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Biomedical subjects

B May

Publications and source records attributed to B May.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[The effect of molsidomine on portal and cardiac hemodynamics in liver cirrhosis].

An investigation was conducted on 21 patients (16 men and five women; mean age 48.2 [34-67] years) with cirrhosis of the liver of various aetiologies to determine whether molsidomine, which selectively reduces pre-load with-out the development of tolerance, effects portal and cardiac haemodynamics in liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Intravenous injection of 2 mg molsidomine reduced the hepatic vein closing pressure after 30 min by 8% (P less than 0.05) and the hepatic vein closing pressure gradient by 13.4% (P less than 0.002). The cardiac output fell by 5.8% (P less than 0.02) and the mean systemic arterial pressure by 4.2% (P less than 0.003). The reduction in hepatic venous closing pressure gradient did not correlate with the fall in cardiac output and mean arterial pressure. In 15 of 21 patients the hepatic venous pressure fell, but in six patients (28.6%) the pressure was not reduced (non-responders). The latter failure of response was associated with marked ascites, significant functional liver decompensation and alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Preliminary long-term observations with molsidomine point to a reduction in portal pressure by as much as 40%. This suggests that the drug is suitable for preventing bleeding from oesophageal varices.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Hyperamylasemia, hyperlipasemia and acute pancreatitis in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases].

145 clinical observations of 114 patients with Crohn's disease and 65 observations of 47 patients with ulcerative colitis were analyzed prospectively concerning the prevalence of pathologically elevated levels of serumamylase or -lipase and acute pancreatitis. Painless hyperamylasemia or hyperlipasemia were found in 18 of 114 patients with Crohn's disease (15.8%) and in 10 of 47 patients with ulcerative colitis (21.3%) without morphological abnormalities on ultrasound. Range of elevated serumamylase levels differs from 35 to 68 U/L (Ref.-value less than 34 U/L), range of serumlipase levels varies from 199 to 858 U/L (Ref.-value less than 190 U/L). Pathologically elevated levels of serumamylase and -lipase persisted for 17.7 +/- 9.0 (5-28) days in Crohn's disease and 22.8 +/- 9.8 (7-33) days in ulcerative colitis. No relation to the activity or the duration of the disease, drug treatment or the weight loss of the patients could be shown. Acute pancreatitis was found in 4 of 114 patients (3.5%) with Crohn's disease, whereas in ulcerative colitis acute pancreatitis was diagnosed in 1 of 47 patients (2.1%). Regarding the promoting factors, drugs (azathioprine and salazosulfapyridine) and mechanical alterations of the bile duct (primary sclerosing cholangitis) or the pancreas (pancreas divisum) were found in 4 of the 5 patients. However the case of a 23 year old woman suffering from Crohn's ileocolitis who died of an idiopathic pancreatitis remains obscure.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

[Circumscribed venous ectasia of the upper esophagus and "downhill" varices in primary disorders of esophageal motility].

Felson and Lessure 1964 (1) described varicosities involving the upper third of the esophagus in patients without portal hypertension. Several etiological factors causing these "downhill" varices, e.g. bronchogenic carcinoma, retrosternal thyroid adenoma or mediastinal fibrosis, have been described. Since September 1989 ectatic esophageal veins or "downhill" varices were diagnosed in nine patients with dysphagia and/or non cardiac chest pain. Intrathoracic masses as a possible cause of "downhill" varices could not be diagnosed in any of these patients. Endoscopy of the upper gastro-intestinal tract revealed spiral esophageal contractions as a potential sign of a esophageal motor disorder in seven patients. By means of esophageal manometry "nutcracker"-esophagus was seen in two patients and diffuse esophageal spasm in three patients. On the basis of these findings primary esophageal motor disorders should be considered as a possible cause of ectatic veins in the proximal esophagus and "downhill" varices.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Regulation of cytochrome P-450b/e and P-450p gene expression by growth hormone in adult rat hepatocytes cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane.

