Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Kaspar.
A new marine neurotoxin was isolated from a water extract of the New Zealand shellfish, Austrovenus stutchburyi, by chromatography on columns of Sephadex G-15 and LH-20, followed by reverse-phase HPLC. It was identified as (4-methoxycarbonylbutyl)trimethyl-ammonium chloride, and this was confirmed by synthesis.
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While the occurrence of morphological and functional small intestinal alterations in chronic uraemia is well established, analyses of intestinal lipid utilization are rare. In the present study faecal fat excretion in chronically uraemic humans and rats and the reesterification of a long-chain fatty acid in the mucosa of the small intestine of uraemic rats were investigated. -Reesterification of 14C-palmitic acid in the intestinal mucosa of rats with chronic uraemia produced by 5/6-nephrectomy (BUN 37.8 +/- 12.8 mg/100 ml, serum creatinine 3.0 +/- 0.44 mg/100 ml) was found to be significantly lower (374.2 +/- 166.8 mumol/mg protein x h) than in controls (604.9 +/- 274.2 mumol/mg protein x h) pointing to a disturbance of the intracellular process of absorption of long-chain fatty acids. However, the mean daily fat excretion in the faeces of chronically uraemic rats fed a diet with normal (4.2 per cent) or relatively high fat content (10 and 15 per cent) was not increased. In 20 patients with chronic renal insufficiency (BUN 75.9 +/- 35.9 mg/100 ml, serum creatinine 7.5 +/- 2.8 mg/100 ml) the faecal fat excretion was within the normal range (4.2 +/- 1.2 g/day). These results indicate a sufficient compensation of the impaired intestinal reesterification of fatty acids by the large functional reserve of the small intestine.
Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) is the rarest form of gestational trophoblastic diseases. We report a 40-year-old woman who presented initially after a year of secondary infertility with prolonged menstrual flow. Her last pregnancy ended in a suction dilation and curettage at 8 weeks' gestation for a missed abortion. A hysterosalpingogram revealed a solid 5 x 4.5 cm filling defect impinging on the endometrial cavity suggestive of a submucosal leiomyoma. A vaginal sonogram confirmed the findings. The patient underwent a laparotomy for excision of the 5-cm friable, necrotic mass that was performed by curetting. Pathologic examination of the specimen revealed sheets of intermediate trophoblastic cells characterized by large polyhedral cells and positive human placental lactogen staining consistent with PSTT. The patient eventually underwent total abdominal hysterectomy 4 weeks later with no evidence of residual tumor on histologic examination.
Desmoid tumors of the female pelvis are rare. The efficacy of the available treatment modalities in improving survival and decreasing recurrence remains controversial. A 32-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic large ischeorectal mass. Computed tomography scan revealed a large tumor adherent to the pubic bone and impinging on the bladder neck and the rectum. Aggressive surgical removal of the mass including partial osteotomy of the pubic bone was followed by radiotherapy. The patient is still alive 6 years later with no evidence of disease. Aggressive surgical management followed by radiotherapy is an acceptable means of treatment of locally invasive desmoid tumor of the female pelvis.