Alveolar hydatid disease of the liver: Brief review and spectrum of adjacent organ invasion

The purpose of this study is to show the spectrum of adjacent organ invasion and to make a brief review of hepatic alveolar hydatid disease (AHD), using CT and MR imaging. We retrospectively reviewed CT and MR images of three patients with various adjacent organ invasions surgically and histologically proven to be AHD. Local invasion to right kidney and adrenal, right hemidiaphragm and lung were detected in one patient, right adrenal in another patient and gall bladder, duodenum, gastric wall and pancreas invasion in the other. AHD may rarely extend to the gall bladder, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, right adrenal and kidney, diaphragm, pleura and lung. The extension of the disease outside the liver is usually encountered in patients with large, peripherally located masses in the advanced stage of the disease.     

Neuromuscular stimulation causes muscle phenotype-dependent changes in the expression of the IGFs and their binding proteins in developing slow and fast muscle of chick embryos.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) -1 and -2 and binding protein (IGFBP-2, -4, and -5) expression can be affected by several environmental factors, but the impact of movement on the IGF axis during late embryogenesis has yet to be fully characterized. Movement was promoted in chick embryos during mid-embryogenesis using 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). The results indicate an increase in IGF-1 (P < 0.01) and a decrease in IGFBP-2 (P < 0.05) mRNA expression in slow muscle of the stimulated group compared with the control group. In fast muscle, there was a decrease in IGF-2 (P < 0.01) on embryonic day (ED) 16 and an increase in IGFBP-2 (P < 0.01) and IGFBP-4 (P < 0.05) and in IGFBP-5 (P < 0.05) expression on ED18 in the stimulated group compared with the control group. These results indicate that neuromuscular stimulation with 4-AP influences IGF axis gene expression in a muscle fiber type-dependent manner. Consequences of the changes in the IGF system for each muscle are discussed.     

Deprivation of form vision suppresses diurnal cycling of retinal levels of leu-enkephalin

Deprivation of form vision by the fitting of translucent occluders suppressed the diurnal cycling of enkephalinergic amacrine cells (the ENSLI amacrine cells), in the chicken. Daily periods of normal vision or enforcing temporal contrast using strobe lighting appeared to restore normal functioning of the ENSLI cells. These results suggest that the ENSLI cells are involved in retinal circuits that assess the quality of the visual image and control eye growth.     

The effects of cycle racing on pulmonary diffusion capacity and left ventricular systolic function

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 20 km cycle race (TT) on left ventricular (LV) systolic and pulmonary function in 12 endurance cyclists. Spirometry, single-breath diffusion capacity (DLCO) with partitioning of membrane (DM) and capillary blood volume (Vc) components and 2-D echocardiograms were performed before and after the TT. During the TT mean oxygen consumption was 3.79 +/- 0.5 L x min(-1) (83 +/- 5.5% of VO2max) and mean blood lactate was 8.4 +/- 2.4 mM. Following the TT, spirometry values were unchanged, however, DLCO and DM were significantly (P<0.05) reduced. LV systolic function was increased (P<0.05) immediately after exercise, while end-diastolic area was decreased (P<0.05) at all points during recovery. The reduction in DM was correlated with LV systolic function following the TT. This relationship suggests a cardiovascular contribution to pulmonary diffusion impairment following exercise.