A fish oil diet rich in eicosapentaenoic acid reduces cyclooxygenase metabolites, and suppresses lupus in MRL-lpr mice

Dietary supplementation of fish oil as the exclusive source of lipid suppresses autoimmune lupus in MRL-lpr mice. This marine oil diet decreases the lymphoid hyperplasia regulated by the lpr gene, prevents an increase in macrophage surface Ia expression, reduces the formation of circulating retroviral gp70 immune complexes, delays the onset of renal disease, and prolongs survival. We show that a fatty acid component uniquely present in fish oil but not in vegetable oil decreases the quantity of dienoic prostaglandin E, thromboxane B, and prostacyclin normally synthesized by multiple tissues, including kidney, lung, and macrophages, and promotes the synthesis of small amounts of trienoic prostaglandin in autoimmune mice. We suggest that this change in endogenous cyclooxygenase metabolite synthesis directly suppresses immunologic and/or inflammatory mediators of murine lupus.

A fish oil diet rich in eicosapentaenoic acid reduces cyclooxygenase metabolites, and suppresses lupus in MRL-lpr mice

Dietary supplementation of fish oil as the exclusive source of lipid suppresses autoimmune lupus in MRL-lpr mice. This marine oil diet decreases the lymphoid hyperplasia regulated by the lpr gene, prevents an increase in macrophage surface Ia expression, reduces the formation of circulating retroviral gp70 immune complexes, delays the onset of renal disease, and prolongs survival. We show that a fatty acid component uniquely present in fish oil but not in vegetable oil decreases the quantity of dienoic prostaglandin E, thromboxane B, and prostacyclin normally synthesized by multiple tissues, including kidney, lung, and macrophages, and promotes the synthesis of small amounts of trienoic prostaglandin in autoimmune mice. We suggest that this change in endogenous cyclooxygenase metabolite synthesis directly suppresses immunologic and/or inflammatory mediators of murine lupus.

The natural history of jumper's knee. Patellar or quadriceps tendonitis

We have reviewed the clinical records and the results of conservative and surgical treatment of 125 out of 172 cases of Jumper's Knee followed for at least 2 years since the onset of symptoms. All were athletes involved in various sporting activities. At follow up 15 patients had given up sport and the lesion had healed spontaneously. We used the classification of Blazina et al as modified by Roels et al. Twenty-four patients were in stage 1, 42 in stage 2, 43 in stage 3 and one in stage 4. Conservative treatment was used primarily on all patients with one exception where the tendon had ruptured. The results were very good in 42, good in 32, and poor in 43, but in 36 patients a long period of rest and reduction in sporting activity was necessary before a significant improvement was obtained. Operation was carried out on 16 patients (19 knees), 18 were in stage 3 and one in stage 4. Various surgical techniques were used. The results were very good in 7 knees, good in 5 and poor in 7. Operation is indicated after the failure of conservative measures and in patients who do not want to reduce their sporting level. The aim should be to induce healing at the bone tendon junction. We emphasize the importance of the prevention of jumper's knee in athletes.

Arthroscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of meniscal lesions of the knee associated with chronic ligamentous instability

The role of arthroscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of meniscal lesions of the knee associated with chronic ligamentous instability is discussed and illustrated. Clinical examination and meticulous objective tests are usually sufficient to enable the surgeon to arrive at a correct assessment of the ligamentous instability, but in the associated meniscal lesion arthroscopy plays an important role in disclosing the site, extent and type of the lesion. This may be such that it is amenable to repair by subsequent open operation. However, if this is not the case, arthroscopic removal of such parts of the damaged meniscus as may be necessary to relieve symptoms can be carried out without risk of aggravating the instability by interfering with the healthy peripheral parts of the meniscus. The ideal treatment of selected cases is illustrated in an analysis of 35 such patients selected from a total case material of 456 patients including 116 arthroscopies during the same period. They have been classified into two clinical groups in which the treatment is discussed and the results reported.

Meniscal tears and associated anterior cruciate ligament tears in athletes: course of treatment

Sixty-two athletes whose injured knees had negligible instability were found to have an absent or functionless anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the time of medial meniscectomy. After a mean of 52 months of followup, 51 patients were examined; 24 (47%) had returned to full sports activities, whereas 27 (53%) acknowledged incidents of the knee "giving way" or having completely given up sports because of instability. By analyzing the following variables, the jerk test, the type of meniscal lesion, and the type of sports engaged, we formulated a rating system to be used intraoperatively for determining the need for combining meniscectomy with a ligament reconstruction.

