Exercise capacity, residual abnormalities and activity habits following total correction for tetralogy of Fallot.

The maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) of 68 patients, at a mean of 5.6 years after total correction for tetralogy of Fallot, was lower than that of normal subjects (36.3 +/- 7.

[Asthma and professional life (author's transl)].

In world industry and agriculture as a whole, the number of people with asthma and complex pneumopathies related to chemical and organic pollution seems important. Indeed, subjects with an atopic inclination are often the first to be jeoparized. However, it must be stressed that occurrence of asthma in relation with work should always lead to investigate an anomaly in professional hygiene.

[Abnormalities of left ventricular contraction in the mitral valve prolapse syndrome].

Left ventricular contraction was studied in 20 patients with mitral valve prolapse presenting with chest pain and/or palpitations. In this group of symptomatic patients systolic abnormalities were observed in 11 patients (55 p. 100): segmental hypokinesis was observed in 5 patients, hyperkinetic motion in 3 patients and an association of hyperkinetic and hypokinetic pareital motion was observed in the other 3 cases.

A possible molecular mechanism of the action of digitalis: ouabain action on calcium binding to sites associated with a purified sodium-potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase from kidney.

Calcium binding at 0 degrees C to a purified sheep kidney Na+,K+-ATPase was described by linear Scatchard plots. Binding at saturating free calcium was 65-80 nmol/mg of protein, or 30-40 mol of calcium/mol of enzyme. Aqueous emulsions of lipids extracted from Na+,K+-ATPase yielded dissociation constants and maximum calcium-binding values that were similar to those for native Na+,K+-ATPase.

[Comparative study of a new antihistamine, mequitazine, and placebos].

In a double-blind trial lasting 2 weeks, a new, long-acting antihistamine, Mequitazine, and a placebo, were compared. 115 allergic patients participated in this experiment (mequitazine n = 56, placebo n = 59). Therapeutic results and the effect on diurnal alertness were evaluated by means of a questionnaire filled in daily by the patients.