Revascularization of the renal artery in renovascular hypertension with progressive renal insufficiency

Sixteen patients underwent surgical treatment for severe renovascular hypertension with rapidly progressive renal failure. These patients were assessed preoperatively with the measurement of serum creatinine and blood-urea levels (means 271 +/- 204 mumol/l and 15.6 +/- 10.3 mmol/l respectively), and renal clearances. 5 patients underwent aorto-renal bypass (bilateral in one case) and 11 patients were treated by autotransplantation of the kidney. Operative mortality was 6.2%. Early results were assessed at 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Renal function was normal in 8 patients, improved in 5 (p less than 0.05), unchanged in 1 and worse in 1 by aorto-renal bypass thrombosis. At long-term with a minimum follow-up of 12 months (mean 31 +/- 12 months), the initial improvement in renal function remained steady in 12 patients whilst 1 patient has gone on to hemodialysis. At middle and long-term, 81% of the patients were normotensive without medication or had improved blood pressure (p less than 0.001). These good results confirm the reversibility of renal ischemic lesions and support an aggressive attitude towards the use of revascularization in the surgical treatment of such patients with renovascular hypertension and renal failure.     

Enhanced myocardial necrosis induced in rats by the combined administration of hydralazine and prenalterol

The cardiotoxic effects of hydralazine and prenalterol, given alone and in combination, were assessed in rats and rabbits. Acute myocardial necrosis was induced by a single administration of each drug alone in rats. However, the incidence and severity of lesions were markedly enhanced when both drugs were given in combination. Rats that received the same treatment for 10 consecutive days showed minimal or no acute necrosis, demonstrating the development of a resistance to further cardiotoxic effects of the drugs. Rabbits showed only minimal lesions when either drug was used alone and no enhancement of lesions when they were given in combination. From these data, it is concluded that the possibility of a cardiotoxic interaction exists when these drugs are used in combination and that the heavy rat (500-600 g) is a more sensitive model than the rabbit for studies of this nature.     

吻合血管神经的(足母)展肌移植修复晚期面瘫

目的:探讨和研究治疗晚期面瘫的手术治疗,总结应用以足底内侧动静脉为蒂的(足母)展肌游离移植一期修复晚期面瘫40例效果和经验.方法:选取(足母)展肌为供肌,以足底内侧动静脉及其延续的胫后动静脉为血管蒂,以支配(足母)展肌神经及其延续的足底内侧神经和胫神经为神经蒂.(足母)展肌移植于患侧面部皮下,肌近断固定于口角,远端固定于耳前颧弓,血管神经蒂通过上唇皮下隧道与健侧面动静脉和面神经颊支吻合.结果:经随访一年以上,23例恢复了面部静态对称和理想的下面部随意和不随意运动;8例恢复了面部静态对称和部分下面部随意和不随意运动;9例仅恢复了面部静态对称.结论:(足母)展肌游离移植一期修复晚期面瘫具有疗效好、手术操作简便、肌肉大小适中、血管神经蒂走行位置恒定紧密伴行、血管神经蒂可切取较长、变跨面神经移植和肌肉移植的两期移植为一期移植等优点;而且,神经是血管化移植.     

Two-stage treatment of skeletal Class III malocclusion during the early permanent dentition.

A patient with skeletal Class III malocclusion was treated in 2 phases during the early permanent dentition. In phase 1, maxillary protraction was combined with rapid palatal expansion; in phase 2, fixed appliances were placed. The results were good posttreatment, and, 1 year later, a favorable growth tendency could be observed. This report shows that treatment for a patient with skeletal Class III malocclusion can be started in the early permanent dentition, with very good final results.     

ULTRASTRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF EXPERIMENTAL FRACTURE HEALING ROLE OF OSTEOGENESIS PLAYED BY FIBROBLASTS

Transmission electron microscopic investigation of standardized fractures of radii in 50 rabbits re vealed that fibroblasts took part in the formation of bony callus. The osteogenetic role played by the fibroblasts can be categorized into the following 5 aspects: a. Fibroblasts synthesize and secrete Type collagen fibrils and induce deposition of calcium salt crystals in the collagen fibrils. b. Fibroblasts produce matrix vesicles in their surroundings. These matrix vesicles become calcified and turn into floccu- lent calcospherules which coalesce and fuse into bone tissues. c. Fibroblasts harbor calcium granules in their mitochondria, thus providing calcium for calci- fication of the intercellular matrix and bone forma tion between the cells. d. Fibroblasts can transform directly into osteocytes; there is bone formation around the fibroblasts, the bone tissues surround the fibroblast in the form of bony lacuna, then the fibro- blast in the lacuna transforms into osteocyte. e. Fibroblasts can undergo degenerative changes leading to decease and replacement by bone tissues.     

Role of basal insulin in the regulation of protein kinetics and energy metabolism in septic patients.

We have investigated the role of basal insulin concentration on leucine kinetics (determined by means of 1-[13C]leucine) and energy metabolism (determined by indirect calorimetry) in eight septic patients by reducing insulin (and glucagon) secretion by somatostatin infusion. Basal glucagon concentration was elevated (744 +/- 381 pg/mL), and insulin concentration was normal (10 +/- 4 microU/mL). Basal resting energy expenditure (REE) was 151 +/- 8% that of predicted basal energy expenditure, and leucine appearance (Ra), oxidation, and nonoxidative disposal rates were all elevated above the normal ranges. Somatostatin infusion reduced insulin concentration by 52% and glucagon concentration by 64%. This resulted in a significant increase in the rate of leucine oxidation from 0.96 +/- 0.08 to 1.18 +/- 0.14 mumol/kg/min (p less than 0.01), and nonoxidative leucine disposal decreased from 2.95 +/- 0.18 to 2.67 +/- 0.17 mumol/kg/min (p less than 0.01). Somatostatin infusion also caused significant increases in REE and fat oxidation from 1310 +/- 100 to 1505 +/- 128 kcal/m2/day (p less than 0.05) and from 1.72 +/- 0.24 to 2.41 +/- 0.41 mg/kg/min, respectively, and a slight decrease of carbohydrate oxidation from 1.51 +/- 0.49 to 1.31 +/- 0.49 mg/kg/min. These metabolic responses can be attributed to the reduction in insulin concentration, because they are in the opposite direction of changes that would occur as a consequence of a reduction in glucagon concentration. We conclude that the basal insulin plays an important role in attenuating net protein loss and energy expenditure.     

Antisense Smad2 inhibits high glucose-stimulated production of extracellular matrix in cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells

Transforminggrowthfactor-β1(TGF-β1)is amultifunctionalpolypeptidethatregulatesanum-berofcellularprocesses,includingcellprolifera-tion,differentiation,apoptosis,migration,matrix synthesis,andtheimmuneresponse[1,2].Inchron-icrenaldiseases,TGF-β1isakeymediatorofex-tracellularmatrix(ECM)accumulation[3].Oneof thetargetrenalcellsforTGF-β1isglomerular mesangialcellsthatarecapableofproducingcom-ponentsofECM,suchascollagens,lamininand fibronectin[4,5].Recentstudiesindicatedthatinhi-bitionofT…