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Biomedical subjects

C E Marshall

Publications and source records attributed to C E Marshall.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Subchronic nasal toxicity of hexamethylphosphoramide administered to rats orally for 90 days.

Rats were administered hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) at dosages of 10, 100, 300, and 1000 ppm in drinking water or at 15, 40, or 120 mg/kg/day by gavage for approximately 90 days. Another group of rats was implanted subcutaneously with HMPA-filled osmotic minipumps, designed to deliver a dosage of 40 mg/kg/day to prevent the possibility of direct contact of HMPA with the nasal epithelium. After 90 days at 10 ppm in the drinking water, some rats had tracheas lined with regenerated epithelium, but no HMPA-related lesions were present in any other organs and tissues. At 100 ppm, nasal lesions (epithelial denudation, regeneration, and squamous metaplasia) were mostly in the maxilloturbinates, tips of nasoturbinates, and the adjacent septum in the anterior nasal cavity (level I), but the lesions were confined to the ventral region of the mid-anterior nasal cavity (level II) and to recesses of the posterior nasal cavity (levels III and IV). At 300 ppm, nasal turbinates in level I were partially adhered to the nasal septum by fibrous tissue. In level II the lesions were mainly confined to the ventral medial meatus, but were scattered diffusely in levels III and IV. Denuded turbinates showed minimal bone proliferation. At 1000 ppm, the anterior nasal cavity was partially occluded by extensive adhesion of the turbinates to the nasal septum by granulation tissue and proliferating turbinate bone. The general architecture of the posterior nasal cavity was obliterated by the marked proliferation of turbinate bone and fibrous tissue in the interturbinate spaces. Tracheas showed regenerated epithelium and bronchi had focal epithelial denudation at 100, 300, and 1000 ppm. Foamy alveolar macrophages (histiocytosis) were increased in the lungs at 300 and 1000 ppm. Testicular atrophy occurred at 1000 ppm. No other tissues were affected by HMPA treatment. Nasal lesions in rats given HMPA by gavage were identical in nature to, but sometimes slightly more severe than, the lesions in rats given HMPA in the drinking water. Rats given 40 mg/kg/day HMPA via an osmotic minipump had slightly less severe nasal lesions than did the rats given the same dosage of HMPA by gavage. Testicular atrophy was present in the rats given 120 mg/kg/day by gavage. The results of this study show that, with the exception of bone proliferation, systemic delivery of HMPA or its metabolites to the nasal tissue following oral administration causes tissue damage similar to that caused by direct exposure of the nasal tissue via inhalation. Oral administration of HMPA is a less potent route for producing nasal lesions than is inhalation.

Administration, Intranasal↗

Fluorometric assessments of acrosomal integrity and viability in cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa.

The combination of specific fluorometric staining and flow cytometry provides a rapid and precise means of assessing the functional status of cells. We sought to utilize this approach to quantify two important seminal characteristics, acrosomal integrity and sperm viability, and to compare these with classical microscopic measurements of acrosomal integrity and sperm motility. Samples of thawed, cryopreserved sperm packaged in 0.5-ml French straws were obtained from 12 Holstein bulls. Classical acrosomal assessments and sperm motility estimates were made using differential interference contrast microscopy. Fluorescent acrosomal probes included LysoTracker Green DND-26 (LYSO-G), fluorescein-labeled peanut agglutinin, the biotinylated isocoumarin serine protease inhibitor Bi-Aca-Aca-OMe-IC that was secondarily labeled with fluorescein-avidin, and rabbit antibodies to bovine acrosin that were secondarily labeled with fluoresceinated anti-rabbit immunoglobulin. The fluorescent probes for sperm viability were a combination of SYBR-14 and propidium iodide (PI) or of SYTO-17 and PI. Significant differences were found among methods and among bulls, but not among straws (n = 3). All four fluorescent measures of acrosomal integrity showed highly significant correlations with both classical measurements. These data indicated that the quality of cryopreserved bovine sperm samples could be readily quantified using a variety of organelle-specific fluorescent staining techniques.

Acrosin↗

Fluorometric assessments of mitochondrial function and viability in cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa.

