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Biomedical subjects

H Braun

Publications and source records attributed to H Braun.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Antihypertensive monotherapy with nitrendipine in general practice.

Efficacy and feasibility of antihypertensive monotherapy with the calcium antagonist nitrendipine were investigated in a 6-week open trial in 768 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension from 191 practicing internists and general practitioners. Previous antihypertensive therapy (n = 501) was withheld for 1 week and therapy then started with nitrendipine 20 mg q.d. If diastolic blood pressure before tablet intake in the morning stayed above 90 mm Hg or fell less than 10 mm Hg, the dose could be doubled to the maximum dose of 20 mg b.i.d. Alternatively, if blood pressure control was good, the dose could be halved to 10 mg q.d. One hundred thirty-four patients discontinued therapy prematurely because of unwanted effects mostly characteristic with dihydropyridines (headaches, flushes, and ankle edema) and mostly within the first 3 weeks. In 72% of the remaining 634 patients, the goal blood pressure was achieved by nitrendipine monotherapy (10 mg q.d. in 8%, 20 mg q.d. in 87%, and 20 mg b.i.d. in 5%) and diastolic blood pressure was between 90 and 95 mm Hg in another 3%. Reductions of blood pressure did not result in changes of heart rate or weight. Nitrendipine was effective in patients of all age groups but patients older than 65 years showed a significantly greater fall of systolic and mean arterial pressure than middle aged or young patients. Nitrendipine's efficacy under conditions of general practice and the high proportion of patients responding to once daily administration appear well suited for first-line therapy of uncomplicated hypertension. The incidence of side effects might have been smaller if therapy had started with a smaller dose.

Aged↗

Risk factors in the population of the GDR-MONICA Study (1983/84).

The GDR-MONICA project comprises 25 administratively defined areas with a population of nearly two million people aged 25-64. Data from the first random sample survey are reported here. The survey gathered information regarding risk factors, dietary behaviour, physical activity and psychosocial factors from 11,281 persons aged 25-64. The average risk factor levels were high in the population: The mean casual blood pressure was 140/88 mmHg and 138/86 mmHg for men and women respectively. In both sexes the mean total cholesterol level exceeded 6.1 mmol/L, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was just over 26.0. The study population consumed, on average, excessive amounts of energy, fat, alcohol, and sodium, and too few carbohydrates. Preliminary conclusions regarding unfavourable trends in risk factor levels have been drawn by comparing the present data with other recent reliable epidemiological studies.

Adult↗

Combined SPECT imaging of regional cerebral blood flow (99mTc-hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime, HMPAO) and blood volume (99mTc-RBC) to assess regional cerebral perfusion reserve in patients with cerebrovascular disease.

In 53 patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD), regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and blood volume (CBV) were imaged by SPECT within one session. Slice division (CBF: CBV) yielded distribution of regional cerebral perfusion reserve (CPR). Semiquantitative evaluation was obtained from manually set ROIs by interhemispherical ratios (for CBF, CBV and CPR), using 2 SD from a normal group (n = 10) as a threshold. Sensitivities were 59% for CBF, 94% for CBV and 83% for CPR. Combined sensitivity was 98%. Establishing three constellations for CBF, CBV and CPR, regionally normal CBFs but quantitatively increased CBVs (+69%) and decreased CPRs (-31%) were found in relatively early stages of CVD. Very advanced cases showed decreased CBFs (-65%), CBVs (-40%), CPRs (-49%) and a surrounding penumbra. In 87% (46/53 patients), such rheologically postulated constellations could be demonstrated. We conclude that combined CBF and CBV SPECT, assisted by CPR images, is a promising tool to detect CVD and to assess its individual regional severity.

Aged↗

Differential scanning calorimetry studies of rabbit cardiac sarcolemma.

