Extradural hematoma: analysis of factors influencing the courses of 161 patients

The clinical and computed tomographic (CT) findings in a series of 161 consecutive patients operated upon for postraumatic extradural hematoma are analyzed. Thirteen (8%) patients had delayed epidural hematoma formation. The overall mortality for the series was 12%, significantly lower than that observed during the prior "angiographic" period at the same unit (30%). Because all but 1 of the deaths occurred among the 66 patients unconscious at the time of operation (27% mortality in this subgroup), the authors sought differential factors between comatose and noncomatose patients at operation. There were no significant differences between these groups in age, sex, mechanism of injury, preoperative course of consciousness (lucid interval or not), or epidural hematoma location and shape. In contrast, significant differences were seen between the two subgroups in trauma-to-operation interval, hematoma volume, CT hematoma density (mixed low-high CT density vs. homogeneous hyperdensity), midline displacement, severity of associated intracranial lesions, and postoperative intracranial pressure (ICP). Patients comatose at operation usually evidenced a more rapid clinical deterioration (a shorter trauma-to-operation interval) and tended to have a large hematoma volume, a higher incidence of mixed CT density clot (hyperacute bleeding), more marked shift of midline structures, more severe associated lesions, and higher postoperative ICP levels.     

Enzymatic synthesis of penicillins

Different penicillins (phenylacetyl, 2-hydroxyphenylacetyl, 4-hydroxyphenylacetyl, phenoxyacetyl and 2-thiopheneacetylpenicillin) have been synthesized "in vitro" by direct N-acylation of 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) with the acyl group of several acyl-CoA derivatives. The enzyme that catalyzes these reactions, acyl-CoA: 6-APA acyltransferase of Penicillium chrysogenum, was purified to homogeneity (374-fold) and its amino acid composition is given. This protein accepts as substrates several aliphatic acids and different aromatic acids with the only requirement that an acetyl-CoA moiety must be present in the substrate molecule. Shortening or lengthening of the acyl moiety prevents the 6-APA-N-acylation reaction. The presence of an amino group in the alpha-position of the acetyl group does not allow this molecule to be used as substrate. However, different substitutions in the phenyl group (hydroxylation of the carbons 2 and 4) or its replacement by another aromatic ring (thiophene) were accepted with varying reactions rates in the acylation reaction when a 176-fold purified acyltransferase was employed. The homogeneity pure enzyme accepts as substrate thiophene acetyl-CoA but it did not 2-hydroxyphenyl and 4-hydroxyphenylacetyl-CoA. The presence of an oxygen atom between the aromatic and the acetyl moieties did not affect the catalysis.     

Antidromic vasodilatation and neurogenic inflammation

Antidromic stimulation of the lumbosacral dorsal roots of the rat 1.) evokes a long-lasting increase in cutaneous microcirculation of the paw as detected by the laser Doppler flowmeter, and 2.) induces plasma extravasation in the innervated skin areas and various pelvic organs. Both responses are strongly inhibited or abolished by systemic or local capsaicin desensitization. Cutaneous vasodilatation is evoked already by 1-2 pulses. Desensitization of the volar skin of the forearm abolishes the flare reaction both in the "afferent" and "efferent" side of the axon reflex. A dual sensory-efferent function for capsaicin-sensitive nociceptors is suggested. This local neuroregulatory mechanism mediates neurogenic inflammation, cutaneous vasodilatation and flare reaction not only when the receptors are activated by antidromic stimuli, but also when their orthodromic excitation by chemical means occurs.     

Determination of a buspirone metabolite in plasma samples

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is described for the assay of the active metabolite [1-(2-pyrimidinyl)piperazinel of buspirone, an anxiolytic agent, in rat plasma.

The method is based on the use of ion-pair HPLC coupled to a liquid—solid extraction scheme. Samples of rat plasma (2 ml) with internal standard (1-phenylpiperazine), adjusted to pH 10.5 with borate buffer, were loaded on to a preactivated C-18 cartridge. The metabolite and the internal standard were eluted with 5 ml of methanol and injected on to a reversed-phase 10-μm Spherisorb ODS-2 column. The column was eluted with a mobile phase of 0.005 M sodium lauryl sulphate in citrate buffer (pH 3.6)-acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) at 2 ml min⁻¹. Detection was carried out at 248 nm. The recovery of the metabolite was 55%. The method was applied to the determination of the metabolite in rat plasma after oral dosing (25 mg kg⁻¹) of the parent compound.     

