MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA IN BELGIAN LANDRACE PIGS RESTED OR EXCERCISED BEFORE EXPOSURE TO HALOTHANE

Thirteen of 31 Belgian Landrace pigs developed malignant hyperthermia(MH) after breathing halothane. A short period of exercise 1h before the administration of the triggering agent increasedthe incidence of the syndrome to 100% in eight similar pigs.Clinical symptoms were more marked and developed more rapidlyin the exercised pigs. All the reacting pigs became typicallyacidotic, developed rigor and died. Serum Na⁺, K+, Ca2⁺, c.p.k.,l.d.h. and protein concentrations were increased to a variableextent during the reaction and there was an increase in p.c.v.also. No hyper-glycaemia was detected in pigs which were restedbefore receiving halothane. Four of the eight exercised pigsbecame markedly hyperglycaemic and plasma noradrenaline increasedto higher values. Phosphocreatine and ATP decreased to low valuesand lactate increased in the muscles of all pigs which reacted.At the time of death, muscle glycogen had decreased significantlyin the rested, but not in the exercised, MH pigs. ^*Present address: ARC Meat Research Institute, Langford, BristolBS18 7DY.     

Initiation of labor with a moderately favorable cervix: a comparison between prostaglandin E2 gel and oxytocin

This study compares prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) gel and oxytocin for the initiation of labor in term pregnancies with a moderately favorable cervix (Bishop score 5-8). Compared with a matched group, 48 cases treated with PGE2 gel (2.5 mg intravaginally) required significantly less or no oxytocin, had shorter first stages of active labor, and had no increased risk of uterine hyperstimulation or cesarean section. Initiation of labor with low dose PGE2 when the cervix is moderately favorable is less labor intensive and meets with more patient satisfaction.     

Adjunctive therapy in treatment for head and neck cancer.

Improvement in tumor-free intervals and cure rates of patients with cancer of the head and neck will almost certainly come from utilization of more than one type of treatment in the same patient. For example, in treatment for formidable lesions this might take the form of a short course of preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery. Postoperative chemotherapy might then be employed in preoperative responders, with the addition of radiation according to the usual postoperative indications. Specific or nonspecific immunotherapy might be used on a long-term basis, preoperatively and postoperatively. In selected patients, utilization of multiple modalities early in a careful long-term plan may bring improvement over current results from employment of adjuvant measures only after recurrence or metastatic spread is clinically obvious.     

Myasthenia gravis-associated antibodies in asymptomatic thymoma

Serum antibodies associated with myasthenia gravis were evaluated before and after therapy in an asymptomatic patient having a malignant thymoma. The case illustrates that myasthenia-associated antibodies may also be useful as a tumor marker of thymoma in the work-up of mediastinal masses, in evaluating therapy of thymoma, and possibly in detecting recurrence of thymoma and potential for developing myasthenia gravis.     

IMPORTANCE OF ANTIDIURETIC PROPERTIES OF VASOPRESSIN IN EXPERIMENTAL RENAL HYPERTENSION

1. Homozygous Brattleboro rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus (DI) developed one-kidney, one-clip (1K–1C) and two-kidney, one-clip (2K–1C) Goldblatt renal hypertension. 2. However, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) in 1K–1C Brattleboro rats was significantly lower than in non-DI hypertensive 1K–1C Long-Evans (LE) rats. 3. Treatment with the synthetic antidiuretic analogue of vasopressin, DDAVP (l-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin), increased the SBP in the DI rats to the same level as in 1K–1C Long-Evans. This elevation of SBP was associated with increased extracellular fluid volume in the DI rats after DDAVP. 4. The results suggest that vasopressin is not essential for the development of renal hypertension but the absolute levels of blood pressure achieved in 1K–1C hypertension are volume-dependent and thus influenced by the water-retaining properties of vasopressin.     

Mycobacterium marinum infections acquired from tropical fish tanks

Mycobacterium marinum is reported for the first time in New Zealand. Three cases of infection on the hands of tropical fish fanciers are described with details of treatment. Probable sources of the organism were investigated and possible explanations for its presence in New Zealand are discussed.