Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Helfgott

Publications and source records attributed to A Helfgott.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Oral tocolysis with magnesium chloride: a randomized controlled prospective clinical trial.

A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of enteric-coated magnesium chloride (SLOW MAG) as an oral tocolytic agent. Seventy-five patients between 24 and 34 weeks' gestation who were treated with intravenous magnesium sulfate for a first episode of preterm labor were enrolled. After a 12-hour contraction-free period on intravenous therapy, patients were randomized by sealed envelope to one of three groups: group 1, SLOW MAG (535 mg every 4 hours); group 2, oral ritodrine (20 mg every 4 hours); or group 3, no therapy (control). Patients receiving oral therapy were treated until delivery or completion of 36 weeks' gestation. No difference was found between groups with respect to time gained with the use of oral therapy or number completing 36 weeks' gestation. Therapy with enteric-coated magnesium chloride was associated with significantly fewer side effects (20%) as compared with ritodrine (48%) (p less than 0.01). Our results suggest that compared with ritodrine, enteric-coated magnesium chloride is as effective in prolonging pregnancy and preventing recurrent preterm labor. However, neither enteric-coated magnesium chloride nor ritodrine appeared to be any more effective in the prevention of preterm delivery than observation alone.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1991

Disappearance half-life times of exogenous and growth hormone-releasing factor-stimulated endogenous growth hormone in normal rats.

This study was performed to determine the disappearance half-life times of endogenous and exogenous rat GH in conscious normal rats and to compare these with the decay characteristics of GH at the end of spontaneous normal bursts. The endogenous half-life was determined in five rats by giving an i.v. injection of rat GH-releasing factor followed after 10 min by an i.v. injection of long-acting somatostatin analogue (octreotide) and taking blood samples for 85 min. The half-lives (mean +/- S.E.M.) were 3.4 +/- 0.4 min and 13.2 +/- 1.1 min for the first and second exponential respectively as determined by bi-exponential analysis. The exogenous GH half-life was determined in ten rats by giving i.v. octreotide followed after 10 min by i.v. rat GH and sampling for 85 min. The half-lives of exogenous GH were 3.3 +/- 0.2 min and 17.5 +/- 1.4 min by bi-exponential analysis and there was no significant difference between the half-lives of endogenous and exogenous GH. The half-life of the decline of GH levels at the end of spontaneous bursts in nine rats was 14.4 +/- 0.9 min, not different from the half-life of endogenous GH, the secretion of which was terminated by octreotide. This suggests that the end of spontaneous GH bursts is marked by sudden cessation of GH release and may provide an indication of the rapidity of change in the levels of the underlying hypothalamic hormones which control GH release.

Animals↗