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Biomedical subjects

D Schmidt

Publications and source records attributed to D Schmidt.

At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources

Relevance of poor compliance for seizure control.

The relationship of poor compliance to seizure control was analyzed in 101 patients with self-reported poor compliance in 2 seizure clinics. There was a close correlation of poor compliance and the coefficient of variation for phenytoin (P = 0.001), primidone (P = 0.01) and carbamazepine (P = 0.01). In comparison with self-reported compliers no difference was noted in seizure control and other clinical variables. Patients who experienced an increase of several seizures in temporal relationship with poor compliance more often reported loss of sleep (P = 0.006) and more often had frequent (more than 5 per year) seizures (P = 0.001) than non-compliers with a single seizure relapse or no change in seizure control. Exacerbation of seizures through poor compliance occurs primarily in patients with frequent seizures and through loss of sleep.

Adolescent↗

[Endocarditis with unusual causative agents].

In the period 1947-1985, 601 patients with infective endocarditis were seen at the University Hospital Zurich and the Kantonsspital Lucerne. Streptococci, enterococci and staphylococci were the predominant causative organisms in two-thirds of all cases. In more than 25% of the patients blood cultures remained negative. In 6 patients endocarditis was caused by very rare organisms, viz. Coxiella burnetii (2 cases), Hemophilus parainfluenzae, Corynebacterium bovis (diphtheroids), Brucella melitensis and Aspergillus terreus. The clinical and microbiological characteristics of these cases are described and compared with the results in the literature. Diagnostic and therapeutic problems are discussed. Only with special awareness of the role of these unusual organisms in causing infective endocarditis, especially Q fever endocarditis with its notoriously atypical course, can the number of "culture negative" cases be diminished and the prognosis thereby improved.

Adult↗

Pharmacokinetics of ramipril in the elderly.

Ramipril (HOE 498) is a pro-drug of which the main metabolite (HOE 498 diacid or ramiprilat) is a potent angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. Thirteen healthy white volunteers (5 females and 8 males, ages 65 to 76 years) participated in a study to investigate the pharmacokinetics of HOE 498 in the elderly. After administration of 10 mg of HOE 498, sequential urine and serum specimens were obtained for assay of HOE 498 and metabolites (HOE 498-glucuronide, diacid, diacid-glucuronide, diketopiperazine and diketopiperazine acid). Side effects, clinical chemistry and hematology were monitored. HOE 498 reached peak concentrations of 62.4 +/- 23.3 ng/ml in serum after 0.7 +/- 0.3 hours. Serum levels decreased with an apparent half-life of 0.9 +/- 0.4 hours. The diacid was rapidly formed in serum, reaching peak concentrations of 40.6 +/- 14.0 ng/ml after 2.0 +/- 0.6 hours and declining with a half-life of 2.2 +/- 0.5 hours. A prolonged terminal phase of serum concentration versus time curve was observed at concentrations less than 1 ng/ml. The mean recovery of HOE 498 and metabolites in urine, up to 26 hours after administration, was 35 +/- 14% of the dose. The apparent half-lives, calculated from urine parameters, for HOE 498 and the diacid were 2.6 +/- 0.9 and 4.0 +/- 1.1 hours, respectively. The mean peak concentration and half-life of HOE 498 in serum are slightly higher in the elderly than in younger volunteers. Complete urinary collection was not possible, but urinary recovery did not seem different from younger volunteers.

Aged↗

Epithelioid sarcoma in children and adolescents. An immunohistochemical study.

Six cases of epithelioid sarcoma were studied by conventional light microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The six cases account for 1.4% of the 417 cases of soft tissue sarcoma collected at the Paediatric Tumor Registry, Kiel. The average age of the five male and one female patient was 10.8 years (median: 13 years). Particular clinical findings included the location of the tumours; three were found in the pelvis, two in the head and neck, and one in the hand. Four patients are living without disease, and one patient died of disease three years after diagnosis. Histologically, four of the six tumours revealed multinucleated giant cells. Immunohistochemically using a panel of mono- and polyclonal antibodies all cases stained positively for vimentin, cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and human milk fat globulin (HMFG-2). Five cases were positive for neuron specific enolase (NSE), and three stained positively for protein S-100. A positive reaction for alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was noted in two cases. These immunohistochemical findings attest to the multidirectional differentiating capabilities of epithelioid sarcoma and support the concept of derivation from a multipotent mesenchymal stem cell.

Adolescent↗

Potent vasopressin antagonists modified at the carboxy-terminal tripeptide tail.

In a continuing effort to design more potent renal vasopressin (V2 receptor) antagonists, we have focused our attention on the carboxy-terminal tripeptide tail (Pro-Arg-Gly-NH2), a fragment common to both agonists and antagonists. Vasopressin antagonist analogues having a dibasic dipeptide tail, e.g., Arg-Arg-NH2 or Arg-Lys-NH2, attached directly to the cyclic hexapeptide ring are potent V2-receptor antagonists. Similar modification of a representative agonist drastically reduces its potency. We report the synthesis and pharmacological properties of a series of potent V2-receptor antagonists 3-9 where a combination of D or L dibasic dipeptide has been utilized to replace the common tripeptide fragment. Our results suggest a difference in the way agonists and antagonists bind to vasopressin receptor and further support the difference in the structure-activity relationships of agonists and antagonists. These results provide potentially useful insights for the design of novel V2-receptor antagonists.

