Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Sobel

Publications and source records attributed to E Sobel.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

An office-based primary care trial of pindolol ('Visken') in essential hypertension.

A large, open, multi-centre study was performed by physicians in general practice to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of pindolol (10 to 20 mg per day) in the treatment of patients with essential hypertension. The records of 7324 patients who completed the 6-week protocol with pindolol alone or in combination with a diuretic were analyzed by computer. Substantial reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were obtained in the majority of patients regardless of age, sex or race. No difference in blood pressure response was found between patients taking diuretics concurrently and those on pindolol alone. Side-effects were generally not troublesome and a trend toward a reducing incidence of side-effects was noted in all patients as the duration of therapy increased. Black patients tended to complain of fewer side-effects than did white patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Multiple sclerosis and childhood infections.

Migration from an area where MS is common to an area where it is rare (and vice versa) affects the risk of MS, provided migration occurs in childhood. A childhood infection might explain this effect. Therefore, the age pattern of infectious diseases in different regions was examined. A higher proportion of children showed positive titers to many viral diseases early in life in areas where MS is rare compared with those where MS is common. Also, mortality rates from a variety of infectious diseases correlated negatively with the MS mortality. Thus, infection early in life may "protect" against MS, and conversely, later infection, when the immune system has partially matured, may increase risk. MS may be an age-dependent, host-immune response to childhood infection.

Asia↗
PubMed1986

Interval between the synthesis and assembly of cytoskeletal proteins in cultured neurons.

We have used pulse-chase experiments to study the time interval between the synthesis and assembly of tubulin and neurofilament proteins (NFP) in sympathetic neurons grown in tissue culture. After varying pulse-chase times, cultures were extracted with Triton X-100 such that polymerized tubulin and NFP were insoluble, while unassembled tubulin and NFP were quantitatively solubilized. The partitioning of labeled tubulin and NFP between Triton X-100-soluble and insoluble, or cytoskeletal, fractions was determined with an isoelectric focusing X SDS gel electrophoresis assay. Labeled tubulin and NFP in cultures pulse-labeled for 5-10 min partitions primarily with the soluble fraction. When pulse-labeled cultures were chased for increasing periods of time, relatively more of the total labeled tubulin and NFP partitioned with the cytoskeleton, attaining maximal values after chase times of 60-120 and 15-30 min, respectively. The maximal values for the relative levels of labeled tubulin and NFP in polymer were 70-75 and greater than 90%, respectively. The levels of labeled tubulin and NFP synthesized during a short pulse-label remained constant for at least 2 hr, indicating that selective turnover of soluble tubulin and NFP does not detectably contribute to the changes in solubility properties of these proteins observed in the pulse-chase experiments. These results indicate that newly synthesized tubulin and NFP are rapidly assembled from soluble precursors. The lag between the synthesis and assembly of the 145,000-molecular-weight NFP is not related to its phosphorylation because its initial incorporation into the cytoskeleton occurs prior to its phosphorylation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

There has been significant advance in our understanding of CJD and similar spongiform encephalopathies in recent years. The range in clinical expression of the disease is better appreciated, and the existence of "atypical" cases of CJD is increasingly recognized. New ideas about the possible modes of natural transmission have been derived from case-control studies in different parts of the world.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Diabetic neuropathy: electrophysiologic abnormalities of distal lower extremity sensory nerves.

