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MRI-detected cartilage damage is associated with elevated cartilage T2 relaxation times on MRI. Further, cartilage damage is more frequently observed in knees at higher risk of developing radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Detection of such early changes by means of MRI may be a useful method to identify participants for future observational or interventional OA studies.

The ability to compensate for acute water deprivation was studied in young adult (YA, 7–9 years), middle aged (MA, 13–17 years), and older adult (OA, 20–36 years) rhesus monkeys of both sexes (N=6/group). Water intake and urine volume were measured during three 7-day trials: 3 days of baseline measurement, 1 day of deprivation and 3 days of compensation. OA drank less during baseline (380±63 mL/day) than MA (679±92 mL/day, p<0.05) or YA (750±128 mL/day, p<0.01). All groups drank more following deprivation than at baseline and the OA drank significantly less than the younger groups (both p<0.01), but the increase above baseline did not differ among groups when expressed as a cumulative percentage of baseline (89% for OA; 77% for MA; 83% for YA). Urine volume of all groups decreased by similar percentages on the day of deprivation (56% overall) and this reduction represented a similar proportion (58% overall) of baseline water intake. Urine concentration increased significantly during deprivation (p<0.05) and returned to baseline values during compensation with no differences among age groups. OA water balance appears to have been maintained at lower levels of intake and excretion. In conclusion, responses to acute hydrational challenges in the elderly should be interpreted in the context of customary fluid intake.

The influence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) on acute liver allograft rejection was investigated in 48 adult patients. The diagnosis of rejection was always based on the full triad of histological findings, clinical signs, and the required antirejection treatment. Sixty-two percent of the patients closely observed for 6 months postoperatively revealed acute rejection within the first 3 weeks, mostly on days 7–11. HLA compatibility was not observed to have any significant influence on the incidence of acute rejection. However, different histological and clinical features were revealed in conjunction with DR compatibility. Patients without DR compatibility showed a type of rejection with fever and increase of bilirubin, frequently associated with cholestasis and cholangitis, which sometimes persisted for weeks. Patients with 1 DR compatibility showed a predominant increase of transaminases, which was never associated with cholangitis. The conjunction of different DR compatibilities and various clinical signs may indicate possible pathways from immunological assault to the clinical appearance of acute rejection. A knowledge of a patient's individual compatibility and an expectation of certain rejection patterns may lead to earlier and more reliable diagnosis and treatment.

The autopsy records between 1980 and 1995 of 399 female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) at the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center were examined. Spontaneous endometriosis was found in 81 (20%) of the animals. The mean (+/- SD) ages at death for animals with and without endometriosis were 20.7 +/- 5.5 (range 10-35) and 13.4 +/- 7.7 (range 4-37) years respectively. Many of the animals had been exposed to experimental procedures, including laparoscopies, hysterotomies and oestradiol implants, and these were examined as possible risk factors for endometriosis. Of the 81 affected animals, 62 were matched to unaffected controls for age at death (to within 1 year) and year of death (to within 2 years) and the effect of various factors on the development of endometriosis was determined using conditional logistic regression. Exposure to three or more oestradiol implants or one or more hysterotomies were both significant risk factors, with estimated relative risks of 9.7 (95% confidence interval 2.5-37.2) and 5.8 (95% confidence interval 1.6-20.2) respectively. Animals that had been exposed to one or more laparoscopies showed no increased risk for developing endometriosis. These findings provide insight into the aetiology of the disease in women. ?2P51 4RR00167

Body size and composition were measured in forty-one adult Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in order to characterize changes that occur during later life for both genders. Data were obtained by traditional somatometric techniques and by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Representative monkeys were chosen within six categories defined by age (Young Adult, 6–9 yearold; Middle Aged, 15–19 year-old; Older Adult, 26–30 year-old), and sex. Body weight and most external measures of body size were greater during middle age and later life than in young adulthood, as were body fat content and lean body mass. Females tended to have a higher percentage body fat than males in all age categories. Lean tissue mass was markedly greater in the two younger groups for both sexes, compared to older adults. Bone mineral content and density were higher in the males than the females, but differences in bone mineralization among age groups did not achieve statistical significance. Such data derived from adult nonhuman primates are useful for defining fundamental biological changes with age in these species, and have value as a comparative model for studies of human aging and age-related morbidity.

Dietary restriction is the only intervention shown to increase maximal life span, and to retard the rate of aging in rodents. As part of a long-term randomized trial of the effects of a 20–30% dietary restriction (DR) on adult rhesus macaques, female (N=30) and male (N=16) monkeys were assessed at baseline and 6, 12 and 18 months, following randomization to control (C) or dietary restricted (R) groups, for body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. At baseline, there were no significant differences between C and R groups in any body composition parameters measured. Males had significantly (p>0.05) greater values at baseline than females for body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), total body lean tissue mass (LTM), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), and total body bone mineral content (BMC). When analyzed longitudinally through 18 months of DR, C females had significantly increased BW, total body fat tissue mass (FTM), total body percent fat tissue mass (%FTM), LTM, ASM, BMC and abdominal fat tissue mass (AbFTM) relative to R animals. Male C animals had significantly increased BW, FTM, %FTM, BMC and AbFTM relative to R males. The primary effect of DR on body composition in these animals was on FTM.

