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This study determines the efficacy of nonfetal human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) for photoreceptor rescue utilizing the dystrophic RCS rat as an animal model. Eyes from 10- and 49-year-old donors were obtained through the Rochester Eye and Human Parts Bank. The RPE was isolated by enzymatic treatment of the choroid-RPE with 2% dispase for 30 min at 37 degrees C. Mechanically dissociated RPE cells were injected at the superior hemisphere into the subretinal space of dystrophic RCS rats during the fourth postnatal week. Rats receiving vehicle injection served as sham controls. The animals were immunosuppressed with daily cyclosporine injections (10 mg/kg) and sacrificed 30 days posttransplantation for histologic evaluation of the RPE graft and its effect on photoreceptor survival. Transplantation of adult human RPE promoted the survival of photoreceptors in the dystrophic RCS rat. Morphometric analysis of the grafted superior hemisphere demonstrated a threefold increase in photoreceptor cell density (149.2 +/- 50 SD) compared to sham controls (39.7 +/- 31 SD) and the untouched inferior hemisphere (52.8 +/- 28 SD). RPE from the 49-year-old donor was as effective as RPE from the 10-year-old donor in promoting photoreceptor survival. The results of this study in RCS rats suggests that RPE from adult human donors of varied ages is suitable for transplantation and retains the capability to promote survival of photoreceptor cells. This finding opens the possibility of using nonfetal RPE cells in human retinal transplantation.

Background: Effectiveness of subtotal splenectomy, a procedure recently advocated as an alternative treatment to total splenectomy for patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS), has been evaluated., Methods and Patients: Eighty-eight patients (74 children) with HS were included in this series. Clinical presentations ranged from asymptomatic cases to severe transfusion-dependent forms. Stunting of growth occurred in four cases; chronic fatigue was observed in 30 cases and cholelithiasis in 21 cases. Among the red cell indices measured by laser light scattering on Technicon H2, the most reliable for diagnosis was the abnormal percentage of hyperdense red cells (98% of HS patients). Osmotic gradient ektacytometry, used to measure membrane deformability and impairment of maximal deformability due to a reduction of erythrocyte surface, always showed the characteristic curves of HS., Results: Subtotal splenectomy was performed in 24 patients leading to a remnant spleen of about 25% of normal for age volume. This decreased the hemolytic rate while adequately sustaining the phagocytic function of the spleen (assessed by percentage of "pitted erythrocytes" and technetium 99n scans of the remnant). However, the observed reduction in hemolytic rate was not as extensive as that observed after total splenectomy (six cases) and subtotal splenectomy did not entirely prevent risk of cholethiasis (three cases)., Conclusion: This subtotal splenectomy (+/-cholecystectomy) has to be particularly considered for children with transfusion-dependent forms of HS, in order to obtain the benefits of increased hemoglobin levels without the pending risk throughout life of overwhelming post-splenectomy infections.

Two types of calcium antagonists, diltiazem and nicardipine, were separately infused in 23-28 week-old spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (under sodium thiobutabarbital anesthesia and ventilation, n = 4) through the left femoral vein, resulting in the reduction of blood pressure. In each rat, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and the concentration of plasma catecholamines (CAs), norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), were concomitantly determined and the correlations between these three values were studied for each calcium antagonist. Plasma concentration of CAs were measured in blood samples collected during the infusion from the right femoral artery of each rat by the automatic sensitive and selective detection system. The reduction of blood pressure induced by the calcium antagonists brought about an increase in plasma CAs levels. The blood pressure correlated well with the logarithm of plasma NE and E concentration and the relations were expressed as Y = -alpha log(X)+m (Y, blood pressure; X, concentration of plasma NE or E; alpha, slope; and m, intercept). The alpha s of SHR rats were greater than those of WKY rats for the calcium antagonists employed, meaning that the increment of plasma CAs responding to a decrease in blood pressure was smaller in SHR than in WKY rats. It was concluded that the contribution of the sympathetic nervous system to maintaining blood pressure reduced by diltiazem and nicardipine is less in SHR than in WKY rats.

