Effects of oral continuous 17beta-estradiol plus norethisterone acetate replacement therapy on abdominal subcutaneous fat, serum leptin levels and body composition.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of oral continuous 17beta-estradiol plus norethisterone acetate (E2/NETA) replacement therapy on abdominal subcutaneous fat, serum leptin level (SLL) and body composition in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 6-month, prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was conducted. Forty-three healthy naturally postmenopausal women aged 43-65 years were randomly assigned to receive E2/NETA (2 mg E2 plus 1 mg NETA, n = 22) or placebo (n = 21). Fasting SLL by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, subcutaneous abdominal fat thickness (STh) by ultrasound and the anthropometric indices of body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference (WC, HC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were recorded at the beginning and the end of the study. RESULTS: After 6 months of therapy, BW and SLL increased in the placebo group (p = 0.043 and 0.033, respectively). WC, HC and STh decreased significantly in the E2/NETA group (p = 0.002, 0.006 and 0.000, respectively) and they were also significantly lower in women receiving E2/NETA than in women taking placebo (p = 0.000, 0.034 and 0.000, respectively). At baseline, SLL and STh were positively correlated with all anthropometric indices except WHR. CONCLUSION: Oral continuous combined regimen of E2/NETA significantly reduced central fat accumulation as assessed by WC and STh, and attenuated the increase in SLL. The observed changes in SLL were highly and positively related to changes in STh. The oral continuous combined E2/NETA regimen appears to have protective effects on cardiovascular function and probably on metabolic diseases by its slimming effect upon WC in postmenopausal women.     

Prevention of ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats by natural honey, and its possible mechanism of action.

The effects and the mechanism of natural honey on absolute ethanol-induced gastric lesions were studied in rats. Drugs and/or honey were administered subcutaneously or orally to 48-h fasted animals at different time intervals before oral administration of ethanol (0.5 ml/100 g). Mucosal damage and pH were measured 1 h later. Honey afforded protection against gastric damage and reversed the changes in pH induced by ethanol. The effects of honey were dose- and time-dependent. Thus, pretreatment with honey (1.25 g/kg) 30 min before ethanol provided more than 80% protection. On the other hand, administration of honey simultaneously with or 5 min after ethanol failed to offer protection. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (IND) did not alter the protective effects when given before or after honey. The protective effects of honey could be reversed by treatment with the sulfhydryl (SH) blocker N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Combined IND and NEM treatment caused greater reduction of the protective effects, but the values were not significantly different from those obtained with NEM alone. Thus, the gastroprotective effects of honey appeared to be mediated through SH-sensitive processes. Furthermore, the protective effects were supported by both macroscopic and microscopic findings. It is suggested that honey may be used clinically in preventing/reducing ethanol-induced gastric lesions in humans.     

Thioether excretion of workers exposed to bitumen fumes

Summary The excretion of thioethers was determined in the urine of workers involved in road paving operations and in the preparation of asphalt mixing in an asphalt plant. An occupationally nonexposed group served as control. From the results it was observed that there was no significant difference in urinary thioether levels between the exposed and nonexposed groups, however, smokers of both exposed groups had significantly higher urinary thioether levels than the nonexposed smoking workers. These results suggested that higher urinary thioether excretion could be only due to a difference in smoking behaviour. There were also significant differences in urinary thioether levels between the exposed smoking and nonsmoking workers. The authors suggest that these workers have a low mutagenic/carcinogenic risk and smoking is responsible for the majority of thioether excretion, as has been found by other investigators.     

