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Biomedical subjects

J Picard

Publications and source records attributed to J Picard.

180 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1966

[Jirgl's test].

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Cholestasis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The cost-effectiveness of chemoprophylaxis with Maloprim administered by primary health care workers in preventing death from malaria amongst rural Gambian children aged less than five years old.

In recent trials in The Gambia, mass chemoprophylaxis with Maloprim administered over several years by primary health care workers to children aged 3-59 months has reduced both mortality and morbidity without inducing impairment of natural immunity or significant development of drug resistance. Taking expenditure of both time and money, by both public authorities and village volunteers, into account, the costs and the cost effectiveness of such mass chemoprophylaxis are estimated here. The cost per child protected per season was (1990 US) $2.84; the cost per childhood death averted was $143. Both costs compare favourably with those of permethrin bed net impregnation. So in some circumstances where malaria is holoendemic, control of childhood malaria by chemoprophylaxis may be more economically efficient than provision of impregnated bed nets.

Antimalarials↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Carbohydrate determinants involved in both the binding and action of insulin in rat adipocytes.

The insulin receptor apparent affinity was markedly decreased in fat cells treated with lectins specific either for D-galactose (Ricinus communis agglutinin I, RCAI), D-mannose (concanavalin A, Con A, Lens culinaris agglutinin, LCA) or N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (wheat germ agglutinin, WGA), as indicated by a rightward shift of the binding competition curves and almost lineared Scatchard plots. Limulus polyphemus agglutinin (LPA), specific for sialic acid, was ineffective. All lectins enhanced 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake with relative bioactivities (maximal lectin effect/maximal insulin effect) of 68-86%. Insulin and lectin stimulatory effects were antagonized by specific carbohydrates used as competitors and inhibited by cytochalasin B (70 microM). Maximal effects of insulin and lectins were not additive and were completely abolished in neuraminidase-treated fat cells. Lectins did not affect insulin degradation. These data show that sialylated glycosidic moieties containing D-galactose, D-mannose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine units are involved in both processes of insulin 'high affinity' binding and activation of glucose transport but are not implicated in hormone degradation. They suggest that N-linked carbohydrate chains of the complex type may be essential for functional insulin receptor and post-receptor systems.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on glucose transport and glycogen synthesis of cultured smooth muscle cells from pig aorta.

We have examined the effect of an extract of Ginkgo biloba (Gbe) on glucose uptake and on glycogen synthesis in cultured smooth muscle cells (SMC) from pig aorta. Initial rates of glucose transport were determined by measurements of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake. From kinetic analyses apparent KM and Vmax values of facilitated glucose transport in cultured SMC were evaluated at 2.2 mM and 9.1 nmol/min/10(6) cells respectively. Gbe stimulated glucose transport in a dose-dependent manner; the maximum effect was reached at a Gbe concentration of 0.25 micrograms/ml and represented an increase of 35 +/- 4% above basal activity. This stimulation mainly occurred on facilitated glucose transport. The passive diffusion measured when cells were treated with cytochalasin B represented 15 +/- 3% of glucose total transport activity either in the absence or the presence of Gbe. The effect of Gbe on glycogen synthesis in cultured SMC was then tested by the incorporation of U14C-glucose into cellular glycogen. This process was enhanced by Gbe, the maximal effect was observed at a Gbe concentration of 0.25 micrograms/ml, and represented a 41 +r4% increase above basal activity. These data argue for a direct effect of Gbe upon glucose transport and glucose utilization in cultured SMC thus allowing a better nutriment disposal in the vascular wall.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cost-effectiveness of improved treatment services for sexually transmitted diseases in preventing HIV-1 infection in Mwanza Region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: A community-randomised trial was undertaken to assess the impact, cost, and cost-effectiveness of averting HIV-1 infection through improved management of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) by primary-health-care workers in Mwanza Region, Tanzania. METHODS: The impact of improved treatment services for STDs on HIV-1 incidence was assessed by comparison of six intervention communities with six matched communities. We followed up a random cohort of 12,537 adults aged 15-54 years for 2 years to record incidence of HIV-1 infection. The total and incremental costs of the intervention were estimated (ingredients approach) and used to calculate the total cost per case treated, the incremental cost per HIV-1 infection averted, and the incremental cost per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) saved. FINDINGS: During 2 years of follow-up, 11,632 cases of STDs were treated in the intervention health units. The baseline prevalence of HIV-1 infection was 4%. The incidence of HIV-1 infection during the 2 years was 1.16% in the intervention communities and 1.86% in the comparison communities. An estimated 252 HIV-1 infections were averted each year. The total annual cost of the intervention was US$59,060 (1993 prices), equivalent to $0.39 per head of population served. The cost for STD case treated was $10.15, of which the drug cost was $2.11. The incremental annual cost of the intervention was $54,839, equivalent to $217.62 per HIV-1 infection averted and $10.33 per DALY saved (based on Tanzanian life expectancy) or $9.45 per DALY saved (based on the assumptions of the World Development Report). In a sensitivity analysis of factors influencing cost-effectiveness, cost per DALY saved ranged from $2.51 to $47.86. INTERPRETATION: Improved management of STDs in rural health units reduced the incidence of HIV-1 infection in the general population by about 40%. The estimated cost-effectiveness of this intervention ($10 per DALY) compares favourably with that of, for example, childhood immunisation programmes ($12-17 per DALY). Cost-effectiveness should be further improved when the intervention is applied on a larger scale. Resources should be made available for this highly cost-effective HIV control strategy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Degradation of insulin receptors by hepatoma cells: insulin-induced down-regulation results from an increase in the rate of basal receptor degradation.

