ET Group Research Articles

The Addition of Epinephrine Enhances Postoperative Analgesia by Intrathecal Morphine

To investigate whether the addition of epinephrine would enhance postoperative pain relief by intrathecal morphine, we studied 36 patients scheduled to have spinal anesthesia for gynecologic surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to one of three groups: the first received epinephrine 0.12 mg, morphine 0.2 mg, and hyperbaric tetracaine 12 mg intrathecally (EMT group, n = 11); the second received morphine 0.2 mg and hyperbaric tetracaine 12 mg intrathecally (MT group, n = 13); and the third received epinephrine 0.12 mg and hyperbaric tetracaine 12 mg intrathecally (ET group, n = 12). The time to the first request for supplemental analgesics was longest (2182 +/- 251 min, mean +/- SEM) and the injection number of supplemental analgesics was least in the EMT group (P < 0.05). The percentage of patients who received supplemental analgesics in the EMT group (45.5%) was less than the other two groups (P < 0.05). Six patients in the EMT group and one in the MT group needed no additional analgesics during 48 h (P < 0.05 versus the MT and ET groups). The visual analog scale (VAS) pain score was larger in the ET group than the EMT group (P < 0.05), but was similar in the EMT and MT groups. There were no differences among groups in the incidence of nausea and pruritus. Our data show that the addition of epinephrine enhances postoperative analgesia by intrathecal morphine without increasing the incidence of adverse effects as compared with intrathecal morphine alone.

Early tracheotomy in neutropenic, mechanically ventilated patients: rationale and results of a pilot study.

Despite substantial advances in the management of such patients, the prognosis of ventilated neutropenic patients remains grim. The objective of our study was to evaluate the benefit of tracheotomy in this category of patients, in terms of mortality while they were in the intensive-care unit and nosocomial pneumonias. The charts of 53 consecutive, ventilated, neutropenic patients, or those destined to be imminently neutropenic, admitted to our intensive-care unit during a 4-year period, have been retrospectively reviewed. Tracheotomy was performed at the bedside or in the operating room: 20 patients underwent tracheotomy within 48 h of mechanical ventilation (ET group), while 33 were tracheotomized later or remained intubated (INT group). The two groups were comparable with regard to the underlying disease, respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation patterns and severity scores, but neutropenia was more profound in the ET group. Mortality while in the intensive-care unit was similar (ET: 70%; INT: 78.8%). However, the survival curves showed a trend towards longer survival in the ET group, even after adjustment for the degree of neutropenia (log-rank test: P = 0.07). The incidence of pneumonias was similar in both groups. No major complications of tracheotomy were reported. These findings suggest that a tracheotomy could be proposed for neutropenic patients requiring mechanical ventilation, in order to prolong their survival beyond the end of the neutropenic period. A prospective study is underway to confirm these preliminary results.

Identification of two ets related genes in a marine worm, the polychaete annelid Nereis diversicolor

The ETS family includes a growing number of transcription factors with a highly conserved DNA-binding domain, the ETS domain. We have used PCR amplification with degenerated oligonucleotides to isolate two putative ETS DNA-binding coding domains in a primitive form of cœlomate, the polychaete annelid Nereis diversicolor. These sequences are highly related to the ETS and ERG groups of the ets gene family. For the erg sequence an adjacent region encoding for 91 amino acids has been characterized after library screening, and we show an expression in cells isolated from the cœlomic cavity of the animal. A phylogenic analysis confirms that the ets-1/ets-2 and the erg/fli dichotomy arose specifically in the vertebrate lineage.

Ascorbic acid reduces the endotoxin-induced lung injury in awake sheep.

