We have investigated serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoprotein levels in 97 survivors of acute myocardial infarction in order to clarify the characteristics of lipid and lipoprotein disorders in coronary artery disease among Japanese. Although the HDL cholesterol level was lower and the atherogenic index was higher in the myocardial infarction (MI) group than in the control group, in agreement with previous papers, there was no significant difference in total serum cholesterol level between the MI and the control groups. On the other hand, the triglyceride level was significantly higher in the MI group. The MI group also had higher levels of both cholesterol and triglyceride in the VLDL fraction (d less than 1.006) with a statistically significant increase in the ratio of cholesterol to triglyceride compared with the control group. Levels of both lipids in the IDL fraction (1.006 less than d less than 1.019) were higher in the MI group than in the control group. Lipoprotein analysis with PAG disc electrophoresis revealed a more frequent occurrence of a "midband", which appeared as an additional band between the LDL and VLDL positions, in the MI group than in the control group (MI:51% versus control: 25%, P less than 0.02). The midband-positive subgroup had a higher ratio of cholesterol to triglyceride in the VLDL fraction and higher levels of both lipids in the IDL fraction. Isoelectric focusing of apo VLDL revealed that the incidence of the suspected apo E-ND (E3/2 or E4/2) constitution, which was determined by a low ratio (less than 1.1) of the peak area of E3 to that of E2, was three times higher in the MI group than in the control group (MI:25% versus control: 7%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of preanesthetic intramuscular ranitidine on gastric acidity and volume in children.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of preanesthetic administration of intramuscular (IM) ranitidine on pH and volume of gastric contents in children. DESIGN: Three randomized treatment groups. SETTING: Central operating rooms at a university hospital. PATIENTS: Forty children age 1 to 10 years undergoing a variety of elective surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. INTERVENTIONS: IM ranitidine 1 mg/kg (n = 15) or 2 mg/kg (n = 15) was administered 2 hours prior to induction of anesthesia. Ten patients without ranitidine served as the control group. An orogastric tube was inserted into each patient. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Gastric fluid pH and volume were measured every hour in the three groups. Plasma ranitidine concentrations were measured in ten patients of the ranitidine-treated groups. The mean volume of gastric fluid at induction of anesthesia was significantly lower in the ranitidine-treated patients (2.4 ml for ranitidine 1 mg/kg, 3.2 ml for ranitidine 2 mg/kg) than in the controls (8.6 ml; p less than 0.05). The mean pH values at induction of anesthesia were significantly higher in the ranitidine-treated patients (4.6 for 1 mg/kg, 6.7 for 2 mg/kg) than in the controls (2.1; p less than 0.05). Dose-dependent plasma ranitidine concentrations were obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Preanesthetic IM ranitidine 1 to 2 mg/kg resulted in a higher pH and lower volume of gastric fluid at the time of induction and in a higher pH during 3 hours of anesthesia. This therapy may be a useful adjunct to premedication for children who have a greater than normal risk of pulmonary aspiration during anesthesia.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Characterization of expanded T cell clones in healthy macaques: ontogeny, distribution and stability.

Peripheral expanded T cell clones have been discussed mainly in relation to certain diseases or immune function in humans and mice. There is little information on their ontogeny, stability and distribution among T cell subsets as well as major lymphoid organs. We applied reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with family specific primers for monkey T cell receptor beta chain V regions and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis to analyze the expanded T cell clones in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). A number of expanded T cell clones were detected in the peripheral blood of young and adult monkeys, but few expanded T cell clones were detected in the blood of a fetus and a 2-day-old neonate. The clones in adults were maintained over 3 months. These expanded T cell clones were distributed only in peripheral blood and spleen, but few were found in lymph nodes (axillary, inguinal and intestinal). The number of expanded T cell clones was much greater in CD8 single-positive (CD8sp) T cells than in CD4sp T cells, showing that most of these clones originated in the CD8sp T cell population. Almost all the expanded CD8sp T cell clones belonged to the CD28(-), CD29(hi) and Fas(+) subset. The usage of V beta genes was not skewed in the 24 V beta. Furthermore, higher mRNA signals for effector molecules perforin and IFN-gamma were detected in CD8sp T cell subsets with phenotypes of CD28(-), CD29(hi) and Fas(+), suggesting that the expanded T cells might have developed in relation to T cell activation in the periphery of cynomolgus monkeys.

Animals↗