The degradation of insulin receptors was studied in cultured Zajdela hepatoma cells (ZHC). Receptor distribution within the cell was evaluated by estimating: i) surface receptor level on entire cells, ii) total cell receptors solubilized by Triton from cell membranes and iii) intracellular receptors solubilized from cells whose surface receptors had been inactivated with trypsin. In the absence of insulin, 80-90% of the insulin binding sites were located on the cell surface. When insulin was added, a rapid decrease of surface receptors was observed. After 2 h, their level was reduced nearly by half; this reduction was accounted for by an actual receptor loss from the cell without an increase in the intracellular pool. These results indicate that insulin enhanced the rate of receptor degradation within the cell. Basal receptor inactivation was studied by using tunicamycin which inhibits new receptor synthesis. The surface receptor number was decreased with a half-life of 7 h, while the level of internal sites remained unchanged. Both basal and insulin-activated receptor degradation were markedly slowed down by chloroquine or dansylcadaverine, indicating the importance of endocytic pathways in this process. Similarly, when de novo protein glycosylation was inhibited for 24 h by tunicamycin, both basal and insulin-activated receptor inactivation were precluded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vivo and in vitro characterization of insulin resistance in three cases of lipoatrophic diabetes.

Insulin resistance was explored in vivo and in vitro in 3 lipoatrophic diabetic girls (12, 15 and 19 years old = L1, L2 and L3). Patients L1 and L2 were explored with fasting hyperglycaemia (9 mmol/l); patient L3 was normoglycaemic. All had abnormal OGTT with marked hyperinsulinemia. Their basal glucose productions, measured by [6,6(-2)H] glucose constant infusion, were 3.3, 2.6 and 3.4 mg kg-1 min-1, respectively; they did not correlate with fasting plasma glucose. Glucose production in response to a 2 mg kg-1 min- unlabeled glucose infusion, was normally suppressed in L2, but was incompletely suppressed (by 1.5 mg kg-1 min-1) in L1 and L3. The dose-response curve during hyperinsulinemic euglycaemic clamp at 1, 2 and 10 mU kg-1 min-1 insulin infusion was shifted to the right in all three patients. However the maximal glucose disposal rates were close to normal (9 and 9 mg kg-1 min-1) in L1 and L3, while it remained very low (3.6 mg kg-1 min-1 at 10 mU kg-1 min-1 insulin infusion) in L2. The endogenous insulin secretion (plasma C-peptide) was also incompletely suppressed during insulin infusion. Thus, the in vivo insulin resistance of lipoatrophic diabetes concerns not only glucose disposal but also hepatic glucose output and insulin secretion; in addition, the alterations of glucose metabolism were not the same in all subjects. The in vitro studies showed no pre-receptor defect (anti-insulin antibodies, insulin receptor antibodies). Insulin binding to erythrocytes and cultured fibroblasts was normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The role of arterial wall proteoglycan in arteriosclerosis (author's transl)].

Arteriosclerosis is the consequence of numerous factors which may be studied by inspecting; the composition of blood (cholesterol) and haemostasis, as well as, modifications in the composition and structure of aging arterial-wall tissue. Arterial-tunica cells synthesise in particular, elastin and proteoglycan (mucopolysaccharide-protein complexes) which account for the artery's mechanical and elastic properties. We have shown by biochemical separation and characterization that proteoglycan synthesis is considerably modified in aging arterial tissue. The metabolism of these macromolecules declines. Large aggregates of proteoglycan form. Alterations are observed in the distribution of the different protein-associated long chain polysaccharides, in fatty acids and in calcium bound to these proteoglycans favorising the formation of arteriosclerotic plaques. Studies on the aging of arterial cells in culture also demonstrate these same alterations in proteoglycans.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The protein profile. Statistical treatment and use of the results, principles and applications].

The serum protein profile is a biological multi parametric analysis. Its validity will be tested by multidimensional statistical treatment to help the medical decisions and the practical exploitation of the results. The mean and the range are given by classical methods which also allow the correlations of some proteins. The factorial analysis of the tables of correlations by showing the proximities between the proteins and the pathological classes gives a first indication of the structure of the data. The multidimensional approach introduces the notion of distance between two profiles, gives an automatic classification of the profiles in distinct groups and an evaluation of these groups as real pathological entities. A table of distance between the profiles can also discriminate between the groups of patients. However the biological model implies some hypotheses: does any disease imply a specific profile and the reverse? Are the variations of each protein compatible and do they require some pondering? Therefore the best in the present time is to try a multidimensional approach as an help for medical decision rather than an automatic mean of diagnosis.

Blood Proteins↗