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Biomedical subjects

B Leclercq

Publications and source records attributed to B Leclercq.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

[Epidermoid cancers of the esophagus: combined chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. Preliminary results in 50 cases].

Fifty operable epidermoid esophageal carcinomas were treated by combined chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. The post-operative mortality was 5.4% and the severe post-operative morbidity was 29%. The vindesine-5FU-platinum association and the vindesine-endoxan-platinum association gave respectively 55% and 35% objective responses (OR) after two preoperative courses without increasing the operative mortality. The patients who showed an OR had a less important tumoral extension. Thus, an objective response to the pre-operative chemotherapy is in fact a new prognostic factor. Survival without recurrence seems to be increased when chemotherapy is efficient in the curative resection group. These findings incite to promote prospective randomized studies with this kind of combined therapy.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1987

[Anastomotic fistula after gastrectomy. Diagnostic value of radiologic monitoring. Retrospective study of 123 gastrectomies].

In order to determine the usefulness of systematic radiological exploration after gastrectomy, 123 gastrectomies (39 total, 84 subtotal) performed over a 10-year period were reviewed. Control radiology had been carried out in 51% of the cases. Retrospectively, except for the lower percentage of total gastrectomies the two groups (with and without control radiology) were comparable. The overall incidence of fistula (9%) was similar to that found in the literature, bearing in mind that 90% of gastrectomies in this series were performed for cancer. The only two factors predictive of fistula were the presence of fever or of post-operative focal infection (P less than 0.001). It would appear that control radiology after gastrectomy is indicated only when post-operative fever is present. If this were done the number of useless examinations would be reduced and the cost-effectiveness ratio of radiology would be improved.

Female↗
PubMed1987

Effects of dietary glucogenic amino acid supplementation on growth performance, body composition and plasma free amino acid levels in genetically lean and fat chickens.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of pair-feeding, nutritional status (fasting vs feeding ad libitum) and supplementing diets with alanine (2 g/kg), threonine (2 g/kg), glutamic acid (5 g/kg) and arginine (5 g/kg) on growth performance, body composition and free plasma amino acid levels in genetically lean (LL) or fat (FL) chickens of 4 to 7 weeks of age. When fed ad libitum, FL chickens ate more than LL birds and showed higher lipid and protein gains. However, when pair-fed, FL birds exhibited increased lipid retention but lower protein gain. Growth performance and body composition were not significantly affected by the addition of glucogenic amino acids to the diets. However, amino acid supplementation slightly improved food to gain ratios but depressed gross energy and protein efficiencies in both lines. FL chickens had lower plasma levels of most glucogenic amino acids and higher levels of branched-chain and sulphur amino acids than LL birds, irrespective of diet and nutritional status. These results are discussed in relation to hormonal characteristics of FL and LL birds.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1987

Effect of pelleting and associations with maize or wheat on the nutritive value of smooth pea (Pisum sativum) seeds in adult cockerels.

Four types of diet were tested: 960 g maize/kg (M), 960 g wheat/kg (W), 463 g maize added to 497 g of smooth peas/kg (PM) and 463 g wheat added to 497 g smooth peas/kg (PW). Three treatments were applied to each of these 4 diets: grinding (OP), one steam pelleting (1 P) and two successive steam pelleting (2 P). The pelleted diets were ground before feeding. Adult cockerels received all the diets whereas rats received only W and PW diets. Apparent metabolisable energy values corrected for N-equilibrium (AMEn), protein and starch digestibilities were measured in adult cockerels. Digestible energy (DE) values were measured in rats. The AMEn values of cereals remained practically unchanged by pelleting, whereas that of smooth peas was increased by between 1.8-4.6% after pelleting. Pelleting also induced 3.5 and 5.4% increases respectively in the digestibilities of pea protein and starch. Pelleting did not change the DE values measured in rats. The AMEn values of smooth peas mixed with maize were 4.6% higher than those of smooth peas mixed with wheat. The true digestibility of pea protein was 8.4% higher in the former mixture, whereas the pea starch digestibility remained unchanged. Calculation showed that most of the pea AMEn variations could be explained in terms of variations in protein and starch digestibilities.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1987

Effect of exogenous corticosterone in genetically fat and lean chickens.