Our aim was to investigate whether ascorbic acid can reduce reactive oxygen metabolite-mediated acute lung injury. The effects of intravenous administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin were studied, with and without ascorbic acid infusion, on haemodynamics, lung lymph flow, cardio-respiratory and neutrophil function in chronically instrumented sheep. Paired experiments were performed on eight sheep in which they received either endotoxin alone (0.5 micrograms kg-1 b.w.) (ET group) or in combination with an ascorbic acid infusion (1 g kg-1 b.w. bolus injection followed by 0.2 g kg-1 h-1 continuous infusion) ET + ASC group) in random order. Four of the animals also received ascorbic acid alone (ASC group). As a result, for the ET + ASC group a general and mostly significant improvement (P < 0.05) in the early hypertensive phase (0-60 min, P values) and in the late permeability phase (2-4 h, *P values) of cardiorespiratory function (mean artery pressure: P/*P = 0.283/0.049; mean pulmonary artery pressure: P/*P = 0.0001/0.0001; mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure: P/*P = 0.012/0.001; right ventricular stroke work index: P/*P = 0.02/0.0001; cardiac index: P/*P = 0.797/0.755; arterial oxygen saturation: P/*P = 0.0059/0.01; arterial-venous difference of oxygen tension: P/*P = 0.011/0.0005), oxygen consumption: P/*P = 0.013/0.035, lung lymph flow: P/*P = 0.562/0.012, lymph/plasma protein ratio: P/*P = 0.304/0.008 and protein clearance: P/*P = 0.56/0.05 was observed in comparison with the ET group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison between an oral hydrolytic enzyme combination and oral acyclovir in the treatment of acute zoster:a double‐blind, controlled multicentre trial

AbstractBackground Today's standard treatment of zoster in immunocompetent patients is oral acyclovir. Other therapies are no longer customary because of their insufficient efficacy and frequent side effects. The positive results obtained with an orally administered enzyme combination led to the assumption that this might represent an alternative therapy. The purpose of our study was therefore to determine whether the enzyme combination differs from acyclovir with regard to efficacy and tolerance.Patients and Methods In a double‐blind, controlled multicenter trial immunocompetent patients with zoster were randomly assigned to receive one of the two test drugs for 7 days. Parameters of pain and skin lesions were measured over 14–21 days. Forty‐four patients were enrolled in the enzyme group (ET) and 46 in the acyclovir group (AT).Results There were no significant differences with respect to anamnestic and clinical data at entry into the study. Neither were there significant differences regarding the statistically evaluated parameters of efficacy: “segmental pain on day 7” (P= 0.496) and “vesicle duration” (P= 0.803). Paracetamol use and total pain over 14 days also failed to show any notable differences between the two groups. The beginning of crust formation and the duration of skin lesions showed a very similar frequency distribution. Side effects occurred in four patients in the ET group and in three in the AT group.Conclusions Our trial suggests that the therapy of zoster with an orally applied enzyme combination is a valid alternative to the therapy using acyclovir.

Training does not affect zero-trans lactate transport across mixed rat skeletal muscle sarcolemmal vesicles.

Hindlimb muscle sarcolemmal vesicles were purified from three age-matched groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats: sedentary control (CON; n = 10), sprint trained (ST; n = 8), and endurance trained (ET; n = 9). Membrane isolations from the three groups were not significantly different in protein yield or purification index. Blood lactate concentration was determined in resting CON rats and running ET and ST rats during the final week. Both the ST and ET groups were significantly higher in citrate synthase (vs. CON) in the soleus and mid-vastus lateralis. The time course of 1 mM L-(+)-lactate uptake in vesicles from the three groups showed no significant difference at any of the five time points tested under zero-trans conditions. Saturation kinetics were examined at nine lactate concentrations, and Lineweaver-Burk plots revealed no difference between groups in apparent Michaelis-Menten constant or maximal transport velocity. Vesicles from CON and ET rats were used to investigate cis inhibition of 0.1 mM L-(+)-lactate transport by four unlabeled monocarboxylates: L-(+)-lactate, D-(-)-lactate, pyruvate, and alpha-cyanohydroxycinnamate at 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mM. Under pH gradient-stimulated L-(+)-lactate transport conditions, cis inhibition was affected by neither D-(-)-lactate nor endurance training. We conclude that the lactate transporter has distinct cis-inhibitory specificity, is stereospecific, and is stimulated when confronted with parallel lactate and proton gradients but that spring and endurance training do not alter lactate transport rate or capacity under these conditions.

