The relationship between the Stiles–Crawford effect of the first kind (SCE-I) and myopia

The Stiles-Crawford effect of the first kind (SCE-I) was measured on both emmetropic and myopic subjects at six different retinal locations. The results revealed a number of significant discrepancies in receptor alignment between the groups of different refractive errors. In myopic subjects, the receptors in the nasal retina (i.e. between the fovea and the optic nerve head) were found to be aligned nasally towards the optic nerve head, whereas the receptors in the temporal retina were aligned towards the centre of the exit pupil. In emmetropic subjects, the receptors across the retina were finely tuned towards the centre of the exit pupil. The magnitude of the receptor displacement in myopic subjects was found to be directly associated with the length of the eyeball.     

Blood lymphocyte subsets in ATG-treated and allografted rats

Abstract. A single dose of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG) was given as the sole immunosuppressive therapy in a model of strong MHC barrier rat heart allotransplantation. PVG/c hearts transplanted to Wistar/Kyoto (WKy) rats resulted in long-term surviving (LTS) grafts and cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) unresponsiveness in 50% of the animals. The effects of ATG treatment on the peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were studied by flow cytometry. The absolute T-lymphocyte levels decreased to less than 5% and were normalized after 2 weeks. CD8-positive cells were normalized within 1 week, whereas CD4-and CD5-positive cells remained low. Rats with LTS grafts had low levels of all T-lymphocyte markers, especially the CD4-and CD5-positive cells. Rats rejecting their grafts showed an eightfold increase in levels of CD8-and CD5-positive lymphocytes and a twofold increase in levels of CD4-expressing lymphocytes. It is concluded that ATG treatment causes the immediate elimination of large lymphoid populations as well as long-lasting immunomodulation detectable in peripheral blood.     

Chemosensitivity of neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus that responded to portal infusion of hypertonic saline in rats

Neural responses in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) to topical administrations of sodium and portal infusions of hypertonic saline were investigated electrophysiologically by using multibarrel electrodes in anesthetized rats. Of 102 neurons that showed antidromic response to electrical stimulation of the ventral gastric vagus or the accessory celiac vagus, 51 neurons increased and 13 neurons decreased their discharge rates in response to the electrophoretic administration of sodium. The other 38 neurons did not respond to this stimulation. The portal infusion of hypertonic saline elicited neural responses of some DMV neurons whose axons are involved into either the ventral gastric or the accessory celiac vagus. Further, effects of the topical administration and the portal infusion of hypertonic saline were examined on 33 neurons. Typical response was characterized by an increase in discharge rate responding to both of the portal infusion and the topical administration. In conclusion, the DMV neurons receiving the afferent inputs from hepatoportal osmoreceptors may have an enteroceptor function detecting the change in osmotic pressure of their environment.     

环孢霉素A滴眼治疗角膜移植排斥反应

应用0.5％环孢霉素A(cyclosporin A,CsA)滴眼治疗穿透性角膜移植术后发生免疫排斥患者16例(16只眼),治愈9只眼,好转6只眼,无效1只眼。随访5～24个月,其中2只眼因停药复发,1只眼于拆线后复发,继续用药或增加给药次数后治愈。研究表明0.5％CsA滴眼剂治疗术前移植床条件较好,角膜移植术后发生免疫排斥的病例可得到良好疗效;而对术前移植床条件较差,角膜移植术后发生免疫排斥的病例有一定的疗效。作者对眼局部应用CsA治疗角膜移植排斥的疗效和作用机理进行了讨论。     

Effect of cyclosporin therapy in controlling the rejection of ileal versus jejunal allografts*

