Excretion of inhibitors of calcification in urine. Part I. Findings in control subjects and patients with renal stones.

The total excretion of inhibitors of in vitro calcification was measured (in inhibiting units per day) in 24-hour urine samples of 11 control subjects and 20 patients with renal calculi. A semiquantitative method incorporating the rachitic rat cartilage technique was used. In both groups there was a significant positive correlation between the number of inhibiting units per day and the daily urine volume. The mean number of inhibiting units per day was significantly (P smaller than 0.05) higher in the stone patients than in the controls. However, the stone-formers had significantly larger (P smaller than 0.01) 24-hour urine volumes. When corrections were made for urine volume there was no significant difference between the two groups. These data suggest that the underlying abnormality responsible for renal stone formation is not a persistent decrease in the total concentration of urinary inhibitors of calcification.     

Idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis. 2. Differences between hypercalciuric and normocalciuric persons with recurrent kidney stone formation and persons without such a history.

Normocalciuric and hypercalciuric patients with idiopathic recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis were compared with healthy individuals without such a history to examine the factors that predispose normocalciuric patients to stone formation. The urine calcium excretion rate was higher in the normocalciuric patients than in the control subjects (227 v. 183 mg/24 h; P less than 0.01), but the urine calcium concentration was not significantly different. The urine magnesium and citrate excretion rates and concentrations were lower in the normocalciuric patients than in the control subjects (P less than 0.001), while the urine uric acid and oxalate excretion rates and concentrations and the urine saturation with brushite (CaHPO4-2H2O) were not significantly different. These results suggest the importance of slight increases in the urine calcium excretion rate together with decreased urine magnesium and citrate excretion rates in normocalciuric persons with recurrent calcium stone formation. The urine of the hypercalciuric patients was more highly saturated with brushite than the urine of the normocalciuric patients and the control subjects, and the excretion rates of uric acid and oxalate were increased in the hypercalciuric patients. The hypercalciuric patients had a higher urine creatinine excretion rate than the normocalciuric patients and a higher daily urine volume than the control subjects, which suggests that differences in lean body mass or fluid and food intake, or both, may be important determinants of these differences in crystalloid excretion. As in the normocalciuric patients, the urine citrate excretion rate and concentration were decreased in the hypercalciuric patients compared with the control subjects.     

Relation of lipoprotein lipase activity in adipose tissue to adipocyte volume and its influence in hypertriglyceridemia pathogenesis

In the subcutaneous adipose tissue of 20 normal weight and overweight subjects with normo- or hypertriglyceridemia, the relation is examined between the lipoprotein lipase activity (LPLA) per gram adipose tissue and adipocyte volume. The following findings were obtained: 1. Significant positive correlations between the LPLA per gram adipose tissue and the adipocyte volume were ascertained in the groups of subjects having normal triglyceridemia or exhibiting hypertriglyceridemia. 2. The negative relation between the LPLA in the adipose tissue and the triglyceride level in serum described in literature could not be verified. Across a glyceride span of 76 to 600 mg% in serum we found a correlation coefficient of +0.34. 3. It can therefore be assumed that the LPLA per gram adipose tissue with increasing adipocyte volume does not represent an inhibiting factor to the triglyceride in serum breakdown in the development of hypertriglyceridemia.     

Nocturnal polyuria and saluresis in renal allograft recipients.

The evolution of nocturnal polyuria and saluresis in renal allograft recipients was studied by comparing the day to night (D:N) ratios of urine volume and sodium excretion in 15 patients who had undergone transplantation less than one year previously (recent-transplant group) with those in 11 patients who had undergone transplantation at least one year previously. Eleven patients with chronic renal failure and 12 normal subjects served as controls. Patients in the recent-transplant group had significantly lower D:N ratios of urine volume and sodium excretion than the patients who had undergone transplantation at least a year before, while the ratios in this last group did not differ significantly from those in the normal subjects. Nocturnal polyuria and saluresis gradually subsided in five patients studied for three months. Chronic renal failure and uraemic autonomic neuropathy were unlikely causes of the nocturia. The patients in the recent-transplant group had significantly lower D:N ratios of urine volume than the controls with chronic renal failure, and the mean Valsalva ratio in eight of them was not significantly different from that in the normal subjects. An undue sensitivity of renal allografts to postural influences was proposed.     

Impaired monocyte function in liver cirrhosis.

