The influence of obesity on perioperative morbidity: retrospective study of 502 aortocoronary bypass operations.

The incidence of perioperative complications after coronary artery surgery was investigated by a retrospective study of all 502 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in our Department between January 1st and December 31st of last year (1990). Furthermore, the influence of obesity on the early results of surgery was assessed and the effect of preoperative weight reduction on perioperative complication rates examined. Obese patients had a greater incidence of left-stem coronary artery stenosis (p less than 0.

Synthesis and turnover of proteoglycans by human and bovine adult articular chondrocytes cultured in alginate beads.

Human and bovine adult articular chondrocytes cultured in alginate beads or agarose gel retain their spherical shape and typical chondrocytic appearance for at least 5 weeks. Aggrecan is always the major population of proteoglycans (PGs) synthesized; its size varies depending upon the age of the cartilage from which the cells are derived but it is not influenced by the culture system used. Studies of human chondrocytes cultured in alginate showed that the majority of the newly-synthesized aggrecan molecules are rapidly incorporated into aggregates which can be extracted from the gel in their native form.

Experimental in vitro endothelialization of cardiac valve leaflets.

This study reports our results with vitro endothelialization of fresh nonpreserved homograft valve leaflets compared with mild alternatively preserved valves and valves treated by preservation procedures commonly used for commercially available tissue valves. In vitro lining of biological heart valves with cultured autologous endothelial cells might help prevent the detrimental effects of degeneration on valve durability. To investigate the growth characteristics of endothelial cells on valve bioprostheses, three different methods of storage and preservation were compared.

[Estimation of insulin and glucose regulation in the dairy cow using daily profiles, simple and modified glucose tolerance test].

Insulin and glucose regulation plays a central role in regulating distribution of metabolites between udder and body tissues and, consequently, in ensuring optimum adjustment between milk yield and health stability. An experimental study was conducted into four dairy cows, between 17 weeks before and 52 weeks after calving to establish six diurnal profiles for insulin and glucose concentrations in blood plasma and undertake 18 glucose tolerance tests, nine of them simple and nine modified. The three methods used in examination provided differentiated but complementary data on the glucose-insulin system of dairy cow.

Synthesis of 13C-labeled chenodeoxycholic, hyodeoxycholic, and ursodeoxycholic acids for the study of bile acid metabolism in liver disease.

In order to study the glycosidic conjugation of chenodeoxycholic, hyodeoxycholic, and ursodeoxycholic acids in patients with cholestasis after oral administration of pharmacological amounts of the respective bile acids avoiding the application of radioactive tracers we synthesized [24-13C]chenodeoxycholic, [24-13C]hyodeoxycholic, and [24-13C]ursodeoxycholic acids. The reaction intermediates of the bile acid syntheses were characterized by infrared spectroscopy. Purity was confirmed using thin-layer chromatography as well as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Synthetic peptides of the amino-terminus of fibronectin inhibit endothelial cell growth.

Amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal fragments of human plasma fibronectin, at nM concentrations, reversibly inhibit the growth of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. To define smaller active peptides, synthetic peptides corresponding to a carboxyl-terminal disulfide bonded loop segment of one of the fragments were tested for activity and found to be active at microM concentrations. The data suggest that the entire loop sequence is required for full expression of endothelial cell growth inhibitory activity in vitro.

Cyst-derived cells do not exhibit accelerated growth or features of transformed cells in vitro.

Progressive renal enlargement is a prominent feature in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), suggesting that the disease is due to hyperplasia and/or preneoplastic transformation of renal epithelial cells. In this study in vitro methods were developed to grow and propagate large numbers of cyst-derived epithelial cells from ADPKD kidneys and cortical epithelial cells from normal human kidneys (NK). In order to study their biologic features during early cell passages, cells were grown on Vitrogen (bovine dermal collagen)-FCS (fetal calf serum) coated dishes and fed a basic medium (DME:F12) supplemented with 10% FCS or a defined medium (Sens) containing insulin, transferrin, selenium, hydrocortisone, tri-iodothyronine and epidermal growth factor (EGF).

Immune complex disease and gynecomastia.

A man with arthritis, gynecomastia and a rash histologically showing leukocytoclastic vasculitis, dermatitis herpetiformis and immunoglobulin G deposits at the dermoepidermal junction is reported. In contrast to cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) associated with vesiculobullous eruptions and similar histological features, our patient had neither bullae nor serological evidence of SLE. Conversely, no men already reported had evidence of feminization.

