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H Turcotte

Publications and source records attributed to H Turcotte.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

[Cardiovascular effects of cigarette smoke in the rat. Aortic endothelial and myocardial capillary permeability in the rat].

The permeability of aortic endothelium and myocardial capillaries was examined in 72 Sprague-Dawley rats (approximately 350 g) using the diffusion tracer peroxidase. Animals were subjected to cigarette smoke for periods of 1 day (acute effects), 2 weeks (sub-acute effects) and 15 weeks (chronic effects) and were sacrificed 5 minutes or 8 hours after smoking. Peroxidase was not generally present at the sub-endothelial level in the aortic endothelium of control animals and sham-smokers. However, in smokers, the increase in peroxidase permeability is proportional to the smoking period. Moreover, in these smokers we observed junctional and subendothelial vacuolar dilatations which correspond to degenerative morphologic changes. Cigarette smoke has a different effect on the right ventricle. Endothelial permeability of the myocardial capillaries increases in animals subjected to cigarette smoke for 1 day and those who smoked for 2 weeks sacrificed 5 minutes after smoking. This increase in permeability is not related to the significant morphologic changes observed in the myocardium and endothelial capillaries. However, the myocardial endothelial capillaries, the sub-endothelial space and the adjacent interstitial space were generally free of peroxidase in animals subjected to cigarette smoke for 15 weeks and in those smoking for 2 weeks sacrificed 8 hours later. An adaptive phenomenon to the effects of cigarette smoke appear to exist in the myocardial endothelium capillaries contrary to that which is observed in the thoracic aorta.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Effects of cigarette smoke on rat thoracic aorta.

Using the fine structural macromolecular tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP) the permeability of thoracic aorta was studied in 72 male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats smoked for 1 day (acute effect), 14 days (subacute effect) and 15 weeks (chronic effect). Thoracic aorta sections from control rats and sham smokers were free of HRP reaction product. In smokers' thoracic aortas, permeability to peroxidase increased proportionately to the increase in length of the smoking period. Furthermore, smokers' thoracic aortas exhibited focal vacuolar dilatations (subendothelial blebs) and an increased number of subendothelial macrophages.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical, physiological and radiological features of asthma with incomplete reversibility of airflow obstruction compared with those of COPD.

OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical features, pulmonary function and high-resolution computed chest tomography (HRCT) findings of asthmatic patients with a component of incomplete reversibility of airflow obstruction (AIRAO) with those of patients with smoking-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Thirteen patients with COPD (six males and seven females, mean age 59 years, mean smoking 50.5 pack-years) and 14 patients with AIRAO (six males and eight females, mean age 52 years) despite optimal treatment, with no significant smoking history (mean 1.5 pack-years) and no significant environmental exposure or any other respiratory disease, were studied. Patients had respiratory questionnaires, pulmonary function tests, allergy skin-prick tests and an HRCT to evaluate possible parenchymal or bronchial abnormalities. Eight patients in each group also had exercise tests. All patients were stable at the time of the study. RESULTS: As expected, atopy was more prevalent in AIRAO (n=13) than in COPD (n=1) patients. Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (percentage of predicted value) were 39% and 61%, respectively, in COPD patients and 49% and 71%, respectively, in AIRAO patients; FEV1 improved by 18% in COPD patients and and by 22% in AIRAO patients after use of inhaled salbutamol. Mean functional residual capacity was greater in COPD patients than in AIRAO patients (178% versus 144% of the predicted value), while the mean carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lungs (DLCO) was lower in COPD patients than in AIRAO patients (62% versus 89% of the predicted value). Exercise tolerance was similar in both groups, as were postexercise changes in arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2). Emphysematous changes were observed in COPD patients and AIRAO patients who had evaluable HRCTs (10 versus two patients, although very mild in asthma), bronchial dilations (zero versus six patients), bronchial wall thickening (two versus eight patients) and an acinar pattern (one versus five patients). Mean thickness of the large airway wall to outer diameter (intermediary bronchus) ratio was 0.176 in COPD and 0.183 in AIRAO (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Asthma may lead to physiological features similar to COPD but may be distinguished by demonstrating a preserved DLCO and a higher ratio of airway to parenchymal abnormalities on HRCT scan.

Adult↗