Anaphylaxis due to thiopental sodium anesthesia

Anaphylaxis due to an anesthetic is one type of cardiovascular emergency that can occur during general anesthesia. Anaphylactic reactions to muscle relaxants have been documented. Barbiturates, used as sedatives, are well known to produce cutaneous reactions, but anaphylaxis after their ingestion seems to be rare. Generalized allergic reactions to thiopental sodium during anesthesia are mentioned in the product monograph for Penthothal sodium, and rare case reports of anaphylactic reactions to infused thiopental have appeared, generally in the anesthesiology literature. Documentation of the immunologic responses to thiopental sodium has been limited to the demonstration of an allergic reaction to thiopental by skin testing in some cases. This report describes a woman who, after having tolerated thiopental sodium and other general anesthetics, became sensitive to this agent and had a severe acute reaction at the time of induction of general anesthesia.

Neuronal morphology of the rabbit cochlear nucleus

The cytoarchitecture of the cochlear nucleus in young adult albino rabbits (Cuniculus oryctolagus) has been examined in Nissl- and Golgi-impregnated material to compare rabbit cochlear nucleus with other mammalian species. Cochlear nucleus was subdivided into anteroventral (AVCN), posteroventral (PVCN), and dorsal (DCN) regions, as in other mammals. AVCN was characterized by bushy cells and stellate cells. The "bushy" dendritic trees of adjacent bushy cells often overlapped. PVCN was characterized by octopus, elongate, and stellate cells. The dendritic trees of adjacent octopus cells extended in a parallel array across the auditory nerve fibers. DCN had molecular, fusiform and polymorphic layers. The fusiform cell layer was especially prominent, with the fusiform cells appearing visually to be the organizing elements in DCN. The large cells in DCN were the fusiform and giant neurons; the medium cells were the stellate and elongate neurons; the small cells were the cartwheel, small stellate, and granule cells. The cochlear nucleus of rabbit is essentially similar in cytoarchitectural organization to other mammalian species which have been studied. The detailed morphology of the various cell types seen in Golgi preparations is quite similar to that of cat (Brawer et al., '74), although some differences do exist.

The potential of multivariate discriminant analysis in the antenatal detection of neural tube defects

A method is described which improves the ability to distinguish between normal and neural tube-defective fetuses in utero. Early second trimester amniotic fluid is classified by stepwise discriminant analysis based upon biochemical analysis for alpha-fetoprotein and eight other easily assayed variables; classification is more reliable than using alpha-fetoprotein and gestational age alone.

Studies related to the metabolism of anabolic steroids in the horse: a gas chromatographic mass spectrometric method to confirm the administration of 19-nortestosterone or its esters to horses

A method is described to confirm the presence of 19-nortestosterone metabolites in urine after the administration of veterinary preparations of this anabolic steroid to horses. The method is based upon the detection, by gas chromatography mass spectrometry or selected ion monitoring, of an isomer of estrane-3,17-diol in the urine.

Homologous artificial insemination. A reappraisal

Homologous artificial insemination (AIH), with the use of a split-ejaculate technique, was performed in 62 couples following a complete infertility investigation. Fifty per cent of all men had a sperm count less than 50 million per milliliter and 80 per cent had sperm motility less than 50 per cent. More important, 85 per cent of the initial semen samples had greater than 40 per cent abnormal forms and liquefaction was delayed beyond 20 minutes in 67 per cent of specimen. The pregnancy rate for the 28 women who underwent the prescribed course of six or more inseminations was 46.4 per cent, for the group of 60 who received split-ejaculate AIH, 21.6 per cent; and for the entire group of 62 couples, 24.2 per cent. In the split-ejaculate group 50 per cent of the pregnancies resulted in first-trimester abortions. It is suggested that the pregnancy wastage in these couples might be due to male factors.

A new method for the fractionation of human plasma high density lipoprotein

We have devised a new method for the fractionation of human plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL). The HDL was chromatographed on DEAE-agarose columns using a continuous gradient of 0.06--0.15 M NaCl. The elution pattern obtained showed three phases, each with differing peptide composition. Examination of the three subfraction showed that each contained both apoA-I and apo A-II, but in different proportions. Subfraction 1 contained no apo C-II or C-III-1 and only a trace of apo C-III-2, subfraction 2 contained apo C-II and C-III-1 but no C-III-2, while subfraction 3 contained considerable apo C-III-2 with only traces of apo C-II or C-III-1.

