Effect of cold stress on gallbladder contractility in humans.

The effect of cold stress in the form of repeated hand immersion in ice cold water or repeated application to a hand of extremely cold - nitrogen gas, at a temperature of -180 degrees C (93 K), on the emptying of a meal-stimulated gallbladder was examined in seven healthy volunteers of both sexes. The control procedure consisted of repeated application to a hand of air at neutral temperatures (+35 degrees(-)+37 degrees C). Each subject underwent three examinations on separate days, the procedures being applied in random order. Gallbladder volume was measured by means of real-time ultrasonography. Measurements of volumes of the fasted gallbladder were also made on the three study days and gave similar values: 20.3 cm3, SEM 2.7 (control), 22.1 cm3, SEM 2.5 (cryotherapy), and 20.0 cm3, SEM 2.5 (cold immersion), F(2, 12) = 2.47, P greater than 0.1. A significant delaying effect of cold stress on postprandial gallbladder contractility was observed: F(2, 72) = 7.44, P less than 0.005, and F(2, 72) = 4.45, P less than 0.025 for gallbladder volume and ejection fraction, respectively. A significant difference was detected between the local application of cold gas and the control procedure (P less than 0.005) and local cryotherapy and the cold pressor test (P less than 0.05) in the case of the postprandial gallbladder volume, as well as between the local application of cold gas and the control procedure (P less than 0.025) for the ejection fraction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Comparative crossover double-blind study of profenid and indomethacin patients with rheumatoid arthritis]. / Vergleichende Crossover-Doppelblindstudie mit Profenid und Indometazin bei Patienten mit Rheumatoid-Arthritis.

38 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, randomly divided into two groups, underwent a three weeks treatment with profenid (3 capsules + 1 suppositorium) alternatively with indomethacin (3 capsules + 1 suppositorium), which head lasted six weeks in case of each patient. The study was double-blind using a crossover technique. The results show that the efficacy of the applied doses of profenid is similar to that of indomethacin. Profenid is superior to indomethacin with regard to drug tolerance.

[The use of 99mTc-pyrophosphate indices in the quantitative evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis activity]. / Anwendung der 99mTc-Pyrophosphat-Indices in der quantitativen Bewertung der Aktivität der Rheumatoiden Arthritis.

The authors have presented their own method of defining "joint to bone" and "joint to joint" radioactivity indicators with the application of 99mTc-pyrophosphate. Investigations of the degree of 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation in the 4 chosen points have shown that the lowest coefficient of changeability points out at half of crus length. The authors have employed radioactivity measurement of this place as a constant reference point while defining all the indicators "joint to bone". On the basis of the investigations carried out in 45 patients with varied degrees of rheumatoid arthritis activity and in the control group of twenty individuals it was established that the applied method makes possible the quantitative evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis activity in a simple way and in a short time.