In the present study, patients were traumatized with muscle-crushing injuries, or they were non-traumstized. The plasma concentration of potassium and sodium were measured before the induction of anesthesia and at selected intervals after the administration of succinylcholine(SCC) in some patients were inhaled the beta2-agonist, salbutamol (about 800 ug) via an endotracheal tube and in the others were not given it. There was no significant difference in the base lines of potassium and sodium between the traumatized and nontraumatized patients. Salbutamol diminished the rise of potassium(-0.30 to 0.09 mEq/L) but did not affect the plasma sodium level. There was no significant side-effect of this agent, but sinus tachycardia was the only thing noted. These results are consistent with the proposed mechanism that the decrease in serum potassium due to salbutamol is most likely a shift of potassium ions from the extracellular space to the intracellular space. Inhalation of salbutamol may be a useful method for the prevention of SCC induced hyperkalemia without any serious side-effect in patients with preexisting hyperkalemia properties who have gone through traums.
Albuterol* ; Anesthesia ; Extracellular Space ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia* ; Inhalation ; Intracellular Space ; Ions ; Plasma ; Potassium ; Sodium ; Succinylcholine* ; Tachycardia, Sinus

Barium carbonate is commonly used rodenticidally and industrially, but intoxication has been uncommonly reported. Muscle weakness and hypokalemia are the characteristic features of barium carbonate intoxication. Barium-induced hypokalemia is due to a rapid and large transfer of potassium from the extracellular space into the intracellular space resulting from blocking potassium channels by barium ions. We report 35 cases of barium carbonate intoxication which developed after accidental ingestion of barium poisoned noodle. All patients developed severe hypokalemic paralysis and some degree of vomiting and diarrhea. We managed these patients with aggressive potassium supplementation and all patients were discharged without any sequelae.
Barium* ; Carbon* ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Extracellular Space ; Humans ; Hypokalemia* ; Intracellular Space ; Ions ; Muscle Weakness ; Paralysis ; Potassium ; Potassium Channels ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of companion fungus on hyphal growth and polysaccharide content of Polyporus umbellata.

METHODThe mycelia and culture filtrate of companion fungus were added to the liquid culture system, and the biomass yield and polysaccharide of P. umbellatus were measured.

RESULTMycelia and appropriate unsterilized culture filtrate of companion fungus could enhance the biomass yield of P. umbellatus significantly, while sterilized culture filtrate of companion fungus could decrease the biomass yield of P. umbellatus significantly. Either mycelia or culture filtrate of companion fungus could increase the intracellular polysaccharide content of P. umbellatus significantly. At the same time, they also could decrease extracellular polysaccharide content of P. umbellatus evidently.

CONCLUSIONThe mycelia and culture filtrate of companion fungus could be used in further fermentation of P. umbellatus.

Biomass ; Extracellular Space ; metabolism ; Hyphae ; growth & development ; Intracellular Space ; metabolism ; Polyporus ; cytology ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Polysaccharides ; metabolism ; Symbiosis

BACKGROUND: Patients experience preoperative anxiety which stimulates the release of catecholamines. They have influences on serum K+ level by shifting them into the intracellular space. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a correlation between anxiety and the serum potassium level immediately before induction of anesthesia. METHODS: Thirty patients were asked about their anxiety levels at 7 : 00 pm of the day before surgery and immediately before induction of anesthesia : 0; nil, 1; slight, 2; moderate, 3; marked. At those times, arterial blood was taken for checking serum K+ level and blood gas analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between anxiety level and serum potassium level. At 7 : 00 pm of the day before surgery, the anxiety levels of patients had no significant correlation with the changes of serum potassium level ("K1-K2"; K1 = serum potassium level of patient at 7 : 00 pm of the day before surgery, K2 = serum potassium level of patient immediately before induction of anesthesia). Definite correlation between the anxiety level immediately before induction of anesthesia and the changes of serum potassium level has been documented. Immediately before induction of anesthesia, 43% of patients had hypokalemia (K+ < 3.5 mEq/L). CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety level has no correlation with serum potassium level, but the anxiety level immediately before induction of anesthesia has the changes of serum potassium level. If a patient has high anxiety level immediately before induction of anesthesia, the possibility of hypokalemia is increased.
Anesthesia* ; Anxiety* ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Catecholamines ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Intracellular Space ; Potassium*

