Conversion from regional to systemic chemotherapy

Hepatic artery chemotherapy for the ambulatory patient using the Infusaid pump has been advocated for the management of malignant hepatic disease. Catheter related complications remain a potential source of morbidity particularly when the transaxillary approach is used. Should hepatic artery catheter related complications arise, the possibility of conversion to a systemic route offers the opportunity to salvage the Infusaid pump.     

Assessment of testicular metabolic integrity with P-31 MR spectroscopy

To evaluate the reliability of phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy in the assessment of acute testicular ischemia, vascular integrity, and spermatogenesis, the authors studied in vivo canine and primate testicles grouped as follows: group 1 testes (n = 8), in situ canine controls; group 2 (n = 11), canine testes subjected to warm ischemia; group 3, canine (n = 4) and primate (n = 4) testicles from hormone-treated animals. Group 1 control testicles showed high monophosphoester (MP) levels; low levels of inorganic phosphate (Pi), phosphodiester (PD), and phosphocreatine; and high levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Group 2 testes revealed a time-dependent decay of MP/Pi ratios (from 2.1 to 0.70). Regeneration of ATP was noted in the acute reperfusion period. After 6 weeks of pituitary gonadotropin suppression, group 3 testes showed a significant decrease (P less than .05) in MP/PD ratios from a control level of 2.6 +/- 0.3 and a decrease in the MP/beta-ATP ratio from 2.4 +/- 0.1 to 1.8 +/- 0.3. P-31 MR spectroscopy appears to be a potential method for noninvasively assessing testicular ischemic injury and the metabolic integrity of spermatogenesis.     

False diagnosis of acoustic neuroma due to subdural injection during gas CT cisternogram

Gas CT cisternography is a reliable examination for the detection of small acoustic neuromas. False-positive or equivocal findings do result, however, from a small number of these examinations. In this case report inadvertent subdural injection of gas caused diagnostic difficulties.     

Diversity of the immune response to bovine type II and XI collagens in rats.

Immunisation of rats with native type II or type XI collagen produced an inflammatory arthritis in certain strains of rats. Antibodies to the native and denatured whole molecules, to the individual alpha chains and to the cyanogen bromide derived peptides of these chains were studied. Inter- and intra-strain variation in the specificity of the antibodies produced was seen and there were also changes with time, especially with the rats immunised with type XI collagen. Both collagen type-specific and cross-reacting antibodies were produced following immunisation with either type II or type XI collagen. Although no specific pattern of antibodies was unique to the presence or absence of arthritis in all rats, antibodies that bound to the CB-11 peptide or antibodies that bound to the CB-9,7 peptide of type II collagen occurred at the time of onset of arthritis in type II or type XI immunised, arthritic rats. Antibodies to these peptides occur in many patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who also have antibodies to type II collagen. Therefore these findings suggest that epitopes on these peptides may be important in the continued production of antibodies to these collagens in patients with RA and that these antibodies may indeed be pathogenic.     

Energetic efficiency and brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein of obese Zucker rats fed high-carbohydrate and high-fat diets: the effects of adrenalectomy

The influence of diet on the response of lean and obese fa/fa rats to adrenalectomy has been studied. Adrenalectomized and sham-operated rats were fed either a semi-synthetic high-carbohydrate (HC) or high-fat (HF) diet for 13 days. Energetic efficiency, calculated for measurements of energy storage and energy intake, was increased in obese rats fed both HC and HF diets and reduced close to values of lean rats after adrenalectomy. Brown adipose tissue mitochondrial GDP binding and uncoupling protein concentration were reduced in control obese rats fed both HC and HF diets. After adrenalectomy the level of GDP binding and uncoupling protein concentration were increased to levels of lean rats. Molar ratios of GDP binding to uncoupling protein were similar in lean and obese rats, were unaffected by adrenalectomy, but were elevated in rats fed the HC diet (0.40 +/- 0.02 vs 0.28 +/- 0.03). The data suggests that diet, but not obese genotype, may influence the masking of mitochondrial uncoupling protein.