The Effects of Zero Magnesium Dialysate and Magnesium Supplements on Ionised Calcium Concentration in Patients on Regular Dialysis Treatment

The effect of oral magnesium carbonate aluminium hydroxide onserum ionised calcium, total calcium, aluminium and magnesium,was assessed in 31 patients with chronic renal failure, duringand after one haemodialysis. The behaviour of ionised calcium and total calcium was the samein both groups. Each showed a slight fall during dialysis, whichwas not significant. Serum total calcium was 0.2–0.3 mmol/l(0.8–1.2 mg/dl) greater throughout the period of dialysisin the group taking aluminium hydroxide. Serum magnesium andaluminium were both lower in the group treated with magnesiumcarbonate. In the group taking magnesium carbonate, serum magnesium concentrationsfell markedly during dialysis, but otherwise were maintainedwithin the reference range by the use of a magnesium-free dialysate.These results show the effectiveness of magnesium carbonateoral phosphate-binding agents and zero magnesium dialysate inreducing serum aluminium without affecting the behaviour ofserum calcium fractions during dialysis.     

Comparison of loop diuretics in patients with chronic renal insufficiency

Furosemide and bumetanide share a number of characteristics including reduced natriuretic effects in azotemic patients. It has been presumed that this condition affects each drug equally. Previous studies, however, suggest dissimilar pathways of delivery to their sites of action. Though not rigorously tested, this potential disparity might cause them to differ when used in azotemia. We, therefore, assessed the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of intravenously administered furosemide and bumetanide in ten adult patients with stable, chronic renal insufficiency (mean creatinine clearance = 14.1 +/- 2.0 ml/min/1.73 m2) in a randomized, cross-over study during controlled sodium intake. Our goals were to assess differences in diuretic effectiveness and in so doing to determine the dose required to produce a maximal response. The mean diuretic doses of 172 and 4.3 mg for furosemide and bumetanide, respectively (ratio = 40:1) were sufficient to produce a maximum response. Despite similarities in maximal fractional excretion of sodium (18.2 +/- 2.6% with furosemide vs. 19.4 +/- 4.5% with bumetanide, P = 0.687) demonstrating an equal tubular responsiveness to both drugs, overall response as quantified by cumulative natriuresis in the initial eight hour period was 52% greater with furosemide (108 +/- 17 vs. 71 +/- 7 mEq; P = 0.042). The difference in total excreted sodium was accounted for by a preserved nonrenal clearance of bumetanide (113 +/- 12 compared to 53 +/- 5 ml/min for furosemide, P = 0.001) which resulted in relatively less bumetanide in serum available to be delivered into the urine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Is screening for bacteriuria in pregnancy worth while?

A total of 4470 pregnant women were screened for bacteriuria by the dipslide method and significant growth found in 226 (5.1%). In 198 cases the urine was re-examined, in 119 by using suprapubic aspiration or catheterisation (62 (52%) samples contained bacteria) and in 79 by using midstream urine samples (26 (33%) samples contained greater than 10(8) colony forming units/1), showing the maximum prevalence of confirmed bacteriuria to be 2.6%. Overt urinary tract infection developed later in four of 80 patients with proved bacteriuria who had been given antibiotics, in one of eight untreated patients with bacteriuria, in one of 110 patients with unconfirmed bacteriuria, and in one of 226 non-bacteriuric controls. A history of urinary tract infection was given by 18% of controls and 42% of women with confirmed bacteriuria. Screening for bacteriuria and treatment with antibiotics to prevent later overt infection is expensive. Whether it is worth while and cost effective depends largely on the prevalence of bacteriuria in the local population and the proportion who develop overt infection. The screening and treatment programme reported here appeared to prevent only six cases of overt infection.     

Urinary cyclic AMP response to bovine parathyroid hormone during treatment with neuroleptics

The urinary cyclic AMP response to bovine parathyroid hormone and urinary concentrating ability (max Uosm) after des-amino-D -arginine vasopressin were studies in nine volunteers and seven patients receiving long-term neuroleptic treatment. Max Uosm was lower in the patient group (770 ± 70 mosmol/kg) compared with the controls (948 ± 152 mosmol/kg) but the trend to a lower cAMP response to bovine PTH was not statistically significant. These results suggest that, although adenylate cyclase inhibition may contribute, other mechanisms are also important in the genesis of reduced uring concentrating ability in patients treated with psychotropic drugs.     

