Effects of terbutaline on the pressure volume relationship in fetal rabbit lung.

The pressure-volume relationship in preterm rabbit lung was studied at 28 days of gestation. Injection of 0.1 mg terbutaline, a selective beta2-receptor stimulating drug, significantly increased the volume of air at equivalent low transpulmonary pressures, compared to a saline treated group and an untreated group. These findings indicate an increased pulmonary distensibility of the fetal rabbit lung after terbutaline administration. The mechanism of action is discussed and surfactant mediated effects are suggested to be the probable explanation.     

Biotransformation by plant cells immobilized in cross-linked polyacrylamide-hydrazide

Plant cells were entrapped by mixing suspended MENTHA cells with linear, water soluble polyacrylamide-hydrazide chains followed by the stoichiometric addition of glyoxal as the cross linking agent (PAAH-G entrapment). In parallel, some cells were entrapped in calcium-alginate beads, as previously described. The capability of both immobilized cell systems to reduce monoterpenes was compared with freely suspended MENTHA cells. Entrapment by either alginate or PAAH-G did not impair cell vitality, as observed by fluorescein diacetate staining. Biotransformation of (-) menthone to (+) neomenthol by M-cells and of (+) pulegone to (+) isomenthone by P-cells indicated that the transformation efficiency of the cells entrapped in PAAH-G is as high as that of freely suspended cells. Moreover, the distribution of both precursor and product in the medium versus their content in the cells (or cells contained in gel-beads) showed that less monoterpenes were retained in cells entrapped in PAAH-G, as compared to the freely suspended cells. Thus prolonged incubation (e.g. 24 hr), which usually results in appreciable loss of monoterpenes from the chloroform extract of freely-suspended-cells, caused considerably less loss from the PAAH-G entrapped-cells. In a preliminary test it was shown that PAAH-G entrapped cells were capable to perform three, consecutive, batch-type monoterpene biotransformations, without significant decrease of transformation capability. The capability to immobilize living plant cells within this synthetic chemically crosslinked gel system, combined with the favourable beads/ free-medium ratio of monoterpene distribution, point towards a potential development of a continuous biotransformation process carried out by plant-cells entrapped in this system.     

Biotransformation of monoterpenes by Mentha cell lines

Previous results indicated that all tested cell suspension lines derived from various MENTHA chemotypes were capable to biotransform (-) menthone to (+)-neomentol but only some of these lines converted (+)-pulegone to (+)-isomenthone. In order to quest whether only the natural secondary metabolites or also other compounds with similarities to pulegone are biohydrogenated by MENTHA cell suspensions, we incubated such suspensions with 5 unsaturated alpha-beta; ketones. No conversion was detected when mesityl oxide, trans-6-tert. butyl pulegone or 3-isopropylidine-9-methyl-decalone-2 were incubated with MENTHA cells, while saturation of the alpha-beta double bond of 2-isopropylidine cyclohexanone and of trans-6-methyl pulegone was observed in suspensions of those cell lines which are capable of pulegone transformation. Suspensions of MENTHA cell lines which were incapable to hydrogenate pulegone did not biotransform the two latter pulegone analogues.     

Conduiturinary diversion and urinary-tract infection. I. Serum antibody titers against Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis in relation to urographic findings.

The serum antibody titers against Escherichia coli and/or Proteus mirabilis were elevated in 26 of 80 patients (33%) with a conduit urinary diversion. Urographic findings were abnormal in 44 of these 80 patients (55%). Urography was normal in 59% of the patients with normal antibody titers, but in only 15% of those with elevated titers. Raised antibody levels against E. coli O antigen (greater than 256 before and/or greater than 32 after mercaptoethanol treatment of serum) were associated with wide upper urinary tract or calculi more often than were normal E. coli antibody titers. Raised titers against P. mirabilis (greater than 256 before and/or greater than 32 after mercaptoethanol treatment of serum) were associated with scarring of the renal parenchyma more frequently than were normal titers. A statistically significant association was found between "small" kidney area and raised serum antibody titers against E. coli or P. mirabilis. The frequency of "small" kidney increased with the time lapse after urinary diversion. At 3 to 11 months postoperatively it was 29%, but among the patients with urinary diversion for more than five years the corresponding frequency was 82%. When at least one kidney was "small", the serum creatinine was higher than when both kidneys were of normal size. Patients with raised antibody titers tended also to have high serum creatinine (greater than or equal to 124 mumol/l) more often than those with normal titers (23 vs. 10%). These observations imply a connection between elevation of the antibody titers and destruction of the renal parenchyma in patients with conduit urinary diversion. They illustrate the value of antibody titration in the follow-up of patients with urinary diversion.     

Appendicitis associated with recent barium study.

There have been several reports of "barium-induced" appendicitis in the literature. When confronted with a possible case of this phenomenon, a review of the literature on the subject was carried out. The suggestion is made that there is no evidence to support a cause-effect relationship between barium retained in the appendix and appendicitis. Diseased appendices can be marked by retained barium and a higher likelihood may then exist for the subsequent development of appendicitis. Following the finding of prolonged retention of barium after contrast study, it is recommended that the patient be instructed as to the possibility of developing symptoms of acute appendicitis. Patients who present with symptoms of appendicitis should be questioned as to history of recent barium study, and x-rays should be reviewed with the possibility of finding appendoliths.     

