Nonspecific airway reactivity in cigarette smokers. Relationship to airway pathology and baseline lung function.

To examine the relationship of cigarette smoking, starting airway caliber, and airway pathology to nonspecific airway reactivity, we performed inhalation dose-response curves in 40 patients prior to lung surgery. Airway reactivity was assessed by the provocative concentration of methacholine (n = 30) or histamine (n = 10) resulting in a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20). All patients had measurements of maximal expiratory flow, diffusing capacity, and lung volumes preoperatively.

Pulmonary function and peripheral airway disease in patients with mineral dust or fume exposure.

Cigarette smoking and mineral dust exposure combined result in small airways function abnormalities difficult to distinguish from smoking effects alone. To determine if mineral dust or fume exposure in smokers results in additional changes in small airways structure and function, we studied small airways disease and pulmonary function in 25 persons (62.4 +/- 8.

The effect of anorexia nervosa on bone morphometry in young women.

Changes in bone morphometry during chronic undernutrition were evaluated in 14 young women with anorexia nervosa (mean age +/- SEM = 25.5 +/- 4.4 yrs).

Reassessment of inflammation of airways in chronic bronchitis.

The term chronic bronchitis has been criticised because it is associated with hypersecretion of mucus rather than bronchial inflammation. This study was designed to establish the presence or absence of clinical chronic bronchitis and measure pulmonary function in 45 patients about to undergo resection of the lung. The condition in the cartilaginous and small airways and the severity of the emphysema were then measured in the resected specimen.

Effects of reduced left ventricular mass on chamber architecture, load, and function: a study of anorexia nervosa.

We investigated the effects of reduction in left ventricular mass on cavity geometry, afterload, pump function, and exercise performance in 17 patients with anorexia nervosa and in 10 age-and sex-matched normal subjects. Left ventricular mass index determined by two-dimensional echo-cardiography was significantly lower than that in normal subjects (53 +/- 15 vs 79 +/- 18 g/m2; p less than .005).

The effects of glucose and amino acids on tumor and host DNA synthesis.

Tumor-bearing animals provided with intravenous glucose and amino acids (TPN) exhibit enhanced response to S-phase-specific chemotherapeutic agents (H. M. Reynolds, J.

Pathogenesis and pharmacologic management of pseudo-obstruction of the bowel in pheochromocytoma.

Metastatic malignant pheochromocytoma can be a disease of long duration and though poorly responsive to both radiation therapy and chemotherapy, pharmacologic management of its myriad manifestations can be very effective. Hypertension is the most recognized feature of this disease, but gastrointestinal manifestations can, on rare occasions, be just as serious and life threatening. We present two patients with metastatic pheochromocytoma who developed pseudo-obstruction, and discuss the pathopharmacology and treatment of this syndrome.

Interval nitrogen excretion and maintenance nitrogen requirements for parenteral nutrition in primates.

This paper discusses a regression technique for determining maintenance nitrogen requirements in well-nourished primates (M fascicularis) on total parenteral nutrition. Animals were administered a continuous glucose infusion, and parenteral nitrogen intake was varied at constant time intervals in a random order (from 0 to 1 g nitrogen/kg/day). Interval nitrogen balance (intake minus urinary nitrogen output) was plotted against interval nitrogen intake.

Enhanced tumor response to cycle-specific chemotherapy by pulse total parenteral nutrition.

Exogenous nutrient administration has been shown to significantly stimulate tumor growth in numerous animal models. The present study was performed to determine if substrate-induced alterations in tumor metabolism could be exploited to potentiate tumor response to cycle-specific chemotherapy. Following subcutaneous mammary tumor (AC-33) implantation, 55 female Lewis/Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of three nutritional regimens for 48 hr: (1) protein-depleted chow (0.

The ilvB locus of Escherichia coli K-12 is an operon encoding both subunits of acetohydroxyacid synthase I.

The ilvB locus of Escherichia coli K-12 encloses two open reading frames defining polypeptides of 60,000 and 11,200 molecular weight. The entire locus, about 2.3 kb, is co-transcribed as an operon.

A quantitative evaluation of stress associated with indwelling superior vena cava cannulae in rats.

"Nonrestraining" superior vena cava (SVC) cannulae are commonly used in rat metabolic studies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of stress and metabolic alterations associated with surgical placement and subsequent maintenance and use of an indwelling intravenous cannula as measured by resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory quotient (RQ), urinary nitrogen excretion, and substrate utilization pattern. Nine rats underwent SVC cannulation and six rats underwent sham operation.

