Expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor mRNA in normal and tumorigenic rodent mammary glands

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of Doppler ultrasonography (US) in the diagnosis of hyperfiltration in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-one consecutive patients with IDDM were studied. All patients were normotensive and had normal creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was evaluated by means of plasma clearance of chromium-51 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, urinary albumin excretion, US evaluation of renal volume, and Doppler evaluation of resistance index (RI) in the renal interlobar arteries. The patients were divided according to GFR into the following groups: those with hyperfiltering kidneys (group 1, n = 40) and those with normofiltering kidneys (group 2, n = 41). RESULTS: The median renal volume was 351 mL (95% CI = 337 mL, 379 mL) in group 1 and 318 mL (95% CI = 300 mL, 335 mL) in group 2 (P = .005). The number of patients with microalbuminuria was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 (P = .02). The median RI was significantly lower in group 1 (0.55; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.57) than in group 2 (0.57; 95% CI = 0.56, 0.59) (P = .04). An RI of less than 0.5, a renal volume greater than 410 mL/m2, and the absence of microalbuminuria were independent predictors of hyperfiltration. An RI of less than 0.5 and a renal volume greater than 410 mL/m2 showed high specificity (98% and 95%, respectively) and poor sensitivity (25% and 23%, respectively) in the diagnosis of hyperfiltration in IDDM patients. CONCLUSION: Both RI and renal volume showed correlation with GFR, but neither parameter is sufficiently sensitive in screening for hyperfiltration in IDDM patients.     

Action of pure ethanol and some alcoholic beverages on the gastric mucosa in healthy humans: a descriptive endoscopic study

A method for the simultaneous determination of residues of 17 beta-trenbolone and 17 beta, 19-nortestosterone and their epimers in animal tissues is described, involving immunoaffinity chromatography clean-up and high-performance liquid chromatography with dual-wavelength UV detection. The method has been validated at 2 micrograms/kg in pig and cattle liver and corned beef with recoveries of 41% upwards. The method has been applied to the determination of incurred residues of 19-nortestosterone and trenbolone. Various alternative extraction steps for incurred trenbolone have been investigated, including direct extraction, protease digestion, heating and ultrasonic probe treatment. Glucuronidase digestion has been shown to be the most effective method for this analyte.     

Cerebral microembolism in patients with retinal ischemia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated the frequency of cerebral microembolism detected by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in patients with clinical evidence of retinal ischemia, including transient monocular blindness, central and branch retinal artery infarction, and ischemic oculopathy, and assessed its correlation with carotid artery stenosis. METHODS: Records of 331 consecutive patients examined during a 47-month period at the Neurovascular Laboratory were reviewed. Of the original 453 intracranial arteries, 186 middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) satisfied qualifying criteria that excluded patients with cardiac embolic sources. Forty-five MCAs ipsilateral to the symptomatic eye constituted the study group. The control group consisted of 141 asymptomatic MCAs. Microembolus detection studies were performed on transcranial Doppler instruments equipped with special software, and the degree of carotid artery stenosis was measured by cerebral or MR angiography or by color duplex studies. RESULTS: Microembolism was detected in 40.0% of study MCAs and 9.2% of controls (P < 0.001). In the study group, microembolic signals were detected in 61.9% of MCAs tested within a week of symptom onset and 20.8% of those tested afterward (P < 0.001). Severe (> or = 70%) carotid stenosis or occlusion was more frequent in the study group (P < 0.001). Microembolic signals were detected in 25.3% and 11.2%, respectively, of MCAs distal to carotid arteries with 70% to 100% and 0% to 69% stenosis (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: In patients without cardiac embolic sources, cerebral microembolism is frequently present on the side of retinal ischemia, particularly during the week after onset of symptoms. It is often associated with severe stenosis or occlusion of the ipsilateral carotid artery.     

Leadership and communication in nursing management

Considering communication and leadership, authors examine the role of the leader as a focus of reception and transmission of information, based on the classification of Mintzberg related to their informative roles, such as the leader acting as monitor, disseminator and spokesman. Contextualizing this approach in the scenery of nursing management, authors study the dimension of nurses-leaders role as an essential element of communication in the systems of organization of nursing care.     

Effects of aging, diet, and sex on plasma glucose, fructosamine, and lipid concentrations in barrier-raised Fischer 344 rats

We studied the relationships of plasma glucose, fructosamine, triglycerides, and cholesterol as a function of age, gender, and diet in barrier-raised Fischer 344 rats aged 5 to 26 months, fed a diet either ad libitum or restricted to 60% of the ad libitum caloric intake. The complex relationships of these plasma levels to age, gender, and diet led to the development of a model with age, diet, and sex as covariates. Overall, fasting plasma glucose concentrations were reduced by approximately 25% in rats on the restricted diet, compared to ad libitum-fed animals. There was a significant age-dependent decline in glucose levels in male animals, whereas in females there was an increase in plasma glucose with aging. Plasma fructosamine levels in calorie-restricted animals, overall, were reduced by 7% compared to levels in animals fed ad libitum. There was a significant positive correlation between plasma glucose and fructosamine levels. Mean plasma triglyceride content was decreased by 50% in calorie-restricted rats compared to ad libitum-fed animals. A significant decrease in triglyceride levels with increasing age was seen in male animals, and an increase with aging in females. There was a significant positive correlation between plasma glucose and triglyceride levels. Plasma cholesterol levels in calorie-restricted animals were reduced by 7% compared to levels in ad libitum-fed animals. An increase of cholesterol concentration with aging was significant in both males and females. Analysis of the data showed that there were significant differences between male and female Fischer 344 rats in the response of plasma glucose and fructosamine to aging and calorie restriction. Changes of plasma triglyceride and cholesterol with aging and dietary calorie restriction were also different in males and females. Studies of the effect of aging on glycemia and blood lipid content should take into account the contributions of animal sex.