Is Preservation of the Adrenal Vein Mandatory in Laparoscopic Adrenal-Sparing Surgery?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Adrenal tissue-sparing or partial adrenalectomy evolved initially for patients with bilateral synchronous adrenal surgical pathology to preserve vital adrenal volume. In the laparoscopic era, the exact criteria for performing such procedures laparoscopically have yet to be defined. Controversy exists regarding the importance of preserving the adrenal vein, main or accessory. The aim of this retrospective study was to present our short series of laparoscopic tissue-sparing adrenalectomies with vein preservation. Our main goal is not to support partial adrenalectomy as an alternative to total (this is already advocated by many surgeons) but to emphasize the vein-preserving technique. METHODS: Seven patients with peripherally located either aldosterone-producing adenomas (4 cases) or myelolipomas (4 cases) underwent laparoscopic lateral partial adrenalectomy. One patient harbored an aldosterone-producing adenoma and a myelolipoma as well. The main adrenal vein was identified and preserved in 6 patients and the accessory vein in one. RESULTS: No conversion to open adrenalectomy was necessary, and no perioperative morbidity or mortality occurred. Three adenoma patients are normotensive 44, 23, and 20 months postoperatively, while the fourth one's pressure is refractory. CONCLUSIONS: Surprisingly, total adrenalectomies preceded the partial ones, which is controversial compared with other procedures. Laparoscopic lateral partial adrenalectomy is a technically challenging tissue-sparing operation. Meticulous dissection allows preservation of the middle artery and main or accessory vein resulting in a functioning adrenal stump.     

维丁胶性钙预防关节腔内注射皮质类固醇引起骨关节的损害

目的：采用维丁胶性钙预防关节内注射皮质类固醇对骨关节的损害。方法：４５只健康新西兰白兔，随机分为三组，每组１５只。Ａ组：右膝关节内注射醋酸强的松龙７．５ｍｇ／ｋｇ。Ｂ组：用药同Ａ组，同时每周肌注维丁胶性钙三次，每次１ｍｌ。Ｃ组：右膝关节内注射生理盐水０．３７５ｍｌ／ｋｇ，作为对照。于实验的第３、５、７、９、１１周的第１天，每组取３只动物作髋关节和膝关节Ｘ光照片，并取膝关节及股骨头标本作病理组织学和超微结构检查。结果：Ａ组。用药２次后，Ｘ线照片、病理组织学检查和超微结构观察均有骨关节损害的表现，并随给药次数的增加而加重。Ｂ组。用药６次后才出现轻度病理组织学和超微结构改变。Ｃ组。各项指标均正常。从而证实维丁胶性钙有预防或减轻皮质类固醇所致骨关节损害的作用。结论：在疼痛治疗中，关节内注射皮质类固醇应尽量减少注射次数和延长间隔时间，并同时应用维丁胶性钙肌注有一定预防骨质损害作用。     

先天性肾上腺皮质增生伴睾丸间质细胞腺瘤性增生一例报告并文献复习

目的提高对先灭性肾上腺皮质增生伴睾丸间质细胞腺瘤性增生的认识。方法总结1例先天性肾上隙皮质增生伴睾丸间质细胞腺瘤性增生患者资料。患者，男，25岁。以双侧睾丸结节就诊。查体见双侧睾丸、附睾结节感，右睾丸增大，表面凹凸不平，质地硬。实验审检查睾酮（T）18．7nmol／L、17α-羟化酶（17α-（OH）P）〉20．0ng／ml、快速ACTH兴奋试验阳性、中剂量地塞米松抑制试验阳性。B超提示双睾丸弥漫性病变合并部分占位，示双侧肾上腺皮质增生。睾丸活枪结果为间质细胞增生结节，免疫组化α-inhibin（＋）。结果结合病史、实验室、影像学及病理学检查诊断为先大性肾上腺皮质增生伴睾丸间质细胞腺瘤性增生。口服氢化可的松替代治疗，40mg／d，2周后30mg／d维持治疗，8个月后超声检查双侧睾丸结节消退。随访2年，肿物无复发。结论双侧睾丸肿块应结合病史和内分泌检查除外先天性肾上腺皮质增生伴睾凡间质细胞腺瘤性增生，经口服皮质激素替代治疗，激素敏感型睾丸间质细胞腺瘤性增生可以消退。     

