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Biomedical subjects

A Pujol

Publications and source records attributed to A Pujol.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Insulin receptor kinase activity in muscles and white adipose tissue during course of VMH obesity.

Early after lesion of the ventromedial hypothalamus nuclei (VMH), insulin-induced glucose utilization is increased in white adipose tissue (WAT), whereas oxidative and glycolytic muscles are, respectively, normoresponsive or resistant to insulin. Five weeks later, all of the muscles are resistant, whereas WAT returns to normal responsiveness. The aim of this study was to characterize the insulin receptor kinase activity in WAT and muscles 1 and 6 wk after lesion. The number and affinity of insulin receptors were not modified in any of the tissues studied. Autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of an exogenous substrate were similar in oxidative and glycolytic muscles of VMH and control rats both 1 and 6 wk after the lesion. Insulin receptors from WAT of 1-wk VMH rats exhibited a 2.5-fold increase in insulin-stimulated autophosphorylation and phosphorylation. Six weeks after the lesion, both autophosphorylation and phosphorylation returned to normal values. This suggests that insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity does not play a significant role in the insulin resistance of skeletal muscles but has a crucial role in mediating the variations of insulin action on WAT observed during the development of VMH obesity.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1991

[Tropical spastic paraparesis and HTLV-I. The first case in Spain].

The first patient with myelopathy associated with T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus infection (HTLV-I) in Spain is reported. Although this condition is endemic in several areas from the Caribbean Sea, South America, Africa and Japan, some cases have been reported in European countries, generally in immigrant patients, residents in endemic zones or patients having received transfusions. In the present case the infection was probably acquired in a tropical zone through blood transfusion. The patient was a 60-year-old female who had been living in Peru during the last 25 years. In that country aortocoronary bypass was carried out for ischemic heart disease. During operation she received blood transfusion. One and a half year later she developed progressive spastic parapesia with impaired sphincter control. Other causes were ruled out, and the diagnosis was confirmed by HTLV-I antibody determination with ELISA and Western blot.

Female↗
PubMed1991

Pharmacokinetic modeling of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid methotrexate after high-dose intravenous infusion in children.

A pharmacokinetic study was performed in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients suffering from brain tumors to describe the disposition of methotrexate. An open three-compartment model was developed to fit together the data obtained in plasma and CSF. The pharmacokinetic parameters obtained by the model agreed with those obtained with classical analysis and the fitting correctly depicted the plasma and CSF concentration decays. According to the results, such a model could be applied to other anticancer drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Chronopharmacokinetics of doxorubicin in patients with breast cancer.

The chronopharmacokinetics of doxorubicin (DOX) has been studied in 18 patients suffering from breast cancer. They received combined chemotherapy including DOX (50 mg/m2 as an iv bolus), given at two different times (09.00 h or 21.00 h). The two randomized courses of the protocol were given to each patient at a four week interval. The total body clearance (CL) of DOX was significantly decreased when the drug was administered at 21.00 h, resulting in a longer elimination half-life and an increase in AUC. The renal clearance of DOX did not differ at the different times of administration, and it appears that the decrease in CL was related to a change in hepatic blood flow. The volume of distribution of the drug was not changed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Dysphagia and esophageal motor dysfunction in gastroesophageal reflux are corrected by fundoplication.

Abnormalities in esophageal peristaltic function and acid clearance appear to be responsible for prolonged esophageal acid exposure, a major determinant of the reflux esophagitis and esophageal stricture. We evaluated esophageal motility by manometry in 50 healthy controls and in 35 symptomatic reflux patients before, within 6 months, and 1 year after Nissen fundoplication. Preoperative motility was analyzed in relation to the presence or absence of both nonobstructive dysphagia and erosive esophagitis. We found that (a) preoperative dysphagia was related more to peristaltic dysfunction than to esophagitis; (b) peristaltic wave amplitude and duration were significantly lower than control values in patients with reflux, without correlation to degree of esophagitis or lower esophageal sphincter hypotension; (c) dysphagia ceased in most patients after antireflux surgery at the same time that normal motility was restored independently of lower esophageal sphincter pressure increments. These results suggest that motility disturbances are an important cause of dysphagia in reflux disease, and that reflux is the cause of, rather than the consequence of, peristaltic dysfunction.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[The Tip Edge technic. Is it an advance in orthodontic concepts?].

