Polish medical sciences and history bulletin最新文献

A 10% solution of glycerol was used for dehydration of the cornea in the course of its experimental ulcer in 24 rabbits. Biomicroscopical, pathological and histochemical observations were carried out. It was shown that dehydration favorably influences the course of healing of corneal ulcer. An earlier return by the reaction for corneal acid mucopolysaccharides with a control cornea was also observed after application of glycerol.

The investigations were performed on 15 dogs with experimental uremia, but free of overhydration and circulatory insufficiency. Parahilar lungs areas showed numerous atelectatic foci, the peripheral part--conpensatory marginal emphusema. Light microscopy revealed a decreased number of granular cells, electron microscopy the "empty" appearance of the lamellar structures, and decrease or absence of the Hale-positive layer of alveolar lining film. The inhibition of cells controlling the alveolar surgace tension seems to be crucial in the pathomechanism of development of uremic lung lesions.

In 500 cases (379 men and 121 women) of ischemic heart disease, including 428 patients with myocardial infarction and 72 -- with imminent infarction, blood lipid levels were determined. Blood samples were taken on fasting, by the end of hospitalization, from patients with myocardial infarction on the 18th-21st day of disease, and from those with imminent infarction after cessation of pain. In 152 patients (30.4%), including 87 with infarction and 65 with imminent infarction, disturbances in the blood lipid pattern were found and classified according to Fredrickson. When expressed as percentage against the material of 152 patients with blood lipid disturbances, type II A was found in 103 cases (67.8%), type II B -- in 25 cases (16.4%), and type IV -- in 24 cases (15.8%). When calculated against the whole material of 500 patients, type II A accounted for 20.6%, type II B -- for 5%, and type IV -- 4.8% of cases.

In the course of healing of experimental ulcer one could observe a distinct difference between a cornea, subjected to the action of glycerol and a control one. The damage to the chemical structure of collagenous fibers was much smaller than in the control. On the basis of the investigations performed one may conclude that glycerol, through dehydration of the corneal tissue and stimulation of mucopolysaccharide synthesis, suppresses the activity of collagenase. In polarized light this process was manifested by the double refraction phenomenon and in clinical observation--by an accelerated healing of ulcer.

Serum growth hormone (HGH) was determined in: 1) diabetics without retinopathy, 2) diabetics with retinopathy and normal creatinine clearance. In diabetes without retinopathy the HGH was higher than in controls, while in the group of cases with retinopathy the HGH level was significantly lower than in the group without vascular changes and in the control group. Cases with retinal vascular changes and reduced creatinine clearance had a significantly higher HGH level as compared with the group with normal clearance, and the dynamics of HGH secretion in the group with reduced clearance differed from those in the remaining groups. This pattern of HGH secretion in the studied groups showed a connection between raised HGH level and impairment of renal function developing when vascular changes appear in diabetics.

In a group of 112 cases of histiocytic neoplasms treated 1960--1973 103 benign tumors (histiocytoma), 3 semimalignant tumors (histiocytoma proliferans), and 6 malignant ones (histiocytoma malignum) were diagnosed. Clinical and morphological examinations indicate that under the influence of stimuli histiocytoma may undergo a biological transformation developing into less mature forms such as histiocytoma proliferans and histiocytoma malignum. The treatment of malignant tumors consisted in their removal together with a wide margin or adjacent tissues. In 2 cases enlarged lymph nodes were removed but no metastases were found. In one case death occurred 3 years after operation as a result of distant metastases.

The appearance of the hair surface as revealed by scanning electron microscopy is described. Intact human and animal hair, hair after shot and hair treated with thermic energy were the subject of investigation. The authors paid attention to numerous details of the pictures obtained due to high resolving power of scanning electron microscope.

In 25 diabetics and 8 controls the insulin hypoglycemia test was performed with subsequent determination of growth hormone secretion by the radioimmunoassay method. The rise of the growth hormone level began earlier and persisted longer in diabetics as compared with controls. Juvenile diabetes was associated with a rapid secretory response of the hormone while in maturity-type diabetes the release of growth hormone in response to stimulation was excessive but delayed. A somewhat lower secretory response was found in diabetes lasting over 5 years as compared with short-lasting diabetes. The observed phenomena were not related to the absolute blood glucose level. Although the phenomenon of growth hormone hypersecretion remains yet to be explained, it seems, however, to be secondary to carbohydrate metabolism disturbance and insulin disorders.

The authors report results of investigations on PHA-stimulated blastic transformation of lymphocytes in hereditary microspherocytosis. In 25 patients with this disease including 12 splenectomized cases and 13 non-splenectomized ones a significant decrease of the blastic and mitotic indexes was observed in relation to a control group of 20 subjects. No statistically significant differences were noted, however, between the cases before and after splenectomy. The results indicate that splenectomy is not the only factor impairing blastic transformation in these patients. The authors suggest that in microspherocytosis changes exist not only in the erythrocyte membrane, but that similar changes in the lymphocyte cell membrane may impair the response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA).

The secretion of insulin, glucagon and growth hormone was determined in the serum of patients with recently diagnosed juvenile-type diabetes (10 patients) during stimulation by intravenous infusion of L-arginine and was compared with the results found in a group of five healthy persons. The value of the insulinemia was significantly lower in the diabetics as compared with the healthy controls. Serum glucagon levels were higher in all diabetics when fasting and after L-arginine administration as compared with the controls but a significant difference was observed only at the peck of secretion (5 min after L-arginine administration). Growth hormone concentration was slightly higher in the diabetics after secretory stimulation than in the controls, particularly at the peak of secretion (30 and 45 min) but the difference was statistically no significant.