Chromium uptake by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and isolation of glucose tolerance factor from yeast biomass.

Fermentations with yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in semiaerobic and in static conditions with the addition of chromic chloride into the used molasses medium were analysed. It was proved that the addition of optimal amounts of CrCl3 into the basal medium enhanced the kinetics of alcohol fermentations. The addition of 200 mg/l CrCl3 into the medium stimulated both the yeast growth and the ethanol production in all experimental conditions. On the other hand, the results showed that Cr3+ ions were incorporated into yeast cells during fermentation. Under these conditions the accumulation of Cr3+ ions was performed by yeast cells during the exponential growth phase, and with enriched amounts of 30-45 microg/g(d.m) of cells. Yeast biomass enriched with chromium ions was extracted with 0.1 mol/l NH4OH assuming that the extracts had the glucose tolerance factor (GTF). Then the extracts were passed through a gel-filtration column in order to isolate and purify the GTF. The presence of GTF in the purified fractions was determined by measuring the absorbance at 260 nm. It is evident from the obtained results that the added purified fractions enhanced the rates of CO2 production as well as the glucose utilization during alcoholic fermentation. As expected, the enhancement of both rates depended on the amounts of extracts added to the fermentation substrate. Thus, it is evident that purified extracts contained the GTF compound, and that Cr3+ ions were bonded to the protein molecule.

[Reduction in left ventricular volume and improvement in hemodynamics following intravenous administration of pimobendan (UDGG 115 BS) in dilated cardiomyopathy]. / Reduktion der linksventrikulären Volumina und Verbesserung der Hämodynamik nach intravenöser Gabe von Pimobendan (UDCG 115 BS) bei dilatativer Kardiomyopathie.

Acute cardiovascular effects of 5 mg (group I, n = 6) and 10 mg (group II, n = 6) i.v. pimobendan (UDCG 115 BS) were studied by right and left heart catheterizations in patients suffering from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (NYHA II and III). Before and 2.5 h after application of pimobendan left ventricular volumes and left ventricular dP/dtmax were evaluated by left heart catheterization. Right atrial pressure (RAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCP), cardiac output (CO), heart rate, and systemic blood pressure were assessed before and 2.5, 4, and 6 h after administration of pimobendan. PCP was reduced from 12.2 +/- 7.5 to 8.3 +/- 7.1 mm Hg (p less than 0.05) by 5 mg of pimobendan, and from 18.3 +/- 6.2 to 6.2 +/- 3.4 mm Hg (p less than 0.005) by 10 mg of pimobendan. Reduction of RAP was significant only in group II (from 6.2 +/- 3.2 to 1.2 +/- 0.9 mm Hg; p less than 0.05). In contrast to other hemodynamic parameters, the significant increase of CO exhibited no dose-dependency. Only 10 mg of pimobendan induced a temporary reduction of mean arterial blood pressure. An increase in heart rate occurred only in group I and was merely transient. Left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic volume indices were clearly reduced by 5 mg as well as by 10 mg of pimobendan. A significant rise of left ventricular ejection fraction occurred only in group II. However, left ventricular dP/dtmax was increased significantly in both groups. No adverse effects were noted during acute administration of pimobendan. Therefore, intravenous pimobendan may be a useful drug in the treatment of acute cardiac failure.

Effect of intravenous pimobendan (UDCG 115 BS) on hemodynamics and left ventricular volumes in idiopathic dilative cardiomyopathy.

Acute cardiovascular effects of 5 mg (group I, n = 6) and 10 mg (group II, n = 6) intravenous pimobendan (UDCG 115 BS) were studied by right and left heart catheterizations in patients suffering from idiopathic dilative cardiomyopathy (NYHA II and III). Before and 2.5 h after application of pimobendan, left ventricular volumes and left ventricular dP/dtmax were evaluated by left heart catheterization. Right atrial pressure (RAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCP), cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), and sytemic blood pressure (BP) were assessed before and 2.5, 4, and 6 h after administration of pimobendan. PCP was reduced from 12.2 +/- 7.5 to 8.3 +/- 7.1 mm Hg (p less than 0.05) by 5 mg pimobendan, and from 18.3 +/- 6.2 to 6.2 +/- 3.4 mm Hg (p less than 0.005) by 10 mg pimobendan. Reduction of RAP was only significant in group II (6.2 +/- 3.2 to 1.2 +/- 0.9 mm Hg; p less than 0.05). In contrast to other hemodynamic parameters, the significant increase of CO exhibited no dose dependency. Only at 10 mg pimobendan induced a temporary reduction of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). An increase in HR occurred only in group I and was merely transient. Left ventricular end-diastolic (EDVI) and end-systolic volume (ESVI) indices were clearly reduced by 5 mg, as well as by 10 mg pimobendan. However, a significant rise of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) only occurred in group II. On the other hand, left ventricular dP/dtmax was increased significantly in both groups. No adverse effects were noted during acute administration of pimobendan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The efficacy of nifedipine and acebutolol in coronary artery disease assessed by radionuclide ventriculography.

