[Unusual forms of the course of giant-cell arteritis].

Giant cell arthritis may be combined with retroperitoneal fibrosis, or lesions of the brachial plexus. Horner's Syndrome may develop. Occult vascular disease of cranial arteries was established in the presence of generalized arthritis, including the vessels of an ovarian tumor.

Cimetidine kinetics in renal transplant recipients.

Single dose kinetics of cimetidine (Ci) were investigated in 10 patients with renal impairment of varying degrees after renal transplantation. Thirteen healthy subjects and 7 patients with stable renal insufficiency served for control. The studied groups showed no difference in the non-renal Ci-clearance (Clnr) and the volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss).

Increased nonrenal clearance of cimetidine during antituberculous therapy.

To investigate the influence of antituberculous treatment on Cimetidin (Ci) disposition, 300 mg Ci were administered intravenously to 12 patients on triple drug therapy (Ethambutol 25 mg/kg/d, Isoniazid 8 mg/kg/d, Rifampicin (Rif) 8 mg/kg/d) and to 13 healthy subjects. Plasma levels and urinary recovery of Ci and its major metabolite Ci-Sulfoxide (CiS) were measured by HPLC. In patients on tuberculostatics nonrenal clearance (Clnr) increased by 52% (395 +/- 85 ml/min, controls 261 +/- 74 ml/min), while total clearance (ClB) (703 +/- 154 ml/min controls 632 +/- 118 ml/min) and volume of distribution (Vd beta) (1.

Intraperitoneal and intravenous cefoperazone kinetics during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Serum cefoperazone (CFP) kinetics after a 1-gm dose added to the peritoneal dialysate were followed in seven patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). In a randomized order five of the seven patients received 1 gm IV CFP. Serum samples were collected over 10 hr during one dialysate exchange interval.

Single-dose ceftriaxone kinetics in functionally anephric patients.

The disposition profile of ceftriaxone was studied in 12 functionally anephric patients (creatinine clearance less than 10 ml/min) who received bolus injections of 150, 500, and 1500 mg IV in a noncrossover fashion. As in healthy subjects, the kinetics in uremic patients were nonlinear for total (bound plus unbound) and linear for free (unbound) drug. The plasma protein binding was reduced due to a decreased association constant, resulting in a doubling of the free fraction in plasma.

Disposition and diuretic effect of furosemide in the nephrotic syndrome.

Plasma levels and diuretic response were determined in seven healthy subjects and six patients with severe nephrotic syndrome (NS) after 40 mg furosemide (Fu). Mean apparent volume of distribution and distribution volume at steady state of the groups did not differ. Total Fu clearance was higher in NS (251 +/- 54 ml/min) that in healthy subjects (174 +/- 32 ml/min) (P less than 0.

Disposition of hydrochlorothiazide (Hct) during phenytoin (Ph) treatment.

Plasma levels and urinary recovery of Hct were determined in seven healthy male volunteers. 75 mg Hct were administered as a tablet in a randomised fashion with or without phenytoin pretreatment (300 mg/d). Bioavailability of Hct showed considerable intra- and interindividual variation (32--87% and 42--77% respectively), but phenytoin did not influence the disposition parameters of the diuretic.

Influence of hepatic cirrhosis and end-stage renal disease on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of furosemide.

After rapid intravenous injection of furosemide 40 mg (Fu), plasma levels were determined in 7 healthy volunteers, 8 patients with liver cirrhosis with ascites and 7 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The diuretic response was evaluated by measuring the urinary excretion of sodium and potassium and the urine volume. The mean elimination half life (t 1/2 beta) of Fu averaged 51 +/- 7.

[Toxicity of ammonium acetate in rats with acute and subacute galactosamine-induced hepatitis (author's transl)].

Ammonia toxicity and the protective effect of arginine thereon were investigated in rats after single and repeated doses of galactosamine. Urea cycle enzymes and ornithine-oxo-acid transaminase activities were measured in rat liver homogenates. Ammonium acetate proved to be less toxic in rats treated with single or repeated doses of galactosamine than in untreated animals.

Possible sites of interaction of acute renal failure with amino acid utilization for gluconeogenesis in isolated perfused rat liver.

Experiments were performed to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the enhanced conversion of amino acids to glucose in acute uraemic rats. Increased gluconeogenesis from a mixture of serine, threonine, lysine, glutamate, ornithine and citrulline was confirmed using a non-recirculating perfusion system. Stimulation was concentration dependent, being most pronounced at physiological amino acid concentrations.

[Intracellular localisation of urea-cycle enzymes in liver (author's transl)].

Enzymes of the Krebs-Henseleit urea-cycle were localized by means of differential centrifugation and fractional tissue extraction in rat liver and in human liver. Argininosuccinatlyase (ASAL) and Argininosuccinatsynthetase (ASAS) represent enzymes of the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. Ornithine-ketoacid-transaminase(OKT), carbamyl-phosphate-synthetase (CPS) and ornithine-carbamyl-transferase (OCT) are localized in the mitochondrial and nuclei fractions of the liver cell.

[Ultrastructural changes of the stria vaseularis and the spiral ligament in chronic uremic rats (author's transl)].

Looking for the morphological correlation of uremic inner ear damage a 5/6 resection of kidney parenchyma in rats was performed. A biochemically proven chronic uremia was so created. The ultrastructural examination of the stria vascularis showed a marked swelling of the intermediate cells, compressing occasionally stria vessels.

[Perimembranous glomerulonephritis after treatment with D-penicillamine. Report on 31 cases (author's transl)].

This report includes 31 patients who developed a perimembranous glomerulonephritis generally 7 months after the onset of the treatment of various illnesses with D-Penicillamine. In all cases the patients had a proteinuria, associated with a hematuria in 12 cases. After the treatment was stopped 8 patients rapidly developed a nephrotic syndrome, while its onset was more gradual in 12 other patients.

Studies on urea cycle enzymes in rat liver during acute uraemia.

Activities of urea cycle enzymes were measured in the liver of starved rats 12 and 48 h after bilateral nephrectomy. Control experiments (sham-operated, starved rats) revealed that the activities of only two enzymes of the cycle are altered in the uraemic state: argininosuccinic acid synthetase (EC 6.3.