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Biomedical subjects

C M Wright

Publications and source records attributed to C M Wright.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Language and communication problems in an Asian community.

A survey of general practitioners working in an area of immigrant concentration was undertaken to find out about their contacts with the Asian community. An earlier study had shown that Pakistani women mostly spoke little or no English and that they had strict ideas of modesty, which suggested problems for the health services.Questionnaires were sent to 44 doctors and 39 (89 per cent) replied. To the question of language difficulty, 11 doctors answered that they could speak at least one Asian language, the remainder said they relied on patients' relatives to interpret. On frequency and length of consultations, more than half the doctors felt that Asians consulted more often and took up more time than English patients. Reluctance on the part of Asian women to be examined was reported by 30 doctors. However, the commonest comments volunteered by the general practitioners were not about language or modesty but about their Asian patients' tendency to complain of trivial ailments, while on the other hand they presented less often with psychosocial problems. A connection between the language barrier and apparently unnecessary complaining is postulated. It is also recommended that interpreting facilities and liaison workers should be made known to general practitioners.

Communication↗
PubMed1980

Beta-adrenoceptor antagonists: studies on behaviour (delayed differentiation) in the monkey (Macaca mulatta).

1 Activity of six beta-adrenoceptor antagonists was studied on behavioural activity (delayed differentiation) in the monkey (Macaca mulatta). The drugs, three relatively lipophilic antagonists (propranolol, oxprenolol and metoprolol), and three relatively hydrophilic antagonists (acebutolol, atenolol and sotalol), were given by intraperitoneal injection (5 to 30 mg/kg).2 With atenolol (25 to 30 mg/kg), total response time was increased, but there was no effect on the number of correct responses. With acebutolol (25 to 30 mg/kg), the number of correct responses was reduced, but there was no effect on total response time. With metoprolol (25 to 30 mg/kg), there was an increase in total response time and a decrease in the number of correct responses, and correct responses were decreased 4 h after injection over the whole dose range (5 to 30 mg/kg).3 Some animals failed to respond or complete the task with 30 mg/kg oxprenolol, 25 mg/kg sotalol and 20 mg/kg propranolol. With 25 mg/kg oxprenolol, the total response time was increased and the number of correct responses was decreased. With 5-20 mg/kg sotalol, total response time was increased, but there was no effect on the number of correct responses. With 15 mg/kg of (+/-)-propranolol and its isomers, there were increases in total response time and decreases in correct responses.4 The studies suggest that lipophilic antagonists, such as propranolol, oxprenolol and metoprolol, are likely to have, at least, effects on the central nervous system, while hydrophilic antagonists may modify the peripheral nervous system. In the dose-ranges studied, propranolol had the greatest, and atenolol and acebutolol had the least effects. Atenolol and acebutolol may prove to be particularly useful in man when disturbances of the nervous system are to be avoided.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1979

Cefaclor compared with amoxycillin acute otitis media with effusion: a preliminary report.

A double-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing cefaclor with amoxycillin in the treatment of acute otitis media with effusion (OME) in infants and children is being conducted at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Although the randomization code has not yet been broken, the results of treating the first 55 children are reported, since they appear to be of interest. Of the 62 ears with acute OME on which an initial tympanocentesis was performed, 41 positive cultures were isolated from the middle ear aspirates. Of the 10 ears from which Haemophilus influenzae was isolated, one had a type b strain, and of the remaining unencapsulated strains, one was resistant to both penicillin G and ampicillin. In the one ear from which Staphylococcus aureus was isolated, the organism was found to be resistant to ampicillin. However, all of the organisms were sensitive in vitro to cefaclor. In 88% of all subjects observed for the first 2 weeks, the initial symptomatic response was excellent. Six children had persistent signs and symptoms of acute OME and received a second tympanocentesis; however, none of the effusions from the repeat aspiration revealed an organism. An effusion was still present in 97% of the ears after 3 days, in 69% after 2 weeks, and in 48% 6 weeks after initiation of the study. Tympanocentesis did not appear to affect either the initial clinical response or the persistence of effusion. There were no adverse reactions to either drug in this study. Because an apparent increase in the incidence of ampicillin-resistant strains of H. influenzae is being reported, and because of the presence of ampicillin-resistant S. aureus in some ears with acute OME, a new antimicrobial effective against all the common pathogens causing acute middle ear disease would be desirable. In this respect, the preliminary findings of treatment with cefaclor from this study appear promising.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed1977

Behavioural and pharmacokinetic studies in the monkey (Macaca mulatta) with diazepam, nordiazepam and related 1,4-benzodiazepines.

