The measurement of the single-breath transfer factor for carbon monoxide and its components using the Morgan Transflow system

In contrast to the standard single-breath transfer factor for carbon monoxide (TLCO), there are no specific guidelines or recommendations for the measurement of its components, the pulmonary capillary blood volume (VC) and membrane component (DM), by the Roughton and Forster method. Ten randomly selected heart transplant patients (three life-long non-smokers, seven ex-smokers > 1 yr, age range 24-55 years) were assessed on two occasions using either the standard or high-oxygen mixture as the first inspired gas in random order. Ten normal subjects (all non-smokers, age range 23-54 years) were assessed on two occasions using either a long protocol (30 min waiting time between repeat measurements in an individual set) or a short protocol (5 min waiting time). Two technically acceptable results of TLCO were used to derive a mean value for DM and VC for each set of measurements (Transflow, P. K. Morgan, Kent, U.K.). The different sequences of gas mixtures produced no significant differences between the values obtained in ten heart transplant patients for mean TLCO (mmol min-1 kPa-1) (standard first 5.13 +/- 1.15, high-oxygen first 5.14 +/- 1.12; limits of agreement -0.57 to 0.59 for DM or for VC. The long or short protocol produced no significant differences between the means of TLCO (mmol min-1 kPa-1) (long 8.0 +/- 1.9, short 8.0 +/- 1.9; limits of agreement -0.5 to 0.5), DM or VC. This allows the development of a standard test protocol of short duration (about 40 min) making it practical for clinical use without compromising the precision or reproducibility of the results obtained.     

Heterodimerization is mainly responsible for the dominant negative activity of amino-terminally truncated rat androgen receptor forms

BACKGROUND: Previous reports investigating the clinical course and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) after orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) have revealed conflicting results. METHODS: To determine the natural history and course of therapy for liver transplant patients with IBD, we reviewed the records of 35 patients, who underwent OLT between 1985 and 1996 and who had a history of either IBD (29 patients) or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) without evidence of IBD before OLT (6 patients). Of 29 patients with IBD before OLT, 25 had a history of ulcerative colitis (UC) and 4 had Crohn's disease. Six patients had undergone total colectomy, one subtotal colectomy, and three partial colectomy before OLT. Mean follow-up after OLT was 37+/-6.4 months. Immunosuppression included cyclosporine, prednisone, and azathioprine in 34 patients and tacrolimus and prednisone in 1 patient. RESULTS: After OLT, 17 patients (49%) had quiescent disease and were receiving no additional medications other than standard immunosuppression to prevent organ rejection. Five patients (14%) had mild flares controlled with initiation of 5'-aminosalicylates (5'-ASA), and two patients (6%) required an increase in oral prednisone. Only one patient with PSC, without evidence of IBD before OLT, developed IBD after OLT. No patients required intravenous steroids or surgical intervention for active IBD. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Standard postOLT immunosuppressive agents in patients undergoing OLT with IBD were able to adequately control disease activity after OLT in the majority of patients. (2) IBD flares after OLT were generally well controlled with aminosalicylates or oral steroids. (3) Aminosalicylates were helpful in the clinical management of IBD, even when patients were taking standard doses of steroids, azathioprine, and cyclosporine.     

The clinical pathomorphosis of neuroses

Comparison of data on neuroses in a selective group of patients which were treated in day hospital in 1988 (226 patients) and in 1996 (244 individuals) was made. In this period there was an increase of both the number of 16-20 year old patients (from 1,0 to 13%) and of women (from 58.9 to 81.2%) as well as occurrence of the group (18.9%) of unemployment patients (they were absent in 1988). In the structure of the forms of neuroses diagnosed according to ICD-9, there was a decrease of neurasthenic and obsessive-phobic forms (from 50.0 down to 30.3% and from 12.4 down to 7.4%, respectively) as well as an increase of depressive neuroses (from 19.5 to 54.4%). Moreover, the depressive symptoms were more often included in all forms of neuroses. Combinations of different psychogenic influences and especially psychogenic multifactorial situations with displacement of significance from family-personal to social-economic factors play increasingly important role in pathogenesis of different neurotic disorders.     