Direct somatic embryogenesis ofBegonia gracilis was achieved from microcultured laminar segments and petioles on Murashige and Skoog medium with 0.5 mg 1 -1 kinetin and 2% coconut water. Somatic embryos were obtained with greater frequency from petiole explants than from leaf blade sections. Under red light (45 μmol m -2 s -1 ), approximately 80% of the petiole explants successfully produced somatic embryos but only 30% of the leaf blade sections responded. However, somatic embryos were significantly more abundant on responding lamina explants (60-70 embryos/leaf section) than on petioles (40-50 embryos/petiole). These trends were similar for explants kept in the dark, but overall production was lower. Somatic embryos were produced more quickly (5 weeks) from petioles than from lamina explants (8 weeks). The somatic embryos germinated to produce plantlets and subsequently shoot cultures with the same appearance as the parental clone.

Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy imaging under different cantilever vibration amplitudes has been used to differentiate the host beta-cyclodextrin nanotubes from retinal/beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanotubes. It was observed that both compounds were deformed differently by the applied probe force because of their different local rigidity. This change in the elasticity properties can be explained as a consequence of the inclusion process. This method shows that tapping-mode atomic force microscopy is an useful tool to map soft sample elasticity properties and to distinguish inclusion complexes from their host molecules on the basis of their different mechanical response.

In studies in these laboratories on the supramolecular chemistry of the retinoids, it has been recently confirmed that inclusion of these substances within the cavity of cyclodextrins protects their excited states, thus improving their photochemical stability. In the present paper, the isolation is described of a crystalline stable complex between retinal and beta-cyclodextrin, which has been characterized by means of several techniques including atomic force microscopy (AFM). The complex shows distinct spectroscopic differences from both retinal and beta-cyclodextrin. Thus, it absorbs at lambda(max) = 380 nm in water whereas retinal is insoluble; it shows room-temperature luminescence, which retinal does not; finally, it give 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectra in d6-DMSO with clear differences in chemical shifts with respect to those of beta-cyclodextrin. Besides these studies in solution, the behaviour of the complex in the solid state has been compared with that of physical mixtures of retinal and beta-cyclodextrin. IR spectroscopy shows clear differences, particularly a shift in the retinal carbonyl absorption (1644-1672 cm-1). AFM studies reveal the existence of aggregates; X-ray diffractometry also supports the formation of a cyclodextrin-retinal complex.

The polymorphism phenomenon causes an important problem in the preparation of many pharmaceutical dosage forms, including oral suspensions, tablets, creams and suppositories. In this work the influence of the presence of certain metallic elements (Ca(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Co(II)) in trace amounts on the polymorphism of tolbutamide is described. For these studies, known amounts (5-500 ppm) of different cations were added to ethanol-water solutions of the pharmacologically active polymorph A of tolbutamide prior to its crystallization. These cations were chosen as being among those that commonly appear in drug solutions as a consequence of elution from glass containers. IR studies show that the presence of cations prevents the appearance of the polymorph B of the tolbutamide. Thus, the peaks at 2980, 2940, 2890, 905, 851, 816 and 727 cm-1 (polymorph A) appeared but not the ones at 1045 and 847 cm-1 corresponding to polymorph B. Scanning electron microscopy studies reveal that, in the presence of Ca2+, a third kind of crystal different from polymorphs A and B appears. This form of olbutamide cannot be identified with "polymorph III" of Al-Saieq and Rileys [S.S. Al-Saieq and G.S. Riley, Pharm. Acta. Helv., 56 (1981) 125-129] due to their different IR data. Dissolution rate tests and X-ray diffractometry were also employed in this study. All these results showed that divalent cations partially avoid the transformation of polymorph A into polymorph B.

