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Biomedical subjects

H J Blumenthal

Publications and source records attributed to H J Blumenthal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Treatment of acute migraine with sumatriptan--response in 40 consecutive patients.

Forty consecutive headache patients self-administered sumatriptan for migraine, diagnosed by the criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS). Eighty percent reported excellent response. Thirty-three percent had recurrence of headache within four to twelve hours, while 67% had no recurrence. Fifty-five percent of the patients reported mild side effects, but only 8% stopped therapy because of adverse reactions. No serious cardiovascular events occurred. Recommendations for safe use of sumatriptan are suggested.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Meeting mania.

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Administrative Personnel↗
PubMed1994

Home administration of intramuscular DHE for the treatment of acute migraine headache.

Dihydroergotamine (DHE) has been used for the treatment of acute migraine headache for almost 50 years. Previous studies have emphasized use in emergency room, inpatient, or office settings. Twenty-nine patients with migraine headache who had failed to obtain relief with conventional therapy were trained to self-administer intramuscular DHE. The patients administered 0.5mg DHE and 100mg trimethobenzamide at the onset of their headache and an additional 0.5mg DHE if satisfactory headache relief was not obtained. Twenty patients were successfully contacted and interviewed. Forty-five percent of the patients had at least 50% relief of headache and continued to use the protocol. Eighty-two percent of patients who initially had at least 50% headache relief continued to use the drug, whereas none of the patients who initially had less than 10% relief continued the protocol. Sixty-one percent of patients whose headaches precluded continuation of activity had at least 50% response to initial treatment, whereas only 29% whose headaches were less severe had this response. Initial response to therapy was predictive of continued use of the treatment protocol and patients who described more severe headache had a higher response to the initial treatment. Thus, home administration of I.M. DHE offers an additional treatment regimen for patients with migraine headache.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

Lacunes.

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Dementia, Multi-Infarct↗
PubMed1992

Great auricular neuralgia.

An unusual neuralgia of the great auricular nerve resulting from a skin incision to insert a cardiac pacemaker is described. The anatomy and presumed pathophysiology are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Metabolism of glucurolactone to glucarate in Parkinson's disease.

The metabolism of oral glucurolactone to serum D-glucarate by the hepatic cytochrome P450 enzyme system was no different in 20 untreated Parkinson's disease (PD) patients as compared with 20 age- and sex-matched controls. There was no evidence for a deficit in hepatic enzymes in PD.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

Specific enzymatic assay for D-glucarate in human serum.

A sensitive and specific spectrophotometric assay was developed to determine levels of D-glucarate in human serum. This assay makes use of the Escherichia coli glucarate catabolic enzymes D-glucarate dehydrase, alpha-keto-beta-deoxy-D-glucarate aldolase, and tartronate semialdehyde (TSA) reductase, to convert D-glucarate to equimolar quantities of pyruvate and TSA. In a one-tube reaction that included NADH, lactate dehydrogenase, and the three E. coli enzymes, 1 mumol of D-glucarate was quantitatively converted to 1 mumol each of D-glycerate and L-lactate with concomitant utilization of 2 mumol of NADH. Using this method, D-glucarate in serum was measured, along with quantitative recovery of authentic D-glucarate from duplicate serum samples to which it had been added. Glucarate is a major serum organic acid, approximating blood pyruvate levels previously determined by others.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1981

Intracellular mannitol, a product of glucose metabolism in staphylococci.

Mannitol (Mtl), not previously reported as an intracellular component of bacteria, although it has been found as an extracellular end product of anaerobic carbohydrate metabolism, accumulated within strains of all 10 staphylococcal species tested after aerobic incubation of washed cell suspensions in phosphate-buffered 1% glucose for 2 h. Phenol extracts of the cells, before and after incubation, were analyzed for Mtl content by periodate utilization and paper chromatography and for Mtl 1-phosphate content, with Mtl 1-phosphate dehydrogenase. In Staphylococcus aureus Towler, the content of Mtl increased from a 0-h value of less than 2.4 to 16 mumol/g (dry weight) after incubation, and the level of Mtl 1-phosphate increased from a 0-h value of 1 to 8 mumol/g. The identification of Mtl was confirmed as the per-O-acetyl ester by gas-liquid chromatography and as the per-O-methyl ether by mass spectrometry. Also tested were 5 additional S. aureus strains and 32 coagulase-negative staphylococcal strains. All strains accumulated Mtl, even those strains that could not utilize exogenous Mtl during aerobic growth, usually in the range 4 to 25 mumol/g. Furthermore, three strains accumulated very high Mtl levels. Bacteria from several other genera were tested, and some were found to accumulate low to moderate levels of Mtl under similar incubation conditions. The metabolic conversion of glucose to intracellular Mtl, probably via Mtl 1-phosphate, is a common feature of staphylococci and also occurs in some other bacteria.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1978

Survival and resistance of Trichophyton mentagrophytes arthrospores.

