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Biomedical subjects

F Garcia

Publications and source records attributed to F Garcia.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Comparative in vitro activity of 1-oxa-beta-lactam (LY127935) and cefoperazone with other beta-lactam antibiotics against anaerobic bacteria.

The in vitro activity of 1-oxa-beta-lactam (LY127935), cefoperazone (T-1551), cefuroxime, cefsulodin, cefaclor, cefotaxime, and cefoxitin on 85 anaerobic clinical isolates (30 Bacteroides, 30 Clostridium, 25 Peptococcaceae) was simultaneously determined by the agar dilution test in two different media, Brucella Agar (Difco Laboratories) and Wilkins-Chalgren agar. In Wilkins-Chalgren agar, 90% of Bacteroides were inhibited by (micrograms per milliliter): LY127935, 0.5; T-1551, 64; cefoxitin or cefuroxime, 8; cefsulodin or cefotaxime, 32; and cefaclor, 128. All Clostridia were inhibited in Wilkins-Chalgren by (micrograms per milliliter): LY127935, 4; T-1551, 2; cefoxitin, 6; cefuroxime, 0.12; cefsulodin, 0.5; cefaclor, 1; and cefotaxime, 8. All Peptococccaceae were inhibited by T-1551, cefsulodin or cefotaxime at 4 microgram/ml and by cefoxitin or cefuroxime at 1 to 2 microgram/ml. With cefaclor at 8 microgram/ml, 92% of strains were inhibited, and LY127935 at 16 microgram/ml only inhibited 64% of strains. LY127935 was the most active of the antibiotics tested against Bacteroides, showing good activity against Clostridia and poor activity on Peptococcaceae, whereas T-1551 was more active against Peptococccaceae and had similar activity against Clostridia and poor activity on Bacteroides. There are no significant differences between minimal inhibitory concentrations obtained in Brucella Agar and those obtained in Wilkins-Chalgren.

Anaerobiosis↗

Antiscorbutic activity of ascorbic acid phosphate in the rhesus monkey and the guinea pig.

Rhesus monkeys fed an ascorbic acid-free, purified liquid diet, developed scurvy in 70 to 105 days as evidenced by loss of weight, anemia, bleeding gums, inflamed palate, diarrhea, and inability to stand. Oral administration of either 10 mg/kg body weight of ascorbic acid or an equimolar amount of the magnesium salt of 1-ascorbic acid phosphate cured all symptoms of scurvy. Similarly, oral administration of 1-ascorbic acid phosphate cured all symptoms of scurvy in the guinea pig and resulted in liver ascorbate levels equal to those of animals feed ascorbic acid. It is concluded that ascorbic acid phosphate is a readily available source of ascorbic acid activity in vivo.

Animals↗

Lack of antiscorbutic activity of ascorbate 2-sulfate in the rhesus monkey.

Oral administration of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight of ascorbic acid (AA) completely prevented development of scurvy in juvenile rhesus monkey (Mucaca mulata) fed an AA-free liquid diet. The same dose cured scurvy when injected intramuscularly. An equimolar dose of ascorbic acid 2-sulfate (AA-2-S) did not prevent or cure scurvy. Neither AA nor AA-2-S altered serum cholesterol. AA but not AA-2-S reduced serum triglyceride. A case of scurvy in an AA-2-S treated monkey is described in detail.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Immune complex p24 antigen: a new prognostic marker in human immunodeficiency virus infection.

p24 antigen (p24 Ag) is usually not found in patients in the asymptomatic phase of HIV infection, mainly because it is bound to anti-p24 antibodies (p24 Ab), with which it forms immune complexes. Nine asymptomatic patients positive for HIV-1 antibodies (stage II CDC criteria) treated with r alpha-interferon were followed (7.5 +/- 0.5 months), and a basal and final sample were tested for p24 Ag immune complexes (p24 Ag-IC), free p24 Ag, p24 Ab, CD4 count, beta 2-microglobulin, properdin B factor, and C3 and C4 complement fractions. p24 Ag-IC was detected in 55.5% of the samples, whereas free p24 Ag was detected in 5.5%. The finding of no change or an increase in p24 Ag-IC serum levels may be considered a prognostic marker. We believe that p24 Ab cannot be used as a prognostic marker unless p24 Ag-IC detection is simultaneously evaluated.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Senile plaques in aged squirrel monkeys.

Aged squirrel monkeys develop senile plaques in the brain that are similar to those occurring in aged rhesus monkeys and aged humans. These plaques consist of abnormal, swollen neurites around an amyloid core. In whole-hemisphere coronal sections through the level of the rostral temporal lobe, plaques are present in temporal cortex, amygdala, hippocampal formation and, occasionally, in other cortical regions. In more rostral sections through the frontal lobe, plaques are most common in orbitofrontal and frontal opercular cortical regions. In immunocytochemical preparations, some neurites show immunoreactivity with antibodies directed against phosphorylated neurofilaments and neuropeptide Y. Thus, plaques in these New World primates are similar in distribution and composition to those occurring in aged Old World primates.