Apolipoprotein E and activity of cholesterol esters transport in type IIA and IIB hyperlipoproteinemia

The authors studied the activity of cholesterol esters transport (CET), concentrations of apolipoprotein E in the blood and high density lipoproteins (HDLP) in parallel with other parameters of lipoprotein metabolism in 79 males and 62 females. 122 of them had ischemic heart disease (IHD) and primary hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP). 19 healthy controls were normolipidemic. Activation of CET and relative lowering of apoE content in HDLP with relevant increase in lipoproteins containing apoB were seen only in type IIB HLP. CET activity in controls was related to a significant positive correlation with concentrations of both cholesterol (CS) and CS esters (CSE) in HDLP and HDLP3 and negative correlation with the proportion free CS/CSE in HDLP. Opposite to normolipidemic subjects, in type IIB HLP there was a negative relationship between CET activity and HDLP3 CS level and positive--between free CS/CSE in HDLP but not with concentration of CSE and total CS in HDLP. In type IIA HLP patients no relationships were registered between CET activity and HDLP content of total CS and CSE as well as with HDLP3 CS level. In type IIB HLP a significant correlation was found between level of HDLP CS and CET activity. Concentration of apoE in HDLP correlated with apoB level in the serum but not with quantity of HDLP CS. Patients with type IIA HLP exhibited a significant negative correlation between CET activity and HDLP apoE. These patients had no dependence of CET activity on HDLP CS but had positive correlation between HDLP apoE and HDLP CS in the serum. Thus, defects of reverse CS transport may be induced not only by changes in CET activity but also by apoE distribution among lipoproteins of different classes.     

Testing bone implants in cell lines and human osteoblasts]

An innovative technology, BladderScan, was introduced to reduce urinary tract infections and care costs in hospitalized adults. Evaluation revealed reductions in infection rates and overall benefits exceeding costs.     

Norfloxacin monodose use in patients with cholera in Salta Argentina

We present a 63-year old female with mediastinitis following an esophageal perforation, possibly favoured by an oesophageal motility-disorder and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, who developed a broncho-mediastinal fistula in the left main bronchus. She was successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics, a cervical oesophagostomy and secondary isoperistaltic coloplasty.     

Isolated revision acetabuloplasty using a porous-coated cementless acetabular component without removal of a well-fixed femoral component. A 3- to 9-year follow-up study

The results of isolated acetabular revision performed in 31 patients (32 hips) were monitored for between 3 and 9 years. All femoral components were well fixed and not removed or revised at the time of index surgery. There were 4 hips with little or no acetabular bony defect, 2 hips with pure segmental defects (type I), 10 hips with cavitary defects (type II), 15 with combined segmental cavitary defects (type III), and I with pelvic discontinuity (type IV). All revision acetabular implants were cementless, using a porous-coated hemispheric cup with or without bone-graft. There were four grade I reconstructions, 16 grade II reconstructions, and 12 grade III reconstructions. At final follow-up evaluation 94% of the cups were judged to be stable. Two hips required a second revision acetabuloplasty because of loss of fixation of the cup. The 2 repeat revisions were also done without removal of the femoral component. One acetabular component had evidence of rotational migration, which stabilized and remained nonprogressive. There were no cases of femoral component radiographic or clinical failure. The mean pre and postoperative hip scores were 44 and 83, respectively. The pre- and postoperative pain scores were 12 and 42, respectively. The findings of this study suggest that isolated acetabular revision, using a cementless porous-coated hemispheric cup, can be successfully performed without removing or revising a well-fixed femoral stem and not compromise the final outcome.     

Mental disorders in the participants in the cleanup of the aftermath of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station

Peculiarities of localisation of total population of hypothalamic neurons, associated with innervation of vagosolitary complex "stomach" area were studied using retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. The enzyme was administered in microportions into the mentioned area of vagosolitary complex (100-150 ml of 20% enzyme solution). The labelled neurons were exposed in the hypothalamic area basically from ipsilateral side. Greatest part of these neurons was located within paraventricular nucleus and lateral hypothalamic area as two bands oriented in caudodorsal direction. These bands length varied widely in different animals (ranging from 0.5 to 0.2 mm) mainly due to their disperse caudal ends. Rostral part of these formations were more compact and were joined by a thin cross arch, consisting of bipolar labelled neurons along it. As for interaural line this arch was located in the distance within 6.75-07.05 mm in different animals.     

Effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists on discriminative stimulus effects of naloxone in morphine-dependent rats using the Y-maze drug discrimination paradigm

The present study assessed the ability of various site-selective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists to affect the discriminative stimulus properties of naloxone in morphine-dependent rats. Adult male Wistar rats were trained to discriminate 0.1 mg/kg of s.c. naloxone from saline using a Y-maze shock-avoidance procedure. Naloxone-appropriate responding was exhibited as a function of naloxone dose (0.01-1.0 mg/kg, ED50 = 0.03 mg/kg) and was also observed when morphine treatment temporarily was discontinued (8-96 hr, peak at 24 hr). Discriminative stimulus effects of naloxone (0.1-3.0 mg/kg) were antagonized by morphine (10-100 mg/kg). Ligands of peripheral opioid receptors failed to either substitute for naloxone (methylnaloxone, 0.1-3.0 mg/kg) or attenuate naloxone's stimulus effects (loperamide, 1-30 mg/kg). In rats treated with the training dose of naloxone, administration of dizocilpine (0.03-0.3 mg/kg) and D-CPPene (1-10 mg/kg) decreased levels of naloxone-appropriate responding, whereas memantine (1-30 mg/kg), ACEA-1021 (10 and 50 mg/kg) and eliprodil (3-30 mg/kg) seemed to have little or no effects. Meanwhile, all NMDA receptor antagonists produced a decrease in the occurrence of two or more of the following opioid withdrawal signs: weight loss, forelimb tremor, ptosis, diarrhea and "wet-dog"-like shaking. Additionally, dizocilpine (0.1 mg/kg), D-CPPene (5.6 mg/kg) and ACEA-1021 (50 mg/kg) but not memantine (10 mg/kg) or eliprodil (30 mg/kg) significantly reduced the naloxone-appropriate escape area selection when administered during the period of suspended morphine treatment 24 hr after the last morphine injection. Thus, NMDA receptor antagonists appear to inhibit the discriminative stimulus effects of both naloxone-precipitated and spontaneous morphine withdrawal, and this ability depends on the type of antagonist applied.     

Evaluation of the in vivo biodistribution of yttrium-labeled isomers of CHX-DTPA-conjugated monoclonal antibodies

We evaluated the in vivo stability and biodistribution of four isomers (CHX-A', CHA-A", CHX-B' and CHX-B") of 2-(p-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-cyclohexyl-diethylenetriaminepentaaceti c acid (CHX-DTPA), a recently developed backbone-substituted derivative of DTPA. METHODS: The ligands were conjugated to monoclonal antibody B3, a murine IgG1 kappa, and labeled with 88Y at 55.5-66.6 MBq/mg (1.5-1.8 mCi/mg). Nontumor-bearing nude mice were injected intravenously with 55.5-66.6 kBq (1.5-1.8 microCi) of 88Y-labeled B3 conjugates and with 125I-labeled B3 as an internal control. The mice were then killed at 6, 24, 48, 96 and 168 hr postinjection. RESULTS: At 168 hr, the concentration of 88Y in processed bone of either CHX-A' [4.6% injected dose (ID)/g] or CHX-A" (4.0%ID/g) was less than that of either the CHX-B' (21.9%ID/g) or B" (12.1%ID/g) ligands. The two ligands CHX-B" and CHX-B' were not acceptable for yttrium labeling of antibody because of their high and progressive bone accumulation. The accumulation of 88Y in bone of CHX-B' was five times greater than that of CHX-A' at 168 hr. The CHX-A" cleared from the circulation slightly faster than CHX-A' without releasing the yttrium and showed the lowest uptake by bone of any of the four isomers. The accumulation in the other normal organs was similar for all four isomers of 88Y-CHX-B3 conjugates. CONCLUSION: Although the CHX-B" and CHX-B' were not acceptable for labeling with yttrium, the CHX-A' and CHX-A" were suitable, indicating that differences in stereochemistry can greatly influence stability of radionuclide in the chelate.