Effect of umbilical artery catheters on blood flow and oxygen supply to extremities

The effect of catheter placement in the abdominal aorta on the blood flow and oxygenation of lower extremities was evaluated in 30 New Zealand rabbits, weighing 0.55-3.5 kg, by inserting 3.5 and 5.0 French polyvinyl chloride catheters, of the type commonly used for umbilical artery catheterization, through the femoral artery, advancing 15-20 cm, and leaving in place for 10-30 min. Arterial blood pressure (BP), common iliac artery blood flow (BF), gracilis muscle tissue oxygen availability (O2a), and subcutaneous temperature (T) in the foot were continuously monitored before and during catheter placement and after withdrawal. There were no changes in the physiologic variables measured in the contralateral leg when the catheter remained below the aortic bifurcation; however, when the catheter was advanced 15-20 cm into the abdominal aorta, a decrease in lower extremity BF, O2a, and T occurred. Because the length of catheter insertion was maintained constant in each animal, the decreases in BF, O2a, and T are related to the relative dimensions of the vessel and the catheter. The ratio of catheter to vessel diamter, in addition to the site of catheter placement, should be considered during the clinical application of arterial catheters. Reduction in blood flow could be detected by continuous differential monitoring of core and extremity temperature or extremity muscle oxygen availability.     

Renin, cortisol and plasma volume in marine teleost fishes adapted to dilute media

The renin-angiotensin system has been found in teleost fishes from both marine and fresh-water environments. In an attempt to define whether activity of the renin-angiotensin system is related to sodium balance in fishes, we transferred two euryhaline teleosts from seawater to hypo-osmotic media. Plasma renin activity decreased in American eels, Anguilla rostrata, after they were transferred from seawater to fresh water, and it did not change in the aglomerular toadfish, Opsanus tau, after transfer from 50% seawater to 5% seawater. Plasma sodium concentrations decreased significantly in toadfish in 5% seawater and in one group of eels in fresh water. Plasma levels of cortisol, a major mineralocorticoid in teleosts, and plasma volume, measured in eels, remained relatively constant. There are no clear correlations between plasma renin levels and those of plasma sodium or plasma cortisol. These results provide no evidence that the need of these fishes to conserve sodium when in hypo-osmotic media stimulates the renin-angiotensin system.     

The effect of intermittent carbon monoxide exposure on experimental atherosclerosis in the rabbit

(1) Twenty-four female New Zealand White rabbits were fed commercial diet plus 2% cholesterol. Twelve of these animals were exposed to carbon monoxide for 4 hours per day, seven days per week for 10 weeks. The carbon monoxide exposure was such that the mean blood carboxy-haemoglobin was raised to approximately 20% during each exposure period. Twelve control animals breathed atmospheric air under the same conditions of confinement as the carbon monoxide-exposed group. (2) No significant differences in the plasma levels of cholesterol, triglycerides or glutamate oxalacetate transaminase were observed between the two groups during the experiment. (3) When the animals were sacrificed at the end of the experiment no significant differences were observed between the two groups in the aortic content of triglycerides, cholesterol or phospholipids. (4) The extent of coronary artery atherosclerosis was statistically significantly higher in the carbon monoxide group than in the control group. (5) Ultracentrifugal analysis of plasma lipoproteins revealed that there was significantly more cholesterol in the d less than l.006 fraction from the CO-exposed rabbits. (6) These findings, are discussed with particular reference to the claim that the causal agent in tobacco smoke associated arterial disease is carbon monoxide.     

Side-effects of high pressure irrigation

This study was undertaken to identify side-effects of high pressure irrigation. Standardized surgical wounds made in Yorkshire pigs were subjected to high pressure syringe and pulsatile irrigation. As a result of these treatments, fluids were disseminated into the adjacent tissue of the wound, predominantly in a lateral direction. Bacteria did not accompany this disseminated fluid and apparently were filtered out by the surface tissues. This treatment results in a tissue injury which impairs its defenses, making the wound more susceptible to infection. However, the remarkable cleansing capacity of high pressure irrigation appears to outweigh this side-effect, since heavily contaminated wounds subjected to this treatment heal per primum without infection.     

Effect of certain drugs in perfused human placenta XII: autacoid antagonism by phenothiazines

The effects of chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, and trifluoperazine on the pressor actions of serotonin, angiotensin, and bradykinin in the perfused vessels of full-term human placentas were investigated. A significant inhibition of the effect of serotonin was observed with trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine but not with prochlorperazine. The inhibition is attributed to the ability of phenothiazines to cause adrenergic blockade. Because both bradykinin and angiotensin could not be consistently antagonized, it is concluded that they must act primarily via musculotropic mechanisms and only secondarily by stimulation of adrenergic receptors.     

Calcareous deposits formed on IUDs in human exposures

Characteristics of the calcareous deposits on several hundred IUDs of various designs and materials following in vivo exposures were examined, and an in vitro method of study was devised. There were 650 copper-wound IUDs and 18 plastic IUDs. The copper-wound IUDs had been in the uteri for 6-27 months; the plastic IUDs for 3 months to over 8 years. Microscopic examinations, X-ray diffraction, weight changes, and chemical analyses were used. X-ray diffraction showed that calcite (CaCO3) was the major crystalline constituent of the calcareous deposits. A large fraction of the deposited material was organic. Surfaces in contact with the uterine wall were essentially free of depos its. Microscopic inspection of copper-wound IUDs revealed the amount of deposit. Length of exposure increased the amount of deposit, but there were marked variations in amount. Accumulation of deposits was mostly at the fundal end. More marked local erosion of copper was noted where there was little or no carbonate deposit. Deposits occurred in patches on Lippes loops and Margulies spirals. The in vitro carbonate deposits did not reproduce the rates or morphology of the in vivo deposits. Variations in uterine carbonate formation are attributed to differences in uterine chemistry of individuals.     

Clinical experience with technetium-99m stannous polyphosphate for myocardial imaging

Myocardial imaging with technetium-99m stannous polyphosphate was performed on 46 patients. Eleven patients had no cardiac disease, 22 had acute myocardial infarction, and 13 had stable arteriosclerotic heart disease. Distinct patterns of myocardial activity were noted: (1) the patients with no obvious cardiac disease showed no cardiac activity; (2) stable arteriosclerotic heart disease showed faint, ill-defined cardiac activity, primarily in the anterior or inferior aspect of the left ventricle; (3) acute myocardial infarction showed intense, focal, well-defined activity, with a shape that characterized the location of the infarct.