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Biomedical subjects

C Best

Publications and source records attributed to C Best.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Post-transplant hypertension in the rat: effects of captopril and native nephrectomy.

In patients with well-functioning renal allografts, the presence of diseased native kidneys appears to be a common cause of elevated blood pressure. We evaluated the role of native kidneys in post-transplant hypertension using a rat model in which the confounding variables of rejection and immunosuppression could be eliminated. To produce disease in native kidneys. PVG rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy. Four weeks following renal ablation, these hypertensive animals were transplanted with kidneys from syngeneic PVG donors. Four weeks later, the effects of captopril and native nephrectomy on blood pressure and renal hemodynamics were examined. Animals with remnant native kidneys which received non-rejecting renal isografts had sustained hypertension, elevated plasma renin levels and reduced transplant function. In these animals, administration of captopril reduced systemic blood pressure. Despite the reduction in blood pressure, PAH clearance by the transplanted kidney increased markedly while GFR rose modestly. Removal of the remnant native kidney also acutely lowered blood pressure. However, compared to captopril, native nephrectomy produced a more marked increase in GFR without significantly affecting renal blood flow. In this model of post-transplant hypertension in the rat, elevated blood pressure and reduced isograft function are mediated by the diseased native kidney, in part through the effects of angiotensin II. These data suggest that ACE inhibitors and native nephrectomy may have beneficial hemodynamic effects in patients with post-transplant hypertension caused by native kidneys.

Aminohippuric Acids↗
PubMed1987

Ischemic heart disease risk factors in middle-aged Seventh-day Adventist men and their neighbors.

Seventh-day Adventists in California have much lower mortality from ischemic heart disease than do other Californians, but the risk factors have not been well documented previously for a representative sample. This study, conducted in 1982, chose a random sample of 160 Californian non-Hispanic white middle-aged Adventist men, 160 of their similar-aged male neighbors, and documented traditional ischemic heart disease risk factors. Results show major dietary differences between the two groups as expected, this being reflected in significant differences in consumption of total fat, saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and crude fiber. Questionnaire data suggested that the Adventists also exercised 50% more, rarely smoked, but had identical Framingham Type A/B scores. There were no differences in obesity or blood pressure levels, but serum total cholesterol was significantly lower in the Adventists (190.1 vs. 203.5 mg/dl, p less than 0.001), as was low density lipoprotein cholesterol (125 vs. 134.0 mg/dl, p less than 0.03) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (42.3 vs. 46.0 mg/dl, p less than 0.005). Consequently, the ratio of total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol was virtually identical between the two groups. Possible explanations for some of these findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Adjusted subcutaneous heparin or continuous intravenous heparin in patients with acute deep vein thrombosis. A randomized trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and safety of adjusted subcutaneous calcium heparin compared with continuous intravenous calcium heparin as the initial treatment for acute deep vein thrombosis. DESIGN: Randomized control trial. SETTING: University-affiliated general hospital. PATIENTS: Of 111 consecutive patients considered, 103 had acute proximal or calf vein thrombosis confirmed by ascending venography and met all other eligibility criteria. INTERVENTIONS: PATIENTS were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous or intravenous heparin. The subcutaneous regimen consisted of an initial dose of 15,000 U, adjusted thereafter to prolong the activated partial thromboplastin time to 50 to 70 seconds. The continuous intravenous regimen was begun as a bolus injection of 5000 U, followed by an infusion of 1250 U/h, adjusted to maintain the activated partial thromboplastin time at 50 to 70 seconds. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the rate of new pulmonary embolism between the two groups, as defined by new high-probability defect on repeat ventilation-perfusion scintigrams of the lung in 96 (93%) of the patients after 7 to 10 days of treatment. Five of forty-seven patients in the subcutaneous group and 5 of 49 in the intravenous group developed pulmonary embolism (95% confidence interval [CI] for the difference, -13.1% to 12.2%). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the frequency of hemorrhagic complications. Five of fifty-one patients in the subcutaneous group and 5 of 52 in the intravenous group had hemorrhagic complications (95% CI for the difference, -11.2% to 11.6%). CONCLUSION: Adjusted subcutaneous calcium heparin may be an effective and safe alternative to continuous intravenous calcium heparin in the initial treatment of acute proximal deep vein thrombosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

Improved clonal growth of human solid tumors by isolation of viable cells.

The potential for the establishment of predictive assays for cancer chemotherapy was generated recently by the development of a soft agar clonogenic assay for human tumor cells. Though the assay technique is promising, certain technical problems remain. One is the difficulty of preparing viable cell suspensions from solid human tumors. A method of separating viable and nonviable cells by Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation was used. When this method was used to plate isolated viable single cells, an improvement in cloning was observed when compared with a nonseparated mixture of viable and nonviable cells.

Cell Separation↗
PubMed1978

A new device for arterial blood gas sampling.

Artifacts in CO2 tension measurements owing to heparin dilution are eliminated by use of a sampling device employing crystalline heparin. The absence of a plunger and the low resistance to filling allows the use of small, 23- or 25-guage needles, thus reducing pain during arterial puncture and hematoma formation.

Arteries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improving practice with a nurse nutrition team.

This article describes how the introduction of a nurse nutrition team has led to improved staff morale and communication, as well as increasing the number of appropriate referrals to the dietician.

Communication↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Caring for the individual.

People do not lose their individuality as they grow older. With the use of a moving case history Carolyn Best describes how a lifetime's experiences and personality should be taken into account when dealing with older people.

Aged↗