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Biomedical subjects

A Ellis

Publications and source records attributed to A Ellis.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Decreased cortical glucose utilization after ibotenate lesion of the rat ventromedial globus pallidus.

Rats received unilateral injections of ibotenic acid (12 micrograms) or vehicle in the ventromedial globus pallidus to lesion the primary source of cortical cholinergic innervation. At 3 or 28-32 days postinjection, the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRglu) was measured by the 2-deoxy-D-[14C]glucose technique in nine cortical areas, the anterior thalamus, and the dorsal hippocampus. Effects of oxotremorine (0.1 mg/kg i.p.) on rCMRglu in these areas were assessed in ibotenic acid-lesioned and sham-treated rats. Significant effects of ibotenic acid injections and hemispheric asymmetries in rCMRglu were observed in all cortical areas (p less than or equal to 0.05), but not in the anterior thalamus or hippocampus. Cortical rCMRglu generally was lower in the lesioned hemisphere 3 days after ibotenic acid injections, but not after sham treatments. Hemispheric asymmetries were not apparent 28-32 days after pallidal lesions. Oxotremorine produced significant effects in the frontoparietal cortex and anterior thalamic nuclei. In the frontoparietal cortex, rCMRglu was 32% lower in the ibotenate-lesioned hemisphere as compared with the contralateral hemisphere. Oxotremorine did not eliminate hemispheric asymmetry, but increased rCMRglu in the lesioned frontoparietal cortex by 38%. Results support the views that cortical metabolic decrements in Alzheimer's disease are due in part to loss of subcortical cholinergic innervation and that muscarinic agonists may partially reverse these decrements.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1984

Influence of N-acetylhomocysteine thiolactone on cultured retinal cells in canine neuronal lipofuscinosis. An ultrastructural study.

An SH- group donor drug, N-acetylhomocysteine thiolactone (0.2 mg/ml), was added to retinal cultures from an adult dog affected with ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). This substance was applied every 3rd day to the culture medium. After 1, 2 and 3 weeks in culture the cells were fixed for electron microscopy. Ultrastructurally the NCL-specific lipopigments revealed extensive fading out or vacuolation, revealing randomly arranged lamellar or 'fingerprint' membranes as well as structures resembling degenerated mitochondria. Additionally extensive fragmentation of the pigment bodies was present. The significance of these results are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

The management of equinus deformity in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Equinus deformity of the ankle is one of the serious orthopaedic problems associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Sixty-nine patients (age range 4 to 17 years) were treated, 43 conservatively and 26 operatively. They were followed up at six-monthly intervals for a minimum of two years and a maximum of six years. The patients were divided into three groups: independently mobile, mobile in calipers, and wheelchair-bound. It was found that conservative treatment could at best only minimise progression of the deformity. The indications for surgery, the operative procedure and the postoperative management are described; all varied according to the stage of the disease. The postoperative follow-up suggests that, though the deformity recurs, the patients have several years of benefit from the procedure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease, deep-venous thrombosis and antithrombin activity.

Of 34 patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD), 4 developed well-documented episodes of deep-venous thrombosis. All 4 patients had active disease at the time of thrombosis. This group was studied to determine if the tendency to deep-venous thrombosis in patients with CIBD was associated with reduced antithrombin activity by measuring the concentration of three thrombin inhibitors, antithrombin III (AT III), alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2 M) and alpha 1-antitrypsin. 2 patients had low AT III levels and 10 had low alpha 2 M levels. 2 patients who developed deep-venous thrombosis had significantly low levels of both AT III and alpha 2 M. It is suggested that in patients with diseases predisposing to thrombosis and associated with low AT III levels, the measurement of alpha 2 M in addition to AT III may predict those particularly at risk.

Antithrombin III↗
PubMed1982

Identification and measurement of molecular variants of cholecystokinin in duodenal mucosa and plasma. Diminished concentrations in patients with celiac disease.

The amount and type of cholecystokinin (CCK) in duodenal extracts and plasma of celiac patients and normal subjects was studied by radioimmunoassay and gel filtration. In both groups there were similar patterns of molecular forms in extracts of duodenal biopsies, but concentrations in celiac disease were significantly depressed. In boiling water extracts of duodenal mucosa from both groups a factor with the properties of the COOH-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin predominated, but there were also significant amounts of a larger molecular weight form. In acid extracts of mucosa a factor with the properties of the 33 or 39 residue form was identified in amounts that were approximately 25% those of CCK8; there were also similar amounts of an acid-soluble form that had an apparent molecular weight higher than CCK39. Plasma immunoreactive cholecystokinin was studied after concentration by immunoaffinity adsorption and fractionation by gel filtration. In normal subjects fasting CCK-like immunoreactivity was less than 0.8 pmol/liter, and after a light breakfast increased to 2.0 +/- 0.7 (range 1.0 to 4.8) pmol/liter; CCK8-like activity accounted for all the increased immunoreactivity. In five of six celiac patients the concentrations of both fasting and postprandial CCK-like immunoreactivity in plasma were undetectable (less than 0.8 pmol/liter). We conclude that diminished production and release of CCK could account for the impaired pancreatic and gall bladder responses to intraluminal stimuli in celiac disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Evidence for a major dominance component in the variation of serum pepsinogen I levels.