Ellipticine is a pyridocarbazole alkaloid with interesting antitumour activity. Use of neutral ellipticine is hampered by its very low water solubility and therefore this compound has been administered as a salt; however, nitrogen quaternization modifies the antitumour properties of ellipticine. Potential alternatives to quaternization include the use of cyclodextrins, and also the use of micellar media. The latter possibility is explored in this work as an analytical tool. The results obtained with model anionic (SDS), cationic (CTAB) and neutral (Brij-35) surfactants are described. Fluorimetric analysis shows that ellipticine solubilizes completely in the presence of all these compounds, as a result of its aromatic, planar structure. The use of micellar media considerably increases the slopes of the calibration curves with improved correlation coefficients (e.g. 0.8904 in water and 0.9982 with SDS). Micellar media also modify proton transfer processes, as a consequence of the apolar environment of the micellar phase. Deprotonation of ellipticine is hampered in SDS because of the relationship between this process and the surface charge of the micelles. Finally, fluorescence quenching in micellar media has been studied, it being found that surfactants provide protection towards this phenomenon.

During progression towards malignancy, many tumor cells display changes in their repertoire of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs). The recent finding that many members of the MMPs are regulated by protooncogenes may explain the frequent observation of changes in MMP gene expression during progression of many tumor types. While studies involving enzymatic assays of MMPs are usually confined to one or a few MMPs, reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) permitted the analysis of seven members of the MMP family and two members of the TIMP family in several normal and transformed cell lines. RT-PCR permitted us to confirm the observation that MMP-9 is activated following transformation and also to observe the previously unreported activation of MMP-7 in SV40-transformed cells. It has previously been found that MMP-1, -2, -3, -8, and -9 are upregulated by phorbol esters; we have found that MMP-10 is also upregulated by phorbol esters. The phorbol ester upregulation of MMP-1, -3, and -10 was found to be abolished in cells transformed by SV40 virus. Several studies have shown that MMP-1 is upregulated by an integrin-mediated signal transduction pathway. This study demonstrates that MMP-3 and MMP-10 are also regulated by integrin-mediated signal transduction and that upregulation by this pathway is abolished following SV40 transformation. In summary, the more global view of MMP expression afforded by RT-PCR indicates that MMP-1, -3, and -10 are regulated by both integrin-mediated signal transduction and phorbol esters. While fibroblasts and transformed bone cells express several members of the MMP gene family, several other cell types do not express MMPs.

Purpose: The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat suffers from a well-characterized, early-onset, and relentless form of photoreceptor cell degeneration. It has been shown that allografts of retinal pigment epithelial cells from normal perinatal rats have rescue effects in this condition. In preparation for human application, the authors determined whether human fetal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) grafts have a photoreceptor rescue effect in RCS dystrophic rat retinas., Methods: Sheets of RPE from human fetal eyes (10 to 16 weeks gestational age) were isolated according to the authors' recently described method. Fragments of the RPE sheets were transplanted to the subretinal space within the superior hemisphere. Transplants were performed within the superior equatorial region of five dystrophic RCS rats, one eye per animal. A similar volume of vehicle was injected into the subretinal space of five age-matched control rats, again one eye per rat. All rats were immunosuppressed with daily injections of cyclosporine. Using light microscopy, photoreceptor cell nuclear profiles of superior equatorial (SE) and inferior equatorial (IE) regions of transplanted and sham-injected control animals were counted., Results: Four weeks after transplantation, a dramatic rescue effect was observed. Microscopically, presumptive donor RPE cells were seen as single pigmented cells and as cell clusters in the subretinal space. An outer nuclear layer three to four profiles thick was present in the area of the RPE transplant but was nearly absent in the rest of the retina, as well as in the retinas of control rats. The number of photoreceptor nuclear profiles per 100 microns was 34.7 +/- 2.2 (mean +/- SEM) in the SE region of transplanted rats and 3.5 +/- 1.4 in the same region of sham-injected rats. There were 3.0 +/- 1.0 photoreceptor nuclear profiles in the IE region of transplanted rats and 3.5 +/- 1.2 in the IE region of sham-injected eyes. No evidence of graft rejection was seen., Conclusions: This study provides the first indication that transplanted human fetal RPE cells are able to rescue photoreceptor cells in a model of hereditary retinal degeneration.

