Renal transplant vein occlusion: an early diagnostic sign?

We report new Doppler ultrasound findings in two patients with renal vein thrombosis and obstruction following renal transplantation. In both cases there was a marked reduction in the systolic peak with relatively normal diastolic flow in the intrarenal arterial waveforms. Venous flow was still detectable at the renal hilum in both cases, and throughout the graft in one case.

Radiation dose to the lens from computed tomography scanning in a neuroradiology department.

The radiation dose to the lens was measured by thermoluminescent dosimetry on 194 patients undergoing routine head and neck computed tomography scanning in a neuroradiology department. The results are lower than previously reported: brain scans, mean value 5.1 mGy; orbital scans, mean value 18.

Cloning of the rat edg-1 immediate-early gene: expression pattern suggests diverse functions.

The edg-1 immediate-early gene encodes a G-protein-coupled receptor homolog implicated in endothelial cell differentiation. We report the cloning of the rat edg-1 gene. Our Northern analyses indicate that edg-1 is much more widely expressed than previously thought.

D2 dopamine receptor mRNA distribution in cholinergic and somatostatinergic cells of the rat caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens.

An in situ hybridization procedure that identifies cells expressing D2 dopamine receptor mRNA was combined in double-labelling studies with immunohistochemical procedures that identify cells expressing either choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) or somatostatin. D2 receptor mRNA was detected in almost all of the ChAT positive caudate-putamen cells, approximately half of the ChAT positive nucleus accumbens cells and none of the somatostatin-positive cells in either brain region.

CNTF receptor alpha mRNA expression in rodent cell lines and developing rat.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been shown to modulate the in vitro and in vivo survival, proliferation and differentiation of many neuronal cell types. Evidence indicates that it produces most if not all these effects by binding to a receptor subunit referred to as the CNTF receptor alpha component (CNTFR alpha). We cloned a cDNA encoding part of the rat CNTFR alpha and used it in Northern analyses to study CNTFR alpha mRNA expression.

Cloning and characterization of a putative G-protein coupled receptor potentially involved in development.

Polymerase chain reaction techniques and medium stringency library screening were used to isolate a rat cDNA ("H218") which encodes a novel guanine nucleotide-binding protein coupled receptor homolog ("pH218"). Northern analysis revealed that brain H218 mRNA is preferentially expressed during embryogenesis. In addition, H218 mRNA is expressed in all developing tissues and rodent cell lines examined with highest levels detected in primitive, transformed cells.

The safety of vaginal prostaglandin F2 alpha for the stimulation of labour.

In an audit of 15,102 consecutive deliveries between 1986 and 1991, 3,168 labours were induced with intravenous oxytocin and 824 with 40 mg prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) vaginal gel. Four hundred and twenty women received PGF2 alpha alone and 404 received PGF2 alpha followed by oxytocin. The main aim of the study was to audit the safety of PGF2 alpha gel to stimulate labour.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the safety of vaginal recombinant human relaxin for cervical ripening.

Objective: To assess the safety of vaginal recombinant human relaxin in pregnant women treated before the induction of labor and to collect preliminary data on the efficacy of recombinant human relaxin in promoting cervical ripening.

Methods: In a multi-center, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 40 women were studied before induction of labor because of post-dates. The women were randomized to receive either 1.

Continuous low-dose oestrogen and progestogen hormone replacement therapy: a randomised trial.

Objective: To establish the efficacy and acceptability of combined continuous low-dose oestrogen and low-dose progestogen therapy, to determine whether any of three commercially available progestogens had any advantages or disadvantages in these circumstances and whether use of the lowest clinically effective oestrogen dose affected other outcomes being measured.

Design: A 12-month, prospective, open label, single centre, randomised trial.

Patients And Methods: Seventy-five postmenopausal women already receiving hormone replacement therapy in the form of conjugated equine oestrogens (CEE) (0.

Relaxin induces ovulations in the in-vitro perfused rat ovary.

The effects of human recombinant relaxin on ovulation and ovarian steroidogenesis were investigated in vitro using a perfused rat ovary model. Ovaries of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (ECG; 20 IU)-primed Sprague-Dawley rats were perfused for 21 h. Ovarian release of oestradiol and progesterone was measured during the perfusion period and the number of ovulations was estimated by counting the released oocytes at termination of the experiment.

The prevalence of hysterectomy in South Australia.

Objective: To ascertain the prevalence of hysterectomy in the South Australian community.

Design And Setting: Data were collected as part of the South Australian Health Omnibus Survey which involved a self-weighting, multistage, systematic, representative area cluster sample of 4608 households in metropolitan and country South Australia. One thousand and forty-seven women over the age of 40 were personally interviewed by trained data collectors.

The prevalence of oestrogen replacement therapy in South Australia.

Objective: To ascertain the prevalence of the use of oestrogen replacement therapy in the South Australian community. DESIGN AND SETTING. Data was collected as part of the South Australian Health Omnibus Survey which involved a clustered, self-weighting, multi-stage, systematic representative area sample of 4608 households in metropolitan and country South Australia.

Running a menopause clinic.

A menopause clinic can be run either by a general practitioner as a primary referral clinic or in a hospital by a team of specialists and paramedical personnel as a secondary referral centre. Both can be run efficiently and with sensitivity. The importance of giving adequate information and education through combined video, written and verbal information is stressed.

Inhibin and relaxin concentrations in early singleton, multiple, and failing pregnancy: relationship to gonadotropin and steroid profiles.

Objective: To examine the inter-relationships between inhibin, relaxin, steroid concentrations, estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), and gonadotropins in early pregnancy.

Design: Hormone concentrations in plasma were measured during the luteal phase of subjects who became pregnant (n = 58) or failed to become pregnant (n = 47) after ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization-gamete intrafallopian transfer (IVF-GIFT) (group 1). A further group of subjects became pregnant (n = 7) or failed to become pregnant (n = 8) during endocrinology tracking of a natural cycle (group 2).

Nitrogen analogues of haematoporphyrin and haematoporphyrin derivative.

The preparation of a number of amines related to haematoporphyrin (HP) and haematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) have been studied and their composition and structure discussed through examination of their 1H, 13C NMR and mass spectral data and other physical properties. In vitro biological studies have been carried out and have shown these amines to have a similar photodynamic efficiency to that of HPD. One of these showed cytotoxic properties at exceptionally low light energy levels.

Oestrogen and cyclical progestogen in postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy.

Objective: To ascertain the effectiveness, safety and incidence of side effects of a postmenopausal hormone replacement regimen consisting of continuous conjugated equine oestrogens and cyclical medroxyprogesterone acetate given for the first 14 days of each calendar month.

Design: A six month, prospective, open label, two centre, outpatient study of continuous Premarin (0.625 mg; Wyeth-Ayerst) and cyclical Provera (10 mg; Upjohn).

Telephone fetal heart rate monitoring in South Australia.

A pilot trial was conducted to assess the technical feasibility of long range fetal heart monitoring by telephone in an Australian setting. The indications for such monitoring and patient ability and attitude towards self-monitoring was also assessed. One hundred and fifty seven tracings were received from 57 women using a simple doppler device to transmit fetal heart sounds to the central hospital fetal monitor.

Comparative assessment of talc slip using a sensory analysis technique.

Synopsis A technique was developed to evaluate the relative slip of ten test talcs and two control talcs (one with known good slip and one with known poor slip properties). The study was conducted under double-blind conditions with a naive panel of 19 subjects, who with minimal training ranked the 12 talcs. The rankings identified were in line with expectations.