Lymphatic system changes in diabetes mellitus: role of insulin and hyperglycemia.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic alterations of blood vessels have been well studied, but much less is known about the lymphatic system, which plays an important role in the transport of particles and defensive responses. Accordingly, we investigated lymphatic changes in diabetic rats. METHODS: Ten, 30 or 60 days after alloxan-induced diabetes (40 mg/kg; i.v.), we studied thoracic duct lymph flow and lymphocyte output, thoracic duct lymph transport of radiotracer particles ((99m)Tc-dextran 500), lymph node uptake and scintigraphic visualization of subcutaneously injected radiotracer particles, as well as the effect of insulin administration and food deprivation. RESULTS: Diabetes significantly increased thoracic duct lymph flow and the transport of dextran from the footpad subcutaneous tissue. Abnormal lymphocyte output from the thoracic duct occurred in the first 10 days. Uptake of dextran into regional lymph nodes was decreased in diabetes. Insulin per se, although not normalizing blood sugar levels, appeared to recover thoracic duct lymphocyte output and lymph node uptake of (99m)Tc-dextran 500 without affecting the thoracic duct lymph flow or the amount of radiotracer recovered therein. Normalization of glycemia (by food deprivation) restored the lymph flow to control levels without modifying the lymphocyte output. On the other hand, under insulin-restored normoglycemic conditions, both the thoracic duct lymph flow and the lymphocyte output were normalized. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that variables related to defensive mechanisms, such as lymphocyte recirculation and particles uptake into the lymph nodes can benefit from insulin treatment, whereas glycemic control can benefit transport mechanisms in the lymphatic system, such as lymph flow and lymphatic transport of particles.

[Xerostomia: the computerized gamma camera in diagnosis and treatment evaluation. Report of a case]. / Xerostomia: gamma-câmara computadorizada no diagnóstico e avaliação do tratamento. Relato de caso.

A 36-year old, white, married female referred an episode of acute parotitis 7 years ago, with the appearance of progressive impairment of saliva secretion during the last 3 years and, in the last few weeks, a 4-cm nodule in the left parotid gland. The computerized gamma-camera (CGC) examination after i.v. sodium (99mTc)-pertechnetate showed abnormally increased blood perfusion of the gland (corresponding to the nodule region), with virtually no concentration of the tracer in the salivary glands. A new scanning upon lemon juice (citric) stimulation was indistinguishable from that previously taken. A therapy with citric fruit, local massage and i.m. betamethasone (5 mg every 3 days) was instituted for 3 weeks. New CGC examination showed disappearance of the nodule, increased concentration of the tracer in salivary glands and satisfactory response to the citric stimulation. The clinical diagnosis of chronic inflammatory disease of the salivary glands was made; the response to therapy was considered excellent. Also, CGC scanning proved to be a simple and reliable method for salivary gland examination.

Pituitary-testicular axis abnormalities in immature male hypothyroid rats.

The pituitary-testicular disturbances which follow the onset of hypothyroidism were studied in immature male Wistar rats rendered hypothyroid by treatment with methimazole (MMI) given in drinking water, starting at 40 days of age. Half of the animals continued on MMI (MMI group) up to 140 days of age; the remaining rats were withdrawn MMI at 100 days and injected thereafter s.c. with 3 micrograms of T3 daily, during the last 40 days (MMI + T3 group). Ten rats were used as controls (C group). Hypothyroidism induced in immature animals significantly decreased serum T4, T3, LH, PRL, and testosterone levels, and also impaired the normal growth of body and sex accessory glands. T3 replacement therapy helped to normalize serum hormonal levels, but the body and sex accessory gland weights were not fully corrected. Hypothyroidism also reduced the [125I]LH/hCG binding sites of testicular homogenates. T3 replacement was not able to improve the binding; nonetheless, the hormone-receptor affinity constant remained unaltered among the groups. Leydig cell responsiveness to hCG stimulation in vitro (0-82 nM) showed impaired testosterone production in the MMI group (25% of that found in the C group) and also in the MMI + T3 group (80% of that found in the C group). These data demonstrate that induction of hypothyroidism in the immature male rat leads to alterations in serum LH, PRL and testosterone levels, and suggest that thyroid hormones have a modulating action on the testis as far as LH-mediated testosterone secretion is concerned.

Estudo comparativo entre exames subsidiarios em individuos acometidos por vasculopatias cerebrais isquemicas agudas. / Comparative study between complementary examinations in patients with acute ischenic cerebral vascular diseases

Estudaram-se 30 individuos acometidos de vasculopatia encefalica isquemica aguda atraves da comparacao de varios exames: radiografia de cranio, eletroencefalograma, liquor, arteriografia carotidea e angiografia cerebral, cintigrafia cerebral e fluxo cerebral hemisferico, e tomografia computadorizada.A radiografia e o exame do liquor foram pouco uteis. O eletroencefalograma foi positivo e fiel em 50% dos casos e nao fidedigno em 13,3%. O estudo angiografico foi fiel e positivo em 76,7% dos casos, mostrando o melhor indice neste estudo. A cintigrafia foi fiel e positiva em 33,3% dos casos, nao mostrando qualquer caso de incongruencia.O fluxo cerebral hemisferico mostrou aspecto semelhante em 50,0% dos casos. A tomografia computadorizada foi fiel e positiva em 43,3% dos casos, sendo incongruente en 40,3% dos casos Estes dados fazem sugerir que, com alguns senoes, o estudo angiografico e o fluxo cerebral hemisferico sao os exames que mereceriam maior confiabilidade pelo clinico De ambos, o fluxo e metodo nao-invasivo

