Studies on isolated subcellular components of cat pancreas. III. Alanine-sodium cotransport in isolated plasma membrane vesicles

Transport of alanine was studied in isolated plasma membrane vesicles from cat pancreas using a rapid filtration technique. The uptake is osmotically sensitive and the kinetics of L-alanine transport are biphasic showing a saturable and a nonsaturable component. The saturable component is seen only when a sodium gradient directed from the medium to the vesicular space is present. Under this condition an overshooting uptake of L-but not of D-alanine occurs. The Na+ gradient stimulated uptake of L-alanine is inhibited byl-serine and L-leucine and stimulated when the membrane vesicles had been preloaded withl-alanine, L-serine orl-leucine. The ionophore monensin inhibits stimulation of uptake caused by a sodium gradient. In the presence of valinomycin or carbonyl cyanidep-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (CFCCP), the sodium-dependent transport is augmented in vesicles preloaded with K2SO4 or H+ ions (intravesicular pH 5.5), respectively. In the presence of different anions, the Na+-dependent transport is stimulated according to increasing anionic penetration through membranes (lipid solubility). We conclude that a sodium dependent electrogenic amino acid transport system is present in pancreatic plasma membranes

Influence of patient axial malpositioning on the trueness and precision of pelvic parameters obtained from 3D reconstructions based on biplanar radiographs

Objectives: Radiographs are often performed to assess pelvic and hip parameters, but results depend upon correct pelvis positioning. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction from biplanar-radiographs should provide parameters that are less sensitive to pelvic orientation, but this remained to be evaluated.Methods: Computerized-tomographic scans of six patients were used both as a reference and for generating simulated frontal and lateral radiographs. These simulated radiographs were generated while introducing axial rotations of the pelvis ranging from 0° to 20°. Simulated biplanar-radiographs were utilized by four operators, three times each, to perform pelvic 3D-reconstructions. These reconstructions were used to assess the trueness, precision and global uncertainty of radiological pelvic and hip parameters for each position.Results: In the neutral position, global uncertainty ranged between ± 2° for pelvic tilt and ± 9° for acetabular posterior sector angle and was mainly related to precision errors (ranging from 1.5° to 7°). With increasing axial rotation, global uncertainty increased and ranged between ± 5° for pelvic tilt and ± 11° for pelvic incidence, sacral slope and acetabular anterior sector angle, mainly due to precision errors.Conclusion: Radiological parameters obtained from 3D-reconstructions, based on biplanar-radiographs, are less sensitive to axial rotation compared to plain radiographs. However, the axial rotation should nonetheless not exceed 10°