Use of a homologous internal standard for the quantification of the major metabolite of prostaglandin F2 alpha in human urine by multiple ion analysis

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for quantitative determination of 9 alpha, 11 alpha-dihydroxy-15-oxo-2,3,4,5,20-pentanor-19-carboxyprostanoic acid, the major urinary metabolite of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF-M), was developed. The metabolite was analyzed as the dimethyl ester-O-methyloxime-bis-trimethylsilyl ether derivative. The internal standard consisted of a mixture of diethyl ester + monoethyl ester-delta-lactone of PGF-M. Those two species were converted to the 1-methyl-20-ethyl ester derivative during the analytical process. Linear standard curves were developed in the range 0 to 100 ng of injected prostaglandin. The method comprised extraction with Amberlite XAD-2, methylation, chromatography over octadecasilyl-silica, delactonization, remethylation, and chromatography over silicic acid and Lipidex-5000, followed by methoximation, trimethylsilylation, and instrumental analysis. Interassay coefficient of variation, for the analysis of four identical urine specimens, was 7% and intraassay coefficient of variation, when each sample was injected four times, ranged from 3.2 to 6.0%. Specificity, accuracy, and precision of the method were verified by recovery of the metabolite from two different urine pools. The recovery of authentic, underivatized PGF-M added to urine was 99.1 +/- 2.4% (mean +/- SE, N = 6). The plot of recovered versus added metabolite followed the equation y = 0.936 x + 25.8, with r = 0.9918.

[Technical variations in abdominal heterotransplants of the heart]

The Authors describe the innovations by them introduced in a series of 15 experiments of abdominal heart heterotopic transplantation done in the Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry University of Milano. Particularly they recommend the use of cardioplegia and the prolene as suture's material to reduce the ischemic time. Also they signal the importance of a new position of the transplanted heart with the apex looking at the head of the recipient. They think this position should be the best to preserve the anatomical connections between the great vessels of the guest heart.

Jumper's knee

Jumper's knee (patellar or quadriceps tendon tendonitis) is found in a high number of athletes, especially in volleyball and basketball players. Conservative treatment (rest, stretching, physical therapy and antiinflammatory drugs) is usually successful. The athletes often recover completely and resume their sports activity. The purpose of this study is to present the histologic findings and our surgical repair of 18 knees of patients who underwent surgery after failure of conservative treatment. Histologic findings confirm that the so-called "jumper's knee" is a pathology localized at the bone-tendon junction. In all cases the following abnormalities were found: pseudocystic cavities at the borderline between mineralized fibrocartilage and bone, disappearance of the "blue line," increased thickness of the insertional fibrocartilage with myxomatous and hyaline metaplasia, mineralization, and ossification of the fibrocartilage far from the "blue line." Abnormalities of the patellar tendon were observed only in one patient who received local injection of corticosteroids. Eleven of the 18 surgically treated knees obtained a satisfactory result with complete resumption of sports activity.

Quantitative analysis of 11 alpha-hydroxy-9,15-dioxo-2,3,4,5,20-pentanor-19-carboxyprostanoic acid, the major urinary metabolite of E prostaglandins in man

A system for the assay of the major metabolite of E prostaglandins (PGE-M) in human urine was developed. The metabolite, as the dimethyl ester-bis(O-methyloxime)-trimethylsilyl ether derivative, was quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. The internal standard was the diethyl ester analog. A linear response ratio over the range 10 to 300 ng of injected prostaglandin was demonstrated in calibrations with authentic material. The 20-ml specimens of urine were extracted with Amberlite XAD-2, methylated, chromatographed over octadecasilyl-silica, silicic acid, and Lipidex-5000, and then methoximated, trimethylsilylated, and instrumentally analyzed. The interassay coefficient of variation, for analysis of four identical urine specimens, was 11% and the intraassay coefficient of variation ranged from 1 to 5%. Specificity, accuracy, and precision of the method were verified by recovery of PGE-M from four different 80-ml urine pools. Each pool was divided into four equal portions, and different amounts of PGE-M were added to three. The recovery of authentic, underivatized PGE-M added to urine was 103.2 +/- 3.3% (mean +/- SE, N = 12). The plot of recovered versus added PGE-M followed the equation y = 1.003x + 1.83, with R = 0.9974.

