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Biomedical subjects

J Anthony

Publications and source records attributed to J Anthony.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Placental bed spiral arteries in the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: The investigation of the histology of the placental bed spiral arteries in normal pregnancy and in pregnancies complicated by hypertension, with or without proteinura. DESIGN: An observational study, based on women having caesarean sections for clinical reasons. SUBJECTS: 17 normal pregnant women, 43 with gestational hypertension, of whom 39 had proteinuria, 17 with chronic hypertension, of whom 6 had proteinuria, and 5 with unclassified hypertension. INTERVENTIONS: Placental bed biopsies obtained during caesarean section. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Histological appearance of sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin PAS and Lendrum's MSB. RESULTS: Biopsies containing spiral arteries were obtained from 6 normotensive and 44 hypertensive women. Trophoblastic invasion was present in 5 of the 6 normotensive biopsies but absent in the majority of those with hypertension. Subintimal proliferation was seen in all the normotensive biopsies but in only 8 of 28 from those with gestational hypertension and proteinuria. Other features seen predominantly or only in the hypertensive biopsies, in order of frequency, were medial hyperplasia, fibrin deposits, acute atherosis, endothelial vacuolation and thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Absence of physiological changes may not be peculiar to preeclampsia but may be associated or even a result of various forms of hypertension in pregnancy. Spiral arteries show a spectrum of changes in hypertensive pregnancies that do not appear to bear a clear-cut relation to the clinical signs.

Arteries↗

Respiratory function in severe gestational proteinuric hypertension: the effects of rapid volume expansion and subsequent vasodilatation with verapamil.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To define the baseline respiratory function in untreated severe gestational proteinuric hypertension (GPH) and (2) to assess the effects of volume expansion with dextran (MW = 70,000 Dalton) and subsequent vasodilatation with the calcium antagonist verapamil on the baseline respiratory function in severe GPH. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. SETTING: Reproductive Research Unit, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. SUBJECTS: Six women with severe GPH undergoing stabilization and delivery. INTERVENTIONS: Baseline haemodynamic and respiratory function was assessed using invasive monitoring. Patients then underwent volume expansion to a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 16 mmHg with dextran-70, followed by vasodilatation with the calcium antagonist verapamil. Haemodynamic and respiratory variables were measured, before and after both the fluid load and the reduction (20%) in the mean arterial pressure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular resistance, respiratory rate, blood gases, alveolar arterial oxygen difference, oxygen availability, oxygen consumption, pulmonary shunt fraction. RESULTS: Baseline oxygen availability/delivery and oxygen consumption indices were consistent with severe tissue ischaemia. Volume loading with 400 +/- 114 ml dextran-70 normalized these variables, and subsequent vasodilatation with verapamil did not reduce these indices below the normal limits for pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the theory that some of the complications of severe GPH may follow organ damage due to prolonged tissue ischaemia. They also support the appropriateness of controlled volume expansion in the management of this condition. We suggest, from these data, that the combination of volume expansion and verapamil vasodilatation lowers the blood pressure without compromising the maternal respiratory function.

Blood Volume↗

Topical tretinoin decreases healing times of electroepilation-induced wounds.

There is evidence that topical tretinoin promotes wound healing, especially when the wound area is pretreated. In our study, 5 patients were pretreated for 2 weeks with 0.05% tretinoin cream to one groin or axilla, followed by electroepilation to both sides. Electroepilation created small, superficial wounds. Healing was defined as complete re-epithelialization. In all patients the pretreated side showed a significantly decreased healing time as compared to the nonpretreated side. Pretreatment of skin with topical tretinoin may be useful in reducing healing times of patients undergoing electroepilation.

Administration, Topical↗

Psychologic aspects of exercise.

