Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Russell.
We report a case with concordant atrioventricular connexion in association with pulmonary atresia and origin of the aorta from the right ventricle. The left ventricle was hypoplastic and the ventricular septum intact.
The histological distinction between endometrial and endocervical adenocarcinoma may present diagnostic difficulties. Several reports have suggested that differences in the histochemical staining of the tumours may indicate their histogenesis. In this paper we have compared the staining properties of 20 endocervical adenocarcinomas (14 invasive and six in situ) with 12 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma. Unequivocal examples were used where the site of origin was not in doubt. Sections were stained using a monoclonal antibody to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alcian blue at pH 1.0 and pH 2.5, PAS-diastase and toluidine blue. The results were graded by two pathologists and results compared. Three poorly differentiated invasive endocervical tumours were completely negative for CEA. Seventeen out of the remaining 20 endocervical tumours and 7/12 endometrial adenocarcinomas showed a non-specific apical staining pattern. This also occurred in normal and dysplastic endocervical glands. Intense intracytoplasmic staining for CEA was found in 7/14 invasive and 3/6 in situ endocervical adenocarcinomas. Normal endocervix never showed this staining reaction. However, 4/12 endometrial tumours showed a similar pattern. Mucin stains showed no specific staining pattern for either tumour. In an individual case where the site of origin is in doubt, histochemical methods are of little value in confidently resolving the problem.
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Treatment of healthy, adult, human volunteers with stanozolol, 5 mg twice daily, for six weeks caused a marked elevation in circulating levels of osteocalcin. Plasma osteocalcin concentrations did not fall to pretreatment values for a period in excess of four weeks after the cessation of treatment but remained similar to levels whilst on treatment. At the same time, as the rise in plasma osteocalcin was seen, plasma alkaline phosphatase activity fell; however, in this case, a return to pretreatment levels occurred within four weeks of treatment ending. These data demonstrate that stanozolol has a detectable effect on the plasma concentration of a protein thought to be a marker of osteoblast activity, and that this effect continues for a period after treatment has been discontinued.
Piracetam, a new class of drug (nootropil) thought to enhance specific cognitive skills, was given in a 3300 mg daily dose to half of a group of fifty-five dyslexic boys aged 8-13 years, in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The other half of the subjects received placebo. All subjects met the following criteria: normal intelligence, normal educational opportunities, no severe emotional problems, no neurological handicaps, good physical health, not taking other psychotropic medication, and scoring at least one and one half years below their mental age equivalent on the Gilmore Oral Reading Test. Non-verbal (auditory and visual) and verbal perceptual, and memory skills were examined, and reading, spelling, language and writing abilities were measured using standardized instruments. Compared to the placebo control group, individuals treated with Piracetam did not show statistically significant improvements above their baseline scores on measures of perception, memory, language, reading accuracy or comprehension, or writing accuracy. However, reading speed and numbers of words written in a timed period were significantly enhanced in subjects treated with Piracetam as compared to placebo. Effective reading and writing ability, taking both rate and accuracy into consideration, were also significantly improved in the Piracetam as compared to the placebo treatment group. The medication was well-tolerated and medical examinations showed no significant adverse reactions. These results encourage further study of Piracetam to determine more precisely the mechanism of action by which specific cognitive skills are affected.
An SDS-electrophoretic comparison of atrial and ventricular myosin light chain isotypes was performed in mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, pig, rhesus monkey, baboon, human and cow heart. Light chains 1 and 2 in atria and ventricles differed in all species with the possible exception of the rhesus monkey. Relative migration of atrial and ventricular LC-2 isotypes was similar in all species but LC-1 isotypes varied in relative migration rates suggesting increased primary sequence heterogeneity. Order of migration was VLC-1 less than ALC-1 less than ALC-2 less than VLC-2 in mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, baboon and cow and ALC-1 less than VLC-1 less than ALC-2 less than VLC-2 in pig and human heart. No obvious relationship existed between electrophoretic pattern and phylogenetic evolution.
It has long been recognized that some cases of recurrent abdominal pain in children are related to migraine, but the diagnostic criteria for abdominal migraine have not been defined. We have identified a group of children with recurrent abdominal pain who had a family history of migraine--in over half the cases in a first-degree relative--and who obtained marked relief from their symptoms from specific anti-migraine therapy. These children had a well-defined syndrome comprising episodes of midline abdominal pain of sufficient severity to interfere with normal activities and lasting for prolonged periods, frequently accompanied by pallor, headache, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting. It is proposed that these children have "abdominal migraine".
