[Clinical Assessment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture]. / Ruptúra predného krízneho väzu a manuálne vysetrenie.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most common traumatic injuries of the knee joint. Acute knee injury is often characterized by pain and the typical accompanying rupture sound. The injured person often feels pain in the knee, with swelling, the movement is painful in the full range of motion. The most commonly used test procedures for rupture include Lachman test, pivot shift test, anterior drawer and lever sign test. This review includes a description of individual tests and the diagnostic value of examination after the ACL rupture. The sensitivity and specificity of the lever sign test was 0.92-1.00, the specificity was 0.94-1.00. The anterior drawer testing reported sensitivity values ranged from 0.18 to 0.92 and specificity values ranged from 0.78 to 0.98. The sensitivity and specificity of the pivot shift test ranged from 0.18 to 0.48 and the specificity from 0.90 to 0.99. The sensitivity and specificity of the Lachman test were 0.63-0.93 and the specificity was 0.55-0.99. The lever sign test, the pivot shift test, the anterior drawer test and the Lachman test are valid parts of the anterior cruciate ligament examination with respect to the prediction of anterior cruciate ligament rupture using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and arthroscopy. Key words: rupture ligamentum cruciatum anterius, test maneuvers, lever sign test, pivot shift test, anterior drawer, Lachman test.

A new bradykinin-potentiating peptide (peptide P) isolated from the venom of Bothrops jararacussu (jararacuçu tapete, urutu dourado).

Several bradykinin potentiators were identified in the venom of Bothrops jararacussu by chromatographic techniques and biological assays. One of them which was isolated inhibited the angiotensin-converting enzyme in vitro and potentiated the bradykinin-induced lowering of the arterial pressure in the rat.

Biologically active peptides from Bothrops jararacussu venom.

The venom of the Brazilian snake Bothrops jararacussu, was found to contain peptides capable of potentiating the smooth muscle contracting activity of bradykinin (BK). Chromatographic separation on Sephadex G-25 and Sephadex G-10 respectively, yielded an active peptide which at a concentration of 0.6 micrograms/ml doubled the effect of a single dose of BK on the isolated guinea-pig ileum. HPLC chromatography showed this material to contain one major and 4 minor components. The active peptide was 2-3 times more active than Captopril in the potentiation of the effects of BK on rat arterial blood pressure and on the isolated guinea pig ileum. It also showed marked capacity to inhibit angiotensin I-converting enzyme.

Anti-inflammatory activity and sub-acute toxicity of artemetin.

The 5-hydroxy-3,6,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone (artemetin) from Cordia verbenacea DC (Boraginaceae) showed marked anti-inflammatory activity using various experimental models in rats. Artemetin significantly inhibited carrageenin-induced paw edema following oral doses from 30.4 to 153.9 mg.kg-1. The doses of 102.6 and 153.9 mg.kg-1 showed an inhibitory effect similar to that of 50.0 mg.kg-1 of calcium phenylbutazone. The ED50 value of artemetin in rats was estimated to be 67.07 mg.kg-1. Repeated administration of artemetin at doses of 67.07 mg.kg-1 for a 6-day period reduced granuloma formation with a response comparable to that of 20.0 mg.kg-1 of calcium phenylbutazone. This same dose of artemetin also reduced the vascular permeability to intracutaneous histamine. Sub-acute toxicological experiments indicated a very low toxicity.