Biological significance of enhanced mitochondrial ketogenesis during the early stages after 70% hepatectomy in rats

Ketogenic capacity of mitochondria from the remnant liver of 70% hepatectomized rats was studied in relation to mitochondrial phosphorylative activity. Ketogenic capacity increased to a maximum of 6.04 +/- 0.39 from 3.84 +/- 0.13 of control, with an enhancement of mitochondrial phosphorylative activity 6 hr after hepatectomy, and then decreased to normal levels within 24 hr. Adenylate energy charge, (ATP + 1/2ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP), of the remnant liver decreased to 0.825 +/- 0.006 as compared to 0.849 +/- 0.002 of control 6 hr after operation. At 12 hr, total ketone body concentrations of the arterial blood increased concomitant with a fall in ketone body ratio (acetoacetate/3-hydroxybutyrate) which reflects the decreased liver mitochondrial redox (NAD+/NADH) state. These findings suggest that an enhancement of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis occurs concomitant with an enhancement of mitochondrial phosphorylative activity in the remnant liver in response to a decreased energy charge after 70% hepatectomy.     

Cavernous sinus involvement in recurrent Nelson's syndrome

Summary Two cases of meningiomas, which are considered to have been caused by the preceding irradiation, are reported. In both cases, the cytokinetic study of the tumour using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was performed. The percent of the tumour cells in the S phase of the cell cycle was less than 1% in both cases. The low labelling indices might suggest a relatively slow growing potential of these tumours, though the radiation-induced meningiomas were reported as being rapidly growing and malignant.     

Drug-induced hypersensitivity nephritis: lymphocyte stimulation testing and renal biopsy in 10 cases

The pathomorphological and clinical findings were investigated in 10 cases of drug-induced hypersensitivity nephritis. Hypersensitivity due to drugs was strongly suggested by the lymphocyte stimulation test in all patients. The offending drugs included penicillin, cephem derivatives, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and minocycline. All patients developed acute renal failure shortly after administration of regular doses of the drugs. Allergic symptoms plus a raised level of serum IgE or eosinophilia were seen in 7 patients. The remaining 3 patients receiving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs had no allergic symptoms, but developed severe proteinuria. Eight patients without severe glomerular damage recovered after withdrawal of the offending drugs and temporal dialysis and/or steroid therapy. Renal biopsies revealed tubulitis and tubular epithelial degeneration with interstitial edema as the common characteristic findings. Granulomatous lesions were occasionally observed. Multinucleated giant cells found in the granulomas were positive for LN-3 which is compatible with HLA-DR antigen. The glomeruli appeared normal, except in 2 cases in whom crescentic glomerulonephritis and thrombotic microangiopathy were seen. Our study suggests that the lymphocyte stimulation test and renal biopsy are the most useful means to confirm the diagnosis and provides further evidence for the participation of cell-mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of drug-induced hypersensitivity nephritis.     

Electrolyte and humoral responses of renal transplant patients to head-out water immersion

Eighteen renal transplant recipients and sixteen volunteers were subjected to the physiological manoeuvre of head-out water immersion, in order to compare changes in electrolyte and humoral responses known to occur in healthy individuals with those arising as a result of renal denervation in the transplant recipients. Although the tubular sodium response to water immersion was normal, tubular potassium excretion was markedly different in the transplant patients. Plasma values of atrial natriuretic factor increased in both groups and showed a close temporal relationship to urinary excretion of cyclic GMP. The attenuation in transplant recipients of the well-documented suppression of plasma renin activity during water immersion was probably due to a combination of factors, namely lack of renal innervation and an increase in circulating ANF. The small but significant increase in the excretion of enzymically active urinary kallikrein observed only in the transplant recipients during immersion still requires explanation.     

Renal and hemodynamic effects of dopamine in infants following cardiac surgery

The renal and hemodynamic effects of dopamine were measured during the immediate postoperative period in six infants following repair of congenital cardiac defects. Dopamine was infused at rates of 5, 10, and 15 micrograms/kg/min. Cardiac index (CI) increased significantly at a dopamine infusion rate of 15 micrograms/kg/min. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urine output increased at dopamine infusion rates of 5 and 10 micrograms/kg/min and returned to baseline at 15 micrograms/kg/min. No significant changes occurred in right atrial pressure (RAP), left atrial pressure (LAP), systemic artery pressure, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), or pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Heart rate (HR) increased slightly at a dopamine infusion rate of 15 micrograms/kg/min. Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) increased significantly in only one patient. These data demonstrate that infants require high doses of dopamine to produce the hemodynamic effects seen in adults and that these higher doses may be used without adverse renal effects.     

Plasma and tumor gastrin in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism

It is well known that primary hyperparathyroidism is often associated with peptic ulcer. The purpose of this study is to confirm the relationship between the gastrin-levels before and after parathyroidectomy in fourteen patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, and to determine the localization of gastrin in the surgically resected parathyroid tumor. The results obtained were as follows: 1) Three patients had peptic ulcer (gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer), the incidence being 21%. 2) The basal serum gastrin levels were 123.0% +/- 68.1 pg/ml before operation and decreased to 90.2 +/- 44.5 pg/ml after operation. In the 3 patients with slightly elevated gastrin levels, the mean level before operation was 209.1 +/- 61.2 pg/ml. The gastrin level decreased to 116.4 +/- 62.0 pg/ml after operation. 3) Gastrin immunoreactivity was detected in 10 out of 14 tumors and its localization was at the periphery of tumor cells. From these results, we conclude that extragastric gastrin secretion from parathyroid tumors may be one of the cause of peptic ulcer in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.     

