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Biomedical subjects

A Siperstein

Publications and source records attributed to A Siperstein.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Total gastrectomy and small intestinal cholesterol synthesis in diabetic rats.

Cholesterol synthesis is increased two- to threefold in the small intestine of diabetic rats. We have observed, in three separate experiments, that the characteristic increase in small intestinal cholesterol synthesis (SICS) in diabetic rats was prevented by total gastrectomy. Food intake was increased twofold, and the small intestine hypertrophied in the gastrectomized diabetic animals. In normal animals, total gastrectomy resulted in only a very small increase in intestinal cholesterol synthesis. In hyperphagic lactating animals, total gastrectomy did not prevent the characteristic increase in SICS that is usually observed in this hyperphagic model. These results indicate that the effects of total gastrectomy on preventing an increase in SICS are relatively specific for the diabetic state. The mechanism by which total gastrectomy prevents the increase in intestinal cholesterol synthesis in diabetic animals is unknown. Vagotomy did not prevent the typical increase in intestinal synthesis in diabetic animals. Additionally, selectively removing either the antrum or fundus of the stomach did not prevent the increase in SICS in diabetic animals, indicating that the inhibition requires the removal of the entire stomach. It can be speculated that the stomach produces a substance that induces the increase in SICS observed in diabetic animals and that total gastrectomy removes this stimulatory substance.

Animals

Thyroid cancer: the case for total thyroidectomy.

Since there are no prospective studies concerning the treatment of thyroid cancer, there continues to be a considerable disagreement about the 'best' or most appropriate form of surgical treatment for patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer. Some surgeons recommend selective treatment depending upon the type of thyroid tumor and stage of the disease. Some advocate thyroid lobectomy and isthmusectomy, some near total thyroidectomy, and some total thyroidectomy for patients with papillary and follicular thyroid cancer. Total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer would be the treatment of choice for virtually all patients with thyroid cancers if it could be done without complications. We therefore reviewed 160 consecutive patients who had total thyroidectomy for suspected or proven thyroid cancer to determine the complication rate of total thyroidectomy. One hundred and three patients had primary operations, 57 had reoperations with completion of total thyroidectomy and 124 had thyroid cancer. Serious complications (i.e. vocal cord paralysis or hypoparathyroidism) included two cases of transient bilateral recurrent nerve palsy, two patients with presumed transient unilateral vocal cord paralysis, three recurrent laryngeal nerves that were purposely sacrificed because of invasion of the nerve, and one case of permanent hypoparathyroidism. Two other patients developed postoperative wound infections. Only one of the permanent complications, the case of permanent hypoparathyroidism, could have been avoided by a lesser procedure. The experienced surgeon can perform a total thyroidectomy with minimal morbidity, and this procedure has certain theoretical and practical advantages. It should not be done, however, if it will result in a significant complication rate and, in selected patients, it may be preferable to leave a small amount of thyroid tissue to protect the blood supply to the parathyroid glands or recurrent laryngeal nerve.

Humans

Glicentin immunoreactive cells: their relationship to glucagon-producing cells.

The cellular and subcellular localization of one of the gut glucagon-like immunoreactants (GLI-1 or glicentin) and the relative distribution of glicentin- and glucagon-containing cells were investigated by immunocytochemistry. By immunofluorescence, the antiglicentin serum, which does not react with glucagon, revealed positive cells in the islets of Langerhans and in the gut mucosa, particularly in the terminal ileum and colon. In the intestinal mucosa, it was proven ultrastructurally that the glicentin immunoreactive cells correspond to the L cell and that the secretory granules represent the storage compartment of the immunoreactive material. In pancreatic islets, consecutive semithin sections treated with antiglicentin and specific antiglucagon sera showed that the same A cell population reacted with both sera, while immunoperoxidase staining on thin sections revealed that the immunoreactive material was confined to the secretory granules. The same results were obtained on dog oxyntic mucosa, where the glicentin- and glucagon-containing cells were identified as the gastric A cell. The immunocytochemical demonstration of a common glicentin-like material in the A and L cells together with the known presence of a common immunoreactant in glicentin and glucagon strongly support the idea that the A and L cells are ontogenetically related and synthesize their secretory product via a glicentin-like precursor which, by specific cleavage, could yield glucagon and gut glucagon-like immunoreactants.

Animals

Primary hyperparathyroidism in younger and older patients: symptoms and outcome of surgery.

Two-hundred and fifty patients undergoing initial exploration for primary hyperparathyroidism were analyzed for differences in clinical presentation, biochemical status, pathology, and outcome of surgery. In patients less than 60 years of age (younger patients, n = 119) the most common preoperative symptoms and signs were fatigue (40.3%), bone pain (33.6%), renal stones (31.0%), hypertension (27.7%), and psychiatric illness (27.7%). In patients greater than or equal to 60 years of age (older patients, n = 131) the most frequent symptoms and signs were hypertension (46.6%), fatigue (35.1%), bone pain (30.5%), muscle weakness (28.2%), and joint pain (22.9%). Renal stones were 2.6 times more common (p less than 0.001, chi 2) in younger patients and hypertension 1.7 times more common (p less than 0.05, chi 2) in older patients. There was no significant difference in the preoperative and postoperative laboratory values typically associated with primary hyperparathyroidism. Double adenomas were more common in older (9.2%) than in younger patients (2.5%, p less than 0.05, chi 2). Surgical cure was obtained in 98.8% of patients, and after parathyroidectomy 83% of the younger and 82% of the older patients experienced substantial relief of pre-operative symptoms. Specific questioning revealed most patients to be symptomatic and older patients appear to receive the same clinical and metabolic benefits from parathyroidectomy as younger patients.

Adolescent