Measurement of belly composition variability in pigs by in vivo computed tomographic scanning.

The belly region composition of a representative commercial pig sample of 130 castrates was examined by in vivo spiral computed tomographic (CT) scanning. The lean meat percentage, the muscle/fat tissue ratio within the total body and separately within the bacon part were estimated by image analysis. The lean meat content of the total body was determined by the EU reference method. A correlation of r = 0.97 was found between lean meat content of the total body determined by CT estimation and the slaughtering results. The pigs were divided into seven groups on the basis of their lean meat content. The muscle percentage of the bacon part was 26% and 67%, respectively, in the two groups representing the two extremes of lean meat percentage (36% and 67%, respectively). The total volume of the bacon part was relatively constant (8.6 +/- 1 dm3) in the groups representing different lean meat categories. At the same time, the fat tissue volume of the bacon part was considerably higher while its muscle tissue volume was markedly lower in the group of the lowest than in that of the highest lean meat content (6.6 vs. 2.5 dm3 and 2.4 vs. 5.5 dm3, respectively). To describe changes in the tissue composition of the bacon part during fattening, 10 castrates were scanned repeatedly at 70, 90 and 110 kg of liveweight. A linear regression model was developed to characterise the continuous decrease observed in the muscle/fat ratio within the bacon part due to increasing liveweight.

Complete atrioventricular block due to large cell lymphoma: resolution with chemotherapy.

Malignant lymphoma commonly involves the heart. Previous studies have found cardiac metastases in up to 20% of patients dying with lymphoma. Cardiac signs and symptoms of lymphoma are relatively rare, however, and in most cases, the diagnosis is made either postmortem or too late to affect the clinical course. This report presents the first case of complete heart block due to lymphoma that responded to surgery and chemotherapy with return of normal atrial ventricular conduction.

Phrenic nerve pacing--an alternative to positive pressure ventilation: the required nursing care.

Phrenic nerve pacing as a method of ventilation was first recognized in 1783. For years, this technique was not used because of the lack of practical technology. Interest in phrenic nerve pacing was renewed in the 1960s with the development of a radio frequency transmission system. Applicable to a limited patient population, phrenic nerve pacing has several benefits over positive-pressure ventilation. Benefits include greater patient mobility, verbal articulation, less mechanical noise, and breathing by natural negative-pressure. This article provides information for nurses who care for patients ventilated by phrenic nerve pacing.

Effects of (+)-cyanidanol-3 on chronic liver injury.

Thirty patients of both sexes, suffering from alcoholic or diabetic liver injury, were studied in order to establish therapeutic effects of daily 3000 mg (+)-cyanidanol-3 administered for 3 weeks. In addition to subjective complaints, alterations in liver-specific enzyme-levels, changes in serumlipoids, the BSP half-time, activity of the microsomal enzyme-system and changes in the diabetic metabolism were studied. During the observation significant improvement of the disturbed enzyme-activities, decrease of the high lipoid level, reduction of the BSP half-time and the increasing activity of the microsomal enzyme-system could be proved. In case of diabetic patients a favourable change of the metabolic status could be established. Subjective complaints of patients subsided. In case of 17 patients the radionuclide HIDA method was applied too in order to study the dynamics of bile-transport. A moderately significant acceleration of the bile-transport could be observed. While continuing the treatment of 15 patients for 6 months, a control liver biopsy was carried out and in 10 cases it revealed favourable changes in the histological finding. During cyanidanol treatment gastrointestinal intolerance was observed in two patients, but only temporarily. Immune haemolysis did not occur.

Chronic aggressive hepatitis after methyldopa treatment. Case report with electron-microscopic study.

A case of hepatitis induced by methyldopa and verified by means of challenge with the drugs is reported. The severe, chronic, aggressive inflammation greatly regressed after discontinuing the drug. The clinical differences, as well as those in laboratory findings disappeared. The electron-microscopic showed definite, but non-specific changes in the hepatic and sinusoidal mesenchymal cells. Our case was compared with the electromicroscopic picture of chronic aggressive hepatitis of unknown aetiology, and one essential difference was found in our hepatitis case as a result of methyldopa treatment: pathologic fibrogenesis did not occur. The rapid regression of the severe morphological picture can be attributed to this fact.

Sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase activity of human lymphocyte membrane vesicles: kinetic parameters, substrate specificity, and effects of phytohemagglutinin.

We have prepared human blood lymphocyte membrane vesicles of high purity in sufficient quantity for detailed enzyme analysis. This was made possible by the use of plateletpheresis residues, which contain human lymphocytes in amounts equivalent to thousands of milliliters of blood. The substrate specificity and the kinetics of the cofactor and substrate requirements of the human lymphocyte membrane Na+, K+-ATPase activity were characterized. The Na+, K+-ATPase did not hydrolyze ADP, AMP, ITP, UTP, GTP or TTP. The mean ATPase stimulated by optimal concentrations of Na+ and K+ (Na+, K+-ATPase) was 1.5 nmol of P(i) hydrolyzed, microgram protein-1, 30 min-1 (range 0.9-2.1). This activity was completely inhibited by the cardiac glycoside, ouabain. The K(m) for K+ was approximately 1.0 mM and the K(m) for Na+ was approximately 15 mM. Active Na+ and K+ transport and ouabain-sensitive ATP production increase when lymphocytes are stimulated by PHA. Na+, K+-ATPase activity must increase also to transduce energy for the transport of Na+ and K+. Some studies have reported that PHA stimulates the lymphocyte membrane ATPase directly. We did not observe stimulation of the membrane Na+, K+-ATPase when either lymphocytes or lymphocyte membranes were treated with mitogenic concentrations of PHA. Moreover, PHA did not enhance the reaction velocity of the Na+, K+-ATPase when studied at the K(m) for ATP, Na+, K+ OR Mg++, indicating that it does not alter the affinity of the enzyme for its substrate or cofactors. Thus, our data indicate that the increase in ATPase activity does not occur as a direct result of PHA action on the cell membrane.

[Effect of corticosterone on serotonin metabolism in the rat brain]. / Vliianie kortikosterona na metabolizm serotonina v mozge krys.

The authors studied the influence of a single intraperitoneal administration of corticosterone to rats on the content of serotonin, 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA), serotonin turnover in the hypothalamus, mesencephalon, dorsal hyppocampus, frontal and parietal cortex. In a dose of 1 mg per 1 kg of body weight corticosterone increased the content and the turnover of serotonin in the hypothalamus and the mesencephalon 30 min after its administration. 120 min after the administration of the hormone the content of serotonin was restored to control values. Corticosterone produced no influence on serotonin content and its turnover in other regions of the brain. Corticosterone in a dose of 10 mg/kg 30 min after its administration decreased the serotonin content and its turnover in the hypothalamus and the mesencephalon. The 5-HIAA content decreased considerably in the hypothalamus, but rose in the mesencephalon and the hyppocampus. The results obtained indicated that the influence of corticosterone on serotonin metabolism depended on the region of the brain under study, on the dose used and the time lapse after its administration.