Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity of diapause induction and related fitness cost in a commercial strain of the parasitoid Aphidius ervi Haliday.

Diapause is an adaptation that insects have evolved to synchronize their life cycle with that of seasonal climatic changes and resources availability. However, cues for its induction are not always clear and, in some cases, a maternal effect may be involved. At the population level, just a part of the individuals may exhibit diapause with important consequences in terms of winter survival.

Impact of differences in nutritional quality of wingless and winged aphids on parasitoid fitness.

Winged aphids are described as hosts of lesser quality for parasitoids because a part of their resources is used to produce wings and associated muscles during their development. Host lipid content is particularly important for parasitoid larvae as they lack lipogenesis and therefore rely entirely on the host for this resource. The goal of this study was to determine to what extent winged and wingless aphids differ from a nutritional point of view and whether these differences impact parasitoid fitness, notably the lipid content.

["Hepatitis" A virus g: myth or reality? VHG/GBH-C: diagnosis, epidemiology, transfusion risk, and pathogenicity].

The recently discovered G virus (also called either GBV-C or HGV) is transmitted by blood transfusion as well as by sexual intercourse. The global prevalence of GBV-C is high, not only in those groups classically known to be exposed to parenteral risks (i.v.

Efficacy of interferon dose and prediction of response in chronic hepatitis C: Benelux study in 336 patients.

Background/aims: In an attempt to improve the limited efficacy of treatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon-alpha 3 MU tiw, we studied the effects of double-dose therapy followed by downward titration, and analyzed the pre- and pertreatment factors associated with response or non-response.

Methods: Three hundred and fifty-four consecutive patients in 19 centers were randomized to interferon-alpha 3 MU tiw for 6 months or 6 MU tiw for 8 weeks followed by down-titration (3,1 MU tiw) till alanine aminotransferase remained normal and plasma HCV RNA was repeatedly undetectable. The primary outcome measure was sustained alanine aminotransferase and HCV RNA response 6 months after treatment.

Insulin secretion, clearance, and action on glucose metabolism in cirrhotic patients.

To study the mechanisms of glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinism in liver cirrhosis, we compared the plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels during a frequently sampled i.v. glucose tolerance test (0.

[Medical treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis].

The medical treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis can be divided into two parts: the treatment of the complications (cholestasis and portal hypertension) and the treatment of the underlying disease. As regards the treatment of the disease itself, there is to date no drug which has been shown to ameliorate the pathological process and to prolong survival: cyclosporine and ursodeoxycholic acid, recently used have shown promising responses in liver biochemistry but long-term controlled studies are required to assess their effectiveness on the disease process and on survival.

[Effect of a serotonin S2 receptor antagonist on portal hypertension due to cirrhosis. Preliminary results of a heart and liver hemodynamic study].

In 10 cirrhotic patients, with two balloon catheters introduced in the right internal jugular vein, the following parameters were measured before and after injection of ketanserine (0.1 mg/kg): cardiac output using the thermo-dilution method, free supra-hepatic pressure, wedged supra-hepatic pressure at rest and during cough, right atrial pressure, pulmonary capillary and arterial pressures. After 30 minutes, the following modifications were recorded: the cardiac output goes from 8.

Serum beta 2-microglobulin levels in chronic post-transfusion non A non B liver disease.

Serum beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2 mu), a reliable marker of T-cell activation, was measured in 25 patients with chronic post-transfusion non A non B (NANB) liver disease and in 21 patients with HBsAg positive chronic liver disease. beta 2 mu levels were elevated in NANB patients when compared with controls but not in comparison with the HBsAg carriers. In NANB patients, beta 2 mu concentrations were significantly correlated with serum IgG (P less than 0.

[Effects of sotalol on blocked suprahepatic pressure in cirrhotic patients].

With the use of two balloon catheters inserted in the right jugular vein, the following parameters were measured before and after injection of sotalol (1.5 mg/kg): cardiac output with the thermodilution method, hepatic output with the indocyanin green perfusion method, free sub-hepatic pressure, blocked sub-hepatic pressure recorded at rest and during coughing. After 30 minutes, the following modifications were recorded: the cardiac output goes from 6.

Hepatotoxicity of mebendazole. Relationship with serum concentrations of the drug.

We report the case of a 47-year-old female patient, suffering from multiple hydatid cysts of the liver, in whom hepatitis developed after mebendazole treatment. Clinical manifestations of hypersensitivity were absent. A correlation was found between serum mebendazole concentrations and the degree of cytolysis; this is compatible with a direct hepatotoxic effect of mebendazole.

Cimetidine increases serum mebendazole concentrations. Implications for treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts.

In eight patients (five with peptic ulcer disease and three with hydatid cysts), the [14C]-aminopyrine breath test (ABT) and maximum serum concentration of mebendazole following a dose of 1.5 g of mebendazole three times daily were determined before and after treatment with cimetidine (400 mg three times daily for 30 days). Serum mebendazole concentrations were measured in blood samples taken 2 h after each drug intake.

[The role of plasma alpha 1-glycoprotein acid in the binding of aminopyrine].

Under certain pathological conditions the binding of various substances by serum proteins is altered. The plasma concentrations of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, also known as orosomucoid are reported to be elevated in stressful situation and in certain disease states like acute myocardial infarction. The binding of aminopyrine to serum proteins and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein was determined using equilibrium dialysis.