Recurrent urinary tract infection in girls. Group with lower tract findings and a benign course

A group of girls is described with recurrent urinary tract infections characterized by predominantly lower tract symptoms. Clinical, laboratory, and radiography findings during the period of follow-up are presented. Infection persisted in most patients over several years. Response to medical and surgical treatment was unsatisfactory. The mean interval between the initial and most recent radiological study was 6 1/2 years. No case of renal parenchymal scarring was seen.     

Morphological plasticity of dendrites in adult brain

Deafferentation of certain brain regions in adult animals results in (1) the disappearance of degenerating axon terminals and (2) in the temporary persistence of vacant postsynaptic sites. These postsynaptic sites were shown to be re-supplied by sprouted axon terminals of intact axons. It is described in this paper, that in brain regions (e.g. cerebellar cortex, lateral geniculate nucleus) where axonal sprouting of local elements or of persisting afferent axons is negligible or absent, synaptic reorganization occurs via the active participation of postsynaptic dendritic and somatic elements of surviving local nerve cells. The dendrites may develop two types of reaction upon deafferentation (1) formation of presynaptic specializations along their otherwise "classical" postsynaptic membrane, resulting in the formation of new, dendro-dendritic synapses and (2) the "adaptive" (structural) reduction in size of denervated nerve cell dendritic arbor, leading to a relative increase in density of the surviving (though non-sprouting) afferent axon terminals. A partial functional recovery in both cases is also demonstrated.     

Complications of three sacrospinous ligament fixation techniques.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the complications of three techniques used to pass the suture through the sacrospinous ligament when performing sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF): (1) the standard needle driver with direct visualization; (2) the Deschamps ligature carrier by palpation; and (3) the Miya hook ligature carrier by palpation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 240 patients undergoing SSLF was performed. A standard needle driver with direct visualization was used for 46 patients; the Deschamps ligature carrier was used for 173, and the Miya hook for 21 patients. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Twelve women (5%) had intraoperative and forty women (17%) had postoperative complications suspected directly from the suture placement. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of total intraoperative complications among the three groups. The proportion of patients with postoperative complications that were felt to be directly related to the suture passage technique was significantly higher in the Deschamps group compared to the direct visualization group (18% vs 2%, P=0.002). CONCLUSION: Passing the suture through the sacrospinous ligament under direct visualization may result in less intra and postoperative complications.     

Pancreatic secretory responses in L-arginine-induced pancreatitis: comparison of diabetic and nondiabetic rats.

The aim of this work was to study cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8)-stimulated pancreatic secretion after the induction of pancreatitis with L-arginine (ARG) in rats with or without streptozotocin (STZ) diabetes. One, 3, 7, and 14 days after pancreatitis induction, rats were surgically prepared with pancreatic duct and femoral vein cannulae under urethane anesthesia. Graded doses of CCK-8 ranging from 9 to 2,400 ng/kg/30 min were administered intravenously. In the control group, the step-wise increasing doses of CCK-8 resulted in a characteristic dose-response curve for the pancreatic volume, protein and amylase secretion (maximal volume, protein and amylase output at 600 ng/kg/30 min of CCK-8: 157 +/- 20.2 microl/30 min, 28.3 +/- 1.18 mg/30 min, and 3,750 +/- 92 IU/30 min, respectively). In rats with pancreatitis, the pancreatic volume (both basal and maximal) and amylase secretion were significantly elevated on day 1 versus the control group; then on days 3,7, and 14, the pancreatic secretory volume and amylase were progressively and significantly decreased versus the control group. However, the protein output was continuously decreased versus the control group on days 1, 3, 7, and 14. In diabetic rats, the maximal volume and protein and amylase output were all significantly decreased versus the control group throughout the experiment. In the diabetes + pancreatitis group, the maximal volume and protein and amylase output were all significantly increased versus the diabetes group on days 1, 3, 7, and 14. These results indicate that in the early phase of ARG-induced pancreatitis, the pancreatic secretion is characterized by increases in secretory volume and amylase, with a simultaneous decrease in protein output. Simultaneous diabetes seems to moderate the CCK-8-stimulated secretory changes in both the early and late phases after ARG-induced pancreatitis.     

Lymphatics in the aorta of rats treated with a soy-bean oil extract (lipofundin)

Lipofundin-S 20% (a soy-bean oil extract) when administered intravenously to rats resulted in dilation of aortic lymphatics at the media-adventitia junction. Increased endothelial permeability as demonstrated by intraaortic colloidal iron uptake with dynamic insufficiency of lymphatic drainage is suggested as the basis for dilatation of intraaortic adventitial lymphatics.     

Beneficial effects of pentoxifylline treatment of experimental acute pancreatitis in rats

The purposes of this study were to determine the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels after the induction of acute necrotizing pancreatitis, and to establish the effects of pentoxifylline on cytokine production. Methods: acute pancreatitis was induced by the retrograde injection of 200 βl taurocholic acid into the pancreatic duct in male Wistar rats. The serum amylase activity, the wet pancreatic weight/body weight ratio, and the TNF and IL-6 levels were measured. Seven mg/kg pentoxifylline were administered intraperitoneally at the time of operation 6, 12 or 24 h later. Rats were killed 6, 24, 48 or 72 h after the operation. Results: the TNF bioassay revealed high levels of TNF (30.2±5.4 U/ml, 35.0±5.0 U/ml and 36.6±6.0 U/ml) in the control group at 6, 24 and 48 h and (54.1±20U/ml and 10.9±4.2 U/ml) in the pentoxifylline-treated group at 6 and 24 h, respectively, whereas the level had decreased to zero in the pentoxifylline-treated group at 48 h. The IL-6 bioassay likewise demonstrated high levels of IL-6 in the control group at 48 h and in the pentoxifylline-treated group at 6 and 24 h, and markedly decreased levels in the pentoxifylline-treated group at 48 h (7083±2844 pg/ml, 6463±1307 pg/ml, 10329±5571 pg/ml vs 137.5±85.5 pg/ml, respectively, P <0.05). The high mortality observed in the pancreatitis group (43%) was decreased by pentoxifylline administration to 11%. Conclusion: these results demonstrate that pentoxifylline very effectively inhibits cytokine production in acute pancreatitis.     

Tear break-up time in high altitude areas

Background: In high altitude areas, patients report with irritation, redness and foreign body sensation in their eyes suggesting tear film abnormality due to low humidity and windy environmental conditions.