Cicatrix endometriosis of the abdominal wall

Endometriosis is a rare entity, related after operation on the uterus or uterine tubes or a laparotomy procedures or other extrapelvic procedures, when seeding of endometrial fragments were shed into the peritoneal cavity. We report the case of a menopaused woman with a subcutaneous incisional scar mass that appeared 22 years after a caesarean section. The diagnosis was made by histological examination.     

Chronic graft dysfunction in renal transplant patients: potential role of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1

BACKGROUND: Chronic allograft nephropathy is the main cause of long-term kidney graft loss. The plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a potential fibrogenic molecule whose secretion is regulated by several metabolic, inflammatory, and genetic factors. We aimed to determine whether PAI-1 secretion in renal transplant patients is correlated with the decline in renal function after transplantation. METHODS: Renal transplant patients (145 male/71 female) were included in the study 1-27 years after transplantation (median of follow-up: 7.35 years). At inclusion, routine clinical and biological data were collected, the 4G/5G polymorphism of the recipient PAI-1 gene was determined, and the PAI-1 plasma level was measured. RESULTS: The mean rate of decline in renal function was -4.26+/-0.30 ml/min/year. By multiple linear regression analysis, the rate of decline in renal function was significantly correlated with proteinuria (P=0.0176), occurrence of late acute rejection episodes (P=0.0001), and PAI-1 plasma level (P=0.0051). In addition, PAI-1 plasma level was also significantly correlated with body mass index (P=0.038), insulin (P<0.0001), platelet count (P<0.0001), and fibrinogen (P=0.024). The PAI-1 gene polymorphism tested did not influence the rate of decline in renal function after transplantation nor the plasma level of PAI-1 antigen. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PAI-1, whose secretion is determined in large part by metabolic and inflammatory factors, may be implicated in the rate of decline in renal function after transplantation.     

Cardiovascular effects of the essential oil of Croton nepetaefolius in rats: role of the autonomic nervous system.

Cardiovascular effects of intravenous (i.v.) treatment with the essential oil of Croton nepetaefolius (EOCN) were investigated in rats. Additionally, this study examined the importance of the autonomic nervous system in mediation of the EOCN-induced changes in mean aortic pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). In both pentobarbitone-anaesthetised and conscious rats, i.v. bolus injections of EOCN (1 to 50 mg/kg) elicited dose-dependent decreases in MAP and HR. Both decreases were of the same order of magnitude or duration, irrespective of whether the animal was under general anaesthesia. Pretreatment of anaesthetised rats with bilateral vagotomy reduced the magnitude of EOCN-induced bradycardia without affecting hypotension. Likewise, i.v. pretreatment of conscious rats with either methylatropine (1 mg/kg) or hexamethonium (30 mg/kg) significantly decreased the bradycardic effects of EOCN by the same order of magnitude. Neither compound influenced the hypotensive effects elicited by EOCN. This is the first physiological evidence that i.v. treatment with EOCN in either anaesthetised or conscious rats elicits hypotension and bradycardia. EOCN-induced bradycardia appears dependent upon the presence of an intact and functional parasympathetic nerve drive to the heart. However, EOCN-induced hypotension appears independent of the presence of an operational sympathetic nervous system. This suggests that EOCN may be a direct vasorelaxant agent.     

Correlates of Binge Eating Disorder in French Women

In the present study, patients seeking help for weight control with and without “Binge eating disorder” were compared to community non patients in terms of functional impairment and psychological problems. Subjects with BED self reported psychological difficulties, history of depression, treatment for emotional problems and alcohol abuse significantly more frequently than subjects without BED or subjects from the community. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.     

Chick feeding test: a simple system to detect ciguatoxin

Chick poisoning induced by oral administration of toxic fish tissues or extracts gave rise to internal hypersalivation, decrease in weight and acute motor ataxia. Detoxification was low and repeated administration therefore led to toxin accumulation. Response of the chicken to liver feeding was roughly quantitative; so liver, which is the most potential toxic tissue, may be used for a preventive screening test in ciguatera-endemic areas.     

Hypotensive action of bromocriptine in the DOCA-salt hypertensive rat: Contribution of spinal dopamine receptors