The Use of Students’ Evaluations and an Individually Structured Intervention to Enhance University Teaching Effectiveness

The present investigation evaluates the effectiveness of students’ evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETs) as a means for enhancing university teaching. We emphasize the multidimensionality of SETs, an Australian version of the Students’ Evaluations of Educational Quality ( Marsh, 1987 ) instrument (ASEEQ), and Wilson’s (1986) feedback/consultation intervention. All teachers (N = 92) completed self-evaluation surveys and were evaluated by students at the middle of Semester 1 and at the ends of Semesters 1 and 2. Three randomly assigned groups received the feedback/consultation intervention at midterm of Semester 1 (MT), at the end of Semester 1 (ET), or received no intervention (control). Each MT and ET teacher ‘‘targeted” specific ASEEQ dimensions that were the focus of his or her individually structured intervention. The ratings for all groups improved over time, but only ratings for the ET group improved significantly more than those in the control group. For both ET and MT groups, targeted dimensions improved more than nontargeted dimensions. The results suggest that SET feedback coupled with consultation is an effective means to improve teaching effectiveness, and the study provides one model for feedback/consultation.

The Effects of Regular Exercise Programs for Visually Impaired and Sighted Schoolchildren

This article reports on a study of the effects of a 16-week aerobic exercise training on the cardiovascular fitness and body composition of 30 visually impaired students from the Alabama School for the Blind (the ET group) versus traditional physical education classes for a group of sighted students from a local public school (the PE group). Whereas the ET group showed a significant increase in cardiovascular fitness and a significant decrease in body composition after training, no significant changes were noted in the PE group.

The Use of Students' Evaluations and an Individually Structured Intervention to Enhance University Teaching Effectiveness

The present investigation evaluates the effectiveness of students’ evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETs) as a means for enhancing university teaching. We emphasize the multidimensionality of SETs, an Australian version of the Students’ Evaluations of Educational Quality (Marsh, 1987) instrument (ASEEQ), and Wilson’s (1986) feedback/consultation intervention. All teachers (N = 92) completed self-evaluation surveys and were evaluated by students at the middle of Semester 1 and at the ends of Semesters 1 and 2. Three randomly assigned groups received the feedback/consultation intervention at midterm of Semester 1 (MT), at the end of Semester 1 (ET), or received no intervention (control). Each MT and ET teacher ‘‘targeted” specific ASEEQ dimensions that were the focus of his or her individually structured intervention. The ratings for all groups improved over time, but only ratings for the ET group improved significantly more than those in the control group. For both ET and MT groups, targeted dimensions improved more than nontargeted dimensions. The results suggest that SET feedback coupled with consultation is an effective means to improve teaching effectiveness, and the study provides one model for feedback/consultation.

The effect of intraperitoneal and topic sodium diclofenac on the arachidonic acid metabolism in endotoxin-induced uveitis in the rabbit

Endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) was produced in albino rabbits by intravitreal injection in the right eye of 10 ng of salmonella endotoxin in 5 ± l of saline solution by a Hamilton syringe. PGE2 and LTB4 were measured in the aqueous humor by the R.I.A. method 24 hours after endotoxin injection in order to examine the activity of the arachidonic acid metabolism. The authors have used seven groups of 12 animals each. The control group was injected with saline (5 ± l) and the endotoxin group (ET) with 10 ng of endotoxin. One experimental group was injected with the same amount of ET and treated with three intraperitoneal injections (-2h, 0h, 12h) of DFNa (32 mg/kg). Another group (ET+S) was injected with ET and treated with saline intraperitoneally (-2h, 0h, 12h). The topically treated groups received ET and topic DFNa (0.1%) every 6h, 4h and 2h respectively. Mean aqueous PGE2 concentration of the negative control group (0.03 ± 0.02 ng/ml) was significantly lower (p < 0.01) than in the ET group (7.26 ± 4.16). All the treated groups showed a statistical difference as compared to the ET group (p < 0.01, Student test). Mean LTB4 concentration of the negative control group (4.44 ± 0.33 ng/ml) was also significantly lower (p<0.01) than in the ET group (5.10 ± 0.61). Treatment with DFNa did not result in a decrease of the aqueous LTB4 levels. It is concluded that topical DFNa results in a decrease of aqueous PGE(2), without affecting LTB levels. To the best of our knowledge, such an effect of topical DFNa has not been reported previously.

Exercise training-induced alterations in skeletal muscle oxidative and antioxidant enzyme activity in senescent rats.

