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Biomedical subjects

A Donath

Publications and source records attributed to A Donath.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Use of two virustatica (AZT, PMEA) in the treatment of FIV and of FeLV seropositive cats with clinical symptoms.

In the present study the therapeutic efficacy and the side effects of two antiretroviral compounds used in human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) research, 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT, zidovudine, Retrovir) and 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA), were investigated in the treatment of cats naturally infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and cats naturally infected with feline leukemia virus (FeLV). AZT was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 5 mg kg-1 body weight every 12 h and PMEA was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 2.5 mg kg-1 body weight every 12 h during a 3 week hospitalization. The therapeutic efficacy of both compounds was investigated. There was a stronger potency of PMEA than of AZT on the regression of stomatitis in FIV and in FeLV infected cats. In addition, in FIV infection PMEA had a stronger effect on the improvement of the general clinical status. Both antiretroviral compounds were potent agents to improve the immunologic status of FIV infected cats by raising the CD4/CD8 ratio. In FeLV infection PMEA and AZT appeared to reduce antigenemia. The hematological side effects caused by PMEA were severe and stronger than those of AZT. Therefore the advantage of PMEA in clinical and immunologic improvement was diminished by the hematologic disorders, which do not allow long term treatment with this drug in the dose used.

Adenine↗
PubMed1992

Assessment of whole-body composition with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) allows noninvasive direct measurement of the three major components of body composition: lean body mass (LBM), fat body mass (FBM), and bone mineral body mass (BBM). To study the accuracy and short-term and long-term precision of body composition measurements, the authors measured body composition with DXA in 60 healthy young adults. Independent measurement of LBM (LBMK-40), obtained from the determination of the whole-body content of potassium-40 with a whole-body scintillation detector, was highly correlated with LBM determined with DXA (LBMDXA) (LBMK-40 = 1.069.LBMDXA,R2 = .996). Assessment of body composition in 10 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and 10 patients with cystic fibrosis was performed with DXA. The AIDS patients showed a marked decrease in LBM, while in patients with cystic fibrosis, LBM and BBM were decreased. DXA measurements of body composition appeared accurate and precise enough to be of clinical relevance in detecting specific alterations of body composition.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1991

The whole body incorporation of radioactive caesium in Switzerland during the last 30 years: a survey of young persons in Geneva and some measurements of Russian children.

In a cross-sectional study, each year at least twenty young men and twenty young girls about 18 years old were selected, and the body concentration of Cs-137 was measured in a whole body counter. This radioisotope, with a half-life of 30 years, originates from the atom bomb explosions in the atmosphere, which were stopped in 1963, or from the accident of Chernobyl. The concentrations due to the emissions from this reactor remained below one third of the values due to atomic bombs. The results in children from Byelorussia who spent a few weeks in Switzerland last summer are lower than what would have been expected according to the literature from Russia, but correspond to those recently obtained in situ by international scientific teams.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Pharmacokinetic study of 14C-letosteine in man after oral intake and steady-state.

Based on previous animal and on preliminary human results a further human study was performed in order to confirm the relevant pharmacokinetic parameters and the lack of accumulation of letosteine after repeated administrations. Thus, six healthy male volunteers were given a single oral dose of 50 mg (100 microCi) 14C-letosteine in form of gelatine capsules. A treatment lasting 11 days to obtain a steady-state was started three days later with three similar daily oral doses of unlabelled letosteine. Then, one capsule of 14C-letosteine was administered again. The radioactivity of blood, plasma, urine and expired air was measured at regular intervals after both radioactive doses. Several pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated for the single oral intake and for the oral intake at steady state. The results show a good absorption rate of letosteine since about 90% of the dose was found in the urine. Elimination was biphasic, with half-lives of about 1 and 4 hours in blood and plasma. No striking differences were recorded between the single oral intake and the oral intake at steady state for the various parameters assessed: Cmax, Tmax, AUC, Aeurine and AeCO2. It was therefore concluded that repeated doses of letosteine did not influence the absorption, the distribution, the metabolism and the elimination processes.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

123I-MIBG pulmonary removal: a biochemical marker of minimal lung endothelial cell lesions.

Circulating biogenic amines, such as serotonin or norepinephrine, are cleared by the lung and can be considered as indicators of pulmonary endothelial integrity. An iodinated norepinephrine analogue, metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), is extracted in the lung by an active, saturable transport system. In order to investigate the use of MIBG lung extraction to detect minimal lung endothelial cell lesions, an experimental model of initial pulmonary vascular lesions was developed in rats using repeated daily intraperitoneal injection of bleomycin (BLM: 2 U/100 g body weight) over a 5-day period. At this time, a significant decrease of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, an index of endothelial cell metabolism, was observed (214 +/- 11 U/ml in controls as compared with 182 +/- 11 U/ml in BLM-treated rats, P less than 0.05); electron microscopy showed the presence of typical but minimal endothelial cell lesions (blebbing). MIBG extraction (%EMIBG) was measured using the isolated perfused lung model after a 10-min steady-state period and 2 min of perfusion with 123I-MIBG (0.1 microCi/ml) and 125I-labelled human serum albumin (HSA) (0.2 microCi/ml). Intraperitoneal administration of BLM to rats for 5 days resulted in a significant decrease in pulmonary extraction of MIBG. %EMIBG declined from a control value of 24.7% +/- 1.1% in controls to 19.3 +/- 1.6% in BLM-treated rats (n = 27, P less than 0.05; -21.2%). HSA lung extraction, used as an estimate of nonspecific residual lung activity, was not different in the lungs of BLM-treated rats as compared with controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗
PubMed1979

Effects of cardiac surgery on renal function in children.