The efficacy of a fixed combination of 10 mg nifedipine and 100 mg acebutolol was tested in 21 patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD). Ejection fraction (EF), emptying and filling rate (VS and VD), and end-systolic volume (ESV) were assessed by means of radionuclide ventriculography at rest and during exercise prior to as well as 1 hour and 5 hours following oral drug application. Whereas exercise-induced worsening of cardiac function had been documented in all the patients prior to medication, EF and ESV improved significantly after drug administration.

[NMR tomography in cardiology. I. Anatomy of the healthy heart]. / NMR-Tomographie in der Kardiologie. I. Anatomie des gesunden Herzens.

The normal anatomy of the heart and the neighboring large vessels of a healthy volunteer is depicted in ECG-triggered NMR tomograms. The tomograms were recorded with a slice thickness of 10 mm without gap in transversal, sagittal and coronal orientation. They show a variety of anatomical and morphological details which cannot be obtained by means of other noninvasive imaging modalities.

[Deep venous thrombosis: streptokinase treatment with adaptation of the maintenance dosage]. / Tiefe Venenthrombosen: Streptokinase-Behandlung mit anagepasster Erhaltungsdosis.

Prolonged infusion of streptokinase at the customary dose of 100 000 u/h results in undesired plasminogen depletion in many patients. This can be avoided by adaptation of the streptokinase maintenance dose to the presumed rate of plasminogen synthesis of each individual patient. The practicability of this approach was tested in 52 patients who had streptokinase therapy of 3 to 9 days duration for deep vein thrombosis. Twice daily measurements of thrombin time and fibrinogen concentration were performed for immediate clinical surveyance and dosage adjustments. These led to a change from the original 100 000 u/h in most patients: in 65% the dose was reduced and in 10% it was increased. By this measure excessive plasminogen depletion was avoided in 88% of the patients. In them the final maintenance dose ranged from 40 000 to 150 000 u/h. Side effects were similar to those reported for the standard dosage scheme, and clinical results were good with a phlebographic success rate of 91% in recent and 65% in subacute or chronic deep vein thrombosis.

[Urokinase therapy of deep vein thrombosis (author's transl)]. / Die Behandlung tiefer Venenthrombosen mit Urokinase.

30 patients with deep vein thrombosis were treated with a combination of urokinase and heparin. Clinically relevant improvement was achieved in 2/3 of them with appr. 40,000 IU/h (1,000,000 IU/d) urokinase administered over a period of several days. This indicates that urokinase at this dosage offers a valuable alternative or supplementation to fibrinolytic therapy with streptokinase. With the dosage employed, routine blood coagulation tests are only minimally affected, although a strong enhancement of fibrinolytic activity can be demonstrated by the euglobulin clot lysis time. Plasminogen depletion - as is usually observed with streptokinase therapy - does not occur. Urokinase is well tolerated and there is only a very moderate bleeding tendency. The cost per day of urokinase therapy at the dosage employed is approximately twice that of customary streptokinase therapy.

[Value of 201-thallium serial myocardial imaging in coronary heart disease (author's transl)]. / Thallium-201-Serienmyokardszintigraphie bei koronarer Herzkrankheit: Vergleich mit der Elektrokardiographie und Koronarangiographie.

There has been clinical evidence that a perfusion defect on a stress image fills in over time. The diagnostic value of initial and 120 min post exercise redistribution thallium-201 myocardial images (RMI) was determined in 120 pts. with suspected coronary heart disease (CAD), all of whom had coronary arteriography. Significant (greater than or equal to 75%) lesions were present in 88 pts. 30 pts. without CAD showed a normal tracer uptake immediately after exercise. Scintigrams taken 120 min after exercise revealed a decrease of 201-Tl concentration in every area of the myocardium. 80 pts. with CAD showed an area of decreased tracer uptake in the initial scans. 120 min RMI in 51 pts. revealed a segnificant increase (p greater than 0.01) of countrate time ratio in previous underperfused area. In 37 pts. persistent defects were present, in every case the defect correlated with the site of a myocardial infarction as determined by the finding of an akinetic area in the left ventricular angiogram. Thus RMI following a single dose of 201 Tl can differentiate between scar- and exercise-induced transient ischemia.

[Evaluation by means of ECG-gated cardiac blood pool scintigraphy of global and regional left ventricular function at rest and during exercise in patients with coronary artery disease (author's transl)]. / Die Beurteilung der globalen und regionalen linksventrikulären Funktion in Ruhe und während Ergometerbelastung bei Patienten mit koronarer Herzkrankheit mit der EKG-getriggerten Herzbinnenraumszintigraphie.

