Sonographic diagnosis of postpartum pseudoaneurysms of the uterine artery: a report of 2 cases.

Two cases of post-partum uterine artery pseudoaneurysm are described, 1 after normal vaginal delivery and the other after Caesarean section. Both cases were complicated by heavy bleeding and treated with catheter embolization. A turbulent arterial-type velocity waveform with high peak velocity and forward end-diastolic flow was registered in the feeding vessel.

Staging of abdominal cancer by local anesthesia outpatient laparoscopy.

Background/aims: Our aim was to review the results of one trocar staging laparoscopies performed under local anesthesia in out patients with intra-abdominal cancer.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred fifteen patients with intra-abdominal cancer (predominantly esophagogastric and pancreatohepatobiliary) underwent one trocar staging laparoscopy on lidocain infiltration anesthesia under conscious sedation. In 43 patients computed tomography (CT) or ultrasonography (US) had raised a suspicion of hepatic metastases, but percutaneous needle biopsy had failed to confirm it; 172 patients had negative CT or US.

Interactions of gamma-L-glutamyltaurine with excitatory aminoacidergic neurotransmission.

The in vitro effects of gamma-L-glutamyltaurine on different stages of excitatory aminoacidergic neurotransmission were tested with gamma-D-glutamyltaurine as reference. gamma-L-Glutamyltaurine enhanced the K(+)-stimulated release of [3H]glutamate from cerebral cortical slices (25% at 0.1 mM) and slightly inhibited the uptake by crude brain synaptosomal preparations (about 10% at 1 mM).

Amino acids and glucose in human cerebrospinal fluid after acute ischaemic brain damage.

In the search for potential biochemical markers of value for prognosis after acute hypoxic brain damage, amino acids and glucose were assessed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and glucose in blood. Samples were taken by lumbar puncture 4, 28, 76 and 172 h after resuscitation from 20 patients and once from 10 control patients. Eight of the resuscitated patients recovered neurologically but 12 remained comatose.

Malnutrition in hemodialysis patients.

Twenty-nine hemodialysis patients were studied to evaluate different laboratory measures in assessing muscle protein stores and detecting protein malnutrition. Arm muscle circumference (AMC) was used as a reference for somatic protein stores. AMC correlated with serum complement C3, plasma histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine and threonine concentrations as well as with body mass index.

Leukocyte glutamate dehydrogenase and CSF amino acids in late onset ataxias.

Leukocyte glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity was measured in 11 healthy control subjects, 16 neurological controls, 12 patients with dominant late onset ataxia, 15 with sporadic late onset ataxia and 8 with alcoholic cerebellar ataxia. Serum hexosaminidase activity was also determined in ataxic patients. Concentrations of free amino acids were determined in the lumbal CSF of 16 neurological controls, 8 patients with late onset ataxia and 5 with alcoholic ataxia.

Leukocyte glutamate dehydrogenase and CSF amino acids in late onset ataxias.

Leukocyte glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity was measured in 11 healthy control subjects, 16 neurological controls, 12 patients with dominant late onset ataxia, 15 patients with sporadic late onset ataxia and 8 with alcoholic cerebellar ataxia. Serum hexosaminidase activity was also determined in ataxic patients. Concentrations of free amino acids were determined in the lumbal CSF of 16 neurological controls, 8 patients with late onset ataxia and 5 with alcoholic ataxia.

Displacement of excitatory amino acid receptor ligands by acidic oligopeptides.

A number of L-glutamyl and L-aspartyl dipeptides, glutathione, gamma-D-glutamylglycine and gamma-D-glutamyltaurine, were tested for their efficacy to displace ligands specific for different subtypes of excitatory amino acid receptors from rat brain synaptic membranes. In general, the L enanthiomorphs of gamma-glutamyl peptides were more potent displacers than gamma-D-glutamylglycine and -taurine but the latter were more specific for the quisqualate type of receptors. gamma-L-glutamyl-L-glutamate was the most effective dipeptide in displacing the binding of glutamate, 2-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-proprionate (AMPA) and 2-amino-5-phosphonoheptanoate (APH), whereas gamma-L-glutamyl-L-aspartate was the most effective in the binding of kainate.

Biogenic amine metabolites in human CSF after hypoxia due to cardiac arrest.

The concentrations of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were determined in CSF of patients with hypoxia due to circulatory arrest. Patients were divided into neurologically disabled and recovered according to the Glasgow Coma Scale. CSF was collected 4, 28, 76 and 172 h after commencement of resuscitation and once from control patients subjected to spinal anaesthesia.

Piperidine ester derivatives in mass spectrometric analysis of fatty acids from human serum phospholipids and cholesteryl esters.