Production and characterization of high affinity monoclonal antibodies to cyclic anti-depressant molecules

A procedure is reported by which high levels of the tricyclic molecule desipramine was modified and conjugated at high density to the carrier molecules keyhole limpet hemocyanin and bovine serum albumin so that these could be used as immunogens in Balb/c mice. Such conjugates generated immune responses with high levels of antibody with specificity for the tricyclic. B cell hybridomas generated by fusion of immune Balb/c splenocytes to NS-1 cells which secreted monoclonal antibodies with specificity for the tricyclic were selected in a standard ELISA. In this report, we show that the binding constants of these monoclonal antibodies with various haptens can be assessed accurately by measuring fluorescence polarization, that a high degree of cross-reactivity between the monoclonals and various tricyclics exists, and that this procedure can be used to generate monoclonal antibodies of high binding constants.     

Epiglycanin-immunoreactive glycoproteins in mouse fetal tissues and fetal cells in culture

Fetal tissues from time-pregnant female A/J mice of 16- and 19-day pregnancies and from neonates 1 day after birth, as well as from fetal cells in culture, absorbed significant amounts of anti-epiglycanin antibody. Detergent-solubilized glycoproteins, with epiglycanin activity, from fetal tissues and cells were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the protein bands electroblotted onto a nitrocellulose gel. After the antigens were labeled with rabbit anti-epiglycanin antiserum and [125I]epiglycanin, autoradiography revealed two major bands containing the antigenic determinant at Mr 90,000 and 82,000. Bands of similar molecular weights, but with no demonstrated immunologic cross-reactivity, were observed by fluorography, if intact cells prior to solubilization were labeled by galactose oxidase followed by sodium borotritiide. Immunoreactive epiglycanin activity could be destroyed by Pronase, endo-N-acetyl-alpha-D-galactosaminidase (Diplococcus pneumoniae), or periodate oxidation. Activity was enhanced with neuraminidase. The spleen, liver, or erythrocytes from adult A/J mice did not possess the antigen, but incubation of adult spleen or liver with neuraminidase (Vibrio cholerae) exposed the epitope.     

Comparison between ankle and toe index in patients with peripheral arterial disease

In contrast to the systolic blood pressure at the posterior tibial artery, the evaluation of pressure at the digital artery of the foot before and after exercise in patients with peripheral arterial disease is not well known. Twenty three patients with peripheral vascular disease were examined. The systolic pressure was measured by means of an ultrasound velocity detector at the brachial and posterior tibial artery. Digital artery pressure was determined with photoplethysmography. Pressures were measured before and within 5 and 10 minutes after a treadmill test. Ankle and toe index was calculated. At rest the toe index is lower than the ankle index and after a treadmill test the decrease in toe index occurs in parallel to the ankle index.     

Functional renal insufficiency during long-term therapy with captopril and enalapril in severe chronic heart failure

Renal function was evaluated in 104 patients with severe chronic heart failure whom we treated with captopril or enalapril. Seventy patients showed no change or an improvement in renal function (group A), and 34 patients developed functional renal insufficiency (group B). Before converting-enzyme inhibition, group B patients received higher doses of furosemide (p less than 0.02) and had lower central venous pressures (p less than 0.05) than group A patients. After 1 to 3 months of converting-enzyme inhibition, an excessive reduction in left ventricular filling pressure (to less than 15 mm Hg) or mean arterial pressure (to less than 60 mm Hg) was noted in 28 of 34 (82%) patients in group B but in only 22 of 70 patients in group A (31%) (p less than 0.001). At the end of the study, drug-induced azotemia resolved after a reduction in the dosage of diuretics, despite unaltered treatment with captopril and enalapril. Hence, the deterioration of renal function after converting-enzyme inhibition in heart failure is not a toxic or immunologic reaction to therapy but results from specific hemodynamic events that can be ameliorated by sodium repletion.