Inpatient and post-discharge course of the malnourished patient

A retrospective review of the medical records of 114 malnourished and 106 non-malnourished male veterans assessed the inpatient and 1 year post-discharge dietetic care given for the treatment of malnutrition. The malnourished sample consisted of subjects discharged with a protein-energy or protein malnutrition comorbidity. Subjects in the diagnosis-matched and age-matched control sample were discharged without a malnutrition comorbidity during the same period. Data collected from progress notes included diagnoses, inpatient dietetic feedings and services provided, discharge dietetic care, intervening clinic visits, and rehospitalizations. On initial admission, 79% of the diagnoses for the malnourished group fell into five diagnosis categories: neoplasms; respiratory system diseases; digestive system diseases; endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases; and mental disorders (including alcohol-related disorders). Malnourished subjects received more specialized feedings and dietetic services than did the controls on initial admission. However, the discharge and post-discharge care received by surviving members of both groups was similar. Fewer than half the members of either group received post-discharge care. Fifty-four malnourished and 54 control patients were hospitalized more than once. The findings indicate that levels of inpatient and outpatient dietetic care need to be coordinated to alleviate malnutrition.     

Basal and metoclopramide-stimulated prolactin (PRL) serum levels in users and non-users of a copper intrauterine device (TCu-380 IUD).

The study was undertaken to analyze the basal and metoclopramide-stimulated serum PRL levels in healthy parous women users (group 1, n = 12) and non-users (group 2, n = 12) of a TCu-380 IUD. All women had regular menses and were studied between days 18 to 22 of their cycle; none had lactated nor regularly ingested any type of medication during the last six months. After a 10-12 hour overnight fast, peripheral venous blood samples were obtained through an indwelling catheter at -30, -15 and 0 minutes and at 60, 90 and 120 minutes after oral metoclopramide (10 mg). There were no significant differences in serum PRL between both groups, in basal levels nor throughout the test, whether analyzing the mean values at each sampling time, the sum of PRL levels from 60-120 minutes, or the peak levels. No correlation was observed between PRL levels and any of the clinical or obstetric characteristics of the women in both groups. Serum progesterone was greater than or equal to 4.0 ng/ml in all women. Thus, the use of alpha TCu-380 IUD did not induce any significant changes in basal nor in stimulated serum PRL levels.     

Characterization of estrogen receptor in human gastric cancer

Estrogen receptors (ER) were examined in cytosol, nuclear potassium chloride (KCl) extractable fraction, and nuclear KCl unextractable fraction by the dextran-coated charcoal adsorption method in various gastric cancer tissue. The overall ER-positive rate in the cytosol and nuclear fraction was 19.2%. The maximum binding site (Bmax) was 36.0 to 175.0 fmol/mg of protein, and the dissociation constant (Kd) was 0.6 to 1.6 X 10(-9) in cytosol fraction. In the nuclear fraction, Bmax was 7.5 fmol/mg of DNA and Kd was 2.3 X 10(-9). Estrogen receptors were characterized in cytosol protein. In cytosol, the estrogen (E2)-ER complex was sedimented at approximately the 5S and 8S regions by 5% to 20% linear sucrose gradient centrifugation. A steroid specificity study of ER showed the presence of an binder in gastric cancer tissue. In conclusion, these results that gastric cancer tissue has E2 binding sites with the same biochemical characteristics as in breast cancer and endometrial cancer strongly suggest the hormonal dependency of gastric cancer.     

Urachal pathology

Reviewing 5 recent cases, different anatomical and clinical forms of partial or complete urachal persistency are described: patent urachus, urachal cyst, urachal sinus and urachal diverticulum. The risk of late malignant evolution of this embryonic vestige justifies radical surgical removal at time of diagnosis.     

Studies on isolated smooth muscle cells. IX. Application of papain for isolation of single smooth muscle cells from guinea-pig taenia coli

To prepare single smooth muscle cells from the taenia coli of guinea pig, the application of papain to the enzymatic solution was examined under two conditions: 1) the isolation in a modified Tyrode solution (containing 0.18 mM Ca2+: 0.18 mM Ca2+-Tyrode solution) and 2) the isolation in a high-K+ Tyrode solution (Na+ was replaced by K+, and Ca2+ was not added: high-K+ Tyrode solution). The presence of papain during collagenase digestion reduced contamination of broken cells and cell debris. In the case of the high-K+ Tyrode solution, papain increased the yield of single cells significantly. The cells were contracted in a dose-dependent manner by Ca2+ in the high-K+ Tyrode solution and by carbachol in 0.18 mM Ca2+-Tyrode solution; furthermore, the contractions were antagonized by verapamil and atropine, respectively. Treatment with papain did not affect cell sensitivity to the stimulants. Therefore, our results suggest that the addition of papain is useful for the isolation of single cells to investigate the physiological and pharmacological characteristics of smooth muscle.     

Fate of TR-2, the hepatic metabolite of the tremorgenic mycotoxin verruculogen, in sheep

1. Verruculogen is eliminated in bile after transformation to TR-2, only a trace of which was excreted as such in faeces of sheep given verruculogen per os. Negligible TR-2 was present free in urine; no glucuronide was found. 2. An isomer of TR-2, a minor component of the bile of sheep given verruculogen, has been defined by 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy and the isomerism involves the disposition of the two adjacent hydroxyl groups with a concomitant change in the conformation of the ring adjacent to the indole. 3. 14C-TR-2, added to the perfusate of isolated rat liver, was excreted unchanged in the bile, implying no significant loss of any biliary TR-2 subject to enterohepatic recycling in vivo. 4. 14C-TR-2 incubated anaerobically in sheep ileum contents was 95% transformed into more polar metabolites, the majority of the radiolabelled metabolites isolated being water soluble. 5. The principal fate of biliary TR-2 is as a metabolic substrate for the intestinal microflora.