Energy expenditure in acute trauma to the head with and without barbiturate therapy.

The increased energy expenditure associated with severe trauma to the head appears genuine but exhibits wide variation in its magnitude. Patients with severe acute trauma to the head without barbiturate treatment are hypermetabolic with an average energy expenditure 26 per cent over predicted. Barbiturate therapy abolishes this hypermetabolism and decreases energy expenditure to 14 per cent below predicted.

Macronutrient requirements in the malnourished cancer patient. How much of what and why?

Malnutrition is a prevalent problem in the hospitalized cancer population. Although the pathophysiology of cancer cachexia is incompletely understood, it assumes considerable clinical relevance because malnutrition is a potentially treatable problem associated with poor outcome. Once the clinician has made a decision to initiate enteral or parenteral nutritional support, the practical issue of macronutrient prescription necessitates review of existing animal and human data in order to formulate guidelines for nonprotein energy and nitrogen requirements for efficacious nutritional support in the malnourished cancer patient.

Adverse events following immunization with DTP vaccine.

The Monitoring System for Adverse Events Following Immunization became fully operational in late 1978 in all 50 States, New York City and Washington, D.C. This system compiles information on adverse events temporally associated (within four weeks) to the administration of a vaccine.

Modulation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor by phospholipids and fatty acids.

The structural relationship between several lipids and their respective capacities to inhibit the specific binding of [3H]-1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 to chick intestinal cytosol preparations was investigated. The lipids investigated were: synthetic 3-sn-phosphatidylcholine and 3-sn-phosphatidic acid, egg yolk 3-sn-phosphatidylcholine and its corresponding phosphatidic acid, and free unsaturated fatty acids and their esters. The results indicate that at least three structural elements in the phospholipid molecule appear to be important; these are: 1) the structure of the fatty acid, 2) the anionic properties of the phospholipid phosphate group, and 3) the glycerol phosphate portion of the molecule.

Alteration in pyruvate metabolism in the liver of tumor-bearing rats.

Weight loss associated with tumor burden has been postulated to be due to an energy imbalance resulting from increased hepatic gluconeogenesis secondary to Cori cycle activity. The mechanisms which control pyruvate metabolism are inherent to the control of gluconeogenesis in the liver. Therefore, the metabolism of pyruvate was evaluated in a transplanted tumor model in rodents which has previously shown an increased rate of hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Energy expenditure in primary malnutrition during standardized exercise.

When eight malnourished females without organic disease, were subjected to a controlled treadmill exercise test, they expended less total energy than females of normal body weight. The malnourished subjects consumed less oxygen than the control subjects, but oxygen consumption increased with increasing work load. The resting energy expenditure of the malnourished subjects was less than predicted values, but body composition as determined by muscle mass, total body water and thyroxine levels were within normal limits.

Total body water and total body potassium in anorexia nervosa.

In the ill hospitalized patient with clinically relevant malnutrition, there is a measurable decrease in the ratio of the total body potassium to total body water (TBK/TBW) and a detectable increase in the ratio of total exchangeable sodium to total exchangeable potassium (Nae/Ke). To evaluate body composition analyses in anorexia nervosa patients with chronic uncomplicated semistarvation, TBK and TBW were measured by whole body K40 counting and deuterium oxide dilution in 10 females with stable anorexia nervosa and 10 age-matched female controls. The ratio of TBK/TBW was significantly (p less than 0.

Relationships between serum total iron-binding capacity and transferrin.

The relationship between serum transferrin ( TFN ) and serum total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) in a clinical setting was evaluated in two related studies. The initial study evaluated 101 blood samples representing a cross-section of hospitalized adults. The samples were double assayed for TIBC using clinical and research methodologies.

Energy expenditure in malnourished gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Cancer cachexia, a common finding in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy, is frequently attributed to tumor-induced aberrations in host energy expenditure. To characterize the frequency and severity of aberrations in energy expenditure in GI cancer patients, and to identify the potential influence of tumor characteristics in this group, the authors measured resting energy expenditure (REE) by indirect calorimetry in 173 patients and compared REE to predicted-energy expenditure (PEE) from the Harris-Benedict formulae based on current body weight. Fifty-eight percent of patients had abnormal REE (normal REE = +/- 10% PEE); 36% (62 of 173) were hypometabolic (REE less than 90% PEE), and 22% (39 of 173) were hypermetabolic (REE greater than 110% PEE).