The originality of Tip Edge technique is due to the possibilities to take benefit both of the advantages of BEGG technique and Edgewise technique. With the differential anchorages, bite opening is more rapid and the correction of all the occlusal abnormalities is easy during stage I. During stage III the bracket Tip Edge with its original design permit a progressive torque, roots uprighting and an Edgewise finish.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Regulation of glucose homeostasis in pre-obese Zucker rats before and after weaning.

This study was undertaken to determine the changes which could occur in glucose homeostatis during the suckling-weaning transition in the genetically obese Zucker (fa/fa) rat. Glucose kinetics and glucose utilization in individual tissues were determined in 15-day-old suckling and 30-day-old weaned obese Zucker rats either in the post-absorptive state or during a glucose infusion. During suckling, glucose turnover rates in the basal state as well as glucose production and utilization during the glucose infusion were identical in lean and obese rats. Furthermore, individual tissue glucose utilizations were similar in the two groups of rats, except in brown adipose tissue where utilization was lower in obese than in lean rats during the glucose challenge. After weaning, glucose turnover rates and glucose utilization in individual tissues were identical in the two genotypes in the basal state. During the glucose infusion, hepatic glucose production was less suppressed in the obese. Furthermore, glucose utilization was significantly lower in muscles (extensor digitorum longus, tibialis anterior, diaphragm) and higher in white adipose tissue of obese rats. These data show that, before weaning, pre-obese Zucker rats present a perturbation only in the uptake of glucose in brown adipose tissue. Major defects in the regulation of glucose homeostatis occur after weaning.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Serological profile of tissue autoantibodies during acute and chronic delta hepatitis.

In order to assess the serological profile in relation to other serological and histological markers of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection we have investigated the presence of autoantibodies during acute and chronic delta infection in 353 serum samples from different patients with acute and chronic hepatitis and autoimmune diseases. Basal cell layer antibodies (BCLA) were found in 58% acute hepatitis B, in 73% chronic hepatitis D and in 4% primary biliary cirrhosis. Stellate thymic epithelial cell antibodies (SECA) were detected in 40% acute D hepatitis and in 49% chronic D hepatitis. No tissue autoantibodies were detected in 50 acute B hepatitis, 35 autoimmune chronic liver diseases, 24 connective tissue diseases or 25 controls. In addition, two previously unreported specificities of anti-thymic antibodies reacting with reticular (TRA) and perithymocytic cells (PTA) were identified in 33% and 9% acute D hepatitis, respectively, and in 13% and 6% chronic D hepatitis cases. Among patients with acute HBV-HDV coinfection these antibodies were detected transiently (less than 4 weeks) and at low titer, whereas in those with chronic infection autoantibodies levels tend to be high and persistent throughout the follow-up. Among patients with chronic HDV infection no correlation was found between the presence of tissue autoantibodies and hepatic delta antigen expression and serum HDV-RNA which suggest that autoimmune phenomena observed during chronic delta infection are not related to the level of viral replication.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Efficacy of sucralfate in refractory reflux esophagitis. Results of a pilot study.