1. The effects of daily injections of corticosterone (1 or 5 mg/bird) on growth, fat deposition, liver lipid and plasma concentrations of uric acid, glucose, insulin and growth hormone were studied using genetically selected lines of fat (FL) and lean (LL) chickens. 2. Both doses of corticosterone depressed body weight gain and increased the liver lipid and the abdominal fat to the same extent in both lines. 3. In both lines, corticosterone caused a dose-dependent increase in the plasma concentrations of uric acid, glucose and insulin in the fasted and refed states. 4. In untreated birds, plasma concentrations of growth hormone (GH) were slightly higher in FL than in LL chickens and slightly decreased during refeeding. The response was not modified by injection of 1 mg corticosterone. Injections of 5 mg decreased plasma GH in both lines in the fasting state and in LL chickens during refeeding. In contrast, the same dose increased GH in FL chickens during refeeding. This contradiction remains unexplained. 5. The results suggest that corticosterone sensitivity is not involved in difference of fattening between FL and LL chickens.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1987

Effects of selection for high and low plasma glucose concentration in chickens.

1. Two lines of broilers exhibiting low (LG) or high (HG) plasma glucose concentrations were selected from a pure line of White Rock chickens. 2. Realised heritabilities were close to 0.25 in both lines. 3. The LG line was significantly fatter than the HG line; this difference was more pronounced in females than in males. 4. Food was utilised less efficiently by the LG line than by the HG one.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

In vivo lipogenesis of genetically lean and fat chickens: effects of nutritional state and dietary fat.

In vivo lipogenesis was estimated in liver and carcass of male chickens selected for leanness (LL) or fatness (FL) by use of tritiated water. Effects of nutritional state and of a high fat diet (90 g/kg) were examined. Different classes of liver lipids were also measured. Fed birds exhibited enhanced hepatic lipogenesis, which was more pronounced in FL than in LL birds (+73%, mean of three experiments). Extrahepatic lipogenesis was poorly influenced by nutritional state in LL birds and not modified in FL ones. The high fat diet induced a fall in liver triacylglycerol and reduced de novo lipogenesis more drastically in liver than in carcass of both lines. Reduction of carcass lipogenesis was less pronounced in FL than in LL. Starvation led to a fall in liver triacylglycerols, nonesterified fatty acids and free cholesterol. The fat diet had similar but less pronounced effects. In most circumstances FL chickens exhibited a higher liver triacylglycerol content than LL ones. Comparison of fed and refed birds 100 min after the beginning of refeeding showed that de novo lipogenesis did not reach a plateau and differences between lines were still not significant.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1986

[Cardiotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil. Characteristics, mechanism, practical management].

5-fluorouracil is a drug that is widely used in cancerology. Its cardiotoxicity must be known, as it is not exceptional and potentially dangerous. Two cases are reported in which the coronary insufficiency was documented and recurred when 5-fluorouracil was reintroduced. The mechanism of cardiac toxicity seems to be coronary spasm, as shown by exercise tests and the normal results of coronary arteriography. It seems preferable to refrain from using 5-fluorouracil after a recent myocardial infarction or in patients with unstable angina. Reintroduction of the drug is usually followed by recurrence of cardiotoxicity, even under coronary vasodilators.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1986

In vivo lipogenesis in genetically fat and lean chickens of various ages.

Lipogenesis was studied in vivo in genetically fat and lean male chickens at 2, 5 and 15 weeks of age using tritiated water. At 2 and 5 weeks of age, the liver was the major site of de novo fatty acid synthesis rather than the carcass. Per 100 g of tissue lipogenesis was greater in the carcass at 15 weeks of age than at 2 or 5 weeks. Lipogenesis in the liver did not vary according to age. At 15 weeks of age there was no observable exaggeration in the degree of fattening (as in genetically obese rodents) of fat line chickens. The regulation of fattening in fat line chickens, at least at the onset of sexual maturity, appears to be different to that in genetically obese rodents.

Aging↗
PubMed1986

A radioimmunoassay of chicken growth hormone using growth hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology: validation and observations of plasma hormone variations in genetically fat and lean chickens.