Value of systemic and local administration of antibiotics in soft tissue and bone infections

There is little data to support the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics in traumatology. In closed fractures three randomized controlled studies using a 1-3 day prophylaxis with Cephalosporins of the first or second generation or a Penicillinase-resistent Penicillin demonstrated a reduction of the infection rate. For the Cephalosporins of the second generation it was shown, that a single dose was less efficient than five repeated applications over 24 hours. In hip-fractures a prophylaxis with Cephalothin or Cefotiam reduced the frequency of infections when compared with controls. In open fractures a treatment over 10 days using Cephalothin or Isoxazolyl-Penicillin showed a significant drop of the infection rate. If however the fractures were not treated using the principles of rigid internal fixation and were covered with Dicloxacillin over 2 days only there was no significant improvement. A multicenter study finally indicates that a one day course of cefonicid sodium is not inferior to a prolonged course of antibiotics for prevention of early postoperative fracture-site infections. We conclude, that open and closed fractures can profit from antibiotic prophylaxis which starts immediately before surgery and is continued over 24 hours. We favour Isoxazolyl-Penicillin because of its efficacy against staphylococcus aureus and epidermidis which predominate in early infection. In established bone and soft tissue infections antibiotics are used when there is local spreading, sepsis, involvement of joints or when reinterventions in the infectious focus are necessary. In these cases bacteriological testing in the laboratory is essential for the selection of antibiotics. Local application of antibiotics in irrigation-drainage solutions can not be recommended. PMMA-chains serve as temporary spacers, but should be removed early before their extraction becomes difficult and resistant bacteria develop. When defects are closed with cancellous bone or soft tissues the use of Gentamycin-fleece or Taurolin-gels is recommended.     

Effects of alpha-1-blocking agent in the treatment of detrusor sphincter dyssynergia

Effects of adrenergic alpha-1-blocking agent, prazosin, in the treatment of detrusor external-sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) were evaluated in both experimental and clinical aspects. Experimentally, in the urethral pressure profile in dogs, the maximum urethral closing pressure was depressed after intravenous injection of 1 mg prazosin. When experimental DSD was obtained in dogs by stimulating electrically the unilateral 2nd sacral root, intra-venous injection of 1 mg prazosin inhibited contraction of the external urethral sphincter. Clinically, 74 patients with DSD based on neurogenic bladder from cerebral vascular attack (CVA) (13 cases) and spinal cord injury (61 cases) were retrospectively surveyed in terms of therapeutical effects of prazosin for DSD. Spinal cord injury was subdivided to 4 groups for clinical evaluation; cervical cord injury (C) with complete paralysis, thoracic cord injury (Th) with complete paralysis, lumbar cord injury (L) with complete paralysis and spinal cord injury with incomplete paralysis. Patients with CVA and spinal cord injury with incomplete paralysis showed good response rates in subjective improvement, 69% and 60% respectively. However, those with spinal cord injury with complete paralysis showed a poor response (28% for C, 23% for Th and 14% for L). The amount of residual urine significantly decreased after treatment, in all the groups except that of lumbar cord injury with complete paralysis. In all the groups, however, even after the drug treatment the amount of residual urine ranged from 80 to 170 ml and the rates of needing clean intermittent catheterization unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evaluation of possible traumatic thoracic aortic injury using aortography and CT

To identify and compare the methods of evaluation for suspected traumatic aortic rupture, 1,031 trauma charts from 1983-1989 were reviewed. Fifty-nine patients were evaluated for possible aortic injury. Patients who died before completion of the CT or aortogram were excluded. Widening of the mediastinum on chest x ray was the most frequent indication for follow-up studies. Twenty-five had a CT of the aortic arch alone. No study showed disruption. There were no false negative studies. Thirty patients had only aortography. Twenty-four were read as normal (one false negative). Six were read as positive (one false positive). In four, both studies were performed (CT/aortography--TP/TP, TN/TN, TP/FN, FP/FP). (FP = False Positive, TP = True Positive, FN = False Negative, TN = True Negative.) Six received surgical repair of the aortic injury (one death). In this experience, CT was used successfully as a screening tool for aortic disruption. It was highly sensitive in recognizing aortic injuries when present (100% vs. 75% for aortography) and in most cases did not require aortographic verification. False positive rates were comparable (CT = 3.8%, aortography = 7.7%). Specificity was also comparable (CT = 96%, aortography = 92%). Overall, four aortograms were inaccurate while only one CT was inaccurate. We recommend the use of CT for the evaluation of widened mediastinum in the stable patient.     

Acute erosions of the gastric mucosa in burned rats: effect of gastric acidity and fluid replacement

Early changes in the morphology of the gastric mucosa after the skin had been burned were studied using a standardised model in rats. A full thickness burn was inflicted by exposing about 20% of the total body surface area to hot water (99 degrees C) for 10 s. Intragastric acidity was kept at pH 1.0 or pH 7.4 in six experimental groups of eight rats. Rats were subjected to burns with the stomach irrigated at pH 1.0 or pH 7.4. Parallel groups received fluid replacement with a solution of human albumin, and two uninjured groups served as controls. Lesions of the gastric mucosa were measured by planimetry of photographs, and light microscopy was used for histological examination. At an intragastric pH of 1.0, the burned rats developed mucosal erosions covering an average of 13% of the total glandular mucosa; the remaining groups had only minimal mucosal lesions. Erosions of the gastric mucosa after the skin had been burned could be prevented in two ways--either by establishing an alkaline (pH 7.4) milieu in the gastric lumen, or by replacing sufficient fluid to maintain aortic blood pressure at the pre-experiment level. Fluid replacement prevented mucosal erosions even if the intragastric pH was kept at 1.0. Thus both luminal acidity and local tissue blood flow are possible mechanisms for gastric epithelial damage following burns of the skin.