NITRIC OXIDE IN THE MEDIATION OF PRESSURE NATRIURESIS

1. Recent studies have indicated that nitric oxide (NO) production in the kidney contributes to the regulation of renal haemodynamics and excretory function. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) reduces renal blood flow by approximately 25% and markedly reduces sodium excretion without reductions in filtered load. In particular, inhibition of NO synthesis markedly suppresses the slope of the arterial pressure-mediated response in sodium excretion. 2. Further studies have shown that constant intrarenal infusion of a NO donor in dogs treated with a NOS inhibitor produced diuretic and natriuretic responses but failed to restore the slope of the pressure-induced natriuretic response. These data indicate that an alteration in intrarenal NO activity, rather than the simple presence of NO during changes in arterial pressure is required for full expression of pressure natriuretic responses. 3. In support of the hypothesis that NO is involved in the mediation of pressure natriuresis, we also recently demonstrated a direct relationship between changes in arterial pressure and urinary excretion rate of sodium as well as nitrate and nitrite (a marker for endogenous NO activity) in the presence of efficient autoregulation of cortical and medullary blood flow. 4. The direct inhibitory actions of NO on tubular sodium reabsorption have also been observed in cultured tubular cells as well as isolated, perfused cortical collecting duct segments. 5. Thus, the collective data suggest that acute changes in arterial pressure induce changes in intrarenal NO production, which may directly alter tubular reabsorptive function to manifest the phenomenon of pressure natriuresis.     

Verpflichtung zur Ausschreibung des Vertragsarztsitzes nach Erreichen der Altersgrenze

Abstrakt 1. Die Verpflichtung zur Ausschreibung des Vertragsarztsitzes mit Erreichen der Altersgrenze ist grunds?tzlich nicht gem. § 138 BGB i.V. mit Art. 12 GG nichtig. 2. Gegenüber der Ausschreibungsverpflichtung besteht kein Zurückbehaltungsrecht wegen eines Abfindungsanspruchs. (Leits?tze des Bearbeiters)     

Herausgabe von CT- und MRT-Aufnahmen im Original zur Prüfung von Schadensersatzansprüchen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Gesamtschuldnerausgleich im Arzthaftungsprozess

Abstrakt 1. Für eine gesamtschuldnerische Haftung für den Tod eines Patienten ist es grunds?tzlich ausreichend, wenn beide ?rzte durch ihre jeweiligen Behandlungsfehler nebeneinander kausal für den Tod des Patienten geworden sind. Es ist nicht erforderlich, dass der Zweitbehandler auf Untersuchungsergebnisse des Erstbehandlers zurückgegriffen hat oder in dessen Behandlungst?tigkeit eingebunden gewesen ist. 2. Einem entscheidungserheblichen Beweisantritt ist in Anlehnung an die in § 244 Abs. 3–5 StPO geregelten Gründe zur Ablehnung eines angebotenen Beweises unter Berücksichtigung der Besonderheiten des Zivilprozesses nicht nachzugehen, wenn das angebotene Beweismittel ungeeignet ist. 3. Von einer Ungeeignetheit des Beweismittels ist auszugehen, wenn die Krankenunterlagen als Begutachtungsgrundlage für die Erstellung eines medizinischen Sachverst?ndigengutachtens im Hinblick auf die ?rztliche Schweigepflicht des auf Schadensersatz in Anspruch genommenen Arztes nicht verwertet werden k?nnen. 4. Nach dem Tod eines Patienten sind mit Blick auf die H?chstpers?nlichkeit der Entscheidung über die Entbindung von der Schweigepflicht hierzu nicht die Erben berechtigt; vielmehr ist mangels einer Willens?u?erung des Patienten zu Lebzeiten dessen mutma?licher Wille zu erforschen. Sofern hierfür keine anderen Indizien zur Verfügung stehen, kann der beweisbelasteten Partei die Vorlage einer Schweigepflichtentbindungserkl?rung der Erben des verstorbenen Patienten aufgegeben werden, um so einen Anknüpfungspunkt für einen Rückschluss auf den mutma?lichen Willen des Verstorbenen zu haben. Kann die Kl?gerseite eine solche Schweigepflichtentbindungserkl?rung nicht vorlegen und liegen auch im übrigen keine hinreichenden Anhaltspunkte dafür vor, dass der verstorbene Patient eine Befreiung des beklagten Arztes von der Schweigepflicht gewünscht h?tte, ist die Klage ohne sachliche Prüfung abzuweisen. (Leits?tze des Bearbeiters)     