Physicians are well aware of the health benefits of exercise, but probably less cognizant of the many psychologic benefits of regular exercise. In recent years more attention has been paid to the psychologic effects of exercise, and much evidence can be found in the literature to support these beneficial effects. Psychologic states such as anxiety, distress, depression, and coronary-prone behavior have been found to be reduced by regular aerobic exercise. Exercise has also been shown to elevate mood, increase intellectual functioning, and improve self-concept. In encouraging their patients to exercise, physicians can more effectively motivate them by following certain psychologic principles, thereby ensuring greater compliance and adherence to the exercise program. Doing an objective fitness assessment establishes a baseline and creates a stimulus for awareness for the patient. The resulting exercise prescription will more likely be followed if the physician helps the patient establish realistic goals, and understand the minimums of exercise that can still lead to improvement, the exercise physiology behind the prescription, and the physical and psychologic gains to be made from exercise. It can also be extremely helpful if the physician individualizes the program to make it convenient and fun, provides supervision and ample positive reinforcement, and teaches by example, that is, not only be a proponent of exercise, but a participant. In spite of the many benefits of exercise, there are certain psychologic liabilities as a result of excessive exercise. Negative states such as exercise addiction, overtraining, and burnout can be attributed to excess exercise, but they are also often a result or symptom of other psychologic problems. By being aware and knowledgeable, the physician can intervene in this system to help the individual confront the real problems and maintain his or her participation in the sport or exercise program.

Exercise↗

Indoramin in the treatment of pregnancy hypertension. A placebo-controlled trial comparing the efficacy of indoramin with alpha-methyldopa.

A placebo-controlled trial was used to assess the antihypertensive efficacy of indoramin in the management of pregnancy hypertension. Sixty patients were recruited into the study and only 17 attained satisfactory blood pressure control. In the doses of drugs administered indoramin was not shown to be more effective than alpha-methyldopa.

Drug Therapy, Combination↗

Tolerance for rectosigmoid distention in irritable bowel syndrome.

Two hypotheses were tested: (a) lowered tolerance for balloon distention of the rectosigmoid in patients with irritable bowel syndrome is caused by a psychological tendency to exaggerate the painfulness of any aversive stimulus, and (b) contractions elicited by balloon distention are responsible for pain reports. Tolerance for stepwise distention of a balloon in the rectosigmoid was compared with tolerance for holding one hand in ice water in 16 irritable bowel patients, 10 patients with functional bowel disorder who did not satisfy restrictive criteria for irritable bowel, 25 lactose malabsorbers, and 18 asymptomatic controls. Contractile activity was measured 5 cm above and 5 cm below the distending balloon. Psychometric tests were used to assess neuroticism, anxiety, and depression, and a standardized psychiatric interview was administered. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome had significantly lower tolerance for balloon distention but not ice water, and balloon tolerance was not correlated with neuroticism or other psychological traits measured. Rectosigmoid and rectal motility were also not related to tolerance for balloon distention. Both hypotheses were rejected. A peripheral mechanism such as altered receptor sensitivity may be the cause of distention pain in irritable bowel syndrome.

Colon, Sigmoid↗

Hemodynamic changes associated with intravenous infusion of the calcium antagonist verapamil in the treatment of severe gestational proteinuric hypertension.

The calcium antagonist verapamil was intravenously infused after plasma volume expansion with dextran-70 in nine patients with severe gestational proteinuric hypertension. The hemodynamic response of these patients was monitored using a flow-directed pulmonary artery catheter. Verapamil produced a statistically significant reduction in mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance without adversely affecting the cardiac output. The decrease in blood pressure was smooth and controlled and was associated with an insignificant increase in heart rate. There were no adverse fetal effects as evidenced by cardiotocographic monitoring. The apparent efficacy of verapamil in this study justifies further investigation.

Adult↗

Amino-acid and cDNA nucleotide sequences of human Clara cell 10 kDa protein.