Aging↗

Genotyping of mature trees of Entandrophragma cylindricum with microsatellites.

We have characterized 10 microsatellite loci for the tropical tree Entandrophragma cylindricum (Sprague) Sprague (sapelli) in order to genotype individuals in forest stands for estimation of the genetic diversity of the species. We used the technique of building a (GA)n microsatellite-enriched library by capture with streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. We assessed the polymorphism of seven microsatellites in 186 mature trees in a selectively logged stand (Dimako) and an unlogged stand (Ndama), both in Cameroon. All the loci were polymorphic, and the number of alleles was high, ranging from eight to 36, with a mean of 22.1. Both stands showed the same high level of genetic diversity (mean H(E) = 0.85) and a low genetic differentiation (FST = 0.007), indicating that genetic diversity was within rather than among populations. Five and three out seven loci in Dimako and Ndama, respectively, showed a deficit of heterozygotes. The seven loci enabled more than 97% of the mature trees in each stand to be identified. It was concluded that these markers can be efficiently used for gene flow studies.

Cameroon↗

Hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with anti-HCV on hemodialysis. Relationship to transaminase levels.

This study was performed in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were treated with hemodialysis to determine the relationships among alanine amino-transferase (ALT) levels, immunoglobulin (Ig) G anti-HCV, IgM anti-HCV core, and HCV RNA. Of 107 patients on hemodialysis, 27 had positive IgG anti-HCV. Eight of the patients who had HCV were evaluated every 8 months during a period of 2 years, using the following selection criteria: positive IgG against c-22, c33-c, 5-1-1, and c100-3 viral peptides; absence of infection by hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, cytomegalo-virus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, as well as absence of hepatotoxic drugs or cholelithiasis. We considered elevated ALT values as those more than 150% of the upper limit of normal. Three of the patients had persistent elevation of ALT levels, two had alternating elevation of ALT levels, and three had normal ALT levels in all blood samples. Of the 24 blood samples, 11 had elevation of ALT (45.8%) levels that showed positive IgM anti-HCV, but only 7 of these 11 had positive HCV RNA (63.6%). None of the 13 blood samples without elevation of ALT had positive IgM anti-HCV, but 5 had positive HCV RNA (38.5%). We found an excellent correlation between IgM anti-HCV and ALT levels (r = 0.81). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean ALT values on the 12 blood samples that had positive HCV RNA and the mean ALT values of the negative HCV RNA samples (53.5 +/- 28.0 IU/l vs. 37.4 +/- 17.5 IU/l, respectively). IgM anti-HCV is related to the elevation of ALT levels and can be used as a serologic marker to indicate the presence of active HCV induced liver damage. Serum ALT levels do not correlate with the detection of viral genome in sera. IgG anti-HCV is not necessarily associated with HCV RNA or IgM anti-HCV. The absence of IgM and HCV RNA in patients with IgG anti-HCV and normal ALT levels does not necessarily suggest the absence of active HCV infection.

Alanine Transaminase↗

Preparation, characterization and in vitro drug release of poly-epsilon-caprolactone and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate ketoprofen loaded microspheres.

Ketoprofen was encapsulated within poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate 50 (HPMCP50) microspheres (MS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed spherical particles without surface crystal formation and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) supported these results. MS of PCL or HPMCP50 had a mean particle size of 10.7 +/- 2.2 and 10.9 +/- 2.0 mu m respectively, whereas a mixture of these polymers increased the MS particle size to 30 mu m. Greater incorporation efficiencies were found for HPMCP50 MS (98.1 +/- 0.7). MS of PCL and HPMCP50 mixtures showed a decreased drug entrapment as the amount of PCL was increased (96.0 +/- 0.2 for 25% PCL, 95.6 +/- 1.8 for 50% PCL, 80.2 +/- 0.7 for 75% PCL and 78.9 +/- 9.0 for 100% PCL). Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) studies revealed a weak interaction between ketoprofen and PCL and some polymer degradation was found during HPMCP50 MS storage, probably by breaking of the phthalic anhydride bond to be anyhydroglucose backbone. Four types of cryoprotectors (glucose, trehalose, mannitol and sorbitol, at 5 and 10% W/V) and two freezing conditions (-196 and -20 degrees C) were evaluated in freeze-drying studies. For HPMCP50, the sizes of MS after reconstitution of liophylizates were nearly the same as the initial ones. For PCL MS only, those formulations with sorbitol or glucose at 10% and frozen at -196 degrees C showed acceptable results. In contrast to the rapid release rate of ketoprofen from PCL MS as a result of carrier porosity (80% released within 15 min), the release from HPMCP50 MS could be controlled by means of pH (40% released in the first 15 min in simulated gastric fluid and nearly 100% ketoprofen delivered in the same time in simulated intestinal fluid).

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