成人肾上腺皮质癌的诊断和治疗(附16例报告)

目的：探讨成人肾上腺皮质癌的临床特点和治疗方法。方法：回顾性分析16例成人肾上腺皮质癌患者的临床资料，全部患者术前行B超、CT等影像学检查，10例接受内分泌激素检测，均首先行手术治疗，完整切除肿瘤13例，未能完整切除者3例。结果：术前13例明确诊断，3例末确诊。术后病理检查I期肿瘤3例，Ⅱ期9例，Ⅲ期4例。随访N一62个月，平均生存48个月；有5例至今生存，其中3例因术后转移而进展为Ⅳ期，行联合化疗(PDD加ADM加VN16)3—5周期，均末达到肿瘤缓解，术后平均生存17个月。3例末完全切除者术后放疗均末控，均因肿瘤扩散死亡，术后平均生存期为11个月。结论：成人肾上腺皮质癌恶性程度高，影像学检查是确诊的关键；早期发现并行根治性切除手术是目前提高其生存率的唯一有效方法。     

Follow up of growth and steroids in premature adrenarche

In a follow up study of 34 patients with premature adrenarche we examined serum adrenal androgen levels and growth. The majority (28/34) showed an upward bend in the growth curve which, at the mean age of 2.3 years, preceded other signs of adrenarche on average by 3.8 years. Pubertal growth spurt was missing or reduced in 50% of the patients (8/16), however, final height did not differ from that expected from parental heights. Adrenal androgens did not remain elevated at adolescence. The mean age at menarche for all the girls was 0.5 years younger than in the general population.Conclusion Our findings imply that premature adrenarche may start earlier than previously recognized. Compared to ordinary growth these children seen to use a greater part of their potential for adult height already at that early age.     

Muscle and liver glycogen,protein, and triglyceride in the rat

Summary We have previously found that during exercise net muscle glycogen breakdown is impaired in adrenodemedullated rats, as compared with controls. The present study was carried out to elucidate whether, in rats with deficiencies of the sympatho-adrenal system, diminished exercise-induced glycogenolysis in skeletal muscle was accompanied by increased breakdown of triglyceride and/or protein. Thus, the effect of exhausting swimming and of running on concentrations of glycogen, protein, and triglyceride in skeletal muscle and liver were studied in rats with and without deficiencies of the sympatho-adrenal system. In control rats, both swimming and running decreased the concentration of glycogen in fast-twitch red and slow-twitch red muscle whereas concentrations of protein and triglyceride did not decrease. In the liver, swimming depleted glycogen stores but protein and triglyceride concentrations did not decrease. In exercising rats, muscle glycogen breakdown was impaired by adrenodemedullation and restored by infusion of epinephrine. However, impaired glycogen breakdown during exercise was not accompanied by a significant net breakdown of protein or triglyceride. Surgical sympathectomy of the muscles did not influence muscle substrate concentrations. The results indicate that when glycogenolysis in exercising muscle is impeded by adrenodemedullation no compensatory increase in breakdown of triglyceride and protein in muscle or liver takes place. Thus, indirect evidence suggests that, in exercising adrenodemedullated rats, fatty acids from adipose tissue were burnt instead of muscle glycogen.     