The effects of several physical and chemical agents on the survival of Trichophyton mentagrophytes arthrospores were investigated. Although arthrospores of this dermatophyte were highly resistant to chilling and freezing, they were extremely susceptible to moderate heat (above 50 degrees C) and desiccation. This high susceptibility could be significantly reduced when they were dried in the presence of exogenous proteins. These arthrospores were markedly susceptible to glutaraldehyde. They appeared to be significantly more resistant than their hyphal counterparts to common antimycotics such as clotrimazole, griseofulvin, miconazole nitrate, and nystatin. Clinical and epidemiological implications of these observations are discussed.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1978

Carotenogenesis associated with arthrosporulation of Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

Carotenoid pigments were demonstrated in arthrospores of the dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes but were absent from hyphae and microconidia of this fungus. Incubation at higher temperatures (39 degrees C) allowed arthrosporulation to occur, but essentially no carotenoid was detected in such arthrospores. The carotenoid formation in arthrosporulating T. mentagrophytes did not appear to be either induced or stimulated by light illumination. Mature arthrospores contained the carotenoids phytoene, phytofluene, zeta-carotene, neurosporene, lycopene, and gamma-carotene and a few minor unidentified carotenoids. These carotenoids were localized within intracellular granules consisting of osmiophilic matrices and complex membranous elements. This is the first demonstration of carotenoid pigments in dermatophytic fungi.

Carotenoids↗
PubMed1977

Factors affecting germination of Trichophyton mentagrophytes arthrospores.

Nutritional and environmental factors affecting germination of Trichophyton mentagrophytes arthrospores were investigated. Germination of dormant arthrospores occurred only in rich complex media such as Sabouraud dextrose broth or vitamin-free Casamino Acids. However, once activated, arthrospores were able to germinate under wide ranges of pH (5.5 to 8.0, optimal 6.5) and temperature (20 to 39 degrees C, optimal 37 degrees C) in the presence of certain single amino acids or oligopeptides known to be present in the human cutaneous tissues. Dormant arthrospores could be activated by incubation in distilled water at 25 degrees C for 24 h or by brief exposure to sublethal doses of heat (45 degrees C for 10 to 20 min). Approximately 20% of activated arthrospores underwent spontaneous germination at 37 degrees C during an additional 18 h of incubation in distilled water. All monosaccharides, purines, pyrimidines, and nucleosides tested failed to induce germination of T. mentagrophytes arthrospores. Germination rate was affected by the concentration of germination inducers as well as that of arthrospores. The germination process of T. mentagrophytes arthrospores was found to be oxygen dependent and was relatively tolerant to NaCl, clotrimazole, cycloheximide, griseofulvin, and tolnaftate.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1976

Isolation and characterization of the rodlet layer of Trichophyton mentagrophytes microconidial wall.

The rodlet layer of the microconidial wall of Trichophyton mentagrophytes was isolated and partially characterized. The purified microconidial walls were first extracted with urea (8M), mercaptoethanol (1%), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (1%) followed by enzymatic digestion with glusulase (snail intestinal enzymes) and purified (1 leads to 3)-beta-D-glucanase and chitinase. The purified rodlet layer was 15 to 30 nm thick and accounted for approximately 10% of the original wall weight. The pattern of rodlet patches, as revealed by electron microscopy of freeze-etched preparations of the isolated layer, was essentially the same as that observed on the intact microconidial wall. The rodlet layer was found to be resistant to most of the common organic solvents, cell wall lytic enzymes, mild acid treatments, and surface-active agents, but was solubilized in boiling 1 N NaOH with concomitant disorientation of the rodlet patterns. A melanin or melanin-like pigment appeared to be intimately associated with this rodlet layer and was solubilized during a hot-alkali treatment. Protein (80 to 85%) and glucomannan (7 to 10%) were the major components of the rodlet layer. The rodlet layer did not contain any appreciable amounts of lipid or phosphorus.

Cell Fractionation↗