Acute renal failure--which treatment modality is the best?

Despite the progress in animal research concerning the pathophysiology and the progress in clinical practice regarding the methods of therapy, the incidence and mortality of acute renal failure remain high, especially when other organs are involved. New pharmacological interventions have led to the perspective that in the near future it may be possible to prevent and/or ameliorate this devastating syndrome. Continuous dialysis therapy and the selection of a biocompatible membrane may possibly help the critically ill patient especially when parenteral nutrition and correction of electrolyte and acid-base disturbances are important.

Synthesis of novel derivatives of aroylaminoalcohols and 3-amino-substituted 1-phenylpropanols with potential anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating activities.

The synthesis of aroylaminoalcohols and 3-amino-substituted 1-phenylpropanols is described. These novel basic compounds have potent anti-inflammatory activity, significantly inhibiting rat paw oedema induced by a variety of phlogistic agents as a result of the release of inflammatory mediators such as histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, kinins, prostaglandins or leukotrienes. The biological activity of a selected, representative number of these compounds was examined on adjuvant-induced arthritis, a good animal model for rheumatoid arthritis in man.

Hip dysplasia in the cat: a report of three cases.

Hip dysplasia was diagnosed in three cats. Two were presented with a history of hindlimb lameness and the other had a history of constipation. All were confined for two weeks and showed considerable clinical improvement.

Retrospective serological and genetic study of the distribution of hantaviruses in Greece.

A retrospective serological and genetic study of hantaviruses responsible for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Greece during the last 17 years is presented. Fifty-one serum samples taken from 30 HFRS cases previously diagnosed by immunofluorescence assay were tested by ELISA for IgG (Hantaan, Dobrava, and Puumala) and IgM antibodies (Hantaan and Puumala). Results were compatible with the majority of infections being related to hantaviruses carried by rodents of the subfamily Murinae.

Neurophysiologic evaluation of long-term desferrioxamine therapy in beta-thalassemia patients.

Forty patients with beta-thalassemia major (BTM), between 11 and 19 years of age and maintained on long-term desferrioxamine (DFO) treatment, were examined by evoked potential and nerve conduction velocity studies to investigate a possible involvement of the auditory, visual, somatosensory, or peripheral nervous pathways. Pathologic findings in brainstem auditory-, visual-, and somatosensory-evoked potentials, and nerve conduction velocity studies were demonstrated in 25%, 15%, 7.5%, and 25% of the patients, respectively, whereas 15% demonstrated involvement of multiple neural pathways.

In vivo comparison of the biocompatibility of two root canal sealers implanted into the subcutaneous connective tissue of rats.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vivo biocompatibility of Apexit (a calcium hydroxide) and Pulp Canal Sealer (a classic zinc oxide-eugenol), root canal sealers, after implantation in rat connective tissue. Forty-four white female Wistar-Furth rats were used. Each sealer was placed in Teflon tubes and implanted into specific dorsal subdermal tissues sites.

Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38-MAPKs, SAPKs/JNKs and ERKs) by the G-protein-coupled receptor agonist phenylephrine in the perfused rat heart.

We investigated the ability of phenylephrine (PE), an alpha-adrenergic agonist and promoter of hypertrophic growth in the ventricular myocyte, to activate the three best-characterized mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) subfamilies, namely p38-MAPKs, SAPKs/JNKs (i.e. stress-activated protein kinases/c-Jun N-terminal kinases) and ERKs (extracellularly responsive kinases), in perfused contracting rat hearts.

Physical exertion in simple reaction time and continuous attention of sport participants.

To investigate the effect of physical exertion on simple reaction time and continuous attention of sport participants, an experiment was conducted with 46 male university students and 12 male cyclists. The subjects were assigned to three experimental and two control groups. The subjects of the experimental groups were asked to perform, following a 5-min, period of warming up, a high intensity exercise protocol for 5 min.

A study on the in-vitro percutaneous absorption of propranolol from disperse systems.

Transdermal administration of propranolol can be used to avoid hepatic first-pass metabolism of the drug. The effect of polysorbate 80 concentration on the permeation of propranolol incorporated into micelles of polysorbate 80 in water, oil-in-water microemulsions of isopropyl myristate-polysorbate 80-sorbitol-water and oil-in-water emulsions of isopropyl myristate-polysorbate 80-sorbitan monooleate-water has been investigated by use of an artificial double-layer membrane, composed of a barrier foil and a lipid barrier, in Franz-type diffusion cells. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, with celiprolol as internal standard, was used to determine the concentration of propranolol in the receptor compartment and a logarithmic equation was used to estimate the apparent permeability coefficient of propranolol from disperse systems.

Antimicrobial resistance and R-factor transfer of salmonellae isolated from chicken carcasses in Greek hospitals.

A total of 62 salmonellae, belonging to six different serotypes, were isolated from 60 out of 87 (69.0%) chicken carcasses delivered to hospitals of Thessaloniki, Greece. Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella anatum and Salmonella bredeney were the most prevalent serovars.

Medical students' attitudes toward psychiatry in Greece : an eight-year comparison.

This study is a comparative investigation of the attitudes toward psychiatry of two medical student groups who did their undergraduate training in psychiatry in 1985 and 1993. Attitude assessments were carried out by using the Libertarian Mental Health Ideology Scale (LMHIS). The students completed the questionnaire twice, at the beginning and at the end of their clerkship.

Apparent increased prevalence of high-level aminoglycoside-resistant Enterococcus durans resulting from false identification by a semiautomated software system.

Identification of enterococci by using a semiautomated system (PASCO; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) in the AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, revealed a high proportion of Enterococcus durans, particularly among isolates highly resistant to gentamicin and streptomycin. When 14 isolates were further tested by a conventional biochemical scheme and by PCR, all were reidentified as Enterococcus faecalis.

Synthesis of some new aroyl/aryloxy-2-amino-1,3-thiazole derivatives with anti-inflammatory activity.

The synthesis of some novel aroyl/aryloxy aminothiazoles from the appropriate gamma-chloro-butyrophenones, gamma-chloro-butyrothienones, gamma-chloro-aryloxypropanes with the corresponding substituted 2-amino-1,3-thiazoles is described. The spectroscopical data (UV, IR, 1H-NMR and MS) of the derivatives are presented.

Computerized 3-D reconstruction of two "double teeth".

"Double teeth" is a root malformation in the dentition and the purpose of this study was to reconstruct three-dimensionally the external and internal morphology of two "double teeth". The first set of "double teeth" was formed by the conjunction of a mandibular molar and a premolar, and the second by a conjunction of a maxillary molar and a supernumerary tooth. The process of 3-D reconstruction included serial cross-sectioning, photographs of the sections, digitization of the photographs, extraction of the boundaries of interest for each section, surface representation using triangulation and, finally, surface rendering using photorealistic effects.

Review, reevaluation, and new results in quantitative structure-activity studies of anticonvulsants.

This paper reviews and reevaluates all of the published QSAR treatments of anticonvulsants and extends them to a new relationship. This reveals that in almost all cases, the Clog P relationship plays a significant part in the QSAR relationship whether the data stems from receptor to whole animal studies. In some cases the steric factors (B5, B1, and L) are important and, in one case, the log VW relationship is of marginal importance.

Abdominoscrotal hydrocele.

Hydrocele is among the commonest inguinal anomalies in children. One of its most unusual variants is the abdominoscrotal hydrocele, of which no more than 22 cases have been reported in the world literature. The present case is the first one in our country.

Early infantile Krabbe disease: deceptively normal magnetic resonance imaging and serial neurophysiological studies.

Early infantile Krabbe disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by deficiency of lysosomal enzyme galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase, with onset before the age of 6 months. We present serial clinical, radiological and neurophysiological findings of a patient with early infantile Krabbe disease, presenting at the third day of life with hypotonia, macrocephaly and neonatal seizures. The patient had a deceptively normal initial magnetic resonance imaging examination at the age of 3 months, with progression of the white matter disease over the following 9 months, showing a clinical picture of profound hypotonia with pyramidal and pseudobulbar signs, as well as mild optic atrophy.

A double blind study of intranasal calcitonin for established postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Intranasal administration of calcitonin (CT) avoids the problem of daily injections in the long-term treatment of osteoporosis. We examined the effect of nasal CT on bone and calcium metabolism in postmenopausal osteoporotic women in a double-blind design. 46 women, 55-75 years in age, and in good general health were included in the study.

Replacement of deficient acetabulum using Burch-Schneider cages. 22 patients followed for 2-10 years.

The absence of good bone stock with massive acetabular deficiency has been a major problem in both revision hip arthroplasty and in primary arthroplasty for congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH). 22 patients (24 hips; 21 revision and 3 primary replacements: mean age 58 years) with substantial bone loss underwent acetabular reinforcement with Burch-Schneider cages. Classification of acetabular deficiency was made according to the AAOS system.

Comparative in vitro activity of cefepime against nosocomial isolates.

Cefepime, a new parenteral cephalosporin, was evaluated for its in vitro antibacterial activity in comparison with other broad-spectrum antibiotics against a total of 445 recently isolated microorganisms of nosocomial origin. Cefepime was highly active against all species of Enterobacteriaceae with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC90S) ranging from 0.25-8 micrograms/ml.

Benign congenital hemifacial spasm.

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is characterized by involuntary, irregular contraction of the muscles innervated by one facial nerve. Usually, it is caused by facial nerve injury either due to microvascular compression or a posterior fossa tumor, but it also occurs without apparent cause. It is rare in children; no congenital cases have yet been reported.

Evaluation of semen parameters in man with hyperprolactinemia induced by metoclopramide.

Hyperprolactinemia in man decreases libido and potency, but the few reports concerning its influence on spermatogenesis are contradictory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of induced hyperprolactimemia on semen parameters. A total of 15 potentially fertile male volunteers, aged 28.