Medición del metabolismo de la glucosa en pacientes con miocardiopatía dilatada mediante tomografía de emisión de positrones con 18F-FDG: experiencia inicial / Measurement of glucose metabolism in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy by 18F-FDG PET

Introducción. La Fluor-18 deoxiglucosa (18F-FDG) ha sido utilizada en múltiples estudios para determinar la tasa de utilización de la glucosa en condiciones normales y patológicas. Actualmente se sabe que en la insuficiencia cardiaca el patrón metabólico se encuentra alterado. Materiales y métodos Se realizó medición del metabolismo glucocídico en 4 portadores de miocardiopatía dilatada y en 3 sujetos sanos, todos bajo una carga de hidratos de carbono vía oral (75gr). Se adquirieron imágenes dinámicas de tórax. La captación miocárdica se estimó a partir de las curvas tiempo-actividad en aurícula y ventrículo izquierdo utilizando el análisis gráfico de Patlak. Resultados. Los siete pacientes estudiados son de sexo masculino. La tasa de captación de la 18F-FDG para el grupo de pacientes con miocardiopatía dilatada fue 1,31 +/- 0,2 versus 1,26 +/- 0,37 ml/100gr/min en el grupo control. Conclusión. La medición del metabolismo cardiaco de la glucosa por medio de 18F-FDG PET es posible de realizar en un servicio clínico, permitiendo de esta forma determinar la repercusión fisiológica y los cambios del metabolismo miocárdico en diversas enfermedades además de la evaluación de terapia.

Introduction. Fluorine18 deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) has been used in numerous studies to determine the cardiac rate of glucose metabolism in normal and pathological conditions. It is known that during heart failure the metabolic pattern is altered. Patlack’s graphical analysis allows the assessment of heart muscle glucose consumption in patients with non-ischaemic heart failure and normal subjects. Methods. Standardized measurement of glucose metabolism was performed in four patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and three healthy subjects. All subjects received an oral load of carbohydrates (75gr) previous to scanning. Dynamic images of the thorax were acquired. Myocardial uptake was estimated from time-activity curves in the atrium and left ventricle using Patlack’s graphical analysis. Results. All subjects studied were male. 18F-FDG uptake rate for the group with dilated cardiomyopathy was 1.31 +/-0.2, versus 1.26 +/- 0.37 ml/100gr/min in the control group. Conclusion. Measurement of cardiac glucose metabolism by 18F-FDG PET is feasible in a clinical service, allowing impact evaluation of physiologic and metabolic changes in the myocardium in different pathologic scenarios in addition to therapy assessment.

Neutralization of the edema-forming, defibrinating and coagulant effects of Bothrops asper venom by extracts of plants used by healers in Colombia

We determined the neutralizing activity of 12 ethanolic extracts of plants against the edema-forming, defibrinating and coagulant effects of Bothrops asper venom in Swiss Webster mice. The material used consisted of the leaves and branches of Bixa orellana (Bixaceae), Ficus nymphaeifolia (Moraceae), Struthanthus orbicularis (Loranthaceae) and Gonzalagunia panamensis (Rubiaceae); the stem barks of Brownea rosademonte (Caesalpiniaceae) and Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae); the whole plant of Pleopeltis percussa (Polypodiaceae) and Trichomanes elegans (Hymenophyllaceae); rhizomes of Renealmia alpinia (Zingiberaceae), Heliconia curtispatha (Heliconiaceae) and Dracontium croatii (Araceae), and the ripe fruit of Citrus limon (Rutaceae). After preincubation of varying amounts of each extract with either 1.0 æg venom for the edema-forming effect or 2.0 æg venom for the defibrinating effect, the mixture was injected subcutaneously (sc) into the right foot pad or intravenously into the tail, respectively, to groups of four mice (18-20 g). All extracts (6.2-200 æg/mouse) partially neutralized the edema-forming activity of venom in a dose-dependent manner (58-76 percent inhibition), with B. orellana, S. orbicularis, G. panamensis, B. rosademonte, and D. croatii showing the highest effect. Ten extracts (3.9-2000 æg/mouse) also showed 100 percent neutralizing ability against the defibrinating effect of venom, and nine prolonged the coagulation time induced by the venom. When the extracts were administered either before or after venom injection, the neutralization of the edema-forming effect was lower than 40 percent for all extracts, and none of them neutralized the defibrinating effect of venom. When they were administered in situ (sc at the same site 5 min after venom injection), the neutralization of edema increased for six extracts, reaching levels up to 64 percent for C. limon.

Status epiléptico no convulsivo: una entidad heterogénea de difícil diagnóstico. Reporte de dos casos con presentación inusual / Non convulsive status epilepticus: an heterogeneous disease with a difficult diagnosis. Report of 2 cases with unusual presentation

Non convulsive status epilepticus is a heterogeneous condition consisting of very different electroclinical syndromes. It is difficult to make the diagnosis and identify common factors among patients. We report two cases with an unusual presentation. A 31 years old woman having discoid lupus presented with a prolonged exogenous psychosis that lasted two and half months, associated to echolalia. After the episode the patient remained with a severe frontal syndrome that could be the consequence of a non convulsive status epilepticus. A 60 years old woman with an epilepsy diagnosed at the age of 30, presented with recurrent episodes of aphasia. During one of these crises, the electroencephalogram showed continuous epileptiform activity.