Multiple recurring gastric erosions/aphthous ulcers)

Five patients are described who had repeated endoscopy because of continuing dyspeptic symptoms associated with a negative barium meal. They were found to have multiple recurring gastric erosions (aphthous ulcers). No common aetiological factor could be found, although four of these patients did have a mild or moderatley active superficial chronic gastritis. Conventional peptic ulcer therapy failed to control either symptoms or ulceration. Two patients finally came to gastric surgery (highly selective vagotomy), which resulted in the relief of symptoms and healing of the gastric aphthous ulceration.     

Effect of oral contraceptives on the blood lipid level

Secretion of estrogens in the urine and the content of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood plasma were studied in 36 healthy women 24 of whom took oral contraceptives including estrogenic and gestagenic components to prevent conception. It proved that after the first course of medication the overall estrogen excretion reduces at the expense of all fractions but more so at the expense of the active fraction. Beginning with the 2nd week the cholesterol level in the blood plasma increases and the level of triglycerides grows considerably. The increase in these indices was observed in the first 6 months when the oral contraceptives were taken. With the preparations taken for a longer time the blood plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels became stable.     

Response of the body to a combination of severe cranio-cerebral trauma and acute massive blood loss

It was shown in acute experiments on 54 dogs that peculiarities of body reaction to the combination of a severe craniocerebral trauma with acute blood loss depended on the sequency of the extreme influences inflication. The craniocerebal trauma inflicted at the early period of hemorrhagic shock failed to influence significantly the dynamics and results of the main pathological process. Against the background of the craniocerebral trauma hemorrhagic shock appeared with a much less blood loss and its course was more severe.     

The clinical significance of gadolinium enhancement of lumbar disc herniations and nerve roots on preoperative MRI

The clinical significance of preoperative gadolinium DPTA enhancement around disc herniations and in the epidural space on MRI is not clear. The relation of nerve root enhancement to dysfunction also remains controversial. To investigate the clinical significance of contrast enhancement we looked at the symptoms and signs and gadolinium DPTA-enhanced images of 71 consecutive surgical candidates in a standardised fashion. Annular rupture and disc enhancement were found to be closely related, and correlated with sensory loss and paresis, respectively. Nerve root enhancement was found to be related to neurological deficits in general and sensory impairment in particular.     

The presence of calbindin in rat cortical neurons protects in vitro from oxydative stress

Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals containing an unpaired electron and are normally produced by the cellular metabolism. The oxydative stress is defined as a lack of balance between the production of free radicals and the activity of antioxydant metabolites. It induces cellular damages to lipids, proteins and membranes. Abnormal calcium metabolism can be a consequence of oxydative stress leading to increased intracellular concentrations. Calbindin D28K is a calcium binding protein which could have a neuroprotective action against various cellular insults. In this study rat cortical cell cultures were exposed during various times and at different concentrations to the couple Xanthine/Xanthine oxydase (XA/XO), which produces the superoxyde radical O2-.. Neuronal survival revealed that XA/XO is toxic for cortical cell cultures. The Calbindin D28K immunocytochemical study shows that the percentages of Calbindin positive cells are greater in surviving neurons following the XA/XO exposure compared to controls. There is a time-dependent and a dose-dependent relation between the number of surviving neurons and the percentage of Calbindin positive neurons. These results suggest that the presence of cytosolic neuronal Calbindin D28k is associated with a greater resistance to oxydative stress.