[Quadruparesis as a complication of acute pancreatitis--case report]. / Kvadruparéza ako komplikácia akútnej pankreatitídy--kazuistika.

Pancreatic encephalopathy is a rare complication of acute pancreatitis. Clinical features include focal neurological signs and acute oncet of dementia. Clinical picture can fiuctuate over the time and depends on phase of this disease. The progression and the regression of encephalopathy with relapse and remission of acute pancreatitis has been often described.

[Cholelithiasis and acute pancreatitis]. / Cholelitiáza a akútna pankreatitída.

The authors evaluate the results of treatment of acute pancreatitis at the surgical clinic in 1972-1988. In 64% biliary pancreatitis was involved. The group with a more severe, complicated course is formed by 22.1% patients. In that group the mortality rate was 21.6%. In 57% it was accounted for by patients with biliary pancreatitis. In the group with a mild course of pancreatitis (77.9% of patients) the mortality was 0.9%. The approach to treatment of cholelithiasis in the acute stage of pancreatitis must be considered on an individual basis. In the majority of patients disease of the biliary pathways can be treated after control of acute pancreatitis during the primary hospitalization. In some patients surgery of the biliary pathways during acute pancreatitis is indicated. The risk of operation is high. Therefore in some patients endoscopic papillosphincterotomy is indicated.

Acute renal effects of endothelin-A blockade: interspecies differences.

The acute renal effects of LU135252 (LU), a selective endothelin-A (ETA) receptor antagonist, were studied in conscious rats after i.p. administration of 1-10 mg/kg LU, and in clearance studies in anesthetized dogs during left intrarenal infusion of 0.01-0.1 mg/kg/min. In the rat (n = 12), LU (10 mg/kg i.p.) decreased diuresis (-36%), excretion of Na (-55%) and Cl (-38%) but not of K and creatinine, as measured in 8-h collections in metabolic cages. Excretion of oral NaCl load (5% of body weight) during 4 h decreased from 68 +/- 2% (vehicle) to 50.5 +/- 5% (LU; n = 12, p < 0.01). Blood pressure was not affected. In contrast, left intrarenal LU infusion at 0.01, 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg/min in the dog (n = 4) had no effect on renal hemodynamics or excretory function, whereas it mildly decreased blood pressure. In addition, intrarenal LU (0.03 mg/kg/ min; n = 6) had no effect on the renal response to volume expansion (7% bw) by 0.9% NaCl i.v. These markedly different effects of acute ETA blockade were observed at similar systemic plasma levels of LU in the two species. It is concluded that in the rat, but not in the dog, acute blockade of ETA receptors can impair renal excretory function, most likely at the tubule level. This interspecies difference in the role of endogenous ET in the regulation of renal function is probably due to a different ET receptor profile and distribution in rat and dog kidneys.

Transglycosylic reactions of nucleotides of deoxy sugars. Biosynthesis of deoxy analogues of alpha,alpha'-trehalose.

The biosynthesis of alpha,alpha'-trehalose was investigated in a reaction catalyzed with yeast UDP-Glc :glucose-6-phosphate 1-glucosyl transferase. It was revealed that the hydroxyls at positions C-2, C-3, C-4 and C-6 are not essential for preserving its substrate properties in this reaction. The affinity of the enzyme and the rate of hexose incorporation into trehalose decreases in following sequence: UDP-glucose, UDP-2-deoxy-D-glucose, UDP-6-deoxy-d-glucose, UDP-4-deoxy-D-glucose and UDP-3-deoxy-D-glucose.

Reference values and modelling of lung function development as a transcendent function of age, body height and mass.

We present new lung function reference values based on an investigation of 1024 healthy subjects aged 6-81 years. The dependent variables, i.e. VC, FEV1, RV, FRC, TLC, PEF, MEF50 and MEF25 are expressed as transcendent functions of age, body height and mass. A single equation covers the age range from 6 to 81 years and reflects certain phenomena such as growth, maturation, ageing, sex differences and the undermass-overmass effect. This allows a more accurate determination of individualized reference values and normal limits.