Growth hormone (GH) may directly affect the expression of some liver cytochromes P-450 inducible by xenobiotics, but this has been difficult to establish with pituitary ablation in living animals. Therefore, we incubated adult rat hepatocytes on a laminin-rich matrix, matrigel, a new system that permits hepatocytes to respond to xenobiotics with induction of the microsomal hemoproteins, the cytochromes P-450, in culture as they do in the intact liver (Schuetz, E. G., Li, D., Omiecinski, C. J., Muller-Eberhard, U., Kleinman, H. K., Elswick, B., and Guzelian, P. S. (1988) J. Cell. Physiol. 134, 309-323). Indeed, when cultures were treated with phenobarbital, there was a rise in mRNAs for the cytochromes P-450b/e and P-450p accompanied by a rise in mRNA for 5-aminolevulinate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme biosynthesis. Analysis of nuclei from the matrigel cultures established that phenobarbital treatment had activated transcription of the P-450b/e gene. Co-incubation of the cultures with physiologic concentrations of growth hormone completely blocked the induction of these P-450 mRNAs and partially blocked the rise in 5-aminolevulinate synthase mRNA. Induction of P-450p by isosafrole also was inhibited strongly by GH, whereas P-450p induction by pregnenolone 16 alpha-carbonitrile or dexamethasone was affected only weakly by GH. The effect of GH was specific inasmuch as phenobarbital-inducible expression of P-450 reductase, glucocorticoid-inducible expression of tyrosine aminotransferase, and basal expression of albumin were unaffected by the presence or absence of growth hormone. Nuclear analysis revealed that growth hormone inhibited phenobarbital-induced P-450b/e gene transcription, whereas the hormone was without effect on transcription of the liver-specific gene, tyrosine aminotransferase. In contrast, the addition of another peptide hormone, insulin-like growth factor I, was without inhibitory effect on P-450 gene expression. We conclude that growth hormone acts specifically and selectively in direct contact with the hepatocyte to control xenobiotic induction of some liver drug-metabolizing enzymes.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Allozyme and restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses confirm Entomophaga maimaiga responsible for 1989 epizootics in North American gypsy moth populations.

In 1989, populations of North American gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, in seven contiguous northeastern states were severely reduced by a fungal pathogen. Based on morphology, development, and pathology, this organism appeared to be Entomophaga maimaiga. We have now used allozyme and restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses to confirm this identification. Previously, this mycopathogen had been reported only from gypsy moth populations in Japan. During 1989, E. maimaiga occurred only in areas that had been initially defoliated by gypsy moth >10 years ago. E. maimaiga caused 60-88% mortality in late instar larvae on research sites in central Massachusetts.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Good and bad clinicians: supervisors' judgements of trainees' competence.

Experienced supervisors of trainee clinical psychologists used 24 scales to rate four concepts: 'your stereotype of a good trainee'; "a good trainee well known to you'; 'a bad trainee well known to you'; and 'your stereotype of a bad trainee'. Similar ratings were given for both the good trainee concepts, which were rated differently from both the bad concepts, which were also rated differently from each other. Factor analysis revealed that the supervisor's judgements fell across two interpretable dimensions.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1990

Human isophane or lente insulin? A double blind crossover trial in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Fifty two children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were randomised to receive human isophane or lente insulin preparations in combination with soluble insulin in a double blind trial. Patients were seen every two months, and crossed over after four months of treatment. Control assessed by glycated haemoglobin was significantly lower in children on human isophane insulin, but fasting blood glucose and fructosamine concentrations and the number of episodes of hypoglycaemia were similar on both regimens. In five children on twice daily insulin regimens, insulin profiles throughout a 24 hour period demonstrated greater variability on lente compared with isophane insulin despite identically administered insulin doses. A questionnaire completed at the end of the study showed that two thirds of the children and/or their parents preferred the isophane insulin, and they gave perceived improvement of metabolic control as the major reason for their choice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Crohn disease-associated pancreatitis: is there a new extra-intestinal manifestation of the disease?].