A human lung cDNA expression library was screened by using a rabbit antiserum specific for a human Clara cell 10 kDa protein. The cDNA from two positive clones was sequenced by the dideoxy chain termination method. The nucleotide and primary amino-acid sequence deduced therefrom are presented. The N-terminal amino-acid sequence of the Clara cell 10 kDa protein, purified from bronchoalveolar lavage, was also determined. The deduced and experimentally determined sequences were identical where data for both were available. From the amino-acid composition, deduced and experimentally determined amino-acid sequences, it was determined that the 10 kDa protein in bronchoalveolar lavage consists of two identical 70-amino-acid long polypeptide chains joined by two cystine residues. The size of mRNA for the protein was found to be about 0.6 kb and the monomeric nascent protein, obtained by in vitro translation of lung mRNA was about 7.3 kDa in size. The 10 kDa protein recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage has 61% sequence identity with rabbit uteroglobin, the two proteins have common predicted secondary structures with marked surface differences when comparing predicted and actual structure determined by X-ray diffraction. The differences imply similarity of structure but, not identity of function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effect of hypertension and physical training on the morphology of the kidney with special reference to the juxtaglomerular cells.

Changes in blood pressure levels, renal structure and degree of granulation of the juxtaglomerular cells in Dahl S rats fed a normal or high salt diet are reported. The effect of physical training on the hypertensive state of these animals has also been described. Animals fed a high salt diet demonstrated increased blood pressure levels and decreased juxtaglomerular indices when compared with rats fed a normal diet. The extent of renal damage in these animals was observed to be proportional to the amount of sodium in the diet. Physical training, however, brought about a 15-25% reduction in blood pressure levels and decreased renal damage in Dahl S rats fed a normal or high salt diet. The mean juxtaglomerular index was observed to be 30% higher in trained animals fed a normal diet compared with non-trained controls. It is concluded that physical training helps minimize pathological changes in the kidney and effects a reduction in blood pressure levels in hypertensive Dahl S rats.

Animals↗

Absorption, deposition and distribution of dietary aluminium in immature rats: effects of dietary vitamin D3 and food-borne chelating agent.

We report the levels of aluminium, calcium and potassium in selected tissues of growing rats administered dietary or subcutaneous aluminium, and also the effect of dietary aluminium in combination with cholecalciferol, or with lactose plus a dietary chelating agent. Dietary aluminium decreased the growth rate of normal rats and increased the deposition of aluminium in the tissues. Animals given lactose with a dietary chelator showed a 17 - 100% increase in brain, heart, and muscle aluminium concentration in comparison with those fed aluminium alone. Animals fed both aluminium with cholecalciferol also showed increased levels (12-39%) of aluminium, chiefly in muscle and heart in comparison with those fed aluminium alone. Aluminium deposition was correlated positively with Ca2+ and K+ levels among each of these tissues. We conclude that in normal growing rats aluminium deposition is increased in heart and muscle in the presence of vitamin D3 and in brain, heart and muscle in the presence of lactose and a dietary chelating agent.

Aging↗

Brief report on the clinical reappraisal of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule carried out at the Johns Hopkins site of the Epidemiological Catchment Area Program of the NIMH.

A psychiatric examination was conducted on 810 community dwelling subjects previously given a diagnosis derived from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). The agreement in allocating subjects to a particular disorder was never high enough to encourage the confident replacement of a psychiatric diagnosis with a DIS diagnosis.

Alcoholism↗

Prevalence of treated and untreated DSM-III schizophrenia. Results of a two-stage community survey.

Psychiatrists, using a standardized clinical method, examined a probability sample of 810 subjects in eastern Baltimore and made diagnoses of mental disorders among those subjects according to DSM-III criteria. The authors estimated that there were 4.6 active cases of schizophrenia per 1000 adult noninstitutionalized population, and 6.4 cases per 1000 population, including both active and remitted cases. Among the 17 active and remitted schizophrenics identified in the survey, one half were not receiving any form of mental health services at the time of the survey; these data yield a prevalence rate of untreated cases of 3.1 per 1000 population. All of the untreated schizophrenics were deemed by the examining psychiatrist to be in need of services.

Adolescent↗