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Biomedical subjects

C Watts

Publications and source records attributed to C Watts.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Syndrome of intradiscal lumbar herniation. Clinical presentation and management.

A syndrome of intradiscal lumbar herniation not associated with nerve root compression is described. The patients have a history similar to that seen in classic disk herniation, except the paresthesias and pain are "referred" roughly in a dermatomal distribution. On examination, limitation of range of motion of the back secondary to muscle spasm is noted; however, a positive straight leg-raising test result is not. Objective neurological findings are much less obvious than with radiculopathy. These patients may have "weakness" from lack of effort on their part during the examination. There is noted asymmetry in appropriate reflexes and also in the sensory examination. Standard imaging examinations are equivocal. If explored surgically, the findings are relatively unimpressive. These patients, if correctly identified, may be candidates for percutaneous nuclectomy.

Humans↗

A study to compare the overall performance of two hydrocolloid dressings on partial thickness wounds.

This study was conducted to compare the overall performance of a test dressing (RestoreTM Wound Care Dressing, Hollister Incorporated), because it is newer to the market, to a control dressing (Duoderm, Convatec, A Squibb Company) a product that is more established in the market. The study was random, unblinded, controlled and utilized a sample of subjects with non-infected dermal ulcers and partial-thickness wounds. Compared to the control dressing, the test dressing was more absorbent, easier to use and wore twice as long. This dressing was also more flexible, conformable, adhesive and durable. Significantly less barrier residue remained on the wound bed and/or periwound area with the test dressing, and significantly more wounds were evaluated as healed or improved. The clinical data strongly established the superior performance of the test dressing over the control occlusive dressing.

Equipment Design↗

Spinal instability and the log-rolling maneuver.

Immobilization of the spine is of prime concern during transportation of trauma patients to prevent neurologic compromise. In an attempt to study certain techniques of prehospital thoracolumbar spine immobilization, we radiographically evaluated the motion of the thoracolumbar spine in a volunteer with a stable spine, a cadaver with an unstable thoracolumbar spine, and a patient with a T12-L1 fracture dislocation. Both the backboard and the Scoop stretcher offered adequate stabilization for thoracolumbar spine instability. The logroll maneuver presented the greatest possibility for movement of the spine at the unstable thoracolumbar segment.

Adult↗

Authorship.

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Authorship↗

Isolation and expression of cDNA clones for a rat liver asialoglycoprotein receptor.

cDNA clones for the major rat liver asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor were isolated from a phage lambda gt11 library using synthetic oligonucleotide probes corresponding to two regions of the protein sequence. The longest clone obtained encoded all but the first 11 codons of the receptor. The cDNA was completed with synthetic oligonucleotides and was used to direct the synthesis of mRNA for the receptor in vitro. Subsequent translation in a wheat germ lysate produced authentic ASGP receptor which assembled correctly into microsomal membranes.

Animals↗

Chemonucleolysis: a note of caution.

Following the approval in 1982 by the Federal Food and Drug Administration of chymopapain for public use by the medical profession in the treatment of ruptured lumbar intervertebral disk disease, chemonucleolysis has become widespread in the United States; a considerable experience has been obtained in the past 3 years, allowing for an appropriate examination of the original claims for the procedure. Chemonucleolysis is not as efficacious as surgery for simple ruptured lumbar intervertebral disk disease. Whereas the complication rates of chemonucleolysis are probably no greater than that for surgery, the incidence of unpreventable anaphylaxis and other untoward reactions makes it certainly no more safe. There is no biological basis for the belief that chemonucleolysis will result in a shorter convalescence than surgery, and it appears that chemonucleolysis has significantly increased the cost of invasive treatment of patients with ruptured lumbar intervertebral disk disease.

Chymopapain↗

Relationship between liver glycogen metabolism and glucose homeostasis in the fetal rat: studies with the gsd/gsd rat.

Litters containing both heterozygous and homozygous gsd/gsd rats have been studied to determine whether fetal liver glycogen contributes to the fetal blood glucose pool. It is shown that homozygous gsd/gsd fetuses (unable to mobilise liver glycogen) have consistently lower blood glucose concentrations than their heterozygous (normal) littermates at all ages studied. This difference is independent of maternal type and maternal blood glucose concentration. There is a marked activation of liver phosphorylase in heterozygous fetuses at 21 days of gestation, associated with a significant rise in the fetal/maternal blood glucose ratio. In contrast, there is no significant activation of phosphorylase or rise in the ratio for homozygous littermates. In homozygous fetuses, the blood glucose concentrations remained low and liver glycogen high. The possibility of fetal liver glycogen being derived from gluconeogenic precursors is discussed.

Animals↗

Phospholipids of normal and experimentally injured spinal cord of the miniature pig.

Experimental spinal cord trauma was produced in 3-month-old SS-1 miniature pigs by dropping a 25 g weight from a height of 20 cm upon the exposed spinal cord. The histological lesion consisted of edema and hemorrhage. Phospholipid concentration and composition, cholesterol concentration and phospholipid fatty acid composition were determined in whole spinal cord 3 hours after injury, and in spinal cord myelin 5 hours after injury. Three hours after injury phospholipid and cholesterol concentration were decreased by about 14% in the whole spinal cord. Trauma had no effect on the phospholipid composition of whole spinal cord and myelin. Fatty acid composition of myelin also did not change after injury, and changed very slightly in the whole spinal cord. It is concluded that edema following spinal cord trauma is much more extensive than previously assumed. Furthermore, peroxidation of membrane lipid fatty acids does not appear to be a significant factor in spinal cord pathology 3 hours after injury.

