The influence of freezer storage of urine samples on the BONN-Risk-Index for calcium oxalate crystallization.

This study was performed to quantify the effect of a 1-week freezer storage of urine on its calcium oxalate crystallization risk. Calcium oxalate is the most common urinary stone material observed in urolithiasis patients in western and affluent countries. The BONN-Risk-Index of calcium oxalate crystallization risk in human urine is determined from a crystallization experiment performed on untreated native urine samples. We tested the influence of a 1-week freezing on the BONN-Risk-Index value as well as the effect of the sample freezing on the urinary osmolality. In vitro crystallization experiments in 49 native urine samples from stone-forming and non-stone forming individuals were performed in order to determine their calcium oxalate crystallization risk according to the BONN-Risk-Index approach. Comparison of the results derived from original sample investigations with those obtained from the thawed aliquots by statistical evaluation shows that i) no significant deviation from linearity between both results exists and ii) both results are identical by statistical means. This is valid for both, the BONN-Risk-Index and the osmolality data. The differences in the BONN-Risk-Index results of both procedures of BONN-Risk-Index determination, however, exceed the clinically acceptable difference. Thus, determination of the urinary calcium oxalate crystallization risk from thawed urine samples cannot be recommended.     

Alteration of pancreatic B-cells in Wistar rats treated with non-diabetogenic doses of cyclosporin A.

We have investigated the effect of non-immunosuppressive cyclosporin A (CS-A) doses on glucose tolerance, pancreatic insulin content, insulin content of isolated islets and insulin secretion in vitro in response to glucose. Within 12 weeks animals treated permanently with a dose of 2.5 mg CS-A/kg b.wt. developed glucose intolerance (but not hyperglycaemia) accompanied by a decrease of pancreatic insulin content due to a decrease of islet insulin content, whereas the relative B-cell volume density was not changed. Isolated islets obtained from rats treated for 4 weeks had a diminished sensitivity for glucose, whereas islets obtained from animals treated for greater than 4 weeks showed a diminished half-maximum and maximum secretion rate. Rats treated for 12 weeks with 1.25 mg CS-A/kg b.wt. developed an impaired glucose tolerance after 8 weeks accompanied by a diminished pancreatic insulin content. Despite continued treatment the pancreatic insulin content was able to increase and the glucose tolerance to normalize, indicating an adaptation of pancreatic B-cells to CS-A. The results support the theory that a potential toxic effect of cyclosporin A can be diagnosed by functional tests (e.g. insulin secretion in response to a stepwise increase of glucose) before the irreversible (e.g. morphological) alterations occur.     

Serum concentrations of oestradiol-17beta, progesterone, relaxin and chorionic gonadotrophin during blastocyst implantation in natural pregnancy cycle and in embryo transfer cycle in the rhesus monkey

The present study was undertaken to assess the temporal association between the profiles of serum concentrations of oestradiol-17beta, progesterone, chorionic gonadotrophin (CG) and relaxin in pregnancies established naturally, and after embryo transfer, as well as in failed pregnancies in rhesus monkeys. In naturally mated cycles (group 1) a conception rate of 75% was obtained. In group 1, the mean day of CG detection in serum was 11.5 +/- 1.9 day post-ovulation, and for relaxin, 9.0 +/- 2.5 day post-ovulation. In group 2, embryo transfer to synchronous, non-mated surrogate recipients was performed; seven embryo transfer cycles yielded three pregnancies which were allowed to continue to term and normal infants were delivered. In embryo transfer cycles the mean day of CG detection was 14.8 +/- 1.8 day post- ovulation, and for relaxin, 11.4 +/- 2.6 day post-ovulation. A delay of about 3 days was observed in the appearance in circulation of CG (P < 0.05) and also of relaxin (P < 0.05) between natural mated and embryo transfer conception cycles. Significant differences (P < 0.05 for progesterone and P < 0.03 for oestradiol) were obtained for the areas under the curves for progesterone and oestradiol between days 12 and 16 in conception cycles compared with failed pregnancies. These data provide the first observation of the normal hormonal signals associated with maternal recognition of transferred embryos during the peri- implantation period, and suggest that the use of such an experimental primate embryo transfer model may help to elucidate components of maternal and embryonic signal-response mechanisms during embryo implantation.      

Tourniquet inflation after intra-articular morphine and bupivacaine administration following knee arthroscopy

We performed a randomized doubled-blind study to evaluate whether there was a benefit in delay in tourniquet deflation with intra-articular administration of morphine and bupivacaine following operative arthroscopic surgery. In 34 patients the tourniquet was deflated immediately and in 38 patients the tourniquet remained inflated for 10 min following injection. The analgesic efficacy was assessed using pain scores and the amount of supplementary analgesia required. The results demonstrate no benefit in delay in tourniquet deflation.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Balamuthia mandrillaris</Emphasis>, an opportunistic agent of granulomatous amebic encephalitis,infects the brain via the olfactory nerve pathway

Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living ameba and an opportunistic agent of lethal granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) in humans and other mammals. Its supposed routes of infection have been largely assumed from what is known about Acanthamoeba spp. and Naegleria fowleri, other free-living amebae and opportunistic encephalitis agents. However, formal proof for any migratory pathway, from GAE patients or from animal models, has been lacking. Here, immunodeficient mice were infected with B. mandrillaris amebae by intranasal instillation, the most likely natural portal of entry. By means of classical and immunohistology, the amebae are shown to adhere to the nasal epithelium, progress along the olfactory nerves, traverse the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone, and finally infect the brain. A similar invasion pathway has been described for N. fowleri. The data suggest that the olfactory nerve pathway is a likely route for natural infection of the brain by B. mandrillaris amebae.     