Abstract: The aim of the present experimental investigation was to assess the circulatory, biochemical and histopathological consequences of complete portal vein arterialization of the transplanted liver in ‘Göttinger’ miniature pigs. Orthotopic liver transplantations using a passive portojugular shunt were performed in six male ‘Göttinger’ miniature pigs. Using an iliac artery segment interposition of the animal donor, the hepatic artery (HA) of the transplant liver was anastomized end-to-end and the portal vein (PA) also united with the internal iliac artery stump end-to-end. The central anastomosis was performed onto the suprarenal aorta. Portal vein blood was drained into the infrahepatic caval vein via an end-to-side shunt (PCS). During the course, the following parameters were determined: arterial blood pressure, venous pressure, cardiac output, electromagnetic blood flow measurements across the HA, PA, and PCS, PA mean pressure, transaminases, partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen. Liver biopsies and autopsy specimens were investigated. One of six animals died a few hours postoperatively, two of six died after 48 and 72 h, respectively, whereas three pigs survived the scheduled 7 days. The cardiac output fell intraoperatively initially by an average of 20 % but had approximately the starting volume of 2.2 l/min at the end of the operation. Although the diameter of the anastomosis was reduced to 4 mm, the flow in the arterialized PA on average was 340 ml/min when the vessel clamp was opened. At the end of operation the mean was 380 ml/min, the interval of measurement being 75 min. The flow across the PCS and the HA were constant during the course. As mechanism for this phenomenon, autoregulation of the liver blood flow on a sinusidal level has been suggested. The biochemical results and the histopathological findings showed no change compared to previous findings in a control group of animals in which liver transplantion was performed by our team. Complete arterialization of the PA is well tolerated in liver transplantation in ‘Göttinger’ miniature pigs with regard to circulation and liver function in a short-term trial of a maximum of 7 days. Long-term results are still to come.

Zusammenfassung Bei 2 von 81 Lebertransplantationen wurde ein Transplantatversagen beobachtet, das auf eine hyperakute Abstoßung zurückgeführt wurde. Bei der ersten Patientin, die in einer schwierigen, 19 Einheiten Blut und Plasma erfordernden Operation transplantiert wurde, zeigte sich zunächst eine gute Sofortfunktion des Transplantates, bis es am Tag 1–2 zu einem plötzlichen Funktionsverlust kam. Das Cross-match war positiv. Der zweite Patient erhielt ein drittes Transplantat, nachdem das erste eine spenderbedingte Nichtfunktion aufgewiesen hatte und das zweite, blutgruppeninkompatible Organ abgestoßen worden war. Das dritte Transplantat, das in einer unkomplizierten, nur 10 Einheiten Blut und Plasma erfordernden Operation transplantiert wurde, zeigte eine Sofortfunktion. Innerhalb weniger Stunden kam es jedoch zum Funktionsverlust. Beide Transplantatversagen werden auf immunologische, einer hyperakuten Abstoßung entsprechende Vorgänge zurückgeführt. Somit konnten zwei unterschiedliche Erscheinungsformen beobachtet werden: der sogenannte “Delayed Type” bei der ersten Patientin und die mehr klassische Form bei dem zweiten Patienten. Für die Diagnosestellung „hyperakute Abstoßung” werden zwei Befunde für erforderlich gehalten: 1. histologische Befunde von Nekrosen und herdförmige Immunglobulinablagerungen, besonders IgG, IgM, IgA, C3-Komplement-Komponente, Properdin und Fibrinogen, und 2. der Nachweis zumindest einer kurzzeitigen initialen Transplantatfunktion, um eine initiale Nichtfunktion aufgrund anderer Ursachen auszuschließen. Die seltene Diagnosestellung bei der klassischen Form einer hyperakuten Abstoßung und hypothetische Gründe für die häufigere Beobachtung des “Delayed Type” werden diskutiert.

Food intake of control and streptozotocin-diabetic rhesus monkeys was measured during menstrual cycles and pregnancy. Intake of control monkeys was lower at the time of ovulation than during other phases of the menstrual cycle. Intake of control monkeys was also low during most of pregnancy, but this was accompanied by normal fetal growth and net maternal weight gain. Diabetic monkeys ate more than controls in all conditions and their intake did not vary reliably according to reproductive status. It is suggested that (1) oestrogen normally inhibits food intake during menstrual cycles and pregnancy, (2) food energy is utilized more efficiently during pregnancy than during non-pregnant states, and (3) the influence of oestrogen on food intake is either attenuated by insulinopenia or is obscured by the hyperphagia typically exhibited by the diabetic monkeys.

Abstract. We report on the successful regrafting of a transplanted liver. The donor liver was first grafted into a patient suffering from cryptogenic cirrhosis; the patient died 1 day after the elective transplantation of cerebral bleeding. The well‐functioning graft was harvested again and transferred to our institution. After another 12 h of cold ischemia, the liver was reperfused in an urgently registered patient with recurrence of hepatitis B in his first graft. The transplantation was successfully performed and the patient is now doing well, more than 5 months after regrafting with the reused liver.

Summary The Hannover Classification of cardiac allograft rejection differentiates between acute (A-1–4: mild, mild with retrogressive changes in myocytes, moderate, severe) and chronic rejection (C) with vasculopathy and aggressive fibrosis. In addition, the degree of vasculopathy (B) as well as the quality and quantity of fibrosis (F) are evaluated. The validity of the classification was analyzed in 1127 consecutive biopsy specimens of 47 cardiac allograft recipients. The analysis showed that prognostic statements are possible.