Lipid peroxides, glutathione, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activities in several tissues of rats following water-immersion stress

The effects of water-immersion restraint (WIR) stress on lipid peroxide, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT) activities in several tissues of rats were investigated. Hepatic and intestinal lipid peroxide levels were increased significantly in the WIR stress group. In both tissues, GSH levels were significantly decreased and gamma-GCS activity was significantly increased. In addition, gamma-GT activities remained unchanged in both tissues following WIR stress. However, lipid peroxide and GSH levels did not change in the stomach and brain in the WIR stress group compared to the control group. These results suggest that lipid peroxidation, but not the depression of GSH synthesis and/or the increase of GSH breakdown may be a factor in hepatic and intestinal GSH reduction following WIR stress.     

Well-differentiated liposarcoma of the hypopharynx

We report a case of subacute bowel obstruction due to a compression of the rectosigmoid junction by a chronically distended bladder, occurring in a 91-year-old male suffering from a long-standing diabetes mellitus and a prostatic adenoma. Radiographic, water-soluble contrast enema and pelvic CT features are reported.     

A randomized double-blind study of the effect of distant healing in a population with advanced AIDS. Report of a small scale study

Ciclosporine-A (CSA) has been in clinical use as an immunosuppressive drug in transplant recipients for over a decade. Unfortunately, CSA also has major side-effects (including nephrotoxic ones). In an attempt to find safer agents, tacrolimus (TAC) has been introduced recently. Despite major differences in the chemical structure, TAC and CSA seem to have many effects in common. This phenomenon can be explained by the inhibition of the calcineurin pathway characteristic for both drugs. The aim of our brief review was to compare personal observations regarding side-effects encountered under CSA or TAC therapy with data reported previously. We found that the profile of side-effects both under CSA and TAC was nearly identical. In particular, morphologic changes associated with toxic drug effects in the kidney were indistinguishable from one another, i.e. tubular lesions, arteriolopathy, HUS-like changes in glomeruli and vessels. The prevalence of defined nephrotoxic lesions was very similar. Some differences were found regarding the prevalence of clinical side effects. Hypertension, hypertrichosis and gingival hyperplasia were less pronounced in the TAC group and an elevated blood glucose level in the CSA group. We conclude that TAC and CSA are closely related immunosuppressive drugs with regard to adverse effects.     

Purification and characterization of cysteine protease from Pleurotus ostreatus

Cysteine protease activity in mycelial culture increased 7.7-fold after fruit body formation in Pleurotus ostreatus, using the Leu pNA (LPNA) cleavage assay. The enzyme was purified from fruit bodies and its M(r) was 97,000 by gel filtration and 48,500 by SDS-PAGE, indicating that it is a dimer. The enzyme was sensitive to iodoacetic acid, p-chloromercuribenzoate, N-ethylmaleimide, and HgCl2. The sequence of the first 9 N-terminal amino acids of cysteine protease was ASGLXXAIL.     

Lack of familial clustering of hepatitis C virus infection

BACKGROUND: Although transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through parental exposure is well documented, it is still controversial whether familial clustering of HCV occurs. METHODS: To investigate risk factors for HCV infection, 109 cases and 84 non-infected controls were studied. In addition, 250 family members (104 men, 146 women) of cases and 170 family members of controls (64 men, 106 women) were tested for HCV infection using an anti-HCV antibody, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and reverse transcribed polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: In the case-control analysis, people aged > or =60 were almost three times more likely to be infected by HCV than those aged <40. Risk of HCV infection was most strongly related to a history of blood transfusion (OR = 12.6, 95% CI: 4.3-36.5) followed by a history of jaundice (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.3-12.6). Only one family member of cases and no-one related to the controls had HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in Korea, age and parenteral exposure, such as a blood transfusion, are risk factors for HCV infection and familial clustering of HCV infection, if it occurs, is rare.     