1. Behavioural activity (delayed differentiation and spatial delayed alternation) and pharmacokinetics of diazepam and its metabolites, N-desmethyldiazepam (nordiazepam), 3-hydroxydiazepam (temazepam) and 3-hydroxy-N-desmethyldiazepam (oxazepam), and of dipotassium clorazepate (clorazepate), were studied in the monkey (Macaca mulatta). Diazepam and its metabolites (1.8 and 3.0 mg/kg) and clorazepate (2.6 and 4.3 mg/kg) were given by intraperitoneal injection. 2. Hydroxylation of diazepam (temazepam and oxazepam) led to a loss of, or a considerable reduction in, behavioural activity, whereas activity was preserved, though modified, by demethylation (nordiazepam). It was not possible to establish change in behaviour at specific time intervals after clorazepate, but combined performance data revealed an effect. 3. The maximum mean plasma concentrations of diazepam, temazepam, oxazepam and clorazepate were observed at 0.5 h, and the maximum mean plasma concentration of nordiazepam was observed at 1 hour. Plasma concentrations of nordiazepam were the highest and decreased monoexponentially. Plasma concenqrations of the other drugs declined rapidly at first but more slowly later, and these data were analysed as biexponential models. In the analysis for metabolites, nordiazepam reached measurable levels after the injection of diazepam and clorazepate. 4. It is suggested that differences in the effects of closely related benzodiazepines may not be due solely to their plasma pharmacokinetic properties, but may arise from differences in their intrinsic activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Binding of [-14C]aflatoxin B1 to cellular macromolecules in the rat and hamster.

The uptake and binding of ring-labelled [-14C]aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by rat and hamster liver and kidney has been studied, the former species being extremely sensitive to the carcinogenic action of AFB, whereas the latter is resistant. In contrast to an earlier report (Lijinsky et al, Cancer Res., 30 (1970) 2280-2283, binding of the carcinogen to nucleic acids was far greater than that to protein. Rat liver DNA bound ten times and rRNA twenty times more carcinogen than protein. There were also differences in the amount of carcinogen bound to rat liver nucleic acids compared to those of the hamster, the latter species binding lower amounts of the carcinogen. Rat liver DNA bound four times and rRNA ten times as much AFB1 6 h after carcinogen administration whereas liver protein bound AFB1 was similar for the two species. Not only was there a difference in the amount of AFB1 bound but whereas in the rat, liver nucleic acid bound carcinogen decayed with time, no such fall was seen in the hamster, this remaining at a low level throughout the 48-h time period studied. In contrast, reaction of the carcinogen with kidney macromolecules was similar for the two species. The much higher binding of AFB1 to nucleic acids than to protein might account for the potent carcinogenicity of this compound in the rat, particularly since liver protein binding does not differ between a susceptible and a resistant species. A further important factor in determining carcinogenic sensitivity may be the removal of nucleic acid bound radioactivity with time, a possible repair process.

Aflatoxins↗
PubMed1975

Behavioural sequelae of methaqualone in man and in the monkey (Macaca mulatta).

1 Residual effects in man of methaqualone hydrochloride (400 mg) were studied by adaptive tracking and by reaction time. Performance was measured at 10 h, 13 h, 16 h, 19 h and 34 h after the overnight ingestion of the drug. There was no evidence of impaired performance on adaptive tracking from 10 h to 19 h, but enhanced performance (P = 0.001) was observed 34 h after ingestion. With reaction time an increase (P = 0.01) was observed 10 h and a decrease (P = 0.05) was observed 19 h after ingestion. 2 Effects in the monkey (Macaca mulatta) of methaqualone (20 and 30 mg/kg body weight) were studied by a delayed matching task in which total response time was measured. No consistent effects on matching behaviour or on total response time were observed 2 h after intraperitoneal injection. 3 The studies suggest that methaqualone hydrochloride may be a valuable hypnotic for occasional use by persons involved in skilled activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1973

Induction of mutations in DNA-repair deficient bacteria by a liver microsomal metabolite of aflatoxin B1.

Certain strains of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli, particularly those which are very sensitive to u.v. light, are killed when incubated with rat liver mixed function oxidases and aflatoxin B(1). UvrA or recA strains of E. coli are more susceptible than the wild-type strain, while the double mutant uvrA recA is the most sensitive strain yet tested. The aflatoxin B(1) metabolite is also able to induce reverse mutations in 2 histidine auxotrophic strains of S. typhimurium, one strain of which is reverted specifically by frame shift mutagens and the other by agents inducing base pair substitutions.Pretreatment of rats with either 3-methylcholanthrene or benzo(a)pyrene, both inducers of liver microsomal mixed function oxidases, did not alter the amount of lethal aflatoxin B(1) metabolite formed, whereas an increase was observed after phenobarbitone pretreatment. Addition of the nucleophiles methionine, cysteine, glutathione, sodium thiosulphate or sodium sulphide, or the epoxide hydrase inhibitor, cyclohexene oxide to the toxicity assay medium did not alter bacterial killing by the aflatoxin B(1) metabolite. 2,3-Dimercaptopropanol had some protective action.Toxic metabolites were also formed when 5-methoxysterigmatocystin, O-methylsterigmatocystin, parasiticol or versicolorin A, but not vericolorin B, were incubated with mixed function oxidases. The relationship between the metabolite of aflatoxin B(1) lethal to bacteria and that which initiates liver cancer is discussed.

Aflatoxins↗