Cryopreservation: in vitro results in rat pancreatic islets.

Cryopreservation is an effective method of islet storage and may facilitate clinical trials of islet transplantation. It was the aim of the present study to evaluate the in vitro viability of cryopreserved rat islets, including the response to nonglucose secretagogues and glucose oxidation. After pancreatic digestion via intraductal injection of collagenase, 75- to 200-micron Wistar rat islets were handpicked and cultured in RPMI 1640 (glucose 11.

Deleterious effect of dithizone-DMSO staining on insulin secretion in rat and human pancreatic islets.

Dithizone (DTZ) is a selective stain for pancreatic islets which facilitates their identification, being of special interest in human islet isolation assessment. Nevertheless, there are few studies concerning its potential toxic effects on islet function. In our study, we have evaluated the effects of DTZ (dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO] 1% w/v) at three different concentrations (2, 10, and 100 micrograms/ml) on insulin response to glucose in human and rat islets.

[Isolated ACTH deficiency].

The isolated ACTH deficiency is a scarcely diagnosed disease of heterogeneous nature. Two patients with isolated deficiency of ACTH in whom the initial diagnosis was of primary suprarrenal failure are reported. In the first case this diagnosis was performed after hospital admission for deterioration of the level of consciousness and the development of an acute suprarrenal crisis in the course of nosocomial pneumonia.

Primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma.

We have studied a family with an autosomal dominant inheritance of primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis (PLCA) and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Ten family members were screened for multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 2; five were found to have MTC and two had C-cell hyperplasia. None had evidence of phaeochromocytoma or parathyroid abnormalities.

Auditory function in young patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Comprehension of the effect of diabetes mellitus on auditory function has been hindered by the fact that previous studies have evaluated hearing function in heterogeneous groups of patients with diabetes mellitus, thus giving conflicting results. We have performed audiometric studies in 46 consecutive patients. 13 with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus (group 1) and 33 with type 1 diabetes mellitus of more than 3 years of duration (group 2), of 14 to 40 years of age.

Evaluation of clinical and hormonal effects in hirsute women treated with ketoconazole.

Seven hirsute women were treated with 200 mg/12 h po of ketoconazole during 6 months. We evaluated clinical and hormonal effects during this period. Ketoconazole treatment decreased testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, while 17-alfahydroxyprogesterone increased.

Effects of thromboxane synthesis inhibitor triflusal on renal hemodynamics in microalbuminuric diabetic patients.

Triflusal (2-acetoxy-4-trifluormethylbenzoic acid) is a platelet-antiaggregant drug that selectively inhibits thromboxane synthesis with little effect on prostacyclin production. In this study, we evaluated the effect of 5-day administration of 900 mg/day triflusal on glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), urinary albumin excretion (UAE), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha (PGF1 alpha), and PGE2 in nine normotensive insulin-dependent diabetic patients with UAE between 30 and 103 micrograms/min. Plasma TXB2 and plasma renin activity (PRA) were also determined.

Acute water intoxication after intranasal desmopressin in a patient with primary polydispsia.

Only a few cases of severe acute water intoxication (AWI) due to intranasal desmopressin have been reported, none of which occurred in patients with primary polydipsia. We describe a case of AWI with semicoma and convulsions, due to intranasal desmopressin, in a 32-year-old patient with dipsogenic diabetes insipidus. Previous reported cases of AWI due to desmopressin are discussed.

Human insulin dosage and distribution at the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The total insulin dosage and its distribution throughout the day were evaluated in newly diagnosed Spanish IDDM patients treated with semisynthetic human insulin. We assessed the insulin dosage and its distribution modifications related to an inpatient versus outpatient setting. We compared our results with classical theoretical algorithms based on patients treated with animal insulin and with alimentary habits which differ from our geographical area.

[Evaluation of the treatment of Cushing's syndrome using ketoconazole].

The effectiveness of ketoconazole for the therapy of Cushing's syndrome, both of adrenal and pituitary origin, was retrospectively evaluated. To this end, the clinical and hormonal results in 5 patients were assessed. There were 4 females and one male, with ages ranging between 17 and 64 years.

[Cushing's disease in a patient with primary empty sella turcica].

Primary empty sella is a neuroanatomical condition which is more common in middle aged obese multiparous females with long-standing hypertension. Usually there are no symptoms, but occasionally nonspecific headache may be present. Hormone studies are commonly normal in these patients, although several functional hypothalamic and pituitary abnormalities have been reported.

Vertebral arch tuberculosis in two human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive heroin addicts.

We studied two cases of disseminated tuberculosis with vertebral arch involvement in drug addicts seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus. The first patient developed a paraplegia while he was recovering from a meningeal tuberculosis. On the abdominal plain roentgenogram, the right transverse process of L-2 was absent, and a computed tomographic scan revealed destruction of the right vertebral arch together with a collection in the paravertebral area.