Midazolam for rapid sequence induction

We compared midazolam 0.2 mg.kg-1 and fentanyl 50 micrograms with thiamylal 4 mg.kg-1 for rapid sequence induction. We could use midazolam safely in patients with bronchial asthma or drug allergy. There was no difference in time from the beginning of induction to intubation between midazolam treated group and thiamylal treated group. Changes in systolic as well as diastolic blood pressure and heart rate during 2 hours from intubation were smaller in midazolam treated group than in thiamylal treated group. In midazolam treated group, no arrhythmias were observed at the time of intubation. We could reduce the amount of anesthetics in midazolam treated group during 2 hours from intubation. From the results mentioned above, we conclude that midazolam is a useful agent for rapid sequence induction.     

Prevention of microbial contamination of surgical wounds

Comparative analysis of 3707 operations on the organs of the abdominal cavity has shown the significant advantage of the suggested by the authors method for intraoperative wound protection with latex rubber in combination with placing the longitudinal removable sutures over the subcutis and skin, and dressing-free management of the wounds in prophylaxis of the postoperative purulent wound complications. After 310 operations of different contamination degree performed with the use of the given method, no suppuration of the operative wounds was noted.     

Nonselective measurement of cyclosporine for therapeutic drug monitoring by fluorescence polarization immunoassay with a rabbit polyclonal antibody: I. Evaluation of the serum methodology and comparison with a sheep polyclonal antibody in an 3H-tracer mediated radioimmunoassay

Among the new techniques available for CyA monitoring, the FPIA offers the advantages of rapidity and simplicity. The present communication assesses the technical performance of this test in comparison with a 3H tracer-based PC-RIA for serum CyA levels using 971 samples obtained during the first 6 posttransplant months from 14 kidney transplant recipients. The FPIA evaluation included verification of CyA concentrations in manufacturer-supplied calibrators and controls by reference methods, determination of intraassay/interassay precision and accuracy, feasibility of specimen dilution and assessed assay sensitivity, and range of linearity. Comparison of FPIA with PC-RIA indicated that trough samples, when assessed by FPIA, averaged 1.3-fold greater than the PC-RIA, whereas non-trough FPIA measurements indicated similarity between the two methods. Although the two assays showed similar trends in most renal transplant recipients, two subjects demonstrated discrepancies, presumably reflecting the differing specificities of the polyclonal antibodies used in each assay. Thus, the FPIA appears to be a useful addition to CyA monitoring technology.     

Intrathoracic meningocele associated with neurofibromatosis: case report

The authors present a case of intrathoracic meningocele associated with neurofibromatosis. Computed tomography with metrizamide myelography proved valuable in locating the lesion, thus facilitating surgical intervention. With the preoperative diagnosis established and the severity of the meningocele known, the surgeons safely employed a subpleural approach at thoracotomy.     

Detection of nephritogenic antigen from the Lewis rat renal tubular basement membrane

Immunopathogenicity of trypsin-solubilized or non-solubilized renal tubular basement membrane (TBM) of the Lewis (LEW) rat was investigated. Autoimmune tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) was induced in BALB/c mice by immunization with trypsin-solubilized LEW rat TBM, while immunization with non-solubilized TBM did not produce the disease. Based on this preliminary experiment we studied the characterization of immunogenic and nephritogenic TBM antigen of the LEW rat. TIN was characterized by severe mononuclear cell infiltrates with multi-nucleated giant cells in the interstitium, tubular destruction and intensive IgG and C3 deposits along the TBM. Anti-TBM antisera and eluate from the nephritic mouse kidneys reacted with the TBM of normal LEW rat kidney by immunofluorescence. LEW rat TBM was also detected immunofluorescently by using antisera from BALB/c mice immunized with autologous trypsin-solubilized TBM. A competitive inhibition test revealed a higher titer of anti-TBM antibody in the eluate than in the adsorption-treated antisera per microgram IgG. Immunoblotting showed one reactive band with a molecular weight of 45,000 daltons, and the blotting patterns in tryptic TBM of the Brown Norway (BN) and LEW rats appeared similar. Amino acid analysis of nephritogenic LEW rat tryptic TBM showed that it contained no hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, suggesting that this TBM preparation was not collagenous. These findings suggest that tryptic digestion contributes to the release of nephritogenic antigen from the LEW rat TBM and that this antigen system might participate in the immune system involved in the anti-TBM associated TIN that is well known to be induced by non-digested TBM of TBM antigen positive animals.     

The biological characteristics and chemosensitivity of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma transplanted into nude mice

Three xenografts established from three patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were investigated for their biological characteristics and chemosensitivity. The histological and immunohistochemical findings of these tumors were almost the same as those of the original tumors. Although the growth rate of each xenograft was constant, the tumor doubling time varied from 4.8 per 9.0 days, and the labeling indexes, determined using bromodeoxyuridine pulse labeling, varied from 11.4 to 25.1 per cent. The chemosensitivity tests were performed according to the Battelle Columbus Laboratories Protocol, with adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, mitomycin C and tegafur administered intraperitoneally to tumor-bearing nude mice in maximum tolerable doses. Tumors with slower growth rates tended to be sensitive to more drugs. Furthermore, cyclophosphamide showed antitumor effects against all the tumors tested. Although previous treatments of the original tumors may have affected the results, our results suggest that a more suitable chemotherapy for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma could be developed.