Experience with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for urinary calculi

Over a 36-month period 2800 patients were subjected to extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL). A total of 5154 procedures were done. Best results were seen with renal pelvic calculi (not larger than 2.5 cm in diameter). Fragments of crushed lower calyceal calculi proved the most difficult to eliminate. As ureteral stone localization approached the bladder, the ESWL results were poorer. Post-ESWL complications were proportional to the stone mass; the higher the mass the more numerous the complications tended to be. Besides erythrocyturia and gross haematuria renal colic was the most frequent complication in almost 60% of the patients. Less prevalent were impacted ureteral stones, subcapsular haematoma and fever. At our institution, thanks to the ESWL method about 80% of the patients were spared surgery.     

The dependence of the degree of visual fatigue on the shift duration in work with video terminals and an assessment of the efficacy of preventive measures]

Dynamic studies of visual capacity for work in individuals working with displays revealed decreased accommodation volume after the long concentration on the display. The total time of work with the display of more than 2h a day involved a decrease of the accommodation volume by 0.42-0.49 diopters and transitory myopia of 0.15-0.21 diopters, as well as increased self-appraisal of fatigue. The system of prophylactic measures including rest breaks, special exercises, massage was worked out and put into practice. Repeated study has proved the effectiveness of suggested measures.     

Equally high prevalences of infection with cagA-positive Helicobacter pylori in Chinese patients with peptic ulcer disease and those with chronic gastritis-associated dyspepsia.

Approximately 60% of Helicobacter pylori isolates in the Western world possess the cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA). cagA-positive H. pylori is found to be associated with peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and gastric adenocarcinoma. To investigate the cagA status of H. pylori isolates from Chinese patients with PUD and chronic gastritis (CG), H. pylori populations from 83 patients, 48 with PUD and 35 with CG, were assessed by two different cagA-specific PCRs, Southern blotting, and colony hybridization. The combined results from PCR, Southern blotting, and colony hybridization indicate a prevalence of cagA-positive H. pylori isolates of 98% (47 of 48) among Chinese PUD patients and 100% (35 of 35) among Chinese CG patients. Amplification with primer sets 1 and 2 yielded 52 and 95% of the 82 cagA-positive Chinese H. pylori, respectively. In contrast, the sensitivity of cagA-specific PCR for cagA-positive H. pylori isolates from Dutch patients with primer set 1 was 92% (112 of 122) and that with primer set 2 was 91% (50 of 55). The prevalence of cagA-positive H. pylori populations in Chinese patients with PUD and CG is almost universally high. Therefore, cagA cannot be used as a marker for the presence of PUD in Chinese patients. Our data further suggest that allelic variation in cagA may exist and that distinct H. pylori genotypes may circulate in China and Western Europe.     

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness, epithelial damage, and airway eosinophilia after single and repeated allergen exposure in a rat model of anhydride-induced asthma

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and damage of the epithelium, as well as eosinophilia in the airway wall, induced by trimellitic anhydride (TMA) in sensitized brown Norway rats were studied. Rats were challenged once or seven times with aerosol of TMA conjugated to rat serum albumin (TMA-RSA) 3 weeks after intradermal TMA sensitization. Airway responsiveness (-log PC₃₀₀ of acetylcholine i.v.) was measured 24 h after allergen challenge. Epithelial lesion and eosinophil infiltration in the airway walls were quantified under light microscopy, and TMA-specific IgE and IgG in serum were evaluated with ELISA. High levels of TMA-specific IgE and IgG were found in all rats in the sensitized groups compared to nonsensitized groups ( P < 0.001). Repeated allergen challenges of 0.03% TMA-RSA for 7 consecutive days enhanced the level of TMA-specific IgG, compared to single challenge ( P < 0.05). Single allergen challenge of 0.3% TMA-RSA had a nonsignificant tendency to produce BHR in sensitized rats compared to nonsensitized rats ( P =0.06). However, repeated allergen challenges (0.003% and 0.03% TMA-RSA for 7 consecutive days) produced significant BHR in sensitized rats ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, repeated low-dose (0.003%) TMA-RSA challenge produced more BHR than a 10 times higher single dose (0.03%) ( P < 0.05). Slight damage of the airway epithelium was seen in sensitized and repeat-challenged groups. However, bronchial eosinophilia was found in the sensitized and single-challenged groups, but not in nonsensitized nonchallenged, and sensitized repeat-challenged groups ( P < 0.005). We conclude that the brown Norway rat can be sensitized with TMA, and that repeated low-dose allergen challenges produce slight epithelial damage and BHR which is independent of ongoing eosinophilia in the airway wall.     