When fatty acids with unknown structural features are confronted in mass spectral analyses of complex mixtures the cleavage pattern from the widely used methyl ester derivatives is not always sufficiently informative. Their mass spectra often contain only weak signals for the parent or any other characteristic ions. Hence the advantages of piperidides were explored and compared with methyl esters in the structure elucidation of fatty acids from human serum phospholipids and cholesteryl esters.

Chromatographic and enzymatic effects on transfer factor-like activity from human leukocytes and porcine spleen dialysate.

1. The effect of dialysable transfer factor (TFd), derived from human leukocytes or porcine spleen cells, was measured using Listeria resistance in mice. 2.

Biochemical and clinical studies on epileptic patients during two phase I trials with the novel anticonvulsant taltrimide.

Taltrimide (2-phthalimidoethanesulphon-N-isopropylamide), a lipophilic derivative of taurine and a potent anticonvulsant in animal studies, was administered in daily doses of 1 and 2 g for 2 weeks with an interval of 2.5 months in 2 phase I clinical trials to 9 drug-resistant epileptic patients. Seizures and EEG were recorded, and routine laboratory studies conducted.

Position of the peptide linkage in glutamyl-taurine from calf brain synaptic vesicles.

To elucidate the position of the peptide bond in glutamyl-taurine this dipeptide was extracted from calf brain synaptic vesicles and subjected to paper electrophoresis. It was analyzed further in an automatic amino acid analyzer prior and subsequent to acid hydrolysis. Both alpha- and gamma-forms were found to be present in approximately equal amounts.

Cerebrospinal fluid amino acid concentrations in chronic schizophrenia.

The concentrations of the excitatory amino acid, glutamate, the inhibitory amino acids, glycine and taurine, and the inactive amino acids, glutamine and alanine, were determined in cerebrospinal fluid samples from 12 neurological control and 17 chronic schizophrenic patients. No significant differences were observed in any amino acid between the study groups. Within the schizophrenic group, no differences were observed between paranoid and undifferentiated patients.

Metabolic effects of branched chain amino acids in patients with severe pancreatitis.

Twenty-four patients with acute severe pancreatitis were randomised to receive total parenteral nutrition for 7 days with one of two isocaloric (35 kcal/kg/day) and isonitrogenous (0.16 g/kg/day) programmes containing either a low (15.5% w/w (control group)) or a high (57%) content of branched chain amino acids (BCAA (BCAA group)).

Free amino acids of rat astrocytes in primary culture: changes during cell maturation.

The concentrations of free amino acids were analysed in cultured primary astrocytes during cell maturation and in the starting material, i.e. the cerebral hemispheres of newborn rats.

Glutamyl-taurine is the predominant synaptic taurine peptide.

Several taurine-containing peptides have been identified from trichloracetic acid extracts of synaptosomes and their subcellular vesicles prepared from calf brain. These peptides contain aspartic and glutamic acids, serine and taurine, and are often present in an N-acetylated form. The peptides were isolated as single spots by TLC.

Mass spectrometric studies of some synaptosomal and synthetic peptides.

Mass spectra were recorded using direct inlet and electron impact ionization from two synthetic peptides, N-acetyl-aspartyl-4-aminobutyric acid and gamma-glutamyl-taurine and a natural peptide, N-acetyl-aspartyl-glycyl-alanyl-aspartyl-serine, isolated from calf brain synaptosomes. The peptides were studied either underivatized or first acetylated with acetic acid anhydride and then permethylated with methyl iodide. The synthetic peptides were used to check the completeness of the derivatization reactions.

Mass spectrometric analyses of brain synaptic peptides containing taurine.

The structure of a number of low-molecular-weight acidic peptides containing taurine prepared from calf brain synaptosomes and their subcellular vesicles was studied using electron impact mass spectrometry. At least seven sequences could be identified: N-acetylaspartyl-glutamyl-taurine, N-acetylaspartyl-taurine, N-acetylglutamyl-taurine, glutamyl-taurine, aspartyl-taurine, seryl-glutamyl-seryl-taurine, and seryl-taurine.

Free amino acids and the uptake and binding of taurine in the central nervous system of rats treated with guanidinoethanesulphonate.

The content of free amino acids in the central nervous system, the uptake of taurine by slices and synaptosomes and taurine binding to synaptic membranes have been studied on adult male Wistar rats after a prolonged administration of 2-guanidinoethanesulphonate with or without a taurine-free diet. The 2-guanidinoethanesulphonate administration both alone and together with a taurine-free diet considerably reduced taurine levels in all regions studied, viz. cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord, but the contents of methionine and gamma-aminobutyric acid were increased.