Antiparasitic properties of homoallylamines and related compounds

A study of some antiparasitic properties of several homoallylamines and related tetrahydroquinolines and quinolines, previously described, was carried out using in vitro activity assays against the epimastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi and against Trichomonas vaginalis. Unspecific cytotoxicity against murine macrophages was also studied. Although the antichagasic and trichomonacidal activities are not comparable to those of the standard drugs, nifurtimox and metronidazole, some of the compounds exhibit an interesting specific antiparasitic activity.     

Extraperitoneal endometriosis: a diagnosis to be considered

Summary BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a relatively common pathology in women of childbearing age and of low parity but rarely shows extraperitoneal involvement. The main aim of this paper is to raise the attention of specialists to the necessity of carrying out penetrating diagnosis of nonspecific extraperitoneal masses occurring in women of reproductive age. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of six patients diagnosed with extraperitoneal endometriosis who were treated at the Vega Baja University Hospital (Spain) during the last 5 years. RESULTS: Surgical treatment had positive results in five patients. The preoperative diagnosis was correctly made in only two patients. The accurate aetiology of endometriosis remains unknown and diagnosis is based on clinical and cytopathological findings. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of extraperitoneal endometriosis is recommended. However, postoperative follow-up is obligatory and hormonal suppressive therapy may be necessary. Medical treatment with gestagens, Danazol, or agonists of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone are ineffective in endometriomas which are bigger than 2 cm.      

Tibialis posterior dysfunction as a cause of flatfeet in elderly patients

Background: Tibialis posterior is a frequent cause of an acquired flatfoot deformity and the prevalence is not known. If tibialis posterior dysfunction was found to occur frequently, a greater awareness may result leading to earlier patient diagnosis, referral and treatment.Objectives: To validate a screening questionnaire for tibialis posterior dysfunction, and to investigate the prevalence of tibialis posterior dysfunction in a high-risk patient population.Methods: The screening questionnaire was given prospectively to 65 patients (44 females, 21 males; mean age 79.6 years) attending an unrelated care of the elderly appointment. A foot and ankle surgery fellow separately examined all feet for tibialis posterior dysfunction.Results: The survey was 100% sensitive and 98.3 % specific at detecting tibialis posterior dysfunction. Six of the 65 patients (5 females, 1 male) had tibialis posterior dysfunction, and two had bilateral involvement. All six of the patients had longstanding symptoms, all had consulted their doctor and three had seen an orthopaedic surgeon; only one of the six patients had been correctly diagnosed.Conclusions: This study suggests that tibialis posterior dysfunction occurs frequently, but is seldom diagnosed in elderly women. Further epidemiologic studies are needed to determine the true prevalence.     

In-vitro model for the ultrastructural study of the formation of thrombi in human platelets.

Platelets are cell fragments with dynamic properties involved in clot formation after tissue damage. Platelet activation causes a change in shape, secretion of intracellular granules and aggregation with each other through the cytoskeleton components and biochemical changes. Platelet adhesion, considered as the major event in haemostasis, has been studied in several in-vitro and in-vivo models to evaluate the feasible thrombogenicity of some materials, the dynamics of specific receptors, as well as the effect of different buffers and inhibitors in this process. In spite of the numerous reports about platelet activation, to date there is no information available about the fine structure of the platelet-platelet and platelet-substrate interactions. In the present report we describe an in-vitro system that allows the visualization of these interactions: platelets are adhered to an inert substrate, and interactions with suspended platelets as a process to initiate the formation of thrombi was followed by ultramicrotomy and transmission electron microscopy.     

Bradycardia related to hypoglycaemia.

Alterations in blood glucose levels are known to be involved in electrocardiogram changes. Various types of arrhythmias have been reported. We present here the case of an 81-year-old woman presenting with transient atrial fibrillation while being treated for hypoglycaemia with dextrose infusion, and finally developing a sinus rhythm. The presence of alterations in glucose blood levels should always be considered as a potential cause of transient atrial fibrillation.     

Characteristics of pollinosis caused by Betula in patients from Ourense (Galicia, Spain).

A retrospective study was performed to describe the features of the pollinosis caused by Betula in the area of Ourense, Spain. The pollen count was carried out with a Lanzoni volumetric Hirts spore trap (1993-2000). The Betula pollen represented 5% over the annual total (annual mean quantity: 965 grains). It was present in the air from March to mid-May. The highest peaks took place in April (maximum values mean: 131 grains/m3). The medical records of 222 patients (mean age 25.66 years) diagnosed with pollinosis (1998-2000), who lived at less than 30 km. from the spore trap, were reviewed. In all of them, the skin-prick test (SPT) was carried out with pollen allergens. The percentages of positive SPT were: Lolium perenne, 91.89% (16.6% monosensitized); Plantago lanceolata, 71.17% (1.26% monosensitized); Betula alba, 41.89% (10.75% monosensitized); Platanus hybrida, 34.95%; Olea europea, 10.36%; and Parietaria judaica, 6.3%. The mean age of Betula monosensitized patients was 44.7 years. The majority of them had symptoms in March-April, 40% had asthma symptoms, 80% had lived in Central Europe, and 30% of them presented an oral allergy syndrome to fruits. There were 41.93% of the patients with positive SPT to Betula pollen who had asthma symptoms, in comparison with 23.25% of the patients with negative SPT to Betula (p = 0.0034). There were 20.28% of the patients with positive SPT to Betula pollen, who had lived in Central Europe, in comparison with 4.27% of the patients with negative SPT to Betula, p: 0.00049. The relative risk of sensitization was 2.05. CONCLUSIONS: Betula pollen was the second cause of clinical pollinosis in our patients, after grass, being responsible of the symptoms in the early spring, in a small number of the patients in their forties. The presence of asthma was higher in Betula sensitized patients, and the residence in Central Europe was a sensitization risk factor.     

Invaginated vein graft as nerve conduit: An experimental study

Vein grafts have been used for nerve repair in experimental and clinical studies. However, some concerns about their collapsability and the presence of valves which could block axonal growth have been put forth. We propose a modification to eliminate these potential problems by turning the vein inside out, obtaining an “invaginated” vein graft. We performed an experimental study on 61 adult Wistar rats, divided into 3 groups: control (non-operated) (n = 11); immediate repair, with 3 subgroups: invaginated vein graft (n = 10), vein graft (n = 10), and nerve graft (n = 10); and delayed repair, with 2 subgroups: invaginated vein graft (n = 10) and nerve graft (n = 10). Delayed repair was performed 3 to 4 weeks following division of the nerve. Electromyographical (EMG) assessment was performed in all operated animals at 2, 4, and 6 months after immediate reconstruction, and at 1 and 4 months after delayed repair. At the end of the study, all nerves were excised and a morphometric analysis was performed. We conclude that vein grafts are as useful as nerve grafts in immediate and delayed nerve repair, as there were no significant functional or histologic differences. We found no significant differences between invaginated vein grafts and non-invaginated vein grafts. However, electrophysiological results were slightly superior in the former. Regenerated axons were small, grouped in minifascicles with thin myelin sheaths. The venous adventitia did not interfere with axonal growth. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.