Summary— To assess the role of spinal dopamine receptors in mediation of hypotension induced by systemic administration of the dopamine D₂ receptor agonist, bromocriptine, conscious deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats were pretreated with either intravenous (iv; 500 μg/kg) or intrathecal (it; 40 μg/rat at T₉-T₁₀) domperidone, a selective dopamine D₂ receptor antagonist that does not cross the blood-brain barrier. In DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, iv administration of a sub-maximal dose of bromocriptine (150 μg/kg) induced a significant decrease in mean aortic pressure (MAP) which was greater and longer lasting than that in uninephrectomized control rats. Intravenous or it pretreatment with domperidone reduced partially, but significantly, the hypotensive effect of bromocriptine (reduction of about 57% and 45% of the maximal effect, respectively). The remaining responses observed during the 60 min postinjection period were still statistically significant as compared with vehicle injection. In contrast, the bromocriptine-induced hypotension was fully abolished by iv pretreatment with metoclopramide (300 μg/kg), a dopamine D₂ receptor antagonist that crosses the blood-brain barrier, or by combined pretreatment with iv and it domperidone. These results suggest that, in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, the hypotension induced by iv bromocriptine is mediated partly through a peripheral D₂ dopaminergic mechanism and partly through stimulation of spinal dopamine D₂ receptors, as has been demonstrated in conscious normotensive rats.     

Effects of long-term dietary intake of magnesium on oxidative stress, apoptosis and ageing in rat liver

In the present study, we investigated the effect of long-term dietary Mg intake on the rate of oxidative stress, apoptosis and ageing in rat livers. To address this issue, rats were fed diets containing either a moderately deficient (0.15 g Mg/kg diet), a standard (0.8 g Mg/kg diet) or a high (3.2 g Mg/kg diet) Mg dose for two years. It is noteworthy that a higher percentage of animal mortality was observed in the lowest Mg diet, as compared to the other groups. Oxidative stress and antioxidant status were evaluated by measuring different enzyme activities, among which glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly reduced when Mg content was decreased in the diet. Moreover, we obtained an activation of caspase-3 and a higher lipid peroxidation in the Mg-deficient group, as compared to the Mg standard group, while no changes in Mg-supplemented group were observed, in accordance with our previously published data in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes (Martin et al., J Nutr 2003). Telomere shortening was measured in rat livers, as a marker of ageing. We found that telomere length was decreased in old animals, as compared to young animals confirming that telomere shortening correlated well with ageing events. Moreover, in old animals, we obtained a decrease of telomere length in the Mg-deficient group, as compared to the other groups. Taken together, our results show that a long-term chronic Mg deficiency led to oxidative stress, apoptosis and an acceleration of ageing in rat livers.     

Relaxant effects of the essential oil of Eucalyptus tereticornis and its main constituent 1,8-cineole on guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle

The effects of the essential oil of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. (EOET) on guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle were investigated. EOET (10 - 1000 microg/mL) relaxed the tracheal basal tonus with an EC (50) value of 125.3 [52.2 - 300.9] microg/mL. Its maximal relaxation (40 +/- 6 %) was significantly lower than that evoked by aminophylline (209 +/- 34 %). The K (+)-(60 mM)-induced contractions were significantly reduced by both EOET (200 - 1000 microg/mL) and its main constituent 1,8-cineole (600 - 1000 microg/mL). Acetylcholine (1 microgM)-induced contractions were significantly enhanced by 1,8-cineole (10 - 1000 microg/mL). However, they were significantly enhanced and reduced by lower (200 - 400 microg/mL) and higher (800 - 1000 microg/mL) concentrations of EOET, respectively. Electrical field stimulation-induced contractions were significantly increased by EOET (100 - 600 microg/mL). In conclusion, EOET produces myorelaxant effects on guinea-pig isolated trachea, an effect that seems to result from a complex interaction between its monoterpenoid constituents.     

Risk factors for deep vein thrombosis in inpatients aged 65 and older: a case-control multicenter study

OBJECTIVES: To identify independent risk factors of symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in geriatric inpatients and to define high-risk patients likely to benefit from preventive treatment. DESIGN: Hospital-based case-control multicenter study with prospective data collection. SETTINGS: Geriatric university hospitals with long-, intermediate-, and short-term care facilities. PARTICIPANTS: All patients aged 65 and older in 19 geriatric departments were submitted to clinical surveillance over a 16-month period. MEASUREMENTS: Twenty-three potential risk factors of phlebitis were screened for. Comparison using logistic regression of 310 consecutive patients with symptomatic DVT versus 310 randomly selected controls was performed. The risk for symptomatic DVT in geriatrics was then scored from the clinical risk factors identified using multivariate analysis. This score is defined by the sum of the odds ratio (OR) of each risk factor present. RESULTS: Six factors were identified as independently related to the development of DVT: restriction of mobility (from OR=1.73, limited mobility without immobilization, to OR=5.64, bedridden during <15 days), aged 75 and older (OR=1.5/10 years), history of DVT or pulmonary embolism (OR=3.38), acute heart failure (OR=2.52), chronic edema of the lower limbs (OR=2.51), and paresis or paralysis of a lower limb (OR=2.06). The defined score of 8 or higher corresponded to an 88.7% probability of having symptomatic DVT. CONCLUSION: Treatments to prevent symptomatic DVT in hospitalized elderly should be evaluated on patients with these factors.