Assessment of value of glycosylated albumin and protein in detection of gestational diabetes

There is a recognized need for the early detection of gestational diabetes, and a single blood test, if reliable, would be advantageous. Because serum albumin and total protein are glycosylated and have short life spans, we investigated the usefulness of glycosylated albumin and glycosylated protein in the detection of gestational diabetes. We studied five groups, each with 20 subjects: nonpregnant and pregnant controls, nonpregnant and pregnant insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients, and gestational diabetic patients. All patients with no history of diabetes had an oral glucose tolerance test to define their carbohydrate status. Our results showed that percent glycosylated albumin and percent glycosylated protein were significantly elevated in both groups of IDDM patients compared with the other groups. However, gestational diabetic patients had glycosylated albumin and glycosylated protein values similar to those of both control groups. Both glycosylated albumin and glycosylated protein correlated well with HbA1c determinations. Thus, glycosylated albumin and glycosylated protein may be a good index of glycemic control, but they are of little value in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes because of a lack of sensitivity: 8 and 3% for glycosylated albumin and glycosylated protein, respectively.     

Direct cadiac electorphysiologic effects of sufentanil and vecuronium in isolated guinea-pig hearts

Sufentanil and vecuronium are commonly used simultaneously in anaesthesia. Bradycardia and asystole have been described immediately after the administration of these two compounds. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the direct cardiac effects of sufentanil and vecuronium in all parts of the cardiac pacemaker and conduction system.
The electrophysiological effects of sufentanil and vecuronium were studied in isolated spontaneously beating guinea-pig hearts perfused by the method of Langendorff. At a concentration of 0.1 μmol/1 sufentanil a significant reduction of the spontaneous sinus rate, prolongation of atrioventricular, intraventricular and His' bundle conduction could be observed. The highest concentration of 10 μmol/1 of sufentanil led to an overall slowing of conduction velocity and to an profound slowing of spontaneous sinus rate. AV nodal as well as atrial and ventricular refractoriness were markedly prolonged at this high concentration of sufentanil. In contrast, during perfusion with vecuronium at a concentration of 0.1 μmol/1 up to 10 μmol/1 no significant effects on cardiac conduction and pacemaker activity could be observed.
In conclusion, the electrophysiological effects of sufentanil are comparable to that of unspecific calcium antagonists. Therefore, especially in patients with a preexisting damage of the cardiac conduction system, the indirect effect of the combination of sufentanil and vecuronium which is predominantly responsible for bradycardia and asystole may be worsened by the direct effects of sufentanil.     

Endothelial and smooth muscle properties of coronary and mesenteric resistance arteries in spontaneously hypertensive rats compared to WKY rats

Summary— To investigate if the functional alterations observed in resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were also present at the coronary level, in vitro experiments were performed in mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA) and in right (RIC) and left interventricular coronary (LIC) arteries taken from 15–25-week-old SHR and age-matched Wistar Kyoto rats WKYs. Using a passive extension protocol, internal diameters corresponding to 100 mmHg intraluminal pressure (D₁₀₀) were determined and vessels were set up to a normalized internal diameter (0.9 D₁₀₀). SHR mesenteric resistance arteries had a significantly smaller diameter compared to WKY arteries, whereas both types of SHR coronary arteries had a greater diameter compared to those of WKY rats. In arteries in the absence of contracting agonist, nitro-L-arginine (NOLA, 100 μM) induced a progressive rise in basal tone, which could be reversed by subsequent addition of L-arginine (100 μM) but not D-arginine (100 μM). When expressed as percent of maximal contractions induced by agonists (noradrenaline, NA [10 μM] in MRA; serotonin, 5-HT [10 μM], in RIC and LIC), these contractions were significantly stronger in WKY compared to SHR coronary and mesenteric resistance arteries. In NA-precontracted MRA and 5HT-precontracted coronary arteries in the presence of indomethacin (10 μM), the magnitude of acetylcholine-induced maximal relaxations (expressed as percent of maximal contractions induced by agonists) was greater in WKY compared to SHR arteries. After a 30-min incubation period, NOLA (100 μM) completely inhibited relaxations induced by acetylcholine (0.01–10 μM) in all types of precontracted arteries. Subsequent additions of sodium nitroprusside, (SNP, 10 μM) induced complete relaxations in all preparations. These results show that a basal release of NO or NO-like compound by endothelial cells is present in isolated mesenteric resistance and coronary arteries of WKY rats and SHRs. The contribution of endothelium-derived relaxing factor-nitric oxide (EDRF-NO) to arterial tone was lower in MRA compared to coronary arteries in both strains and in SHR compared to WKY arteries. In the SHR preparations, the impaired relaxation induced by acetylcholine appeared to be due to a functional alteration of the endothelium in the presence of normal reactivity of the smooth muscle cells.     

