Posttraumatic subdural hygroma: CT findings and differential diagnosis.

Subdural hygroma is a cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the subdural space. It is an epiphenomenon of head injury. CT is the preferred diagnostic imaging modality. Differential diagnosis has to be made with chronic subdural hematoma, and atrophy with enlargement of the subarachnoid space. As time goes by, subdural hygroma either resolves, or it becomes a chronic subdural hematoma. Neurosurgical evacuation is only required when mass effect creates neurologic symptoms.

Fasciola hepatica: liver microsomal membrane functions in host rat.

Changes in different microsomal membrane functions were measured in the liver of rats 3, 6, or 9 weeks following an oral infection with 20 metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica. The parasitic pathology noted at autopsy was accompanied by increased levels in both plasma aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) and microsomal gamma-glutamyltransferase (EC 2.3.2.2). Heme oxygenase activity of microsomes was significantly decreased by Weeks 3 and 6 postinfection and this decrease correlates with those of total microsomal cytochrome P450 and certain P450-dependent monooxygenase activities, namely, benzphetamine demethylation, ethoxycoumarin deethylation, and benzopyrene hydroxylation. Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EC 3.3.2.3) was only altered 6 weeks after the infection. During the early stages of the parasitism, there were decreases in both microsomal calcium uptake and calcium ATPphosphohydrolase activity (EC 2.6.1.1), whereas membrane fluidity, estimated by the order parameter S, was lower in the infected rats than that in the controls. These alterations could be related to the already described increase in liver cytosolic calcium or lipid peroxidation which occurs in experimental fascioliasis.

Ca-efflux, from direct membrane injury by CCl4, is elicited by amphiphilic vehicles in vitro.

Direct membrane injury by CCl4, in situations excluding metabolic activation, was evaluated in saponin-permeabilized hepatocytes and in microsomes by measuring immediate Ca2+ efflux. A good correlation appears between the Ca2+ efflux and the level of CCl4 in the membrane and also the variations in fluidity. Mixtures of CCl4 with water-soluble vehicles were used to improve the dispersion of CCl4 in the medium. The mixtures varied in their ability to elicit the membrane effects of CCl4. The performance of ethanol and, to a lesser degree, other alcohols, suggests the existence of a water stable structural organization between CCl4 and these amphiphilic vehicles, facilitating the transfer of CCl4 to the membrane.

The effect of dietary essential fatty acid deficiency on the composition and properties of the liver microsomal membrane of rats.

The effect of dietary essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency on lipid composition, fluidity and important enzyme and transport activities of liver microsomal membrane was studied in weanling rats. After 133 d of EFA deficiency, no difference was noticed in membrane phospholipid, cholesterol and protein levels, but a significant change occurred in the fatty acid composition of bilayer phospholipids. In EFA-deficient rats, linoleic (18:2(n-6] and arachidonic (20:4(n-6] acids were both severely lower while oleic (18:1(n-9], palmitoleic (16:1(n-7] and particularly 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic (20:3(n-9] acids were significantly higher than in controls. The higher level of the latter tended to compensate for the lower level of 20:4(n-6). Membrane fluidity, as estimated by the reciprocal of the order parameter S, was lower in the deficient rats than in the controls, and all the measured microsomal enzyme activities were markedly affected. NADH-Cyt b5 electron transferring system, coupled with the fatty acid desaturation system, was higher than in controls. In contrast, the cytochrome P450 complex activity was lower and some of the important liver detoxifying enzyme activities were lower due to physical-chemical changes in the microsomal membrane. Calcium uptake and Ca2+-ATPase activity were also significantly lower in EFA-deficient rats than in controls. It was concluded that fatty acid composition may be the major factor contributing to membrane fluidity and function and that EFA might play a role in regulating the intrinsic membrane protein activities.

Activity of liver microsomal Ca2+-ATPase in relation to perturbation of membrane hydrophobic interactions induced by methoxybenzene derivatives and n-aliphatic alcohols.

Changes in the activity of liver microsomal Ca2+-ATPase were studied in the presence of two series of lipophilic compounds: four flavouring substances derived from methoxybenzene and four n-aliphatic alcohols. With each compound the activity was stimulated at lower concentrations and inhibited at higher concentrations. The linear relationship between equiactive concentrations of the compounds and their partition coefficients showed that the enzyme activity was modulated by perturbation of membrane hydrophobic interactions. Measurements carried out by electron-spin resonance (ESR) showed evidence of a decrease in the membrane order induced by these compounds. However, results obtained with the methoxybenzene derivatives showed that the modification in ATPase activity cannot be directly related to the decrease in membrane order. This decrease did not only reflect perturbation of hydrophobic interactions.

Na+-coupled D-glucose uptake and membrane order of enterocyte brush border membrane vesicles, under the effect of a series of N-phenylcarbamates.

The importance of the hydrophobic effect of exogenous substances and of modifications of membrane order on D-glucose uptake are still poorly defined. Our results show that the concentrative Na+ -coupled D-glucose uptake of rat enterocyte brush border membrane vesicles is inhibited by N-phenylcarbamates increase the membrane order. However, since the concentrations required for membrane order increase are much greater than those active on D-glucose uptake, the effects on lipid order cannot be responsible for the inhibition of D-glucose uptake. Measurements of D-glucose uptake under conditions of Na+ equilibrium show that these carbamates do not act directly on the carrier but indirectly by favouring the dissipation of the Na+ gradient.