[Knee flexion after rotational knee endoprosthesis].

Unlabelled: In the presented study the question was evaluated if--after rotational knee arthroplasty--range of motion must be restored at discharge or if range of motion can also be restored with delay during the first postoperative year.

Method: A retrospective study was performed on 45 patients. These had been rehabilitated with a specific therapeutical concept which did not include early restoration at discharge of complete range of motion as the key principle.

Imidazolines and the pancreatic B-cell. Actions and binding sites.

Stimulation of insulin secretion by imidazoline compounds displays variable characteristics. Phentolamine (10-100 microM) increased secretion of perifused mouse islets at nonstimulatory glucose concentrations (5 mM) and even in the absence of glucose. Idazoxan (20-100 microM) elicited a moderate increase in insulin secretion, which required the presence of a stimulatory glucose concentration (10 mM).

Heterogeneous characteristics of imidazoline-induced insulin secretion.

Imidazolines are regarded as a pharmacological group of insulin secretagogues with one uniform mechanism of action, namely closure of ATP-dependent K+ channels (K(ATP) channels) and, in consequence, depolarization of the plasma membrane, Ca2+ influx and stimulation of secretion. This assumption was investigated by measuring insulin secretion from perifused pancreatic islets in response to three imidazoline compounds and comparing the characteristics of secretion with changes in membrane potential and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]i of single beta-cells. Phentolamine (32 microM) stimulated insulin secretion from perifused mouse islets in the presence of stimulatory (10 mM and 30 mM) and substimulatory (5 mM) glucose concentrations and even in the absence of glucose.