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) of chicken growth hormone (c-GH) has been developed using growth hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology. The best rabbit antiserum was used at 1/300,000 final dilution. Hormone labelling by iodine-125, achieved by chloramine T, allowed a specific activity of 3.7 MBq/micrograms. The equilibrium curves show that optimal conditions of incubation were reached at room temperature for 24 h. This RIA used a second sheep antibody which precipitated the whole c-GH bound to the first antibody in the presence of polyethylene glycol solution (6%) at room temperature for 30 min. In our conditions, sensitivity was about 30 pg of c-GH per tube. Coefficient of variation was around 10%. No cross reaction was found with avian LH and prolactin. Thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) injection to young chickens induced 20-fold higher plasma c-GH concentrations. Simultaneous injection of somatostatin and TRH slightly reduced these concentrations. Hypoglycemia induced by insulin led to a drop of the plasma c-GH concentration. Conversely, refeeding or glucose load induced slight increases of the c-GH level. Genetically fat chickens tended to exhibit higher plasma c-GH concentrations than lean chickens.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Further characterization of insulin secretion from the perfused duodenum-pancreas of chicken: a comparison of insulin release in chickens selected for high and low abdominal fat content.

Insulin release from the perfused pancreas was studied in genetically selected fat and lean chickens. The previously described glucose insensitivity of the chicken pancreas cannot be overcome by 5 or 10 mM D-glyceraldehyde, suggesting that the resistance is not related to glucose metabolism before the triose phosphate step. At 42 mM, glucose induced a biphasic insulin release which was specific, since 42 mM mannitol did not elicit insulin release. Arginine (10 mM) or acetylcholine (0.1-1 microM), which in themselves do not cause insulin release, generated a biphasic insulin release in the presence of a low nonstimulating glucose concentration (14 mM); the effect was synergistic. In contrast to the glucose tolerance test observed in vivo, the pancreas from the fat line chicken in response to glucose or glucose plus arginine released significantly less insulin during the first phase. The significance of this defect awaits further elucidation. On the other hand, acetylcholine, a more potent secretagogue, did not reveal any significant difference between fat and lean chickens.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1986

Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone, growth hormone, and estradiol from six weeks of age to sexual maturity in two lines of chickens selected for low or high abdominal fat content.

An experiment was conducted to investigate possible differences in plasma hormone levels between females of two lines of chickens selected for high (FL) or low (LL) abdominal fat content. Blood was taken at weekly intervals from 6 weeks of age to sexual maturity, and assays were performed for luteinizing hormone (LH), growth hormone (GH), and estradiol (E2). Age-related increases in the plasma titers of LH and estradiol were found while GH remained low apart from initial and final fluctuations. There was no difference between the strains in plasma E2, only minor differences in plasma GH, but a clear-cut difference was observed in plasma LH during the prepubertal period. Plasma LH tended to be higher in the LL, but the reason for this remains unclear.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1985

Digestion of polysaccharides, protein and lipids by adult cockerels fed on diets containing a pectic cell-wall material from white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) cotyledon.

1. The cell-wall material of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) cotyledon is characterized by low contents of cellulose (47 g/kg) and lignin (17 g/kg) and a high content of pectic substances (710 g/kg). The digestion of lupin cell-wall material by adult cockerels was estimated using gas-liquid chromatographic analyses of alditol acetates derived from polysaccharide sugars. The analyses were performed in the destarched water-insoluble fractions of feed and excreta. Digestibility measurements were carried out using a 3 d balance period including a 2 d feeding period and a 24 h final starvation period. 2. In the first experiment, six animals were given a diet containing 510 g white lupin cotyledon flour/kg which was the only source of protein and cell walls in the diet. The apparent digestibility of cell-wall components was near zero. 3. In the second experiment, three diets were prepared by diluting a fibre-free basal diet (diet A) by a semi-purified cell-wall preparation introduced at two different levels: 100 g/kg (diet B) and 200 g/kg (diet C). The semi-purified cell walls were prepared from the white lupin cotyledon flour used in the first experiment. The true digestibilities of polysaccharides measured in birds given diets B and C were near zero. It is suggested that the measurement of the neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) content according to Van Soest & Wine (1967) is not a suitable procedure for estimating the undigestible fibre content in poultry nutrition as the cell-wall pectic substances are not included in the NDF measurement. 4. Addition of the semi-purified cell-wall preparation (Expt 2) resulted in a slight decrease in the apparent protein digestibility. This decrease might be explained by the addition of undigestible cell-wall protein. 5. Addition of the semi-purified cell-wall preparation (Expt 2) had no effect on the apparent lipid digestibility. 6. The metabolizable energy values of the basal diet fraction of diets B and C were calculated assuming that the added plant cell-wall fraction was of no energy value. These calculated values were similar to the measured metabolizable energy value of diet A (basal). Thus, the tested pectic plant cell walls seemed to act as a diluent. It is suggested that, on the point of the digestion yields, all types of plant cell walls would act as diluents, in poultry.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1985