Striatal dopamine transporter binding in neuroleptic-naive patients with schizophrenia studied with positron emission tomography

OBJECTIVE: Recent in vivo imaging studies indicate a dysregulated presynaptic function of the striatal dopaminergic system in patients with schizophrenia. To further explore the basis of this phenomenon, the authors studied brain dopamine transporter binding in vivo in patients with first-episode, never-medicated schizophrenia. METHOD: Nine patients with schizophrenia and nine healthy matched comparison subjects were recruited. Striatal dopamine transporter binding was measured with positron emission tomography and a specific dopamine transporter ligand, [(18)F]CFT, a radiolabeled form of 2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane. RESULTS: Average caudate and putamen dopamine transporter binding potentials were almost identical in the patients and comparison subjects, but the patients lacked the right-left asymmetry of the caudate dopamine transporter binding seen in the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: Average striatal dopamine transporter density is unaltered in neuroleptic-naive patients with schizophrenia. However, patients lack asymmetry in caudate dopamine transporter binding, which conforms with disrupted brain lateralization in this disorder.     

Evaluation of heme oxygenase-1 as a systemic biological marker of sporadic AD

BACKGROUND: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a 32-kDa stress protein that catalyzes the degradation of heme to biliverdin. HO-1 immunoreactivity is greatly increased in neurons and astrocytes of the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of individuals with AD and colocalizes to senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. METHODS: We investigated whether systemic HO-1 regulation is also deranged in AD patients and whether blood HO-1 measurements provide a peripheral biomarker of the disease. Plasma HO-1 protein levels were measured by competitive ELISA and lymphocyte HO-1 mRNA levels were determined by Northern analysis in patients with early probable sporadic AD, normal elderly controls (NEC), normal younger controls, individuals with age-associated cognitive decline (AACD) not meeting AD criteria, and patients with non-Alzheimer dementia, nondementing neurologic illness, and chronic medical disorders. CSF HO-1 protein concentrations were also determined by ELISA in pathologically confirmed AD and control cases. RESULTS: Mean plasma HO-1 protein concentrations were significantly lower in AD patients (0.85 +/- 0.14 microg/mL) compared with NEC (1.77 +/- 0.34 microg/mL; p < 0.05) and control patients. The AACD group exhibited plasma HO-1 concentrations (1.06 +/- 0.33 microg/mL) intermediate between, but not different from, those of the AD patients and NEC. Lymphocyte HO-1 mRNA levels were lower in the AD cohort relative to NEC (p < 0.001) and individuals with AACD, non-Alzheimer dementia, nondementing neurologic illness, and chronic medical conditions. Lymphocyte HO-1 mRNA levels were also lower in the AACD group relative to NEC (p < 0.05). In comparison with all groups excluding AACD, the sensitivity and specificity of lymphocyte HO-1 mRNA measurement for diagnosis of early sporadic AD are 88% and 75%. Mean CSF HO-1 protein concentrations were lower (p < 0.01) in AD cases (19.07 ng/mL) relative to control values (32.48 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma and CSF HO-1 protein and lymphocyte HO-1 mRNA levels are decreased in subjects with sporadic AD. Quantitative assay for lymphocyte HO-1 mRNA expression may serve as a useful biologic marker in early sporadic AD.     

Outcome of combination chemotherapy in extensive stage small-cell lung cancer: Any treatment related progress?

During the past two decades many different treatment regimens of combination chemotherapy have been applied in extensive stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). This study was carried out to identify whether these modifications have resulted in an improved overall survival for extensive stage during the past two decades. In total, 1111 patients with extensive stage SCLC were included in six consecutive randomised trials in our setting from 1973 until 1992. Of these, 526 patients treated in the early period (1973–1981) were compared with 585 patients treated in the late period (1981–1992) with respect to pretreatment prognostic factors, staging, treatment and outcome. No change in the distribution of prognostic factors was detected and the frequency of patients with extensive stage was equal in the two periods, and no difference in overall response rates and survival was observed (P=0.49). Median survival in the two periods was 208 days and 215 days, respectively. No stage migration or treatment-related improved outcome was observed in extensive disease. We suggest restricting aggressive treatment to patients with favorable prognosis and long-term survival as a realistic aim.     

Detection and characterisation of renal lesions by multiphasic helical CT

Purpose: The fast helical CT technique allows examination of the kidneys during different phases of contrast medium enhancement. However, every additional phase increases the radiation dosage to the patients. We investigated the detection rate and characterisation of renal lesions during different phases and evaluated them separately, and considered the possibility of excluding phases without loss of important information.Material and Methods: Sixty patients who underwent contrast-enhanced multiphasic renal helical CT examination were included. Every CT phase was evaluated separately. The number of lesions and the characteristics of the lesions were noted and all lesions were viewed together.Results: A total of 153 cysts and 17 solid lesions were detected. The largest and an equal number of cysts (142/143) was detected in the nephrographic and excretory phases. However, the nephrographic phase detected more cortical cysts and the excretory phase detected more sinus cysts. All solid lesions were detected in all phases. Renal parenchymal tumours were best characterised in the cortical phase and angiomyolipomas in the native phase.Conclusion: The cortical phase was best for characterisation of renal parenchymal tumours. The nephrographic and excretory phases were best in detecting and characterising renal cysts. The nephrographic phase was the phase giving the least diagnostic information.