Monocyte function in patients with cirrhosis of the liver was measured by phagocytosis and killing of Candida pseudotropicalis and C albicans. Both variables were significantly decreased in the patients compared with controls. Control monocytes exposed for two hours to patients'' serum showed a significant decrease in intracellular killing compared with control monocytes incubated in autologous serum. This suggests the presence of an inhibiting factor in the patients'' serum. This inhibitory factor passed through a dialysis membrane that permitted the passage of molecules of less than 12 000 daltons. Treating monocytes from patients with trypsin significantly increased phagocytosis, indicating that the possible inhibitory factor was attached to the monocyte surface. Metabolism of monocytes during phagocytosis as determined by chemoluminescence was significantly lower in monocytes from patients compared with controls, indicating metabolic impairment. Monocytes are a component of the monocyte-macrophage system, which includes Kupffer''s cells. Impairment of the function of these cells, which have a pivotal role in clearing portal blood, might well be extremely important in the development of chronic liver disease.     

盆底肌功能训练联合阴茎夹对前列腺增生术后患者尿失禁的临床应用分析

目的:分析盆底肌功能训练联合阴茎夹对前列腺增生术后患者尿失禁的临床应用效果。方法:选取我院2017年4月～2019年4月收治的72例前列腺增生术后尿失禁患者,随机分为对照组和观察组各36例,两组均予盆底肌功能训练,观察组加用阴茎夹控制排尿。对比两组术后尿失禁改善情况、排尿改善情况、国际尿失禁咨询委员会尿失禁问卷表简表(ICI-Q-SF)评分变化、压力性尿失禁分度评价及经济费用情况。结果:两组干预后20 d、干预后30 d、干预后90 d尿失禁发生率均较干预后10 d下降,观察组干预后10 d、干预后20 d、干预后30 d、干预后90 d尿失禁发生率均低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组干预后90 d每日总尿量较干预前升高,每日总排尿次数、每日总漏尿次数均较干预前下降;观察组干预后90 d每日总尿量高于对照组,每日总排尿次数、每日总漏尿次数均低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组干预后90d ICI-Q-SF评分均较干预前下降,且观察组干预后90d ICI-Q-SF评分低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。观察组患者干预后压力性尿失禁临床治愈率高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组患者压力性尿失禁分度情况比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。观察组阴茎夹使用费用为(70.26±8.51)元,低于对照组的(388.71±26.44)元,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:在盆底肌功能训练的基础上联合阴茎夹能够有效改善前列腺增生术后患者尿失禁症状及生活质量,且有助于降低患者经济负担,值得临床推广应用。     

Endogenous digoxin-immunoactive factor in human subjects

Endogenous digoxin-like immunoactivity has been detected in the blood of adult patients in renal failure, newborn infants, and pregnant women in the third trimester. Blood levels of this activity increase in pregnant women as gestation progresses, and preliminary data suggest that the activity is increased in hypertensive pregnant women relative to normotensive pregnant women. Similar immunoactivity has also been detected in amniotic fluid and in the urine and serum of normal healthy subjects. The factors giving rise to this immunoactivity cross-react with antibodies used in many commercially available immunoassays for digoxin. The immunoactive factor isolated from human subjects is water soluble and exists tightly but reversibly bound to proteins in serum. The extent of this protein binding is altered in the clinical conditions studied relative to normal adults. This altered protein binding accounts for the detection of this factor by many of the commercially used immunoassays for digoxin. In this article I summarize recent findings related to detecting this activity in the blood of several clinical populations where the accurate measurement of digoxin may be compromised. I also summarize the preliminary isolation and characterization of the factor responsible for this immunoactivity.     

Inhibitory and anti-inhibitory factors of rat serum active on the G1-S transition of hepatocyte cell cycle.

Rat hepatocytes are responsive to a serum factor inhibiting their progression through the cell cycle from the late G1 phase to the S phase. After fractionation of normal adult rat serum by two chromatographic steps on DEAE cellulose and sephadex gel filtration, the inhibitory activity was linked to proteins having a high electronegative charge and of apparent high molecular weight. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of active fraction showed that the alpha1 macroglobulin was its main component. Male and female baby rats were sensitive to the inhibitory factor from normal rats. Contrary to the normal adult rat serum the whole hepatectomized adult rat serum did not exhibit any ingibitory activity on the G1-S transition. However, two components having antagonist activities: an alpha1 globulin and a gamma globulin, were separated by chromatographic procedures from hepatectomized rat serum. (a) The alpha1 globulin showed an inhibitory activity. It had an apparent molecular weight lower than that found in normal rats. Its activity was sex related: only male baby rats were responsive. (b) The factor present in the gamma globulin fraction was found to be antagonistic to the alpha1 globulin factor. Its occurrence after hepatectomy explains the absence of inhibitory activity in the serum of hepatectomized rats.     

