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Biomedical subjects

C Day

Publications and source records attributed to C Day.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Traditional plant treatments for diabetes. Studies in normal and streptozotocin diabetic mice.

The effects on glucose homeostasis of eleven plants used as traditional treatments for diabetes mellitus were evaluated in normal and streptozotocin diabetic mice. Dried leaves of agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), blackberry (Rubus fructicosus), celandine (Chelidonium majus), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), and lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis); seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum); dried berries of juniper (Juniperus communis); bulbs of garlic (Allium sativum) and roots of liquorice (Glycyrhizza glabra) were studied. Each plant material was supplied in the diet (6.25% by weight) and some plants were additionally supplied as decoctions or infusions (1 g/400 ml) in place of drinking water to coincide with the traditional method of preparation. Food and fluid intake, body weight gain, plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in normal mice were not altered by 12 days of treatment with any of the plants. After administration of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg i.p.) on day 12 the development of hyperphagia, polydipsia, body weight loss, hyperglycaemia and hypoinsulinaemia were not affected by blackberry, celandine, lady's mantle or lily of the valley. Garlic and liquorice reduced the hyperphagia and polydipsia but did not significantly alter the hyperglycaemia or hypoinsulinaemia. Treatment with agrimony, alfalfa, coriander, eucalyptus and juniper reduced the level of hyperglycaemia during the development of streptozotocin diabetes. This was associated with reduced polydipsia (except coriander) and a reduced rate of body weight loss (except agrimony). Alfalfa initially countered the hypoinsulinaemic effect of streptozotocin, but the other treatments did not affect the fall in plasma insulin. The results suggest that certain traditional plant treatments for diabetes, namely agrimony, alfalfa, coriander, eucalyptus and juniper, can retard the development of streptozotocin diabetes in mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Hypoglycaemic effect of Momordica charantia extracts.

The hypoglycaemic effect of orally administered extracts of fruits of cultivated Momordica charantia (karela) was examined in normal and streptozotocin diabetic mice. In normal mice, an aqueous extract (A) lowered the glycaemic response to both oral and intraperitoneal glucose, without altering the insulin response. This aqueous extract (A) and the residue after alkaline chloroform extraction (B) reduced the hyperglycaemia in diabetic mice at 1 hour. Material recovered by acid water wash of the chloroform extract remaining after an alkaline water wash (D) produced a more slowly generated hypoglycaemic effect. The results suggest that orally administered karela extracts lower glucose concentrations independently of intestinal glucose absorption and involve an extrapancreatic effect. Two types of hypoglycaemic substances with different time dependent effects are indicated.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Enterovirus-specific IgM in the diagnosis of meningitis.

Samples of serum from 557 patients with a clinical diagnosis of meningitis or encephalitis and referred to the Epsom Public Health Laboratory during a period of 3 years were tested for enterovirus-specific IgM in a mu capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Enterovirus-specific IgM was detected in 45% samples from all age groups. In the 3-5-year age group, 67% specimens were positive. A notable male predominance (73%) was seen in the age group 0-15 years. As predicted, a seasonal increase in incidence was found in the summer and autumn months. Data from a questionnaire sent to the referring laboratories showed only a 5% enterovirus isolation rate from cerebrospinal fluids when isolation of a virus was attempted. The enterovirus IgM ELISA is a sensitive economical and rapid method for use in the diagnosis of viral meningitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Effect of gender on the response to a high fat diet in aging Fischer 344 rats.

The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of high fat (HF) and low fat (LF) diets in male and female Fischer 344 (F344) rats ages 5, 23 and 27 mo. Rats were fed the diet for 3 mo, and then resting metabolic rate, body composition and adipose tissue cellularity were evaluated. Although body mass was greater in rats fed the HF diet, this difference was due to a rapid increase in mass within the first 2 wk. There was no difference in the rate of body mass gain after this period. Resting mass-independent metabolic rate did not significantly differ due to age, diet or gender. In general, percentage fat mass was greater in rats fed the HF diet and in female than in male rats in both diet groups. However, lean body mass (%) was not altered due to diet or age. Cell number of the retroperitoneal depot increased with age and diet between 5 and 23 mo of age in both male and female rats. There was no effect of age, diet or gender on retroperitoneal cell size or gonadal cell number and size. These data suggest that age, gender and diet do not significantly alter the ability of F344 rats to regulate body composition or fat cell proliferation.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1989

Incidental and purposeful random donor blood transfusion. Sensitization and transplantation.

We conducted a prospective study to gauge the frequency and degree of sensitization by transfusion and/or pregnancy in 797 candidates for first renal transplants. Sensitization was proportional to the number of blood transfusions. Multiple transfusions or a history of pregnancy without transfusions had similar effects on sensitization. The combination of transfusion and prior pregnancy resulted in sensitization of 1/3 of the candidates. Patients who were not sensitized and were accepted for 1-haplotype living-related donor grafts or first-cadaver donor grafts were transfused to receive a total of 5 units of packed red blood cells. Parous patients had an undue rate of antibody formation and alternate means of selecting and managing parous women are described. Nonparous candidates had a low rate of sensitization (8%) that did not prove an impediment to obtaining a transplant. Only 2% of prospective LRD graft recipients developed antibody against their intended donor. Transplant patients were generally managed with azathioprine and prednisone. One-haplotype LRD graft survival of protocol patients was 93.7% one year posttransplant, and 82.1% at 5 years. One-year CD graft survival was 77%. There was no reduction in graft survival when the interval between transfusion and transplantation exceeded one year. Random donor transfusion is effective in improving renal graft survival. Some recent multiinstitutional reports indicate a reduction or absence of the transfusion effect with current immunosuppression. Discarding blood transfusion as a preparation for transplantation may be ill-advised pending a prospective study.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed1989

Effect of age and gender on thermoregulation.

Previous investigations have shown that during cold exposure 24-mo-old male Fischer 344 (F344) rats do not thermoregulate as well as do 12-mo-old animals. To determine if this deficiency also occurs in female rats, we measured oxygen consumption (thermogenesis) and colonic temperature of male and female rats 5, 23, and 27 mo of age at rest and during 6 h of exposure to 6 degrees C. In addition, nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) was evaluated from the capacity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondria isolated from cold-exposed rats to bind guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP). Neither age nor gender had a significant effect on resting or cold-exposed oxygen consumption expressed on a mass-independent basis (l/kg body mass0.67) or on a lean body mass independent basis (l/kg lean body mass0.67). The drop in colonic temperature in response to cold was greater in the male rats. However, females exhibited increased BAT mass and relatively constant GDP binding with advancing age, whereas males showed decreased mass and GDP binding. Although the data suggest greater NST capacity in the female rats, rates of cold-induced oxygen consumption were similar in older female vs. male rats. Taken together, our data indicate that gender has a significant impact on thermoregulation and that, under the cold exposure conditions of the study, this effect involves differential heat conservation rather than heat production.

Acclimatization↗