Phosphate poisoning by ingestion of clothes washing liquid and fabric conditioner

A case of deliberate ingestion of clothes washing liquid and fabric conditioner is described. Tracheal intubation and controlled ventilation became necessary because of respiratory muscle dysfunction associated with hypocalcaemia. We suggest that the phosphate component of the clothes washing liquid was responsible for the dramatic metabolic upset and subsequent need for admission to the Intensive Care Unit.     

Quantitative determination of atracurium in human plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography

The authors have established a new method for extraction and determination of atracurium in human plasma that employs a reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This method made use of a fluorescent spectrophotometer at an excitation wavelength of 240nm and an emission wavelength of 310nm. The mobile phase was made of a phosphate buffer, distilled water and acetonitrile (20V:30V:50V). The analytical column used was a Little Champ C₁₈.In a Bond Elute C₁₈ extraction column, which had been prewashed with a phosphate buffer and a 50% methanol solution, atracurium was extracted from acidified plasma samples using a mixture of methanol and phosphate buffer. A standard curve was prepared by the internal standard method using metocurine. A high linear correlation between atracurium concentration and the ratio of the atracurium peak height to the metocurine peak height was observed (r = 0.9994). The lowest threshold for detection of atracurium was 15ng/ml. When the plasma concentrations of atracurium were determined in 2 clinical cases, t_1/2 was 2.10 and 1.73min and t_1/2 was 15.57 and 21.57min, respectively. These results indicate that this method of extraction and determination is appropriate for studying the pharmacokinetics of atracurium because it allows a high reproducibility, and provides an extremely accurate, simple and quick analysis.(Okutani R, Kono K, Frederic M. deBros et al.: Quantitative determination of atracurium in human plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography. J Anesth 2: –, 1988)     

Determination of tryptamine in rat brain by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Tryptamine (TA) occurs in trace levels in the brain, but its role in the central nervous system is not clear. However, there is evidence that TA may be a neuromodulator since it binds to specific binding sites in the brain. TA was measured as a diheptafluorobutyryl derivative in rat whole brain by capillary gas chromatography—mass spectrometry using negative chemical ionization (NCI) and single ion monitoring (SIM). d₄-TA was used as the internal standard. The ions m/z 532 and m/z 536 were monitored to identify TA and d₄-TA, respectively and to calculate the concentration of TA in rat whole brain which was found to be 0.19 ± 0.08 ng g⁻¹ (n = 8). The results confirm the earlier TA concentrations measured by GC—MS using positive electron impact ionization. However, NCI improved the signal/noise ratio of the method increasing its sensitivity for TA.     

康复新液联合奥美拉唑对HP阴性胃溃疡的疗效分析

目的分析康复新液联合奥美拉唑治疗幽门螺杆菌(HP)阴性胃溃疡患者的疗效。 方法选取HP阴性胃溃疡患者108例,随机均分为对照组和联合组。对照组接受奥美拉唑针剂治疗,联合组接受康复新液联合奥美拉唑针剂治疗。比较两组临床疗效、血清胃蛋白酶原(PG)、高迁移率族蛋白B1(HMGB1)、细胞炎症因子水平及不良反应发生率。 结果联合组治疗总有效率高于对照组(P＜0.05)。与治疗前比较,两组治疗后PGⅠ、PGⅡ、HMGB1、白细胞介素-6、肿瘤坏死因子-α及C反应蛋白均有降低,且联合组较对照组降低更明显(P＜0.05)。两组患者治疗期间总不良反应发生率比较,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05)。 结论康复新液联合奥美拉唑针剂可提高HP阴性胃溃疡患者的临床疗效,值得临床应用推广。     

A reevaluation of the status of cholesterol in erythrocytes infected by Plasmodium knowlesi and P. falciparum

The cholesterol synthesis of rhesus monkey erythrocytes parasitized by Plasmodium knowlesi and human erythrocytes infected by P. falciparum, as measured by incorporation of [1-¹⁴C]acetate and ³H₂O, was almost undetectable, concordant with very low levels of measurable 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl-CoA reductase activity. In addition, both types of infected cells exchanged cholesterol with the plasma at the same rate as uninfected cells. The data do not exclude the possibility of cholesterol transfer from uninfected to infected cells.     

