Mechanical, Biochemical, and Structural Effects of Vitamin D Deficiency on the Chick Heart

The effects of vitamin D depriva tion on the chick heart were investi gated from three aspects: cardiac contractility (±dP/dT), intracellular high-energy phosphorus compounds, and structural differences. Four- week-old vitamin D-deficient chicks were divided into four groups: Group A served as the normal group and re ceived subcutaneous injections of cholecalciferol; Groups B and C were vitamin D-deficient hearts but per fused differently; Group D received daily subcutaneous injections of 5 μg of 1,25(OH) 2D3. When the isolated spontaneously beating hearts (modi fied Langendorff preparation) were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit (KH) solution containing a calcium concen tration of 2.5mM, the myocardial contractility of the vitamin D-defi cient hearts was significantly in creased when compared with group A. After the isolated heart had beaten for one hour, the myocardial contractility in the vitamin D-defi cient hearts was found to decline to significantly lower values. Presacri fice administration of 1,25(OH) 2D3 improved cardiac performance. Vita min D deficiency resulted in an en hanced rate of decline of the intracellular high-energy phosphorus compounds. No differences were found in the microscopic study. These observations suggest that vitamin D has a role in cardiac function.

Glutaraldehyde Treated Cat Small Bowel as an Arterial Graft

The materials used up to now for grafting arteries have not proved entirely satisfactory. It was the purpose of the project described here to find a more satisfactory method for replacing arteries. Previous experience has shown that glutaraldehyde-treated grafts are non-viable, avascular, and known to pre serve their general structure. In this study small bowel taken from a cat and treated with glutaraldehyde was used to replace the aorta in dogs.

Ten dogs were used. The G.A. treated graft in a length of 10 cm bypassed the abdominal aorta. The dogs were sacrificed from 20 days up to one year. Repeated angiographies showed the patency of the graft. After sacrificing the dogs, the grafts were examined macroscopically and microscopically. The site of the anastomosis was strong and no aneurysms were seen. The graft is easy to handle and can be tailored to size.

Unusual renal deposit in mixed connective tissue disease

We describe a patient with clinical signs of mixed connective tissue disease who developed nephrotic syndrome. The kidney biopsy revealed glomerular and vascular deposits that stained positive with Congo red and showed a green birefringence. The Congo red positivity became negative in sections treated with potassium permanganate. Peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining with anti-AA antibodies was strongly positive. Ultrastructurally, although the deposits were similar to amyloid, they were about twice the size of amyloid fibrils. To our knowledge, the deposition of an amyloidlike material that shows the histochemical and immunohistochemical features of amyloid AA but is lacking the distinctive ultrastructural characteristics of amyloid fibrils has not been described.

Pregnancy and Cushing's syndrome: example of endocrine interaction

Pregnancy rarely occurs in women with Cushing's syndrome, and when it does, fetal mortality and morbidity are very high. We describe a 30-year-old woman who was found to have severe Cushing's syndrome in the 22nd week of her first pregnancy, after a year of unsuccessful attempts to conceive. The patient had the majority of the symptoms and signs characteristic of the syndrome. Laboratory examinations revealed hypokalemia of 2.7 mEq/l, serum cortisol 39.5 micrograms/dl without diurnal variation, free urinary cortisol 1,850 to 3,500 micrograms/24 h, 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (OHCS) 52.5 mg/24 h, 17-ketosteroids (KS) 12 mg/24 h, and ACTH 29 pg/ml. No suppression was observed upon dexamethasone administration (2 and 8 mg). Ultrasound examination of the adrenal glands revealed a left adrenal tumor with a diameter of 4.2 cm. An adrenocortical adenoma was successfully excised in the 24th week of pregnancy. During the 37th week of pregnancy, she delivered a normal baby girl. Postoperatively, the patient was put on maintenance therapy. One year after delivery, mother and child are in perfect health.

Diffuse melanosis secondary to disseminated malignant melanoma

A patient with melanosis and melanuria in whom disseminated malignant melanoma was found is described herein. The primary malignant process was not detected in the skin. Light and electron microscopic examinations, as well as cytochemical studies, revealed numerous melanin-containing macrophages in the skin.