Thermal transitions were measured by differential scanning calorimetry for rabbit cardiac sarcolemma in 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid buffer at pH 7.5, in glycerol-buffer and dimethyl sulfoxide - buffer mixtures, after heat denaturation, and after enzymatic degradation of the proteins. Specific solvent effects on the protein transitions were observed. Glycerol stabilized some of the four protein transitions, while dimethyl sulfoxide destabilized all protein transitions. The thermal transitions in the lower temperature range were studied for both the membranes and the lipid extracted from the membranes. A very small endotherm was observed for both the lipid extracted from the sarcolemma and the intact membrane (0.1-0.2 cal/g; 1 cal = 4.1868 J). A larger endotherm was observed in both the glycerol-buffer and dimethyl sulfoxide - buffer mixtures. Major perturbation of the protein by enzymatic degradation (papain or trypsin digestion), by heat denaturation, or by reaction with excess N-ethylmaleimide all produced larger endotherms near 20 degrees C. The very small magnitude of the endotherm near 20 degrees C suggests that it is not a typical gel - liquid crystalline transition of the bilayer. However, the occurrence of an endotherm in the extracted lipid suggests that some reorientation of lipid is involved.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Subacute toxicity of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, noise, and their combination in rats.

The metabolism of the xenobiotics 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE) or 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane and endogeneous substrates may be changed under physiological stress situations. We studied long-term effects on rats exposed to TCE, noise pollution, and their combination. The experiments were performed in a special set-up where four parallel groups of rats were simultaneously exposed to defined conditions the chemical vapor; the noise pollution of 90 dB; their combination; and a control group without any exposure. The vapor of TCE was applied at a concentration of 200 ppm/8 hr or of 2000 ppm/12 hr for 84 days each. The experiments were performed with TCE from two different commercial sources. One of those TCE preparations caused effects at the high dosage level in terms of enhanced levels of the relation of liver to body weight; liver microsomal protein content; liver microsomal monooxygenase activity; and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol excretion in urine. Eight other physiological and biochemical parameters were not changed.

Animals↗

[Mechanical stress of newborn infants caused by incubator transport].

Newborn babies transported in an incubator are obviously exposed to considerable mechanical vibrations. We measured these vibrations with the aim to improve these conditions. The vibrations measured on transportation by R.T.W. ambulance (Daimler-Benz 508 with an "anti-vibration platform") are almost tolerable; however on the K.T.W. ambulance (Volkswagen Type 2) the registered vertical accelerations were much greater and gave an unacceptable level of gravitational forces. Small constructive corrections to the stretcher and the connection between stretcher and incubator lead to a marked decrease in peak acceleration and the value of effective acceleration. We also found that it is of great importance to drive smoothly and that the vibrations are more pronounced with hasty driving. The influence of these vibrations as a possible co-factor in the pathogenesis of intracranial haemorrhage is discussed.

Acceleration↗

Reduced side effects by low dose of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in patients with myocardial infarction; estimations of serum thromboxane B2 and PGF2 alpha.

In a secondary prevention study 867 male and female patients with myocardial infarction (MI) were divided 3 weeks after onset of MI into 4 treatment groups: I - 273 patients received additionally to their common medication 1000 mg ASA/d; II - 313 patients got 60 mg ASA/d; III - 208 patients 30 mg ASA/d resp.; IV - 73 patients received no ASA administration due to ASA contraindications. One year after onset of MI the following parameters were checked: mortality, malignant arrhythmia, exercise tolerance, gastrointestinal symptoms and hemorrhage as typical side effects of ASA, formation of thromboxane B2 and PGF2 alpha in clotting whole blood. The low dose of 30 mg ASA/d reśultes in a clear reduction of ASA side effects (6,4% of patients with symptoms) in comparison to group I (15,9% of patients with symptoms), in a tendency to decreased mortality, and in unchanged frequency of malignant arrhythmias resp. Concerning the maximum exercise tolerance no significant difference could be observed in all 4 groups investigated. Estimations of serum thromboxane B2 by radioimmunoassay and gas chromatography revealed strong inhibitions of the thromboxane formation in all patients with ASA administrations; even the low dose of 30 mg ASA/d decreased thromboxane B2 by more than 95%.

