Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Skinner.
We report a case of a stillborn infant that presented multiple birth defects and a diploid/tetraploid mosaicism in skin fibroblasts. Clinical and cytogenetical findings are discussed and compared with those presented in previously reported cases.
Sixteen cases of tuberculosis (14 in inmates, only one of whom was female) occurred in a mental handicap hospital of some 400 inmates during the period 1973-85. This represents an annual incidence of 269 per 100,000, substantially higher than that in the surrounding community. In 1980, 29% of inmates had Grade 3 or 4 positive Heaf tests. Widespread chemoprophylaxis was successfully undertaken in 1980/81, the only problem encountered being interaction of isoniazid with carbamazepine. One Down's syndrome patient had recurrent disease, and a second developed disease despite chemoprophylaxis. Immunological investigation of a small number of Down's syndrome patients with tuberculosis showed no consistent defect.
Plasma triglyceride turnover was measured during steady-state conditions in 22 postoperative patients. Nine had received nutritional support with an enteral regimen, seven had received an equivalent regimen as continuous parenteral nutrition, and six received the same parenteral regimen as a cyclical infusion. After 5 days of nutritional support, each patient received an intravenous bolus of tritiated glycerol. Plasma radiolabeled triglyceride content was measured during the subsequent 24 hours. The data were analyzed by means of a simple deterministic model of plasma triglyceride kinetics and compared with the results obtained by stochastic analysis. The rates of hepatic triglyceride secretion obtained by deterministic analysis were higher than those obtained by the stochastic approach. However, the mode of delivery of the nutritional regimen did not affect the rate of hepatic triglyceride secretion regardless of the method of analysis. The results suggest that neither complete nutritional bypass of the gastrointestinal tract nor interruption of parenteral nutrition in an attempt to mimic normal eating has any effect on hepatic triglyceride secretion. Any beneficial effect that enteral feeding or cyclical parenteral nutrition may have on liver dysfunction associated with standard parenteral nutrition appears to be unrelated to changes in hepatic triglyceride secretion.
In order to examine a possible mechanism of action of ketotifen in asthma, a double-blind study was undertaken to determine whether ketotifen showed any effects on the beta-adrenergic system in asthmatic patients. The effects of ketotifen 1 mg b.i.d. for one month on the changes in spirometry, plasma potassium and serum glucose nebulized salbutamol was compared with placebo. In addition the degree of inhibition caused by local salbutamol on the wheal volume due to intradermal prostaglandin E and bradykinin, was compared following ketotifen and placebo. Nebulized salbutamol produced consistent improvements in spirometry and changes in potassium and glucose levels. Local salbutamol significantly decreased the wheal volume induced by intradermal prostaglandin E and bradykinin. However, none of these salbutamol-induced effects were altered following ketotifen or placebo. Ketotifen, in the doses used, has no demonstrable effect on the beta-adrenergic system in asthmatic patients.
Daily cocaine injection into rodents produces a progressive increase in the motor stimulant effect of acute cocaine administration. In this study it was found that daily cocaine injection (15 mg/kg i.p. x 3 days) produced an enhanced motor stimulant response to acute cocaine injection. The behavioral augmentation was linear with regards to dose in horizontal activity and behavioral intensity rating, but was biphasic in vertical activity. Augmented vertical, but not horizontal, activity in response to acute cocaine was found to persist for 2 weeks after the last daily injection of cocaine. Acute injection of cocaine was found to significantly decrease the level of dopamine (DA) metabolites in the nucleus accumbens, striatum and A10 DA region. In rats pretreated with daily injections of cocaine (15 mg/kg i.p. x 3 days), an acute challenge of cocaine 14 days after the last daily injection produced a more consistent decrease in DA metabolites in the nucleus accumbens, striatum and prefrontal cortex compared to daily saline-pretreated rats. In contrast, daily cocaine treatment abolished the decrease in DA metabolites produced in the A10 region by an acute cocaine challenge. Acute injection with cocaine was found to significantly depress dopa accumulation in the A10 region, nucleus accumbens and striatum. This effect was abolished in the A10 region in rats pretreated 14 days previously with daily injections of cocaine (7.5, 15.0 or 30 mg/kg i.p. x 3 days), but remained intact in the nucleus accumbens and striatum, except after daily pretreatment with the highest dose of cocaine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The effect of adding slow release nifedipine to oral theophylline has been studied in eight patients with stable but symptomatic asthma, a double blind placebo controlled crossover protocol being used. No change in asthma control occurred during the nifedipine treatment period as assessed by serial peak flow measurements and symptom scores. Serum theophylline concentrations were significantly lower after nifedipine than after placebo (6.8 v 9.7 micrograms/ml) and in three patients were well below the therapeutic range (less than 4 micrograms/ml).
A comparative study was performed of methods of removing inhibitors to the quantitative chromogenic method of Limulus assay for endotoxin in normal and jaundiced plasma. Chloroform treatment failed to remove inhibitors in normal and jaundiced plasma and did not prevent inhibition of colorimetry by bilirubin. Perchloracetic acid (PCA) treatment decolourised jaundiced samples but gave unreliable results due to poor pH control. Boiling and dilution gave reliable results in jaundiced and normal plasma without significant loss of sensitivity and is the method of choice.
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The introduction of the cardiorespirogram more than twenty years ago provided a useful continous noninvasive monitoring technique of heart and respiratory functions. However, there are only few studies about recording of these parameters and the topic is often partially discussed. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyze the cardiorespirograms from newborn infants, divided into three groups: 50 normal fullterm infants, 28 preterm and 16 fullterm low birth weight infants. The age at monitoring was 12 hours. The 50 normal newborns reveal patterns similar to those described by other authors. The preterm and fullterm low birth weight infants show a significantly higher baseline with less variability and reactivity, data which lead us to bear in mind gestational age and birth weight to evaluate the cardiorespirogram.
The changes in extracellular fluid volume (ECV) in two groups of surgical patients, one receiving Ringer's lactate solution intraoperatively and the other receiving only dextrose and water, were assessed. A deficit in the ECV, as measured by radioactive sulfate, of 1.9 +/- 0.8 l (p less than 0.003) compared to the preoperative volume was found in the dextrose group. This was accompanied by a decrease in the mean creatinine clearance (-13% p less than 0.01), the mean urinary sodium excretion (-57% p less than 0.05), and the mean rate of clearance of the sulfate tracer (-18% p less than 0.01). The use of intraoperative Ringer's lactate (1660 cc +/- 96 cc) resulted in no change in the ECV, an increase in the mean creatinine clearance (+10% p less than 0.05), and no change in sodium excretion or tracer clearance. As a result of these findings, it appears that postoperative sodium retention is a physiologic response to a decreased ECV, which can be prevented by the administration of Ringer's lactate.
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In a pilot study two patients with brittle asthma and two with morning dipping received terbutaline or a placebo administered subcutaneously either by continuous infusion or in injections every six hours. In two patients brittle asthma was completely suppressed by terbutaline 1 mg/day given by either method. In the two others early morning dipping responded only to continuous subcutaneous infusions of terbutaline 12 mg/day. Terbutaline administered subcutaneously may be an effective treatment in asthmatic patients who show important diurnal variations in air flow.
The percutaneous penetration, tissue distribution, and excretion of 14C-labeled benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) were studied in mice. Both BaP and DMBA rapidly penetrated the skin and were excreted more in the feces than in the urine. The proportion of BaP or DMBA absorbed was less with increasing applied dose due to apparent saturation of the uptake process. Uptake from the dorsal skin of the nose was similar to uptake from the dorsal nuchal skin.
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