ECG-gated cardiac blood pool scintigraphy permits a non-invasive determination of the end-diastolic and end-systolic ventricular volumes and of the ejection fraction as well as a qualitative description of regional ventricular wall motion at rest and during excercise. In 6 healthy persons a significant increase of the ejection fraction from 66 +/- 7% at rest to 78 +/- 3% during exercise (p less than 0.01) was observed. In contrast, the ejection fraction decreased in 15 out of 18 patients with coronary artery disease, with a significant (p less than 0.01) difference between patients with and without angina pectoris. Thus, the ejection fraction fell in 12 patients without angina during excercise from 60 +/- 11% to 52 +/- 11% (p less than 0.05) whereas in 6 patients with angina a decrease from 61 +/- 7% to 30 +/- 8% (p less than 0.01) was observed. This non-invasive technique makes it possible to demonstrate in a simple and safe manner changes of cardiac function during excercise in patients with coronary artery disease.

[Noninvasive assessment of left ventricular dynamics (author's transl)]. / Nichtinvasive Erfassung der Dynamik des linken Ventrikels. Bestimmung der linksventrikulären Auswurffraktion, der Ventrikelvolumina and der regionalen Wandbewegung durch die EKG-getriggerte Herzbinnenraumszintigraphie.

ECG triggered scintiphotography has established itself as a reliable, reproducible, noninvasive method for the determination of ventricular volumes, left ventricular ejection fraction, and regional ventricular wall motion. It can be used with sufficient precision and accuracy in severely ill patients who are not suitable for invasive diagnostic procedures. The method is useful for follow-up investigations of known heart disease. In comparison with left ventricular cineangiocardiography a correlation coefficient of r=0.78 could be found for enddiastolic voluumes, of r=0.92 for endystolic volumes, and of r=0.91 for ejection fraction. The sensitivity of the method for recognition of disturbances of regional ventricular wall motion is 94%, the specificity 86%. In comparison with left ventricular cineangiocardiography the resulting accuracy is 90%.

[Non-invasive nuclear medical diagnosis in cardiology. 201T1-myocardial and ECG triggered heart ventricle scintigraphy]. / Nicht-invasive nuklearmedizinische Diagnostik in der Kardiologie. 201T1-Myokard- und EKG-getriggerte Herzbinnenraum-Szintigraphie.

201Thallium scintigraphy serves as a non-invasive method for visualizing regional perfusion, viability and configuration of the myocardium. Serial scans performed after injection during ergometric exercise allow to differentiate between irreversible cell damage, i.e. myocardial infarction or scar, and transient, reversible ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease. ECG-gated blood pool scans are an ideal adjunct as they represent the functional results of the pathologically altered myocardium. This method permits quantitative determination of the enddiastolic volume, endsystolic volume and left ventricular ejection fraction. Furthermore, regional and global wall motion may be judged qualitatively. Results of both methods show an excellent correlation with those obtained by invasive catheterization and cineangiocardiography. The clinical value is based on screening and follow up of a broad variety of cardiac diseases.

[Fibrinolytic therapy in deep venous thrombosis of the upper and lower extremity]. / Fibrinolytische Therapie bei tiefen Venenthrombosen der oberen und unteren Extremität

Fibrinolytic therapy was carried out in 59 patients suffering from a total of 60 deep venous thromboses of the iliac segment (n = 24), the femoropopliteal segment (n = 18), the deep calf veins (n = 2), or the subclavian vein (n = 16). 46 patients received streptokinase (SK), 4 were given urokinase (UK), and 10 were treated with streptokinase followed by urokinase (SK + UK). The duration of fibrinolytic therapy was between 19 and 596 hours (x = 166 +/- 111 hrs). Phlebographic examination was used to determine the location of the thrombotic occlusion as well as to evaluate therapeutic results. To assure sufficient anticoagulatory protection during therapy with streptokinase the dose of streptokinase was either reduced by steps of 20,000 U/hr to a minimum of 40,000 U/hr or heparin was added as a continuous infusion. Urokinase was administered with a mean loading dose of 75,000 IU followed by an average maintenance dose of 40,000 IU/hr; it was always given in combination with heparin. When therapeutic success was graded as complete/partial/no recanalisation, the following results were obtained: thrombotic occlusion up to 1 week old 35%/48%/17%; up to 2 weeks old 57%/14%/29%; 3 or 4 weeks old 12%/38%/50%; older than 4 weeks 13%/37%/50%. The two most common side effects were a fall of the hemoglobin and a rise of body temperature. Treatment with SK had to be interrupted for bleeding in two cases. One patient diet after rupture of the liver and of the spleen following development of subcapsular hematoma in these organs, 3 patients survived pulmonary embolism without major long-term impairment. Considering medical and social aspects (preservation of capability for working in young adults) it appears justified to administer fibrinolytic agents up to a thrombus age of 14 days, in some cases even up to a thrombus age of 28 days. Good results in cases of deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs are often obtained only when fibrinolytic therapy is extended beyond 96 hours. It should be performed in intensive care units only. Follow-up examinations of the venous drainage capacity up to 2 years after fibrinolytic therapy document the good therapeutic effect that is warrented by streptokinase or urokinase induced complete recanalisation.