Maturation of the European sardine Sardina pilchardus under experimental conditions strengthens bioenergetic estimate.

This study aims at (1) experimentally estimating first sexual maturation of the European sardine S. pilchardus, (2) using the results to calibrate existing bioenergetic models. During the 183 days-experiment, fish growth and body condition were assessed by biometry, and gonads were weighed when present.

A comparison of bicarbonate kinetics and acid-base status in high flux hemodialysis and on-line post-dilution hemodiafiltration.

Objectives: To compare bicarbonate kinetics and acid base status in HD and HDF for the same patient; and to investigate the effect of patient physiologic parameters on these kinetics.

Methods: In order to monitor HCO3- kinetics during dialysis, acid-base parameters, pH, blood gases partial pressures, and HCO3- concentrations were recorded during 3 regular dialysis (HD) and 3 on-line post-dilution HDF sessions performed on 12 patients, using same dialysis fluid with a 38 mmol/l HCO3- concentration. HCO3- mass transfers through the hemodialyzers membranes and into the patients were continuously calculated during the sessions from HCO3- concentrations, together with HCO3-dialysance.

Lost at sea: genetic, oceanographic and meteorological evidence for storm-forced dispersal.

For many species, there is broad-scale dispersal of juvenile stages and/or long-distance migration of individuals and hence the processes that drive these various wide-ranging movements have important life-history consequences. Sea turtles are one of these paradigmatic long-distance travellers, with hatchlings thought to be dispersed by ocean currents and adults often shuttling between distant breeding and foraging grounds. Here, we use multi-disciplinary oceanographic, atmospheric and genetic mixed stock analyses to show that juvenile turtles are encountered 'downstream' at sites predicted by currents.

[Proportion of surgical workload related to chronic renal failure in an urology and transplantation operating room].

Objective: To evaluate the proportion of surgical workload, in terms of time and number of procedures, devoted to chronic renal failure surgery in an urology and transplantation operating room.

Material And Methods: Analysis of the operative activity of the urology and transplantation operating room of Amiens Hospital over a period of one year (2003), by evaluating the number of procedures and the operating room occupation time (time between entry and exit from the operating room) recorded on ecology forms completed for each operation. Procedures performed in this operating room comprise conventional adult urological surgery and chronic renal failure procedures (from creation of venous access sites for haemodialysis to treatment of complications of renal transplantation).

Reappraisal of 2003 NKF-K/DOQI guidelines for management of hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease patients.

The 2003 guidelines for the management of hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease compiled by the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF-K/DOQI) were formulated on the basis of work published up until 2001. Since then, new drugs (e.g.

Drug Insight: renal indications of calcimimetics.

Calcimimetics suppress the secretion of parathyroid hormone by sensitizing the parathyroid calcium receptor to serum calcium. Cinacalcet (Sensipar/Mimpara), Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA), the first-in-class calcimimetic agent approved for treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients, is, in association with higher dose of a calcium-based oral phosphate binder, a well-tolerated and effective alternative to standard treatments such as vitamin D derivatives in association with a non-calcium-based oral phosphate binder.

How do calcimimetics fit into the management of parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphate disturbances in dialysis patients?

As suggested by its American brand name (Sensipar), the calcimimetic cinacalcet sensitizes the parathyroid cells to the extracellular calcium signal, suppressing parathyroid hormone (PTH) release and synthesis and preventing parathyroid cell proliferation. This primary PTH suppression decreases the release of calcium and phosphate from bone without increasing intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate. Therefore cinacalcet decreases the risk of hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia in contrast to 1alpha-OH vitamin D derivatives.

Bone mineral density directly correlates with elevated serum leptin in haemodialysis patients.

Background: Experimentally, leptin has a positive effect on bone mass when infused intravenously, but a negative one after intracerebroventricular administration. Renal failure increases its serum level above the concentration beyond which its transport to the brain may be saturated. Thus, we tested, in a chronic haemodialysis population, the hypothesis of a positive relationship between serum leptin and bone mineral density (BMD) when serum levels are above this threshold.

Sevelamer hydrochloride with or without alphacalcidol or higher dialysate calcium vs calcium carbonate in dialysis patients: an open-label, randomized study.

Background: Sevelamer hydrochloride was recently proposed as a phosphate binder to prevent hypercalcaemia in place of calcium alkaline salts in dialysis patients. So far, it has been evaluated only in patients receiving calcitriol, without comparison with CaCO(3) alone, although the latter was found to be as effective as the combination of calcitriol and Al(OH)(3) in suppressing parathyroid hormone (PTH) without inducing hypercalcaemia and to have a better lowering effect on serum phosphate. Moreover, this bile salt binder may decrease serum 25-OH vitamin D.

[Renal osteodystrophy (3); its treatment in dialysis patients].

