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Biomedical subjects

G Pelletier

Publications and source records attributed to G Pelletier.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Sensory and motor components of the restless legs syndrome.

The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by two major manifestations: dysesthesias in the legs and irresistible leg movements. We developed a procedure to quantify these manifestations, and we studied their temporal interrelationships. We found that many dysesthesias may either closely precede or follow occurrences of EMG-defined leg activity, or both manifestations may occur independently. These results suggest that the sensory and motor components of RLS may represent two distinct manifestations of a common basic neurologic defect.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Lactation performance of sows injected with growth hormone-releasing factor during gestation and(or) lactation.

Fifty-two Yorkshire x Landrace gilts were equally allotted to four treatments: 1) controls, saline injections (CTL); 2) injections of 12 mg of growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) (1-29)NH2 thrice daily (0700, 1500, and 2300) from d 100 of gestation until parturition (GEST); 3) injections of GRF thrice daily from d 3 to 29 of lactation (LACT); and 4) injections of GRF thrice daily during gestation (d 100 to parturition) and lactation (d 3 to 29) (GEST-LACT). Within 48 h of birth, litters were standardized to 9 +/- 1 pigs. Weights of the pigs were recorded weekly from birth (less than 24 h) until weaning (d 30) and on d 42 and 56. Weights of gilts at mating, d 110 of gestation, 1 d postfarrowing, and at weaning also were recorded. On d 24 of lactation, milk yield was estimated by the weigh-suckle-weigh method, and a representative milk sample was obtained the next day. Jugular vein cannulas were inserted into six sows per treatment on d 26, and a 6-h blood profile (sampling every 20 min from 0600 to 1200) was obtained on d 29. Daily feed consumption of sows was recorded throughout the study. Weights of the pigs at any one time or survival until weaning were not affected by treatments (P greater than .1). Sows injected with GRF during GEST (P = .05) and(or) LACT (P less than .01) were lighter than CTL sows at weaning; in addition, sows treated during lactation had less backfat (P less than .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The treatment of the restless leg syndrome with or without periodic leg movements in sleep.

There are presently three main treatments for restless leg syndrome-periodic leg movements in sleep (RLS-PLMS). The benzodiazepines (especially clonazepam) are considered by most clinicians to be the treatment of choice in mild cases, especially in young subjects. In our experience, however, L-dopa and bromocriptine are more effective treatments, although no controlled studies have ever been conducted to compare their therapeutic benefits and the side effects of benzodiazepines and dopaminergic drugs. The use of opioids should be restricted to patients who have severe symptoms and who fail to respond to benzodiazepines or L-dopa. Propoxyphene was found less effective than L-dopa in decreasing PLMS, but some patients resistant to L-dopa may exhibit a masked therapeutic response to opioids. However, there is currently no method to predict the response to any treatment modality.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1992

Successful treatment of severe heart failure caused by idiopathic giant cell myocarditis.

A 53-year-old woman presented with increasing dyspnea over one month and signs of severe heart failure. A right ventricular biopsy revealed giant cell myocarditis. She was treated with a combination of cyclosporine, imuran and prednisone and improved dramatically--left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 13 to 66%. That such a response is possible has important implications with respect to both the etiology and treatment of this rare disorder.

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMed1992

[Treatment of ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis without neither hyponatremia nor renal insufficiency. Results of a randomized study comparing diuretics and punctures compensated by albumin].