Mitochondrial function and sperm viability were quantified in samples of cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa from 12 bulls using fluorometric techniques. The active mitochondria of the spermatozoa were fluorescently stained using three different fluorophores: rhodamine 123 (R123), 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl-carbocyan ine iodide (JC-1) or MitoTracker Green FM (MITO). The stained spermatozoa, and companion aliquots that had been stained with SYBR-14 (a living-cell nucleic acid stain) and propidium iodide to assess viability, were quantified using flow cytometry. The resulting fluorescent measurements of mitochondrial function were compared with microscopic assessments of progressive sperm motility immediately after thawing, with motility after 3-h incubation at 37 degrees C, and with the fluorescent assessment of sperm viability. Staining with either R123 or MITO resulted in a single green population. In contrast, the JC-1 staining of mitochondria produced both green and red-orange populations of spermatozoa and sometimes a progressive gradient between the two populations. The ability of JC-1 to discriminate between mitochondria exhibiting high membrane potential from those having low to medium membrane potential provided a more rigorous estimate of metabolic function than the other two fluorescent stains. Overall, the three fluorometric measurements of mitochondrial function were highly correlated with each other, with the SYBR-14 assessment of viability, and with the microscopic estimates of motility.

Animals↗

Pathogenesis and prevention of native valve infective endocarditis in elderly dental patients.

Elderly dental patients are at risk of developing infective endocarditis. Increased longevity is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiac valvular disease and impairment of the immune system. Aortic stenosis commonly occurs in persons between 60 and 75 years of age. Degenerative calcification of the mitral valve ring leading to valve incompetency often develops in those over age 70 years. Men over the age of 60 years with mitral valve prolapse and systolic hypertension are at risk of infective endocarditis because the excessive haemodynamic load placed upon the abnormal valve causes extensive stretching of cusps and loss of valve surface endothelium. Dental procedures, that result in mucosal or gingival bleeding (most notably dental extractions, periodontal probing, scaling and surgery, endodontics and restorative procedures which extend below the gingival line), frequently produce a bacteraemia. Anaerobic strains of bacteria are isolated twice as frequently as aerobic strains. Antibiotic prophylaxis decreases the level of bacteraemia, prevents adherence of bacteria to the damaged valvular epithelium and suppresses the growth of those microbes that manage to adhere to the valve. The standard prophylactic regimen consists of amoxicillin 3g 1 hour before the dental procedure, then 1.5g 6 hours after the initial dose. Erythromycin is a good alternative for penicillin-allergic patients. Topical chlorhexidine 5 minutes before initiating dental therapy reduces the bacterial inoculum and the likelihood of endocarditis.

Aged↗

Interrelationships among fluorometric analyses of spermatozoal function, classical semen quality parameters and the fertility of frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa.

Cryopreserved spermatozoa from 8 bulls were used to examine the interrelationships among flow cytometric spermatozoal quality assessments and classical semen quality parameters and nonreturn rate estimates of fertility. The integrity of the sperm cell membrane and the functional capacity of the mitochondria were quantified by flow cytometry after concurrent staining with carboxydimethylfluorescein diacetate (CDMFDA), propidium iodide (PI), and rhodamine 123 (R123). For each sample a total of 10,000 stained spermatozoa were simultaneously quantified for the intensity of their green and red fluorescence. Three straws from each bull were each examined initially and following incubation at 37 degrees C for 3 hours to assess the rate of senescence. The proportion of spermatozoa retaining membrane integrity and having functional mitochondria, as determined by CDMFDA and R123 staining, were compared with classical semen quality assessments (sperm motility, acrosomal status, cellular and head morphology, presence of vacuoles/craters and cytoplasmic droplets) and with fertility (nonreturn to estrus rates). For individual ejaculates nonreturn rates, the range was from 61.8 to 78.8%, whereas the cumulative rates of several ejaculates for each bull ranged from 71.3 to 83.5%. The proportion of spermatozoa with functional membranes and mitochondria were positively correlated with the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology (r=0.82; P=0.01) and motility after 4 hours of incubation (r=0.78; P=0.02), but not with the estimates of fertility. The actual number of spermatozoa per straw staining with CDMFDA and R123 after 4 hours of incubation at 37 degrees C was correlated with the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology (r=0.73; P=0.04). Multiple regression equations indicated that combinations of semen quality measurements could be useful in estimating fertilizing potential.

