Histochemical studies on striated muscle of ischemic and angiosurgically reperfused lower extremities

There have been reports on an increased oxidative capacity in muscle tissue from the diseased legs of patients with intermittent claudication. In biopsy from specimens the gastrocnemius muscle of 25 patients the effect of arterial reconstructive surgery were studied, using fresh frozen cryostate sections and histochemical reactions for some oxidoreductases. The present study describes additional histochemical changes in the leg muscles in patients suffering from arterial insufficiency. The changes observed are correlated to the clinical severity of the disease.     

Lymphocytic Hypophysitis Presenting as a Pituitary Tumor in a 63-Year-Old Man

This report describes a case of lymphocytic hypophysitis in a 63-year-old man who presented with symptoms of a pituitary mass lesion associated with hypothyroidism and hypogonadism. Postoperative endocrinological testing demonstrated gonadotropic, thyrotropic, and corticotropic hypopituitarism, and the patient was commenced on replacement therapy with hydrocortisone and levothyroxine. Histological examination of the pituitary tissue obtained by transsphenoidal surgery revealed lymphocytic hypophysitis without evidence of a pituitary adenoma. The vast majority of patients with lymphocytic hypophysitis are women particularly during pregnancy and the puerperium. Until recently only four men were reported in the literature. The pathogenesis of lymphocytic hypophysitis is uncertain but autoimmune mechanisms are possibly involved.     

Are house dust mite allergen levels influenced by cold winter weather?

BACKGROUND: Moisture is vitally important for house dust mites and they cannot survive in cold or hot-dry climates. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To investigate the influence of two extraordinarily cold and dry winters in 1995/1996 and 1996/1997 on house dust mite levels in German homes. METHODS: Dust samples were collected between June 1995 and December 2001 on the mattresses of 655 adults and 454 schoolchildren living in five different areas of Germany. We compared house dust mite allergen Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1) levels before and during the winters of 1995/1996 and 1996/1997 with levels after these winters. RESULTS: D. pteronyssinus (Der p 1) levels in samples taken after the cold winters of 1995/1996 and 1996/1997 were approximately two times lower than Der p 1 levels in dust samples collected before or during these respective winters (Geometric means: Erfurt 89 vs 33 ng/g; Hamburg 333 vs 219 ng/g; Bitterfeld, Hettstedt, and Zerbst 296 vs 180 ng/g). Except for Hamburg, the decrease in Der p 1 levels was statistically significant. D. pteronyssinus levels measured in dust samples collected in 2001 (i.e. 3 years after the two cold winters) show a statistically non-significant increase (Geometric means: Erfurt 33 vs 39 ng/g; Hamburg 219 vs 317 ng/g), suggesting that it may take a long time for mite allergen levels to increase again after a sudden decrease. CONCLUSION: We conclude that Der p 1 levels in German mattress dust samples have been approximately reduced by a factor of three to four by the two consecutive cold winters of 1995/1996 and 1996/1997.     

Combined liquid-crystalline polymers with chiral phases, 2. Lateral substituents

Chiral combined liquid-crystalline polymers (i. e. polymers with the mesogenic groups in the main chain as well as in the side groups) with dipole moments perpendicular to the mesogenic groups were synthesized and characterized. These dipole moments were introduced by lateral substituents, which were located at different parts of the mesogen or directly at the chiral centre. The polymers, thus prepared, show crystalline or glassy phases at room temperature and smectic A, chiral smectic C^* or cholesteric phases at higher temperatures. Since the lateral substituents decrease the melting temperature more strongly than the clearing temperature, the liquid-crystalline phases are broadened compared to the unsubstituted polymers. Often glassy liquid-crystalline phases are obtained. The dipole moments perpendicular to the mesogenic groups or at the chiral centre may help to obtain a high spontaneous polarisation in the chiral smectic C^* phase (ferroelectricity).     

Fibroblast Growth Factor Enhances Long-term Potentiation in the Hippocampal Slice

Recently we reported that perfusion of hippocampal slices with epidermal growth factor (EGF) lead to enhancement of potentiated responses after tetanic stimulation. In the present study we report that basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) can also lead to an enhancement of potentiated responses. FGF is a mitogen for several cell types and exhibits neurotrophic effects on neurons of the central nervous system (CNS). Rat hippocampal slices were perfused with FGF at a concentration of 10-9 M. During extra- and intracellular recordings in the CA1-region, the addition of FGF to the perfusing medium produced no change in evoked responses if single pulse or paired pulse stimulation was used. Furthermore FGF had no influence on the resting membrane potential and input resistance. However, after tetanic stimulation, FGF-treated slices showed an increase in the magnitude of potentiation compared to control slices. Taken together with the EGF data these results support the hypothesis that growth factors like FGF with neurotrophic potential on CNS-neurons can influence synaptic efficacy. Furthermore these results show that factors which are able to modulate developmental plasticity and regenerative plasticity can also modulate synaptic plasticity.     

Endoscopic cordectomy. a proposal for a classification by the Working Committee, European Laryngological Society

The European Laryngological Society is proposing a classification of different laryngeal endoscopic cordectomies in order to ensure better definitions of postoperative results. We chose to keep the word “cordectomy” even for partial resections because it is the term most often used in the surgical literature. The classification comprises eight types of cordectomies: a subepithelial cordectomy (type I), which is resection of the epithelium; a subligamental cordectomy (type II), which is a resection of the epithelium, Reinke’s space and vocal ligament; transmuscular cordectomy (type III), which proceeds through the vocalis muscle; total cordectomy (type IV); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the contralateral vocal fold and the anterior commissure (type Va); extended cordectomy, which includes the arytenoid (type Vb); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the subglottis (type Vc); and extended cordectomy, which includes the ventricle (type Vd). Indications for performing those cordectomies may vary from surgeon to surgeon. The operations are classified according to the surgical approach used and the degree of resection in order to facilitate use of the classification in daily practice. Each surgical procedure ensures that a specimen is available for histopathological examination. Received: 29 December 1998 / Accepted: 2 July 1999     

Small artery reconstruction with a new vascular prosthesis

In the Surgical Department of the University of Erlangen, 307 reconstructions in all areas of the arterial tree were performed with PTFE (GORE-TEX^®) grafts, of which 188 were performed in the femoral-popliteal and femoral-crural areas. Femoral-popliteal bypass grafts above the knee joint remained patent in 93% of the patients during an average follow-up time of 6.7 months. Below the knee joint, the patency rate was 85% during an average follow-up time of 5.6 months. In the proximal aorta, aorta-renal, and aorta-femoral areas, long-term results with the PTFE graft have been excellent.     

Influence of the concentration of metipranolol eye drops on the drug concentration in human aqueous humour

The concentration of the metabolite of the beta-blocker metipranolol was determined in the aqueous humour of 89 cataract patients. At 1, 2 or 5 h before surgery, they received one drop (30 l) of a 0.1 % or 0.3% solution of the drug. At 1, 2 or 5 h after the application of 0.1 % metipranolol eye drops, desacetylmetipranolol concentrations of 624.55, 235.29 and 88.02 ng/ ml, respectively, were measured. At the same intervals after the instillation of 0.3% metipranolol eye drops, the respective values of 1289.20, 1120.88 and 327.36 ng/ ml were found. The metabolite concentration in the eye drops and the values measured show no consistent correlation.Offprint requests to: H. Bleckmann