CABG and PTCA patients' expectations of informational support in health- related quality of life themes and adequacy of information in 1-year follow-up.

The purpose of this study was to describe coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) patients' need for nursing informational support in health-related (HRQoL) items before and after coronary artery procedures. As well we present the adequacy of informational support from patients' viewpoint. The study sample (N=625) consisted of consecutive male (N=439) and female (N=176) patients with CAD who were treated with elective CABG or PTCA. The data were collected by structured interview before coronary artery procedures and by mailed questionnaires 6 and 12 months afterwards in 1999-2001. Patients in both groups reported needing the most information about recovery and psychosocial functioning before and after the treatments. Single HRQoL items identified that the expectations of women and men differed during the follow-up period. Women in the PTCA group needed more informational support than men before procedures, while men needed more support afterwards. Our results suggest that the content of informational support is different for male and female patients before and after the coronary artery procedures. The effects of nursing interventions and instruments for measuring change in patients' outcome resulting from nursing interventions should be developed further.     

Effect of oestriol succinate on serum lipids

The series comprises 70 women with climacteric symptoms; 14 of them were oophorectomized. The first group of patients received 4 mg of oestriol succinate per day or a placebo in a double-blind experiment. In the second part of the study oophorectomized women were given 8 mg of oestriol succinate per day or 16 mg/day divided into two doses. Serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and serum triglycerides were estimated before drug treatment and after drug administration for three and six months. Administration of 4–16 mg/day of oestriol succinate was without effect on serum total cholesterol. A significant increase of 25–30% in HDL-cholesterol was observed following administration of oestriol succinate (8 mg or 16 mg divided into two doses) with a rising tendency in total triglyceride value.     

Proposed revision of the Wauters et al. antigenic scheme for serotyping of Yersinia enterocolitica

The antigenic scheme of Wauters and co-workers was applied to serotype a total of 585 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, 43 strains of Yersinia kristensenii, 40 strains of Yersinia frederiksenii, and 25 strains of Yersinia intermedia. The O antigens 11,23; 11,24; 12,25; 12,26; and 28 were exclusively associated with Y. kristensenii. O antigen 16 was associated with Y. kristensenii and Y. frederiksenii. The serogroups O:4,33 and O:17 were only found in Y. intermedia, whereas the remaining serogroups were associated with Y. enterocolitica. The O antigen 34 proved to be identical with O:10; O factor 29 was poorly expressed and is suggested to be excluded from the list of recognized antigens. As sera of O factors 1, 2a, and 2b of Y. enterocolitica are difficult to prepare, we propose to combine the serogroups O:1,2a,3 and O:2a,2b,3 with O group 3. The H antigens l, r, s, and t were characteristic of Y. kristensenii, whereas H:p was exclusively found in Y. frederiksenii. H:q belonged to Y. intermedia, whereas H:o occurred in Y. kristensenii, Y. frederiksenii, and Y. intermedia. The remaining H factors a to k, m, and n occurred in Y. enterocolitica in various combinations. Up to 15 different combinations of H antigen factors were identified in a single serogroup of Y. enterocolitica. We propose the definition of a new H antigen, u. We suggest the exclusion from the typing scheme of those O and H antigens which are not associated with Y. enterocolitica. For O typing, we present a revised antigenic scheme of Y. enterocolitica with 18 serogroups containing 20 O factors. We emphasize the necessity of its continuous usage, taking into account the international situation.     

Synthesis of Two Lactonic Amines Isolated During an Investigation of Garnieria spathulaefolia

The formation of lactonic amines 3 and 4 from alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone (tulipalin A) 1 is described.     

Role of nimodipine in the therapy of subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage

Syndromes of intracranial hemorrhage, and particularly subarachnoidal, i.e., intracerebral hemorrhage (SAH and IH) present clinical entities that are the most severe conditions in neurology. Timely recognition, diagnosis and adequate therapy are imperative. The most important factor that aggravates an already difficult prognosis of those entities is cerebral vasospasm. Upon the presented facts, the aim of this investigation was to establish the value and role of administration of selective calcium channel blocker--nimodipine in patients with SAH and IH compared to the degree of neurological and functional impairment, as well as the recovery of the function of consciousness compared to the patients with those syndromes from an earlier period, who were not treated with this medicament. Investigation comprised 30 patients who received nimodipine and 20 patients without this agent in therapeutic program. Results of the investigation confirmed significant difference concerning the neurological recovery, improvement of functional capability and recovery or consciousness disturbances, respectively, in patients who received nimodipine compared to the group without this agent. It can be concluded that nimodipine as calcium channel blocker with multitopic pharmacological effects on mechanism of SAH or IH development, respectively, as well as on the development of complications of those syndromes, particularly to the development of vasospasm and reactive ischemia, with the improvement of hemorrheologic disorders deserves to be included as the unavoidable segment of therapeutic program of SAH and IH syndrome immediately after clinical phenomenology is revealed.     

Total syntheses of 10-methoxydihydrocorynantheol and 10-methoxycorynantheidol

10-Methoxydihydrocorynantheol and 10-methoxycorynantheidol were synthesized from 5-methoxytryptophol and 3-acetylpyridine. (13)C-NMR data of the prepared compounds and their synthetic intermediates are given.     

Results of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing in patients 40 years old and younger

The prevalence of total hip arthroplasty in young patients is small but increasing. We analyzed the results of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing (MMHR) in patients aged 40 years or less. In total 74 operations were performed on 64 patients. Mean age at operation was 33.2 years. HHS averaged 92.3 points at latest follow-up, mean UCLA activity was 8.2. Patients with comorbidity evinced lower scores in HHS, in UCLA activity and in quality of life than patients without comorbidities. Eight revisions (10.8 %) were performed, of which seven due to adverse reaction to metal debris. Seven-year survival was 90.5 %. The functional outcome of hip resurfacing in this cohort was excellent, but overall survival was unsatisfactory. Further analysis is required to verify the role of hip resurfacing among young and active patients.     

Effect of carboxylesterase 1 c.428G?>?A single nucleotide variation on the pharmacokinetics of quinapril and enalapril

Aim

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) c.428G > A (p.G143E, rs71647871) single nucleotide variation (SNV) on the pharmacokinetics of quinapril and enalapril in a prospective genotype panel study in healthy volunteers.

Methods

In a fixed-order crossover study, 10 healthy volunteers with the CES1 c.428G/A genotype and 12 with the c.428G/G genotype ingested a single 10 mg dose of quinapril and enalapril with a washout period of at least 1 week. Plasma concentrations of quinapril and quinaprilat were measured for up to 24 h and those of enalapril and enalaprilat for up to 48 h. Their excretion into the urine was measured from 0 h to 12 h.

Results

The area under the plasma concentration–time curve from 0 h to infinity (AUC_0–∞) of active enalaprilat was 20% lower in subjects with the CES1 c.428G/A genotype than in those with the c.428G/G genotype (95% confidence interval of geometric mean ratio 0.64, 1.00; P = 0.049). The amount of enalaprilat excreted into the urine was 35% smaller in subjects with the CES1 c.428G/A genotype than in those with the c.428G/G genotype (P = 0.044). The CES1 genotype had no significant effect on the enalaprilat to enalapril AUC_0–∞ ratio or on any other pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic parameters of enalapril or enalaprilat. The CES1 genotype had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic parameters of quinapril.

Conclusions

The CES1 c.428G > A SNV decreased enalaprilat concentrations, probably by reducing the hydrolysis of enalapril, but had no observable effect on the pharmacokinetics of quinapril.