The purpose of this study was to develop an improved method of isolating fetal human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) for tissue culture or transplantation. Fetal human eyes ranging from 8 to 20 wks of gestation were collected and stored in Optisol solution. Under a dissecting microscope, an incision was made behind the ora serrata and extended circumferentially to remove the anterior segment. The vitreous was withdrawn, and the neural retina was carefully detached from the RPE. The sclera then was teased away from the choroid-RPE. The choroid-RPE was treated with 2% dispase in DMEM + 20 mM HEPES at 37 degrees C for 25 min. While still in dispase, the RPE was separated from the choroid using a pair of fine tipped jeweler's forceps under dark-field. An intact sheet of RPE could be separated from the choroid after treatment with dispase. No choroidal contamination was present as determined by light microscopy or cell culture. In vitro, the isolated RPE cells demonstrated classic cobblestone phenotype and expressed cytokeratin. This technique provides an easy and reliable method for isolating pure sheets of fetal human RPE. It also allows utilization of the neural retina of the same eye for other purposes, as the neural retina is not exposed to the enzymatic digestion. These features make this method especially useful for RPE and retinal transplantation; such an application is already underway.

Genetically engineered cells carrying genes for neurotrophic factors have potential application for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and injuries to the nervous system. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes the survival of specific neurons, including retinal ganglion cells (RGC). To determine whether genetically engineered astrocytes might be used for delivering bioactive BDNF, we infected primary type 1 rat astrocytes with a retrovirus harboring a human prepro-BDNF cDNA and assayed the medium conditioned by these astrocytes for effects on survival of rat RGCs in vitro. High levels of BDNF mRNA were expressed by infected astrocytes, but not by control astrocytes as determined by RNase protection assay using a BDNF specific probe. To test for secretion of bioactive BDNF from the transgenic astrocytes, embryonic day 17 rat retinas were dissociated and grown in medium conditioned (CM) for 24 h by astrocytes infected with a replication deficient retrovirus carrying BDNF, NGF, or alkaline phosphatase (AP) cDNA. After 3 days, the number of Thy-1 immunoreactive RGCs was counted. BDNF astrocyte CM significantly enhanced RGC survival by 15-fold compared to the AP control. NGF astrocyte CM had no significant effect. The rate of BDNF secretion was estimated at 83-166 pg/10(5) cells/h. This study demonstrates that astrocytes can be genetically engineered to synthesize and secrete bioactive BDNF. These techniques may be applicable to rescuing neurons from degenerative processes and also for enhancing their survival following transplantation.

Eight epidemiological indicators and eleven variables pertaining to the chilean population are analyzed regarding their possible relation to cancer of the breast. The observed and expected mortality rates are discussed. Multiple regression models are employed to evaluate their effect on health. The rate is 2.9 per 100,000 women in the age 30-34 years age group and 46.7 por 100,000 women in the 60-64 years age group. A one year increase in age elevates risk of cancer by 1.4 average. There is a great variation among the different regions of the country particularly in the younger age.

13-Hydroxyacenaphtho[1,2-b]quinolizinium bromide (13-HQBr)was selected as a fluorescence indicator to determine basic compounds in non-aqueous media. This compound possesses an acidic phenolic hydroxyl group. It presents varying absorption (ROH, 408, 430 nm; RO(-) 456, 478 nm) and excitation spectra (ROH, 425 nm; RO, 471 nm) depending on the pH of the media, but the same emission fluorescence spectrum (ROH = RO(-), 526 nm) at different pH in buffered aqueous solutions. However, in acidic non-aqueous media (acetic, formic and trifluoroacetic acids), it can be observed that the fluorescence emission spectra differ for the ionized (lambda(em) = 530 nm) and non-ionized (lambda(em) = 440, 470 nm) forms. The fluorescence intensity at the characteristic peaks depends on the acid-base equilibria in the ground and excited states. Therefore, this property could be used to evaluate the concentration of basic compounds, showing a good linearity range between fluorescence intensity and basic sample concentration.