Previous studies have suggested that treatment of ascites in cirrhotic patients by repeated paracenteses and albumin infusion is fast, effective and safe. In one of these studies including patients with hyponatremia or renal impairment, this treatment was associated with a reduction of duration of hospital stay in comparison with large dose diuretics. The aim of this randomized study was to compare paracentesis with albumin perfusion and low dose diuretics in cirrhotic patients with ascites, but without hyponatremia or renal impairment. Twenty-six patients (group 1) were treated with paracentesis (4 L/day) and 27 patients (group 2) were treated with spironolactone (225 to 300 mg/day), associated with furosemide (40 to 80 mg/day), when inefficient alone. Ascites and peripheric edema disappeared more rapidly in group 1 than in group 2, 8.6 +/- 9.6 vs 13.5 +/- 6.7 days (P = 0.001) and 4.1 +/- 2.6 vs 10.5 +/- 6.5 days (P = 0.001) respectively. During hospitalisation, the incidence of complications was higher in group 2 than in group 1: 56 vs 26% (P = 0.03). Hyponatremia occurred in 30% of patients in group 2 and 4% of patients in group 1 (P = 0.04). The duration of hospital stay was shorter in group 1 (15.0 +/- 10.4 days) than in group 2 (21.0 +/- 11.7 days) (P = 0.007). During follow-up, ascites reappeared in 32% of patients in group 1 and 57% of patients in group 2 (P = 0.09). At 3 months, one patient in group 1 and 2 patients in group 2 developed spontaneous peritonitis whereas survival was similar in both groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[Fenofibrate-induced acute hepatitis with pseudo-cholangitis].

We report the case of acute hepatitis probably due to fenofibrate. Clinical features included abdominal pain and fever. Serum aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase activities were moderately increased. Rechallenge induced a relapse of the symptoms and liver test abnormalities. High levels of eosinophils were present in the blood and in the liver suggesting an immunoallergic mechanism. Fenofibrate withdrawal was rapidly followed by favorable outcome.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1992

[Extracorporeal lithotripsy in the treatment of common bile duct calculi].

Thirty-three patients with common bile duct stones which could not be extracted by routine endoscopic measures were treated with extracorporeal lithotripsy. Two electrohydraulic lithotripters were used: Dornier HM3 and Technomed Sonolith 3000 using fluoroscopy and ultrasonography, respectively, for stone localisation. Twenty-nine patients were treated with only one session and four patients in two sessions. Fragmentation of stones was obtained in 29 patients (88 p. 100) and complete bile duct clearence in 26 patients (79 p. 100). The fragments passes spontaneously through the papilla in 7 cases; in 19 cases complete removal of fragments was achieved with a Dormia basket (16 cases) or after mechanical lithotripsy (3 cases). There were no significant differences in successful fragmentation rates between the two lithotriters. No serious adverse effects or mortality were observed within the 30 days following treatment. In conclusion, extracorporeal lithotripsy is an effective and safe method for the treatment of bile duct stones when, after sphincterotomy, routine endoscopic measures have failed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Inhibitory interactions between alpha 2-adrenergic and opoid but not NPY mechanisms controlling the CRF-ACTH axis in the rat.

Following a series of investigations supporting the concept that the brain stem catecholaminergic (CA) system played a major stimulatory role on both basal and stress-triggered states of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, across alpha 1 and beta receptors and also via alpha 2 receptors, the present study was designed to gain a deeper insight into the fine mechanism of functional interactions between the alpha 2 receptors mediated CA system and two peptidergic mechanisms, both shown to take part in the stimulatory control of the HPA axis: beta-endorphin and NPY. All experiments were conducted on rats whose noradrenergic bundles, which directly innervate the CRF neurons and are strongly implicated in the ether stress-induced corticotropic response, had been bilaterally obliterated by an intracerebral (i.c.) injection of 6-OHDA (NAB-X). Results showed that: (1) the blockade of the ether-stress induced ACTH response resulting from NAB-X was entirely reversed by an intraventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of the alpha 2 antagonist idazoxan (10 nmol), which appeared ineffective under basal conditions; (2) the restoration of a normal post-stress ACTH surge by i.c.v. idazoxan was itself blunted by an i.c.v. pretreatment with naloxone (10 nmol), whereas an i.c. pretreatment with an anti-NPY serum appeared ineffective. These data suggest that, in addition to a stimulatory control exerted by postsynaptic alpha 2 receptors directly on CRF neurons, other alpha 2 receptors participate, exclusively under the stress conditions above, in a tonic inhibitory control, indirectly mediated to the HPA axis across a stimulatory opioid, but not NPY regulatory component.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1991

Characterization of gangliosides in human uveal melanoma cells.