麦冬类中药组织切片计算机三维重建图鉴

利用计算机技术实现麦冬类中药组织连续切片三维重建与动态显示,为计算机辅助生药学鉴定和教学提供了新的三维图像技术和研究资料。     

The effects of LY-201116 [4-amino-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl) benzamide] on the amygdala-kindled rat

The effects of LY-201116, a 4-aminobenzamide, were examined in rats using the amygdala kindling model, both during acquisition of the kindled response and in fully kindled animals. Dose-response and time-response studies for efficacy and rotorod toxicity were completed following intraperitoneal injection of the drug. Afterdischarge duration, behavioral seizure response, kindled seizure threshold and EEG recordings were used to assess efficacy and toxicity of the drug. In the acquisition trial, the drug (7.5 mg/Kg) did not significantly alter the number of stimulations required to produce the first stage 5 kindled response nor did it modify afterdischarge durations. Doses of 11.25 and 15 mg/Kg suppressed afterdischarge and diminished behavioral responses significantly in fully kindled rats, but these doses were also neurotoxic as judged by rotorod performance. The non-selective anticonvulsant effect of 11.25 mg/Kg lasted at least 90 min. A dose of 15 mg/Kg raised kindled seizure threshold and diminished afterdischarge duration. Doses of 20, 30 and 40 mg/Kg produced spontaneous EEG spikes and seizures accompanied by behavioral convulsions. The drug thus exhibited non-selective anticonvulsant effects in fully kindled rats following doses of 11.25 or 15 mg/Kg, but exhibited proconvulsant activity following doses in the range of 20-40 mg/Kg.     

表小檗碱对α受体的作用

表小檗碱(epiberberine,EB)是从湖北产黄连(Coptis chinensis Franch)中提取的一种生物碱,属苯喹嗪类原小檗碱,对其药理作用的研究资料甚少,未见其对α肾上腺素体作用的报道。资料表明,许多原小檗碱类化合物有α受体阻滞作用,为从该类化合物中选择     

The age of osteosarcoma patients is increasing. An epidemiological study of osteosarcoma in Sweden 1971 to 1984

We conducted an epidemiological study of osteosarcoma in Sweden from 1971 to 1984 to investigate whether the typical features of the disease had changed. Of 294 osteosarcoma patients reviewed, 249 had primary skeletal tumours, and for these the mean annual incidence was 2.1 per million, without any clear trend over time. The mean male/female ratio for the period was 1.6 again with no consistent pattern over time; nor was there any significant change in the distribution of tumours according to location. The only feature which showed a significant change over the 14-year period was the mean age of the patients, being at its lowest (19 years) in 1972 and at its highest (40 years) in 1981. Excluding the 22 patients with craniofacial tumours, the remaining 227 also showed a significant increase in mean age. Analysis of the annual age distribution disclosed an increasing fraction of patients older than those in the classical age peak between 10 and 29 years. A large number of trials have shown improved survival in osteosarcoma over the last 15 years, which has been attributed mainly to adjuvant chemotherapy. The change we have observed in age distribution should also be taken into account in the evaluation of the results of treatment; it may be that older patients have a better prognosis.