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Biomedical subjects

C E Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to C E Thomas.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Release of iron from ferritin by cardiotoxic anthracycline antibiotics.

The use of the extremely effective anthracycline antitumor drugs adriamycin and daunomycin is limited by a severe, dose-dependent cardiomyopathy. Anthracycline-induced toxicity has been proposed to involve iron-dependent oxidative damage to biological macromolecules yet little is known regarding the availability of physiologic iron. We now report that, in the presence of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, these drugs undergo redox cycling to generate superoxide which mediates a slow, reductive release of iron from ferritin, the major intracellular iron storage protein. Anaerobically, the semiquinone free radical forms of adriamycin and daunomycin catalyze a very rapid, extensive release of iron from ferritin. In contrast, diaziquone, an aziridinyl quinone antitumorigenic agent which is less cardiotoxic, is unable to release iron from ferritin. Thus, the present studies suggest that the cardiomyopathy observed with the anthracyclines, and perhaps their antineoplastic activity as well, may be related to their ability to delocalize tissue iron, thereby contributing to the formation of strong oxidants capable of damaging critical cellular constituents.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1986

Specific selection of osteosynthetic material in the treatment of thoracic or lumbar spinal injuries by the posterior approach. A review of 165 cases.

The authors report 165 cases of thoraco-lumbar lesions with neurological dysfunction. All the patient were operated. They analyze the neurological and mechanical results and indicate the use of different osteosynthesis apparatus according to the type and level of lesions. Harrington's rods seem to give more precise repositioning while Roy Camille's plates give more stability. When the posterior wall of the spinal canal is intact, Kempf's compression rods can be used. Thoraxic spine injuries seem to be an indication for Harrington's rods, while lumbar injuries seem to call for Camille's plates.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Herniated cervical discs. Analysis of a series of 230 cases.

Over a period of 18 years the authors have collected together 230 cases of herniation cervical discs. Multifactor analysis of the results of the various therapies is given. Surgical decompression has been done, mostly using an anterior approach, and it effectively treats the radicular damage; it stabilizes and improves spinal cord deficits whether the herniation is spontaneous or traumatic, acute or chronic. Computed tomography facilitates its anatomical identification and the decision regarding the therapy to apply.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Use of the syringoperitoneal shunt in the treatment of syringomyelia.

A syringoperitoneal shunt is a one-way drain that empties cerebrospinal fluid from the pathological syringomyelic cavity into the abdomen. This treatment technique is based on the principle that the signs and symptoms of syringomyelia are caused by insidious interference with the condition of nerve signals in the spinal cord tracts due to either tearing or compression of the tracts by the distended cavity. A series of eight patients suffering from this disorder were operated upon using a syringoperitoneal shunt. The initial results seem to indicate that this technique is especially useful when pain, atrophy, or both dominate the clinical picture. Clinical signs, diagnostic studies, and surgical considerations are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Free radicals and environmental toxins.

Some chemicals that contaminate our environment exert their toxic effects by virtue of their ability to form free radicals. In the absence of sufficient quenching reactions, these reactive radicals can attack biomolecules, resulting in their oxidative degradation. Biological membranes which contain polyunsaturated fatty acids are most susceptible to oxidative degradation (lipid peroxidation), although oxidation of DNA may have more severe biological consequences. Free radicals species can be generated by at least two mechanisms in vivo. The first, of which carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is the classic example, is the biotransformation of the chemical to a free radical species. Metabolism of CCl4 to the trichloromethyl radical by the hepatic mixed-function oxidase system results in the initiation of lipid peroxidation, protein-lipid cross linkages, and trichloromethyl adducts with DNA, protein, and lipid. The second mechanism for forming free radicals involves their reduction to less stable free radical intermediates which are oxidized by molecular oxygen to give superoxide (O2-.). In the presence of transition metals, such as iron, O2-. can be converted to other oxygen radical species, such as the hydroxyl radical (.OH), an extremely powerful oxidant capable of cleaving DNA, oxidizing protein, and initiating lipid peroxidation. Under many conditions, lipid peroxidation appears not to be initiated by .OH, but rather by an iron-oxygen complex. Regardless of the identity of the initiating species, transition metals are required for most of the deleterious reactions of oxygen. Superoxide and certain organic radicals have been found to release iron from ferritin.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1986

Effects of calcium channel blockade on renal vascular resistance responses to changes in perfusion pressure and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in dogs.