Changes in catecholamine concentrations in the hypothalamus and region of the midbrain raphe in male and female rats during postnatal development

To investigate possible sex differences in central catecholaminergic systems, the concentrations of dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in the hypothalamus-preoptic area (H-POA) and midbrain raphe (MR) region of male and female rats throughout postnatal development. Other than a small but significant sex difference in DA concentration in the MR at 36 h (higher in females), the results showed that there were no sex differences in the concentrations of DA or DOPAC at any age in either brain region. The developmental profiles of the concentrations of DA and DOPAC showed that DAergic systems in the H-POA are immature at birth, with concentrations increasing steadily until 80 days of age, but in the MR concentrations reach a maximum at 20 days of age; a situation which is perhaps a reflection of differing monoamine metabolism in the two areas.     

Functional aspects of serotonin transmission in the basal ganglia: a review and an in vivo approach using the push-pull cannula technique

Peripheral deafferentation of the rodent olfactory bulb results in loss of dopamine content, tyrosine hydroxylase activity and immunocytochemical staining for tyrosine hydroxylase in juxtaglomerular dopamine neurons. Reinnervation of the bulb by afferent neurons results in the return of all parameters to control levels suggesting that the dopamine neurons did not degenerate but that the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme was transneuronally regulated in a static population of juxtaglomerular cells. To evaluate this possibility, we determined the activity and immunocytochemical localization of the second enzyme in the dopamine biosynthetic pathway, DOPA decar?ylase. At a time when tyrosine hydroxylase activity was reduced to 25% of control values, DOPA decar?ylase activity in the lesioned bulb was maintained at about 65% of that in the unlesioned bulb. Immunocytochemical staining with antibodies to both enzymes, performed sequentially in the same sections, demonstrated that in the unlesioned bulb tyrosine hydroxylase and DOPA decar?ylase are co-localized in the same population of juxtaglomerular neurons. Similar results were obtained in adjacent sections each stained with one of the two antibodies. In contrast, in the deafferented bulb, about three times as many neurons were stained with DOPA decar?ylase as with tyrosine hydroxylase antibodies. The DOPA decar?ylase activity measurements and immunocytochemistry argue for the continued presence, in the lesioned olfactory bulb, of a population of tyrosine hydroxylase deficient dopamine neurons.The data suggest that olfactory receptor cell innervation transneuronally regulates the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase by mechanisms separate from those controlling the levels of DOPA decar?ylase.     

马凡综合征两种新的原纤维蛋白-1基因突变

目的对9例马凡综合征(Marfansyndrome,MFS)患者的原纤维蛋白-1(fibrillin-1,FBN1)基因进行突变筛查,以发现新的FBN1基因突变。方法应用变性高效液相色谱法对MFS患者FBN1基因65个外显子中的35个进行突变筛查,对变性高效液相色谱图形异常的PCR扩增片段用DNA测序鉴定突变位置及性质,并用等位基因特异性PCR以及限制性片段长度多态性分析等方法进一步证实突变。结果在两例MFS患者中发现两种新的FBN1基因突变。其中一种为第34外显子4307～4308位4个碱基TCGT的插入突变(4307insTCGT),另一种为第43外显子5309位的点突变5309G>A。结论FBN1基因移码突变(4307insTCGT)与点突变(5309G>A)分别是这两例MFS患者的发病原因。     

Calcitonin gene-related peptide in cardiovascular tissues of the rat

The distribution of calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in the cardiovascular system of the rat was investigated by radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemistry. The nature of the immunoreactivity was studied by gel permeation and high performance liquid chromatography. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated the existence of calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing nerve fibres throughout the cardiovascular system. These were present in all regions of the heart, particularly in association with the coronary arteries, within the papillary muscles and within the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes. Calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing fibres were found mainly in the adventitia of the arteries and veins. Calcitonin gene-related peptide concentrations were high in major arteries and veins but comparatively low in the heart, aortic arch and thoracic aorta. Chromatography showed that approximately 70% of the total immunoreactivity was identical to synthetic calcitonin gene-related peptide. Calcitonin gene-related peptide concentrations in the blood vessels of rats treated neonatally with capsaicin were not found to be significantly different from those in control animals although capsaicin caused significant reductions of calcitonin gene-related peptide levels in certain other tissues. The results of this study suggest that calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing fibres are likely to be of importance in the innervation of vascular tissues and raise the possibility that these fibres are different in character from calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing fibres found in other tissues.