Electrophysiologic parameters of the medial dorsal cutaneous (MDC) and the sural nerves were analyzed in 119 diabetic patients with clinical signs and symptoms of neuropathy. Fifty-five patients were insulin dependent (ID), mean age 47.4, and 64 were non-insulin dependent (NID), mean age 55.2. Using age-adjusted criteria for the sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude and for conduction velocity (CV), the relative sensitivity of each parameter and the extent of concordance between them within each diabetic group were investigated. In mild neuropathy it was found that: 1) 43% (ID group) and 39% (NID group) had abnormalities of both parameters in both nerves; 2) 10% of MDC nerves and 12% of sural nerves were normal; 3) only 48% of the nerves studied had abnormalities of both parameters; 4) single parameter abnormalities were found with equal frequency. It is concluded that: 1) there is a high degree of concordance between corresponding parameters of the two nerves within each diabetic group; similar abnormalities occur within each group but are manifested at an earlier age in the ID group. 2) In mild diabetic neuropathy, (A) greater than 10% of sensory nerves studied may be normal; (B) less than 50% of nerves studied will have abnormalities of both parameters; (C) since single parameter abnormalities occur with almost equal frequency, both parameters should be taken into account for correct interpretation; (D) the evaluation of both parameters in two lower extremity sensory nerves increases diagnostic sensitivity.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1986

A randomized trial of special packaging of antihypertensive medications.

This article reports a randomized controlled trial designed to test the effects of special packaging of antihypertensive medication on compliance and blood pressure control. One hundred eighty subjects who had exhibited elevated blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg in the two years prior to the study were recruited from patients receiving care at a community hospital-based family medicine practice. After completing preenrollment interviews and blood pressure measurements, subjects were randomly assigned to receive their antihypertensive medications either in the usual vials or in special unit dose-reminder packaging. Follow-up interviews, pill counts, and blood pressure measurements were performed at three-month intervals. There were no statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups with regard to age, sex, race, employment, education, marital status, insurance coverage, or blood pressure regimens. Prior to the intervention, the experimental group had slightly lower diastolic blood pressure and reported better compliance than the control group. Analyses performed on 165 subjects completing the first follow-up visit revealed no significant improvements in blood pressure control or compliance for patients receiving special medication packaging. While some patients found it easy to remember to take pills packaged using this format, they also found the packages somewhat more difficult and inconvenient to use. In contrast to previously reported work, this study did not demonstrate any significant improvement in compliance with special packaging of antihypertensive medications.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Behavioral effects of caffeine, (-)N-((R)-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)-adenosine (PIA), and their combination in the mouse.

The effects of caffeine (1-100 mg/kg, IP), (-)N-((R)-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)-adenosine (PIA) (0.01-1 mg/kg, IP), and of the two drugs in combination were studied in mice responding under a mult FR30 FI600 s schedule of food presentation. The lowest dose of caffeine, 1 mg/kg, had no effect on responding under either component of the mult schedule. Intermediate doses of caffeine (3 and 10 mg/kg) slightly increased responding under the FI component, while higher doses decreased responding. Caffeine only decreased responding, at doses above 30 mg/kg, under the FR component. PIA decreased responding under both components of the mult schedule in a dose-dependent, and similar, manner. In most cases, the rate-increasing effect of caffeine on FI responding was diminished when combined with a rate-decreasing dose of PIA. However, when 0.01 mg/kg PIA, a dose that had no effect alone, was combined with 3 mg/kg caffeine, the increase in rate exceeded that of caffeine alone. Rate-decreasing effects of PIA were antagonized by caffeine; with larger doses of PIA, larger doses of caffeine were required for antagonism. Thus, while the rate-increasing effects of caffeine can be either enhanced or diminished, when combined with different doses of PIA, the rate-decreasing effects of PIA are clearly antagonized by caffeine in a dose-dependent manner.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1985

Menarche: target age for reinforcing sex education for adolescents.

Teenage sexual activity has led to an increasing prevalence of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease in this age group. Attempts at prevention should begin with education. This study compares the ages of menarche with ages of first intercourse among adolescent females in 1971 and 1976, stratified by ethnic group and residence (urban versus rural). Findings demonstrated that an earlier age at menarche is consistently associated with earlier intercourse. Menarche should therefore be used as a target age for reinforcing and expanding adolescent females' knowledge of risks associated with sexual intercourse.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

A case-control study of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Dietary risk factors.

