Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Thaler

Publications and source records attributed to H Thaler.

149 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Inositol phosphates and intracellular calcium after bradykinin stimulation in fibroblasts from young, normal aged and Alzheimer donors.

Several studies suggest that alterations in the receptor-mediated phosphoinositide cascade and cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) are involved in the pathophysiology of aging and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the phosphoinositide cascade and [Ca2+]i were determined under resting conditions and after stimulation with bradykinin (100 nM) in cultured human skin fibroblasts from young (21 +/- 3 years), normal aged (59 +/- 6 years) and Alzheimer subjects (58 +/- 6 years). The inositol polyphosphates (IP3, IP2 and IP) were monitored after prelabeling the cells with [3H]inositol in serum free medium. [Ca2+]i was determined with the fluorescent probe, fura-2AM, under exactly analogous conditions. The bradykinin-induced formation of IP3 and IP2 increased significantly in fibroblasts from normal aged and Alzheimer donors compared to young subjects, but did not differ from each other. Bradykinin-induced IP3 formation was 63-117% above the young group at time points between 10-60 s in normal aged or Alzheimer donors. Bradykinin-induced IP2 formation was 49-59% above the young group at time points between 10-60 s in normal aged or Alzheimer subjects. Neither the basal [Ca2+]i, nor the bradykinin-stimulated [Ca2+]i, differed among fibroblasts from young, normal aged and Alzheimer donors. The precise molecular basis and pathophysiological significance of the enhanced bradykinin-induced phosphoinositide cascade in fibroblasts from aged donors remains to be determined.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The undertreatment of pain in ambulatory AIDS patients.

Pain is highly prevalent in individuals with HIV disease, yet is often overlooked as a symptom requiring clinical intervention. We evaluated the adequacy of analgesic management for pain and identified predictors of pain undertreatment in a sample of 366 ambulatory AIDS patients using a prospective cross-sectional survey design. Two hundred and twenty-six of the 366 ambulatory AIDS patients surveyed reported "persistent or frequent" pain over the 2 week period prior to the survey. Adequacy of analgesic therapy was assessed using the Pain Management Index (PMI - a measure derived from the Brief Pain Inventory) and the type and frequency of analgesic medications prescribed for pain. Results indicated that nearly 85% of patients were classified as receiving inadequate analgesic therapy based on the PMI. Less that 8% of the 110 patients who reported "severe" pain were prescribed a "strong" opioid (e.g., morphine), as suggested by published guidelines. Adjuvant analgesic drugs (e.g., antidepressant medications) were prescribed in only 10% of the patients. Women, less educated patients, and patients who reported injection drug use as their HIV transmission risk factor were most likely to have received inadequate analgesic therapy. These results demonstrate the alarming degree of undertreatment of pain in ambulatory patients with AIDS, and indicates the need to improve the management of AIDS-related pain in this underserved population. Future research should elucidate the factors that impede adequate pain management in order to overcome obstacles to adequate treatment.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