Insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in adults with protein-calorie malnutrition

Glucose tolerance, insulin secretion, and responses to arginine infusion were studied in 17 adults with severe protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) in Calcutta, India. Patients were selected for the severity of their malnutrition and for absence of other diseases. After 2–4 mo of refeeding there was complete clinical recovery, and control studies were performed.Glucose tolerance, as assessed by intravenous glucose-tolerance test (IVGTT), was reduced in PCM. Insulin response, both to glucose and to arginine infusion, was clearly reduced. The K value of the IVGTT correlated well with the ratio of mean to basal serum insulin during the first 40 min of the test. Basal serum insulin was nearly unchanged in PCM as compared with after recovery, although one patient studied serially showed a temporary drop in basal insulin during the first week of refeeding. In PCM, plasma amino acid levels failed to fall in response to arginine-induced insulin secretion as they did in the control studies.It appears that insulin secretory response is severely reduced in PCM and that a degree of insulin resistance in relation to body weight is present. These changes result in diminished glucose tolerance and probably in a reduced rate of tissue utilization of amino acids. Such alterations may be of adaptive significance in chronic PCM.     

The influence of spatial frequency on perceived temporal frequency and perceived speed

Speed matching experiments were conducted using drifting gratings of different spatial frequencies in order to assess the influence of spatial frequency on perceived speed. It was found that gratings of high spatial frequency appear to drift more slowly than low spatial frequency gratings of the same actual velocity. The perceived temporal frequency of a counterphase grating similarly declines as spatial frequency increases. The previously reported effect of temporal frequency on perceived spatial frequency probably does not contribute to these phenomena. Our results suggest that the motion sensors thought to operate within different spatial frequency ranges have different velocity transfer functions, a fact not incorporated in existing computational models of motion perception.     

Effects of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) on rabbit kidney in vivo and on rabbit renal proximal tubule cells in culture

The nephrotoxic potential of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) in rabbits, as well as its effect on cell viability, cellular synthetic activity, and specific enzyme activities in rabbit renal proximal tubule cells, was investigated. Male New Zealand White rabbits were given a single i.v. dose of either 2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg CDDP via the ear vein and sacrificed 5 days later. No drug-induced changes were observed in the kidneys of rabbits given 2.5 mg/kg CDDP. However, histopathological examination of kidneys from rabbits administered 5.0 mg/kg CDDP revealed marked tubular degeneration and necrosis, with the majority of lesions being situated in the outer zone of the cortex. This is in contrast to the effect of CDDP in the kidney of the rat where the necrosis is reported to be predominantly localized to the pars recta of the proximal tubule in the outer stripe of the medulla. The results from the in vitro experiments indicated that the viability of cells after a 6-h exposure to CDDP at concentrations up to 100 microM was greater than 95%. However, a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability was obtained after 24 h exposure with a TD50 (50% viability) of approximately 90 microM. In addition, the results after 24 h exposure to CDDP also indicated that Na+, K+-ATPase, a basolateral membrane marker enzyme, and alkaline phosphatase, a brush-border marker enzyme, were inhibited by 35-40% and 20%, respectively. No effect on succinic dehydrogenase, a mitochondrial marker enzyme, was obtained. Inhibition of all three marker enzymes was minimal at 6 h posttreatment. On the other hand, inhibition of DNA, RNA, and protein syntheses was evident as early as 6 h posttreatment with DNA (48-77%) and RNA (36-77%) syntheses being inhibited to a greater extent than protein synthesis (14-33%). These results demonstrate that inhibition of renal synthetic activity by CDDP, rather than its effect on enzyme activity, precedes the onset of cell lethality and may therefore be an important event in the initiation of CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity.     

Wisely managing our grief: A pastoral viewpoint

Grief is a complex emotion that can no longer be ignored. Unwisely managed grief experiences may contribute to a multitude of physical and emotional disorders and to a loss of faith and meaning of existence. The concomitants of normal and abnormal grief are discussed. Differentiations are made between bereavement, grief, and mourning. Five means are suggested to help the individual face the grief emotion and work through it in a healthful manner: (1) funeral rites and ceremonies, (2) wise pastoral care, (3) the redemptive community at work, i.e., the church, (4) the printed page, and (5) the understanding of the essence of the Christian message.     

Backache

If a poll were taken of the conditions the average doctor finds most difficult and depressing to treat, backache would undoubtedly be near the top of the list. Yet a clear understanding of the anatomy and mechanism of injury, a thorough examination, and a logical plan of management would help alleviate the patient's and doctor's symptoms.     

热腹带加复方五味子治疗血吸虫性肝硬变131例报告

对131例血吸虫性肝硬变患者,随机分成两组,其中82例为中药组,采用电热腹带加复方五味子治疗,49例为西药组,用常规护肝西药治疗,临床疗效和免疫功能检查对比观察表明,中药组在改善症状,回缩肝脾均明显优于西药组(P<0.05),且免疫功能亦有一定改变,并对中药组作用机理进行了初步的讨论.     

Langerhans Cell Population in Early Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Uterine Cervix

Langerhans cell counts were performed using indirect immunoperoxidase staining for S100 protein in 10 cases of early invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and 20 controls from routine hysterectomy specimens. There was a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in the number of Langerhans cells per unit sectional area of tumour tissue compared to the normal cervical epithelium. The density of Langerhans cells in the 3 patients with tumour metastasis in pelvic lymph nodes was further reduced. The low density of Langerhans cells in invasive squamous cell carcinoma compared to the normal state may reflect poor local immunosurveillance and may be related to progression and spread of the tumour.     

FRACTURE OF THE ODONTOID PROCESS

A review of 26 cases of odontoid fractures has been carried out. Late diagnosis and consequent delay in treatment were found to be important causes of non-union. Myelopathy in odontoid fractures is of two types. One type is that present immediately after injury, while the other is delayed. In treatment of long-standing cases, only fusion without posterior decompression should be done. If the latter procedure is carried out, it can produce medullospinal hcemalomyelia with respiratory arrest and tetraplegia. In the performance of atlanto-axial fusion, the technique of bone grafting and the use of thick wires need emphasis.     

Identification of senecionine and senecionine N-oxide as antifertility constituents in Senecio vulgaris

The MeOH extract of Senecio vulgaris L., administered po to rats on Days 1-10 postcoitum, significantly decreased the number of normal fetuses per pregnant rat found at autopsy on Day 16. Additional experiments showed a similar activity for its hepatotoxic constituents senecionine and senecionine N-oxide, suggesting that the latter two compounds were probably responsible for the effect seen with the extract. No antifertility effects were seen in MeOH extract-treated hamsters.