Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E Stephan.
It can be difficult to decide whether or not there was or is an act against the rules of animal protection. Therefore it is important, to determine both on the animal and/or on the existing situation, whether or not the well-being of the animal was or is disturbed. In order to ascertain this several guidelines are recommended.
Noise output of animal farms may have different reasons and effects and must be judged generally in dependence of the local conditions. It can be influenced by means of organization, technics and construction. Financial compensation in both directions is known in order to preserve good terms with the neighbours.
The effect of different immunosuppressive drugs (prednisolone, azathioprine, cyclosporin A) on liver carbohydrate metabolism in the rat was investigated. Daily administration of prednisolone (3 mg/kg body weight) and azathioprine (2 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally for 2 weeks caused significantly lower liver glycogen content than that in NaCl-treated controls. Liver glucose and lactate content, as well as plasma glucose, glucagon, and serum insulin concentration of these animals, remained unchanged. There were no differences in any of these parameters between cyclosporin A (15 mg/kg body weight)-treated and vehicle (olive oil/ethanol)-treated animals. Prednisolone caused significantly lower glucose production in isolated rat hepatocytes using Na-pyruvate as the substrate, whereas glucose production was unchanged in hepatocytes of azathioprine-treated rats using pyruvate or L-serine as substrates. Glucose production from pyruvate or serine was significantly inhibited by cyclosporin A compared to the vehicle, but did not differ from the effects of azathioprine and prednisolone. Lactate production was significantly lower in cyclosporin-treated animals than in those given either the vehicle or azathioprine. Cyclosporin A completely reversed the inhibition of hepatocyte glycogen consumption caused by the vehicle. However, glycogen production in the presence of cyclosporin A was comparable to the effects of prednisolone and azathioprine. Finally, hepatocyte ketone body production using pyruvate as the substrate was higher in the presence of all immunosuppressive drugs. In the presence of serine, acetoacetate production increased in rats treated with 50 mg/kg body weight cyclosporin A, and beta-hydroxybutyrate production in animals receiving 15 and 50 mg/kg body weight cyclosporin A.
Hepatic amino acid uptake, urea and glucose production are increased in acute uraemia. It has been shown that this metabolic pattern is mediated by glucocorticoids. Accordingly, the administration of the antiglucocorticoid RU 38486 to acutely uraemic rats resulted in a reduction of serum urea-N and glucose levels. To clarify whether this effect is due to a reduction in hepatic gluconeogenesis we examined the effect of the antiglucocorticoid RU 38486 on urea and glucose formation in isolated hepatocytes from sham-operated (SHAM) and bilaterally nephrectomized (BNX) rats receiving RU 38486 or the vehicle only. Hepatic glucose production in BNX rats was considerably increased from Na-pyruvate (+79%), alanine (+174%), glutamine (+158%), and serine (+87%) compared with SHAM animals. Concomitantly, hepatic urea formation was also enhanced from amino acid substrates in acutely uraemic rats. When uraemic animals were treated with RU 38486, glucose production from amino acids and Na-pyruvate was reduced to the range of SHAM animals or even lower. This effect could not be demonstrated in SHAM-operated controls. A comparable decrement in hepatic urea production was observed in BNX rats treated with the antiglucocorticoid. Thus, glucocorticoids appear to play a key role in the abnormal hepatic urea and glucose production of acutely uraemic rats.
This paper gives an introduction on the importance of ethology as a basis for the ethical animal welfare. The last edition of the Animal Welfare Act of the Federal Republic of Germany is based on the ethological principle which includes, that the animal must be free to satisfy its needs and preserve itself from damage by using of adequate behavioural patterns. With the help of observing animal behaviour the veterinarian can remark faults in the animal management before pain, suffering or injuries set it. So the importance of the ethology in the system of veterinary education is clear. Pertinent information shall promote the dialogue between scientists working in the field of animal behaviour and people engaged in animal welfare.
Complications related to silicone implants have been widely described since 1985. As trapezial replacement with a silicone implant constitutes our preferred treatment for osteoarthritis of the base of the thumb, we decided to evaluate our results by means of a retrospective critical study. Fifty records of patients operated or between 1975 and 1980 constitute an homogeneous study group as all were operated according to the same technique and by the same surgeon. Seven cases of implant instability have led us to modify our fixation technique. The results in terms of mobility, stability and pain relief are good and comparable to other published series. Only two cases presented bony changes around the implant but they both existed before surgery. Our conclusion is that trapezial resection with replacement by a silicone implant can still be recommended as elective treatment for CMC thumb osteoarthritis because of its simplicity effectiveness and reversibility.