Cowden disease: gene marker studies and measurements of epidermal growth factor.

Cowden disease (CD) is a familial syndrome characterized by tumors of the skin, oral mucosa, breast, thyroid, and intestinal epithelium. Since the syndrome is inherited as an autosomal dominant, we examined a battery of gene markers in a family with CD to detect linkage between the CD gene and known marker genes. There was no positive evidence for linkage of a CD locus with any of the markers; other investigators can add to our data to confirm and extend these findings. Additionally, we measured epidermal growth factor (EGF) in body fluids from CD patients and controls to determine if elevated EGF levels might be responsible for the widespread epithelial proliferation in CD. EGF levels in saliva, serum, plasma, and urine were similar in CD patients and control subjects. Although alterations in growth factors or their receptors may play a role in CD, excess circulating EGF is not responsible for the manifestations of the syndrome.     

丹参多酚酸盐对维持性血液透析患者残余肾功能与钙磷代谢的影响

目的:探讨丹参多酚酸盐对维持性血液透析患者残余肾功能与钙磷代谢的影响。方法:2014年1月-2019年5月选择在本院肾内科就诊的终末期肾病患者72例,根据随机数字表法分为观察组与对照组各36例。所有患者都给予维持性血液透析治疗,在此基础上观察组给予丹参多酚酸盐治疗,持续3个月,记录残余肾功能与钙磷代谢变化情况。结果:治疗后观察组的总有效率为97.2%,高于对照组的83.3%(P<0.05)。两组治疗后的24 h尿量、肾小球滤过率(glomerular filtration rate,GFR)、血清转化生长因子β1(Transforming growth factorβ1,TGF-β1)和白介素-6(Interleukin-6,IL-6)低于治疗前,观察组也低于对照组(P<0.05)。两组治疗后的血钙值高于治疗前,观察组也高于对照组;两组治疗后的血磷值低于治疗前,观察组也低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:丹参多酚酸盐在维持性血液透析患者中的应用有利于残余肾功能的恢复,调节钙磷代谢平衡,抑制炎症因子的表达,从而提高治疗效果。     

Identification and characterization of a soluble suppressor factor(s) in the serum of AKR mice bearing lymphocytic leukemia

Leukemia in AKR mice was found to be associated with the presence of a serum factor(s) termed AKR leukemic suppressor factor (AKR-LSF). Suppression was quantitated by measuring the inhibition of PHA-stimulated [³H]thymidine incorporation by normal AKR spleen cells at various dilutions of leukemic mouse serum (LMS). AKR-LSF activity was expressed as units per milliliter, which is the reciprocal of the LMS dilution that inhibited [³H]thymidine uptake by 50% with respect to fetal calf serum control cultures. The amount of activity in the serum directly correlated to the rate of tumor cell growth. Mice receiving 10⁷ BW5147 transplanted leukemia cells had 130 ± 12 units of AKR-LSF activity/ml of serum compared to 40 ± 8 units/ ml for mice with spontaneous leukemia. Normal mouse serum contained 33 ± 11 units/ml. The leukemic serum exhibited no strain specificity in either phytohemagglutinin or lipopolysaccharide assays, but was found to be twofold more inhibitory against mouse spleen cells than that against rat spleen cells. Human lymphocyte blastogenesis was not inhibited by the leukemic serum. LMS did not inhibit the growth of L929 fibroblasts or murine tumor cells in vitro. Further work is necessary to determine what role the suppressor factor may play in the regulation of antitumor cell immunity.     

A forest bathing trip increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins in female subjects

We previously reported that forest bathing trips enhanced human NK activity, number of NK cells, and intracellular anti-cancer proteins in lymphocytes, and that the increased NK activity lasted for more than 7 days after the trip in male subjects. In the present study, we investigated the effect of forest bathing trip on human NK activity in female subjects. Thirteen healthy nurses, age 25-43 years, professional career 4-18 years, were selected with informed consent. The subjects experienced a three-day/two-night trip to forest fields. On day 1, the subjects walked for two hours in the afternoon in a forest field; on day 2, they walked for two hours each in the morning and afternoon in two different forest fields; and on day 3, the subjects finished the trip and returned to Tokyo after drawing blood and completing a questionnaire. Blood and urine were sampled on the second and third days during the trip, and on days 7 and 30 after the trip. NK activity, numbers of NK and T cells, and granulysin, perforin, and granzymes A/B-expressing lymphocytes in the blood samples, the concentrations of estradiol and progesterone in serum, and the concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline in urine were measured. Similar control measurements were made before the trip on a normal working day. The concentrations of phytoncides in the forests were measured. The forest bathing trip significantly increased NK activity and the numbers of NK, perforin, granulysin, and granzymes A/B-expressing cells and significantly decreased the percentage of T cells, and the concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline in urine. The increased NK activity lasted for more than 7 days after the trip. Phytoncides, such as alpha-pinene and beta-pinene were detected in forest air. These findings indicate that a forest bathing trip also increased NK activity, number of NK cells, and levels of intracellular anti-cancer proteins in female subjects, and that this effect lasted at least 7 days after the trip. Phytoncides released from trees and decreased stress hormone levels may partially contribute to the increased NK activity.     