A stochastic model of intracellular calcium oscillations is put forward by taking into account the random opening-closing of Ca2+ channels in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. The numerical results of the stochastic model show simple and complex calcium oscillations, which accord with the experiment results.
Calcium Channels/*metabolism ; *Calcium Signaling ; Endoplasmic Reticulum/*metabolism ; Intracellular Space ; Kinetics ; Mathematics ; Models, Biological ; Stochastic Processes

Being an essential component of systematic biology, metabolomics has received attention in recent years. It is a post genomic technology aimed at qualitative and quantitative analysis of all low molecular-mass metabolites present in complex biological samples, and mainly investigates the change of endogenous metabolites of a stimulated or disturbed biological system. Investigations into intracellular endogenous metabolites in metabolomics have great advancement in recent years. This review outlines the progress of metabolomics in cell culture analysis including sample preprocessing methods and metabolite target analysis, metabolic profiling analysis, metabolomics analysis and metabolic footprinting analysis.
Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Chemical Fractionation ; methods ; Humans ; Intracellular Space ; metabolism ; Metabolome ; Metabolomics ; methods

The electrical conductivity is a passive material property primarily determined by concentrations of charge carriers and their mobility. The macroscopic conductivity of a biological tissue at low frequency may exhibit anisotropy related with its structural directionality. When expressed as a tensor and properly quantified, the conductivity tensor can provide diagnostic information of numerous diseases. Imaging conductivity distributions inside the human body requires probing it by externally injecting conduction currents or inducing eddy currents. At low frequency, the Faraday induction is negligible and it has been necessary in most practical cases to inject currents through surface electrodes. Here we report a novel method to reconstruct conductivity tensor images using an MRI scanner without current injection. This electrodeless method of conductivity tensor imaging (CTI) utilizes B1 mapping to recover a high-frequency isotropic conductivity image which is influenced by contents in both extracellular and intracellular spaces. Multi-b diffusion weighted imaging is then utilized to extract the effects of the extracellular space and incorporate its directional structural property. Implementing the novel CTI method in a clinical MRI scanner, we reconstructed in vivo conductivity tensor images of canine brains. Depending on the details of the implementation, it may produce conductivity contrast images for conductivity weighted imaging (CWI). Clinical applications of CTI and CWI may include imaging of tumor, ischemia, inflammation, cirrhosis, and other diseases. CTI can provide patient-specific models for source imaging, transcranial dc stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and electroporation.
Animal Experimentation* ; Animals* ; Anisotropy ; Brain ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Diffusion ; Electric Conductivity ; Electrodes ; Electroporation ; Extracellular Space ; Fibrosis ; Human Body ; Inflammation ; Intracellular Space ; Ischemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Methods

Dialysis unphysiology was first discussed by Carl Kjellstrand in 1975 for the possible negative effects of the unphysiology of intermittent dialysis treatment. Current hemodialysis practices are still unphysiologic because they cannot keep blood chemistries within normal limits, both before and after dialysis. In addition, the discontinuous nature of hemodialysis causes saw-tooth volume fluctuations, and the extracellular fluid volume expansion during the interdialytic period may lead to hypertension and adverse cardiovascular consequences. Sodium, which is accumulated over the interdialytic period, may be divided into two fractions. The one is the fraction of osmotically active sodium which is mainly confined to the extracellular space, and the other is that of water-free (osmotically inactive) sodium which diffuses into the intracellular space. Both contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension because the former may act to expand extracellular fluid volume and the latter may cause vasoconstriction in the long run by increasing cytosolic concentration of calcium in the vascular smooth muscle cells. Even in intensive hemodialysis, it may take several weeks to months for water-free sodium storage in the vascular smooth muscle cells to be relieved. This may be an explanation for the lag phenomenon, i.e., the delay of blood pressure decrease after normalization of extracellular fluid volume shown in the Tassin experience. Modest restriction of dietary sodium intake, the dialytic session length long enough to maintain a high ultrafiltration volume, and the reasonably low dialysate sodium concentration are required to avoid unphysiology of positive sodium balance in current hemodialysis practice.
Blood Pressure ; Calcium ; Cytosol ; Dialysis ; Extracellular Fluid ; Extracellular Space ; Hypertension ; Intracellular Space ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Renal Dialysis ; Sodium ; Sodium, Dietary ; Ultrafiltration ; Vasoconstriction

