Potassium excretion in healthy Japanese women was increased by a dietary intervention utilizing home-parcel delivery of Okinawan vegetables.

Potassium, which is abundant in vegetables, is inversely related to blood pressure. Although the situation has changed somewhat in recent years, the Okinawan diet has generally included a large amount of vegetables, and until recently Okinawans had the lowest rates of mortality due to stroke and coronary heart disease in Japan. Based on the hypothesis that these low mortality rates are partly attributable to increased potassium intake resulting from the high vegetable consumption, this study examined whether increasing the consumption of typical yellow-green Okinawan vegetables increases potassium intake. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether increased consumption of these vegetables should be one of the dietary modifications recommended in public health promotion programs for Okinawans. The study employed 56 healthy, normotensive, free-living Japanese women aged 18-38 years living in Okinawa. They were randomized to a dietary intervention group (n=27) or a control group (n=29). Members of the dietary intervention group received an average weight of 371.4 g/day of a combination of the following vegetables twice weekly through an express home parcel deliver service for a period of 14 days: Goya (Momordica charantia), green papaya (Carica papaya), Handama (Gynura bicolor), Karashina (Brassica juncea), Njana (Crepidiastrum lanceolatium), Fuchiba (Artemisia vulgaris) and Fudanso (Beta vulgaris); and they consumed an average of 144.9 g/day, resulting in a 20.5% increase in their urinary potassium excretion over the baseline (p=0.045). The members of the control group were asked to avoid these vegetables, and the change in potassium excretion in this group was not significant (p=0.595). Urinary sodium and magnesium excretions, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, folic acid, triglycerides and serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterols changed non-significantly in both groups. Also, post-intervention urinary potassium excretion correlated positively with vegetable consumption in both the dietary intervention (p<0.0001) and control (p=0.008) groups and with Okinawan vegetable intake in the dietary intervention group (p=0.0004).     

复方磷酸液治疗颌骨囊肿135例

目的用腔内注药法治疗颌骨囊肿代替手术摘除法,不破坏周围正常组织结构,不影响正常生理功能,不遗留疤痕畸形,不影响美容.即使巨大骨囊肿也无须植骨,不遗留骨质缺陷畸形.方法囊腔穿刺冲洗,注入复方磷酸液(Composite Phosphoric,CP液),5～10分钟后冲洗.结果注药后功能及生活无影响;囊腔愈合、骨化;松动牙固定;无感觉运动异常、功能障碍、残留疤痕及缺陷畸形.结论 CP液能使上皮细胞层凝固坏死,使之失去分泌与隔离功能,肉芽组织增生充满囊腔,骨腔骨化,恢复功能.     

Enhanced dispersion of atrial refractoriness as an electrophysiological substrate for vulnerability to atrial fibrillation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Atrial electrical remodeling plays a part in recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF). It has been related to an increase in heterogeneity of atrial refractoriness that facilitates the occurrence of multiple reentry wavelets and vulnerability to AF. AIM: To examine the relationship between dispersion of atrial refractoriness (Disp_A) and vulnerability to AF induction (A_Vuln) in patients with clinical paroxysmal AF (PAF). METHODS: Thirty-six patients (22 male; age 55+/-13 years) with > or =1 year of history of PAF (no underlying structural heart disease--n=20, systemic hypertension--n=14, mitral valve prolapse--n=1, surgically corrected pulmonary stenosis--n=1), underwent electrophysiological study (EPS) while off medication. The atrial effective refractory period (AERP) was assessed at five different sites--high (HRA) and low (LRA) lateral right atrium, high interatrial septum (IAS), proximal (pCS) and distal (dCS) coronary sinus--during a cycle length of 600 ms. AERP was taken as the longest S1-S2 interval that failed to initiate a propagation response. Disp_A was calculated as the difference between the longest and shortest AERP. A_Vuln was defined as the ability to induce AF with 1-2 extrastimuli or with incremental atrial pacing (600-300 ms) from the HRA or dCS. The EPS included analysis of focal electrical activity based on the presence of supraventricular ectopic beats (spontaneous or with provocative maneuvers). The patients were divided into group A--AF inducible (n=25) and group B--AF not inducible (n=11). Disp_A was analyzed to determine any association with A_Vuln. Disp_A and A_Vuln were also examined in those patients with documented repetitive focal activity. Logistic regression was used to determine any association of the following variables with A_Vuln: age, systemic hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, left atrial size, left ventricular function, duration of PAF, documented atrial flutter/tachycardia and Disp_A. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to clinical characteristics and echocardiographic data. AF was inducible in 71% of the patients and noninducible in 29%. Group A had greater Disp_A compared to group B (105+/-78 ms vs. 49+/-20 ms; p=0.01). Disp_A was >40 ms in 50% of the patients without A_Vuln and in 91% of those with A_Vuln (p=0.05). Focal activity was demonstrated in 14 cases (39%), 57% of them with A_Vuln. Disp_A was 56+/-23 ms in this group and 92+/-78 ms in the others (p=0.07). Using logistic regression, the only predictor of A_Vuln was Disp_A (p=0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with paroxysmal AF, Disp_A is a major determinant of A_Vuln. Nevertheless, the degree of nonuniformity of AERP appears to be less important as an electrophysiological substrate for AF due to focal activation.     

