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Biomedical subjects

E M Dax

Publications and source records attributed to E M Dax.

62 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Individual neurophysin concentrations in the pituitary and circulation of humans.

Specific, homologous human neurophysin I and II radioimmunoassays were established and used to measure the individual, immunoreactive neurophysin concentrations in human plasma. Circulating levels of human neurophysin I in normal individuals were less than 1 ng/ml and neurophysin II levels were 1-2 ng/ml. During dehydration, there was a significant rise in plasma neurophysin I, together with an increase in neurophysin II. Haemorrhage also was associated with a rise in plasma neurophysin I and II, but the percent increase was greater for I than II. In two subjects in whom nicotine inhalation caused a rise in plasma neurophysin I, there was no detectable increase in plasma neurophysin II. These stimuli which have been reported to release vasopressin from the posterior pituitary also are associated with the differential release of neurophysin I. Plasma neurophysin II levels could more clearly be shown to rise independently of plasma neurophysin I during events thought to be related to oxytocin release. Plasma neurophysin II levels were significantly elevated in women taking oral contraceptives. Similarly during pregnancy there was a progressive rise in plasma neurophysin II concentration which was proportional to the period of gestation. Plasma neurophysin II concentrations in seven of fifteen nursing women rose significantly during suckling. There was no detectable change in plasma neurophysin I concentrations during any of these events. Plasma neurophysin I and II levels were both significantly elevated in fourteen patients with chronic renal failure and rose over haemodialysis, suggesting that the kidney may be the major route of clearance of the neurophysins. In humans the independent release of neurophysin II was associated with stimuli thought to release oxytocin, but neurophysin I showed only a differential release compared to neurophysin II in vasopressin stimulated events.

Contraceptives, Oral↗
PubMed1979

Plasma relaxin immunoactivity in the pig at parturition and during nuzzling and suckling.

One sow bled at 30--60-min intervals for 48 h at 5 and 4 days before parturition had mean +/- s.e.m. relaxin levels of 5.0 +/- 0.48 ng/ml and 5.5 +/- 0.44 ng/ml for each 24-h period respectively. This sow and another were bled at frequent intervals during parturition; both showed considerable fluctuations in their relaxin levels but no consistent peaks in relation to each birth. Mean levels during parturition were 10.7 +/- 0.46 ng/ml and 13.4 +/- 0.81 ng/ml respectively, both significantly higher than the levels at 4 and 5 days before birth. Relaxin levels in two lactating sows rose acutely during nursing, showing a 3-fold rise in one animal and an 8-fold rise in the other. Results from a third sow during an extended period of nuzzling and sucking by the piglets showed multiple peaks of relaxin immunoactivity associated with each nuzzling/sucking stimulus.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

The physiological release of specific individual neurophysins into the circulation of pigs.

Specific homologous radioimmunoassays for the two major porcine neurophysins have been developed and utilized to measure plasma neurophysins during events known to release vasopressin (dehydration and hemorrhage) and oxytocin (parturition and suckling). During hemorrhage plasma neurophysin I increased 2-25 times and decreased toward basal levels after reinfusion of the blood while plasma neurophysin II was low and showed only minor fluctuations. Neurophysin II was released during parturition and suckling in a pattern similar to that reported for oxytocin release during these events. A rise in plasma neurophysin II occurred towards the end of parturition and spurt release occurred in suckling. The function of neurophysins in the plasma is unknown but porcine neurophysin I has been shown to be released independently into the circulation in response to hemorrhage. Independent release of neurophysin II during parturition and suckling was not demonstrated. In the pig, release of neurophysin I may be associated with vasopressin release and neurophysin II associated with oxytocin release.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An evaluation of two simple synthetic peptide based anti-HIV assays.

Two simple synthetic peptide based assays for anti-HIV (Agen SimpliRED and Genetic Systems GENIE) were evaluated for their ability to distinguish samples that contained anti-HIV-1 from samples that did not. The anti-HIV negative samples were from uninfected subjects that had either given false positive reactions on existing screening assays or indeterminate reactivity on Western blot. The anti-HIV-1 positive samples had been shown to contain antibody by a number of assays, and clinical details of the patients were known. The SimpliRED and GENIE assays demonstrated similar performances, with sensitivities of 99.77% and 100%, and specificities of 97.78% and 99.16%, respectively.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Beta adrenergic regulation of rat liver glycogenolysis during aging.

Studies from a number of laboratories demonstrate a biphasic change in beta adrenergic regulation of hepatic glycogenolysis over the life span of the male rat. The beta adrenergic response is prominent in immature animals, declines rapidly during subsequent development to a minimum by the time of young adulthood, and then reemerges during postmaturational development. Age changes in beta adrenergic-responsive adenylate cyclase activity follow a "U"-shaped curve similar to that described by changes in liver glycogenolytic responsiveness during aging. Developmental and postmaturational changes in beta adrenergic-sensitive adenylate cyclase activation are related to parallel alterations in the density of beta adrenergic receptors and also to functional changes in nonreceptor components of the enzyme. The prevailing view that catecholamines stimulate hepatic glycogenolysis by an alpha adrenergic receptor-mediated, cyclic AMP-independent mechanism is based almost entirely on evidence from young adult male rats. We propose that current concepts of alpha adrenergic-responsive liver glycogenolysis underestimate a physiological role for beta adrenergic responsiveness over the majority of the life span.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Followup study of possible HIV seropositivity among abusers of parenteral drugs in 1971-72.

Serum specimens obtained from a nationwide sample of parenteral drug abusers (PDAs) during the period 1971-72 had previously been screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies. Some specimens were considered to be positive to both ELISA and Western blot (WB) analysis. These findings have been a topic of controversy, since HIV was not thought to have penetrated at-risk populations at such an early date. This study was a followup of those PDAs with apparent seropositivity to WB analysis. Of 10 persons followed, only one death (in 1985) was documented, and postmortem findings were inconsistent with HIV infection. Eight of the remaining PDAs were traced and found to be alive and well in 1989. Fresh specimens were obtained from the two persons with the strongest 1971-72 WB staining and were found to be both ELISA and WB negative on retesting. Their T-cell parameters were within normal limits. We concluded that the earlier WB results were most likely false positives and that definitive evidence of HIV infection in the U.S. addict population as early as 1971-72 is still lacking.

Blotting, Western↗