We report the case of a 23-year old woman suffering from Crohn's ileocolitis for 14 years who died of a prolonged shock followed by hyperglycaemia. The post-mortem examination showed an acute pancreatitis. There was no hint for Crohn's disease of the duodenum or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Unexplained Pancreatitis coincident with Crohn's disease might be a possible extraintestinal manifestation of the disease. However such association remains speculative at the moment. Further studies based on morphological, functional, immunological and epidemiological data are required. Review of the literature and our own data show the necessity to look attentive for other causes of acute pancreatitis associated with Crohn's disease (PSC, pancreas divisum, drug induced-pancreatitis).

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

[Liver function of patients with arterial hypoxemia in chronic obstructive respiratory tract disease and the effect of nasal oxygen insufflation].

Patients suffering from chronic obstructive airway disease often have arterial hypoxemia, which is more or less severe. If hypoxemia deteriorates the function of the liver is still unknown. The aim of this study was to determine, if a mostly oxygen dependent process of liver metabolism (galactose elimination capacity) is disturbed and if it can be increased by oxygen insufflation. Under the same conditions an oxygen independent process (indocyaninegreen clearance) should not be influenced. Our results show, that galactose elimination capacity under room air was pathologic and can be increased significantly by oxygen breathing. No change of indocyaninegreen clearance was seen under the same conditions. After termination of oxygen therapy the galactose elimination capacity was as bad as before oxygen breathing. Dysfunctions of the liver, which are caused by hypoxemia, can be positively influenced by oxygen, but only for the duration of oxygen insufflation.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Sex linkage in salmonids: evidence from a hybridized genome of brook trout and Arctic charr.

In second-generation sparctics (Salvelinus fontinalis x Salvelinus alpinus) backcrossed to S. fontinalis, we have identified tight classical linkage of phenotypic sex with Ldh-1, Aat-5, and Gpi-3. We designate this locus Sex-1 and suggest that it may be the primary sex-determining locus in salmonids. Cumulative salmonid gene-to-centromere map distances for the three biochemical loci put the order as centromere--Ldh-1--(Aat-5 and Gpi-3), with the latter two loci being tightly linked. An absence of association of phenotypic sex (presumably Sex-1) with these same three loci and other loci known to be linked to these loci is shown in splakes (S. fontinalis x Salvelinus namaycush) and cutbows (Salmo gairdneri x Salmo clarki). These data imply that the linkage of Sex-1 with these loci is found only in S. alpinus and support the view that Sex-1 lies across the centromere from these three loci in S. alpinus, representing a Robertsonian fusion not found in any of the other four species. A similar specific Robertsonian fusion is argued for S. gairdneri, where Sex-1 may be linked across a centromere to another biochemical locus (Ha). These linkage results and chromosomal observations of other investigators suggest that Sex-1 lies on an information-depauperate arm.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Categorical perception of conspecific communication sounds by Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata.

Field studies indicate that Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) communication signals vary with the social situation in which they occur [S. Green, "Variation of vocal pattern with social situation in the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata): A field study," in Primate Behavior, edited by L. A. Rosenblum (Academic, New York, 1975), Vol. 4]. A significant acoustic property of the contact calls produced by these primates is the temporal position of a frequency peak within the vocalization, that is, an inflection from rising to falling frequency [May et al., "Significant features of Japanese macaque communication sounds: A psychophysical study," Anim. Behav. 36, 1432-1444 (1988)]. The experiments reported here are based on the hypothesis that Japanese macaques derive meaning from this temporally graded feature by parceling the acoustic variation inherent in natural contact calls into two functional categories, and thus exhibit behavior that is analogous to the categorical perception of speech sounds by humans. To test this hypothesis, Japanese macaques were trained to classify natural contact calls by performing operant responses that signified either an early or late frequency peak position. Then, the subjects were tested in a series of experiments that required them to generalize this behavior to synthetic calls representing a continuum of peak positions. Demonstration of the classical perceptual effects noted for human listeners suggests that categorical perception reflects a principle of auditory information processing that influences the perception of sounds in the communication systems not only of humans, but of animals as well.

Animal Communication↗