Distribution of spermatogenesis in the testicles of azoospermic men: the presence or absence of spermatids in the testes of men with germinal failure [published erratum appears in Hum Reprod 1998 Mar;13(3):780]

The aim of the study was to determine whether a prior diagnostic testicle biopsy can predict success or failure of testicular sperm extraction (TESE) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia caused by testicular failure, and what is the minimum threshold of sperm production in the testis which must be surpassed for spermatozoa to reach the ejaculate. Forty- five patients with non-obstructive azoospermia caused by testicular failure underwent diagnostic testicle biopsy prior to a planned future TESE-ICSI procedure. The diagnostic testicle biopsy was analysed quantitatively, and correlated with the quantitative findings of spermatogenesis in patients with normal spermatogenesis, as well as with the results of subsequent attempts at TESE-ICSI. Men with non- obstructive azoospermia caused by germinal failure had a mean of 0-6 mature spermatids/seminiferous tubule seen on a diagnostic testicle biopsy, compared to 17-35 mature spermatids/tubule in men with normal spermatogenesis and obstructive azoospermia. These findings were the same for all types of testicular failure whether Sertoli cell only, maturation arrest, cryptorchidism, or post-chemotherapy azoospermia. Twenty-two of 26 men with mature spermatids found in the prior testis biopsy had successful retrieval of spermatozoa for ICSI, 12 of their partners became pregnant, and are either ongoing or delivered. The study suggests that 4-6 mature spermatids/tubule must be present in the testis biopsy for any spermatozoa to reach the ejaculate. More than half of azoospermic patients with germinal failure have minute foci of spermatogenesis which are insufficient to produce spermatozoa in the ejaculate. Prior diagnostic testicle biopsy analysed quantitatively (for the presence of mature spermatids) can predict subsequent success or failure with TESE-ICSI. Incomplete testicular failure may involve a sparse multi-focal distribution of spermatogenesis throughout the entire testicle, rather than a regional distribution. Therefore, it is possible that massive testicular sampling from many different regions of the testes may not be necessary for successful TESE-ICSI.      

Interaction of microorganisms with enterocytes after oral administration of pesticides

Intragastral administration of the pesticides Sumi-alpha and Omait to rats significantly increases the number of parietal microorganisms in the jejunum, ileum, and particularly in the cecum. Electron microscopy shows that parietal microorganisms invade goblet cells during secretion and then enter prismatic cells via the lateral plasma membrane. The number of parietal microorganisms entering enterocytes after Sumi-alpha is higher than after less toxic Omait, reaching the maximum 5 h after administration. Translated fromByulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 4, pp. 467–470, April, 1997     

丁基苯酞对大鼠局灶性脑缺血和重灌后脑内TXB2和6—keto—PGF1α…

目的：观察丁基苯酞（ＮＢＰ）对大鼠局灶性脑缺血及重灌后海马，纹状体和皮层中ＴＸＢ２及６－ｋｅｔｏ－ＰＧＦ１α含量的影响，方法：尼龙线栓塞法造成大鼠局灶性脑缺血模型，ＴＸＢ２和６－ｋｅｔｏ－ＰＧＦ１α用放免法测定。结果：ＮＢＰ１０ｍｇ．ｋｇ＾－１治疗对缺血重灌注后脑组织中ＴＸＢ２的产生具有抑制作用，但对６－ｋｅｔｏ－ＰＧＦ１α的产生无明显作用，ＮＢＰ２０ｍｇ．ｋｇ＾－１治疗后，重灌５ｍｉｎ缺血脑组织