Glutathione S-transferases (GST) and glutathione peroxidases (GPx) are essential components of cellular detoxification systems. We identified GST and GPx transcripts in the freshwater bivalve Dreissena polymorpha, their full-length coding sequences were obtained by reverse-transcription PCR using degenerated primers followed by 5' and 3' RACE-PCR (rapid amplification of cDNA ends-PCR). The cDNA...

PURPOSE To assess the effect of diuretic administration on the image quality of excretory magnetic resonance urography (MRU) obtained following intravenous hydration, and to determine whether intravenous hydration alone is sufficient to produce diagnostic quality studies of nondilated upper tracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 22 patients with nondilated upper tracts were evaluated with c...

Ultrasonography is a quick and non-invasive method of evaluating the kidney which cannot be seen on excretory urography. If advanced renal tuberculosis is the reason, then ultrasonography is frequently diagnostic.

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility, accuracy and diagnostic potential of combined static-excretory MR Urography in children with sonographically detected hydronephrosis. We prospectively evaluated 28 children (11 girls and 17 boys), mean age 8.3 years (range 2 months-16 years). Static-excretory MR Urography was performed in all cases. The results of MR Urography were compare...

Our recent analysis of the nephridial apparatus of Paramecium multimicronucleatum by high-speed cinematography (300 fps at X 250) indicates that before the water expulsion vesicle ("contractile vacuole") is completely voided of fluid during expulsion, the ampullae surrounding and confluent with the vesicle swell with fluid entering from their respective nephridial tubules. Once the membranes of...

Idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis is characterized by elevated urinary net acid excretion and insufficient buffering by ammonium, resulting in excessively acidic urine and titration of the relatively soluble urate anion to insoluble uric acid. Patients with type 2 diabetes have similar changes in urinary pH, net acid excretion, and ammonium in 24-h urine collections at baseline, even after c...

The present study was performed to test the hypothesis that under normal physiological conditions and/or during augmentation of kinin levels, intrarenal kinins act on medullary bradykinin B(2) (BKB(2)) receptors to acutely increase papillary blood flow (PBF) and therefore Na(+) excretion. We determined the effect of acute inner medullary interstitial (IMI) BKB(2) receptor blockade on renal hemo...

1. The excretory patterns of sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus were evaluated in seventy-eight patients with varying degrees of renal insufficiency, and in twelve normal subjects. 2. In mild renal failure the fractional excretion of filtered sodium, magnesium and phosphorus are significantly higher while that of calcium is significantly lower than values seen in normals. In advanced ren...

Introduction Toxocara canis has a worldwide distribution and is regarded as the main cause of human toxocariasis (1, 2). Infection in humans, particularly children, is frequently caused by accidental ingestion of embryonated Toxocara eggs present in soil, water, food, dirty hands, and vegetables or by ingestion of larvae in under-cooked giblets (3). The disease can be asymptomatic or can lead t...