Hemathrosis treated by aspiration and casting. How to condemn the knee

Eighty-eight athletes treated for an acute hemarthrosis of the knee without any demonstrable ligament tear were evaluated. Analysis of the clinical data from these cases, all treated between 1970 and 1975 with aspiration and casting, revealed that the injury was apparently worse than had been thought at the time of first treatment. Surgery was subsequently performed in 32 (37%) because of meniscus tear, and 28 demonstrated anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency. In the 56 who did not have surgical treatment, 38 (43% of the entire group) had significant symptoms and disability causing them to decrease sports participation, and only 18 (20% of the overall group) returned to sports without symptoms or disability. Objective findings at followup suggested that in 70% of the patients injury of the anterior cruciate ligament occurred during the original trauma. A precise diagnosis is needed in every knee ligament sprain with hemarthrosis before one decides upon conservative treatment such as aspiration and casting.

Quantitative measurement of prostaglandins E2 and E2 by selected ion monitoring

A method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and PGE3 is described. The PG were analyzed by selected ion monitoring as the methyl ester-TMS ether derivatives of PGB2 and PGB3, respectively. The internal standard for the quantification of both species was [3,3,4,4-2H4]PGE2. A linear response over the range 0.6--50 ng (1.7--143 pmoles) was demonstrated for PGE3. The chromatographic conditions used (2% SP-2330 column) afforded nearly baseline separation of the prostaglandins. New standard curves for PGE3 must be developed each time the ion source parameters are changed. In a typical calibration run, the instrumental precision, expressed as coefficient of variation, ranged from 1.1 to 7.2% for PGE2 (3 to 100 ng injected) and from 1.6 to 11.1% for PGE3 (1.5--50 ng injected). The method was applied to the PG analysis of rat renomedullary tissues. The recovery of synthetic PGE2 added to medullary homogenates was 100.5 +/- 1.7% (mean +/- SEM, n = 9), and the recovery of PGE3 was 91.3 +/- 1.4% (n = 9).

Diffuse skeletal angiomatosis

Diffuse skeletal angiomatosis is a very rare syndrome. Since it was first observed by Shennan in 1915 only fifty-five cases have been reported in the literature (Rondier et al., 1977). It therefore seems that the description of a new case, accompanied for the first time by ultrastructural findings, may offer a new insight into the pathology of this disease.

Production of prostaglandins in homogenates of kidney medullae and cortices of spontaneously hypertensive rats fed menhaden oil

Menhaden oil (MO), whose polyunsaturated fatty acids consist mainly of (n-3) fatty acids, was fed to spontaneously hypertensive rats to determine the effect of (n-3) fatty acid on the in vitro production of prostaglandins produced from arachidonic acid (20:4[n-6]). Capacity to form PGE2 and PGF2 alpha was impaired in homogenates of kidney medullae and cortices from rats fed the MO diet compared to rats fed the control diet. The lower amounts of diene prostaglandins produced corresponded to the decrease in the amount of 20:4 (n-6) in the tissue. Possibly changes produced in tissue lipids by dietary fatty acids affect prostaglandin production by reducing the availability of substrate in tissue lipids.

Identification and quantification of prostaglandin E3 in renal medullary tissue of three strains of rats fed fish oil

Three strains of rats were fed a fish oil diet to verify their ability to incorporate and convert dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 omega 3) into trienoic prostaglandins. Our results show that such conversion indeed occurs in kidney medullae homogenates. Specifically, the presence of prostaglandin E3 (PGE3) was established by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. That compound was conclusively identified by comparison of fragment ions and their relative intensities with those obtained from authentic PGE3. Further evidence was provided by studying the recovery of exogenously added PGE3. Further evidence was provided by studying the recovery of exogenously added PGE3. The crude ethyl acetate extracts of the medullary homogenates were methylated and cleaned up by liquid-gel chromatography with Lipidex-5000 prior to conversion to PGB3 for GC-MS analysis. The PGE3 was quantified by selected ion monitoring (SIM) with [3,3,4,4-2H4] PGE2 as internal standard. The levels of PGE3 were similar, about 3 ng/mg of wet tissue, in the 3 strains of rats. Identical in vivo conversion of the 2.0:5 omega 3 fatty acid to PGE3 could not be positively established by analysis of pooled urine specimens.

