Radiation dose reduction during hysterosalpingography: an application of scanning-beam digital radiography

Hysterosalpingography was performed in 31 patients by means of a low-dose scanning-beam digital radiographic system. The technique permits adequate evaluation of gynecologic abnormalities while allowing significant reduction in radiation: 2.4-mR (6.1 X 10(-7) C/kg) exposure to the skin and 0.7-mrad (7 X 10(-6) Gy) mean dose to the ovaries per image obtained. Sixteen patients demonstrated readily recognizable and documented abnormalities, corroborated by laparoscopy, laparotomy, or other supportive evidence.     

Glycerol-induced acute renal failure in the rat: the protective effect of unilateral nephrectomy

Studies were performed to evaluate the effect of unilateral nephrectomy on glycerol-induced acute renal failure in the rat. Normal rats were subjected to either sham uninephrectomy (n = 43) or right uninephrectomy (n = 53). The functional compensation of the remaining kidney was followed after 1 and 2 weeks. Fourteen days after the operation, acute renal failure was induced by injection of 50% glycerol solution to both groups. Uninephrectomised rats developed a lesser degree of renal failure compared to sham-operated rats. Forty-eight hours after glycerol injection, PCr of uninephrectomised rats was 260 +/- 22 mumol/l compared with 338 +/- 26 in sham-operated rats (P less than 0.0125) and CCr in uninephrectomised rats was greater (0.10 +/- 0.01 ml/min vs 0.07 +/- 0.01; P less than 0.025) in sham rats. Uninephrectomised rats had significantly greater recovery of CCr compared to sham rats at 24 h (20.1% +/- 2.3 vs 13.1% +/- 2.2, P less than 0.025) and at 48 h (32.1% +/- 3.3 vs 19.2% +/- 3.3, P less than 0.005) after glycerol injection. FENa was significantly less in uninephrectomised rats: 0.96 +/- 0.16% vs 2.25 +/- 0.05% (P less than 0.025) in sham rats 24 h post glycerol. Urinary excretion of K+ was greater in rats following uninephrectomy compared to sham rats both after 24 h and 48 h post glycerol (P less than 0.01), accompanied by lower plasma potassium (P less than 0.05). A correlation coefficient (r) of 0.793 was observed between urinary potassium excretion rate and percentage recovery of CCr.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Reduced Na-K-ATPase in distal nephron in glycerol-induced acute tubular necrosis

To further characterize changes in tubular Na-K-ATPase in acute tubular necrosis (ATN), segmental analysis was performed in rat nephrons. Na-K-ATPase was assayed in the following segments: proximal convolution (PC), proximal straight (PS), outer medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL), cortical thick ascending limb (CTAL), distal convolution (DC) and cortical collecting duct (CCD) in three groups of rats: 1.) intact; 2.) moderate non-oliguric ATN; and 3.) severe oliguric ATN. GFR and CNa/GFR X 100 were in group 1 0.80 +/- 0.05 ml/min and 0.68 +/- 0.06, in group 2 0.14 +/- 0.02 and 1.46 +/- 0.35, and in group 3 0.04 +/- 0.01 and 0.46 +/- 0.15, respectively. Na-K-ATPase in PC and PS were similar in all three groups. Na-K-ATPase levels were in MTAL: in group 1 37 +/- 2 X 10(-11) mol/mm/min, in group 2 20 +/- 1 X 10(-11), P less than 0.001 versus group 1, and in group 3 24 +/- 2 X 10(-11), P less than 0.001 versus group 1. In CTAL Na-K-ATPase levels were: in group 1 40 +/- 2 X 10(-11), in group 2 33 +/- 1 X 10(-11), P less than 0.001 versus group 1, and in group 3 27 +/- 2 X 10(-11), P less than 0.001 versus groups 1 and 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)