试样薄化导致的Cu－Al贝氏体／马氏体组织变化

加热到１１７３Ｋ的Ｃｕ－２５ａｔ；％Ａｌ合金块状试样经７２３Ｋ６０Ｓ等温淬火后其组织由片状的“羽毛状贝氏体（９Ｒ结构）和β＿１＇马氏体（１８Ｒ结构）组成。当试样被离子束轰去进一步薄化后，在足够薄的区域内生成了许多２Ｈ结构的薄片马氏体。初步分析认为该薄片马氏体形成的原因是由于贝氏体生成时在试样内留下了高的应力场，当试样薄化到一临界厚度以下时，试样区的三维约束条件松弛使试样内的应力场触发了薄片马氏体的生成。这些薄片马氏体是通过位于贝氏体界面上位错的重新启动而长大的。     

Clinical and health care cost consequences of infective endocarditis in mitral valve prolapse

In 1990-1991, a national survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella species among Canadian commercial turkey flocks. Two hundred and seventy flocks were randomly selected across Canada. The proportion sampled from each province was selected according to each province's share of the national turkey market. Samples, consisting of 12 pooled litter and four pooled dust samples, were used to determine the Salmonella status of the environment of each flock. Additionally, a one kilogram sample of feed was taken from each flock premise. Salmonella was recovered from environmental samples in 234/270 (86.7%) of flocks and from feed samples in 26/266 (9.8%) of flocks. Forty-eight different Salmonella serovars were isolated from flock environmental samples. The most prevalent serovars were S. anatum, S. hadar, S. agona, S. heidelberg and S. saintpaul which were isolated from 53/270 (19.6%), 49/270 (18.1%), 49/270 (18.1%), 42/270 (15.6%) and 34/270 (12.6%) flocks, respectively.     

Regional 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid production in humans

Veno-arterial plasma concentration differences and regional organ plasma flows were used to quantify the relative amounts of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) contributed by various sites into the peripheral circulation. Positive venoarterial concentration gradients were found in the hepatosplanchnic, forearm, cardiac and jugular vessels in the healthy subjects. The renal circulation was determined to be the principal site of 5-HIAA clearance, extracting 18 +/- 2 nmol/min. The gut was the greatest contributor to the total 5-HIAA plasma pool with the relative contributions of the various organs being as follows: hepatosplanchnic organs 58%, skeletal muscle 26%, brain 6% and the heart 3%. The source of 5-HIAA stemming from these regional beds remains unknown, it may derive from serotonin taken up by and deaminated in ubiquitous endothelial cells, enterochromaffin cells of the gut, peripheral serotonergic nerves, serotonin turnover in platelets or perhaps the metabolism of serotonin taken up by sympathetic nerves. To test the latter hypothesis we examined 23 patients with chronic congestive heart failure and 9 patients with pure autonomic failure to investigate the possible effects of sympathetic nervous system overactivity and underactivity on peripheral 5-HIAA production and plasma 5-HIAA concentration. The resting arterial plasma 5-HIAA concentration in the heart failure patients was increased three-fold. This elevated plasma 5-HIAA concentration was attributable to an increased rate of whole body 5-HIAA production. The arterial 5-HIAA plasma concentration in the autonomic failure patients was paradoxically elevated, being 70% greater than that of the healthy subjects. The increased 5-HIAA plasma concentration in these patients was accounted for by a reduction in 5-HIAA plasma clearance. In all subjects studied there was a weak relationship only between total body norepinephrine spillover to plasma and the arterial 5-HIAA plasma concentration. We found that in healthy subjects the overflow of 5-HIAA into the hepatic vein was significantly related to the underlying degree of sympathetic activity. It can be concluded that 5-HIAA is produced at a number of sites throughout the body with the arterial plasma concentration being dependent on both the level of production and plasma clearance. By far the majority of 5-HIAA in plasma is derived from the gut with only minimal contribution from the brain.     

The value of the D-xylose test compared with the differential sugar absorption test in recognizing coeliac disease

Absorbable stapling devices have been described by several groups for the creation of continent urinary diversions. Experience with these devices in the creation of the LeBag ileocecal orthotopic pouch is described. Use of the staplers simplifies pouch construction and yields functional results similar to hand-sewn reservoirs.