Fat and lean chickens: prefattening period and in vivo sensitivity to insulin, atropine, and propranolol.

Fat (FL) or lean (LL) chickens have been obtained by divergent selection. In previous studies, FL chickens were consistently hypoglycemic (slightly) and had high plasma levels of insulin in response to glucose or refeeding from 5 to 8 wk of age. In these, at 12-13 days of age before any difference in fattening can be demonstrated, FL chickens exhibit a better glucose tolerance pattern and enhanced glucose-induced insulin levels but normal insulin levels during refeeding. Plasma levels of alpha-NH2 nonprotein nitrogen, uric acid, free fatty acids, and potassium were neither consistent nor significantly different between lines. Atropine, at high dose, blocked the absorption of glucose and at low dose had no major effect on glucose-induced insulin release in either line. At 8 wk, sensitivity to and disappearance of exogenous insulin were normal in FL birds. Propranolol slightly decreased plasma glucose and inhibited the hypokalemic effect of exogenous insulin to the same extent in both lines. Cerebrospinal fluid glucose level and liver glycogen content were similar in both lines in the fasting or the fed state, but liver glycogen was restored faster after refeeding in the FL, at least in older birds.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1985

Laying performances, egg composition, and glucose tolerance of genetically lean or fat meat-type breeders.

Genetically fat and lean breeders were compared for laying performance and glucose tolerance. Laying females were fed ad libitum or restricted (85% ad libitum). Ad libitum-fed fat breeder hens (FL) were lighter and produced lighter eggs than lean hens (LL). However, the yolk percentage of the egg and yolk output were higher in FL. Differences in the glucose-insulin balance were consistently observed between lines in females at 203 and 326 days and in males at 203 days of age. The FL birds displayed lower plasma glucose and higher plasma insulin concentrations for a given plasma glucose level. Feed restriction reduced egg output, yolk output, yolk lipids, and plasma insulin levels during glucose tolerance in females at 326 days of age. Therefore, the glucose-insulin imbalance previously described in young FL birds persists in adults. The enhanced propensity of the FL to synthesize and deposit lipids also affects vitellogenesis. Insulin is also implicated in vitellogenesis.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1985

A methodological study of the relationship between the metabolizable energy values of two meat meals and their level of inclusion in the diet.

The nitrogen-corrected apparent (AMEn) and true (TMEn) metabolizable energy values of a low-fat and a high-fat meat meal (MM) were studied. Adult roosters were fed ad libitum on a basal diet or a mixture of the basal diet and one of the two MM. At up to 60% incorporation, MM were introduced at the expense of corn in the basal diet. Dietary inclusion was at 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60%; birds were also force-fed pure MM. The ME of MM decreased as MM content in the diet increased. Highest AMEn were observed when the MM was 5% of the diet (3356 and 1715 kcal/kg for the high- and low-fat MM, respectively); this may have been attributable to synergism of MM and basal diet fatty acids. The lower ME observed with higher MM could result from interactions between calcium and one or both fatty acids and proteins. It is concluded that ME of MM should be measured in diets containing low practical MM. Artificially high experimental levels of 50 or 100% may lead to underestimation of the energy of MM.

Animals↗