In order to determine whether cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) affects renal function in children, glomerular filtration rate (GFR and renal plasma flow (RPF) were determined preoperatively and on the second postoperative day by a single-injection, urineless technique in a randomly selected group of 10 children. The GFR was 126.7 +/- 6.8 ml. per minute per 1.73 sq. M. (mean +/- S.E.M.) before the operation and 127.4 +/- 16.2 on the second postoperative day (p = 0.95). The RPF was 541.7 +/- 80.6 ml. per minute per 1.73 sq. M. preoperatively and 536.0 +/- 82.1 on the second postoperative day (p = 0.8 to 0.9). The results in this group of 10 children indicate that renal function is not markedly altered 2 days after cardiac surgery with CPB and deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest. The study also revealed a falsely decreased creatinine clearance. This was due to an increase in postoperative plasma creatinine values, probably related to an increase in plasma noncreatinine chromogens.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1978

[Hepatobiliary scintigraphy: a functional test].

99mTc-diethyl-HIDA selective captation by hepatocytes and rapid excretion into bile provides a scintigraphic imaging of liver, biliary system and gall bladder. Substance blood clearance and liver half-life measurements add quantitative information on liver function. Normal, cirrhotic and jaundiced patients with extrahepatic obstruction were studied and each group showed significant characteristics. Through non-invasive biliary system visualization and liver function evaluation, hepatobiliary scintigraphy has its place as a complementary investigation in hepatology.

Biliary Tract↗
PubMed1978

[Measurement of human body fat by means of gravimetry. Application of Archimedes' principle].

The weighing of the human body under water is an application of Archimedes' law. Fat being lighter than water or than the structures of lean body mass, body fat can be measured by determining the specific gravity of the human body; that is, by underwater weighing. Body fat has been determined in an "ideal" sample of 14 men and 23 women, all aged 20 years. Testing against a reference measure of body fat makes it possible to test the validity of some anthropometric measurements and of some indices of obesity. These indices offer no advantages over anthropometric measurements.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1978

[Effect of chronic alcohol administration and of folic acid deficiency on iron absorption].

The influence of chronic alcohol ingestion and artificially induced folic acid deficiency on iron absorption has been measured in rabbits by whole body counter. Results show that chronic alcohol ingestion does not modify iron absorption. Folic acid deficiency increases iron absorption by two probable mechanisms: first by increased plasma iron turnover (PIT), which parallels ineffective erythropoiesis, and second by a probable direct effect on the intestinal mucous membranes. This second mechanism appears to be independent of PIT: concomitant deficiency of folic acid and alcohol ingestion produces an increase in iron absorption without modification of PIT. Experience with drugs inhibiting protein synthesis suggests that this increase may be mediated by decreased protein synthesis.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1978

[Diagnosis of pericardial effusion by echocardiography and radionuclide angiography (author's transl)].

Echocardiography and radionuclide angiography are presently the two first choices non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of pericardial effusion. To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these methods, a prospective study of 43 consecutive patients was undertaken. Confirmation by tap or autopsy was obtained in 10 cases; for the remainers, strict clinical signs were requested. The results of both methods were classified in a quantitative manner. Our data confirms the greater sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography compared with radionuclide angiocardiography, when small amounts of effusion are present. However, the correlation between the two methods is satisfactory when a greater amount of fluid is present.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Effect of a single ingestion of alcohol on iron absorption.

The effect of alcohol on inorganic and organic iron absorption was studied in 70 subjects, using a whole-body counter technique. The mean iron absorption of a test dose was 24.44%, while in the presence of whisky, absorption fell to 9.73% (P less than 0.0001). Absorption of a test dose in the presence of whisky without alcohol was 10.14% (P less than 0.0001). The alcohol in whisky, therefore, was not responsible for the diminished iron absorption (P greater than 0.20). The absorption of the iron contained in wine with alcohol was 73.31 microgram and wine without alcohol was 67.50 microgram. The difference was not statistically significant (P greater than 0.20). The absorption of inorganic iron contained in a test meal was 165.55 microgram and was not changed in the presence of ethanol (151.35 microgram) (P greater than 0.10). However, the presence of ethanol affected the absorption of heme iron: 538.68 microgram compared with 442.41 microgram with ethanol (P less than 0.0001). These studies show that the acute ingestion of ethanol does not influence the absorption of inorganic iron, while it does diminish the absorption of the organic form.

Absorption↗
PubMed1978

Inorganic iron absorption in subjects with iron deficiency anemia, achylia gastrica and alcoholic cirhosis using a whole-body counter.

A precise although technically complicated method is described for the estimation of iron absorption. A steel chamber is used to measure the total radioactivity of the patients. A dose of 59Fe is administered orally and the retention of radioactivity is measured on the 14th day, this amount being equivalent to the amount absorbed. In our male group, the mean absorption of inorganic iron was 22.5 +/- 8%, and in females it was 43.3 +/- 11%. In 10 patients with iron deficiency anemia, the mean was 92.2 +/- 6% , in 10 with gastric achylia it was 4.6 +/- 4%, and in 12 chronic alcoholics a value of 13.9 +/- 7% was found.

Absorption↗