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Biomedical subjects

B E Walker

Publications and source records attributed to B E Walker.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Is plasma zinc a useful investigation?

Plasma zinc is totally protein bound and its concentration is markedly influenced by alteration in protein concentration. Venous occlusion such as is used prior to venepuncture causes a marked increase in plasma zinc concentration. The extent of this change exceeds the analytical variation for zinc determination and may cause difficulty in the interpretation of plasma values. Although in most individuals there is a close correlation between plasma zinc and total protein, collectively this is not so, thus adjusting zinc values for change in protein is inappropriate. For plasma zinc to be a useful investigation blood samples should be obtained without venous occlusion.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1978

Cimetidine: an advance in gastric ulcer treatment?

Sixty patients with endoscopically confirmed gastric ulceration took part in a single-blind trial of cimetidine 1 g daily compared with conventional treatment--namely, carbenoxolone in patients aged under 60 and Caved-(S) in those over 60. Twenty-nine patients received cimetidine: in 12 (41%) ulcer healing was complete after one month, in 26 (90%) healing was complete after two months, and all ulcers were healed after three months of treatment. In the under-60s, ulcers were healed in a greater proportion of patients given cimetidine than in those given carbenoxolone. The difference, however, was significant only at the 5% level, which owing to small numbers was of doubtful clinical validity. In the over-60s cimetidine and Caved-(S) were of similar efficacy. The 54 patients with healed ulcers are being followed up for two years; so far there have been 16 recurrences (30%). Further trials are needed, which should include maintenance treatment aimed at lowering the unacceptably high recurrence rate.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Palate development after fetal tongue removal in cortisone-treated mice.

Morphological studies of cortisone-induced cleft palate have shown retardation in the rotation of palatine shelves from a sagittal to a transverse plane. Cortisone also reduces fetal muscular movements, which may explain why displacement of the tongue from between the palatine shelves is delayed. Previous work with extrauterine development of control fetuses demonstrated that fetal membranes and tongue were major obstacles to shelf rotation. Thus, removal of these obstacles might permit rotation and fusion of palatine shelves in cortisone-treated fetuses. In the present experiment, fetuses from cortisone-treated strain CD-1 mice were released from uterus and membranes and allowed to develop for eight hours in a fluid medium with the umbilical cord left intact. Compared to 4% fusion in utero, there was palatal fusion in 20% of fetuses released from membranes. When the fetal tongue was removed during extrauterine development, the frequency of fusions increased to 61%. Fusion appeared normal by the criteria applicable through light microscopy. Thus, cortisone induces cleft palate primarily through interference with shelf rotation. The palatine shelves of treated fetuses retain their ability to fuse when they can come in contact during the normal time for palate closure.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed1978

Plasma whole blood and urine zinc in the assessment of zinc deficiency in the rat.

Serial measurements of plasma, whole blood, and urine zinc have been made in young adult rats fed zinc deficient and zinc supplemented diets for a total period of 65 days. After commencing a zinc deficient diet plasma zinc fell within 48 hours to 25% of control values and remained at this level throughout the period of study. A substantial diurnal variation was observed in plasma zinc, and the level was significantly lower in the fasting state. Whole blood zinc was unaffected by fasting, showed no diurnal variation, and remained at control values even after 65 days of zinc deficient diet. Urine zinc fell to very low values, 10 days after commencing a zinc deficient diet, but after 30 days rose to control values. Under controlled conditions plasma zinc can be used as an indication of zinc deficiency. Whole blood zinc is of no value in the detection of zinc deficiency. Urine zinc concentration varies with time following a zinc deficient diet.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Plasma zinc after myocardial infarction.

Plasma levels of zinc and albumin have been measured for eight consecutive days in patients suffering chest pain due to myocardial infarction or myocardial ischaemia. A substantial diurnal variation has been found in both controls and patients. Plasma zinc falls after myocardial infarction reaching the lowest level on day 2, thereafter returning to normal by day 8. The lowest plasma zinc levels occur within 48 h of a myocardial infarction and in some patients herald the development of a serious cardiac arrhythmia. Plasma albumin falls progressively after myocardial infarction, being lowest on day 8. The fall in plasma zinc is not totally explained by the fall in plasma albumin.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Nutrition in cryptogenic cirrhosis and chronic aggressive hepatitis.

