Effects of dopamine infusion on plasma catecholamines in preterm and term newborn infants.

Newborn infants (21 preterm and 13 term) received dopamine infusions at a low (2.5-3.4 micrograms/kg per min) and/or high (5-10 micrograms/kg per min) infusion rate and changes in plasma catecholamines were monitored. The mean baseline values for dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline were between 240 and 560, 125 and 144 and 62 and 82 pg/ml, respectively. During low-rate infusion of dopamine, there was a significant increase in plasma dopamine (20-100 fold), noradrenaline (three- to five-fold) and adrenaline (threefold). Administration of dopamine at the high rate resulted in an even larger increase in the plasma catecholamines (dopamine, 100-300 fold; noradrenaline, seven- to eightfold; a…

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18–49, 50–69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results NNVs were more favourable in su…

Continuous monitoring of mixed venous oxygen saturation in infants after cardiac surgery

Continuous mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2c) was measured in 16 infants immediately after cardiac surgery. A polyurethane 4F, dual channel catheter (Opticath, Modell U440, Oximetrix) with fiberoptic filaments was introduced into the pulmonary artery during cardiothoracic surgery. The catheters were left in place for an average of 67.5 h (range 27 h -125 h) and there were no catheter-related complications. Correlation between continuous in vivo SvO2 values and in vitro values was satisfactory (r = 0.85), whereas a correlation between SvO2c and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) was not found (r = 0.07). The sampled arterial lactate values were inversely correlated to the simultaneously m…

Cow's milk protein intolerance in infants with methaemo globinaemia and diarrhoea

Dihydrodiol Dehydrogenase: An Important Enzyme in Dihydrodiol-Epoxide Pathway — Mediated Benzo(A)Pyrene Mutagenicity

Benzo(a)pyrene is metabolized to two major groups of mutagenically reactive metabolites: Monofunctional epoxides and dihydrodiol-epoxides. Various monooxygenase forms catalyze the various pathways at very different rates. In metabolic situations where the contribution by dihydrodiol-epoxides is small, epoxide hydratase represents a very efficient protective system. However, in situations where the mutagenic effect is predominately due to dihydrodiol-epoxide, the effect of epoxide hydratase is complicated and weak. We have now obtained evidence that a dihydrodiol dehydrogenase represents an efficient protective system in the latter situation. The enyzme was purified to homogeneity and the pu…

Reduction of benzo(a)pyrene mutagenicity by dihydrodiol dehydrogenase

THE enigma of how inert chemicals can exert potent mutagenic, carcinogenic, allergenic and cytotoxic effects has been much debated. It has been learned that such compounds are metabolically converted to chemically reactive species1. In the case of aromatic or olefinic compounds, monooxygenases located in the membranes of the cell can transform these compounds into epoxides2–5 which by virtue of electrophilic reactivity can bind chemically to cellular macromolecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins, thereby disturbing biochemical control mechanisms and leading to the above mentioned toxic effects. The same membranes in which such epoxides are produced possess an enzyme, epoxide hydratase, which…

Dihydrodiol Dehydrogenase: Substrate Specificity, Inducibility and Tissue Distribution

The present study shows that: Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activity is present in the 100,000 g supernatant fraction of extrahepatic tissues. Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase is able to oxidize the hydroxy group and to reduce the keto group of a number of xenobiotics including quinones derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase was not inducible by various substances including hormones, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substrates of the enzyme and potent inducers of monooxygenases, epoxide hydrolase and glutathione S-transferases. Only in the case of thyroxine was a weak induction with a high dose of the hormone observed.