The importance of health care in the mortality caused by cervical uterine cancer in the age group 30 to 64 years is evaluated in the different health centers, excluding the effect of the quality or level of live in those areas. A model of multiple regression predicts the expected mortality rate according to the economic level of the population served by the health center. The different between the observed and predicted rates (the residual rate) is attributed to health care. Another multiple regression model with health variables checks the direct association between the magnitude of the residual rate and medical gynecological consultations; this variable is related significantly and positively to the number of consultations (patient visits) for general morbidity; specialities and with the numbers of midwives. The higher mortality rate associated with higher morbidity rate reflects defects in programs of early diagnosis and identified five deficitiary services. As the activities realized by midwives (such as prenatal check ups and gynecological consultation) are important and the lack of an inverse relation with the mortality rates shown, it is suggested that the resignation of activities and functions to strengthen secondary prevention of cervical uterine cancer be reviewed and modified.

The present investigation analyses the potentials of capillary chromatography using packed fused silica capillaries filled with 5 microns RP-18 for the fluorescence determination of glutathione in human blood samples. Adaptation of conventional HPLC equipment for miniaturized chromatographic assays proved successful. Sample preparation was relatively simple, though care should be taken in sample handling. The thiolic compound mercaptoethanol was used as internal standard. Qualitative determinations were based on standard addition providing increased peak heights at identical retention times. Quantitative determinations gave linear calibration curves, with a standard glutathione recovery of 98.9% and an intra-assay reproducibility of 3.3%. The glutathione values measured appeared within the normal range of 0.9-1.7 mmol glutathione per litre of blood.

1. Blood samples obtained from 114 animals of three species of the genus Gazella (Gazella dama, Gazella dorcas and Gazella cuvieri) were analyzed from hematology (osmotic fragility, red blood cells morphology and hemoglobin electrophoresis) and biochemical values (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase and glutathione reductase deficiencies and superoxide dismutase activity). 2. Standard methods were used. Hemoglobin polymorphism was found. 3. There was no abnormality in the osmotic fragility and red blood cells morphology. 4. The biochemical results are compared with information from the literature and with the normal human range.

Eremophilus mutisii uses the vascularized central portion of its stomach for aerial respiration, and is a frequent but not obligatory air breather. Air ventilation takes place during a rapid dash to the surface with the expiration of old air preceding inspiration. The frequency of air breathing is affected by aquatic O2 concentration. E. mutisii can survive at least 10 days without air breathing in normoxic water but cannot survive without air access in water containing less than 2.0 ppm O2.

Mortality from all causes has decreased in Chile by 50% from 1960 to 1982. Median age of death increased from 28 to 66 years. Reduction in mortality rate was greater for those under 15 years of age, mostly due to a decrease in mortality from digestive, respiratory, infectious and neonatal diseases. In contrast, only 16% reduction was observed in mortality for the 65 and over age group. This may be due to a relative increase in mortality from cardiovascular diseases in the older age group. Multiple factors are involved in the improvement of these health indexes, such as changes in socio-economic conditions, health delivery policies and demographic change of the population.

Even though many pharmaceuticals show native fluorescence, there is also an important group of compounds which is not fluorescent. A main object of studies is to make them fluorescent, principally by using fluorescent probes through derivatisation reactions. An account of the fluorescent probes more widely used for the determination of drugs and related compounds is presented in this review paper. A wide variety of fluorescent probes is described on the basis of their ability to react specifically with various functional groups. Attention is focused on derivatisation reactions used in spectrofluorimetry and chromatographic techniques (HPLC, TLC) with fluorimetric detection. The review covers only those fluorescent probes whose use involves a chemical reaction with the analyte, and not those methods that involve physico-chemical interactions such as sensitised or charge transfer processes. Many of these derivatisation reactions have been widely used in the detection of primary and secondary amines. Reagents such as dansyl chloride, fluorescamine, o-phtalaldehyde are very well known. Other reagents have also been developed for other functional groups, for example dansyl hydrazine for compounds with a carbonyl function or 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxy-coumarin for acidic compounds . Acid chlorides such as dansyl chloride may also react with different functional groups carrying active hydrogens as do phenols. The use and development of new fluorescent probes in pharmaceutical analysis is a subject for further studies.

