ABSTRACT
Trauma and surgery profoundly affect the circulating concentrations of metabolites and so-called stress hormones, and may thereby directly or indirectly influence recovery. This stress response on the other hand is subject to modification by the anaesthetics employed. We investigated the effects of isoflurane on selected stress parameters in 10 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery and compared them to those in 10 patients receiving halothane. Plasma levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, ACTH, and beta-endorphin, as well as glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and lactate were determined during a pre-operative anaesthesia period as well as intra- and post-operatively. The levels of all parameters remained stable or decreased during the pre-operative anaesthesia period. They increased intra- and/or post-operatively, reaching peak values in the recovery period. Although the changes in both groups were basically similar, we observed lower serum concentrations of cortisol and lactate in the isoflurane group. We conclude that isoflurane and halothane have similar effects on peri-operative changes of endocrine and metabolic parameters, and that neither can effectively block the stress response to major surgery. We found no firm evidence for a stimulatory effect of isoflurane on the parameters studied.
Subject(s)
Anesthesia, Inhalation , Isoflurane , Stress, Physiological/etiology , Surgical Procedures, Operative/psychology , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood , Adult , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Epinephrine/blood , Fatty Acids, Nonesterified/blood , Female , Halothane , Humans , Hydrocortisone/blood , Lactates/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Norepinephrine/blood , Stress, Physiological/metabolism , beta-Endorphin/bloodABSTRACT
Simvastatin, a new HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitor, was administered to 27 patients for a period of one year. This drug caused a sustained decrease in total plasma- and LDL-cholesterol. No development of cataracts could be observed during this one year follow-up.
Subject(s)
Cataract/chemically induced , Lovastatin/analogs & derivatives , Cholesterol/blood , Cholesterol, LDL/blood , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Hypercholesterolemia/drug therapy , Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II/drug therapy , Lovastatin/adverse effects , Lovastatin/therapeutic use , Male , Middle Aged , SimvastatinABSTRACT
The retina of rabbits was coagulated with different wave-lengths (570-630 nm) using a tunable dye laser with Rhodamin 6G. To achieve comparable ophthalmoscopic appearance the intensity of the laser beam was varied with neutral filters of varying absorption. Histologic examination of fresh coagulation effects and 3-week-old coagulation scars showed no difference in relation to the wave-length used. Theoretically, 577 nm seems to be a particularly useful wavelength for the treatment of a wide variety of retinal lesions because it is not absorbed in xanthophyll and penetrates opacities of the optic media better than argon blue green. Furthermore, it is absorbed maximally in hemoglobin, making it particularly suitable for the coagulation of blood vessels.
