Groin flap design and versatility

The groin flap is a reliable and well-established reconstructive option for pedicled or free-tissue transfer. Concern regarding its variable vascular origin and caliber has limited its use. To overcome this, a simplified guideline based on the transverse diameter of the patient's index and long fingers at the distal interphalangeal level has been developed. Thus "rule of two finger widths" positions the origin of the vascular pedicle from the femoral vessels two finger widths below the inguinal ligament, the upper flap border two finger widths above the inguinal ligament, the lower flap border two finger widths below the vascular origin, and both parallel to the flap axis, which lies along a line from the vascular origin to the anterosuperior iliac spine. This new groin flap design provides the necessary guidelines for vascular identification, accommodates pediatric and adult stature, and ensures primary donor-site closure if flap dimensions are within the prescribed boundaries. In addition, a new sartorius-cutaneous groin flap is presented. This combines the cutaneous groin flap with the proximal sartorius muscle (up to 15 cm), which is supplied by the deep vessels of the superficial circumflex iliac system. The sartorius-cutaneous groin flap further emphasizes the concept of single-pedicle compound or combined flaps and additionally enhances the extensive reconstructive versatility of previously described groin flaps. Over 200 pedicled and free groin flaps have been performed according to the "rule of two finger widths" over the past 5 years. There have been no complications related to flap design, such as difficulty with flap elevation, marginal necrosis, or donor-site closure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Ca2+ channels in chick neural retina cells characterized by 1,4-dihydropyridine antagonists and activators

The voltage-sensitive calcium channel in cultured chick neural retina cells was characterized by the actions of the enantiomers of Bay K 8644 and 202-791 and other 1,4-dihydropyridines. These cells showed time- and voltage-dependent Ca2+ uptake that was stimulated by K+ depolarization and blocked by the inorganic calcium channel blockers Cd2+ and Co2+. A small fraction only (15% maximum) of the uptake was inactivated by predepolarization of the cells with 80 mM K+. Ca2+ uptake was sensitive to the 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists and activators. (S)-Bay K 8644 and (S)-202-791 stimulated the Ca2+ uptake, and (R)-Bay K 8644 and (R)-202-791 as well as nitrendipine and PN 200-110 inhibited Ca2+ uptake stimulated by K+ depolarization or channel activators. The K+ depolarization-stimulated uptake was inhibited by 90%, but the activator-stimulated uptake was completely blocked by the 1,4-dihydropyridine antagonists. The potencies of these agents as inhibitors of Ca2+ uptake were significantly lower than the binding affinities in membrane preparations from the same cells or their binding and pharmacologic affinities in vascular smooth muscle. K+ depolarization or (S)-Bay K 8644 induced 45Ca2+ uptake was not observed in a glial cell culture. [3H]Nitrendipine and [3H]PN 200-110 bound to membrane preparations of the cells consistent with the presence of a single type of high affinity binding site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Polyclonal antibodies to rabbit skeletal muscle protein phosphatases C-I and C-II

Polyclonal antibodies against rabbit skeletal muscle phosphatases C-I and C-II were raised in goats and in mice. The goat polyclonal antibodies to phosphatases C-I and C-II were examined for their ability to immunoblot the purified enzymes and crude rabbit muscle extracts. In preparations of phosphatases C-I and C-II that were apparently homogeneous, the expected ca. 35- to 38-kDa polypeptides were immunoblotted, but, in addition, immunoblotting of a 67-kDa polypeptide was observed. Both the antisera blotted only the 67-kDa polypeptide in crude rabbit muscle extracts and not the expected 35- to 38-kDa polypeptides. These findings are qualitatively similar to those reported previously (D.L. Brautigan et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 4295-4305) where immunoblotting experiments with a sheep antisera to phosphatase C-I indicated that the ca. 35-kDa polypeptide originates from a 70-kDa precursor. On further investigation, it was found that our antisera were strongly immunoreactive to rabbit serum albumin. The antisera blotted purified rabbit albumin, but not bovine serum albumin. After passage through a rabbit albumin-Sepharose column, the antisera lost immunoreactivity to rabbit albumin, and no longer blotted the ca. 70-kDa band in muscle extracts or in purified enzyme preparations. These findings show that the phosphatase preparations contained traces of albumin which produced a strong antigenic reaction. Production of antisera in BALB/c mice produced similar results; i.e., an antibody to the low-molecular-weight phosphatases was produced that was also a strong antibody to rabbit albumin. This antibody could be removed by affinity adsoption on rabbit albumin-Sepharose columns. In addition, the antibodies to phosphatase C-I displayed no cross-reactivity to phosphatase C-II, while antibodies to C-II showed no cross-reactivity to phosphatase C-I by immunoblotting methods.     