Exercise-induced left bundle branch block: an infrequent phenomenon: Report of two cases

Exercise-induced left bundle branch block(EI-LBBB)is infrequent phenomenon.We present two patients with angina pectoris who developed EI-LBBB during exercise tolerance test.The first patient with typical angina pectoris had significant obstructive coronary artery disease(CAD)requiring percutaneous coronary intervention of multiple lesions including placement of drug eluting stents.The second patient had atypical chest pain without signs of CAD at all.EI-LBBB occurred at a heart rate of 80 bpm and 141 bpm in the first and second patient,respectively.EI-LBBB remained visible through the test till the recovery period in the first patient at a heart rate of 83 bpm and disappeared at 96bpm in the second patient.Both patients with this infrequent phenomenon are discussed and the literature is reviewed.     

Soluble kit receptor in human serum

c-kit encodes the transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase (Kit) for the recently described ligand stem cell factor (SCF). We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measuring soluble human Kit and we have used the assay to show high levels of soluble Kit in human serum. The distribution of soluble Kit levels was investigated among 112 normal human serum donors. The mean serum level (+/- SD) was found to be 324 +/- 105 ng/mL with the values falling between 163 ng/mL and 788 ng/mL. No correlation between soluble Kit levels and the sexes or ages of the donors was found. Partial purification using immunoaffinity chromatography allowed us to characterize the soluble Kit from pooled human serum. Antibodies generated to a 497-amino acid recombinant human soluble Kit corresponding to the N-terminal extracellular domain of the receptor recognized the serum-derived soluble Kit by immunoblotting. We found that the serum-derived soluble Kit is glycosylated, with mostly N- linked but also O-linked carbohydrate, and with terminal sialic acid residues. When compared with the recombinant human soluble Kit, the serum-derived material was similar both in size and glycosylation pattern. CNBr cleavage of the isolated serum-derived material followed by amino terminal sequencing confirmed the presence of five peptides expected for the extracellular portion of the Kit molecule. The immunoaffinity purified serum-derived soluble Kit inhibited binding of [125I]SCF to membrane-bound receptor in an in vitro assay. These results indicate that soluble Kit could modulate the activity and functions of SCF in vivo.     

Coronary artery disease in congenital single coronary artery in adults:A Dutch case series

AIM:To assess the current diagnostic and therapeutic management and the clinical implications of congenital single coronary artery(SCA) in adults.METHODS:We identified 15 patients with a SCA detected from four Dutch angiography centers in the period between 2010 and 2013.Symptomatic patients who underwent routine diagnostic coronary angiography(CAG) for suspected coronary artery disease and who incidentally were found to have isolated SCA were analyzed.RESULTS:Fifteen(7 females) with a mean age of 58.5 ± 13.78 years(range 43-86) had a SCA.ConventionalCAG demonstrated congenital isolated SCA originating as a single ostium from the right sinus of Valsalva in 6 patients and originating from the left in 9 patients.Minimal to moderate coronary atherosclerotic changes were found in 4,and severe stenotic lesions in another 4 patients.Seven patients were free of coronary atherosclerosis.Runs of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia were documented in 2 patients,one of whom demonstrated transmural ischemic changes on presentation.Myocardial perfusion scintigraphic evidence of transmural myocardial ischemia was found in 1 patient due to kinking and squeezing of the SCA with an interarterial course between the aorta and pulmonary artery.Multi-slice computed tomography(MSCT) was helpful to delineate the course of the anomalous artery relative to the aorta and pulmonary artery.Percutaneous coronary intervention was successfully performed in 3 patients.Eight patients were managed medically.Arterial bypass graft was performed in 4 patients with the squeezed SCA.CONCLUSION:SCA may be associated with transient transmural myocardial ischemia and aborted sudden death in the absence of coronary atherosclerosis.The availability and sophistication of MSCT facilitates the delineation of the course of a SCA.We present a Dutch case series and review of the literature.