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Biomedical subjects

I Nagy

Publications and source records attributed to I Nagy.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Clinical, enzymological and histological changes in chronic diffuse liver diseases following (+)-cyanidanol-3 (Catergen) treatment.

The effect of (+)-cyanidanol-3 (Catergen) monotherapy was examined in 18 patients with alcoholic liver disease and in 12 patients with chronic active hepatitis. During the administration of the drug the majority of complaints diminished or ceased in both groups. In patients with alcoholic liver disease bromsulphalein retention and gamma glutamyl transferase levels decreased, in chronic active hepatitis serum glutaminic pyruvic acid transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase levels increased, pseudocholinesterase level decreased. The histological abnormalities of alcoholic liver injury improved in the majority of cases, on the other hand, it was deteriorated in two third of the cases with chronic active hepatitis. In two cases the histological recovery of acute alcoholic hepatitis was observed. On the basis of this results we conclude that Catergen has an excellent therapeutic effect in alcoholic liver injury while in chronic active liver diseases it can be applied only as a part of combined therapy.

Adult↗

Antithrombin III deficiency: clinical aspects.

The clinical picture of antithrombin III (AT-III) deficiency is characterized by early manifestations of serious venous thromboembolism. The inheritance is autosomal dominant. The precipitating factors of the clinical signs are infections, trauma and pregnancy. For a correct diagnosis, application of various methods (immunological, amidolytic, electrophoresis) are needed. There are several types of AT-III defect; they are characterized by a decrease in amount and function, a functional decrease, or a pathological heparin-binding. Adequate treatment of thromboembolic episodes caused by AT-III deficiency is a lifelong coumarin therapy. In pregnancy and after surgery heparin can only be given together with AT-III substitution. The decreased AT-III activity may change during treatment and this has a diagnostic importance.

Antithrombin III Deficiency↗

Microfluorimetric and X-ray microanalytic studies on the DNA content and Na+:K+ ratios of the cell nuclei in various types of thyroid tumors.

Parallel studies were performed using microfluorimetric DNA determination and X-ray microanalysis on the same thyroid biopsy material to compare the intranuclear DNA and monovalent electrolyte contents (Na+, K+, Cl-). Samples were taken from apparently healthy, adenomatous, and cancerous parts of human thyroid glands removed surgically. The time interval was less than 1 min. The tissues were classified by the pathologist into four main classes: 1) Normal thyroid tissue; 2) benign adenomas; 3) differentiated (follicular and papillary) carcinomas; and 4) anaplastic cancers. The results revealed that the level of aneuploidization showed an increase parallel with the malignancy of the studied tumor. At the same time, a similar tendency was found in the average values of the intranuclear Na+:K+ ratios. The results obtained in this way confirm the possibility that the electric properties of the cell membrane, that is the sustained membrane depolarization, may have a role in the regulation of DNA synthesis and in mitogenesis. These results may offer new diagnostic and/or therapeutic possibilities.

Adenoma↗

The effect of primycin on the intracellular monovalent ion and water contents of rat hepatocytes as revealed by energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis and interference microscopy.

Using energy-dispersive X-ray microanalytic and interference microscopic techniques, the intracellular concentration of the monovalent ions (Na+, K+, Cl+) as well as the intracytoplasmic and intracellular water contents were studied in normal and adrenalectomized rat hepatocytes with and without primycin treatment. Although primycin influenced significantly only the intracellular potassium content of the adrenalectomized group, it exerted a marked influence on the intranuclear water content in both the normal and adrenalectomized rats. The intranuclear water content increased significantly in the primycin-treated animals. The conclusion is drawn that the increased level of hydration of the nuclear substances reflects a 'decondensation' of the chromatin which on the other hand, may represent the basis for the various effects of primycin on the induction of certain hepatic enzymes.

Adrenalectomy↗

Alterations of the synaptosomal membrane 'microviscosity' in the brain cortex of rats during aging and centrophenoxine treatment.

Synaptosomal and myelin fractions were isolated from the brain cortex of young, adult and old male CFY rats (2, 12 and 24 mth, respectively). The purity of the fractions was tested by transmission electron microscopy and marker enzyme assays. The cholesterol content of the fractions was also determined. Samples of the fractions were labelled with diphenylhexatriene (DPH) and the fluorescence anisotropy (r) of the label was measured at various optical densities. The values of r extrapolated to zero optical density were compared in the age groups and used for calculating the 'microviscosity' of the membranes. The 'microviscosity' of synaptosomal membranes displayed a significant age-dependent increase: from 2.3 +/- 0.02 (SD) in the young group it increased to 2.6 +/- 0.03 poise by the age of 24 mth at 37 degrees C. Most of this increase occurred between the adult and old age. The cholesterol content of the synaptosomes also increased significantly during aging. Centrophenoxine (CPH)-treatment with 100 mg/kg body weight daily dose for 2 mth was able to reverse the age-dependent alterations of both the membrane 'microviscosity' and the cholesterol content in the synaptosomes: the values returned nearly to the adult level. The results obtained are interpreted in terms of the membrane hypothesis of aging attributing to primary role to the free-radical induced membrane damage in cellular aging.

Aging↗

Is there a direct correlation between the activities of various lysosomal enzymes and prolactin secretion in the rat anterior pituitary?