Hypermetabolic burn patients are frequently in negative nitrogen balance despite provision of estimated caloric needs. We studied 18 thermally injured adult patients in order to evaluate the relationship of burn wound size to urea production and nitrogen balance. We selected data from 147 patient-days when the patients received 100 +/- 25% of their estimated caloric needs. Three significantly different burn size groups (by body surface area [BSA]) were identified by calculation of the catabolic index (CI): group 1, 0-10% BSA (CI = -0.1); group 2, 11-30% BSA (CI = 6.4); and group 3,31-60% BSA (CI = 10.5). The urine urea nitrogen (UUN) for groups 1,2, and 3 was 11.1, 18.9, and 25.3 gm/day, and nitrogen balance was 1.0, -3.9, and -5.8 gm/day, respectively. When nitrogen was given in a calorie:nitrogen ratio of 150:1, only those patients in group I were able to achieve positive balance. We conclude that large burn wounds are associated with increased ureagenesis and impaired nitrogen retention. The protein intake, at the customary calorie:nitrogen ratio of 150:1, may not provide adequate nitrogen to achieve equilibrium, even when energy demands have been met, in patients with burn wounds greater than 10% BSA.

The application of high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with fluorescence scanning densitometry provides a simple, rapid and reliable system for the qualitative and quantitative determination of several thiols of biological and pharmacological interest. The determination of a mixture of thiols (captopril, coenzyme A, cysteamine, cysteine and glutathione), together with their disulphides may readily be performed by pre-chromatographic derivatization with the thiol-specific fluorobenzoxadiazole reagents SBD-F and ABD-F, followed by HPTLC separation on silica gel plates using isopropyl ether-methanol-water-acetic acid (9:8:2:1, v/v/v/v) as the developing solvent, and fluorodensitometric measurement of the fluorescing derivatives. Detection limits of about 30 pg (coenzyme A) to 6 pg (cysteamine) per spot were achieved; the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the complete procedure was 1.16-3.2%.

An estimated total of 811,037 years of life were lost for persons between 28 days and 64 years of age in Chile from 1981 to 1983. 63% correspond to males. Main causes of death accounting for these figures include non accidental violent death (15.6%), accidental death (13.4%), pneumonia and influenza (9.9%), tumors (7.5%) and cirrhosis of the liver (5.6%). Almost 50% of the loss occurred in the 28 day to 11 month and the 25 to 44 year age groups. Regional variation, from a minimum of 5895 years of life lost for 100,000 persons in Arica to 9,640 in Bio-Bio.

Crude analytical abscisic acid (ABA) exhibited fluorescence (lambdaex 340, lambdaem 425 nm). The results demonstrated a relationship between fluorescence response and ABA concentration, in the range of 0.04-0.38 microgram/ml. Chromatographic purification increased the emission signal, and oxidation induced by adding a sulphuric acid: ethanol (1:1) mixture also increased and displaced it (lambdaex 450, lambdaem 495 nm). Using these properties, a fluorimetric method for identification and evaluation of ABA, had been developed, and used for inhibitor recognition in P. pinea seed coats.

Several thiols of biological and pharmacological interest, including glutathione, coenzyme A, acetylcysteine and captopril were derivatized with the fluorogenic reagents SBD-F and ABD-F and analysed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)-fluorodensitometry on silica gel 60 plates, using isopropyl ether-methanol-water-acetic acid (9:8:2:1, v/v/v/v) as the developing solvent. The luminescence was considerably increased when several types of enhancers were applied as dipping reagents: Triton X-100, liquid paraffin and cyclodextrins; thus the detectability of the thiol fluorophores was improved. The influence of enhancer concentration, method of application, sample concentration, drying conditions and measuring time after plate dipping were investigated. The greatest enhancement was achieved using a 40% (v/v) solution of Triton X-100 in toluene as a dipping reagent for the determination of SBD-acetylcysteine; more than a 10-fold increase of the fluorescence signal was obtained, allowing low picogram detection limits.

A higher general mortality was observed for males between 1981 and 1983, in relation to trauma, cardiovascular and digestive diseases. This may indicate a poorer attitude towards health care in males. The difference is more marked in the younger population and in the old age group due to different causes in each case. Geographic and lifestyle patterns also contribute to explain differences in mortality. Multiple regression analysis suggests that socioeconomic factors explain different mortality rates among geographical regions, with a lesser contribution from differences in the quality of local health care delivery.

In a randomized trial, 62 infants 2 to 35 months of age with dehydration due to acute watery diarrhea were allocated to one of two groups: group A received solution A (World Health Organization-recommended oral rehydration solution), which contained (mmol/L): Na+ 90, K+ 20, Cl- 80, citrate3- 10, and glucose 110; group B received solution B (Pedialyte RS; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago), which contained (in mmol/L): Na+ 75, K+ 20, Cl- 65, citrate3- 10, and glucose 139. Oral therapy was given until clinical signs of hydration status were normal. During the 48-hour trial, the following laboratory data were collected: blood gases, serum electrolytes, glucose, urea, and creatinine values and sodium and potassium concentrations in stool and urine; serial weights and clinical signs were also reported. Six of the 62 infants, three in each group, required intravenous fluids because of high stool output. Results of clinical outcome and normalization of altered serum electrolyte values were similar in both groups. During the 48-hour trial, eight patients in group A and four in group B had mild, asymptomatic hypernatremia. Pedialyte RS was found to be a safe glucose/electrolyte solution for oral rehydration therapy.

Oenanthotoxin as crude yellow crystals was obtained, after the extraction and treatment from Oenanthe crocata L. fresh roots. The fluorescence response of oenanthotoxin solutions undergo changes, depending on the solvent used. Chloroformic solutions of oenanthotoxin showed a maximum fluorescent emission at 425 nm when the exciting wavelength was at 370 nm; in methanol it was displaced (lambda ex 375 nm, lambda em 435 nm), and in benzene showed a lambda em at 450 nm when the lambda ex was 395 nm. There was a linear relationship shown between the oenantotoxin concentration and fluorimetric response while within suitable experimental limits, the minimum concentration detected was 9.02 micrograms/ml. Using these properties, a fluorimetric method has been developed for the identifications and evaluation of oenanthotoxin.

Of 33 infants with hypernatremic dehydration (serum Na+ of greater than or equal to 150 mEq/L) 7 were excluded, 6 because severe alteration of the level of consciousness or shock precluded oral rehydration and 1 because he was given glucose-electrolyte solution plus water. We studied the remaining 27 infants. Twenty (group A) were treated with the World Health Organization-recommended oral rehydration solution (90 mEq/L Na+) and seven (group B) were treated with Pedialyte-RS (Abbott Laboratories Ltd.; 75 mEq/L Na+). The rehydrating solutions were administered in a volume equivalent to twice the clinically estimated fluid deficit. Initial serum sodium was 156.7 +/- 0.9 mEq/L for group A and 155.8 +/- 1.8 mEq/L for group B (mean +/- SEM). The mean time to achieve rehydration was 14.3 and 16.6 h for groups A and B, respectively. Twenty-four hours after commencing oral rehydration, serum Na+ had decreased to 144.8 +/- 1.8 mEq/L for group A and 144.5 +/- 0.9 mEq/L for group B. In two patients in group A, the serum Na+, which, had not decreased to less than 150 mEq/L at 24 h, did so at 48 h. Only in one case (group A) did the serum Na+ increase. This patient had high stool output and failed to become rehydrated after 24 h of unsuccessful oral rehydration. None of the patients had seizures or persistent CNS dysfunction. We conclude that the slow administration of oral rehydration solutions containing either 90 or 75 mEq/L Na+ is a safe and effective treatment of hypernatremic dehydration.