Effect of serotonin on brown adipose tissue and on its sympathetic neurons

Previously we have shown that there are two types of sympathetic neurons in the rat interscapular brown fat-pad: long adrenergic neurons with cell bodies located in the paraspinal ganglia and short adrenergic neurons with cell bodies located within the pad itself. The present studies examine 1) the uptake of [3H]norepinephrine by these neurons, 2) the effect of serotonin on release of the catecholamine, and 3) the metabolic action of serotonin on brown fat. [3H]norepinephrine uptake from the medium in which brown fat slices are incubated is linear with time up to 90 min. This uptake is blocked by both cocaine and imipramine. As these drugs block uptake by sympathetic neurons, the [3H]norepinephrine is probably taken up by neurons and not by some other cell in the pad. Serotonin creatinine sulfate, but not creatinine sulfate, promotes the release of the catecholamine from these neurons. Serotonin also exerts a norepinephrine-like metabolic effect on slices of normal brown fat. It stimulates lipolysis and inhibits lipogenesis. Serotonin has no effect on isolated brown fat cells or on slices of reserpinized tissue. It also does not potentiate the action of norepinephrine on these last two preparations. Therefore serotonin's action on brown fat is mediated by norepinephrine-containing stromal cells. The data suggest that the rat brown fat-pad has sympathetic neurons that can take up norepinephrine and that serotonin exerts its metabolic effect by stimulating the release of norepinephrine from these neurons.

Azathioprine and penicillamine in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a controlled trial

Sixty-five patients, 33 receiving azathioprine and 32 receiving penicillamine, took part in a one-year, single-blind external-observer trial designed to compare the efficacy and toxicity of these two drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. By six months there was a significantly greater rise in haemoglobin and fall in erythrocyte sedimentation rate among those receiving penicillamine, and by one year this difference remained only in the increase in haemoglobin levels. Fifteen patients, 10 on azathioprine and 5 on penicillamine, had to stop treatment because of side effects; 90 single side effects occurred, 48 in those on penicillamine and 42 in those on azathioprine. After one year both drugs were similar in efficacy and toxicity, but longer-term trials are needed. Both drugs were effective.

Herpesvirus-induced availability of host DNA to exogenous endonuclease

Deoxyribonuclease I penetrates herpesvirus-infected L cells and degrades host DNA without interfering with viral multiplication. The DNA of uninfected control monolayers of L cells, disrupted by scraping, is similarly attacked. In contrast, undisturbed L cells are not affected. This suggests that altered cell membrane permeability allows the nuclease to enter the cell, thereby permitting access of exogenous deoxyribonuclease to cellular DNA.

Disposition of disodium cromoglycate administered in three particle sizes

1 Disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) was administered in three particle sizes to five human subjects. 2 Urinary excretion of DSCG, as a proportion of the dose, was highest following small particles; the lower values recorded following intermediate-sized and large particles were similar. 3 DSCG deposited in the mouth was highest following large particles; the lower values recorded following intermediate-sized and small particles were similar. 4 The data were examined in relation to the recent observation that the protective effect of small particles of DSCG is dramatically superior to that of large particles.

Histochemistry of trauma after electrode implantation and stimulation in the hippocampus

Electrodes were implanted into the rat hippocampus in both hemispheres for increasing periods of up to 60 days, and the effects of trauma and electrical stimulation of enzymes controlling cell metabolism in the region of implantation were examined and assessed in relation to studies on humans. In the unstimulated hippocampus as a control, enzyme changes were mainly confined to a narrow area of tissue damage surrounding the electrode. The enzyme changes in response to trauma varied widely; some enzymes controlling tissue respiration showed early and rapid changes, increasing in hyperactive, swollen glial cells and vascular endothelium and decreasing in nerve cells and neuropile. Acid phosphatase activity also increased rapidly in glial cells; other phosphate-releasing enzymes increased more gradually with time. A turning point in these chages was apparent between 25 and 40 days, followed by a reversion to more normal levels at 60 days. Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus in the contralateral hemisphere produced no detectable enzyme changes from those of the unstimulated hippocampus.