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Biomedical subjects

C R Smith

Publications and source records attributed to C R Smith.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

A study of bile canalicular contractions in isolated hepatocytes.

Living hepatocytes observed under standard methods of cell isolation and culture show frequent active contractions of bile canaliculi when viewed by time-lapse cinephotomicrography. This report gives details of the methods used to show the contractions. In addition, the characteristics of the contraction pattern are defined and analyzed. The contractions are regular, canalicular contraction time (systole) lasts 60 sec, and the most probably interval between contractions is 5 1/2 min. The finding of a regular pattern of contraction suggests an ordered, programmed, and integrated mechanism which entails a high degree of communication and functional coordination between neighboring hepatocytes.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid on diarrhea in enterally fed patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid (PHM) for prevention of diarrhea and to compare methods of PHM delivery. DESIGN: Experimental. SETTING: University-affiliated Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. SUBJECTS: Sixty patients from medical-surgical and intensive care units who received newly initiated enteral feeding via feeding tube. OUTCOME MEASURES: Diarrhea, stool frequency and consistency, and feeding tube obstruction. INTERVENTION: Receipt of PHM (7 gm, twice-daily) added to continuous feeding or given as a bolus with intermittent feeding, or receipt of No PHM for 7 days after initiation of enteral feeding. RESULTS: Fifteen subjects (25%) developed diarrhea (defined as 3 or more liquid stools per day, or 2 or more liquid stools on successive days). There were no significant differences in incidence of diarrhea or percentage of days of diarrhea between subjects who did and did not receive PHM. However, subjects who received PHM in their continuous feedings had a significantly higher number of gelatinous stools, and the combined PHM groups had a significantly lower number of liquid stools and a higher number of normal stools than did subjects who did not receive PHM. For the combined PHM groups, there was a 12% incidence of small-bore feeding tube occlusion--requiring replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Further study with a larger sample is necessary to evaluate trends found in this pilot study and to determine PHM efficacy for prevention of diarrhea. PHM administration may result in small-bore feeding tube obstruction, and thus requires adequate dilution and close monitoring.

Adult↗
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Detection of multiple papillary fibroelastomas of the tricuspid valve by transesophageal echocardiography.

A 66-year-old man without symptoms, referred for the treatment of moderate hypertension, was found to have a right atrial mass by two-dimensional echocardiography. On transesophageal echocardiography two masses were detected on the tricuspid valve, the first one on the posterior leaflet and the second smaller one on the anterior leaflet. These findings were confirmed at surgery. Histologic analysis revealed that the masses represented papillary fibroelastomas.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An investigation of the antitumor activity of Sesbania drummondii.

Extracts of Sesbania drummondii (Rydb.) Cory seed are active in vivo in the P-388 lymphocytic leukemia system and cytotoxic in the KB assay. Systematic fractionation of S. drummondii has yielded sesbanine (1), a novel spirocyclic alkaloid based on the 2,7-naphthyridine nucleus, and drummondol (2), a new abscisic acid (5) metabolite. Sesbanine and drummondol are present in highly cytotoxic fractions; however, these purified compounds are essentially devoid of antitumor activity

Alkaloids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

19-Hydroxybaccatin III, 10-deacetylcephalomannine, and 10-deacetyltaxol: new antitumor taxanes from Taxus wallichiana.

Activity-guided, chromatographic fractionation for a polar extract of Taxus wallichiana Zucc. (originally identified as Cephalotaxus mannii Hook.) resulted in the isolation of three new KB cytotoxic taxane derivatives. Nmr and ms spectral analyses permitted their characterization as 19-hydroxybaccatin III (3), 10-deacetylcephalomannine (4), and 10-deacetyltaxol (5). The latter two compounds, which are also active against PS leukemia in vivo, were observed to be especially labile, each forming equilibrium mixtures with their cytotoxic C-7 epimers (9, 10).

Alkaloids↗