Effect of staphylococcal alpha-toxin pancreatitis on glucose tolerance in the dog

Acute pancreatitis was experimentally produced in dogs to study the effect of the disease on glucose tolerance. The k value (glucose disappearance coefficient measured in percentage decrease of glucose/min) calculated from the high-dose intravenous glucose-tolerance test was used to evaluate the glucose tolerance of each dog. Thirty dogs were allotted to 3 groups of 10 dogs each as follows: group I--nonsurgical control dogs; group II--surgical control dogs; and group III--pancreatitis-affected dogs. To increase their susceptibility to diabetes, 50% partial pancreatectomies and ductal catheterizations were performed on group II and III dogs. Saline solution was infused into the ductal systems of group II dogs, and staphylococcal alphatoxin was infused into the ductal systems of group III dogs to produce pancreatitis. The results indicated that (1) high-dose intravenous glucose-tolerance test was an effective tool for determining decreased glucose tolerance in dogs; (2) glucose tolerance of group III dogs was markedly decreased compared with that of group I and II dogs; (3) staphylococcal alpha-toxin produced signs of moderately severe pancreatitis; and (4) 50% partial pancreatectomy and saline solution infusion produced clinical and clinicopathologic signs of mild pancreatitis. To determine if a simplified k value (calculated using 2 or 3 blood samples) could closely approximate the standard k value (calculated using 6 blood samples), simplified k values were derived from the 5- and 60-minute blood sample values. These values closely approximated the standard k values, indicating the simplified value may be used in the clinical situation. The standard k value, however, is preferred for investigative work.     

Aides' involvement in decision-making and the quality of care in institutional settings

Using two measures of the quality of care in institutional settings, we found much variance in the care provided within three institutional settings. Factors that might account for this variance were examined. Aides' perception of their involvement in certain areas of decision-making was shown to be of major importance in accounting for the variance in quality of care.     

Nephrotoxicity of cephaloridine in newborn rabbits: role of the renal anionic transport system

The nephrotoxicity of cephaloridine, cefazolin and mercuric chloride was studied in rabbits of various ages. Cephaloridine produced dose-related elevations in serum urea nitrogen, creatinine and renal tubular necrosis in adult and 30-day-old rabbits, only slight changes at 15 days of age and no effect in 5-day-old rabbits. Cefazolin also produced dose-related nephrotoxicity in adult rabbits but no effect in 15-day-old rabbits. Mercuric chloride administration resulted in similar nephrotoxicity in 5-, 15- and 30-day-old rabbits and adults. The development of susceptibility to cephaloridine nephrotoxicity paralleled the maturation of the renal anionic transport system as determined by the accumulation of p-aminohippurate by renal cortical slices in vitro. Substrate stimulation of the anionic transport system by p-aminohippurate or penicillin increased the nephrotoxicity of cephaloridine in between rabbits. The authors concluded that the lack of cephaloridine nephrotoxicity in newborn rabbits is due to the incomplete development of the renal anionic transport system.     

Effect of penetrating radiation on skeletal muscles of rats in weightlessness

The isoenzyme composition of lactate dehydrogenase of soleus and plantaris muscles of rats flown for 20.5 d aboard the biosatellite Cosmos-690 and irradiated with a dose of 800 rad was investigated. The muscles exposed to weightlessness per se and weightlessness combined with radiation showed similar changes in their carbohydrate metabolism. On return to 1 G, readaptation of irradiated rats developed less rapidly than of animals exposed to weightlessness alone.     

Extraction of meat juices for isotopic analysis

So far no standard procedure exists to obtain water of meat for isotopic (18)O/(16)O-water analysis. Fast extraction via heating the tissues is possible when considering certain boundary conditions. A specially designed vessel was tested with water and was then used for meat juice extraction. The reproducibility (σ) of δ(18)O-values was 0.12‰. Meat samples of six different species were analysed. Water of pork samples was extracted after open storage. Here, decreases in meat weight correspond to decreases in extract yield and to an increase in the (18)O/(16)O-ratio. The mean water contents in extracts was almost constant [93.2±0.05 wt% (p>0.05)]. The technique offers an opportunity to develop an automatic, mobile extraction device and to obtain extracts with no further influences on their quality. This method could also be useful for the determination of meat quality attributes as cooking loss or drip without evaporative losses.