A histopathologic evaluation of nevocellular nevi in pregnancy

A detailed histopathologic study was performed on 128 nevi removed from 86 pregnant white patients. None of the patients had clinical evidence of the dysplastic nevus syndrome, and none of the excised nevi were clinically suspicious for melanoma. One third of patients reported some change in nevi during pregnancy. Nevi from an age-matched male control population (50 patients) had a spectrum of histologic features essentially identical to the pregnant patients, while nevi from a female control population (51 patients) showed slightly less atypia according to our criteria. The differences found between the nevi from pregnant and control women suggest that a mild degree of histopathologic atypia or "activation" is associated with pregnancy. However, in the population studied, these changes were never of sufficient degree to result in diagnostic confusion.     

Reversibility of the acute toxic effect of Cyclosporin A on pancreatic B cells of Wistar rats

Summary. This study investigated if and to what extent the acute toxic effect of Cyclosporin A on pancreatic Wistar rat B cells is reversible. After 2 weeks of treatment rats developed marked glucose intolerance accompanied by reduced pancreatic insulin content due to a loss of B cells, diminished islet DNA synthesis and decreased B-cell insulin content. Cyclosporin A had accumulated in the pancreas. Three weeks after withdrawal of Cyclosporin A, pancreatic tissue concentrations of Cyclosporin A were still 100 times larger than in serum. Glucose tolerance, however, had already improved, associated with an increase of B-cell insulin content and apparent islet replication, and the insulin response of isolated islets was reduced. Five weeks after the withdrawal of Cyclosporin A, glucose tolerance was normal, but pancreatic insulin content and relative B-cell volume were still diminished in comparison to vehicle-treated controls. Eight weeks after withdrawal, the morphometric parameters had also been normalized. The results suggest that the loss of pancreatic B cells is caused by a toxic destruction, possibly combined with an apparent decrease of replicatory activity. The acute toxic effects of Cyclosporin A in pancreatic B cells are stepwise reversible.     

急性有机磷农药中毒120例的救治

0　引言　近年来 ,我科在救治急性有机磷农药 (organophos-phorus,OP)中毒方面 ,积累了一些经验 ,现报告如下 .1　对象和方法1 .1　对象　本组 1 2 0例符合《急诊急救学》中的诊断标准 [1 ](男 2 9例 ,女 91例 ) ,年龄 1 .5～ 70岁 ,平均 2 8.6岁 .经口中毒 99例 ,经皮肤中毒 2 1例 .轻度中毒 1 5例 ,中度中毒 42例 ,重度 (含极重度 )中毒 6 3例 . 1 996年 39例 ,1 997年 43例 ,1 998年 38例 . DDV 79例 ,乐果 2 0例 ,混合性中毒 1 0例 ,水胺磷 3例 ,氧化乐果、 391 1、 1 0 5 9、对硫磷各 2例 ,敌百虫 1例 ,药名不详 1 0例 .服毒量 >2 5 …     

Left Ventricular Thrombus After Pregnancy: Choice of Surgical Access Using Dynamic Three-Dimensional Echocardiography

Two idiopathic thrombi loosely attached to the left ventricular wall were detected by dynamic three-dimensional echocardiography. Because the thrombi were shown to be lobulated and extremly mobile, urgent surgical treatment was mandatory. Three-dimensional image reconstruction enhanced appreciation of left ventricular thrombi by enabling accurate imaging of the spatial relationship between the thrombus, the myocardial wall, and the valvular apparatus, so that the most advantageous surgical access could be chosen.     

Hydrogen peroxide inhibits gap junctional intercellular communication in glutathione sufficient but not glutathione deficient cells

Cell to cell communication via gap junctions is essential in the maintenance of the homeostatic balance of multicellular organisms. Aberrant intercellular gap junctional communication (GJIC) has been implicated in tumor promotion, neuropathy and teratogenesis. Oxidative stress has also been implicated in similar pathologies such as cancer. We report a potential link between oxidative stress and GJIC. Hydrogen peroxide, a known tumor promoter, inhibited GJIC in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells with an I50 value of 200 microM. Inhibition of GJIC by H2O2 was reversible as indicated by the complete recovery of GJIC with the removal of H2O2 via a change of fresh media. Free radical scavengers, such as t-butyl alcohol, propylgallate, and Trolox, did not prevent the inhibition of GJIC by H2O2, which indicated that the effects of H2O2 on GJIC was probably not a consequence of aqueous free radical damage. The depletion of intracellular GSH reversed the inhibitory effect of H2O2 on GJIC. The treatment of glutathione- sufficient cells with H2O2 resulted in the hyperphosphorylation of connexin43, which is the basic subunit of the hexameric gap junction protein, as determined by Western blot analysis. TPA, a well-known tumor promoter, also inhibits GJIC via hyperphosphorylation of GJIC, which is a result of protein kinase-C activation. However, H2O2 also induced hyperphosphorylation in GSH-deficient cells that had normal rates of GJIC. Therefore, the mechanism of GJIC inhibition must be different from the TPA-pathway and involves GSH.