Journal Article↗

Influence of smoking and plasma factors on patency of femoropopliteal vein grafts.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of smoking, plasma lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and fibrinogen on the patency of saphenous vein femoropopliteal bypass grafts at one year. DESIGN: Prospective study of patients with saphenous vein femoropopliteal bypass grafts entered into a multicentre trial. SETTING: Surgical wards, outpatient clinics, and home visits coordinated by two tertiary referral centres in London and Birmingham. PATIENTS: 157 Patients (mean age 66.6 (SD 8.2) years), 113 with patent grafts and 44 with occluded grafts one year after bypass. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Cumulative percentage patency at one year. RESULTS: Markers for smoking (blood carboxyhaemoglobin concentration (p less than 0.05) and plasma thiocyanate concentration (p less than 0.01) and plasma concentrations of fibrinogen (p less than 0.001) and apolipoproteins AI (p less than 0.04) and (a) (p less than 0.05) were significantly higher in patients with occluded grafts. Serum cholesterol concentrations were significantly higher in patients with grafts that remained patent one year after bypass (p less than 0.005). Analysis of the smoking markers indicated that a quarter of patients (40) were untruthful in their claims to have stopped smoking. Based on smoking markers, patency of grafts in smokers was significantly lower at one year by life table analysis than in non-smokers (63% v 84%, p less than 0.02). Patency was significantly higher by life table analysis in patients with a plasma fibrinogen concentration below the median than in those with a concentration above (90% v 57%, p less than 0.0002). Surprisingly, increased plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration was significantly associated with improved patency at one year (85%) at values above the median compared with patency (only 68%) at values in the lower half of the range (p less than 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma fibrinogen concentration was the most important variable predicting graft occlusion, followed by smoking markers. A more forceful approach is needed to stop patients smoking; therapeutic measures to improve patency of vein grafts should focus on decreasing plasma fibrinogen concentration rather than serum cholesterol concentration.

Aged↗

Analysis of drug-drug interactions among nursing home residents.

The extent of clinically important drug-drug interactions in the patient population of a nursing home was studied. The administration of medications to all 138 residents of two wards of the hospital-affiliated facility was monitored for 15 days through a review of nurses' medication-administration records and patients' charts. Information on the nature and timing of administered drug combinations was compared with published information to identify potential drug interactions. If a serious drug interaction was suspected, the recorded information was verified through the nurse in charge of that patient. Few of the drug interactions commonly reported to occur in nursing homes were observed at the facility, where drug therapy is monitored by a team of geriatric practitioners that includes two pharmacists. Of the 24 suspected interactions that were identified, 11 had potential clinical importance, and all 11 involved drug combinations that could alter the metabolism or action of one of the drugs. However, only two patients were exposed to any substantial degree of risk, and dosages of the drugs involved were adjusted. An additional 13 patients were taking a combination of drugs that could have altered the intestinal absorption of one of the drugs. Careful timing of drug administration avoided this potential problem. With proper education of the nursing staff, immediate clarification of medication orders, and optimal timing of drug administration, many clinically important drug-drug and drug-food interactions can be avoided in nursing home patients.

Adult↗

Deep white matter infarction: correlation of MR imaging and histopathologic findings.

Focal and confluent areas of periventricular hyperintensity have been reported on magnetic resonance (MR) images in 30% of patients over 60 years of age. In order to better understand the pathologic basis of these lesions, the authors studied 14 formalin-fixed brains with MR imaging. Multiple focal areas of hyperintensity were identified in the periventricular white matter in three of the 14 brains studied (21%). Subsequent gross and microscopic pathologic examination of both hyperintense and normal-intensity areas was performed on 87 tissue sections. The larger lesions were characterized centrally by necrosis, axonal loss, and demyelination and therefore represent true infarcts. Reactive astrocytes oriented along the degenerated axons were identified at distances of up to several centimeters from the central infarct. This is called isomorphic gliosis and is associated with increased intensity on T2-weighted images that increases the apparent size of the central lesion.

Aged↗

Nursing home rounds as a format for teaching residents and medical students.

The nursing home has become a focus for education as well as patient care. A format was devised for nursing home rounds that provides for discussion among staff members and specialists and is aimed at teaching and the resolution of specific patient-care and administrative issues. This format is outlined, and records from these twice-weekly rounds are reviewed. The nursing home rounds were consistently attended by members of the nursing and medical staffs, trainees, and nursing and medical directors. As is apparent from the records of these rounds, many complex medical problems were handled without transferring the patients to an acute-care facility. The discussion among participants of specific clinical problems at nursing home rounds has proven invaluable as a tool for education and delivery of patient care.

California↗

Characteristics of bovine spermatozoa after migration through a bovine serum albumin gradient.

Experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency with which viable, morphologically normal bovine spermatozoa could be isolated using a discontinuous bovine serum albumin (BSA) gradient. In the first experiment, extended semen was layered on top of a BSA gradient (4% BSA over 10% BSA) contained in a 500-ml separatory funnel. When comparing 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 or 21 X 10(9) spermatozoa applied to the gradient, the percentage of spermatozoa recovered from the lower third of the 10% BSA ranged from 2.9 to 18.5%. The greatest recovery was achieved when 1 X 10(9) sperm cells were applied. Increasing the number of spermatozoa applied to the gradient increased the percentage of spermatozoa remaining in the upper portions of the gradient. Motility of spermatozoa immediately after collection from the 10% BSA layer of the gradient was greater than 90%, regardless of the number of spermatozoa applied. In a second experiment with freeze-thawed separated or unseparated spermatozoa, post-thaw motility (greater than 60%) and acrosomal integrity (greater than 85%) of separated spermatozoa (4 or 10% BSA layer) was greater (P less than .05) than that of unseparated spermatozoa (38 and 66%, respectively). The discontinuous gradient excluded decapitated spermatozoa and spermatozoa with mid-piece and principal piece abnormalities from entering the lower layers. Sperm cells with head abnormalities were not separated. These data indicate that a population of spermatozoa with a high frequency of viable, motile, morphologically-normal bovine spermatozoa can be isolated using a discontinuous BSA gradient.

Animals↗

Effects of adrenaline on ketogenesis from long- and medium-chain fatty acids in starved rats.

1. Injection of adrenaline into 24 h-starved rats caused a 69% decrease in blood [ketone-body] (3-hydroxybutyrate plus acetoacetate), accompanied by a decreased [3-hydroxybutyrate]/[acetoacetate] ratio. Blood [glucose] and [lactate] increased, but [alanine] was unchanged. 2. Adrenaline also decreased [ketone-body] after intragastric feeding of both long- and medium-chain triacylglycerol. The latter decrease was observed after suppression of lipolysis with 5-methylpyrazole-3-carboxylic acid, indicating that the antiketogenic action of adrenaline was not dependent on the chain length of the precursor fatty acid. 3. The actions of adrenaline to decrease blood [ketone-body] and to increase blood [glucose] were not observed after administration of 3-mercaptopicolinate, an inhibitor of gluconeogenesis. This suggests that these effects of the hormone are related. 4. The possible clinical significance of the results is discussed with reference to the restricted ketosis often observed after surgical or orthopaedic injury.

Animals↗

Brown-adipose-tissue lipogenesis in starvation: effects of insulin and (-) hydroxycitrate.

Glucose or insulin increased lipogenesis (measured in vivo using 3H2O) in brown fat of starved rats. Such increases were associated with activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase and increased use of glucose as a lipogenic precursor (monitored as an increase in the 14C/3H ratio in brown-fat fatty acids in rats injected with both 3H20 and [U-14C]glucose). (-) Hydroxycitrate did not inhibit basal rates of brown-fat lipogenesis in starved rats but suppressed the increases in lipogenesis and glucose utilization observed in response to insulin. (-)Hydroxycitrate did not, however, inhabit the increase in 14C/3H observed after insulin treatment. The results indicate that in brown fat, glucose is utilized for fatty-acid synthesis predominantly via citrate, and that insulin acts to increase lipogenesis at site(s) prior to citrate cleavage. As basal rates of lipogenesis were not inhibited by (-)hydroxycitrate, it is suggested that acetate may be a lipogenic substrate for brown fat in starvation, and experiments are described which support this suggestion.

Acetates↗

Effects of some drugs and peptide hormones on the responsiveness of the rabbit isolated gall-bladder to cholecystokinin.

1. The efficacies of some standard preparations of CCK were compared and the effects of some drugs and peptide hormones on the responsiveness of the rabbit isolated gall-bladder to cholecystokinin were studied with an established automatic method of estimating cholecystokinin. 2. Atropine, propranolol, phentolamine mesylate and lignocaine were shown to have no effect on the responsiveness of the rabbit isolated gall-bladder. 3. Glucagon, somatostatin, pentagastrin, pancreatic polypeptide, motilin and the Karolinska preparation of secretin had no effect on the preparation alone and caused only slight changes when given with cholecystokinin. 4. The Boots preparation of secretin exhibited a small cholecystokinin effect when given alone, but considerably inhibited cholecystokinin-induced contractions. 5. The desulphated C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin also exhibited inhibitory effects.

Animals↗