Ultrasound monitored hepatic cryosurgery: longevity study on an animal model.

Ultrasound imaging has been proposed to monitor the amount of frozen tissue during hepatic cryosurgery of primary and metastatic tumors. In this follow-up study, a cryolesion was produced in an adult pig under ultrasound monitoring. The animal was allowed to recuperate for 3 days before being sacrificed.

Sclerosing cholangitis associated with hepatic arterial FUDR chemotherapy: radiographic-histologic correlation.

During a 2-year period, cholangiography was performed on 17 patients with clinical evidence of cholestasis who were receiving hepatic intraarterial floxuridine (IA-FUDR) infusions for treatment of metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma. The development of cholestasis was associated with persistently elevated alkaline phosphatase, but serial CT examinations of the liver showed no progression of the tumor. All patients had cholangiographic abnormalities (by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, or operative cholangiography) of the biliary ductal system similar to those in idiopathic sclerosing cholangitis.

Immunosuppression following alloantigen exposure: a role for lymphocyte Fc gamma-receptor blocking antibodies.

In this study we have shown that IgG class, noncytotoxic, Fc gamma-receptor blocking antilymphocyte antibodies can de detected in a high proportion of patients who have previously been exposed to alloantigens, i.e. multiple transfused uraemic patients, haemophiliacs and male homosexuals.

Is enflurane hepatotoxic?

We evaluated 88 cases of hepatic injury that followed, and were attributed to, enflurane anesthesia. In 30 of the cases, data were insufficient to assess the role of enflurane vs other variables as causal factors. In 43 ("unlikely") patients, factors known to produce hepatic injury were clearly present; in the remaining 15 ("possible"), such factors were not evident.

Prostacyclin production in regions of arterial stenosis.

The effect of abnormal flow dynamics on prostacyclin (PGI2) production by intact endothelium is unknown. To investigate this we studied the effects of graded stenoses on vessel wall PGI2 production in dogs (n = 8) whose femoral and carotid arteries (n = 32) were narrowed by machine-milled clips, producing 1.0 cm segmental stenoses of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% diameter reduction.

Nitrous oxide does not hinder the repair of halothane-induced hepatic injury in the rat.

Nitrous oxide administration may limit DNA synthesis by inactivating methionine synthetase, and may thus hamper the repair of an injured organ such as the liver. To test this possibility, we pretreated rats with phenobarbital and exposed them to 0.3 MAC halothane in 9% oxygen for 46 min, followed immediately and again 24 hr later by 70% nitrous oxide (0.

Caerulein-induced acute necrotizing pancreatitis in mice: protective effects of proglumide, benzotript, and secretin.

The onset, course, and regression of the biochemical and structural alterations associated with pancreatitis induced by various doses of caerulein were studied in the mouse. In addition, the protective effect of secretin was compared with that of the cholecystokinin-receptor antagonists proglumide and benzotript. Subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injections of caerulein induced increases in serum amylase concentration and pancreatic weight and histologic evidence of acute pancreatitis, all effects being dose-related.

Biliary sclerosis in patients receiving hepatic arterial infusions of floxuridine.

High response rates have been reported with hepatic intra-arterial infusions of floxuridine in patients having colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the liver. The major toxicity of this therapy has been described as "chemical hepatitis." In a randomized trial of intravenous v intra-arterial floxuridine, we observed that all 35 patients receiving intra-arterial therapy developed significant increases in alkaline phosphatase and, in some cases, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transminase and/or bilirubin.

Nitrous oxide, too, is hepatotoxic in rats.

Anesthetic hepatotoxicity was tested under various conditions of hypoxia in rats pretreated with phenobarbital. Administration of 0.3 MAC halothane or fentanyl in 9% oxygen (fractional concentration of inspired oxygen = 0.

Increased nucleoside triphosphatase activity of rat liver nuclear envelope is associated with hepatocarcinogen exposure.

Altered transport of nuclear RNA sequences is an early response to carcinogens. Nuclear envelopes (NE) were isolated and assayed for nucleoside triphosphatase activity (NTPase), on the premise that this enzymatic activity participates in RNA transport. A common feature of the action of five different carcinogens (thioacetamide, 2-acetylaminofluorene, 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene, dimethylnitrosamine, and aflatoxin B1), at low doses without significant toxicity, was to increase NE NTPase activity and to increase RNA transport, as assessed by the appearance of rapidly labeled RNA in the cytoplasm and by in vitro assay.

