AN EEG STUDY OF 120 EPILEPTIC FAMILIES

To study the epilepsy heredity, routine EEG tracings of 120 epileptic families and 57 normal control families were carried out. The results suggest that epilepsy shows an obvious tendency to be inherited.     

Mechanism of hematuria. II. A scanning electron microscopic demonstration of the passage of blood cells through a glomerular capillary wall in rabbit Masugi nephritis

A model of hematuria was established in rabbits. An accelerated form of unilateral Masugi nephritis was induced in 10 New Zealand white rabbits by an intravenous injection of duck antirabbit kidney serum and by ligating the left renal artery immediately after the injection of the antibody. All 10 rabbits became hematuric 1-2 weeks after the injection of the antibody and red blood cell (RBC) casts were found in the urinary sediment of all these animals. An ultrastructural examination of renal glomeruli by transmission electron microscopy revealed the transcapillary passage of polymorphonuclear leukocytes through the gaps of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). RBC were found in the urinary space in 50% of the glomeruli observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the passage of leukocytes and RBCs through the glomerular capillary wall was also observed. Gaps in the GBM became clearer after the removal of cellular components by detergents. In control rabbits, no RBCs could be observed in the urinary space, and isolated GBM were intact by SEM. These data further support the hypothesis that in rabbit Masugi nephritis hematuria is a result of the passage of RBCs through gaps in the GBM.     

Influence of chronic diuretic therapy on serum, lymphocyte and erythrocyte potassium, magnesium and calcium concentrations

Serum, lymphocyte and erythrocyte potassium, magnesium and calcium concentrations were measured in 31 patients with congestive cardiac failure and 14 patients with mild noncomplicated hypertension, who had been receiving either furosemide or chlorothiazide (with or without potassium supplementation) or a combination of hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride for more than 6 months. Lymphocyte potassium concentrations (pmol/100 cells +/- SE) were as follows: controls 18.1 +/- 1.5, furosemide 14.1 +/- 0.9 (p less than 0.001), furosemide + potassium 12.3 +/- 0.7 (p less than 0.001), chlorothiazide 13.1 +/- 1.0 (p less than 0.001) and hydrochlorothiazide + amiloride 18.6 +/- 0.7 (p = NS). There was a statistically significant relationship between the number of months the patients had been on diuretics and their lymphocyte potassium concentrations. Serum electrolytes, apart from the group receiving chlorothiazide who showed a significant fall in serum K, were unchanged.     

Inhibition of neurotransmission by angiotensin I and II in rabbit isolated ear artery

Angiotensin I and II inhibited the nerve stimulation-induced pressure changes in isolated, perfused rabbit ear artery with an IC50 of 3.07 and 0.36 nM, respectively. Neither angiotensin I nor angiotensin II affected the basal pressure or the pressure changes elicited by exogenously administered norepinephrine (NE). The potency of angiotensin I was unaltered by 10(-5) M captopril, indicating that conversion by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was not necessary and did not take place. [Sar1,Val5,Ala8]angiotensin II (3 x 10(-8) M) antagonized the effect of angiotensin I. These findings could have implications regarding ACE inhibitor therapy and the pathophysiology of migraine.     

Interference of antihistamines and anti-allergic drugs with antigen-induced paw edema in boosted and unboosted mice.

The protective effects of two antihistamines and two anti-allergic drugs against anaphylactic paw edema were studied in immunized animals that had or had not received a booster injection of antigen. The injection of 1 or 10 micrograms/paw ovalbumin induced acute paw edema of similar intensity in both groups. The antihistamine meclizine and the mixed anti histamine/anti-5-HT antagonist cyproheptadine reduced the anaphylactic reaction by 55 and 84% respectively, in non-boosted animals and were less effective against edema induced by 1 microgram antigen in boosted animals. The effectiveness of these drugs was also reduced when boosted mice were challenged with 10 micrograms antigen, where meclizine and cyproheptadine inhibited edema by 31 and 59%, respectively. The anti-allergic compounds ketotifen and azelastine, although effective against allergic inflammation in non-boosted mice, had a reduced or no effect in boosted mice. Our results suggest that allergic edema is less sensitive to antihistamine and anti-allergic drugs in boosted mice, which may be accounted for by an increased role of other mediators.     

Estimation of current maximum permissible levels of total specific activity of radionuclide mixture in the liquid forms of drugs and medicinal raw materials]

Algorithm of assessment of allowable levels of the total specific activity of radionuclides in liquid medicaments and medical raw materials was worked up. The key radionuclides were Strontium-90, Caesium-134 and -137.     

Erfahrungen zur PFFB von isolierten radiusköpfchenfrakturen

Zusammenfassung Den Vorteilen einer osteosynthetischen Versorgung einer Fraktur mit sofortiger Aufnahme seiner Funktion, stehen die aus der Literatur bekannten Komplikationen gegenüber. Diese und unsere eigenen unbefriedigenden Ergebnisse nach der operativen Versorgung von Radiusköpfchenfrakturen ließen uns zu einer prospektiven randomisierten Studie einer primär funktionellen Behandlung unter Verzicht auf eine äußere oder innere Stabilisierung greifen. Seit Dezember 1991 haben wir im UKH-Graz bis einschließlich Dezember 1992 insgesamt 70 Patienten nach einem strikten Behandlungskonzept, unter Zuhilfenahme der Computertomographie zur Verlaufsbeobachtung versorgt. Die in 91% der Fälle als sehr gut and gut einzustufenden Frühergebnisse sowie das fehlende Auftreten einer, wie bei operativer Versorgung möglichen Komplikation, ebenso die zusätzlich deutlich frühere Arbeitsfähigkeit bzw. deutlich kürzere, wenn auch aufwendigere Behandlungszeit, lassen uns diese Verfahren nicht nur in unserem Hans weiterführen, sondern können wir auch weiter empfehlen.

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Experience with internal fixation of fractures of the head of the radius

The advantages of internal fixation of fractures, with the possibility of immediate resumption of the function of the fractured bone, are in contrast to the well-known complications described in the literature. These complications and our own unsatisfactory results after surgical treatment of fractures of the head of the radius induced us to carry out a randomized prospective study of primary functional treatment of such fractures without external or internal stabilization. From December 1991 through December 1992, a total of 70 patients were treated according to a strict treatment protocol at the Graz Hospital for Accident Surgery, and CT was used for observation of the healing process. The positive early results, which in 91% of all cases were classified as very good or good, the lack of complications that sometimes follow surgical treatment, the markedly earlier recovery of the patient's working capacity, and the clearly shorter — albeit somewhat more expensive — treatment period required have led us to continue using this method at our hospital and also to recommend its use elsewhere.