An experimental study on the application of extracorporeal shock waves in the treatment of tendon injuries: preliminary report.

The use of low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has recently been introduced in pseudoarthrosis, fracture, and wound healing for both clinical and experimental purposes. In this study, we created an experimental rat model to investigate the histopathological and biochemical effects of ESWT in the healing of tendon injury that may accompany fractures. Twenty-eight rats were used for the histopathological investigation. The right achilles tendon of the rat was cut and then sutured, using Modified Kessler stitches method. Five hundred shock waves, set at 14 kV, were applied to the achilles tendon under fluoroscopic guidance. Fourteen rats that underwent a sham operation served as the control group. Biochemical studies were done on 20 rats, divided into four groups of 5 rats in each. The first and second groups received 500 shock waves, at 14 kV, after the cutting and repairing of the Achilles tendon. To measure hydroxyproline levels, the rats in the first and second groups were killed on postoperative days 3 and 9, respectively. The third and fourth groups served as controls. Hydroxyproline levels were found to be high in the study groups. The histopathological findings and the increased hydroxyproline levels revealed that ESWT may facilitate tendon healing after trauma.

Intraoperative bowel irrigation improves anastomotic collagen metabolism in the left-sided colonic obstruction but not covering colostomy.

This study investigated the effects of intraoperative colonic irrigation and proximal diverting end colostomy after segmental bowel resection in experimental left-colonic obstruction on anastomotic healing. Simple obstruction of descending colon was performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. After 24 h we performed segmental colonic resection and anastomosis in the control group (n = 15); resection, anastomosis, and covering colostomy in the colostomy group (n = 14); resection and anastomosis after antegrade colonic lavage through cecum by using isotonic saline solution in the irrigation group (n = 13). In rats that were killed 7 days later anastomotic dehiscence and bursting pressure and tissue hydroxyproline concentration at the anastomosis were measured. No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of anastomotic dehiscence, bursting site, or pressure. The hydroxyproline concentration was significantly higher in the irrigation group than the control group (P = 0.025) and the colostomy group (P = 0.029), but no difference was noted between the control group and the colostomy group. These findings suggest that intraoperative antegrade colonic irrigation in the acute left-sided colonic obstruction positively affects collagen metabolism at the anastomotic site; if the anastomosis is performed without bowel cleansing, covering colostomy does not improve collagen metabolism.

Renal dysfunctions secondary to ifosfamide treatment in children.

With the increasing use of ifosfamide in pediatric tumors, nephrotoxicity became the point of interest since it may cause chronic morbidity. In this study, the renal glomerular and tubular functions of 25 cases with solid tumors aged between 2-17 years (median 9) who were treated with ifosfamide, were investigated. For this purpose, routine blood urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, electrolytes, urinary creatinine, phosphorus, glucose, protein and urinary retinol binding protein as well as microglobulin were evaluated. Except for two patients who had hypophosphatemia, phosphaturia, and proteinuria, all the cases had normal blood biochemistry, creatinine clearance, tubular phosphate reabsorption; and none had proteinuria, hematuria, or glycosuria. In spite of these findings, urine beta 2 microglobulin and retinol binding protein were found to be high in 11 patients and this elevation persisted during the following one year in 8 cases whose treatments were stopped and their levels increased in three patients who continued to receive fosfamide therapy. In correlation with the increasing cumulative dose of ifosfamide (32-126 g/m2), urinary retinol binding protein or beta 2 microglobulin of patients who are treated with ifosfamide may predict the existence of renal toxicity even if other routine renal function tests are normal. Thus, the periodic evaluation of urinary beta 2 microglobulin and retinol binding protein in patients receiving chemotherapy containing ifosfamide is recommended.

Flow cytometric DNA studies and AgNOR counts in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Flow cytometry appears to be a promising diagnostic method which may influence the therapeutic approach to transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder. The number of silver-stained nuclear organizer regions (AgNORs) seems to correlate with the growth fractions of the cells. In this study, we report the results of combined flow cytometric analysis and AgNOR in 37 patients with TCC of the bladder. A positive correlation was observed in the histological grade, stage and growth pattern in relation to the ploidy of tumors. There were statistically significant differences among the mean AgNOR counts of the different groups as defined by DNA content, histological grade, growth pattern and disease outcome. In different stage groups, the AgNOR counts were related both to recurrence and progression. It was concluded that AgNOR counts performed on routine formalin-fixed paraffin sections furnish significant kinetic information. According to our preliminary results AgNOR counts and the DNA content of the tumors should also be measured to decide on more aggressive treatment in some cases.

An investigation on the propagationof tsunamis in the aegean sea by mathematical modeling

Based on the seismic characteristics of the Aegean Sea and the surrounding regions, the earthquakes during the last century have been investigated and the related fault breaks and some tsunamis in the region are analyzed. The computer model Tsunami - N1, at the Tohoku University, is modified to satisfy for the boundary conditions and bathymetry of the Aegean Sea and a version Tsuanami - N1-Ege, is developed. This model is applied to investigate the generation and propagation of the "1956 southern Aegean Tsunami" and an expected hypothetical "Andicithira tsunami" (AU)