Immunohistochemical characterization of collagen in liver cirrhosis (author's transl)

Using indirect immunofluorescence technique, 21 cases of hepatic cirrhosis of differing etiology were studied with type-specific antibodies to collagen type I, II, and III. In all cases the fibrous septa and portal tracts showed an increase in type III collagen. No fluorescence could be observed with antibodies to collagen type I and II. Thus, biochemical studies are supported which show, in addition to type III collagen, a new, as yet undescribed type of collagen in liver cirrhosis that is similar to type I collagen electronmicroscopically, but differs from type I collagen biochemically and immunologically. No correlation between the etiology of cirrhosis and the pattern of different collagen types could be found. The origin of different collagen types in liver cirrhosis is briefly discussed.     

Influence of ornithin-alpha-ketoglutaric acid on fatmetabolism in patients with cirrhosis of the liver (author's transl)]

Formation of endogenous toxins through protein metabolism and detoxification through liver are described. In chronic hepatic insufficiency (cirrhosis of the liver), with failure of liver metabolism, levels of endogenous toxins in plasma and tissue, i.e. ammonia, phenol-derivatives and free fatty acids, rise. Plasma levels of ammonia and free fatty acids are both dependent on the Krebs cycle. This interaction and mutual dependance was examined clinically through application of amino acids that lower plasma ammonia level. Di-L(+)ornithin-alpha-ketoglutaric acid was able to lower ammonia levels in patients with liver cirrhosis. The difference between pre- and postinfusion levels of ammonia was significant, this corresponds to the observations of other authors. In addition we found a fall in levels of free fatty acids, triglycerides, and cholesterol. This effect on fatmetabolism was also observed in patients with no evidence of incipient or manifest hepatic insufficiency. The biochemical basis and the clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Hydroxyproline fractions in blood (author's transl)

Modified methods for the determination of bound hydroxyproline in blood are presented. The fractionated and hydrolyzed samples are separated from interfering material by ion exchange chromatography. Internal standards are used to correct for recovery. After a several fold concentration of samples it is possible to work with reduced blood volumes. Up to 6.12 mumol/l of free and peptide-bound and 11.5 mumol/l of protein-bound hydroxyproline are detectable. Using the described methods hydroxyproline was determined in a pooled human plasma and in the sera of rats.     

Incorporation of (1-14C)oleic acid and (1-14C)arachidonic acid into lipids in the subcellular fractions of mouse brain

The response of the astroglial population of the dentate gyrus molecular layer to removal of that region's primary afferent was investigated using Cajal's gold sublimate method. Deafferentation caused the astrocytes to hypertrophy, an effect which was detectable at 24 hr and maximal at 72-96 hr post-lesion. Following this, the astroglia entered a lengthy period of gradual atrophy. Counts of the astrocytes in the various sublayers of the molecular layer led to the conclusion that these cells migrate into denervated dendritic areas from neighboring, nondeafferented zones.     

Abscess of the liver (author's transl)

A case of liver abscess is analysed in the light of recent data from the literature. The attention is drawn on the increase in frequency of this disease over the last 10 years. The diagnosis is difficult to set on clinical and biological grounds but can be established with certainty by means of scintigraphy and hepatic angiography. Identification of the micro-organism is difficult and impossible in more than half of the cases. Treatment which is essentially surgical, in association with antibiotherapy specific of the anaerobic and gram negative micro-organisms, can reduce total mortality to 10%.     

Biomechanical investigations of the liver capsule (author's transl)

The strain properties of geometrically defined specimens of human, pig, and bovine liver capsule were analysed in vitro by applying histomechanical procedures. The dynamic relaxation correlates with the static relaxation under sinus shaped strain process after previous additional predetermined increase in length. If such a process occurs in the linear region of the stress-strain curve, the relaxation process continues on a new level even if the amplitude of the sinus length-time input function is augmented. The same experiment causes in the lower non-linear region of the stress-strain relation the so-called asymmetric amplitude phenomenon. Further histomechanical features of the liver capsule obtained after defined length-time input functions such as relaxation, static isorheological line, dynamic isorheological curve, increase of the vertices of the dynamic force-time function after static relaxation and dynamic force recovery curve are shown. The phase shift between force and lenth is pointed out. The significance of the biomechanical properties of the liver capsule under physiological and pathological conditions is discussed.     

The therapeutic management of consumption coagulopathy in progressive liver cirrhosis: low-dosage heparin therapy (author's transl)

The high incidence of consumption coagulopathy in active liver cirrhosis prompted us to introduce low-dosage heparin therapy (LDHT) in the management of this condition. An investigation was carried out on 109 patients with clinical and biochemical evidence of progressive liver cirrhosis, which was designed to evaluate whether in addition to basic LDHT, the administration of either vitamin K1, human fibrinogen or partial prothrombin complex (Prothromplex 500) enhanced the results obtained with LDHT alone. The normotest, PTT, thrombin coagulase activity, fibrinogen and platelet count were determined at regular intervals. A significant increase in fibrinogen and platelet count was obtained within 14 days of LDHT in about 75% of the patients and the consumption coagulopathy was halted. Additional treatment with vitamin K1 did not bring about any further increase in the prothrombin complex. Substitution therapy with factors II, IX, X and fibrinogen combined with LDHT brought the expected results. The results reported in the literature and the aims of, and indications for LDHT are discussed.     

Follow-up study in patients with neuritis retrobulbaris (author's transl)

In 11 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and eight patients in whom MS was not verified visus, computerized perimetry, bipolar flash evoked cortical potential (H-EP) and pattern-reversal evoked cortical response (M-EP) were recorded in the acute stage and convalescent period of neuritis retrobulbaris. In the acute stage visual field deficiencies, diminutions of H-EP and M-EP amplitudes and increases in H-EP latencies were seen in both eyes in all cases. The most severe pathologic changes were found in the worst eyes in the group without MS. In the convalescent period a complete restitution of the electro-ophthalmological parameters was found in neither group of patients by statistical methods. Restitution was more common in patients who were not suffering from MS.     

Intracellular localisation of urea-cycle enzymes in liver (author's transl)

Enzymes of the Krebs-Henseleit urea-cycle were localized by means of differential centrifugation and fractional tissue extraction in rat liver and in human liver. Argininosuccinatlyase (ASAL) and Argininosuccinatsynthetase (ASAS) represent enzymes of the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. Ornithine-ketoacid-transaminase(OKT), carbamyl-phosphate-synthetase (CPS) and ornithine-carbamyl-transferase (OCT) are localized in the mitochondrial and nuclei fractions of the liver cell. Most of the arginase activity is bound to subcellular structures (probably to nuclei). A small portion of arginase-activity was found in the soluble cytoplasmatic fraction. The enzymes of the Krebs-Henseleit urea-cycle are equally distributed in rat liver and in human liver. Differences in the subcellular localisation of (mitochondrial) enzymes in human liver could be attributed to mitochondrial breakage during tissue preparation and do not represent in-vivo conditions.