Improved net protein balance,lean mass,and gene expression changes with oxandrolone treatment in the severely burned

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the anabolic agent oxandrolone on muscle protein and gene expression in severely burned children. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The authors previously showed that oxandrolone increased net muscle protein synthesis in emaciated burned patients receiving delayed treatment for severe burns. They hypothesized that similar effects would be seen in those treated early after burn. METHODS: Thirty-two severely burned children were enrolled in a prospective randomized trial. Subjects underwent studies to assess leg protein net balance 5 days after the first excision and grafting procedure. Immediately after these studies, treatment with placebo (n = 18) or 0.1 mg/kg oxandrolone (n = 14) twice a day was started. One week after this, another net balance study was performed in each subject. Body weights and total body potassium counting were used to determine body compositional changes. Muscle biopsies were taken 1 week after treatment in oxandrolone subjects to examine gene expression changes with gene array (12,600 genes). RESULTS: Protein net balance did not change in the placebo group, while oxandrolone-treated subjects had a significant improvement. Body weights and fat free mass significantly decreased in the placebo group, while no changes were found in the oxandrolone-treated subjects. Expression changes were seen in 14 genes in the oxandrolone group compared to placebo. Some of these included myosin light chain (+2.7-fold change), tubulin (+2.3), calmodulin (-2.3), and protein phosphatase I inhibitor (-2.8). CONCLUSIONS: Oxandrolone improves protein net balance and lean mass in the severely burned. These changes are associated with increased gene expression for functional muscle proteins.     

Eel ATPase activity as biomarker of thiobencarb exposure

European eels (Anguilla anguilla) were exposed to a sublethal thiobencarb concentration of 0.22 mg/L in a flow-through system for 96 h. Mg(2+) and Na(+)-K(+) adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activities were evaluated in gill and muscle tissues at 2, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of thiobencarb exposure. Gill ATPase activities were rapidly inhibited from 2h of contact onward. Highest inhibition was registered for Na(+), K(+)-ATPase (85%) from 2 to 12h. Both Mg(2+) and total ATPase were inhibited (>73%) during the first hours of toxicant exposure. At the end of the exposure period (96 h) ATPase activities were still different from those of the controls (>50%). Significant inhibition was detected in Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity (80%) in muscle tissue after 2h and it was maintained over the entire exposure time. However, Mg(2+)-ATPase and total ATPase showed only perturbations after 2 h of exposure. Eels were exposed to 0.22 mg/L of thiobencarb for 96 h and then a recovery period in herbicide-free water was allowed for 192 h. Gill and muscle samples were removed at 8, 24, 72, 96, 144, and 192 h and ATPase activity was evaluated. Following 144 h of recovery, Mg(2+)- and Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activities, as well as total ATPase activity, in gills of those animals previously exposed to 0.22 mg/L of thiobencarb were still significantly different compared to controls. Thiobencarb seems to act to alter the ionic profiles. Since ion-dependent ATPases are known to regulate the influx and efflux of ions across the membrane to maintain the physiological requirements of the cells, the inhibition of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase probably induced osmoregulatory perturbations. On the other hand, thiobencarb exposure causes increases in the muscle water content of A. anguilla. The results indicated that water content increased significantly (>100% higher than the controls) during the first 24 h of exposure.     

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia studied by gallium-67 scanning

The validity and reliability of gallium-67 (Ga-67) scanning for diagnosis and follow-up of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) were assessed in 34 patients thought to have pulmonary complications of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Overall sensitivity was 94% and specificity 74%. Among patients with normal or equivocal chest radiographs at the time of admission, sensitivity was 86% and specificity 85%. The authors consider Ga-67 scanning a valid and reliable adjunct in the diagnosis of PCP in AIDS patients with respiratory symptoms when the chest radiograph is normal or equivocal.     

葛根素对高血压患者血浆内皮素和一氧化氮的影响

目的：检测正常人与高血压病（ＥＨ）患者血浆内皮素、一气体氮的变化及葛根素对其的干预效应。方法：ＥＨ对照组口服苯磺酸氨氯地平５ｍｇ／ｄ,或合和盐酸苯那普利１０ｍｇ／ｄ,每日一次,１５ｄ为一疗程。ＥＨ伍用治疗组同时合用５％ＧＮＳ２５０ｍｌ＋葛根素注射液４００ｍｇ静滴,两组治疗前后检测血浆ＥＴ、ＮＯ水平变化。结果：ＥＨ各组血浆ＥＴ较正常人组均显著增高（Ｐ〈０．０１）,血浆ＮＯ水平及ＮＯ／ＥＴ比值除轻度Ｅ     

Diet imbalances and aflatoxicosis]

Generally we know influences of diet's balances or imbalances upon toxicants. Some actions appear with aflatoxins as shown by studies on rat, pig, calf, poultry, turkey and duckling. According to species considered, oral administration of aflatoxins reduces food consummation, Nitrogen balance, respiratory coefficient. Therefore those modifications may be induced by a decrease of foodstuffs ingestion. It has been underlined that hypoproteic diet increases intoxication and diet rich in lipotropic factors decreases it. The greatest number of experiments carried out are concerning vitamins A and D. Authors are recounting their own experimentations upon relationships between Ducklings, aflatoxicosis, retinol consumption and cholecalciferol deficiency. In Duckling, diet deficient in vitamin D increases aflatoxins toxicity. Some relations exist with cytochrome P 450.