Gastric emptying of water in term pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Healthy nonpregnant patients may ingest clear liquids until 2 h before induction of anesthesia without adversely affecting gastric volume. The purpose of this study was to compare gastric emptying in term, nonlaboring pregnant women after ingestion of 50 ml water (control) with that after ingestion of 300 ml water. METHODS: Gastric emptying was assessed in healthy, nonobese, term pregnant volunteers using both serial gastric ultrasound examinations (n = 9) and acetaminophen absorption (n = 11) in a crossover study design. After an overnight fast, volunteers ingested 1.5 g acetaminophen and 50 or 300 ml water (assigned in random order) on two occasions separated by at least 2 days. Serial gastric antrum cross-sectional areas were determined using gastric ultrasound imaging, and the half-time to gastric emptying was calculated. Serial plasma acetaminophen concentrations were measured. Areas under the plasma acetaminophen concentration versus time curve, peak concentrations, and time to peak concentration for 50- and 300-ml ingestions were compared. RESULTS: Gastric emptying half-time was significantly shorter after ingestion of 300 ml water than after ingestion of 50 ml (24 +/- 6 vs. 33 +/- 8 min). There were no differences in acetaminophen areas under the curve at 60, 90, or 120 min, or in acetaminophen peak concentration. Time to peak concentration of acetaminophen was significantly shorter after ingestion of 300 ml water than after ingestion of 50 ml (25 +/- 12 vs. 41 +/- 19 min). CONCLUSIONS: Gastric emptying in healthy, term, nonobese, nonlaboring pregnant women is not delayed after ingestion of 300 ml water compared with that after an overnight fast.     

Allelic deletions of Rb and L-myc in urine sediments from patients with bladder tumors or carcinoma in situ

In a previous study we found allelic imbalances of Rb and L-myc associated with disease stage and disease course in bladder cancer. The primary aim of the present study was to determine whether the changes found in tumors were reflected in urine sediments. Secondly we wanted to test if Rb and L-myc were frequently lost in urine sediments from patients with carcinoma in situ and no bladder tumor at present. Based on this we examined allelic deletions of the Rb and L-myc genes in tumor and urine from 55 patients with bladder tumors or carcinoma in situ. Deletions were examined on extracted DNA from tumors and urine sediments by the use of microsatellite markers located as close to the genes as possible. Fifty-five patients and 10 controls were included. We found no strict correlation between allelic deletions in bladder tumors and urine sediments from the same patient. Allelic deletions in urine sediments were at least as common in patients with carcinoma in situ and no bladder tumor (32%) as in patients with bladder tumors (20%). It was possible to identify allelic deletions in urine sediment from 1 patient with cystitis and no history of malignant bladder disease (6%). In conclusion we found no strict correlation between allelic deletions in bladder tumors and urine sediments. Allelic deletions in urine sediments seem to be at least as common in patients with carcinoma in situ as in patients with bladder tumors.     

Plasma vitamin D-binding protein (GC) factors,immunoglobulin G heavy chain (GM) allotypes and immunoglobulin kappa light chain (KM1) allotype in patients with sarcoidosis and in healthy control subjects

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sarcoidosis is an immune disease with abnormalities in the production of vitamin D and immunoglobulins. The aim was to examine whether the distribution of plasma vitamin D-binding protein = group-specific component (GC) allotypes, immunoglobulin G heavy chain (GM) allotypes and immunoglobulin kappa light chain (KM) allotype differed significantly from the distribution in healthy subjects. METHODS: GC 1S, 1F, 2 allotypes, GM 1, 2, 5 allotypes, and KM1 allotype were assessed in 44 patients with sarcoidosis and in healthy control subjects. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the frequencies of the GC, GM and KM allotypes in sarcoidosis patients and in control subjects. Furthermore, there was no relationship between the presentation or course of the sarcoid disease and GC, GM or KM allotypes. CONCLUSIONS: GC, GM and KMI allotypes do not appear to play any major role in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.     

Serum pituitary and sex steroid hormone levels in the etiology of prostatic cancer--a population-based case-control study.

The hypothesis that serum concentrations of pituitary hormones, sex steroid hormones, or sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) affect the occurrence of prostatic cancer was tested in a consecutive sample of 93 patients with newly diagnosed, untreated cancer and in 98 population controls of similar ages without the disease. Cases did not differ significantly from controls regarding serum levels of luteinising hormone (LH) or follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Remarkably close agreement was found for mean values of total testosterone (15.8 nmol l-1 in cases and 16.0 in controls), and free testosterone (0.295 and 0.293 nmol l-1, respectively), with corresponding odds ratios for the highest vs lowest tertile of 1.0 (95% confidence interval 0.5-1.9) for testosterone and 1.2 (95% confidence interval 0.6-2.4) for free testosterone. Similar close agreement between cases and controls was found for serum concentrations of estradiol, androstenedione and SHBG, although the mean estradiol level was non-significantly (P = 0.30) lower among cases. Changes secondary to the disease were unlikely to have affected the results materially, since only LH and FSH were associated with stage of disease and this relationship was weak. Our findings suggest that further analyses of serum hormone levels at the time of diagnosis are unlikely to improve our understanding of the etiology of prostatic cancer.     

