Cyto- and histomorphologic changes in the Jensen sarcoma exposed to cisplatin, radiotherapy and combination treatment

Puncture-cytological and histomorphological investigation results are presented in transplanted tumor Jensen sarcoma. The tested tumors did not respond to therapy in growth reaction and reached a quarter of the body mass of the experimental animals on day 18 post transplantation. Within the five groups (untreated, cisplatin daily 0.6 mg/kg b.w., irradiated with 2 Gy S. D., 20 Gy T. D. only, and 2 groups combined therapy cisplatin and irradiation) cytological differences were shown between the several therapeutic groups already at therapy day 7 in spite of similar growth reaction, but not between centre and periphery of tumors, that were marked more distinctly and confirmed in histomorphological picture at the end of therapy at day 18 p.t. The increased occurrence of giant cells with many nuclei and leukocytic inflammation reaction seem to be a typical picture for combined therapy.     

Outcome treatment of pseudoarthrosis of long bones with decortication method depends on osteosynthesis]

Purpose of work was estimation of the results of treatment of pseudoarthrosis of the long bone with the method of decortication, with use of autogenic bone depends on kind of pseudoarthrosis and kind of osteosynthesis. In the years 1995-2005 56 patients were treated because of pseudoarthrosis of long bone in our Clinic. Pseudoarthrosis is classified according to Weber-Cech classification. In the methodology of clinical estimation and subjective estimation of the patient Stewart and Hundley and Anderson classification were used. Union was achieved in 51 cases. Time of bone union achievement was 5 months. The results of treatment are depends on morfology of pseudoartrosis and are independs of kind of osteosynthesis.     

Resolution of homonymous visual field loss documented with functional magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging.

A 68-year-old man developed right homonymous hemianopic paracentral scotomas from acute infarction of the left extrastriate area. He was studied over the ensuing 12 months with visual fields, conventional MRI, functional MRI (fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). As the visual field defect became smaller, fMRI demonstrated progressively larger areas of cortical activation. DTI initially showed that the lesioned posterior optic radiations were completely interrupted. This interruption lessened in time and had disappeared by one year after onset. fMRI and DTI are innovative measures to follow functional and structural recovery in the central nervous system. This is the first reported application of these imaging techniques to acute cerebral visual field disorders.     

Influence of obesity on in-hospital and early mortality and morbidity after myocardial revascularization.

OBJECTIVE: Obese patients are thought to have an increased risk for complications in coronary artery bypass surgery. Several risk stratification systems do not identify obesity as a variable for risk adjustment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the in-hospital and early (one year) mortality and morbidity in obese and non-obese patients after a CABG in the UMC St Radboud. METHODS: The data of 1130 patients undergoing a myocardial revascularization from January 2000 to August 2002 were analyzed. Obesity was measured by the body mass index (BMI). A BMI>or=30 kg/m2 was defined as obese. We compared 206 obese patients with 924 non-obese patients. Uni- and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the results. The 1-year survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between obese and non-obese patients according to postoperative myocardial infarction, re-operation for bleeding, in-hospital mortality, renal complications, neurological complications, pulmonary complications, gastrointestinal complications, re-intubation, re-admission on intensive care, ventilation time, days on intensive care, days in hospital and late mortality. Only the incidence of postoperative wound infections was increased in obese patients, 8.3% in the obese versus 4.4% in the non-obese (P=0.02). Multivariate analysis identified obesity only as risk factor for postoperative for wound infections (P=0.04, odds ratio: 1.97). CONCLUSIONS: Obese patients do not have an increased risk of in-hospital and early (1 year) mortality after CABG. However, obese patients have an increased risk of postoperative wound infections compared to non-obese patients.     

Laparoscopic hysterectomy

Summary Thirty-three patients were selected for laparoscopic hysterectomy and operated on in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine of Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital. Surgical techniques included blunt dissection with scissors and bipolar coagulation to achieve hemostasis. A case was considered successful when all the uterine vessels were treated by laparoscopy. Twenty-four cases were completed laparoscopically (72.7%). None of these patients had postoperative bleeding; 22 had an uneventful postoperative recovery. Nine procedures were converted to laparotomy (27.3%), five because of a difficult or unsatisfactory hemostasis. We conclude that in selected cases, a total hysterectomy can be performed safely by experienced laparoscopists. Further technological progress is necessary to make this procedure more acceptable. Its value as compared to the others will have to be demonstrated.     

Metabolic myocardial viability assessment with iodine 123-16-iodo-3-methylhexadecanoic acid in recent myocardial infarction: Comparison with thallium-201 and fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose

The best test presently available to ascertain residual viability within an infarct-related area involves the use of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to detect the persistence of some cellular metabolism. Rest reinjection of thallium-201 is a less accurate alternative but is easy to perform. Iodinated fatty acids, which are used with standard gamma cameras, are proposed as markers of cellular metabolism. This study was performed to assess the value of 16-iodo-3-methyl-hexadecanoic acid (MIHA) as a marker of the residual cellular metabolism by comparison with FDG in patients with a recent myocardial infarction, and to evaluate its contribution compared with the²⁰¹Tl stress-redistribution-reinjection technique. Stress-redistribution-reinjection²⁰¹T1 imaging, rest MIHA imaging and glucoseloaded FDG imaging were performed in 22 patients with recent myocardial infarction. Out of the 628 myocardial segments obtained from the left ventricular analysis, 400 were hypoperfused (relative uptake <0.75 of maximum uptake on stress²⁰¹T1 imaging), 177 of which were severely hypoperfused (relative uptake <0.50). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for predicting metabolic myocardial viability with FDG were derived from the results in respect of (a)²⁰¹T1 activity during exercise, redistribution and reinjection and (b) MIHA up-take, using the two FDG thresholds most commonly considered to define metabolic viability (0.50 and 0.60). Analysis of the 400 hypoperfused segments demonstrated that²⁰¹T1 reinjection was the most accurate test in predicting the presence of myocardial viability (area under the ROI curves=0.85 and 0.86 at the 0.50 and 0.60 FDG thresholds, respectively;P<0.05 vs other tests). The global predictive values of MIHA and²⁰¹T1 reinjection were, respectively, 0.87 and 0.89 at the 0.50 FDG threshold (NS), and 0.82 and 0.87 at the 0.60 FDG threshold (NS). When only the 177 severely hypoperfused segments were considered,²⁰¹T1 reinjection remained the most accurate test (accuracy 0.84 at the 0.50 FDG threshold and 0.82 at the 0.60 FDG threshold), while the accuracy of MIHA decreased significantly (0.78 at the 0.50 FDG threshold and 0.73 at the 0.60 FDG threshold,P<0.05 vs²⁰¹T1 reinjection). In all circumstances, MIHA was less specific than²⁰¹T1 reinjection for the detection of metabolic viability. In conclusion, in patients with recent myocardial infarction, MIHA accurately detects the persistence of metabolic viability, but is not superior to²⁰¹T1.     

Functional and metabolic effects of ribose in combination with prazosin, verapamil and metoprolol in rats in vivo

Ribose improves the function of the rat heart in various pathological conditions through its effects on cardiac energy metabolism, while having no direct haemodynamic actions. We therefore studied its functional and metabolic effects in closed chest rats when given in combination with prazosin, verapamil or metoprolol, all of which have direct effects on the circulation. Ribose administration for 24 h at 200 mg.kg-1.h-1 did not affect heart function but increased the available pool of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate in heart (four fold) and skeletal muscle (1.7-fold), as assessed by the incorporation of 14C-adenine into the adenine nucleotides. The utilisation of adenine for adenine nucleotide synthesis, expressed as the ratio of adenine nucleotide radioactivity to tissue extract radioactivity, was 70% in heart and 20% in skeletal muscle under control conditions, and 97% and 88% after 24 h of ribose administration. Ribose decreased the 14C-adenine incorporation into the adenine nucleotides in kidney, lungs and liver. After 24 h infusion of prazosin (100 micrograms.kg-1.h-1), heart rate and LVdP/dtmax were not changed, but LVSP (-20%), mean aortic pressure (-16%) and peripheral resistance (-40%) were decreased. Cardiac output was enhanced (+40%). Verapamil (2mg.kg-1.h-1) and metoprolol (2mg.kg-1.h-1) infused for 24 h decreased the pressure-rate and pressure-volume product of the left ventricle to the same extent (-40%). Verapamil had no influence on cardiac output, while metoprolol depressed it (-30%). Simultaneous administration of prazosin, verapamil or metoprolol with ribose did not affect the ribose induced increase in the myocardial 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate pool.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Transplantation of central nervous tissue

Studies of post-lesional reorganization of central nervous connections have shown that central nerve fibers respond to nearby denervation by sprouting and formation of new terminals. The connections in the central nervous system (CNS) are accordingly much more plastic than was thought for a long time. This has revived the interest in transplantation of central nervous tissue. In this study we present some historical data on CNS transplantation supplemented by recent results obtained in our laboratory. Pieces of hippocampal tissue from embryonic or early postnatal rats were transplanted to different parts of the brain of littermates or adult rats. About two-thirds of the transplants were recovered after survival times ranging from 4 d to 2 years, and their cytological organization and intrinsic connections were monitored by cell and fiber stains and histochemical methods (AChE staining and Timm sulphide silver method). Comparison with both a normal and a lesioned control material revealed that in most transplants the tissue had developed as it does when left in situ in the donor brain, but deprived of its major afferent connections. In several instances we found evidence of a major exchange of connections between the transplants and host brains. The conditions needed for this to occur appeared to involve growth stimulation of host brain fibers by transection (host to transplant) and denervation of host neuropil (transplant to host). In cases where these conditions are met, the use of transplants may have future implications in attempts to repair lesions in the central nervous systems.     

Effect of estrogen on eustachian tube performance

Changing levels of sex hormones have been previously associated with clinical symptoms due to alterations of the respiratory mucosa. Aural manifestations, however, have not yet been studied in this regard. Eustachian tube swallow test and blood levels of estrogen were evaluated daily in 25 women undergoing induction of ovulation. Most women showed a near stable eustachian tube performance over a wide range of estrogen levels, particularly in the physiologic range. However, there is a moderate decrease in eustachian tube function with increasing estrogen levels in some women, manifested mainly at levels beyond that of the normal menstrual cycle.     

Enzyme immunoassay of histamine in foods

A competitive enzyme immunoassay of histamine in foodstuffs has been developed using a monoclonal antibody against a histamine‐benzoquinone adduct. In this assay, histamine present in food samples was treated with 1,4‐benzoquinone to form histamine‐benzoquinone by a simple and quick reaction and a histamine‐benzoquinone‐horse‐radish peroxidase conjugate was used as the labelled hapten. The apparent association constant (K_a) of the antibody used was 3.6 ×10⁶ l/mol and Gibbs’ energy of the immune complex formation has been estimated to find the optimal incubation time of the assay. The method enabled determination of histamine in fish, cheese, wine and beer at a concentration as low as 7 ng/ml with an accuracy of ± 15%. The recovery of the immunoassay was 88.9–114%. Cross‐reactivities of histidine, tyramine, tryptamine and its derivatives were lower than 0.001% and did not affect the assay.