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There are few data on sweat analysis in Down's syndrome. We studied 25 children with Down's syndrome and obtained sweat samples by pilocarpine iontophoresis. Sweat osmolality was elevated in Down's syndrome compared to normal. The results of sweat testing must be regarded with caution when cystic fibrosis is suspected in children with Down's syndrome.
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Serial plasma glucose estimations were performed in 44 light-for-date infants and 17 infants of diabetic mothers fed 2, 3 or 4-hourly with feeds containing 10% additional carbohydrate in the form of a glucose polymer (Caloreen). In the infants fed 2 and 3-hourly, plasma glucose was higher following the high carbohydrate feeds, particularly immediately before the next feed was due. Given 4-hourly, the high carbohydrate feed had little effect in most light-for-date infants, and in one light-for-date infant and two infants of diabetic mothers the plasma glucose was lower at the end of 4 hours than following normal formula. It is concluded that the addition of glucose polymer to feeds given 2 and 3 hourly has a potentially useful effect in neonates at risk of developing hypoglycaemia, but it cannot be used to increase the feed interval to 4 hours.
Sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM), and blood donors were tested by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of antikeratin antibody (AKA), antibody to cytoskeletal intermediate filaments of prekeratin or vimentin type (AIFA) and antiperinuclear factor (APF). In 81.9% of the RA sera and 92.5% of the IM sera AIFA of IgM class was found at titres up to and in some cases exceeding 1/160. In blood donors the incidence of AIFA was 26%, at titres not exceeding 1/20. AKA and APF, always of IgG class, were found in 54.2% and 73.6% of rheumatoid sera. A weak correlation was found in RA between the incidence of AIFA and APF. AKA was not present in either IM or blood donor sera, and APF was found in only 2.5% and 3.2% of IM or blood donors respectively.
We have studied 23 asthmatic children who were wheezy when attending a hospital clinic or following tests for exercise-induced asthma. Fenoterol was administered by metered dose aerosol against the buccal mucosa on the inside of the cheek. This produced marked improvement in peak-expiratory-flow-rate and relieved clinical symptoms. Buccal administration of fenoterol may be a useful treatment for children with mild asthma who have difficulty in using inhaled drugs.
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Long-term selenium status in children from the North-East of Scotland was estimated using whole blood selenium content (BSe) and glutathione peroxidase activity (BGSH-Px). BSe was significantly lower than the reference range in children with cystic fibrosis, coeliac disease and in older patients with phenylketonuria. Whereas BGSH-Px of all the children with coeliac disease and those with cystic fibrosis aged over 6 years matched the reference range, it was reduced in younger patients with cystic fibrosis and in children with dietetically treated phenylketonuria. No child had clinical features of selenium deficiency. BSe in treated epileptics and asthmatics conformed to the reference range, but BGSH-Px in both groups was increased significantly; this was most evident in those receiving corticosteroid preparations.
Stool composition was studied in 10 newborn infants following (a) a modified milk formula (Cow & Gate Premium) and (b) a high energy formula [104 kcal (435 kJ) per 100 ml] in which the additional energy was provided in the form of 10 per cent Caloreen. The only significant difference in stool composition in the Caloreen-fed babies was a lower sodium concentration. The results suggest that the high energy diet did not produce diarrhoea or other changes in the stool composition which might have an adverse effect on the infant.
The rat renal papilla was selectively destroyed by 2-bromoethylamine hydrobromide; increasing doses produced a graded severity of histological damage, polyuria and a reduction in urinary prostaglandin E2 excretion. Destruction of at least half of the papilla caused significant hypertension, but plasma renin concentration and plasma creatinine did not change. After graded medullary damage Goldblatt two-kidney, one-clip hypertension was induced. Four weeks later the severity of hypertension was similar in medulla-damaged and medulla-intact groups. When Goldblatt two-kidney, one-clip hypertension was reversed by removal of the renal artery clip, the blood pressure fall was less when the inner renal papilla was ablated than when it was intact, although plasma renin concentration and sodium balance were similar. The final blood pressure was similar to that observed in normal rats treated with 2-bromoethylamine compared with their respective controls. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the inner renal medulla produces a vasodepressor that influences blood pressure in normal rats, and also lowers blood pressure when two-kidney, one-clip hypertension is reversed surgically.