A simple, rapid selected ion monitoring method for the determination of prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha in human urine

A new procedure for the simultaneous measurement of prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha in human urine is described. Quantification was achieved by gas chromatography mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring and deuterium labeled internal standards. The levels of measured prostaglandins ranged from 25 pg ml-1 of urine (PGE2) to 2500 pg ml-1 (PGF2 alhpa). The interassay coefficient of variation, determined by replicate analysis of four identical samples, was 1.9% for PGE2 and 0.8% for PGE2 alpha. The procedure takes a fraction of the time needed with published methods and can be conducted with as little as one-tenth of the daily urinary output.

Simultaneous mass spectrometric measurement of prostaglandins E1 (PGE1) and PGE2 with a deuterated internal standard

The use of (3,3,4,4-2H4)PGE2 as internal standard for the quantitative measurement of PGE1 by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is reported. A method for the simultaneous analysis of PGE1 and PGE2 is also described. The prostaglandins were analyzed by selected ion monitoring as the methyl ester-trimethylsilyl ether (ME-TMS) derivatives of PGB1 and PGB2, respectively. In all cases, a linear response over the range 1 to 70 ng (2.8 to 198 pmoles) was demonstrated. The use of this procedure is exemplified by its application to the PG analysis of sheep seminal vesicles.

Jumper's knee

The authors present a clinical study on twenty six cases of a painful syndrome affecting the distal quadriceps tendon complex, popularly known as "jumper's knee". They review the diagnostic aspects and discuss the treatment. In particular, they suggest a surgical approach that is not limited to the inflammatory or degenerative component of the syndrome, but also aims to correct imbalance of the extensor apparatus.

Tissue variation in hydrocarbon composition in the rabbit

This study, which deals with the distribution of hydrocarbons in seven types of rabbit tissues, was done for the purpose of providing information that might help shed light on the biological relevance of the hydrocarbons in mammalian metabolism. Liver, kidneys, brain, spleen, skeletal muscle, perinephric adipose, and a sample of blood serum were collected from a single animal for analysis of their hydrocarbon composition. The analytical methodology consisted of solvent extraction, saponification (adipose), elution chromatography on hydrated alumina, and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hydrocarbons were detected in all of the tissues examined at concentrations estimated to range from 0.1 to 0.01% of the total lipid extracted Three quite distinct distribution modes were recognized. The bulk of the identified components consisted of normal, saturated, nonterpenoid hydrocarbons in the C16 to C33 range. Squalene, phytene, phytadiene, and pristane were the only terpenoids detected. Nonterpenoid branched (iso and anteiso) hydrocarbons were identified unequivocally and in significant amounts in the muscle only. The adipose was the only tissue which was relatively rich in monoalkenes, and its overall hydrocarbon composition closely resembled that of the feed. The results of the study are not consistent with metabolic inertness. The observed qualitative and quantitative differences might reflect function and metabolic activities of the individual organs in a way yet to be elucidated.

Characterization of two steroidal ketones and two isoprenoid alcohols in dairy products

Two steroidal ketones, delta-4-cholesten-3-one and delta-3,-5-cholestadiene-7-one, were isolated and identified for the first time in anhydrous milk fat and in nonfat dry milk. Together with these, two isoprenoid alcohols, phytol and dihydrophytol, were identified in anhydrous milk fat. Their identities were established on the basis of chromatographic and mass spectral data and confirmed by comparison with authentic materials.

Hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls from the unsaponifiable fraction of anhydrous milk fat

Using a combination of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, the presence of 39 aliphatic hydrocarbons was firmly established in the unsaponifiable fraction of anhydrous milk fat. The hydrocarbons were the C(14) to C(27) and the C(29) to C(31) straight-chain paraffins, their monoolefin analogs, and the C(25) to C(29) branched alkanes. Phytene (3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-n-hexadec-2-ene), identified for the first time in milk fat, was isolated and identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and infrared analysis. The total hydrocarbon content amounted to 30 ppm of the milk fat. Polychlorinated biphenyls also were detected in trace amounts in the area of the chromatogram between the C(18) and the C(23) hydrocarbons.

Spectral evidence for the structure of three flavanotropolones related to theaflavin, an orange-red pigment of black tea

Conclusive spectral evidence for the structure of categallin (V), pyrogallin (VI), and erycetin (VIII), three flavanotropolones related to theaflavin (I) and purpurogallin (IX), is presented. The synthetic, chromatographic, and spectroscopic data for four simpler hydroxybenzotropolones are also recorded and discussed.