BACKGROUND: Potassium, the most common cation in the intracellular space, plays a critical role in our physiology. Potassium imbalance may cause life-threatening problems, ranging from general weakness to cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. For emergency physicians, detection of such derangement within a short period of time is of critical importance. In this study, we wanted to determine whether analysis of whole blood samples can be used as a screening tool for potassium imbalance by comparative analysis of whole blood and serum samples. METHODS: Two samples were drawn from 227 patients. The whole blood sample was taken from the radial artery and contained in a commercially available arterial blood collection syringe with a lithium-heparin coating. The serum sample was contained in a commercially available vacuum bottle in a non-additive silicone coated tube and transported to the laboratory. The study population was divided into three groups, patients with normal whole blood potassium, patients with decreased whole blood potassium, and patients with elevated whole blood potassium. Potassium levels for each group were coupled with serum potassium levels and compared. RESULTS: No significant difference in potassium values was observed between whole blood and serum samples (P<0.05). Strong associations were observed among the three groups (normal range, hypokalemia, and hyperkalemia group). Compared to the normal group (r=0.851), the hyperkalemia group showed a stronger association between variables (r=0.897), and the hypokalemia group showed a weaker association (r=0.760). Their correlation coefficients were highly significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study illustrates that point-of-care testing using whole blood with whole blood can be a reliable screening tool when treating patients with suspicious potassium abnormality, especially in hyperkalemia patients.
Emergencies ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia ; Hypokalemia ; Intracellular Space ; Mass Screening ; Potassium ; Radial Artery ; Silicones ; Syringes ; Vacuum ; Ventricular Fibrillation

OBJECTIVES: In numerous malignancies, angiogenin (ANG) and Maspin are important proangiogenic and antiangiogenic regulators, respectively. The aim of this study was to identify potential relationships between the biological roles of these two proteins in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for ANG and Maspin was performed on specimens from 76 consecutive LSCC patients treated with surgery alone, considering the subcellular pattern of Maspin expression. Univariate and multivariate statistical models were used for prognostic purposes. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, a different level of ANG expression was seen for patients stratified by subcellular Maspin expression pattern: the mean ANG expression was higher in cases with a nonnuclear MASPIN expression than in those with a nuclear pattern (P=0.002). Disease-free survival (DFS; in months) differed significantly when patients were stratified by N stage (P=0.01). Patients whose Maspin expression was nonnuclear (i.e., it was cytoplasmic or there was none) had a significantly higher recurrence rate (P<0.001), and shorter DFS (P=0.01) than those with a nuclear Maspin pattern. The mean ANG expression was significantly higher in cases with loco-regional recurrent disease (P=0.007); and patients with an ANG expression > or =5.0% had a significantly shorter DFS than those with an ANG expression <5.0% (P=0.007). On multivariate analysis, ANG expression > or =5.0% was a significant, independent, negative prognostic factor in terms of DFS (P=0.041). CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis that a higher ANG expression is associated with a nonnuclear Maspin expression pattern in patients with LSCC. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between the ANG and Maspin pathways, and their potential diagnostic and therapeutic role in LSCC.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cytoplasm ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Intracellular Space ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Models, Statistical ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence