Search

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of Doppler ultrasound in the evaluation of the vascular changes in the splanchnic circulation and bowel wall described in patients with active Crohn's disease (ACD)., Design: We analyzed prospectively with Doppler ultrasound the mean velocity of portal flow, the resistive index (RI) of the superior mesentery artery (SMA) and we looked for vessels within the bowel wall., Patients: 50 patients with ACD and 30 normal individuals., Results: In comparison with normal individuals, patients with ACD showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in the mean velocity of the portal flow and in the RI of the SMA. In all patients with ACD, vessels could be seen within the bowel wall using the color Doppler ultrasound., Conclusion: Doppler ultrasound can be used as a non-invasive method to evaluate the vascular changes which develop in the splanchnic circulation and bowel wall of patients with ACD.

Objective: To evaluate the changes in the Doppler waveform of the hepatic veins in patients with cirrhosis., Design: We analyzed prospectively with Doppler ultrasound the flow of the hepatic veins and we compared the different Doppler waveform patterns with the degree of liver failure according to the Child-Pugh score., Patients: Forty three patients with cirrhosis and 60 normal individuals with similar age and sex., Results: Abnormal hepatic vein waveforms were found in 40 of 43 patients with cirrhosis and in none of the 50 controls subjects. No statistically significant differences were detected between the different Doppler waveform patterns and the Child-Pugh score (p = 0.063)., Conclusions: Our findings indicate that an alteration of the Doppler waveform pattern of hepatic veins suggest the presence of cirrhosis and that there is no association between the degree of the liver failure and the waveform patterns.

The phosphorus metabolism of sulfate-reducing bacteria was, for the first time, probed by in vivo 31P NMR. A novel phosphoric anhydride diester compound was detected in Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 at intracellular concentrations up to 5 mM. The compound has been extracted and partially purified by anion-exchange chromatography and analysed by 31P, 13C and 1H NMR. These studies show that the novel phosphorus-containing compound is formed by five carbon atoms and is probably cyclic, with a Mr of approximately 300. Various Desulfovibrio strains were examined in vivo for the presence of this phosphorus-containing compound. Detectable amounts of the novel metabolite were found in D. desulfuricans ATCC 27774 when grown on lactate/sulfate, lactate/thiosulfate or pyruvate/sulfate. The phosphorus-containing compound was not detected when this strain of D. desulfuricans was grown on lactate/nitrate or pyruvate; neither was it detected in two other strains which, like D. desulfuricans ATCC 27774, have the capability of utilizing nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor.

The synthesis of new N3-arylciclohexanespiroimidazolidine-2,4-diones, N3-arylciclohexanespiroimidazolidine-2-tio-4-ones and the 4-hydroxy derivatives is described and their structures discussed on the basis of I.R. and 1H-N.R.M. data. The anthelmintic activity of these compounds was tested.