Patients with severe reflux esophagitis unresponsive to standard medical therapy constitute a vexing clinical problem. We evaluated 8 patients with long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease complicated by peptic stricture (n = 6), Barrett's esophagus (n = 5), bleeding esophageal ulcer (n = 2), and/or failure or prior antireflux surgery (n = 4), and 4 patients with rapidly advancing esophagitis following surgical resection of the cardia. After an 8-week course of full-dose H2-receptor antagonists, domperidone and antacids, marginal clinical improvement and unchanged or worsened endoscopic appearance of esophagitis was observed in all patients. Thereafter, in an attempt to enhance esophageal mucosal resistance, sucralfate alone (4.0 g/d) was given for 8 weeks. Both symptoms and endoscopic appearance improved in all patients after sucralfate, and the need for dilatation of strictures was lessened. On follow-up, complete healing of esophagitis was demonstrated by endoscopy in 6 patients after 4 to 6 months of uninterrupted sucralfate therapy. The results of this pilot study indicate that (cyto)protection with sucralfate has an important therapeutic potential in reflux esophagitis. They also suggest that impaired esophageal epithelial resistance is an important pathophysiological factor in persistence of esophageal inflammation in esophagitis refractory to conventional treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Autoantibodies in chronic delta virus infection recognize a common protein of 46 kD in rat forestomach basal cell layer and stellate thymic epithelial cells.

Chronic hepatitis delta virus infection is associated with the presence of autoantibodies to rat forestomach and thymus in approximately 60% of patients' sera. We have characterized the antigen against which these autoantibodies are directed as a protein of 46 kD by immunoblotting studies on rat forestomach and thymus extracts. Normal human sera or sera from patients with other hepatic or non-hepatic autoimmune disorders did not bind to this protein. The immunoblot assay was more sensitive than immunofluorescence. Maximal titre was 1:10,000 versus 1:5120. By techniques of elution of specific antibodies from immunoblots, our results showed that the same antigen was present in both tissues. This antigen did not share common epitopes with hepatitis delta virus (HDV). Patients' sera depleted of basal cell layer and thymic stellate epithelial cell antibodies by absorption with the corresponding tissue extract maintained the HDV antibody titres. The autoimmune phenomena observed in patients with HDV infection seems to be a colateral process induced by the replication of delta virus in the host.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Utility of inpatient 24-hour intraesophageal pH monitoring in diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux.

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the accuracy of 24-hr intraesophageal pH monitoring in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux in the hospital setting and to establish whether there were any differences in terms of reflux events between patients with and without endoscopic esophagitis. Fifteen control subjects and 47 patients with proven gastroesophageal reflux disease were studied. A composite score of reflux events (number of reflux episodes; total, upright, and supine reflux time; number of refluxes lasting more than 5 min; and duration of the longest reflux) provided the best discrimination between controls and patients (94% sensitivity and 100% specificity). Patients with esophagitis showed concurrently a longer total reflux time and supine reflux time, and more prolonged reflux episodes than those without esophagitis. On the other hand the severity of esophagitis was directly related to the duration of both total and supine reflux. The results indicate that inpatient 24-hr pH-metry is very accurate in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux. They also suggest that prolonged esophageal exposure to acid, particularly at night, and slow esophageal acid clearing are factors that determine the appearance and/or perpetuation of esophagitis in patients with reflux.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Intraesophageal pH monitoring after breakfast + lunch in gastroesophageal reflux.

To evaluate intraesophageal pH monitoring during two consecutive 3-h postprandial periods (breakfast + lunch) in the diagnosis of pathological gastroesophageal reflux, we studied 40 patients with documented gastroesophageal reflux and 15 healthy controls. Reflux events were analyzed in the two separate postprandial periods, their sum (double postprandial pHmetry), and a standard 24-h period. Data from all pH-recording periods were compared and correlation coefficients were obtained between postprandial and 24-h reflux events. While pH recordings from the two separate postprandial periods provided good separation between patients and controls, double postprandial pHmetry was most accurate in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux. In the latter procedure, mean percent reflux time was 2.5 +/- 1.8% in controls and 19.4% +/- 10.3% in patients (p less than 0.001), with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 97%. A high degree of correlation existed for all reflux events between postprandial and 24-h pHmetries. We believe that double postprandial intraesophageal pH monitoring accurately distinguishes between normal persons and patients with pathological reflux. The technique considerably shortens the examination time in relation to 24-h pH monitoring and may prove the esophageal test of choice for objective evidence of gastroesophageal reflux.

Adult↗