We have evaluated the ganglioside composition of 20 primary uveal melanomas, of 2 cell lines derived from 2 uveal melanomas, of a liver metastasis from an uveal melanoma, and of 8 normal choroids. The results show that normal choroid tissue has a ganglioside content similar to the primary tumors of uveal melanoma except for GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b, which are present only on normal choroid tissues. On the other hand, the uveal melanomas have similarities with cutaneous melanomas, since GM3 (74%) and GD3 (25%) are found in both tissues and are present in about the same amounts. However, GM1 was found in 50%, GM2 in 20% and GD2 in none of the uveal melanomas. According to data published by others, cutaneous melanoma biopsies have no GM1, whereas GM2 is present in 100% and GD2 in 71% of tumor tissues. Transplantation of the 2 cell lines subcutaneously into nude mice resulted in the growth of tumors which had a ganglioside profile larger than that of the primary tumors. GM3 was significantly diminished and GD3 significantly increased in the primary uveal melanoma from patients who had received radiotherapy before enucleation compared with those who did not have radiotherapy. These results show that uveal melanomas contain gangliosides that could be used as targets for monoclonal antibody therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Regional changes of striatal dopamine receptors following denervation by 6-hydroxydopamine and fetal mesencephalic grafts in the rat.

Young adult female rats received a 6-hydroxydopamine lesion in the left substantia nigra and, 3 weeks later, some of them were grafted with a cell suspension from the ventral mesencephalon of rat embryos (14-15 days old). Six months after transplantation, some grafted rats, following injection of amphetamine, had switched to turning only toward the intact side (type 1), whereas others turned toward the intact side only during the first half of the test (type 2). Levels of dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid were, respectively, 2%, 15% and 35% of the intact side in the denervated striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine rats. Dopamine concentrations were restored to 13% and 10% of the intact side in the grafted striatum of type 1 and type 2 animals, respectively. Levels of homovanillic acid were unchanged following grafts whereas those of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid increased by 209% and 247% in the grafted striatum of type 1 and type 2 animals, respectively. The ratios of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine as well as homovanillic acid/dopamine were low in the intact striatum whereas they increased in the denervated striatum with or without graft. The tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity decreased by about 80% in the denervated striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine rats. In type 1 rats, tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity revealed that the graft was localized in the dorsomedial part of the denervated striatum, whereas in type 2 animals, it was also in the medial striatum but it overlapped the dorsal and ventral parts of it equally. D1 as well as D2 dopamine receptors were measured throughout the striatum (9.0-7.6 rostral-caudal coordinates), by autoradiography, using [3H]SCH 23390 (D1 antagonist) and [3H]spiperone (D2 antagonist) binding. Supersensitive D2 receptors were normalized in the dorso- and ventromedial parts of the grafted striatum. D2 receptor density was higher in type 2 than in type 1 rats, more specifically at 8.6-8.2 rostral-caudal coordinates, where the graft was. D1 receptor supersensitivity was modest compared to D2 receptors in the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine rats and decreased following grafts. DA receptors changes in the striatum, following fetal mesencephalic grafts, may explain the behavioral recovery seen in grafted rats.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed1991

Dopaminergic regulation of pre-proNPY mRNA levels in the rat arcuate nucleus.

In order to study the role of dopamine on neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression in the rat arcuate nucleus, we evaluated the effects of haloperidol, a dopaminergic antagonist, and bromocriptine, a D2 dopamine receptor agonist, on the levels of pre-proNPY mRNA as measured by in situ hybridization. Chronic treatment with bromocriptine produced a moderate decrease of the hybridization signal, whereas haloperidol treatment resulted in a marked increase in signal intensities. These results indicate that, in the arcuate nucleus, NPY neurons are negatively regulated by dopaminergic-mediated mechanisms acting most likely through D2 receptors.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Localization of peripheral benzodiazepine binding sites and diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI) mRNA in mammary glands and dimethylbenz(a)antracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors in the rat.