The mode of natural transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease remains unknown. In a case-control study conducted in 1981-1983 to evaluate possible dietary and other sources of the disease, 26 cases were ascertained in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, 23 of which were obtained from accumulated records of the Laboratory of Central Nervous System Studies of the National Institutes of Health. Controls included 18 family members and 22 hospital-matched individuals (total sample size, 66). An increased consumption among patients was found for roast pork, ham, hot dogs (p less than 0.05), roast lamb, pork chops, smoked pork, and scrapple (p less than 0.1). An excess consumption of rare meat (p less than 0.01) and raw oysters/clams (p less than 0.1) was also reported among the patients. Liver consumption, among organ foods, was greater (p less than 0.1) among the cases. If Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is acquired through ingestion of foods containing the agent, then the food items identified may be among those which need to be evaluated more intensively. Larger case-control studies with more focused dietary questions are warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Stroke in the Lehigh Valley: incidence based on a community-wide hospital register.

Since July 1982 a population-based study of stroke has been carried out in the Lehigh Valley, a region in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, USA, with 580,000 people. During the first year, the annual incidence rates of stroke and transient ischemic attack were 167 and 49 per 100,000 population, respectively. Cerebral thrombosis, embolus, cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage accounted for 76, 13, 8 and 3% of the strokes, respectively. The overall incidence rate and distribution of stroke by type agree well with other population-based studies. The large size of the population in the Lehigh Valley means that information on the epidemiology of stroke, as well as the effects of various therapies on stroke frequency and outcome, can be collected in a shorter period of time than in most other communities studied to date. Finally, an assessment of concordance in diagnosis between attending physicians and a neurologist using standardized criteria was possible for the entire community.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Sheep consumption: a possible source of spongiform encephalopathy in humans.

A fatal spongiform encephalopathy of sheep and goats (scrapie) shares many characteristics with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a similar dementing illness of humans. To investigate the possibility that CJD is acquired by ingestion of contaminated sheep products, we collected information on production, slaughtering practices, and marketing of sheep in Pennsylvania. The study revealed that sheep were usually marketed before central nervous system signs of scrapie are expected to appear; breeds known to be susceptible to the disease were the most common breeds raised in the area; sheep were imported from other states including those with a high frequency of scrapie; use of veterinary services on the sheep farms investigated and, hence, opportunities to detect the disease were limited; sheep producers in the area knew little about scrapie despite the fact that the disease has been reported in the area, and animal organs including sheep organs were sometimes included in processed food. Therefore, it was concluded that in Pennsylvania there are some 'weak links' through which scrapie-infected animals could contaminate human food, and that consumption of these foods could perhaps account for spongiform encephalopathy in humans. The weak links observed are probably not unique to Pennsylvania.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1985

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: possible medical risk factors.

To explore possible risk factors in the past medical history of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), we conducted a case-control study among 26 cases and 40 matched controls. Statistically significant odds ratios were obtained for intraocular pressure testing; injury to or surgery on the head, face or neck; and trauma to other parts of the body. The odds ratios were nearly significant for head trauma and procedures requiring sutures. These data suggest that the CJD agent may be acquired by inoculation through injury or during surgery, and perhaps on certain absorbable sutures of animal origin. The tonometer used for glaucoma testing may also be a vehicle of transmission.

Craniocerebral Trauma↗
PubMed1985

Distal sensory nerves of the lower extremity in peripheral neuropathy: comparison of medial dorsal cutaneous and sural nerve abnormalities.