Liver mitochondrial respiratory functions decline with age

Human liver mitochondrial respiration rates in Chinese populations of various ages were assayed with an oxygraph. In this study, State 3 and State 4 respiration rates, respiratory control ratio (RCR), and ADP/O ratio were measured for 35 Chinese subjects of 31 to 76 years old. We found a significant negative correlation between age and respiratory control and ADP/O ratios tested. Moreover, the respiratory control and ADP/O ratios decreased with the increase of age. These findings suggest that a substantial fall in mitochondrial oxidative capacity in ageing liver may be an important contributor to the ageing process.     

Two LINE 1 repeats in rat

One LINE 1 repeat has been located 661 bp downstream from the last albumin exon and another approx. 10 kbp downstream from the last alpha-fetoprotein exon in the rat genomic DNA. The LINE 1 repeat following the albumin gene is truncated at its 5' end and is 1204 nucleotides long. The 5' end of the longer repeat downstream from the alpha-fetoprotein gene has not been determined. The two repeats have 95% homology with each other, with the exception of a short diverse 3' end sequence just preceding the putative polyadenylation signal.     

辣椒素引起脊髓P物质释放及其对血压的影响

为进一步研究脊髓 P 物质(SP)在调节心血管活动中的作用,在大鼠脊髓蛛网膜下腔注射(ith)辣淑素(cap),以刺激脊髓 SP 能神经末梢释放 SP,结果引起血浆去甲肾上腺素(NA)和肾上腺素(AD)含量增高,及具有剂量依赖性的动脉血压上升,心率升高。ith 具有高度特异性的 SP 受体拮抗剂或 SP 抗血清均可阻断 cap 引起的升压效应,免疫组化测定也观察到注入的cap 剂量越大,脊髓胸段 SP 样免疫阳性反应物的致密度越低,这些观察结果支持 cap 可以引起脊髓内 SP 的释放的说法。在第一颈段(C_1)横断脊髓后 ith cap 所引起的升压效应与完整动物 ith cap 的升压效应无显著差异。以上结果提示脊髓 SP 能神经末梢释放的 SP 可以通过交感肾上腺髓质系统引起心血管兴奋效应,SP 可能是引起交感节前神经元兴奋的神经递质。     

促胰液素对血管灌流大鼠离体胃运动的抑制作用

本工作采用血管灌流大鼠离体胃制备,探讨促胰液素对胃运动的影响。结果表明:(1)促胰液素能明显抑制胃窦自发和五肽胃泌素兴奋的胃运动;(2)抗促胰液素血清可完全取消促胰液素的抑制胃窦运动作用;(3)抗生长抑素血清和消炎痛都能阻断促胰液素的抑制胃窦运动作用。上述结果提示,促胰液素的抑制作用除通过直接作用于促胰液素受体外,还可能部分通过胃窦局部生长抑素和前列腺素介导来抑制胃的运动。     

脊髓苯环立啶受体的心血管效应与去甲肾上腺素能系统

本文应用受体阻断、高效液相,6-OHDA 化学损毁神经末梢和放射自显影等多学科技术方法,探讨脊髓苯环立啶受体的心血管效应与去甲肾上腺素能神经系统的关系。结果表明,哌唑嗪、育亨宾均可对抗 ith PCP 的降压和减慢心率作用,ith PCP 产生降压和减慢心率作用时,脊髓脑脊液内 MHPG 的含量升高;用6-OHDA 损毁脊髓 NA 能神经末梢后,ith PCP的降压和减慢心率作用大为减弱,脊髓 PCP 受体密度亦同时大为降低。可以认为,脊髓内有 PCP 受体分布于 NA 能神经末梢上,促进 NA 释放或抑制 NA 重摄取,可能是脊髓 PCP 受体产生心血管抑制效应的重要机理。     

消炎痛对大鼠肝线粒体微粒体^45Ca摄取及膜流动性的影响

我们曾报道消炎痛预处理在大鼠能引起明显的肝保护作用,为了进一步探讨消炎痛肝保护作用的机制,本工作观察了它对大鼠肝线粒体、微粒体钙调节作用及膜流动性的影响。结果表明,经消炎痛整体预处理的大鼠肝线粒体和微粒体的钙摄取及膜流动性均明显增加,但是,将消炎痛直接加入由正常大鼠分离的线粒体或微粒体中,则反而使膜的流动性降低。这些变化可能与消炎痛的肝保护作用有关。