Adult↗

Interventricular septal configuration as a predictor of right ventricular systolic hypertension in children: a cross-sectional echocardiographic study.

Abnormal interventricular septal position and motion have been noted in patients with right ventricular pressure overload. The quantitative relationship between this alteration in septal configuration and the severity of right ventricular systolic hypertension has not been previously reported. We used cross-sectional echocardiography to assess the radius of septal curvature at end-diastole, midsystole, and end-systole in 20 normal children and 29 children (ages 2 weeks to 20 years) undergoing cardiac catheterization for a variety of congenital cardiac disorders. The measured septal radius of curvature (r) was normalized by the ideal radius (ri) for the left ventricular cavity area and then expressed as normalized septal curvature [l/(r/ri)]. A slight leftward shift and flattening of the interventricular septum occurred in the course of normal systolic contraction (mean +/- SEM normalized curvature at end-diastole 0.92 +/- 0.03 and at end-systole 0.85 +/- 0.02; p less than .05). Marked exaggeration of this configurational change occurred in patients with right ventricular systolic hypertension (right ventricular systolic pressure greater than 50% systemic pressure), with progressive loss of curvature from end-diastole (0.45 +/- 0.05) to end-systole (0.19 +/- 0.06). Normalized septal curvature correlated well with relative right ventricular systolic pressure at all three sampling periods, with the best correlation at end-systole (r = .86). End-systolic flattening of the interventricular septum thus proved to be a sensitive marker for right ventricular systolic hypertension.

Adolescent↗

Ethanol-induced hyperlipoproteinemia. Crucial role of preceding ethanol intake in the removal of chylomicrons.

Ethanol produces a number of effects in different steps of lipid metabolism which have been suggested to be responsible for the common phenomenon of ethanol-induced hyperlipoproteinemia in man. The occurrence of hyperchylomicronemia has been attributed to an ethanol-specific disturbance of the clearing mechanism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. However, the reports on lipolytic activities and the clearance of chylomicrons after ethanol ingestion are contradictory. In this investigation the short-term excess of serum lipoproteins and the lipolytic activities in healthy volunteers were studied after single and prolonged ethanol ingestion followed by an intravenous lipid load. One hour after a single oral dose of ethanol, the intravenous fat tolerance test was unchanged. After an ethanol load over a 5 hr period, the fat tolerance was reduced, although the same ethanol levels at the time of infusion were maintained. In addition, the lipolytic activities of the serum were significantly reduced after 5 hr of ethanol ingestion followed by intravenous fat load. Hence the time relations between ethanol and fat loads determine whether a defect in chylomicron catabolism can be observed or not. A striking difference in the situations when the fat infusions were performed was the development of endogenous hypertriglyceridemia after 5 hr of ethanol ingestion. Since ethanol-dependent differences in the absorption of fat are ruled out by our experimental design, we attribute our findings to a competitive inhibition of chylomicron degradation by VLDL and partial depletion of the lipolytic system by combined endogenous and exogenous hypertriglyceridemia.

Adult↗

[Aphasia with epilepsy: a new syndrome?].

Three children are described who between 5 and 7 years of age developed behaviour disorders and comprehension deficit for acoustic language. All had associated spike-and-wave discharges in the EEG. Clinical seizures occurred after the onset of aphasia and were easily controlled by anticonvulsant treatment. The aphasia disappeared but without clear-cut correlation to the EEG or control of clinical seizures. The clinical picture resembled the "syndrome of acquired aphasia with convulsive disorder" described by Landau and Kleffner. Previous reports on aphasia in childhood show that this syndrome was already well-known then. The relationship to other acquired language disorders with psychiatric illnesses is discussed.

Age Factors↗