The nutritional status of 80 patients with non-alcoholic chronic liver disease was assessed by determination of various nutritional parameters in body fluids. With the exception of vitamin C there was a higher incidence (40%) of fat soluble vitamin deficiency (vitamins A, E, and carotene) than of the water soluble vitamins. Less than 10% of patients showed evidence of vitamin B12, nicotinic acid, thiamin, or riboflavin deficiency, and 17% had evidence of folic acid deficiency. The presence of deficiency was not related to age of the patient or fat absorption, and an inadequate dietary intake was not a major cause of deficiency. The incidence of nutritional deficiency is less frequent in non-alcoholic as compared with alcoholic liver disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Highly selective vagotomy for duodenal ulcer: do hypersecretors need antrectomy?

Two to five years after highly selective vagotomy (H.S.V.) for duodenal ulcer the results were similar in patients with high preoperative maximal acid outputs and those with lower acid outputs. Pain of ulcer type was experienced at some time by 6% of patients from each group, but it was mild and transient in some. No patients had recurrent ulceration at endoscopy or laparotomy, while incidence of individual symptoms was about equal in the two groups. Hence H.S.V. is adequate surgical treatment for patients with both duodenal ulceration and high levels of acid secretion. Antrectomy in such patients is not necessary provided that the incidence of incomplete vagotomy can be kept low.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Serum transaminase levels after experimental paracetamol-induced hepatic necrosis.

The relationship between serum transaminase levels and the extent of paracetamol-induced liver necrosis has been investigated in the rat. Three methods of histological quantitation were used to assess of necrosis--arbitrary grading, point counting, and the image-analysis computer. Highly significant correlations were obtained between the three methods and all were found to be reproducible. A close correlation was found between the extent of hepatic necrosis and the serum ASAT and ALAT 24 hours after a large dose (4 g/kg) of paracetamol. Likewise, the mean grade of necrosis correlated reasonably well with the serum enzyme levels in the recovery phase at 36 and 72 hours, although the transaminase level for a given degree of necrosis was considerably lower at 72 hours than at 24 hours. These findings suggest that serum transaminase levels gives a reliable indication of the severity of hepatic necrosis if the time of ingestion of the paracetamol is known and taken into account.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed1975

Increase in urinary indican excretion in pancreatic steatorrhoea following replacement therapy.

Urinary indican excretion was studied in 5 patients with steatorrhoea of pancreatic origin, 4 patients with steatorrhoea due to other causes, and 5 normal subjects. Treatment with pancreatic extract resulted in an immediate increase in indican excretion to above the normal range in patients with steatorrhoea due to pancreatic insufficiency. Administration of pancreatic extract did not result in a rise in the patients with steatorrhoea not due to pancreatic insufficiency, or in the normal subjects. In one patient with pancreatic insufficiency maintained on a low protein diet, the rise in indican excretion on replacement therapy was much slower and did not reach as high a level as in the patients on a normal protein diet. The possible mechanisms underlying these observations are discussed. It is suggested that the finding of a low indican excretion in the presence of steatorrhoea and its rise to above normal on pancreatic enzyme therapy is strongly suggestive of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

A nutritional survey in the elderly: blood and urine vitamin levels.

In this survey of vitamin levels in 93 acute geriatric admissions to hospital, none had a completely normal nutritional profile. Twenty-two patients had over 50% of test abnormal and for all patients the average % of abnormal tests was 29%. The most common abnormalities were albumin, leucocyte vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene and nicotinic acid where over 50% of patients had abnormal results. Transferrin and vitamin A levels were abnormal in over 30% of patients while there was little evidence for riboflavin or thiamine malnutrition. It is postulated that an inadequate dietary intake, due to disease or to physical and mental deterioration was the most likely cause of these multiple nutritional abnormalities.

Age Factors↗