Animals↗

Rapid endocytosis of the transferrin receptor in the absence of bound transferrin.

The rate of endocytosis of transferrin receptors, occupied or unoccupied with transferrin, was measured on the cell line K562. At 37 degrees C, receptors, radioiodinated on the cell surface at 4 degrees C, were internalized equally rapidly in the presence or absence of transferrin. In both cases, 50% of the labeled receptors became resistant to externally added trypsin in 5 min. An antitransferrin antibody was used to show directly that the receptors had entered the cells without bound transferrin. The distribution of the receptors on the cell surface was revealed by antibody and protein A-gold staining after prolonged incubation in the presence or absence of transferrin. The receptors were concentrated in coated pits under both conditions. The data suggest that endocytosis of transferrin receptors is not "triggered" by ligand binding and raise the possibility that ligand-induced down-regulation of surface receptors may not occur by this mechanism. Instead receptors may be recognized as being ligand-occupied, not at the cell surface, but at some other site in the recycling pathway such as the endosome.

Cells, Cultured↗

Comparison of laser and radiofrequency dorsal root entry zone lesions in cats.

Dorsal root entry zone lesions are effective in the control of intractable pain in several types of spinal cord injuries. Traditionally, these lesions have been made with the radiofrequency technique. This is effective, but has the drawback of being laborious, and there is a significant incidence of permanent weakness. We have evaluated the carbon dioxide laser, hoping that it would be both faster and more controlled, thereby offering the chance to lower the complication rate. In comparing a parallel series of radiofrequency and laser dorsal root entry zone lesions along the cat's spinal cord, we observed that the radiofrequency lesion was larger. In addition, it had 3 times more variability in its size than the laser lesion. We attribute this in part to the nature of the laser in making a very precise and reproducible lesion. Second, the extremely brief pulse of the laser, a fraction of a second, means that movement of the spinal cord from respiration and heartbeat and movement of the surgical instrument from the surgeon's hand become far less important in inducing lesion variability. We also studied for 2 months a series of chronic cats; there were no complications due to the laser. This work suggests that the laser is a useful instrument for dorsal root entry zone lesions, but requires more precise aiming and focusing.

Animals↗

Protection by sucralfate against indomethacin induced gastric ulceration in the guinea pig.

In the management of rheumatic diseases, peptic ulceration associated with anti-inflammatory drug therapy is a major problem and seriously limits the usefulness of these agents. In acute experiments with a guinea pig total gastric pouch preparation, gastric damage induced by the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor indomethacin was shown to be enhanced by preliminary mucosal exposure to bile salts. In the present study, using the same preparation, we report that sucralfate, a basic aluminium salt of sucrose octasulphate, completely prevents the gastric damage observed in pouches exposed to sodium taurocholate and indomethacin. Prevention is shown not to relate solely to bile salt binding or to the weak antacid property of sucralfate.

Aluminum↗

Somatosensory evoked potentials evaluated in normal subjects and spinal cord-injured patients.

Somatosensory evoked cortical potentials (SSEP's) were recorded in 27 healthy subjects using tibial and peroneal nerve stimulation with cephalic and non-cephalic references. Four major peaks were present in all recordings. Analysis of these components showed that SSEP's collected after tibial nerve stimulation with non-cephalic reference (linked earlobes) produced the most consistent clearly defined component peaks. Average latency, amplitude, and interpeak latency differences are presented for these SSEP's. Significant correlations were obtained between the height of the individual and the P1, N2, P2, and N3 latencies, and the N3-P1 interpeak latency. These results suggest that reproducible SSEP's can be obtained from tibial nerve stimulation in normal subjects using minimal numbers of stimulus presentations (28 to 64). The SSEP's from 34 patients with varying degrees of spinal cord trauma were compared with the SSEP's from normal subjects. These comparisons involved the P1, N2, P2, and N3 latencies and the interpeak latency values, as well as the amplitude values. Patients with normal sensory and motor neurological examinations could be distinguished from patients showing decreased sensory and motor findings or clinically complete lesions on the basis of peak latency and interpeak latency values. The latter two groups could not be distinguished from one another. In general, all patient groups had SSEP's of lower amplitude than did normal individuals, but the groups could not be distinguished from one another. These results indicate that SSEP's can be a useful clinical tool for differentiation of complete from incomplete spinal cord lesions, but do not invariably predict recovery of function.

Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory↗

In situ 125I-labelling of endosome proteins with lactoperoxidase conjugates.

Asialoorosomucoid was conjugated to lactoperoxidase and bound specifically to the asialoglycoprotein receptor on the human cell line Hep G2 at 4 degrees C. The bound conjugates incorporated 125I into cell surface proteins in the presence of H2O2. When Hep G2 cells were allowed to endocytose the prebound conjugates by warming to 37 degrees C for 10 min or were incubated for 1 h at 23 degrees C in the presence of conjugate, addition of 125I and H2O2 at 4 degrees C now resulted in labelling of endocytic vesicle proteins. The cell surface labelling pattern and the endosome labelling pattern were compared and found to be distinct. A major component labelled by the endocytosed asialoorosomucoid conjugate is shown to be the transferrin receptor. This protein and a component of 230 000 daltons are enriched in the endosome relative to the cell surface. The endocytosed lactoperoxidase conjugate was also visualised at the morphological level. Characteristic endosome tubules and vesicles contained electron-dense peroxidase reaction product as did cell surface coated pits. Selective capture of some cell surface proteins but not others by coated pits presumably gives rise to the distinct polypeptide composition of the endosome.

Asialoglycoprotein Receptor↗