Abstract. Experimental evidence suggests that jejunal allografts are rejected as rapidly as are ileal grafts, despite their lesser content of lymphoid tissue as an immunologic stimulus. However, it may be possible to postpone the rejection of jejunal grafts more readily than that of ileal grafts by means of immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin (CyA). To test this, we used the rat model (BN-LEW) of orthotopic small-bowel transplantation. The proximal third of the small-bowel with one-third of the mesenteric lymph nodes (n= 20), or the distal ileal third with all of the mesenteric lymph nodes (n= 22), or the entire small-bowel (n= 23) was interposed after resection of an equivalent type and length of recipient bowel. CyA (15 mg/kg) was given to all of these rats for 5 days. Three additional control groups were not given CyA. The difference in graft/recipient survival among the groups receiving CyA and among those not on CyA therapy was not statistically significant. Antidonor hemagglutinin titers, the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) assay, and histologic examination of the allograft failed to show a mitigated rejection reaction for the recipients of jejunal grafts. The data show that short-term treatment with CyA prolongs graft survival. Equal doses of CyA, however, did not lead to prolonged survival of jejunal grafts or alter the course of rejection in comparison with that for ileal or whole-bowel transplants.     

Felodipine or Hydrochlorothiazide/Triamterene for Treatment of Hypertension in the Elderly: Effects on Blood Pressure, Hypertensive Heart Disease, Metabolic and Hormonal Parameters

Trenkwalder P, Plaschke M, Aulehner R, Lydtin H. Felodipine or Hydrochlorothiazide/Triamterene for Treatment of' Hypertension in the Elderly: Effects on Blood Pressure, Hypertensive Heart Disease, Metabolic and Hormonal Parameters.

The aim of the study was to compare the antihypertensive efficacy of either felodipine or the diuretic combination hydrochlorothiazide/triamterene in a group (n = 65) of elderly (≥70 years) hypertensives (office blood pressure ≥ 60/95 mmHg) with special regard to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, hypertensive heart disease and metabolic parameters. This was a randomized, double-blind study with a treatment period of 6 months. Reduction of office and 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure was comparable with both treatment regimens; after 6 months, 18 of 29 patients in the felodipine group (62%) and 20 of 27 patients in the diuretic group (74%; p = 0.4) were controlled. While episodes of ischemic type ST-segment depression were significantly reduced in the felodipine group (from 49 to 9 episodes), there was no significant change in the diuretic group (from 24 to 21 episodes). Both regimens decreased left ventricular wall thickness, but the decline in left ventricular muscle mass index was significant only for felodipine. Felodipine did not induce any change in metabolic or hormonal parameters; the diuretic combination significantly increased serum creatinine, uric acid, plasma renin activity, and plasma prorenin. Thus, the antihypertensive efficacy of felodipine and the diuretic combination was comparable in elderly hypertensives; only felodipine, however, improved parameters of hypertensive heart diesease and showed a neutral metabolic and hormonal profile.     

A型肉毒杆菌毒素治疗麻痹性斜视

采用眼外肌注射A型肉毒杆菌毒素的方法,治疗17例(18只眼)麻痹性内斜视患者。最大的肌肉麻痹作用发生于注射后7～14天,最大斜视矫正度为50-,随访时间为4～20周,5例最终获得双眼视。未见全身副作用。认为,这种疗法可在部分患卉中替代斜视矫正术。     

The importance of vaginal mucosal folds at the urethral external meatus

We report on the vaginal mucosal folds (VMF) at the urethral external meatus. Resection of the VMF reduces the dispersed micturition and other urinary symptoms. EDITORIAL COMMENT: The investigators describe the presence of a vaginal mucosal fold (VMF) just dorsal to the urethral meatus and its relationship to voiding abnormalities. VMF were found on physical examination in 8.9% of the clinic population, all of whom complained of dispersed micturition, and 79% also experienced other voiding abnormalities. The complaint of dispersed micturition was successfully treated with excision of the VMF, and the other associated symptoms were improved. This structure should be routinely looked for on physical examination, especially in patients with voiding symptoms. Only further investigation of this newly described entity at other centers around the world will determine the incidence of the anatomic finding and the prevalence of associated voiding disturbances across different populations.