The degree of endocrine activity by rat pituitary lactotrophs was manipulated and the lysosomal involvement in the release and intracellular degradation of PRL was monitored by concomitant assays of acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase, dipeptidyl peptidases I and II, and nonspecific esterases in the anterior lobe. The in vitro release of PRL by cell cultures was inhibited by 0.5 or 1.5 microM bromocriptine during 24 or 72 h of incubation and by 0.75 microM for 4 h. Long term treatment caused a 40% reduction in the total PRL content of cells and media; however, after 4 h of bromocriptine treatment, no reduction in PRL content was found. TRH (10 ng/ml) in medium for 4 h increased PRL release, whereas it produced intracellular hormone depletion. In vitro treatment of anterior lobes of diestrous rats with 1 microM dopamine decreased PRL release by 50%. No changes in lysosomal enzyme activities were observed after the inhibition of release or stimulation of the in vitro secretion of PRL. Haloperidol (2.5 mg/kg BW) caused a 90% increase in serum PRL concentrations in diestrous rats 1 h after sc injection. alpha-Methyl-p-tyrosine (200 mg/kg BW, ip) stimulated in vivo PRL secretion, monitored 1, 4, and 24 h after drug administration. The administration of 100 micrograms/rat bromocriptine for 3 consecutive days, a single dose of 100 micrograms/rat polyestradiol phosphate, and their combination resulted in the expected changes in PRL production in female rats. These in vivo treatments failed to alter lysosomal enzyme activities in the anterior pituitary. These findings suggest that the release, intracellular accumulation, or depletion of PRL occurred without concomitant changes in lysosomal enzyme activity in the anterior pituitary. We suggest that the system of lysosome-dependent hormone degradation may involve more specific enzymes than those monitored to date.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Correlation of malignancy with the intracellular Na+:K+ ratio in human thyroid tumors.

Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis was applied on human intraoperative biopsy materials of different thyroid tumors. To ensure suitability of these tissue pieces for quantitative microanalysis in freeze-fractured, freeze-dried bulk specimens, sampling was carried out with strictly defined criteria. Benign adenomas and differentiated and anaplastic carcinomas were selected for the studies on the basis of pathohistological investigations of the same specimen. The results of the tumor cells were compared to those obtained in apparently normal human epithelial cells. The number of normal cells analyzed was 349, whereas in the tumors 408, 423, and 891 cells were measured in the benign, differentiated, and anaplastic groups, respectively. Intracellular monovalent contents were calculated as percentage of cell dry mass; then, Na+:K+ molar ratios were calculated for each cell individually. Due mostly to the increase of Na+ content, the distribution histograms of the Na+:K+ molar ratio show an increase in the number of cells with a higher Na+:K+ ratio with increasing malignancy of the tumors studied. The differences proved to be statistically highly significant by the chi 2 test. Thus, in human thyroid, increasing malignancy is associated with increasing intracellular Na+:K+ ratio. The results give further support to the theory of C. D. Cone (J. Theor. Biol., 30: 151-181, 1971) according to which the sustained depolarization of the cell membrane results in an increased rate of cell division.

Electron Probe Microanalysis↗

Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis of biological bulk specimens: a review of the method and its application to experimental gerontology and cancer research.

Biological bulk specimens can be prepared by the freeze-fracture freeze-drying method, which is suitable for quantitative X-ray microanalysis of intracellular components. Although the spatial resolution of this analytic technique does not allow us to analyze smaller cellular compartments than the nucleus and cytoplasm it may deliver useful results for answering questions of experimental biology. Bulk specimens are also suitable for determination of intracellular water and dry mass contents under certain conditions. Applications of the bulk specimen X-ray microanalysis for experimental gerontology revealed an age dependent increase of the intracellular potassium content of the postmitotic cells, a diminution of intracellular water content during aging and delivered indirect proof for the decrease of the passive potassium permeability of the cell membrane in old hepatocytes and giant neurons. The bulk specimen method of X-ray microanalysis has been applied also in cancer research: it proved to be helpful in the determination of intracellular Na+-contents and Na+/K+ ratios in various human and experimental animal tumors as well as in other models of cell proliferation. These data gain a certain weight in light of the recent developments on the regulation of mitogenesis.

Aging↗

Cerebrovascular occlusion in childhood.

Among 2493 patients undergoing cerebral angiography 43 children were found to have cerebrovascular occlusion. The diagnosis, aetiology, management and care of the condition is outlined. It is stressed that angiography is indispensable in diagnosis.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗

In vivo studies on the age-dependent decrease of the rates of total and mRNA synthesis in the brain cortex of rats.

The membrane hypothesis of aging (Zs.-Nagy, I., 1978, J. Theor. Biol. 75, 189-195) attributes the primary role in cellular aging to an age-dependent decrease of the passive potassium permeability of the cell membrane which is due most probably to free-radical damage of the membrane components. As a consequence, the intracellular and intranuclear ionic strength increases resulting in a condensation of the chromatin and a slowing down of the synthetic processes performed by the nucleus. In this concept it was of importance to reveal whether the rates of total and mRNA synthesis display any age-dependent alteration parallel with the change of membrane permeability of the brain nerve cells. Experiments were performed using tritiated uridine incorporation measurements and suitable preparation techniques in young, adult and old rats (1.5, 13 and 25 mth of age, respectively). Comparisons of the incorporation rates revealed a very considerable decrease in the rate of synthesis of both the total and polyadenylated RNA (polyA + RNA) between the ages of 13 and 26 mth. The old animals displayed only about 55 and 67% of the rate of synthesis for the 2 classes of RNA, respectively, as compared to the young and adult rats, if the results are expressed as dpm/mg RNA. However, the decreases are even more pronounced (34 and 41%) if the results are expressed on a dry weight basis. The results obtained are compatible with the membrane hypothesis of aging.

Aging↗