[Phlebology in German departments of dermatology. An analysis on behalf of the German Society of Phlebology]. / Phlebologie an deutschen Hautkliniken. Eine Bestandsaufnahme im Auftrag der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Phlebologie.

BACKGROUND: Phlebologic diseases have become extremely common and have major socio-economic impact. However, the percentage of dermatologists working in phlebology appears to be decreasing according to the data of the German Society of Phlebology (DGP). METHODS: To investigate the reasons for this development, we--on behalf of the DGP--sent a questionnaire to 120 German Departments of Dermatology in autumn 2012. RESULTS: In 76 returned questionnaires, the number of physicians with additional fellowship training in phlebology averaged 1.5; the average number of those who fulfill the criteria for training fellows in phlebology was 0.9. In 71.1 % of the departments there was a phlebologist. A special phlebologic outpatient clinic existed in 73.7 % of the departments. Sonography with Doppler (89.5 %) and duplex (86.8 %) was used as the most frequent diagnostic tool. For therapy, compression (94.7 %), sclerotherapy (liquid 78.9 %, foam 63.2 %, catheter 18.4 %), endoluminal thermic procedures (radio wave 28.9 %, laser 17.1 %) and surgery (especially crossectomy and stripping 67.1 %, phlebectomy of tributaries 75 %) were used. The average number of treatments was very heterogenous in the different departments. CONCLUSIONS: Phlebology definitely plays an important role in dermatology. Most departments fulfill the formal criteria for the license to conduct advanced training in phlebology. A wide spectrum of phlebological diagnostic and therapeutic procedures is available.

In vitro effects of alpha toxin from Clostridium perfringens on the electrophysiological parameters of jejunal tissues from laying hens preincubated with inulin and N-acetyl-L-cysteine.

The present report demonstrates the effect of alpha toxin from Clostridium perfringens on electrophysiological indexes of jejunal mucosa from laying hens pretreated with inulin and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (ACC), a mucolytic agent. In a first set of experiments, the effect of alpha toxin with or without pretreatment with ACC on the electrophysiological parameters was determined when jejunal tissues from laying hens were mounted in Ussing chambers. The short-circuit current remained unchanged when alpha toxin was added mucosally in the tissues whether pretreated with ACC or not. The change in the transmural tissue conductance (DeltaGt) was higher (P = 0.18) after 90 min exposure of toxin independent of pretreament with ACC. The effect of alpha toxin on DeltaGt became significant (P < or = 0.05) after 120 min of incubation. In the second set of experiments, the effect of alpha toxin on the jejunal tissues preincubated with inulin (0.1%) was investigated. The effect of toxin was also time dependent, and DeltaGt became significantly higher (P < or = 0.05) after 120 min of incubation independent of preinubation with inulin. Inulin did not influence the DeltaGt during the experimental period when compared with control tissues. In conclusion, alpha toxin from C. perfringens can impair the intestinal mucosal barrier. The effect is obviously not dependent on the presence of a mucolytic agent nor can it be affected by direct addition of inulin under in vitro conditions. Whether there is an effect of inulin after long-term supplementation in feeding trials or it is due to fermentation bacterial metabolites remains an open question.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the determination of bifemelane in human plasma at therapeutic doses.

A gas chromatographic method with mass-selective detection for the determination of bifemelane in human plasma has been developed. The assay is based on a single hexane extraction and an efficient gas chromatographic separation on a capillary column. The assay has been validated and used to support clinical pharmacokinetic studies. The lowest limit of quantitation was found to be 1 ng/ml and allowed pharmacokinetic evaluation of the drug at doses down to 50 mg.

Wheel running of kangaroo rats, Dipodomys merriami, as related to food deprivation and body composition.

Kangaroo rats deprived of food ran themselves to death in 48 h in wheel cages. Despite the loss of 14.5% of body weight the ratio of water to protein was the same after the run as it was in control rats. Metabolic measurements at rest and in the running wheel and weight loss in the 48-h run were used to estimate fuels used and water expended. Two-thirds of the initial amount of fat and 9% of the protein were metabolized. The terminal mean percentage of body fat was about twice that observed in rats trapped in the spring of 1967, when seed production was low: death in the 48-h run could not have been due to depletion of body fat alone. The powerful activity drive seen in hungary kangaroo rats presumably is intensified in dry years when food is scarce and may deplete their reserves enough to result in death from starvation.

Longitudinal studies of aging in 37 men.

The physiological adjustments of the men to both aerobic (5.6 km/h, up 9% grade), and maximal treadmill work were first determined when they were healthy college students, ages 18-22 yr. They were restudied at ages 40-44, and again at ages 49-53 yr. In the aerobic walk VO2 increased in proportion to weight gain, but efficiency did not change with age. The men who had gained most weight showed the greatest elevations of heart rate, blood lactate and "ventilatory equivalent," and reductions of the "O2 pulse" in the walk. At age 50 mean "O2 pulse" in exhausting work had declined 13%, even though mean maximal heart rate had declined 15 beats/min from values observed in youth. At ages 40-44 yr mean VO2 max had declined 25% to values 12% lower than mean values reported in 1938 for men of this age. Eight of the men imporved an average of 11% in VO2 max between ages 40-44 and 49-53 yr; mean VO2 max of the others continued to decline with age. The five men who improved most had increased their participation in vigorous activities (tennis, squash, skiing, jogging, etc.) and had quit or reduced their smoking.