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Having developed a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) syndrome model in the rabbit using Wirsung duct ligation, it appeared interesting to use it to study the relationship between glycemia and the plasma levels of TXA2and PGI2, and of some other biochemical parameters such as cholesterol, triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase and transaminases. A comparative study was carried out in the sham-operated rabbits (controls, C) and those having their pancreatic duct ligatured (NIDDM, D) at 15, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days post-ligation.

In this investigation, an anti-thromboxane A2(TXA2) synthetase activity in the myocardial tissue, which can be modulated by ischemia and reperfusion, was observed. Regional ischemia was induced by 60 min occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery in isolated Langendorff rabbit hearts. Biosynthesis of TXA2was carried out by using arachidonic acid (AA) as substrate, horse platelet microsomes (HPM) as the source of TXA2synthetase and left ventricle microsomes (LVM) from ischemic and non-ischemic areas as effectors. TXB2, the stable metabolite of TXA2, was determined by radioimmunoassay. Experiments carried out under the adopted conditions showed that LVM from control hearts were able to inhibit by up to 50% the biosynthesis of TXA2from HPM. This anti-TXA2synthetase activity was more pronounced when LVM from the non-ischemic area were used, rather then LVM from the ischemic one. A 60 min reperfusion decreased the anti-TXA2activity. A superfused rabbit aorta strip was also used as a cascade bioassay to study the effect of LVM on the TX2-synthetase activity of HPM, and this confirmed our findings. These results suggest that the left ventricle possesses a self-defense mechanism against acute myocardial ischemia, independently from the circulation. The postulated mechanism may be initiated in the non-ischemic area.

The cardiotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (FU) was attributed to impurities present in the injected vials. One of these impurities was identified as fluoroacetaldehyde which is metabolised by isolated perfused rabbit hearts into fluoroacetate (FAC), a highly cardiotoxic compound. FAC was also detected in the urine of patients treated with FU. These impurities were found to be degradation products of FU that are formed in the basic medium employed to dissolve this compound. To avoid chemical degradation of this antineoplastic drug, the solution of FU that will be injected should be prepared immediately before use.

Plasma levels of glucose, insulin and glucagon were measured at various time intervals after pancreatic duct ligation (PDL) in rabbits. Two hyperglycemic periods were observed: one between 15–90 days (peak at 30 days of 15.1 ± 1.2mmol/l, p < 0.01), and the other at 450 days (11.2 ± 0.5 mmol/l, p < 0.02). The first hyperglycemic episode was significantly correlated with both hypoinsulinemia (41.8 ± 8pmol/l, r= –0.94, p < 0.01) and hyperglucagonemia (232 ± 21ng/l, r=0.95, p < 0.01). However, the late hyperglycemic phase (450 days), which was not accompanied by hypoinsulinemia, was observed after the hyperglucagonemia (390 days) produced by abundant immunostained A-cells giving rise to a 3-fold increase in pancreatic glucagon stores. The insulin and glucagon responses to glucose loading at 180, 270 and 450 days reflected the insensitivity of B- and A-cells to glucose. The PDL rabbit model with chronic and severe glycemic disorders due to the predominant role of glucagon mimicked key features of the NIDDM syndrome secondary to exocrine disease.