Compensatory Increase in Choline Acetyltransferase Activity in Salivary Glands and Diaphragm Muscle of the Rat

When the function of salivary glands was abolished by applying ligatures to their ducts and the function of one half of the diaphragm muscle was abolished by sectioning of its phrenic nerve, the choline acetyltransferase activity was found to be increased in not duct-ligated glands and in the intact hemidiaphragm 4 weeks later. The increase was not seen within the first week. The increase in activity appears to be particularly manifested in the nerve endings, since it was seen in the hemidiaphragm but not in the phrenic nerve. Increased stream of impulses in the efferent nerves is thought to be the cause of this increase in choline acetyltransferase activity.     

Social status constrains the stress response in the squirrel monkey.

The influence of dominance on the pituitary-adrenal and gonadal systems was evaluated in male squirrel monkeys. Basal and stress levels of plasma cortisol and testosterone were determined in eight male pairs across a 5-week period. The data indicated that squirrel monkeys have unusually high levels of steroid hormones in comparison to other species. Dominant males had higher levels of cortisol and testosterone and showed a smaller stress response than did subordinate males.     

Electrophysiological investigation of microdissected gastric glands of bullfrog II. Basolateral membrane properties in the presence of histamine

Following the technical approach described in the preceding publication we have investigated if, and how, stimulation of gastric HCl secretion affects the basolateral ion transport properties of oxyntopeptic cells of Rana catesbeiana stomach. To this end microdissected gastric glands were punctured with conventional or H⁺-sensitive glass microelectrodes and the effects of changing bath ion concentrations on the cell membrane potential (V _b) and cell pH (pH_i) were determined. Except for a transient alkalinization, histamine (0.5 mmol/l) did not significantly affect V _b or pH_i. The latter averaged 7.18±0.03 (mean±SEM, n=5) under resting conditions (0.1 mmol/l cimetidine) and 7.21±0.07 (n=5) in the presence of histamine. In addition, neither the initial velocity nor the final steady-state value of the cell alkalinization following a 101 reduction of bath Cl^– concentration changed in the presence of histamine, and the same holds true for the cell acidification following a 101 reduction of bath HCO₃ ^– concentration. These observations indicate that the basolateral Cl^–/HCO₃ ^– exchanger was not stimulated by histamine, and that no other base transporters were activated. By contrast, the V _b response to elevation of bath K ⁺ concentration decreased, and so did the initial depolarizing V _b response to bath Cl^– substitution, while the secondary hyperpolarizing response increased. The latter observations are compatible with the notion that stimulation by histamine reduced a pH-insensitive part of the basolateral K⁺ conductance and reduced also the basolateral Cl^– conductance.     

Apoptosis in endometrial glandular and stromal cells in women with and without endometriosis

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of endometriosis is unknown. Ectopic dissemination of the endometrial cells gives origin to endometriotic lesions, but occurs in women with and without endometriosis. It has been suggested that increased ectopic cell survival facilitates their implantation. The objectives of this study were to evaluate endometrial apoptosis in women with endometriosis according to: (i) cyclic changes, (ii) glandular and stromal contribution, and (iii) stage of the disease. METHODS: The subjects were women undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy and endometrial biopsies for suspected endometriosis. Spontaneous apoptosis was evaluated using TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labelling (TUNEL) assay. Apoptotic cells per 10 mm(2) (apoptotic index) in an area of 10-50 mm(2) in 5 microm endometrial tissue sections were counted and location of these cells was recorded. RESULTS: The apoptotic index in glandular epithelium was lower in endometriosis than controls (26.0 +/- 5.5 versus 51.2 +/- 9.7, P = 0.03) but not in the stroma (36.3 +/- 6.4 versus 48.4 +/- 11.3, NS). In controls, apoptosis was highest during the late secretory/menstrual and early proliferative phases and cyclic variability was apparent. In endometriosis, this cyclic variability was lost. There was a trend toward decreased apoptosis with increasing stage of the disease, but the differences lacked statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous apoptosis is decreased in the endometrial glands in women with endometriosis, especially during late secretory/menstrual and early proliferative phases of the cycle. This may indicate increased viability of endometrial cells shed during menses, facilitating their ectopic survival and implantation.