Equine atypical myopathy: A metabolic study.

Atypical myopathy (AM) is a potentially fatal disease of grazing horses. It is reportedly caused by the ingestion of sycamore seeds containing toxic hypoglycin A. In order to study metabolic changes, serum and urine samples from nine horses with atypical myopathy and 12 control samples from clinically healthy horses were collected and then analysed using a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry; serum metabolic profiles as the disease progressed were also studied. Metabolic data were evaluated using unsupervised and supervised multivariate analyses. Significant differences were demonstrated in the concentrations of various glycine conjugates and acylcarnitines (C2-C26). Moreover, the concentrations of purine and pyrimidine metabolites, vitamins and their degradation products (riboflavin, trigonelline, pyridoxate, pantothenate), and selected organic and amino acids (aspartate, leucine, 2-oxoglutarate, etc.) were altered in horses with AM. These results represent a global view of altered metabolism in horses with atypical myopathy.

[Continuing education of administrators in Czechoslovak health care]. / Príspevek k problematice dalsího vzdelávání organizátoru ceskoslovenského zdravotnictví.

In their contribution to training and postgraduate training the authors pay in the first part of their paper attention to postgraduate training of directors of district and factory institutes of national health which is implemented in the form of periodic innovation courses. They use as a basis a survey made in 63 respondents who took part in the above courses. In the questionnaires the set-up and contents of training were evaluated, the view of directors as regards the concept and character of these courses. In the second part the authors submitted information of the contents of further periodic innovation courses for directors--public health medical officers.

[Specialization training in social medicine and the organization of health care]. / Specializacní pruprava u oboru sociální lékarství a organizace zdravotnictví.

During the last five years the Chair of Social Medicine and Organization of the Health Services began to make greater demands also on the stage of training in the specialty which precedes admission to a course in the specialty of social medicine and the organization of health services. The training last three years incl. the participation in a pre-attestation course. The prerequisite of a high standard of training which begins by admitting the student to the discipline is early selection of a tutor (leading worker, specialist in the discipline of social medicine and the organization of health services). The tutor helps with the preparation of a programme of studies which should ensure high standard selfhanded studies and preparation of the new candidate before admission to the course as well as during periods between different sessions which are part of the courses held in the Institute for Postgraduate Medical and Pharmaceutical Training. The investigation made in participants of three consecutive specialization courses should elucidate the present position and stimulate leading workers in the discipline of social medicine and the organization of health services to devote more attention to the selection of subjects admitted to the discipline and to make much greater efforts as regards training of workers, a reserve of future leading workers. At the same time the results of the investigation should provide more information to workers of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of the CSR on the state of training in the discipline of social medicine and organization of health services and on the training of workers engaged in the discipline as well as those who are starting work in the discipline.

Cardiac adrenergic innervation after instrumentation of the coronary artery in dog.

A fine methacrylate ring (not constricting the artery) was placed around the ramus interventricularis anterior (RIA) of the left coronary artery in dogs. By means of Falck's histochemical technique an extensive degeneration of the vasomotor and cardiomotor adrenergic innervation of ventricles was detected 14 days after the procedure. The innervation of atria remained intact. The surgical intervention as well as the scarring process (which compressed the conducting parts of axons composing the perivascular nerves) induced the degeneration. The results have important implications for experiments with instrumented arteries.

Some problems associated with the implantation of a cardiac prosthesis and with early postoperative care in animals with a total artificial heart.

The progress in the methods and techniques for surgical implantation of the TAH has progressed in parallel with the technology and design of the cardiac prosthesis. During the period from December 1974 to May 1982 the authors performed altogether 75 orthotopic implantations of eight types of TAH in calves. The Soviet TAH type KEDR I-III was implanted in 26 calves, type MODUL to one calf. The American TAH JARVIK 3 was implanted in one calf and Czechoslovak TAH type TNS BRNO I-III in 47 calves. The modification of blood pump and improved system of its control provided for the limitation of the range of surgery and to shorten the time of operation and cardiopulmonary bypass. The methods of preoperative care, anaesthesia, cardiopulmonary bypass and postoperative care in our laboratory were gradually improving in parallel. This was associated with maximum survival time of animals in the course of the research period which gradually increased from 5.5 h in 1974 to 173 days in 1982. The chief experiences acquired from all experiments performed are presented and problems associated with the investigation of the TAH in general are discussed in this paper.