We report here a variance component analysis of the distribution of serum pepsinogen I levels in normal individuals, using a maximum-likelihood method on entire pedigrees. The results indicate a broad heritability of 91%, with some 74% being attributed to a dominance component. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the pepsinogen I level in normals is principally determined by the action of major genes, as also seems to be the case for duodenal ulcer patients and families.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1981

The in vitro metabolism of ethinyloestradiol, mestranol and levonorgestrel by human jejunal mucosa.

1 Ethinyloestradiol was extensively metabolised in vitro by human jejunal mucosa to form ethinyloestradiol sulphate. 2 The amount of conjugation was directly related to the weight of biopsy tissue. 3 The degree of conjugation of mestranol and levonorgestrel was much lower than for ethinyloestradiol suggesting that the 17-position of the steroid nucleus is relatively inaccessible for conjugation. 4 No Phase I metabolism of ethinyloestradiol or levonorgestrel was apparent in the conditions used in these experiments.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Blood glucose monitors: a laboratory and patient assessment.

The four blood glucose monitors available in the United Kingdom were compared by asking the opinions of 24 patients who used each monitor for two weeks, by correlating their blood glucose results with those obtained in the laboratory, and by having the monitors examined by an electronics engineer. Of the battery-operated monitors, patients preferred the Hypocount (15) to the Glucochek (9). The mains-operated units were less popular, with little to choose between Eyetone and Reflomat. Under field conditions the blood glucose results obtained with the Glucochek correlated poorly with the standard reference method. In contrast the Hypocount, Eyetone, and Reflomat machines produced good correlations. Poor results with the Glucochek were mainly due to faulty timing systems. The patients' preference for the Hypocount was supported by tests of performance under laboratory conditions and by the electronics engineer's report.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

HLA and duodenal ulcer.

One hundred and one white patients, consisting of 78 men and 23 women, with duodenal ulcer were HLA typed. An association was found between duodenal ulcer and HLA-B12.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Effects of hypertonic mannitol on cardiac lymph in nonischemic myocardium.

This investigation was designed to elucidate the effects of hypertonic mannitol on the nonischemic myocardium. In anesthetized open-chest dogs, we collected cardiac lymph for 2 h before and for 4 h during the infusion of hypertonic mannitol or normal saline. We studied the changes in the volume of lymph flow and the release of lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase and protein into the cardiac lymph. In group 1 (n = 7) and group 3 (n = 8), the effects of 1-h and 4-h infusions of mannitol were studied, respectively. In these dogs, mannitol caused significant rises in lymph flow and release of total acid phosphatase into the cardiac lymph. In group 3, protein efflux increased significantly. In group 2 (n = 5) and group 4 (n = 4), infusion of normal saline for 1 and 4 h did not significantly change the release of total acid phosphatase and proteins into the cardiac lymph. Thus, infusion of hypertonic mannitol for 1--4 h in the nonischemic myocardium may have some deleterious effects because of its apparent ability to impair lysosomal membranes and to increase capillary permeability.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1979

Genetic heterogeneity of hyperpepsinogenemic I and normopepsinogenemic I duodenal ulcer disease.

In a search for a genetic marker of duodenal ulcer, we measured serum pepsinogen I levels in 168 ulcer patients and 151 of their clinically normal siblings. The ulcer patients tended to have either hyperpepsinogenemia I (pepsinogen I, greater than or equal to 100 ng/mL) or a normal level on a familial basis. Further evidence supporting this separation was the finding that the mean serum pepsinogen I level in the clinically normal siblings of the hyperpepsinogenemic patients was 91.2 ng/mL, significantly higher than the mean level (63.1 ng/mL) in the normal siblings of the normopepsinogenemic I patients. In the hyperpepsinogenemic I families the results of segregation analysis of an elevated pepsinogen I were consistent with autosomal-dominant inheritance of this trait. The genetic basis of normopepsinogenemic I duodenal ulcer was also shown by the familial aggregation of this disorder. These data provide direct evidence for genetic heterogeneity of duodenal ulcer disease.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1977

Attenuation of cardiac sympathetic drive in experimental myocardial ischemia in dogs.

Sympathetic discharges to the heart were recorded from the left inferior cardiac nerve of 16 dogs. Inferior cardiac nerve activity (ICNA) under normal conditions consisted of grouped discharges, synchronous with the cardiac cycle and modulated by respiration. After ligation of the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery, ICNA declined concomitant with a decline in heart rate and mean aortic pressure. After 30 minutes, when arterial pressure tended to recover toward control values (six dogs), ICNA remained low; in contrast, when arterial pressure dropped to shock levels (three dogs), ICNA increaed. When aortic pressure fell precipitously as a result of ventricular fibrillation, even during the first 30 minutes of ischemia (seven dogs), ICNA immediately increased greatly. The results of this study suggest that acute coronary occlusion produces a cardiocardiac depressor reflex with attenuation of sympathetic discharge to the heart. This reflex, under the experimental conditions studied, gives way to the baroreceptor reflex when aortic pressure drops to critically low levels.

Animals↗