Limited data exist concerning exercise training-induced alterations in skeletal muscle oxidative and antioxidant enzyme activity in senescent animals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to examine the exercise training-induced changes in oxidative and antioxidant enzyme activity in skeletal muscle of old rats; and 2) to critically analyze the relationship between oxidative and antioxidant enzyme activities in skeletal muscle in both trained and untrained senescent rats. Female Fischer-344 rats (approximately 24-mo-old) were divided into 1) exercised trained (ET; n = 10) and 2) sedentary (S; n = 6) groups. The ET rats performed a 10-week training program of treadmill exercise (approximately 60 min, 5 days/wk). Training significantly (p less than 0.05) improved VO2max (delta 22.8%) in the ET rats above their age-matched controls. Further, the ET group had significantly elevated (p less than 0.05) activities of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in the soleus and red gastrocnemius (RG) muscles as well as greater (p less than 0.05) 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HADH) activity in the RG when compared to the S group. However, training did not alter (p greater than 0.05) HADH activity within the white gastrocnemius (WG) or soleus muscles. Activity of the antioxidant enzyme, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was higher (p less than 0.05) in the soleus and RG in ET rats when compared to the S rats; in contrast, training did not alter (p less than 0.05) GPX activity in the WG. Finally, the correlation coefficients between SDH and GPX activities (combined ET and S groups) for the RG, WG, and soleus muscles were r = .73, .17 and .36, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Improved thermogenesis during acute cold exposure in exercise-trained rats

The present study was carried out to examine the effects of enhanced cold tolerance induced by exercise training on carbohydrate metabolism during cold exposure. Five-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. The warm-acclimated control group (WA) was exposed to the environment at 25 degrees C, and the cold-acclimated group (CA) was acclimated to cold by exposure to 5 degrees C. The exercise-trained group (ET) was controlled to run at the rate of 35 meters per minute for 9 weeks on a small driven treadmill. The degree of carbohydrate metabolism due to cold exposure significantly decreased with the drop in environmental temperature in the WA and CA groups, but did not change in the ET group. When glucose utilization was blocked with 2-deoxyglucose administration, oxygen consumption during cold exposure decreased in the WA and ET groups, but did not decrease in the CA group. The liver glycogen content decreased during cold exposure in the WA and ET groups, but there was no change in the CA group. It appeared that the fall of the plasma glucose level after the infusion of insulin was significantly greater in the ET and CA groups than in the WA group. These results indicate that the improved capacity for cold-induced thermogenesis in the ET group may be caused by enhanced carbohydrate metabolism.

Exercise training increases coronary transport reserve in miniature swine

Female yucatan miniature swine were trained on a treadmill (ET) or were cage confined (C) for 16-22 wk. The ET pigs had increased exercise tolerance, heart weight-to-body weight ratio, and skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. After anesthesia the left anterior descending coronary artery was cannulated and pump perfused with blood while aortic, central venous, and coronary perfusion pressures, electrocardiogram, heart rate, and coronary blood flow were monitored. Capillary permeability-surface area product (PS) for EDTA was determined with the single-injection indicator-diffusion method by use of an organ model based on the Sangren-Sheppard equations for capillary transport. Coronary blood flow (CBF) and PS were compared before and during maximal adenosine vasodilation with coronary perfusion pressures at 120 mmHg. Results indicate that there were no differences in base-line CBF or PS between C and ET groups. alpha-Receptor blockade with phentolamine and/or prazosin, before adenosine vasodilation, produced increases in PS in C pigs but had little effect in ET pigs. During maximal vasodilation with adenosine, ET pigs had greater CBF (447 +/- 24 vs. 366 +/- 27 ml.min-1.100 g-1) and greater PS (83 +/- 9 vs. 55 +/- 7 ml.min-1.100 g-1) than the C group. It is concluded that ET induces an increased coronary transport capacity in miniature swine that includes a 22% increase in blood flow capacity and a 51% increase in capillary exchange capacity.