Human epidermal growth factor concentrations in urine, but not in saliva and serum, depend on thyroid state

To evaluate the effects of thyroid hormones on the concentration of epidermal growth factor (EGF), we determined values for the immunoreactive EGF concentration in the urine (U-irEGF) of newborn infants with congenital hypothyroidism (N = 19), and in urine, saliva and serum of adult patients with hypothyroidism (N = 11) and hyperthyroidism (N = 8). The values were expressed as SD score (SDS), i.e. deviation in SD units from their mean value of healthy subjects of the same age and sex. The SDS of relative U-irEGF (ng/mg creatinine) was lower (P less than 0.01) in newborn infants with congenital hypothyroidism (-0.8 +/- 0.2; mean +/- SEM) than in healthy infants. Their relative U-irEGF correlated with their serum T4 concentrations (r = 0.59, P less than 0.01). The SDS of relative U-irEGF was lower (P less than 0.01) in adult hypothyroid patients (-1.2 +/- 0.5) and higher (P greater than 0.05) in adult hypothyroid patients (0.9 +/- 0.6) than in healthy adult subjects. When subsequently euthyroid, their SDS of relative U-irEGF increased to -0.5 +/- 0.3 (P less than 0.01), and decreased to -0.7 +/- 1.1 (P less than 0.05), respectively. The irEGF concentrations in saliva and serum were not significantly different between the hypothyroid and hyperthyroid patients. Our results indicate that urinary excretion of irEGF in man is dependent on thyroid hormone.     

Dynamics of the Nuclear Complement of Giant Cells Induced by Meloidogyne incognita

The total numbers of nuclei in giant cells induced by Meloidogyne incognita in pea, lettuce, tomato, and broad bean were determined. Mature giant cells from pea had the most nuclei per giant cell with a mean of 59 ± 23, lettuce had the fewest with 26 ± 16, and tomato and broad bean were intermediate. The rate of increase in numbers of nuclei for all plant species was greatest during the first 7 days after inoculation. No mitotic activity was observed in giant cells associated with adult nematodes. Number of nuclei per giant cell doubled each day during the period of greatest mitotic activity, but number of total chromosomes per giant cell increased 20-fold per day at the same time. The hypothesis is presented that factor(s) responsible for the polyploid, mulfinucleate condition characteristic of giant cells may be different from factor(s) responsible for aneuploid numbers of chromosome per nucleus or for nuclear aberrations such as the presence of linked nuclei.     

Effect of sodium intake on the excretion of urinary natriuretic factor in essential hypertensives

A simplified method for the determination of natriuretic factor in the urine as measured by digoxin-like substance was studied. Digoxin-like substance in the urine was estimated by RIA using anti-digoxin antibody after being extracted by reversed phase cartridge column but without gel filtration. The values found by radioimmunoassay (RIA) yielded a significant correlation with those of the inhibitory effect of Na-K-ATPase activity which was measured by biochemical assay as described by Hamlyn et al. Using this RIA method, the effect of salt intake on natriuretic factor in urine was studied in patients with essential hypertension. The natriuretic factor on a high sodium diet (NaCl 20 g/day for three days) increased approximately 1.5 times, as compared to those on a low sodium diet (NaCl 3 g/day) (p less than 0.05). The Natriuretic factor showed a positive correlation with urinary Na excretion (P less than 0.050) when the patients were placed on ad. lib. sodium diet. From these results, it is suggested that secretion of natriuretic factor in the urine might be regulated in part by salt intake.     

Migration inhibitory activity in serum and cell supernatants in patients with Sezary syndrome.

The abnormal lymphocytes from patients with the Sezary syndrome produce macrophage migration inhibitory factors (MIF) both in vitro and in vivo. Five of six individuals studied had significant serum MIF activity and one had borderline activity. In contrast, in this study 47 normal individuals and 9 of 10 patients with extensive skin disease other than that of the Sezary syndrome had no such activity. Since the neoplastic T cells in patients with the Sezary syndrome localize in the skin, their production of chemical mediators in that site may be responsible for the generalized exfoliative erythroderma seen in that disease.     