Effects of consuming toxic oils and oleoanilides on fat digestibility and adipose tissue composition of rats

An oil implicated in the Spanish "toxic syndrome" was studied for its effect on fat digestibility and adipose-tissue composition in rats. The effects produced by the mixture of oils and those induced by the presence of oleoanilides were assessed separately. For 4 wk, Wistar rats were fed diets containing either a mixture of oils similar to that constituting the toxic oil, the same mixture of oils supplemented with oleoanilides, or the toxic oil (which also contained oleoanilides) and were then compared with a group fed olive oil. Food consumption fluctuated sharply in the group fed the toxic oil, falling significantly in the last week of the study. The digestibility coefficient of the various fats was similar, although the rats fed the toxic oil did absorb less fat because of the lower intake. The nitrogen content of the periovarian adipose tissue was highest in the rats fed the toxic oil, and the adipose-tissue fatty acids most affected by this treatment were linoleic and linolenic acid. The delta-9 desaturase activity, measured in terms of the C16:1/C16:0 and C18:1/C18:0 ratios, was significantly less in the group fed the toxic oil, which suggests functional modifications of the adipocyte related to lipogenesis.     

Occurrence of rotavirus RNA electropherotypes in the pediatric population in Slovakia

Using the method of electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel (PAGE), the authors assessed electropherotypes of rotavirus RNA in extracts of 119 specimens of faeces of sick children and from neonates with asymptomatic rotavirus infection. In both investigated groups they detected electropherotypes of five profiles: of these three had the nature of "long" electropherotypes and were detected in 91.6% of the tested samples. In the group of sick children they recorded circulation of four electropherotypes with exchange of the dominant type of electropherotype after a three-year interval. In the group of healthy neonates they detected in the course of 21 months the same electropherotype, which was not detected in the group of sick children throughout the period of investigation. The identity of RNA profiles of strains from neonates was confirmed by co-electrophoresis.     

Interpretation of antitoxoplasma antibody findings

Between reactions assessing one class of immunoglobulins and reactions detecting all serum immunoglobulins comprehensively such as CFT, there is, as might be expected, a very poor quantitative correlation and thus in individual sera the result of one reaction cannot be reliably added to the result of another (CFT:ELISA/IgG). Even the correlation between reactions focused on the same Ig class (ELISA/IgG: IFT/IgG) is no better. Among reactions assessing specific IgM we consider ELISA/IgM better than IFT/IgM because there is not the risk of false negativity caused by concurrence of IgG. A combination of ELISA/IgG and ELISA/IgM gives good results as a statistical group: the distribution of results revealed agglomerations of sera corresponding to the assumed age of the infection derived from the generally accepted pattern of antibody formation. The applicability of the combination of these two reactions alone for evaluation of individual sera is a promising procedure but awaits further confirmation. Long-term investigations revealed within two years after infection a marked decline of CFT antibodies in the majority of cases but it was not sufficiently clear in ELISA/IgG. Despite the technical advantages of ELISA reactions, elimination af the CFT reaction is not foreseen in the near future. As the minimal combination of methods which provides adequate information we may consider at the present time CFT for assessment of total antibodies and ELISA/IgM for more marked differentiation of the acute stage. Evaluation of the lowest CFR titres considered hitherto as "practically negative" must be obviously revised in subjects with immunosuppression and organ donors for transplantation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Occurrence of Yersinia enterocolitica, particularly serovar 03, biovar 4 in pork and beef

The paper deals with the incidence of Yersiniae in pork and beef, focused in particular on the prevalence of Yersinia enterocolitica, serovar 3, biovar 4. The author uses for detection the method of cold shock, alkalization of the sample, taking advantage of the tolerance of Yersinias of diluted alkalis and suppressing the contaminating microflora, and the the selective medium CIN agar with a locally manufactured supplement. Cultivation was either direct or after propagation in phosphate buffer pH 7.6. The authors isolated 84 strains of Yersinias, i.e. 60% of the total number of examined specimens. Four strains were Yersinia enterocolitica, serovar 03, biovar 4 from pork by direct cultivation. Twenty strains did not agglutinate with commercial serum O-Yersinia IMUNA; they were included in the group "Yersinia enterocolitica other biovars" and 60 strains were "Environmental Yersinia isolates". The author proved a seasonal incidence of Yersinie enterocolitica, serovar 03, biovar 4. The applied method of detection and the the selective medium CIN agar with supplement proved suitable. It is important to respect hygienic provisions during processing in the slaughterhouse with regard to the high incidence of environmental Yersinias and the possible incidence of pathogenic serovars of Yersinias.