食道静脈りゅう硬化剤の血液凝固線溶系に及ぼす影響

Various sclerosants for esophageal varices (polidocanol; PO, ethanolamine oleate; EO, human thrombin; TH, absolute ethanol; ET, sodium tetradecyl sulfate; STS) were injected into mongrel dogs to clarify the effects on blood coagulation, fibrinolysis and histological changes. Hemolysis and thrombocytopenia were observed in all dogs treated with sclerosants. Prolongation of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were observed in dogs of EO, TH and STS groups. Plasma fibrinogen decreased significantly in dogs with TH. No remarkable changes of plasminogen and antithrombin-III were observed in any dogs. α2-plasmin inhibitor decreased to 50-70% in ET, TH and STS groups. Degree of tissue damage caused by sclerosant was most remarkable in ET group. It caused necrosis around the vessel. STS and EO groups, however, showed mild damage of the vessels than ET group. They caused thrombi for more than a week, and after a month, organization of the vessel space. So at the sclerotherapy for esophageal varices, we should use sclerosants considering these effects.

Changes in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal axis of mares associated with seasonal reproductive recrudescence.

Four groups of mares, representing anestrus (AN; n = 8), early transition (ET; n = 7), late transition (LT; n = 8) and estrus (EST; n = 12) were used to examine changes in the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary during the period of transition from winter anestrus into the breeding season. Mares were of mixed breeding, between the ages of 3 and 20 years, and had shown normal patterns of estrous behavior and ovulation during the breeding season previous to this experiment. Hypothalamic content of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and anterior pituitary content of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were determined by radioimmunoassay. The number of receptors for GnRH in anterior pituitary tissue was also determined. There was no effect of stage of transition into the breeding season on receptors for GnRH or content of FSH (p greater than 0.05). Likewise, content of GnRH in the hypothalamus did not differ between the four groups (p greater than 0.05). However, pituitary content of LH increased progressively from anestrus to the breeding season (p less than 0.05). Means for the AN, ET, LT and EST groups were 1.1 +/- 0.2, 2.2 +/- 0.3, 6.3 +/- 1.4 and 15.2 +/- 1.8 micrograms LH/mg pituitary, respectively. In addition, serum concentrations of LH associated with the first ovulation of the year for 5 of the EST mares were significantly lower (p less than 0.01) than those associated with the second ovulation of the year.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Lactational ethanol exposure: Brain enzymes and [3h]spiroperidol binding

Long-Evans lactating rats were fed 27% calories as ethanol in a liquid diet to determine whether alcohol received through the milk would alter normal brain development in the offspring. On days 16, 21 and 30, brains of the female offspring were removed, corpus striatum dissected and assayed for choline acetyltransferase activity, glutamic acid decarboxylase activity and [3H]spiroperidol binding activity. At day 16, there were no differences among the three treatment groups for the enzyme activities assayed. At day 21, glutamic acid decarboxylase activity in the pairfed group was higher than in ET and CT groups. Choline acetyltransferase activity in the PF group was higher when compared to ad libitum controls and [3H]spiroperidol binding was not affected. At 30 days of age. animals exposed to ethanol had higher choline acetyltransferase activity and [3H]spiroperidol binding activity when compared to pairfed and ad libitum controls; and higher glutamic acid decarboxylase activity when compared to ad libitum controls.Data from the present study suggest that ethanol exposure during the brain growth spurt has a toxic effect on the late development of dopaminergic, cholinergic and GABAergic systems in the corpus striatum. These results may be related to the clinical symptoms of hyperactivity and problems with motor control in children exposed to alcohol during the third trimester and during lactation.

Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on iron utilization in the rat

The effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on iron metabolism in rat dams and pups were studied. Sperm-positive nulliparous dams were assigned to groups on the third day of gestation (G3): ET rats were fed a liquid diet containing 9% ethanol (v/v); PC rats were pair-fed a non-ethanol, isocaloric liquid diet; FC rats were fed the same nonethanol diet ad libitum. All animals were individually housed in stainless steel metabolic cages from G3 to G18 and transferred to polypropylene cages to await delivery. Food intake and dam body weight were significantly less in the ET and PC groups compared to the FC control group. Water intake was significantly greater in the ET dams than in controls. Gestation length was significantly increased in the ET rats only. Pup body weight was significantly decreased in the ET rats only compared to controls. Apparent absorption of iron in the ET dams was significantly greater than in the PC and FC dams. The in utero ethanol exposure resulted in a significant increase in liver and femur iron concentrations in the newborn pups when compared to the PC and FC control pups. The marked increase clue to understanding presence of liver pathology that has been reported to occur in children with fetal alcohol syndrome.