[The functional morphology of the maxillomandibular apparatus of the miniature swine MINI-LEWE. 9. Metric studies of the skull and mandible].

Skull and jaw growth are described mathematically as a dynamic process. Graphs of the growth process show that basically the rate of growth decreases monotonically with increasing age. The maximum rate of growth was recorded at the time of eruption of the deciduous dentition during the first 4 months of life.

[Necrotizing panniculitis in pancreatitis].

A 46-year old man developed subcutaneous fat necrosis of the right upper thigh in association with pancreatitis. The panniculitis established by biopsy resolved 4 years later. Subcutaneous nodular fat necrosis is a rare dermatological manifestation of pancreatitis or pancreas carcinoma which may be clinically indistinguishable from erythema nodosum.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular apparatus in the miniature swine MINI-LEWE. 11. Discussion of the findings of the metric studies and dentition (conclusion)].

The graphs showing the dimensions and angles of the skull and jaw indicate that postnatal development trends are basically uniform. Comparison with the Vietnamese miniature pig shows that the miniature pig MINI-LEWE has a longer skull. Postnatal skull growth is accompanied by a distinct shift in proportions.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular apparatus in the miniature swine MINI-LEWE. 10. Dentition].

In the miniature pig MINI-LEWE the canines and 3rd incisors are already present at birth. Deciduous dentition is completed by the age of 3 months, and the denture consists of 28 teeth. The "replacement milk teeth" (Stehlin 1899) appear between the age of 6 and 8 months.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular apparatus of the mini-Lewe minipig. 7. Intramuscular nerve ramification model of the masseter muscle of juvenile animals].

The ramification patterns are basically the same at all ages. The existing patterns of intramuscular innervation change gradually only by increasing ramification. The masseter and zygomaticomandibularis muscles are innervated jointly by branches of the massetericus nerve.

[Functional morphology of the maxillomandibular apparatus in the mini-Lewe minipig. 6. Intramuscular nerve ramifications in the masticatory muscles of adult animals].

The masseter muscle is innervated by branches of 3 nerves. The zygomaticomandibular muscle must be regarded as part of the masseter as it is supplied by 2 branches of the massetericus nerve. Two branches of the medial pterygoid nerve enter the medial pterygoid muscle medially.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular apparatus in the miniature swine MINI-LEWE. 8. The development of the intramuscular nerve ramification pattern in the masticatory muscles].

Postnatal changes in the intramuscular innervation pattern of the masticatory muscles of the miniature pig MINI-LEWE are only gradual. There are no definite relationships between the paths of nerves and the positions of the fasciae. The few anastomoses found were in the masseter muscle.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular apparatus in the mini-Lewe minipig. 5. Structural and functional changes of the masticatory muscles and their dry weight development].

The basic pinnate structures caused by Sehnenspiegel in the jaw muscles are already present in newborn animals. The functional changes in the jaw muscles are described in terms of an analysis of force components based on the dry weights of the individual muscles involved in chewing action. Although the protractive and retractive components are relatively large in newborn pigs, the adductive components predominate clearly in adult animals.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular system in the mini-Lewe minipig. 4. Functional analysis of the masticatory muscles at various ages].

The percentage of dry weight distribution of the jaw muscles is described, and muscle growth is calculated by means of second degree homogeneous linear differential equations with constant coefficients. The components of the chewing muscles are calculated from the parallelogram of forces on the basis of their dry weights. Changes in the shape of the skull during postnatal development leads to an increase in the adductive components and a reduction of the protractive components.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular apparatus of the mini-Lewe minipig. 2. Structure of the masticatory muscles of adult animals].

The masseter muscle is the most powerfully developed of the jaw muscles in the miniature pig MINI-LEWE. Its internal skeleton contains 5 Sehnenspiegel. The zygomatico-mandibular muscle acts as a link between the masseter and temporal muscles.

[Functional morphology of the maxillo-mandibular apparatus in the mini-Lewe minipig. 1. Miniature swine in oro-anatomically-oriented research].

This bulletin marks the beginning of a cycle dealing with the structure, function, innervation and quantitative analysis of jaw muscles as well as postnatal cranial growth and dentition in the miniature pig MINI-LEWE. The aims, the importance of the miniature pig MINI-LEWE for medical research, the material and the methods are explained.