportion of propionate but with both pericarp-seed coat and wheat bran the contribution of butyrate was raised. VFA concentrations in hepatic portal venous plasma were proportional to caecal concentrations with very high (greater than 3 mM) values being recorded in the aleurone group. The findings are discussed in relation to the apparent susceptibility of the morphological components of wheat bran to fermentation by large bowel bacteria.     

Treatment of the anemia of rheumatoid arthritis with recombinant human erythropoietin: clinical and in vitro studies

Two anemic patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) for 5 months. Both patients showed significant increases in hematocrit, red cell volumes, and marrow erythroid and megakaryocyte progenitor cells. No significant toxic effects from EPO were observed. These data indicate that EPO may be effective in overcoming the pathogenetic factors that limit erythropoiesis in rheumatoid arthritis.     

Esophageal replacement with colon interposition in children.

During a 21-year period, 39 colon interposition operations were performed on 37 children at the UCLA Medical Center and the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles. The average age at the time of operation was 5.8 years. The indications for operation were esophageal atresia in 23 patients and other benign strictures in 14 patients. The duration of patient follow-up ranged from 6 months to 21 years (mean: 9.7 years). The most common complications were esophagocolonic anastomotic leak (12), esophagocolonic anastomotic stricture (14), pneumonia, and pneumothorax. Fourteen of the 25 patients with retrosternal colon interposition had complications (56%), whereas 10 of 14 patients with left thoracic colon interposition had complications (71%). One patient died (mortality: 3%) after left thoracic interposition because of severe respiratory distress associated with other malformations. Each of the 18 patients with isoperistaltic colon interposition showed rapid transit and emptying, provided that obstruction or extensive dilatation did not occur; reverse colon segments were more dilated and emptied more slowly. The 25 patients with retrosternal colon segments had less colonic distension with better emptying than did the 14 patients with left thoracic interposition. Thirty-two of the 36 children increased their weight percentile after colon interposition. Within 2 years after cervical anastomotic stricture or leak, 78% of these children were asymptomatic and gaining weight. Thirty-one of the 37 patients (84%) had excellent results with colon interposition, with a mean follow-up of 9.7 years. Most of the major postoperative complications occurred within the first few weeks and were corrected during the first few months after operation. Preservation of the esophagus should be the surgeon's first priority; however, prolonged attempts to elongate the esophagus for anastomosis in certain patients with long-gap esophageal atresia have been more hazardous in our experience than has colon interposition.     

外科手术中产生的烟气:仅仅是大量的热空气吗?

外科医生和手术室人员经常接触手术设备产生的烟气,病人也会暴露于烟气中,特别是腹腔镜手术中产生的烟气滞留于腹腔内这一密闭空间并被吸收.这些烟气是一种与香烟烟气相似的毒性物质,然而对这种毒性物质的影响还未引起足够重视.应该采取必要措施尽可能减少手术中烟气的不良影响.     

采用直接血管成形术治疗的急性心肌梗死患者中入院心电图存在左束支、右束支与无束支传导阻滞的预后比较：来自多项急性心肌梗死直接血管成形术试验

急性心肌梗死患者出现束支传导阻滞（BBB）被认为与预后差有关。这种观点在血管成形术时代是否正确尚不清楚。本研究旨在评估采用直接血管成形术治疗的急性心肌梗死伴BBB患者的预后。评估了急性心肌梗死直接血管成形术试验中3053例接受急诊导管术的患者。将入院心电图存在左束支传导阻滞的患者（LBBB，n=48，1．6％）与右束支传导阻滞患者（RBBB，n=95，3．1％）或无BBB患者（n=2910，95．3％）进行比较。具有BBB的患者年龄较大，更多见糖尿病、外周血管疾病和曾行冠状动脉搭桥术，射血分数较低，多支血管病变多见。