Animals↗

Diazepam increases gamma-aminobutyric acid in human cerebrospinal fluid.

In 11 neurological patients, levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were determined in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) before and 1, 3, 5, and 8 min after intravenous injection of diazepam (2 or 5 mg). GABA levels increased progressively after intravenous injection of 5 but not 2 mg of the benzodiazepine, the differences from preinjection values being significant at 3, 5, and 8 min. Furthermore, when relative CSF GABA alterations determined after injection of diazepam were compared to those determined in sequential CSF aliquots of 10 patients without diazepam injection, mean GABA increases after diazepam were significantly different from controls in all CSF fractions. The data suggest that, in addition to its well-known effects on postsynaptic GABA function, diazepam may exert effects on endogenous GABA concentrations and/or on GABA release in the human CNS as reflected by elevation of GABA levels in human CSF.

Adult↗

[Effect of drugs on superoxide formation by neutrophilic granulocytes].

The in-vitro influence of drugs on the superoxide production of human neutrophils was investigated. The superoxide production is inhibited by colchicine, g-strophanthin, propranolol, fluphenazine and stimulated by levamisole and lithium. The superoxide production is inhibited or stimulated by chloramphenicol, hydrocortisone and amphotericin B in concentration dependent manner.

Amphotericin B↗

Identification and characterization of vascular (V1) vasopressin receptors of an established smooth muscle cell line.

We report the identification and characterization of specific vasopressin-binding sites on intact cells and membranes of the established vascular smooth muscle cell line A-10, the fate of vasopressin associated with the cells, the role of guanine nucleotides in the regulation of the affinity of the vasopressin-binding sites, and the determination of the vasopressin receptor subtype. We have found specific vasopressin-binding sites on intact cells in monolayer (110,000 sites per cell during log growth and 60,000 sites per cell in stationary culture) with a KD of 6 nM at 37 degrees. After incubation of [3H]-8-arginine vasopressin ([3H]AVP) and cells for less than 20 min, cell-associated AVP was intact; with longer incubation times, AVP was progressively degraded. The major metabolites included phenylalanine and a fraction that eluted from a C18 reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography column between AVP and 8-arginine, 9-desglycinamide vasopressin. Extensive degradation also occurred when AVP was allowed to dissociate from the cells. With increased time of incubation, the amount of specifically bound AVP that could dissociate decreased, suggesting receptor-mediated endocytosis. In saturation equilibrium binding experiments with plasma membranes, two affinity states with KD of 0.7 nM and 379 nM were observed. The number of high affinity binding sites was similar to the number of receptors found on intact cells. Guanosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate decreased vasopressin binding to the high affinity sites and did not significantly affect the low affinity sites. Competition binding experiments indicated that the vasopressin-binding sites of A-10 cells belong to the vascular V1 receptor subtype. We conclude that the established vascular smooth muscle cell line A-10 expressed vasopressin receptors of the vascular V1 subtype. Vasopressin bound to the receptors reversibly, but could also be degraded by the cells presumably after receptor-mediated endocytosis. The receptors might exist in different affinity states; guanosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate decreased the affinity of the high affinity binding state.

Animals↗

A novel radiolabeled vasopressin antagonist: [3H-Phe]-desGlyd(CH2)5D-Tyr(Et)VAVP, [3H]-SK&F 101926.

We report the vasopressin receptor-binding properties of [3H-Phe]-desGlyd(CH2)5D-Tyr(Et)VAVP, [3H]-SK&F 101926, the first radiolabeled vasopressin receptor antagonist. We chose to radiolabel SK&F 101926 because this vasopressin analog is a potent antagonist of vascular V1 and renal V2 vasopressin receptors in all species studied. [3H]-SK&F 101926 bound with a single high affinity to intact vascular smooth muscle cells (A-10; KD = 0.5 nM), and plasma membranes A-10 cells (KD = 0.4 nM) and rat liver (KD = 0.2 nM). In competition experiments with [3H]-SK&F 101926 and [3H]arginine vasopressin ([3H]AVP) using cell and liver membranes, the affinity rank orders of vasopressin analogs were the same and were typical for the V1 receptor subtype. In competition binding experiments with [3H]-SK&F 101926 using cell and liver membranes, guanosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate did not significantly alter the affinity of the V1 antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP, but the affinity of AVP was decreased. These data indicate that the V1 receptor can exist in at least two affinity states that are modulated by guanine nucleotides. [3H]-SK&F 101926 also bound specifically and with high affinity to V2 receptors of MDCK cells. We conclude that [3H]-SK&F 101926 binds with high affinity to V1 and V2 vasopressin receptors and is a powerful new tool for the identification of vasopressin receptors and the study of molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction of vasopressin with its receptors.

Animals↗

Small-cell pediatric tumors: histology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy.

Histology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy give an account on what is known of the correlation between histologic appearance and prognosis in this important group of tumors. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical findings are presented that frequently are useful in establishing a diagnosis, but also serve to elucidate the histogenesis of some tumors, especially those that lack characteristic features.

Child↗