In vivo electric conductivity of cervical cancer patients based on B1⁺ maps at 3T MRI.

The in vivo electric conductivity (σ) values of tissue are essential for accurate electromagnetic simulations and specific absorption rate (SAR) assessment for applications such as thermal dose computations in hyperthermia. Currently used σ-values are mostly based on ex vivo measurements. In this study the conductivity of human muscle, bladder content and cervical tumors is acquired non-invasively in vivo using MRI. The conductivity of 20 cervical cancer patients was measured with the MR-based electric properties tomography method on a standard 3T MRI system. The average in vivo σ-value of muscle is 14% higher than currently used in human simulation models. The σ-value of bladder content is an order of magnitude higher than the value for bladder wall tissue that is used for the complete bladder in many models. Our findings are confirmed by various in vivo animal studies from the literature. In cervical tumors, the observed average conductivity was 13% higher than the literature value reported for cervical tissue. Considerable deviations were found for the electrical conductivity observed in this study and the commonly used values for SAR assessment, emphasizing the importance of acquiring in vivo conductivity for more accurate SAR assessment in various applications.

Single dose topical corticosteroid inhibits IL-5 and IL-13 in nasal lavage following grass pollen challenge.

BACKGROUND: Nasal lavage is a noninvasive method of obtaining inflammatory exudates following nasal allergen challenge (NAC), and permits cells and released mediators to be evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a single dose of topical steroid on eosinophils and levels of chemokines and cytokines in nasal lavage fluid following NAC in patients with allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Patients with grass pollen seasonal allergic rhinitis (n = 32) out of the allergy season received either nasal budesonide (100 microg per nostril) or matched placebo before allergen challenge in a double blind two-way crossover design. A semi-automated mixed bead array system was employed to measure multiple chemokines and cytokines in small volumes (50 microl) of nasal lavage supernatants. RESULTS: Following NAC there was a rapid onset of nasal symptoms together with nasal eosinophilia, and the appearance of IL-5 and IL-13 in lavages between 4 and 8 h. Elevated levels of eotaxin, RANTES, IL-8 and MCP-1 were also detected following allergen challenge. A single dose of nasal budesonide caused a decrease in symptoms (P < 0.05) and nasal eosinophils (P < 0.05) with selective abrogation of IL-5 and IL-13 responses (P < 0.05), but a lack of effect on levels of eotaxin, RANTES, IL-8 and MCP-1. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a single dose of nasal steroid has the capacity to selectively abolish IL-5 and IL-13 responses following NAC. This model should be convenient for testing novel anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory agents intended for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Hyperaldosteronism in a cat with metastasised adrenocortical tumour.

In a 12-year-old male shorthaired cat with attacks of hypokalaemic muscular weakness in spite of oral potassium supplementation, highly elevated plasma aldosterone concentrations in combination with low plasma renin activity pointed to primary hyperaldosteronism. Ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a large left-sided adrenal tumour growing into the phrenicoabdominal vein and the caudal vena cava. The tumour and its intravascular extension were surgically removed, but the subsequent stenosis of the caudal vena cava caused congestion and renal failure. At autopsy pulmonary micrometastases of the aldosteronoma were found.

Effects of acute mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor blockade on the excretion of an acute potassium load in healthy humans.

To examine the role of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid in potassium (K) tolerance in healthy humans, we studied the effects of canrenoate, a mineralocorticoid antagonist, and RU486, a glucocorticoid antagonist, on the excretion of a KCl load. Canrenoate (200 mg, iv) or RU486 (400 mg, orally) was administered 150 min before a KCl load (1 mmol/kg BW, orally) in seven healthy males undergoing maximal water diuresis. Clearance studies were extended for 5 h after the KCl load, and the data were compared with time control, KCl load alone, and canrenoate alone. KCl increased K excretion (from 18.8 +/- 2.4 to 63.3 +/- 3.9 mmol/5 h; P < 0.01) and sodium (Na) excretion (from 35.9 +/- 2.1 to 72.9 +/- 6.0 mmol/5 h; P < 0.01). Clearance calculations, based on maximal water diuresis, were compatible with increased distal Na and volume delivery. Canrenoate alone modestly increased basal cumulative NaCl excretion and had no effect on K excretion. However, canrenoate blunted the kaliuresis after the KCl load (51.9 +/- 4.4 mmol/5 h; P < 0.05 compared to KCl alone) and stimulated natriuresis in a complementary way. Clearance data were compatible with diminished distal Na reabsorption and K secretion in response to an undisturbed KCl-induced increase in distal Na delivery. RU486 did not influence the excretion of the KCl load or its effects on renal sodium handling parameters, although effective glucocorticoid receptor blockade was likely to be present in view of the increase in plasma cortisol. These data suggest that in healthy humans, mineralocorticoid activity, but not glucocorticoid activity, is involved in the elimination of a K load. The latter contrasts with data in adrenalectomized animals, in which situation glucocorticoid as well as aldosterone are indispensible for normal K tolerance.