Myospherulosis of the breast. Diagnosis by fine needle aspiration.

A case of myospherulosis of the breast diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy is reported. The characteristic spherules and "endobodies" stained red by the Papanicolaou stain and brown by the Wright stain. In this case, human fat may have been an endogenous inducing agent for the spherule formation from erythrocyte products.

Isoflurane does not prevent hepatic injury produced by halothane in rats.

We speculated that the inhibitory effect of isoflurane on the metabolism of halothane might reduce hepatic injury produced by halothane. To test this hypothesis we pretreated male rats with phenobarbital and 24 hr later exposed them to one of three types of anesthesia. One group of rats was anesthetized with 0.

Brief periods of hypoxia can produce hepatic injury in rats.

To determine whether brief periods of hypoxia could produce hepatic injury, we pretreated Sprague-Dawley rats with phenobarbital, deprived them of food for 24 hr, and then exposed them to various hypoxic mixtures of nitrogen and oxygen for various lengths of time. Rats exposed to 6% oxygen for 15 or more minutes had centrilobular injury, the severity of which was directly related to the length of exposure (r = 0.71).

Tyrosine crystals in fine needle aspirates of a pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland.

Tyrosine crystals were identified in the fine needle aspirate from a pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland. Such crystals have been seen before in tissue sections of pleomorphic adenomas, and they should be considered supportive evidence for a diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma.

Hereditary chondrocalcinosis in a Mexican-American family.

In a study of 45 adults in a family of Mexican-Indian ancestry, it was found that 22 (49%) had joint symptoms resembling those of degenerative joint disease. Eleven family members had radiographic evidence of chondrocalcinosis, and 1 adult and 3 adolescents had clinical histories and examinations consistent with the familial arthropathy, but no radiographic evidence of disease. The cause of the arthritis in the affected family members is calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition.

Carotid plaque histology using real-time ultrasonography. Clinical and therapeutic implications.

To evaluate the ability of ultrasonographic imaging to detect plaque hemorrhage in carotid atheroma, a study was undertaken that compared pathologic findings to preoperative ultrasonographic findings. Ultrasonography identified two plaque categories based on the heterogeneous and homogeneous echo patterns of the lesions studied. Heterogeneous lesions accounted for 91 percent of intraplaque hemorrhages (30 of 33) and 100 percent of ulcerated lesions (15 of 15).

Vessel wall and indium-111-labelled platelet response to carotid endarterectomy.

Postendarterectomy platelet deposition and thrombus formation may play an important role not only in vessel wall healing but also in the small incidence of postoperative cerebral ischemia and postoperative stenosis. A study has been performed using a canine model to investigate the healing response to carotid endarterectomy and the validity of an in vivo indium-111 (In-111) radiotracer technique in the assessment of postendarterectomy deposition of autologous labelled platelets. Sixteen endarterectomized carotid arteries showed uptake of autologous In-111 platelets immediately after infusion, reaching a maximum by 1 hour with little increase at 24 or 48 hours.

Carotid plaque hemorrhage. Its role in production of cerebral ischemia.

A prospective study of carotid endarterectomy specimens showed an acute or recent intraplaque hemorrhage in 49 of 53 plaques (92.5%) from symptomatic patients, compared with seven of 26 plaques (27%) from nonsymptomatic patients. Luminal stenosis of greater than 50% was noted in 46 of 53 symptomatic patients (75%), 43 of whose plaques had evidence of multiple hemorrhages.

Transient ischaemic attacks: the static and dynamic morphology of the carotid artery bifurcation.

Studies evaluating the static and dynamic characteristics of the common carotid bifurcation are described. Slow motion angiographic frames, real time B-mode images and time position M-mode tracings have demonstrated appreciable vessel wall motion with an increase in distensibility at the carotid bulb compared to the proximal common carotid artery. Histopathological studies suggest that changes in the carotid artery elastin and collagen structure may contribute to the increased distensibility at the carotid bulb.