Distigmine bromide (distigmine), a reversible, long-lasting cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor, is used for the treatment of underactive bladder in Japan and has been shown to potentiate urinary bladder (UB) contractility. We studied the duration of distigmine's potentiating effects on acetylcholine (ACh)-induced UB contraction and its inhibitory effects on ChE activity, and compared that with thos...

This study measured nitrogen washout in ten pregnant and nine non-pregnant women to understand better how pregnancy effects denitrogenation. Nitrogen concentration was monitored continuously while the women breathed 100 per cent O2 for three minutes and took four deep breaths of 100 per cent O2 using a circle anaesthesia system and 8 L.min-1 fresh gas flow. Parturients achieved 95 per cent deni...

The relationship between cellular calcium (Ca) stores and isometric contractile force was investigated in isolated, gas-perfused cat hearts. The hearts were preperfused for approximately 5 min with substrate-free Krebs solution modified to contain 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 mEq/liter Ca, gas-perfused for up to 120 min, and then perfused with zero-Ca Krebs solution. Contractile force and [Ca] in ...

Carbon-11 (C-11) acetate has been introduced for the noninvasive measurements of myocardial oxygen consumption. This study was designed to assess regional C-11 acetate clearance in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Thirty-one patients were studied within 8 days of acute myocardial infarction. C-11 acetate washout-rate constants were significantly lower in the infarct territory than in ...

Models of nutrient-plankton interaction with a toxic substance that inhibits either the growth rate of phytoplankton, zooplankton or both populations are proposed and studied. For simplicity, it is assumed that both nutrient and the toxin have the same constant input and washout rate. The effects of toxin upon the existence, magnitude, and stability of the steady states are examined. Numerical ...

In the previous work (1), potassium (K) exchange was studied in the presence of high concentration of K (40 mm K) in guinea pig's taenia coli by measuring the cellular K content and 42K uptake. In the pre sent work, K outflow rate constants were estimated by 42K outflow studies for the purpose of comparing the constants with those obtained in the previous work. A strip of guinea pig's taenia co...

OBJECTIVE Quantitative analysis of (99m)Tc-pertechnetate salivary gland scintigraphy has been used in the evaluation of salivary gland function, but so far no one method can be considered optimal for this task. In this study, a semiquantitative method providing 2 functional parameters for objective assessment of salivary gland function by scintillation camera imaging was tested. METHODS Twent...