An association of diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI), an endogenous ligand at the benzodiazepine (BZD) receptor, with the peripheral type BDZ receptor (PBR) has been reported in the brain and a few peripheral tissues. In order to verify whether or not DBI and PBR are present in the mammary tissue, we have proceeded to the localization of DBI mRNA and PBR in rat mammary glands and DMBA-induced mammary tumors. DBI mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization using a 35S-labelled single-stranded RNA probe complementary to DBI mRNA and PBR by in vitro autoradiography using [3H]PK11195 as the ligand. In mammary glands from virgin and lactating animals, both DBI mRNA and PBR were detected in acinar cells. In dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced tumors, hybridization signal was not detected in all the cells whereas PBR appeared to be present in all the tumoral cells, although non uniformly distributed. These data indicating that mammary DMBA-induced tumoral cells contain both DBI and PBR suggest that BZD receptors might be involved in the regulation of mammary glands as well as mammary tumoral cells.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗
PubMed1991

Characterization of rat 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5-delta 4 isomerase cDNAs and differential tissue-specific expression of the corresponding mRNAs in steroidogenic and peripheral tissues.

The conversion of 3 beta-hydroxy-5-ene steroids by the enzyme complex 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5-delta 4 isomerase (3 beta-HSD) is an essential step in the biosynthesis of all classes of hormonal steroids. We report the characterization of two types of cDNA clones encoding rat 3 beta-HSD isolated from a rat ovary lambda gt11 cDNA library with a human 3 beta-HSD cDNA probe. Both type I and type II cDNAs encode proteins of 372 amino acids having 94% homology. Transient expression of the type I and the type II 3 beta-HSD cDNAs in HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells reveals that both proteins possess 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase as well as delta 5-delta 4 isomerase activities for both delta 5-pregnene and delta 5-androstene precursors, although the type I 3 beta-HSD protein is more active than the type II. RNA blot analysis using type I 3 beta-HSD cDNA identifies major mRNA transcripts of 1.7 kilobase in rat ovary, testis, and adrenal poly(A)+ RNA. RNase protection assay using type I- and type II-specific cRNA probes revealed the existence of the two corresponding mRNAs in male and female rat adrenals and gonads as well as in female adipose tissue while only type I mRNA is present in male and female kidney. Moreover, in situ hybridization performed using type-specific labeled 24-mer oligonucleotides confirms that type I is the major mRNA species in the ovary and further indicates that both mRNA species have a similar cellular distribution in the ovarian tissue with the highest level of expression found in corpora lutea. Immunoblot analysis using polyclonal antibodies raised against purified human placental 3 beta-HSD identified a single 42-kDa band in rat ovary, testis, and adrenal, which agrees with the calculated molecular masses of 41,911 and 42,150 daltons for the type I and II proteins, respectively. Determination of 3 beta-HSD enzymatic activity using [14C]pregnenolone and [14C]dehydroepiandrosterone as substrates shows that 3 beta-HSD activity is present not only in the gonads and adrenals of animals of both sexes, but also in many peripheral tissues including adipose tissue, mammary gland, kidney, liver, prostate, seminal vesicle, uterus, skin, brain, heart, thymus, pancreas, lung, and spleen. The present data indicate the existence of two mRNAs encoding rat 3 beta-HSD and their differential tissular distribution in both steroidogenic and peripheral tissues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1991

Asymptomatic bacterascites: is it spontaneous bacterial peritonitis?

Asymptomatic bacterascites is defined as the presence of bacteria in ascitic fluid without clinical features of peritonitis or increased ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cells. Asymptomatic bacterascites is a controversial entity, and little information is available regarding its spontaneous evolution. Clinical features, bacteriological data and outcome in 22 cirrhotic patients with asymptomatic bacterascites are reported and are compared with those of a group of 36 cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Eleven patients had gram-negative bacteria and 11 had one gram-positive bacteria. Only in three patients (13.6%) did peritonitis develop. Twelve patients received no antibiotic therapy, and in none did peritonitis develop. At 1 month, 27% of patients with asymptomatic bacterascites had died. Patients with asymptomatic bacterascites had less-severe liver disease; they more frequently had gram-positive bacteria in ascitic fluid and had a lower 1-mo mortality rate than did patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. We conclude that asymptomatic bacterascites is usually the transient residence of bacteria in ascitic fluid. Peritonitis rarely develops in patients with asymptomatic bacterascites and, in most of them, antibiotic therapy is not required.

Adult↗