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Biomedical subjects

A G Herman

Publications and source records attributed to A G Herman.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Release of renal prostaglandins during endotoxin-induced hypotension.

The appearance of prostaglandins in dog's blood during endotoxin-induced hypotension was studied by use of the dialysis modification of the blood bathed organ technique. An increase in prostaglandins, mainly E2 and F2alpha was found in renal venous blood, whereas no such increase was seen in blood from the abdominal aorta, the inferior vena cava or the femoral vein. Three possible trigger mechanisms for this increase i.e. hypotension, reduced flow and reflexogenic sympathetic stimulation, have been investigated. It is suggested that, in addition to these three factors, circulating hormones such as noradrenaline, angiotensin or bradykinin, play a role in this release mechanism. Administration of indomethacin produced a restoration of the systemic blood pressure to its pre-endotoxin value; concomitantly a disappearance of the prostaglandins from the circulation was observed. It is concluded that prostaglandins contribute to the hypotension induced by endotoxin. Whether they are beneficial or detrimental remains to be resolved.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Prostaglandin production by rabbit isolated jejunum and its relationship to the inherent tone of the preparation.

1 Pieces of rabbit jejunum were bathed in Krebs solution at 37 degrees C in an isolated organ bath bubbled with O2 and 5% CO2. The bathing fluid was collected regularly and assayed for prostaglandins. 2 The preparations maintained a continuous sub-maximal muscle contraction, referred to as inherent 'tone'. Prostaglandins E2 and F2alpha were continuously generated by the intestine and released into the bathing fluid. The amounts released first declined over 2 h and then steadily increased. The release was also greater after 48 h storage in the refrigerator and after mechanical damage. 3 There was no change in prostaglandin release when the rabbit jejunum was contractd by acetylcholine or physostigmine or relaxed by adrenaline, hyoscine, papaverine, dinitrophenol, or calcium-free Krebs solution. 4 Addition to the bathing fluid of the prostaglandin precursor, arachidonic acid, did not increase the release of prostaglandins although it contracted the tissue. Thus, output of prostaglandins from the tissue was not limited by substrate concentration but more probably by the capacity of the prostaglandin synthetase. 5 Prostaglandin output was decreased by bubbling the bathing fluid with N2 rather than O2; at the same time the preparation relaxed. 6 Aspirin-like drugs such as indomethacin also decreased or abolished prostaglandin formation and this, too, was accompanied by loss of tone of the isolated preparation. 7 Pieces of rabbit jejunum stored in Krebs solution containing indomethacin initially released little or no prostaglandin into the bathing fluid. However, prostaglandin release increased with repeated washing of the preparation. 8 The results suggest that intra-mural prostaglandin production contributes to the inherent tone of the rabbit jejunum, that trauma increases prostaglandin production and that the inhibitory effects of anoxia are linked with the lack of prostaglandin production and activity. The relevance of these findings to intestinal activity in vivo is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Injury or activation of the endothelium changes its regulatory functions and results in abnormal endothelial cell function. Dysfunction of the endothelium has been defined as an imbalance between relaxing and contracting factors, between procoagulant and anticoagulant mediators or between growth-inhibiting and growth-promoting substances. The first part of this review describes endothelial dysfunction in hypercholesterolemia, and atherosclerosis in intimal thickening induced by perivascular and intravascular techniques. We focus on the implications of endothelial dysfunction in these conditions and the role of nitric oxide, endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization, endothelin, cytokines, adhesion molecules, growth factors, and thrombosis. In the second part, the endothial dysfunction in other diseases including hypertension, syndrome X, and diabetes is discussed. Finally, a short overview of therapeutic approaches of the dysfunctional endothelium is given.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Isolation and pharmacological characterization of vernolepin.

Vernolepin, a sesquiterpene lactone, was isolated from the dried fruit of Vernonia amygdalina Del. The different steps used during the extraction were: continuous extraction with chloroform, partition of the chloroform-extract between pertroleum ether and 10% aqueous methanol, column chromatography of the methanol extract, isolation of the active fractions by pharmacological and chemical characterization. Vernolepine was obtained as colorless prisms and identified by melting point, uv, ir, 1H nmr, optical rotation, and mass spectrometry. The total content of the dried fruit was 0.09% vernolepin. The first pharmacological characterization of vernolepin revealed: (1) a competitive antagonism against histamine in guinea pig ileum (pA2 = 5.61; 15 min incubation); (2) a biphasic enhancement/inhibition of coaxial stimulation of guinea pig ileum; (3) an antiaggregating and disaggregating activity against rabbit platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid (1 X 10(-4) g/ml; 3.3 X 10(-4)M) or ADP (4 X 10(-6) g/ml; 1 X 10(-5)M) without inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase or lipoxygenase. All these reactions were time dependent and occurred at concentrations of 5 X 10(-6) to 1 X 10(-5) g/ml vernolepin (1.8 to 3.5 X 10(-5)M).

Africa↗