THE EFFECT OF SOME α2-ADRENOCEPTOR AGONISTS AND ANTAGONISTS ON GASTROINTESTINAL TRANSIT IN MICE: INFLUENCE OF MORPHINE, CASTOR OIL AND GLUCOSE

1. The effects of graded doses of the α₂-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine, tizanidine and BHT-920, and the α₂-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine and idazoxan, on gastrointestinal transit were investigated in mice using the charcoal meal test. 2. The agonists produced significant and dose-dependent decreases in gastrointestinal transit, and the antagonists produced the opposite effect. In affecting the gastrointestinal transit, clonidine (1 mg/kg) was as effective as tizanidine (12 mg/kg) and BHT-920 (40 mg/kg), while yohimbine (2 mg/kg) was as effective as idazoxan (1 mg/kg). 3. Morphine (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg) significantly inhibited gastrointestinal transit. This effect was significantly reversed by the co-administration of yohimbine (2 mg/kg) and idazoxan (1 mg/kg). 4. The acute administration of glucose (5.04 g/kg, i.p.) potentiated the inhibition of gastrointestinal transit produced by clonidine (1 mg/kg) and BHT-920 (40 mg/kg). Glucose treatment, however, had no significant effect on the increase in gastrointestinal transit induced by yohimbine (2 mg/kg) or idazoxan (1 mg/kg). 5. Castor oil (0.25 mL/mouse, orally) induced diarrhoea in saline-treated animals within about 45 min. Clonidine (1 mg/kg), tizanidine (12 mg/kg) and BHT-920 (40 mg/kg) delayed the occurrence of diarrhoea to 2.1, 1.2 and 1.4 h, respectively.     

Ultrastructural study of a retinoma by intraocular fine-needle aspiration biopsy

The authors present the results of a transmission electron-microscopic study performed on a tissue sample obtained by an intraocular fine-needle aspiration biopsy in a case of retinoma. The ultrastructural study showed that the tumor was composed mainly of granular osmiophilic material which contained some tumor cells. These cells showed peculiar ultrastructural characteristics, which demonstrated their neural character, and appeared in different degenerative stages. Apparently, this is the first case in whom ultrastructural technique have been applied to study an intraocular tumor sample obtained by intraocular fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and the first case of retinoma studied by such a diagnostic approach.     

Mechanisms of signal change during intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential monitoring of the spinal cord.

In scoliosis surgery, intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring has reduced the incidence of postoperative neurologic deficits. Many factors affect the amplitude and latency of SSEP waveforms during surgery. Somatosensory evoked potential amplitude decreases with ischemia and anoxia because of temporal dispersion of the afferent volley and conduction block in damaged axons. In conjunction with surgical manipulations, minor drops in blood pressure may result in substantial SSEP changes that reverse when perfusion pressure is increased. Irreversible anoxic injury to central nervous system white matter with loss of SSEP waveforms is dependent on calcium influx into the intracellular space. Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring may be less sensitive for detecting acute insults in the presence of preexisting white matter lesions. Increased extracellular potassium from acute baro-trauma can block axonal conduction transiently even when there is no axonal disruption. Marked temperature-related drops in SSEP amplitude may occur after exposure of the spine but before instrumentation and deformity correction. Hypothermia may increase false-negative outcomes. Short-interval double-pulse stimulation may improve the sensitivity of the SSEP in detecting early ischemic changes. For neurosurgical procedures on the spinal cord the use of SSEP monitoring in improving postoperative outcome is less well established.     

Duodenogastric reflux after choledochoduodenostomy

Duodenogastric reflux (DGR) has been implicated in several disease processes. The present study was carried out to document the incidence and evaluate the clinical significance of DGR after choledochoduodenostomy (CDD). A total of 13 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy with a standard side-to-side CDD for choledocholithiasis or chronic pancreatitis were studied by symptom evaluation, scintigraphy, endoscopy, and gastric mucosal histology at least 6 months after surgery. The scintigraphic findings were then compared with those of 10 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy alone. Only two patients (15%) had mild dyspeptic symptoms. The incidence of DGR after CDD was 69% compared to 20% in the cholecystectomy alone group (P < 0.05). In the majority of patients the DGR was only mild to moderate and the severity correlated well with the degree of endoscopic gastritis, but not with the clinical symptoms or histological findings. These results indicate that while CDD is associated with a high incidence of DGR, its occurrence does not produce significant clinical symptoms.