Hundhausen's statements to valuation of repeating training courses show essential deficiencies: Quotations of specialitic authors are placed in a not right context. Relevant empiric results which would withdraw the basis of all his conclusions are not reported by him. So he argues in opposition to published empiric dates (see Winkler 1988, Stephan 1988) and logical arguments (see Stephan 1988), which prove that persons comprised in reality examinations had a above-averades traffic risk. Moreover, he overlooks in his exclusive 'calculatory valuation' that his argue of 'detour production' on the one hand violates the public claim on traffic security and on the other hand the constitutional claim of the alcohol conspicious drivers on proportion of national sanctions and measures. Also in case subsequent trained drivers do not represent a population being specially high relapse dangered, they should be offered the possibility to choose their own milder alternative (shortening of blocking period when having been successful as a course member). This should only be realized when the traffic security is not affected. The attempt to achieve an own valuation of the course success by economic founded scales must be judged as failed because of the not exactly termed premises and the logical consequences as well.
Treatment with cyclosporin A may cause hyperglycemia. The mechanisms for this phenomenon are not entirely clear. The effect of cyclosporin A treatment on rat liver phosphoenolpyruvate-carboxykinase and hepatocyte glycogen synthetase and phosphorylase activity was therefore investigated. Glycogen synthetase (total enzyme activity and the active I-form) was elevated in hepatocytes of rats undergoing immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporin A. Glycogen phosphorylase activity showed no difference compared to hepatocytes from control rats. Activity of phosphoenolpyruvate-carboxykinase in liver homogenates was significantly enhanced after cyclosporin A treatment. Thus, it appears that cyclosporin A treatment stimulates gluconeogenesis, and glucose is used as substrate for glycogen synthesis in vitro. Differences of in vitro and in vivo experiments might be explained by long-term induction of phosphoenolpyruvate-carboxykinase and the short-term effects of cyclosporin A on glycogen synthetase.
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Dog droppings in public footpaths and playgrounds have become a problem that makes many pedestrians and visitors feel more and more molested and even endangered. Increasingly, it also leads to a confrontation between the people afflicted and that part of the dog owners who never feel responsible for the removal of their pet's faeces. In the paper some considerations will be made on the "why", the "who" and the "how" of dog faeces disposal. The recommendation is to motivate the dog owners to teach their pets to defecate into the gutter or to remove the faeces that way by simple means, conform with the environment. Since rainfall makes the deposits gather in this area anyhow, there will be no additional burden for the municipal disposal facilities by this way.
The indication for application of tissue sealants in operative medicine was extended in the last years. With an allogenic fibrin adhesive system produced from coagulation plasma-fractions COHN I and cryoprecipitate an effective tissue glue system is introduced which is comparable to international known preparations. By addition of a wound healing compound to this tissue glue the revascularisation and connective tissue organisation of the wound area can be accelerated. Experimental data with this combined sealant prove the excellent sealing of the wound surfaces and an increased tension strength of the sealed wound.
Starting from criticism of proceeding of psychological experts (see especially the article of Kürti "Blood alcohol" 1986/23, 381-393) and relevant legal valuations the so-called "wisdom" of King Salomo is subject to a satirical critical appreciation on the background of our contemporary equity. In the course of this appreciation it is shown, constructive on the arguments of Kürti, that not only the psychological and medicinal experts do not sufficiently clear up, they moreover are guided by "prejudices" which also can be found in wordings of laws and relevant enacts. Hence follows Kürti's demand to mete out appropriate importance to the arguments.
This paper for the first time presents the results of extensive histological and histomorphometric studies investigating the tensile strength of tissue adhesives in model experiments on animals. The material used in comparative studies were TISSEEL, a human adhesive based on fibrinogen, HISTOACRYL-blue, a cyanoacrylate, and KL-3, a type of urethane adhesive. All the materials used in these studies were shown to be principally suitable as tissue adhesives. TISSEEL, the biological adhesive, was obviously superior to all the other adhesives whereas the two synthetic adhesives HISTOACRYL-blue and KL-3 were found to be roughly equal in their properties. The animal model described in the present paper is recommended for use as a standard technique for testing the suitability of new tissue adhesives.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.