On the reliability of the Penaz cuff during systemic and local fingertip vasodilatation at rest and in exercise

To compare the readings of blood pressure by the Riva-Rocci (RR) method with those of peripheral arterial pressure (PAP) as recorded by the Finapres (FP) device, exercise was performed by six male subjects on a cycle ergometer at a constant exercise intensity of 140 W. In addition, forearm volume was determined by impedance plethysmography. At rest, systolic FP values exceeded RR values by greater than or equal to 10 mmHg. During 60-min exercise both values at first increased almost in parallel with each other. While RR reached a plateau after 3 min, FP then started to decrease continuously up to the 10th min and finally stabilized at 20-30 mmHg below RR. The impedance values showed a similar declining slope, indicating vasodilatation. To separate the effects of sympathetic drive from heat elicited vasodilatation, a second experimental series was performed with ischaemic static calf exercise (5 min, 90 N), since this increases the sympathetic tone but prevents systemic heat distribution. In contrast to findings reported from intra-arterial measurements, no exercise effect on the pulse pressure amplification was obtained. However, the heating of one fingertip distal to the FP-cuff led to a significant decrease in PAP compared to the control recording made simultaneously from the other hand. It was concluded that heat induced vasodilatation may make FP unrepresentative of systemic blood pressure, in particular during exercise. Moreover, the FP-cuff seemed to induce substantial vasoconstriction due to venous occlusion. The FP method would therefore be useful for monitoring continuously systemic blood pressure if no (dilative) vasomotor changes occurred or their ranges and time courses were known sufficiently well.     

Die Beeinflussung der Mutationsrate bei Drosophila Melanogaster Durch Kombinierte Behandlung mit Arsen und R?ntgenstrahlen

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 1 Textfigur     

Differential effects of human anaphylatoxin C3a on glucose output and flow in rat liver during orthograde and retrograde perfusion: the periportal scavenger cell hypothesis

1) During orthograde perfusion of rat liver human anaphylatoxin C3a caused an increase in glucose and lactate output and reduction of flow. These effects could be enhanced nearly twofold by co-infusion of the carboxypeptidase inhibitor MERGETPA, which reduced inactivation of C3a to C3adesArg. 2) During retrograde perfusion C3a caused a two- to threefold larger increase in glucose and lactate output and reduction of flow than in orthograde perfusions. These actions tended to be slightly enhanced by MERGETPA. 3) The elimination of C3a plus C3adesArg immunoreactivity during a single liver passage was around 67%, irrespective of the perfusion direction and the presence of the carboxypeptidase inhibitor MERGETPA; however, less C3adesArg and more intact C3a appeared in the perfusate in the presence of MERGETPA in orthograde and retrogade perfusions. It is concluded that rat liver inactivated human anaphylatoxin C3a by conversion to C3adesArg and moreover eliminated it by an additional process. The inactivation to C3adesArg seemed to be located predominantly in the proximal periportal region of the liver sinusoid, since C3a was less effective in orthograde perfusions, when C3a first passed the proximal periportal region before reaching the predominant mass of parenchyma as its site of action, than in retrograde perfusions, when it first passed the perivenous area. These data may be evidence for a periportal scavenger mechanism, by which the liver protects itself from systemically released mediators of inflammation that interfere with the local regulation of liver metabolism and hemodynamics.     

Improved survival following HLA-incompatible bone marrow transplantation. Munich Cooperative Group of Bone Marrow Transplantation

In most centers allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is restricted to patients with HLA-identical siblings as donors. We have transplanted 16 patients with marrow of donors other than HLA-identical siblings. Seven patients were grafted in the years 1978 until 1984. Six died of transplant complications and one of recurrent leukemia. More recently 9 patients were transplanted following an improved immunosuppressive conditioning treatment derived from experimental studies in dogs. Four are alive and in continuous remission between more than 2 months and 2 years. 5 patients died, 3 from fungal infections, one from recurrent leukaemia and one early from endothelial leakage syndrome. Our results indicate that intensified immunosuppressive conditioning may improve the results of marrow transplantation from HLA-haploidentical donors.     

Increase of glucose and lactate output and decrease of flow by human anaphylatoxin C3a but not C5a in perfused rat liver

The complement fragments C3a and C5a were purified from zymosan-activated human serum by column chromatographic procedures after the bulk of the proteins had been removed by acidic polyethylene glycol precipitation. In the isolated in situ perfused rat liver C3a increased glucose and lactate output and reduced flow. Its effects were enhanced in the presence of the carboxypeptidase inhibitor DL-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthio-propanoic acid (MERGETPA) and abolished by preincubation of the anaphylatoxin with carboxypeptidase B or with Fab fragments of an anti-C3a monoclonal antibody. The C3a effects were partially inhibited by the thromboxane antagonist BM13505. C5a had no effect. It is concluded that locally but not systemically produced C3a may play an important role in the regulation of local metabolism and hemodynamics during inflammatory processes in the liver.