Oxidative phosphorylation and respiratory enzyme concentrations of liver mitochondria and glucose tolerance were studied in 12 cirrhotic patients and CCl4-induced cirrhotic rats. The cirrhotic patients with normal or higher concentrations of cytochrome a(+a3) showed parabolic glucose tolerance test (GTT) patterns having return of blood glucose level somewhat toward normal within two hours and tolerated major operations well, while three patients with cytochrome a(+a3) concentrations less than 60 per cent of normal (0.81 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SEM) X 10(-10) moles/mg protein) could not tolerate even minor operations. In CCl4-induced cirrhotic rats, cytochrome a(+a3) concentrations varied from 1.5 to 3.0 X 10(-10) moles/mg protein as compared with 1.8 +/- 0.1 of controls. In mitochondria with normal or higher concentrations of cytochrome a(+a3), the oxidative and phosphorylative activities per unit of cytochrome a(+a3) were negatively correlated with cytochrome a(+a3) concentrations. These rats tolerated partial hepatectomy well. However, in cirrhotic rats with subnormal cytochrome a(+a3) concentrations there was a high mortality following hepatectomy. The former showed parabolic GTT patterns, while the latter showed nonparabolic GTT patterns.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Massive pulmonary hemorrhage in polyarteritis nodosa (PN); report of a case.

We report a case of massive pulmonary hemorrhage which emerged in the course of polyarteritis nodosa (PN). Pulmonary hemorrhage was the major manifestation which determined the mortality of this patient, though severe renal failure concurrently developed. The diagnosis of PN should be considered in all cases of pulmonary hemorrhage coexisting with renal failure. As pulmonary hemorrhage can be life-threatening, early diagnosis is essential for the prompt start of adequate therapy.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Simple analytical method for organophosphorus pesticide residues in milk.

A simple method for determination of organophosphorus pesticide residues at the parts per million level in milk was developed. Pesticide residues were extracted with acetonitrile added to aqueous milk, fat was removed by zinc acetate addition and dichloromethane partition, and analytes were concentrated and analyzed by wide-bore capillary column gas chromatography. Recoveries of 6 pesticides spiked in milk samples at levels of 0.1 and 1.0 micrograms/mL were 82.1-93.8% and 79.7-96.6%, respectively. Triplicate samples spiked with 6 pesticides at 1 microgram/mL were analyzed independently by 3 laboratories. Average recoveries were greater than 80%, and the mean coefficients of variation for the complete study were 2.9% for diazinon, 5.4% for dimethoate, 4.6% for malathion, 4.6% for parathion, 4.9% for EPN, and 6.1% for phosalone.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Post-transfusion graft-versus-host disease following open heart surgery. Report of six cases.

Six cases of post-operative erythroderma after open heart surgery are described. About 10 days after seemingly uneventful recovery, all patients developed fever, erythroderma, liver enzyme elevation, pancytopenia, and an aplastic bone marrow. Their condition rapidly deteriorated, and they died within 20 days of the onset of symptoms. Skin biopsy specimens from two patients showed mild leukocytic infiltration in the epidermal basal layer and upper dermis. Immunostaining by the ABC method showed that most of these infiltrating cells were suppressor/cytotoxic T cells. HLA study of peripheral lymphocytes from two patients and their families revealed that the patients' HLA phenotypes were incompatible from their children's HLA findings. Y chromatin was present in the lymphocytes of the skin biopsy specimen of a female patient. Based on the clinical picture, skin biopsy, HLA study, and Y chromatin study, the authors strongly suspect post-transfusion GVHD as the etiology of postoperative erythroderma, although these patients lacked any known immunodeficiency.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Endothelin production in the rabbit collecting ducts of acute renal failure models. An immunohistochemical study.

Endothelin 1 (ET-1) production was examined in the rabbit nephron in acute renal failure (ARF) induced by uranyl acetate administration or by clamping the renal artery. Uranyl acetate dissolved in saline was injected intravenously at a dose of 0.8 mg/kg (n = 12). In the ischemic kidney experiment, 60 min of left renal artery clamping was carried out 1 week after removing the right kidney (n = 8). Plasma and urine concentrations of ET-1 were measured 0, 24, and 48 h after treatment, and immunohistochemical studies of renal tissues obtained 48 h after the experiments were carried out using ET-1 monoclonal antibody. The fractional excretion of ET-1 increased from 10 to 89% at 48 h in the uranyl acetate treated group and from 6 to 15% at 24 h in the renal artery clamping group, suggesting the existence of ET-1 secretion from the nephron in both types of ARF. By immunohistochemical examination, strong ET-1 expression was noted only in the collecting ducts. No staining was observed in other parts of the nephron in both types of ARF. The present study indicates that the increased expression of ET-1 probably reflects production by the collecting ducts in both rabbit ARF models.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Correlation between arteriographic and electrocardiographic features during spasm in the left anterior descending coronary artery.

BACKGROUND: The clinical role of collateral vessels, which are transiently augmented during coronary artery spasm, remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation between coronary arteriographic and electrocardiographic features during spasm in the left anterior descending artery (LAD). METHODS: We studied 45 patients in whom LAD spasms were induced by administration of acetylcholine or ergonovine maleate into the left coronary artery, or in whom spontaneous LAD spasms were documented during diagnostic cardiac catheterization. RESULTS: During spasm, only three patients had transient appearance or augmentation of collateral flow opacifying the LAD. In these three patients, electrocardiograms obtained from anterior precordial chest leads during LAD spasm showed ST-segment depression, ST-segment elevation followed by ST-segment depression, and only T-wave change, respectively. Except for these three patients, ST-segment elevations were observed in all other patients (31 of 34) with main-branch spasm of the LAD. However, ST-segment elevation was observed in only two of 11 patients in whom spasm of the diagonal branch alone was induced. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations suggest that the electrocardiographic changes during spasm are not always a sensitive indicator of LAD side branch spasm or LAD main-branch spasm associated with collateral circulation. From consideration of the angiographic features of the collaterals in the three patients with LAD main-branch spasm, we speculate that the balance of tonus of both the recipient and donor arteries, and the degree of organic stenosis of the recipient artery, may have important roles in the mechanism responsible for the change in the appearance of collaterals in patients with coronary spasm.

Acetylcholine↗