Mensuração de índices cardiangiopulmonares, através do radiocardiograma, antes e após o emprego de verapamil por via oral em portadores de moléstia pulmonar obstrutiva crônica / Measurement of cardio-angio-pulmonary indices through radiocardiography, before and after the use of verapamil by oral route, in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease

Estudaram-se 20 individuos portadores de molestia pulmonar obstrutiva cronica, diagnosticados por meio de historia, exame clinico, radiografia pulmonar, cintilografias pulmonar e hepatica e espirometria.Administrou-se por via oral, em media, cerca de 360 mg de verapamil por dia, em tres tomadas, por 10 dias. Foram avaliadas as pressoes arteriais, a espirometria e os 9 indices radiocardiograficos, antes e apos o uso da droga. O aumento da capacidade vital em todos os casos (sem atingir a normalizacao); a queda das pressoes maxima e minima (e nao da diferencial); o aumento do tempo braco-coracao; do tempo medio de circulacao pulmonar e do volume sanguineo central sugerem que a acao de verapamil foi benefica sobre a pequena circulacao, que por vasodilatacao pulmonar direta, quer por broncodilatacao, diminuindo a resistencia pulmonar. Em um caso, ocorreu ansiedade e dispneia a partir do 3o. dia do uso do verapamial, sintomas que desapareceram prontamente com a suspensao do medicamento. Concluiu-se que o verapamil mostrou acao benefica em portadores de molestia pulmonar obstrutiva cronica

Função cardíaca em indivíduos normais e hipertensos antes e após o uso intravenoso de amidoara. Estudo com radioisótopos / Cardiac function in normal and hypertensive subjects before and after the intravenous use of amiodarone. Study with radioisotopes

Estudou-se a funcao cardiaca atraves do radiocardiograma antes e apos a administracao intravenosa do cloridrato de amiodarona em 20 individuos normais e em 20 hipertensos. Os indices radiocardiograficos estudados foram: tempo braco-coracao; tempo medio de circulacao pulmonar, tempo medio de duracao do ciclo cardiaco; debito cardiaco; indice cardiaco; volume sistolico; indice sistolico e volume sanguineo central. Nos normais nao se observou qualquer alteracao significativa em nenhum dos indices estudados. Nos individuos hipertensos, notou-se alteracao na forma da curva radiocardiografica, com melhor delineamento dos dois picos. Houve diminuicao estatisticamente significativa (P<0,05) do debito cardiaco; indice cardiaco; volume sistolico; indice sistolico e volume sanguineo central. Nos individuos normais, nao se notou qualquer acao depressora sobre a fibra miocardica. As alteracoes observadas nos hipertensos foram atribuidas a acao periferica do medicamento

Distribution and kinetics of hippuran 131I in rats.

A six-compartment model is proposed to study hippuran kinetics in several tissues and body fluids. This comprises plasma (in which the tracer is introduced), extravascular space (anatomically not defined), kidneys (left and right), "delay" (the dead space through which the urine passes from kidneys to the bladder) and the cumulative urinary excretion. Based on accurate internal measurements of radioactivity, theoretical values which reproduced the experimental data have been fitted to a SAAM program. A good fit was observed between the curves. This study is intended to be of value for better understanding and use of tests for clinical evaluation of renal function.

O emprego de radioisotopos como auxilio laboratorial no diagnostico da insuficiencia vascular cerebral. / Use of radioisotopes in the laboratorial diagnosis of cerebral vascular impairment

O presente estudo tem por finalidade mostrar a utilidade de varios aparelhos e tracadores radiativos no auxilio diagnostico da insuficiencia vascular cerebral. Assim, analisam-se as cintigrafias e os varios tipos de provas dinamicas e fluxo cerebrais

Distribution and kinetics of hippuran 131I in rats.

A six-compartment model is proposed to study hippuran kinetics in several tissues and body fluids. This comprises plasma (in which the tracer is introduced), extravascular space (anatomically not defined), kidneys (left and right), [quot ]delay[quot ] (the dead space through which the urine passes from kidneys to the bladder) and the cumulative urinary excretion. Based on accurate internal measurements of radioactivity, theoretical values which reproduced the experimental data have been fitted to a SAAM program. A good fit was observed between the curves. This study is intended to be of value for better understanding and use of tests for clinical evaluation of renal function.

Simplification in the method of thyroxine measurement by competitive protein-binding analysis.

It has been presented a new technique for measuring thyroxine based on the method first proposed by Murphy & Pattee 1964. This method was compared to Braverman et al. 1971 technique and to Seligson & Seligson's 1971 one. The advantage of the suggested technique consists in making only one radioactivity measuring in the Sephadex column itself, which avoids the risk of contamination and increase of costs. Therefore, it saves time and permits the automatization of the method by the use of an automatic gamma counter for 200 or 300 tubes.

Normal values of thyroxine and triiodo-thyronine retention in the rat. Valores normais de tiroxina e retenção de triiodo-tironina em ratos.

The authors report the results from Murphy and Pattee's method 9, 10 1964, 1966 for T4 and those from Hamolsky et al.'s method 5 1957 for percent retention of T3 as applied to the normal rat serum. For that purpose, 32 adult Wistar rats, of both sexes, kept at the laboratory environment and fed with usual diet were used. Blood samples were taken after noon directly from the heart, without anesthesia. The analysis showed a T4 value of 4.20 +/- 0.92 mug/100 ml of serum (both sexes). The percentuals for mean T3 retention values were found to be 87.46 +/- 6.59% (male) and 81.78 +/- 5.22% (female). No statistically significant correlation could be drawn between the body weights and the hormonal findings.