Colony stimulating factor levels in human serum and urine following chemotherapy.

The colony stimulating activity (CSA) of serum and urine specimens from 10 patients with lymphomas before and after treatment with standard multidrug chemotherapeutic regimens has been studied. Prominent rises in the CSA in the urine of eight of these 10 patients correlating temporally with initiation of therapy was demonstrated when compared to pretreatment control values. Hourly serum specimens were collected following the administration of intravenous chemotherapeutic agents in two of these patients. In one of these two patients there was a prominent and early rise in CSA which returned to control values by the 12th hr after intravenous drug administration. In two patients who developed little or no increase in CSA during therapy, urine specimens were studied for the presence of inhibitors to colony stimulating factor. Aliquots of urine from each of these two patients when mixed with a standard control urine of known CSA, produced marked inhibition.     

还原型谷胱甘肽治疗儿童葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶缺乏症中的临床效果研究

目的:研究还原型谷胱甘肽治疗儿童葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶(G-6-P-D)缺乏症并发急性溶血的临床疗效,为临床治疗提供参考。方法:选取我院2015年6月-2017年6月因葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶(G-6-P-D)缺乏症并发急性溶血的患儿78例并将其随机分为两组,每组39例。对照组予以停用氧化类药物,卧床休息,水化、碱化尿液,贫血严重者输注去白红细胞治疗;观察组在对照组基础上加用还原型谷胱甘肽治疗。观察和比较两组患儿第1天、第2天、第3天小便恢复率以及平均恢复时间,血清总胆红素第3天、第5天恢复率、平均恢复时间及平均住院时间。结果:治疗后,观察组第1天、第2天、第3天小便恢复率分别为51.3%、92.3%、100%,对照组分别为25.6%、64.1%、89.7%,观察组第1天、第2天、第3天小便恢复率均显著高于对照组(P0.05);观察组及对照组小便恢复正常平均时间分别为1.8±0.7天、2.6±0.9天,观察组明显短于对照组(P0.05);观察组第3天、第5天血清总胆红素恢复率分别为71.8%、100%,对照组为46.2%、97.4%;观察组和对照组血清总胆红素恢复正常平均时间分别为3.6±0.9天、4.1±1.0天;平均住院时间分别为2.3±0.6天、2.8±0.6天;观察组小便及血清总胆红素平均恢复时间(P0.05)、平均住院时间均显著短于对照组(P0.05)。结论:在儿童葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶缺乏并发急性溶血中应用还原型谷胱甘肽可增强其治疗疗效,缩短治疗疗程。     

Gentamicin nephrotoxicity. II. Physiological, biochemical and morphological effects of prolonged administration to rats.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the morphological, physiological and biochemical effects of gentamicin upon the rat kidney following prolonged administration of the antibiotic. Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 strain rats were given 3, 10, 20 or 40 mg gentamicin per kg body weight per day for 28 days. Morphologic alterations were evaluated by light and electron microscopy. Functional parameters included glomerular filtration rate, PAH secretion, renal plasma flow, sodium reabsorption, potassium excretion, urine volume and protein, and serum urea nitrogen. Oxidative metabolism of mitochondrial fractions from renal cortical homogenates was evaluated by oxygen uptake and P:O ratios. The results indicate focal proximal tubular injury, decreased tubular maximum secretion of PAH, and altered oxidative metabolism at the higher dose levels of gentamicin. Neither elevations of serum urea nitrogen nor alterations in glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, or sodium or potassium excretion were observed. Thus, it appears that high dose levels (40 mg per kg per day) alter the structure and function of some proximal tubular segments when administered over prolonged periods. The alterations appear reversible. Although nephro-toxicity is identified under these conditions in rats, extrapolation to human patients usually receiving much lower doses must be guarded.     

Inheritance of very low serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity.

Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylas (DBH) activity was measured in blood samples obtained from 841 children ages 6-12, 277 adults subjects, and 114 relatives of children with serum DBH activity of less than 50 units. Approximately 4% of the children and 3% of the adult subjects tested had very low sweum DBH activity (50 units or less). Because these subjects appeared to make up a separate subgroup within the population and because of a striking familial aggregation of subjects with very low enzyme activity, serum DBH activity was measured in blood obtained from members of 22 families of probands with very low serum enzyme activity. The results of sibship and pedigree analyses of the data were compatible with autosomal recessive inheritance of very low serum DBH activity. Unaffected parents of probands had serum DBH activity intermediate between that found in affected individuals and in control population. No significant correlation of serum DBH activity with either systolic or diastolic blood pressure was found in this randomly selected population of children.