We conducted these experiments to evaluate the selectivity of calcium channel blockade on the renal autoregulatory mechanism and on angiotensin II-mediated renal vasoconstriction. Experiments were performed in anesthetized dogs in which renal arterial pressure, renal blood flow, and glomerular filtration rate were measured at normal and reduced renal arterial pressure. At control arterial pressures, renal arterial infusions of verapamil increased renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate significantly. The decreases in renal vascular resistance elicited with verapamil (n = 13) and nifedipine (n = 4) occurred only at renal arterial pressure levels within the normal autoregulatory range. Renal blood flow autoregulatory efficiency was markedly attenuated, and the pressure-flow relationship obtained during calcium channel blockade approached that of a passive system. Systemic infusions of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (captopril) during continued verapamil infusion caused further vasodilation at all renal arterial pressure values, as evidenced by an increase in slope of 27% of the pressure-blood flow relationship. This response was reversed by angiotensin II infusions. This shift indicates a reduction in minimal vascular resistance elicited by captopril, not obtainable with verapamil alone, and sensitive to angiotensin II. The effects of verapamil and nifedipine on renal blood flow autoregulation suggest a specific effect at preglomerular sites of potential operated membrane calcium channels in the autoregulatory phenomenon. The additional vasodilation elicited with captopril and reversed by angiotensin II indicates the presence of an angiotensin-sensitive postglomerular resistance component which is not influenced by calcium entry blockers.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1985

Ferritin and superoxide-dependent lipid peroxidation.

Ferritin was found to promote the peroxidation of phospholipid liposomes, as evidenced by malondialdehyde formation, when incubated with xanthine oxidase, xanthine, and ADP. Activity was inhibited by superoxide dismutase but markedly stimulated by the addition of catalase. Xanthine oxidase-dependent iron release from ferritin, measured spectrophotometrically using the ferrous iron chelator 2,2'-dipyridyl, was also inhibited by superoxide dismutase, suggesting that superoxide can mediate the reductive release of iron from ferritin. Potassium superoxide in crown ether also promoted superoxide dismutase-inhibitable release of iron from ferritin. Catalase had little effect on the rate of iron release from ferritin; thus hydrogen peroxide appears to inhibit lipid peroxidation by preventing the formation of an initiating species rather than by inhibiting iron release from ferritin. EPR spin trapping with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide was used to observe free radical production in this system. Addition of ferritin to the xanthine oxidase system resulted in loss of the superoxide spin trap adduct suggesting an interaction between superoxide and ferritin. The resultant spectrum was that of a hydroxyl radical spin trap adduct which was abolished by the addition of catalase. These data suggest that ferritin may function in vivo as a source of iron for promotion of superoxide-dependent lipid peroxidation. Stimulation of lipid peroxidation but inhibition of hydroxyl radical formation by catalase suggests that, in this system, initiation is not via an iron-catalyzed Haber-Weiss reaction.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Role of metals in oxygen radical reactions.

Partially-reduced forms of dioxygen or "oxy-radicals" (superoxide, O2-/HO2; hydrogen peroxide, H2O2; hydroxyl radical X OH) and oxidants of comparable reactivity are implicated in an increasing number of physiological, toxicological, and pathological states. Transition metal catalysis is recognized as being integral to the generation and the reactions of these activated oxygen species. Factors such as pH and chelation govern the reactivity of the transition metals with dioxygen and "oxy-radicals" and therefore influence the apparent mechanisms by which oxidative damage to phospholipids, DNA, and other biomolecules is initiated. In biological systems the concentrations of redox-active transition metals capable of catalyzing these reactions appears to be relatively low. However, under certain conditions metal storage and transport proteins (ferritin, transferrin, ceruloplasmin, etc.) may furnish additional redox active metals.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Paraquat and ferritin-dependent lipid peroxidation.