Estimation of salt intake by urinary sodium excretion in a Portuguese adult population and its relationship to arterial stiffness.

BACKGROUND: Portugal has one of the highest mortality rates from stroke, a high prevalence of hypertension and probably a high salt intake level. AIM: To evaluate Portuguese salt intake levels and their relationship to blood pressure and arterial stiffness in a sample of four different adult populations living in northern Portugal. METHODS: A cross-sectional study evaluating 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium (24 h UNa+), potassium and creatinine, blood pressure (BP), and pulse wave velocity (PWV) as an index of aortic stiffness in adult populations of sustained hypertensives (HT), relatives of patients with previous stroke (Fam), university students (US) and factory workers (FW), in the context of their usual dietary habits. RESULTS: We evaluated a total of 426 subjects, mean age 50 +/- 22 years, 56% female, BMI 27.9+/-5.1, BP 159/92 mmHg, PWV 10.4+/-2.2 m/s, who showed mean 24h UNa+ of 202 +/- 64 mmol/d, corresponding to a daily salt intake of 12.3 g (ranging from 5.2 to 24.8). The four groups were: HT: n = 245, 49 +/- 18 years, 92% of those selected, 69% treated, BP 163/94 mmHg, PWV 11.9 m/s, 24 h UNa+ 212 mmol/d, i.e. 12.4 g/d of salt); Fam: n = 38, 64 +/- 20 years, 57 % of those selected, BP 144/88 mmHg, PWV 10.5 m/s, 24 h UNa+ 194 mmol/d, i.e. 11.1 g/d of salt; US: n = 82, 22 +/- 3 years, 57% of those selected, BP 124/77 mmHg, PWV 8.7 m/s, 24h UNa+ 199 mmol/d, i.e. 11.3 g/d of salt; FW: n = 61, 39 9 years, 47% of those selected, BP 129/79 mmHg, PWV 9.5 m/s, 24 h UNa+ 221 mmol/d, i.e. 12.9 g/d of salt. The ratio of urinary sodium/potassium excretion (1.9 (0.4) was significantly higher in HT than the other three groups. In the 426 subjects, 24h UNa+ correlated significantly (p < 0.01) with systolic BP (r = 0.209) and with PWV (r=0.256) after adjustment for age and BP. Multivariate analysis showed that BP, age and 24h UNa+ correlated independently with PWV taken as a dependent variable. CONCLUSIONS: Four different Portuguese populations showed similarly high mean daily salt intake levels, almost double those recommended by the WHO. Overall, high urinary sodium excretion correlated consistently with high BP levels and appeared to be an independent determining factor of arterial stiffness. These findings suggest that Portugal in general has a high salt intake diet, and urgent measures are required to restrict salt consumption in order to prevent and treat hypertensive disease and to reduce overall cardiovascular risk and events.     

Cardiovascular protection from alcoholic drinks: scientific basis of the French Paradox.

This article discusses the cardiovascular protection afforded by low to moderate consumption of ethanol and the role of ethanol-induced preconditioning. Ethanol, a compound that is found in many popular beverages, has a whole range of cardiovascular protective effects when consumed in low to moderate doses. Although they have yet to be totally clarified, recent data suggest that a combination of several actions at the biochemical and molecular levels play a role in this protection. These include favorable changes in lipid metabolism, antioxidant effects, changes in hemostasis and platelet aggregation, arterial vasodilation mediated by NO release, induction of the expression of cardioprotective proteins, insulin sensitization and lower levels of inflammatory markers. Special emphasis will be given to ethanol-induced preconditioning. Some of the compounds present in red and white wine, such as resveratrol and quercetin, are also partly responsible for some of the cardioprotective effects of alcoholic drinks. These are due to antioxidant effects and changes in platelet aggregation, endothelial function and inflammatory response. The last part of the paper will focus on the clinical applications and possibilities raised by these new findings.     

