We determined the development of the oxyntic gland mucosal gastrin receptor in rats killed at various times from 5 to 60 days after birth. Rats were weaned on the 18th day after birth. Newborn animals had no detectable gastrin binding, high serum gastrin levels (800-1,200 pg/ml), low antral gastrin levels (0.5-2.0 micrograms/g tissue), or high pH of gastric contents (pH greater than 5.0) and did not respond to pentagastrin. At the time of weaning, serum gastrin dropped to 600 pg/ml and reached adult levels (300 pg/ml) on day 40. Antral gastrin increased to 7.5 micrograms/g tissue on day 20 and reached adult levels (20 micrograms/g tissue) on day 22. Specific binding of gastrin was first detected on day 20 and reached the adult level of 4 fmol/mg protein on day 60. Pentagastrin significantly stimulated acid secretion on day 20 and DNA synthesis on day 25. Prevention of weaning through day 25 decreased the magnitude but did not prevent or delay the onset of the above changes. These results indicate that 1) the absence of a gastrin response in newborn rats is due to a lack of gastrin receptors, 2) development of gastrin receptor and biological sensitivity to gastrin appear at the time of weaning, and 3) the development that occurs with weaning is enhanced but not triggered by the shift to solid food.

Serum and antral gastrin levels as well as specific binding of [125I]gastrin-17 to a 270-30,000 g oxyntic gland mucosa crude membrane preparation were measured in rats between 5 and 40 days of age. Rats were normally weaned at day 18, although weaning was prevented in some animals until day 25. The results of these studies confirmed our previous data showing that mucosal gastrin receptors and antral gastrin levels begin to increase at the time of normal weaning and reach adult levels within a few days. Although the shift from liquid to a solid diet enhances the response, it is not essential for it and does not trigger it. In addition, the current studies demonstrated that injection of corticosterone caused a premature increase in both gastrin receptor and antral gastrin levels. Once maturation had occurred, however, corticosterone had no further effect. Adrenalectomy delayed but did not prevent the maturational changes in gastrin receptors and antral gastrin levels. Normal serum gastrin concentrations were necessary for the number of gastrin receptors and the amount of antral gastrin to reach normal levels.

In a retrospective long-term study (2-17 years) from a single center with 1,108 patients and 1,123 modified TAPP procedures (93.9% of all hernia repairs), the hernia recurrence rate was 1.7% for adults with primary hernias (n = 765 patients) and 2.3% for adults with recurrent hernias after anterior repair (n = 131 patients). A modified TAPP procedure with suturing of hernia defects larger than 1 × 1 cm can be used as the standard procedure without recurrences for femoral hernias, incarcerated hernias, and hernias after radical prostatectomy, with low recurrence rates for scrotal hernias (2%). To collect quantitative data on hernia recurrence rates, postoperative follow-up studies longer than 10 years are needed (4% of recurrences developed later than 10 years after surgery).

No abstract

An 18-year-old female patient was admitted with ascites, right upper abdominal tenderness and peripheral edema. Angiography showed complete occlusion of the vena cava inferior up to the level of the right atrium. By open heart surgery, masses of thrombotic material were pulled out of the v. cava inferior/vv. iliacae which histologically contained tumor cell populations consistent with a hepatocellular carcinoma. Celiacography showed a highly vascularized tumor in the right hepatic lobe. Histologically, it proved to be fibrolamellar subtype hepatocellular carcinoma.