Cytomegalovirus colitis in a critically ill, dialysis-dependent, acute kidney injury patient without immunosuppressive therapy.

Background: Historically, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in immunocompetent patients has been considered to have a relatively indolent and self-limited course, not warranting specific treatment.

Case Presentation: We are presenting a 72-year-old African-American male transferred to our intensive care unit (ICU) with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, respiratory failure, and dialysis-dependent acute kidney injury. While he recovered from bacteremia, he remained difficult to wean from respiratory support, had labile blood pressure, and manifested persistent diarrhea.

Symmetrical craniofacial hypertrophy in patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism and high-dose cinacalcet exposure.

We are reporting on a series of two patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, presented for surgical parathyroidectomy secondary refractory hyperparathyroidism. Both patients had failed maximized medical managements, including higher-than-usual doses of the calcimimetic cinacalcet (270 and 180 mg/day, respectively). On physical exam, both patients had marked symmetrical craniofacial hypertrophy with coarse distortion of facial features, similar in appearance to past reports of Sagliker syndrome.

Endogenous melanocortin system activity contributes to the elevated arterial pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Previous studies suggest that activation of the CNS melanocortin system reduces appetite while increasing sympathetic activity and arterial pressure. The present study tested whether endogenous activity of the CNS melanocortin 3/4 receptors (MC3/4-R) contributes to elevated arterial pressure in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), a model of hypertension with increased sympathetic activity. A cannula was placed in the lateral ventricle of male SHR and Wistar (WKY) rats for chronic intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusions (0.

Autocrine regulation of prolactin secretion by endothelins throughout the estrous cycle.

We have previously found that the ovarian steroid background determines the efficiency of the endothelin-mediated autocrine feedback regulation of prolactin (PRL) secretion. In this study, we investigated the role of endogenous endothelins in regulating PRL secretion during the estrous cycle. Adult female rats representing different stages of the 4-d cycle were sacrificed by decapitation, and the anterior pituitary cells were enzymatically dispersed using collagenase and hyaluronidase.

Autocrine regulation of prolactin secretion by endothelins: a permissive role for estradiol.

We have previously found that lactotrophs express and secrete endothelin-like peptides that influence prolactin (PRL) secretion in an autocrine fashion. We have also observed that the incidence of endothelin-immunoreactive lactotrophs is markedly affected by ovarian steroids. In this study, we examined how the ovarian steroid background determines the efficiency of the endothelin-mediated autocrine feedback regulation of PRL secretion.