Immunochemical and biochemical characterization of purified canine interferon-gamma. Production of a monoclonal antibody, affinity purification, and its effect on mixed lymphocyte culture and mixed lymphocyte kidney culture reactions.

We have advanced the hypothesis that the primary autolymphoproliferative response of dog T cells in mixed lymphocyte kidney cultures (MLKC) results from their recognition of tissue-specific (kidney-associated) antigen(s) presented in conjunction with class II MHC antigens. Lymphocyte culture-derived supernatants had been found previously to upregulate class II antigen expression on kidney cells and enhance T cell activation. In the present study we have isolated and characterized dog IFN-gamma, a class II-inducing substance that is secreted in the culture supernatant of activated T lymphocytes. Dog IFN-gamma was induced with A-23187 and PMA and purified stepwise using controlled-pore glass, Mono Q anion exchange chromatography, and Superose 6-gel filtration on FPLC. The purification resulted in two molecules of 42 Kd and 31 Kd molecular weights. An IgG1 monoclonal antibody was engendered to these molecules. With this mAb reagent, in immunochemical experiments, we have developed a sensitive ELISA and a method for purifying dog IFN-gamma by affinity chromatography. Species specificity studies indicated that purified dog IFN-gamma reacted with a polyclonal rabbit antihuman IFN-gamma, but not with a mAb to human IFN-gamma. However, the antidog IFN-gamma mAb that was generated also reacted with recombinant human IFN-gamma. In in vitro biological studies, the purified IFN-gamma (two mol. wt. species) upregulated the expression of canine class II MHC molecules on dog tubular epithelial cells and the dog kidney epithelial cell line (MDCK). The antidog IFN-gamma mAb blocked T cell proliferative response to kidney cell and, by inference, the interaction between endogenously released IFN-gamma in vitro with its cell surface receptor, thus inhibiting the induced upregulation of class II. Interestingly, although antidog IFN-gamma markedly blocked the MLKC (10 micrograms mAb/well), there was no effect on the allogeneic MLC. This observation indicates that the cytokine IFN-gamma may be a uniquely key substance amplifying the immune response of T cells to tissue-associated antigens on surrogate antigen-presenting cells that require induced upregulation of class II MHC antigen expression (MLKC), in contrast to reactions in which these antigens are already constitutively expressed on the antigen-presenting cells (mixed lymphocyte culture).     

Application of a 3D volume 19FMR imaging protocol for mapping oxygen tension (pO2) in perfluorocarbons at low field

A limited flip angle gradient-echo 3D volume acquisition imaging protocol for mapping partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) in perfluorocarbon compounds (PFCs) at low field (0.14 T) is presented. The pO₂ measurement method is based on the paramagnetic effect of dissolved molecular oxygen (O₂) which reduces the PFC ¹⁹F T_1? Specific objectives related to imaging of PFCs through use of the protocol include improved image signal-to-noise characteristics and elimination of ¹⁹F chemical shift artifacts. A parametric Wiener deconvolution filtering algorithm is used for suppression of ¹⁹F chemical shift artifacts. Application of the protocol is illustrated in a series of calculated pO₂ maps of a gas equilibrated, multi-chamber phantom containing perfluorotributylamine (FC-43). The utility of the protocol is demonstrated in vivo through images of a commercially available perfluorocarbon based blood substitute emulsion containing FC-43 sequestered in the liver and spleen of a rat.     

Innervation of the trapezius muscle: is cervical contribution important to its function?

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of the cervical plexus and the accessory nerve to the function of the trapezius muscle. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Eighteen adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. The neurotomies were performed in the left sides and the right sides served as within-subject controls. In group A, the accessory nerve was transected. The C2-5 were transected in group B, and both of the accessory nerve and C2-5 were cut in group C. The electrophysiologic, myophysiologic, and histologic changes of the muscles were measured. RESULTS: There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the three groups in the recovery rates of the transverse area of the muscles. The CMAP recorded from the experimental sides in group B were similar to the control sides. The values of the maximum tension of the tetanus contraction between the two sides showed no differences either (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The accessory nerve supplies the most important motor input to the trapezius. Motor innervations of the cervical plexus are not very significant.     

乳母血清泌乳素水平与泌乳量关系的观察

用放射免疫法测定产后40天和60天乳母血清泌乳素基础水平和吸吮后泌乳素最大反应性增值,发现其与乳母泌乳量、婴儿吸吮频率、吸吮时间之间均不存在正相关关系,推测引起泌乳素分泌除吸吮外,还存在其他机理。