ABSTRACT
A variety of retinal changes that have so far not been classified under mitochondriopathies can now be included in this group, since muscle biopsy has identified ragged-red fibers with pathological mitochondriae. The ophthalmological findings in our relatively large group of 12 patients with mitochondrial myopathies are compared with the spectrum of myopathic findings. No obvious correlation exists between the severity of the pathological retinal changes and the characteristic of the myopathic alterations. In addition to fine pigmentation and depigmentation, severe dystrophic changes of the retina, pigment epithelium, and the choroid were observed. In two patients with severe chorioretinal dystrophy the correlation with generalized mitochondriopathy was not suspected prior to muscle biopsy.
Subject(s)
Mitochondria, Muscle , Muscles/ultrastructure , Ophthalmoplegia/pathology , Retina/ultrastructure , Adolescent , Adult , Biopsy , Electrocardiography , Electroretinography , Female , Fluorescein Angiography , Fundus Oculi , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmoplegia/physiopathology , Retina/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The Comopac electrochemical device for CO determination in the workplace was adapted for CO and COHb determination in blood. The method enables the determination of COHb from 1 to 95% in 0.5 mL of blood in 20 min. Comparison of results obtained with the Comopac, spectrophotometry, and gas chromatography showed comparable accuracy and precision. The specificity of the electrochemical method was better than spectrophotometry and comparable with gas chromatography.
Subject(s)
Carbon Monoxide/blood , Carboxyhemoglobin/analysis , Chromatography, Gas , Electrodes , Environmental Exposure , Humans , SpectrophotometrySubject(s)
Mitochondria, Muscle/ultrastructure , Retinal Degeneration/pathology , Adolescent , Adult , Blepharoptosis/pathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Fluorescein Angiography , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmoplegia/pathology , Pigment Epithelium of Eye/pathology , Retinitis Pigmentosa/pathologyABSTRACT
The influence of a 7-day medication of either cimetidine (1,000 mg per day) or ranitidine (300 mg per day) on serum ethanol concentrations after a single oral dose of ethanol (0.8 gm per kg body weight) was investigated in a randomized placebo-controlled study in eight male volunteers. Compared with the placebo, cimetidine but not ranitidine produced a significant increase in both the peak serum ethanol concentration (85.9 +/- 3.5 vs. 73.0 +/- 3.2 mg dl-1, p less than 0.02) and in the area under the serum ethanol concentration time curve (350 +/- 19 vs. 304 +/- 25 mg dl-1 hr-1, p less than 0.05). However, the ethanol elimination rate was not affected by cimetidine. When ethanol (1.0 gm per kg body weight) was administered intravenously, cimetidine failed to induce a change in ethanol metabolism. Furthermore, the effect of H2-receptor antagonists was studied in animal experiments. Female Sprague-Dawley rats received a single dose of ethanol (7 or 3 gm per kg body weight) together with an intraperitoneal injection of either cimetidine (120 mg per kg body weight), ranitidine (120 mg per kg body weight) or isotonic saline. After alcohol absorption, ethanol elimination was significantly inhibited by both cimetidine (3.99 +/- 0.39 vs. 5.68 +/- 0.23 mmoles kg-1 hr-1, p less than 0.02) and ranitidine (4.21 +/- 0.14 vs. 5.68 +/- 0.23 mmoles kg-1 hr-1, p less than 0.02) at high ethanol concentrations (60 to 20 mM) but not at blood ethanol concentrations below 20 mM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Subject(s)
Ethanol/metabolism , Histamine H2 Antagonists/pharmacology , Adult , Animals , Antipyrine/metabolism , Cimetidine/pharmacology , Female , Humans , Male , Ranitidine/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
A microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) is present in the colonic mucosa of the rat. This MEOS metabolizes ethanol to acetaldehyde at the physiological pH of 7.4. Alcohol dehydrogenase or catalase are not involved in the reaction. The Michaelis Menten constant of the reaction is 13.7 +/- 0.3 mM and the maximal velocity is 219 +/- 30 pmoles acetaldehyde/mg microsomal protein X min. Bacterial ethanol metabolism does not contribute to the acetaldehyde production in the colonic MEOS. Chronic ethanol consumption has no effect on colonic MEOS activity. In addition, chronic ethanol ingestion does not affect colonic microsomal NADPH-cytochrome-c-reductase nor benzo(a) pyrene hydroxylase activity.
Subject(s)
Colon/metabolism , Ethanol/metabolism , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , Alcohol Oxidoreductases/metabolism , Animals , In Vitro Techniques , Kinetics , Male , Microsomes/enzymology , NADP/metabolism , NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase/metabolism , Oxidation-Reduction , Rats , Rats, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
Several poisonings by diphenhydramine were reported shortly after it had been introduced as an antihistamine in 1945. In the Federal Republic of Germany its combination with 8-chlorotheophylline (dimenhydrinate) is available as a hypnotic without prescription. Replacing the dangerous diethylpentenamide diphenhydramine is a drug which is also often abused. Fatal poisonings, suicide attempts, and traffic accidents were increasingly observed. In seven cases drug-influenced road users caused traffic accidents. We observed blood concentrations of diphenhydramine as high as in four cases of clinically treated patients after ingestion of large doses. This indicates a serious drug abuse. The measurement of the concentration of diphenhydramine and its major metabolite (diphenmethoxy acetic acid) in blood and urine is a means of recognizing chronic use and misuse of diphenhydramine. As the metabolite accumulates in blood one may find an elevated level after multiple dosing. Shortly after taking a single dose no or only low metabolite concentration is found. The concentration of diphenhydramine and its metabolite was measured in several fatal cases. In one of these cases the concentration in body fluids and tissues was in a range not observed until now.
Subject(s)
Diphenhydramine/poisoning , Forensic Medicine , Accidents, Traffic , Biotransformation , Dimenhydrinate/metabolism , Dimenhydrinate/poisoning , Diphenhydramine/metabolism , Drug Combinations , Half-Life , Humans , Metabolic Clearance Rate , Suicide, Attempted/legislation & jurisprudenceSubject(s)
Thallium/poisoning , Adult , Animals , Forensic Psychiatry , Humans , Male , Mice , Neurologic Manifestations , Pesticides/poisoning , Rats , Rodent Control , Suicide, AttemptedABSTRACT
In 12 cases of fatal poisoning with morphine or heroin a radioimmunological determination of morphine was carried out in vitreous humor, cerebrospinal fluid and urine. The concentrations varied between 30 and 350 ng of morphine-equivalents/ml in the cerebrospinal fluid and between 45 and 280 ng/ml in the vitreous humor (urine concentrations: 120-100.000 ng/ml). The counts per minute differed significantly for samples with and without prior ingestion of morphine, when vitreous and cerebrospinal fluids were tested by the morphine (3H) radioimmunoassay. Thereby it was clearly demonstrated, that radioimmunoassay is a valuable screening procedure for the rapid identification of morphine in corpses, even when urine is not available.