Ascending projections from the solitary tract nucleus to the hypothalamus. A Phaseolus vulgaris lectin tracing study in the rat.

The course of the ascending pathways originating from the anterior gustatory and posterior visceral sensory part of the solitary tract nucleus and the topographic organization of the projections to the hypothalamus in the rat were studied with anterogradely transported Phaseolus vulgaris lectin. In general, the posterior visceral sensory part of the solitary tract nucleus has ascending projections as far as the septum-diagonal band complex and gives rise to heavy input to the bed nucleus of the stria terminals, and to the dorsomedial and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei. A more moderate projection is aimed at a variety of other hypothalamic nuclei, to the medial and central amygdaloid nuclei and to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. The ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus is strikingly missing an afferent input from the nucleus of the solitary tract. Furthermore, it was shown that whereas the caudal solitary tract nucleus has predominant long ascending connections, the projections from the anterior taste related region of the nucleus of the solitary tract have only limited forebrain projections which do not reach beyond the level of the anterior dorsal hypothalamic nucleus.

Complementary distribution of carbamoylphosphate synthetase (ammonia) and glutamine synthetase in rat liver acinus is regulated at a pretranslational level.

We studied the distribution of the mRNAs for carbamoylphosphate synthetase (ammonia) and glutamine synthetase in frozen sections of adult rat liver by in situ hybridization to [35S]-labeled cDNA probes. The density of silver grains resulting from hybridization to the labeled cDNA probe for carbamoylphosphate synthetase is highest around the portal venules, decreases towards the central venule, and is virtually absent from an area two to three cells wide that lines the central venules in which mRNA for glutamine synthetase is predominantly localized. Therefore, both mRNAs show the same complementary distribution within the liver acinus that was found for the proteins they encode, demonstrating that compartmentalization of the expression of these enzymes is controlled at a pretranslational level. In addition, we found that carbamoylphosphate synthetase mRNA is present mainly in the epithelium of the crypts of the proximal part of the small intestine, whereas carbamoylphosphate synthetase protein is present in the epithelium of both crypts and villi.

Effect of high-dose aldosterone infusions on renal electrolyte excretion in patients with renal insufficiency.

We investigated the effect of aldosterone infusion (0.5 mg/h for 6 h) on electrolyte excretion in 11 patients with severe renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance 6-20 ml/min), with normal or elevated serum potassium levels and a wide range of plasma aldosterone levels, and compared the data with those obtained in 7 healthy subjects. The studies were done under conditions of fixed sodium and potassium intake. In the normal subjects, aldosterone infusion caused a significant rise in potassium excretion and a significant fall in sodium and chloride excretion (p less than 0.01). In 1 patient with a high plasma aldosterone, virtually no response occurred to the aldosterone infusion. In the others, the increase in potassium excretion and reduction in chloride excretion were not different from the changes observed in the normals, but the fall in sodium excretion was less due to a higher urinary sodium before infusion in the normals (p less than 0.05). Fractional electrolyte excretions as well as the changes in fractional excretion by aldosterone were larger in the patients (p less than 0.05). Apparently, the renal tubules of patients with chronic renal failure are still responsive to maximal stimulation with aldosterone, in spite of their basically elevated fractional electrolyte output. These findings suggest that, with some exceptions, the hyperkalemia in patients with chronic renal failure is in part due to relative hypoaldosteronism.

Adaptation to chronic potassium loading in normal man.

To analyze factors involved in the maintenance of potassium balance during increased intake, 6 healthy males were studied on a normal (80 mEq) and high (300 mEq) potassium diet. After 18 days of potassium-rich diet, urinary potassium excretion had increased from 50 +/- 12 to 233 +/- 45 mEq/day. Plasma renin activity and body weight were unchanged, serum potassium and plasma aldosterone somewhat increased, and the ratio of plasma aldosterone to renin activity consistently elevated. Acetazolamide injection (1 g i.v.) increased sodium and potassium excretion rates equally on the two diets indicating that a sudden increase in distal solute delivery was not handled differently after potassium loading. The reaction to a high dose of aldosterone (1 mg i.v. followed by 0.5 mg/h infusion) in terms of sodium retention and potassium excretion was also comparable, indicating no altered sensitivity to aldosterone after adaptation to the potassium-rich diet. By contrast, the aldosterone antagonist canrenoate (100 mg i.v.) acutely raised NaCl excretion without changing the potassium excretion during the high potassium diet, but did not affect NaCl excretion during the normal diet. Subsequent oral administration of spironolactone for 5 days (200 mg daily) caused a more negative sodium balance associated with more weight loss and rise in renin activity during the potassium rich diet. Surprisingly we noticed no fall in renal potassium excretion in this period, but mean serum potassium was raised by 0.3-0.4 mEq/l at the end. These results suggest that adaptation of a healthy subject to a potassium-rich diet does not involve intrinsic changes of the distal tubule, but a shift of sodium reabsorption from a proximal to a distal (aldosterone-sensitive) nephron level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)