Protection by indomethacin and aspirin against genotoxicity of ochratoxin A,particularly in the urinary bladder and kidney

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a ubiquitous nephrotoxic mycotoxin which was shown to be carcinogenic to laboratory animals and may be responsible for kidney pelvis, ureter and urinary bladder tumors associated with Balkan endemic nephropathy in man. Previous evidence from this laboratory demonstrated that OTA exposure results in adduct formation on kidney, testicles, liver and spleen DNA. We show in this study that after a single oral administration of OTA to mice (2 mg/kg body weight) a high level of DNA adducts (150 per 10⁹ nucleotides) is also detected in the urinary bladder. The metabolic pathway of OTA leading to genotoxic compounds is not yet known. We demonstrate here that two inhibitors of the prostaglandin H synthase, indomethacin and aspirin, administered to mice before OTA treatment, dramatically reduce the amounts of DNA adducts, particularly in the urinary bladder and kidney. This suggests a role of protaglandin H synthase in the metabolism of OTA leading to active metabolites which react with DNA.     

Splanchnic oxygen transport, hepatic function and gastrointestinal barrier after normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass

BACKGROUND: The effect of non-pulsatile, normothermic cardiopulmonary-bypass (CPB) on the splanchnic blood-flow and oxygen-transport, the hepatic function and the gastrointestinal barrier were observed in a prospective observational study in 31 adults undergoing cardiac valve replacement surgery. METHODS: The splanchnic (i.e. hepatic) blood-flow (HBF) was measured by the constant infusion of indocyanine-green (ICG) using a hepatic-venous catheter. Liver function was examined by calculation of lactate uptake, ICG extraction and the monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) test. A day before and after surgery the gastrioduodenal and intestinal permeability was measured by determination of sucrose and lactulose/mannitol excretion. RESULTS: Splanchnic blood flow and oxygen delivery did not decrease during and after surgery while splanchnic oxygen consumption (P < 0.0125) and arterial lactate concentrations increased. The splanchnic lactate uptake paralleled the lactate concentration. After but not during CPB an increase of systemic oxygen consumption was observed. The MEGX test values decreased on the first day after surgery. The ICG extraction was attenuated during the operation. The gastroduodenal and the intestinal permeability increased significantly postoperatively (P < 0.002, respectively, P < 0.001). There was no correlation between these findings and the duration of CPB. There was a significant correlation of the intestinal permeability but not of the gastroduodenal permeability between the prior and after surgery values (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Increased oxygen consumption during CPB may indicate an inflammatory reaction due to the pump beginning in the splanchnic area or a redistribution of the splanchinc blood flow during the CPB. Normothermic CPB does not lead to a significant or prolonged reduction of liver function. Normothermic CPB causes an increase of gastrointestinal permeability. The intestinal barrier function prior to surgery was accountable for the degree of loss of intestinal barrier function following surgery.     

The Rabenhorst-Syndrome

A syndrome, apparently not yet described, with following manifestations is presented: 1. Ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis. 2. Narrow face with micrognathia, high and narrow nose with prominent septum, microstomia, attached earlobes. 3. Minor malformations of hands and feet. The inheritance appears to be autosomal dominant.

---

Zusammenfassung Ein bisher noch nicht beschriebenes Syndrom mit folgenden Manifestationen wird präsentiert: 1. Ventrikelseptumdefekt und Pulmonalstenose. 2. Schmales Gesicht mit Mikrognathie, einer hohen und schmalen Nase, Mikrostomie und angewachsenen Ohrläppchen. 3. Kleinere Fehlbildungen an Händen und Füßen. Das Syndrom scheint autosomal dominant vererbt zu werden.

---

---

From a presentation at the 4th International Conference on Birth Defects, Vienna, Austria, 1973.     

Simulated proteinuria and haematuria

In nephrology, like in other branches of medicine, falsification is motivated by a desire for profit or is an expression of some mental disorder. Three cases are described in which artificial proteinuria and haematuria were diagnosed by agarose gel electrophoresis of urinary proteins and a simulation and aggravation of renal disease was disclosed.     

Cryptococcose, Zufallsdiagnose post mortem—neue Gesichtspunkte zur Pathogenese

Bei einer Gemeinschaftsstudie von Pathologen und Mikrobiologen über Sproßpilze im Sektionsmaterial von 121 unausgesuchten Leichen mit den verschiedensten klinischen Diagnosen und ohne Verdacht auf „Tiefe Mykosen” wurde in einem Fall Cryptococcus neoformans aus der Lunge isoliert und auch histopathologish bestätigt. Eine diabetische Glomerulosklerose KIMMELSTIEL-WILSON mit rezidivierender Pyelonephritis, die mit einer Serum-Rest-N-Erhöhung über längere Zeit einherging, wird für die hier festgestellte pulmonale Cryptococcose als pathogenetisch bedeutsame Grundkrankheit diskutiert.
Es wird darauf hingewiesen, bei Nieren- und Lungenkranken mit und ohne Hirnsymptomatik auch Cr. neoformuns als möglichen komplizierenden Keim in die mikrobiologischen und pathohistologischen Untersuchungen einzubeziehen. Auf den diagnostischen Wert des Differentialnährbodens Guizotia abyssinica-Kreatinin-Agar (früher genannt: Negersaat-Agar) zum Nachweis von Cr. neoformuns wird hingewiesen.

Summary

In a collaborative study by pathologists and microbiologists on the occurrence of yeastlike fungi in the autopsy material from 121 unselected corpses of patients with varying clinical diagnosis and without suspicion of deep mycoses, only in one case, Cryptococcus neoformans was isolated and histopathologically confirmed; it is discussed as agent of the pneumonia.
This patients underlying disease was diabetic glomerulosclerosis K immelstiel -W ilson with repeated pyelonephritis associated with an elevated residual nitrogen level in serum.
It is suggested to pay increased attention to cryptococcosis as a complication of kidney and lung diseases. Again, the diagnostic value of Guizotia abyssinica-creatinine agar as a differential medium for Cr. neojormans has been confirmed.     

Über ophthalmologische Befunde bei Trisomie 18 (Morbus Edwards)

Zusammenfassung Anläßlich der Beschreibung eines Kindes mit Trisomie 18 (Morbus Edwards) stellen die Autoren bisher bekannte und neue Augenbeteiligungen zusammen. Abweichend von den meisten bisherigen Veröffentlichungen fanden sich diese nicht im Bereich von Hornhaut und Papille, sondern betrafen in erster Linie eine Verlagerung des gesamten Irisdiaphragmas nach vorne mit Verlegung des Zugangs zum Kammerwinkel und eine histologisch nachzuweisende mangelhafte Entwicklung der Netzhaut.

---

The authors describe the anatomo-pathologic findings in a four days old female baby suffering from trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome). Besides signs of immaturity of ciliary body and retina they found pathologic anteroposition of the irisdiaphragma obstructing the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye.

---

---

Herrn Prof. Dr. E. Schreck, dem damaligen Direktor der Univ.-Augenklinik, in Dankbarkeit zum 70. Geburtstag

---

Herrn Prof. Dr. R.A. Pfeiffer sind wir für Literaturhinweise zu besonderem Dank verpflichtet