A lipid peroxidation system consisting of phospholipid liposomes, paraquat, ADP, and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase was constituted using ferritin as the sole source of iron. Lipid peroxidation was completely inhibited by superoxide dismutase, essentially not affected by mannitol, but markedly stimulated by catalase. Similar effects of these scavenging agents were observed in incubations void of ADP. These data suggest that O2-, produced by the redox cycling of paraquat, can release iron from ferritin and thereby promote lipid peroxidation. The effects of catalase and mannitol suggest that the initiation of peroxidation, in either the presence or absence of ADP, is not significantly dependent upon the hydroxyl radical produced via an iron-catalyzed Haber-Weiss reaction.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1985

Rat liver microsomal NADPH-dependent release of iron from ferritin and lipid peroxidation.

Microsomes prepared by the usual method of differential centrifugation were found to contain ferritin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase which could be removed by chromatography on Sepharose CL-2B. Addition of purified rat liver ferritin to chromatographed microsomes resulted in a significant stimulation of NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation which was inhibited by exogenously added SOD. Iron release from ferritin by these microsomes was also inhibited by SOD. Ferritin did not promote NADPH-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation when added to microsomes isolated in the usual manner, presumably due to the endogenous SOD present in the microsomes. Accordingly, only very low rates of iron release from ferritin were observed with these microsomes. Paraquat (PQ), which generates superoxide O2-. via redox cycling, greatly stimulated iron release from ferritin and lipid peroxidation in chromatographed microsomes. Paraquat had no effect on iron release from ferritin or lipid peroxidation in microsomes. which were not chromatographed unless they were first treated with CN- to inhibit endogenous SOD. These studies indicate that the majority of microsomal iron is contained within ferritin and that following release by O2-. this iron serves to promote the peroxidation of microsomal lipids.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Anterointernal approach to the lumbar spine: technical note.

Lumbar surgery is currently benefiting from the development of anterior approaches to the spine and the possibilities of anterior arthrodesis. The transperitoneal approach is being replaced more often by an extraperitoneal approach that enables anterior access to the spine. The authors report an anterointernal approach to the lumbar spine.

Fracture Fixation↗
PubMed1984

Post traumatic spinal arachnoid cysts.

Based on the study of 10 cases of post traumatic spinal arachnoid cysts (SAC), acute and chronic clinical variants are individualized. A physiopathological hypothesis is advanced to explain their mechanism of formation. Acute SACs should be operated upon immediately although the differential diagnosis with spinal epidural haematomas is difficult. Even more difficult is the diagnosis of the chronic SAC. Rare though it may be, the Neurosurgeon must be aware of the possibility of its occurrence, especially when treating rather vague and stubborn cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Superoxide generation by NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase: the effect of iron chelators and the role of superoxide in microsomal lipid peroxidation.

Superoxide generation, assessed as the rate of acetylated cytochrome c reduction inhibited by superoxide dismutase, by purified NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase or intact rat liver microsomes was found to account for only a small fraction of their respective NADPH oxidase activities. DTPA-Fe3+ and EDTA-FE3+ greatly stimulated NADPH oxidation, acetylated cytochrome c reduction, and O(2) production by the reductase and intact microsomes. In contrast, all ferric chelates tested caused modest inhibition of acetylated cytochrome c reduction and O(2) generation by xanthine oxidase. Although both EDTA-Fe3+ and DTPA-Fe3+ were directly reduced by the reductase under anaerobic conditions, ADP-Fe3+ was not reduced by the reductase under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Desferrioxamine-Fe3+ was unique among the chelates tested in that it was a relatively inert iron chelate in these assays, having only minor effects on NADPH oxidation and/or O(2) generation by the purified reductase, intact microsomes, or xanthine oxidase. Desferrioxamine inhibited microsomal lipid peroxidation promoted by ADP-Fe3+ in a concentration-dependent fashion, with complete inhibition occurring at a concentration equal to that of exogenously added ferric iron. The participation of O(2) generated by the reductase in NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation was also investigated and compared with results obtained with a xanthine oxidase-dependent lipid peroxidation system. NADPH-dependent peroxidation of either phospholipid liposomes or rat liver microsomes in the presence of ADP-Fe3+ was demonstrated to be independent of O(2) generation by the reductase.

Animals↗