An association between mineral metabolism and the renin-aldosterone system in human hypertension

In recent years abnormalities of calcium metabolism have been described in human hypertension. In this study, the relationships between indices of calcium metabolism and the renin-aldosterone system were studied in 39 subjects with untreated essential hypertension. No significant associations were found between the major determinants of calcium metabolism (plasma ionised calcium, parathyroid hormone and 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D) and the renin-aldosterone system. Serum magnesium was, however, positively correlated to plasma renin activity (PRA) (r = 0.38, P less than 0.05) while both 24 h urinary excretion of calcium and cAMP were found to be correlated to both PRA and urinary aldosterone in a positive way (r = 0.39-0.42, P less than 0.01 and r = 0.33-0.57, P less than 0.01, respectively). In this study there was no other evidence of any major influence of the renin-aldosterone status on the calcium balance in human hypertension. The urinary leak of calcium might be determined by the action of the renin-aldosterone system.     

Clinical Studies on Phosphate Handling in Hypercalcaemia

ABSTRACT. Phosphate indices (serum phosphate, tubular reabsorption of phosphate, renal threshold phosphate concentration (TmP/GFR) and index of phosphate excretion) were studied in 88 hypercalcaemic subjects: 64 with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and 24 with hypercalcaemia from other causes, predominantly malignant disease. HPT patients as a group could easily be separated from normal subjects (n = 16) and patients with functional hypoparathyroidism (n =7) by use of the phosphate variables but these indices were of little discriminating value for the differential diagnosis between HPT and hypercalcaemia from other causes. There was no difference in the urinary cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) excretion between the two hypercalcaemic patient groups, but HPT patients had clearly elevated serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels compared with normal PTH concentrations in patients with other causes of hypercalcaemia. A positive correlation between cAMP and serum calcium and an inverse relationship between cAMP and TmP/GFR were found in patients with hypercalcaemic malignant disease. These findings suggest the existence of a humoral factor with PTH-like effects in malignant disease. Since PTH levels were low, the physiological actions were apparently not mediated by circulating PTH. No difference in the values for phosphate variables, PTH, cAMP or serum calcium was found between renal stone-forming and stone-free patients with HPT.     

Primary retroperitoneal enteric cyst in an adult

The posterior mediastinum is the usual location of enteric cysts. They can be located at any part of the posterior mediastinum adjacent to the oesophagus, but communication with that structure is rare. Approximately 60 percent of the cysts occur in infants less than one year of age, and symptoms of tracheal or oesophageal obstruction are common. The cysts usually contain clear, colorless mucoid fluid. The authors describe here a successfully treated enteric cyst with an unusual, retroperitoneal location, which presented in an adult.     

Survival of fish upon removal of cyanide from water

The effects of potassium cyanide and the removal of cyanide from water in vivo on the survival of fish were investigated. This research was initiated because of the catastrophe that took place at the end of January 2000 in the Carpathian basin, when an enormous amount of cyanide pollution swept through the Samos and Tisza rivers, and then to the Danube. Since nothing was done against the disaster, we have suggested a chemical solution to remove cyanide from waterways (Chem. Innovat. 30 (2000b) 53). Based on experiments, we describe that the most effective and harmless way to remove cyanide and to save the lives of fish from 40 to 160 x the lethal doses of cyanide is to use carbogen gas containing 5% carbon dioxide and 95% oxygen followed by aeration with air.     

Glomerular number and function are influenced by spontaneous and induced low birth weight in rats

A link exists between low birth weight and diseases in adulthood, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and insulin resistance. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has been used to explain this association and has been shown to lead to a nephron endowment in humans. A reduction in glomerular number has been described in animal models with induced low birth weight as well but not in animals with spontaneous low birth weight. It therefore is debatable whether the models are suitable. The effect on glomerular number and size was studied in rats with naturally occurring IUGR and experimental IUGR, induced by bilateral uterine artery ligation. Design-based stereologic methods were used. Urinary protein excretion was determined as a measure of renal damage. Results showed a decrease of approximately 20% in glomerular number in both groups of IUGR (control 35,400, naturally occurring IUGR 30,900, and experimental IUGR 28,000 glomeruli per kidney). Mean glomerular volume was increased in both IUGR groups, which was associated with an increased proteinuria. It is concluded that IUGR leads to a nephron endowment with a compensatory glomerular enlargement. This compensation is associated with more proteinuria in the long run. Uterine artery ligation in the pregnant rat is a suitable model to study the effects of IUGR on the kidney.