Pneumatic ankle tourniquets: physiological factors related to minimal arterial occlusion pressure.

This study investigates several physiological measurements for their correlation to the minimal arterial occlusion pressure using the pneumatic ankle tourniquet. Blood pressure (brachial), height, weight, body fat percentage, ankle circumference, and leg circumference measurements were collected from 50 normotensive healthy subjects. Ankle brachial index (ABI) was also compared. A pneumatic ankle tourniquet was applied to the right ankle and inflated until Doppler insonation confirmed that arterial occlusion had occurred. Mean arterial occlusion pressure was 161.7 mm Hg (N = 50, Nmales = 33, Nfemales = 17), and statistically less than 170 mm Hg (p < .05). The authors present a data model to predict the lowest necessary ankle tourniquet pressure for this study group. Forward stepwise linear regression (critical significance = .01) yields two variables, ankle brachial index and systolic blood pressure, which are used to predict occlusion pressure in this study group.

Possible therapeutic effects of growth hormone on wound healing in the diabetic patient.

Growth factors are increasingly investigated for their role in wound healing. The authors present evidence from human and animal studies suggesting that growth hormone induces a positive nitrogen balance, enhances connective-tissue synthesis, and increases lean body mass. The physiology of diabetes and wound healing is reviewed in the context of how growth hormone therapy could benefit this patient population.

A review of physiological and metabolic effects of essential amino acids.

The authors review ten essential amino acids with regard to their metabolic, physiologic and therapeutic effects throughout the human body. Physical properties of these biologically active compounds are discussed as a foundation for their diverse roles in special nitrogen containing products, neurotransmitters, and as alternative energy sources. Both normal and abnormal amino acid metabolism are considered in the areas of digestion, elimination of metabolic products, metabolic intermediates, and defects in these systems. Recent developments in therapeutic applications are further examined for clinical utility and as an economical alternative to traditional clinical treatment modalities.

1994 William J. Stickel Bronze Award. Amino acids, dipeptides, and leg skeletal muscle wound healing in diabetes.

The authors determined the effects of active amino acids and dipeptides as anabolic agents on surgically induced wound healing in lower extremity skeletal muscles in diabetic and normal rats. In order to induce diabetes, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (200 g; 10 to 12 animals per group) were injected with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) 30 days before the onset of the experiment. Their blood sugars were checked at this time. Each group of rats was injected with either one stimulatory amino acid or dipeptide (150 mg/kg body weight) subcutaneously in saline for 7 days and their anabolic effects (RNA, DNA, protein, and collagen contents) on lower extremity skeletal muscle wound healing determined in both diabetic and normal control groups. It is hoped that a treatment regimen will be developed using synergistic anabolic agents locally to decrease the lower extremity muscle healing time. This will enable the diabetic patient to become mobile sooner after surgery.

The hormone potentiating capability of amino acids on lactational performance in rats injected with 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) during gestation.

DMBA administered to pregnant rats caused a significant decrease in mammary gland RNA and DNA contents on day 1 of lactation. Some amino acids had gonadotropic-like and/or estrogenic-like activity. In order to determine the effects of reproductive amino acids on DMBA primed mammary gland tissue, female adult virgin Long Evans rats (12 animals/group) were intraperitoneally injected daily with 1 mg DMBA in 0.2 ml sesame oil on days 8 through 12 of pregnancy. On days 8 through 17 of gestation these rats were subcutaneously injected with 150 mg/kg body weight of either L-tryptophan, L-arginine, or L-glycine in 1 ml saline solution. On day 1 of lactation L-tryptophan and L-glycine significantly increased the depressed DMBA control values for total RNA (mg), RNA (mg/100 g B.W.), RNA (mg/100 mg M.G.), RNA/DNA and the DNA (mg/100 g B.W.) to that of sesame oil controls. However, L-arginine had no stimulatory effect on the RNA or DNA values. The data suggests that L-glycine, which increases growth hormone release, and L-tryptophan, which enhances and mimicks prolactin secretion, negate the harmful effects of DMBA by stimulating mammary gland growth (i.e., DNA) and secretion (i.e., RNA).

Endocrine influences on peritoneal fluid cellular content.

Since the cellular composition of peritoneal fluid is altered by sex, species, pregnancy, ovulation and the estrous as well as menstrual cycles we believe that the cellular content of peritoneal fluid is affected in a characteristic manner by the administration of hormones. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, chorionic gonadotropin, cortisone as well as various physiologic model situations were considered.

Age and peritoneal fluid cellular distribution in women 20-40 years of age.

Cytologic aspiration specimens of peritoneal fluid revealed that mesothelial cell proportions were significantly reduced 19.2% in women between 26 and 35 years of age. Possibly, mesothelial cell renewal was decreased in women of the older age groups.