Effect of cigarette smoking on thyroid hormone homeostasis.

Serum thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thiocyanate (SCN) levels in 40 smokers smoking filter or non-filter cigarettes were compared to those in 20 control subjects. Both types of cigarette smoking resulted in a decrease in T4 (P < 0.01) and increase in TSH (P < 0.05) to the same degree as compared to control. T3 was found to be higher in the smokers but the rise was not significant. SCN was elevated significantly in the smokers. The filter attached to the cigarette was found to have little or no effect on the alteration of the levels of the biochemical indices studied.

Effect of aminophylline preperfusion on digoxin-induced cardiac arrest in isolated frog heart.

Digoxin (DGN) and aminophylline (theophylline ethylenediamine, APH) being frequently prescribed cardioactive drugs, the present study investigated the effect of APH (10(-4) M) preperfusion on DGN-cardiotoxicity employing the isolated frog heart preparation. The mean DGN perfusion time (sec) and mean DGN exposure (microgram/10 mg heart wt.) for cardiac arrest were the parameters studied. APH preperfusion caused a significant elevation in both the parameters, signifying that it afforded protection against DGN-cardiotoxicity. This protective effect was not observed with the preperfusion of ethylenediamine (EDA) instead of APH, which led to the inference that the protective effect of APH was solely due to its theophylline component. The present finding that APH-pretreatment might modulate DGN-cardiotoxicity, of considerable pharmaco-toxicological interest.

Human rotavirus infection in Malaysia. III. A one year survey on the prevalence of rotavirus enteritis in children.

The prevalence of human rotavirus enteritis in children admitted to the gastroenteritis ward of the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital was studied in 1982. Human rotavirus in the stool of the patients was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The survey showed that rotavirus enteritis in children were observed throughout the year, with two broad peaks of rotavirus infection occurring around March and September. The lowest incidence was recorded in July, however, no prolonged period of low prevalence of rotavirus enteritis was observed. The average prevalence for the whole of 1982 was 40% of the total diarrhoeal cases. No significant relationship was noted between the prevalence of the disease and rainfall.