The prevalence and the clinical gravity of the various histopathological varieties of renal osteodystrophy in dialysis patients depends on the severity of both the aluminium intoxication and that of hyperparathyroidism. The prevalence of bone pains, fractures and hypercalcemias are the highest in adynamic bone diseases (ABD) with severe aluminium intoxication, then in osteitis fibrosa and mixed osteopathy, in the ABD with moderate aluminium intoxication and rare in the mild lesion in spite of similar moderate aluminium intoxication. In the absence of aluminium intoxication, hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia prevalence is higher only when intact PTH is more that 4 times the upper limit of normal.

[Renal osteodystrophy (2): its treatment in renal insufficiency before dialysis].

1. In the patient with renal insufficiency before dialysis, the phosphocalcic disorders appear insidiously. They are dominated by hyperparathyroidism which will be diagnosed on the initially yearly determination of plasma intact PTH as soon as creatinine clearance decreases below 60 ml/min, eventhough there is still no modification in plasma concentrations of calcium and phosphate.

[Renal osteodystrophy (1): invasive and non-invasive diagnosis of its pathologic varieties].

1. Renal osteodystrophy is a general term encompassing all the disturbances of the phosphocalcic metabolism and their associated bone and soft tissue abnormalities, which progressively occur in chronic renal failure. In this article we detail their main histopathological and etiopathogenic aspects as well as their invasive and non invasive diagnostic approach.

Liver granulomatosis is not an exceptional cause of hypercalcemia with hypoparathyroidism in dialysis patients.

In 4 of our patients on chronic dialysis, we were intrigued by the association of hypercalcemia +/- hyperphosphatemia and normal intact PTH, with anicteric cholestasis without cytolysis. This picture occurred in 2 patients after they resumed dialysis because of a transplant rejection and in a third one after discontinuation of corticosteroids, prescribed for an idiopathic thrombocytopenia. No patient was under calcitriol, CaCO3 therapy, and their hypercalcemia persisted on a low calcium dialyzate (1.

[Hemodialysis and strongyloidiasis: a presumed cause of eosinophilia able to mask the other].

The authors report a case of recurrent strongyloidiasis in a former French soldier of the Indochina colonial war (1946-54). Strongyloidiasis was associated with inaugural renal failure (acute steroid-resistant interstitial-type), requiring permanent hemodialysis. Despite antiparasitic treatment, relapse with digestive and pulmonary symptoms occurred 10 years later, following chronic eosinophilia.

[Inhibition of gastric secretion by omeprazole and efficacy of calcium carbonate in the control of hyperphosphatemia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis].

Unlabelled: Apparent contradictions exist in the literature regarding the effect of gastric secretion inhibition on phosphatemia. In healthy adults, omeprazole has been reported to prevent the increase of plasma phosphate or of phosphaturia observed after an acute phosphate load suggesting an inhibition of phosphate absorption. In patients on chronic hemodialysis their hyperphosphatemia is associated to gastric hypersecretion but the inhibition of this latter by ranitidine in patients taking CaCO3 has been reported to increase their plasma phosphate.

[Role of the time of administration of calcium carbonate (before or during mealtime) in the control of hyperphosphatemia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis].

Unlabelled: A study has claimed that at equal elemental calcium dose, CaCO3 was not less but equally efficient in controlling predialysis hyperphosphatemia as calcium acetate provided both calcium salts were given five minutes before the meals instead of during the meals because the higher acidity of a fasting gastric juice would allow a better dissociation of CaCO3. To examine the point that CaCO3 is more efficient if it is taken five minutes before compared to during the meal, we performed a two month randomised cross-over trial in twelve reliable and stable patients maintained on chronic hemodialysis while their treatment and diet remained constant. Comparison of the plasma concentrations measured during the two modes of administration showed no significant difference in creatinine, urea, bicarbonate, intact-PTH.

Risk factors of renal failure progression two years prior to dialysis.

Aim: The respective contribution of sex, type of nephropathy, degree of proteinuria, blood pressure, protein and sodium daily intakes, blood lipid profile, protidemia, hemoglobinemia, acidosis and CaPO4 product on the rate of renal failure progression is debated.

Patients And Methods: The link between these parameters and the decrease of creatinine clearance, deltaCcr (according to Cockroft) was assessed in uni- and multivariate analysis in a population of 49 patients (26 women; age 60+/-15 years, weight 79+/-15 kg) selected out of 173 presently treated hemodialysis patients on the basis of availability of a quarterly follow-up for 2 years before starting dialysis. The patients were advised a moderate protein and salt restriction which could be retrospectively assessed (on urinary excretion of urea and sodium) at, respectively, 0.

Is low plasma 25-(OH)vitamin D a major risk factor for hyperparathyroidism and Looser's zones independent of calcitriol?

Background: Recent reports suggest that calcitriol might not be the sole active metabolite of vitamin D and that plasma concentrations of 25-(OH)vitamin D (25OHD) are often abnormally low in hemodialysis patients. We have therefore evaluated plasma 25OHD as a risk factor for parathyroid hormone (PTH) hypersecretion and radiological bone disease. We carried out a cross-sectional study during the month of September in an Algerian dialysis center of 113 patients who were not taking supplements of alphacalcidol or calcitriol.