Four heparin preparations: anti-Xa potentiating effect of heparin after subcutaneous injection

Four different heparin preparations--sodium and calcium salts of the same batch of heparin (mean molecular weight 15,000), low molecular weight sodium heparin (mean m.w. 9,000) and high molecular weight sodium heparin (mean m.w. 22,000) were injected subcutaneously on different days each into 6 healthy young volunteers in a randomized trial. Plasma heparin levels were measured using the anti-Xa assay at 1 hour, 3-4 hours and 6-7 hours after the injection. The highest anti-Xa potentiating effect was obtained after the injection of the low molecular weight sodium heparin (mean 0.381 i.u./ml) at 3-4 hours after the injection. With sodium heparin (m.w. 15,000) the highest values (0.135 i.u./ml) were found at 1 hour. Significantly lower anti-Xa potentiating effect was obtained 1 hour after the injection of calcium heparin and in particular after the injection of high molecular weight heparin (mean values 0.072 i. u./ml and 0.043 i. u./ml respectively). Both these preparations showed an increase from 1 hour after injection to 3-4 hours after injection (mean values 0.082 i. u./ml and 0.057 i. u./ml at 3-4 hours after injection). These results indicate that the salt and the molecular weight of the preparation may strongly influence the degree of anticoagulation achieved after subcutaneous injection.     

Diagnostic significance of electrocortical responses to rhythmic and solitary photic stimuli in patients with hepato-portal encephalopathy]

In order to clarify some diagnostical criteria of latent hepato-portal encephalopathy in 57 patients with intrahepatic forms of portal hypertension the authors studied the character of driving response in photorhythmical stimulation. In 9 patients the development of evoked potentials depending upon the significance of the stimula was studied as well. The studies confirmed the prognostical significance of a slowing down the mean frequency of rhythms in the EEG in relation to the development of acute encephalopathy and a certain tendency to the shift in the spectrum of driving responses to low frequency and a worsening of driving responses in slowing down the medium rhythm frequency of EEG. In patients with changed resting activity in the Background EEG there was a drop in the amplitude of late components of evoked potentials.     

Reactivity of the sympathetic-adrenal system in juvenile thyrotoxicosis

In examination of patients with thyrotoxicosis, aged from 14 to 24 years, there was revealed a reduction of the activity of the mediatory link of the sympathico-adrenal ssystem without any connection with age, the severity and duration of the disease, and also with the efficacy of drug therapy. The functional test with insulin in patients with thyrotoxicosis permitted to detect definite reserve possibilities of the adrenergic regulation intensified with increased duration of the disease and with advance of the patient's age, but not with increased severity of the disease. The insulin test offered a possibility of assessing the sympathico-adrenal system reactivity in cases of different degree of the disease compensation.     

Influence of cation dyes on blood coagulation

Experiments on rabbits showed that intravenous injection of dyestuffs of the thionine series (toluidine blue, azur A, 1:9 dimethylene blue) was accompanied by hypofibrinogenemia, a decrease in the concentration of prothrombin complex factors, thrombocytopenia and the lowering of the blood platelets adhesion against the background of delayed blood thrombogenesis. The blood heparin tolerance and the amount of free heparin were sharply lowered. The authors consider that the hypocoagulative effect of cationic dyestuffs on the blood was caused by the thrombocytopenia and by the lowering of the platelet aggregation activity.     

The peculiarities of pigment-protein composition of intergranular thylakoid fragments from maize chloroplasts

The pigment-protein composition of two fractions of intergrana fragments from maize inbred lines F 7 and II 346 chloroplast had been investigated. It was shown that under electrophoretic separation of fraction 70,000 g from both lines and fraction 100,000 g from line F 7 the new band of pigment-protein complexes had been observed. It was determined that its polypeptide composition is the same as light-harvesting complex of PS II one, but it differs by low electrophoretical mobility. The conclusion was made that this is a new form of light-harvesting complex of PS II.     

Inducible nitric oxide synthase does not affect resolution of murine chlamydial genital tract infections or eradication of chlamydiae in primary murine cell culture

Mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) or treated with iNOS inhibitors resolved chlamydial genital tract infections. Additionally, treatment of primary murine cell cultures with gamma interferon restricted chlamydial growth in the absence of nitric oxide. From these results, iNOS activity is unnecessary for the resolution of chlamydial genital tract infections in mice and inhibition of chlamydial growth in culture.     

Pattern of cervical dilatation in previous lower segment caesarean section patients

The pattern of cervical dilatation during labour in 100 patients with previous lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) was determined in a prospective partographic study. Eighty-four subjects delivered successfully by vaginal route. The mean initial dilatation rate (IDR) and average dilatation rate (ADR) were 0.884 cm/hour and 1.255 cm/hour respectively. The mean IDR and ADR of the patients who delivered vaginally were 0.96 cm/hour and 1.41 cm/hour respectively, while of those who required repeat LSCS mean IDR was 0.44 cm/hour and mean ADR was 0.42 cm/hour. Hence ADR in cases who required repeat LSCS was significantly slower as compared to those who delivered vaginally (p < 0.01). Most (87.5%) of the cases who required repeat LSCS crossed the alert line as compared to 34.5% of patients who delivered vaginally. The mean admission delivery interval (ADI) was 9.45 +/- 4.29 hours in patients with no previous vaginal delivery and 8.02 +/- 4.83 hours in patients with previous vaginal delivery. The mean durations of 1st and 2nd stages of labour were 11.8 +/- 5.35 hours and 29.4 +/- 27.3 minutes respectively. It is concluded that partographic evaluation is an important aspect in management of labour of such patients.