This study investigates the sensitivity and usefulness of medial dorsal cutaneous nerve (MDCN) conduction studies in patients with peripheral neuropathy. Two hundred twenty-three patients with clinical signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy in their lower extremities were evaluated. Nerve conduction velocity studies of the MDCN were compared to those of the sural and peroneal motor nerves. Fifty-eight percent of the patients had no measurable sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) from either the MDCN or sural nerve or both, indicating moderate to severe neuropathy. Of the remaining patients with mild neuropathy, 12% had a normal sural nerve and an abnormal MDCN, whereas 7% had a normal MDCN and an abnormal sural nerve. Fifty-one percent of the mild cases had normal peroneal motor nerve studies. It is concluded that the MDCN is equal to the sural nerve as a sensitive indicator in all stages of peripheral neuropathy; in mild or early neuropathy approximately 12% of patients will have normal sural nerve studies; and it is important to examine both distal sensory nerves of the leg. Addition of the MDCN study to the standard sural study increases diagnostic accuracy in mild peripheral neuropathy from 88% to nearly 100%.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1985

Medial and lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerves: standardization of technique, reliability and age effect on healthy subjects.

Techniques for performing antidromic conduction velocity studies on forearm sensory nerves were evaluated in 157 healthy subjects from 17 to 80 years of age. The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LABCN) and the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve (MABCN) were studied in the same upper extremity at a distance of 14 cm. The mean values for LABCN were amplitude 18.9 microV, latency to peak 2.8 ms and conduction velocity (CV) 61.5 m/s; for MABCN, amplitude 11.4 microV, latency to peak 2.7 ms and CV 62.7 m/s; and for median nerve, CV 62.3 m/s. SNAPs were obtained in 98% of subjects for each forearm sensory nerve. Age-related changes in the MABCN and LABCN were small, but included a decreased number of high value SNAP amplitudes and CVs with advancing age, whereas values for the median nerve showed a slight overall decrease with age. Sex effects were negligible. It is concluded that: LABCN and MABCN conduction studies can be performed with equal and high reliability using standard techniques and the same constant distance; The amplitude of the LABCN tends to be larger than that of the MABCN (76% of subjects); In some subjects MABCN studies are technically more difficult to perform than LABCN studies; Forearm sensory nerve studies may be used in addition to median nerve sensory studies in the evaluation of peripheral neuropathy, brachial plexopathy and local neuropathic conditions.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1984

Axonal branching of ventral tegmental and raphe projections to the frontal cortex in the rat.

Axonal collateralization of neurons whose divergent branches innervate the medial prefrontal cortex (MFC) and the sulcal cortex was studied in the rat by using the retrograde double-labeling technique. Injections of bisbenzimide and propidium iodide into the MFC and sulcal cortex resulted in double-labeling of a small population of cells within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SNC). More extensive double-labeling was evident in the midbrain raphe nuclei. Collateralization++ therefore does not appear to be an important property of the dopamine innervation of the prefrontal cortex.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Human platelet secreted proteins and prostacyclin production by bovine aortic endothelial cells.

The effects of specific human platelet-secreted proteins on prostacyclin (PGI2) production by primary cultures of bovine aortic endothelial cells have been studied. Cells were incubated with various concentrations of highly purified preparations of platelet factor 4 (PF4), low-affinity platelet factor 4 (LA-PF4), beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG), platelet basic protein (PBP), and partially purified platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in the presence or absence of arachidonic acid (AA). The amount of 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha, the stable degradation product of PGI2, was determined in the cell incubation medium by means of a specific radioimmunoassay. Short-term (15 min) incubation of cell monolayers with either LA-PF4 or beta TG slightly reduced 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production. The effect was not dose-related and could not be observed after prolonged (24 hr) incubation of the cells with the same proteins. It was not seen in the cell suspensions. Moreover, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production stimulated by AA was not affected by incubation with either of the proteins. PF4 and PBP had no significant effect on 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production by endothelial cells. Human PDGF showed a slight tendency to stimulate 6-keto-PGF1 alpha release when cells were incubated for 24 hr with the protein; however, PDGF did not potentiate the stimulatory effect of AA on 6-keto-PGF1 alpha release by the cells. We suggest that platelet-derived proteins exert only a moderate and possibly nonspecific effect on PGI2 production by endothelial cells.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