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Biomedical subjects

J Rankin

Publications and source records attributed to J Rankin.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Behavioural effects of gestational exposure to aluminium.

The involvement of aluminium in the aetiology of a number of human pathological diseases has altered its status from being a nontoxic, nonabsorbable, harmless element. This maybe of particular concern to the developing foetus which is more susceptible to agents and at lower levels than the adult. Little attention has been given to aluminium's potential reproductive toxicity until recently and further research is required for a full evaluation of its toxicity. Our preliminary results demonstrate behavioural and neurochemical alterations in the offspring of mice exposed to aluminium during gestation. Further, the effects of such exposure are also present in the adult animal suggesting persistent changes in behaviour following prenatal exposure.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed1991

Leading the way.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

British Columbia↗
PubMed1990

The demography of primary biliary cirrhosis in Ontario, Canada.

The demographics of primary biliary cirrhosis in Ontario, Canada, are described. Two hundred and twenty-five primary biliary cirrhosis patients were identified by 85 of 502 gastroenterologists (or internists) practicing in Ontario acute care hospitals that have 150 or more beds. Two hundred and six patients were verified as being antimitochondrial antibody-positive, resulting in an incidence of 3.26 per million per year and a prevalence of 22.39 per million. Questionnaire data were obtained on 88.5% of these patients. Twenty-nine percent of the patients were found to be asymptomatic. Geographical clustering and racial predisposition were not seen. No increase in breast cancer prevalence was noted. By the time the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis was established, the patients had consulted a median number of 3.5 physicians. Fatigue was reported as the most disabling symptom. The diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis in patients referred from across the province of Ontario was independently confirmed by us, using standard criteria (antimitochondrial antibody testing and liver biopsy), and was found to be reliable.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1990

[Acute myocardial infarction: thrombolytic efficacy of 500.000 UI of streptokinase combined with heparin].

Most reports concerning the use of streptokinase (SK) for thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (MI) have employed doses over 1,000,000 units. We evaluated the efficacy of a dose of 500,000 U in 40 patients with acute MI who received full heparin dose before, during and after SK. Thrombolytic effect, as measured by the protamine neutralized thrombin time was shown to be strong in 60% of cases, moderate in 17% and weak in 22%, and this was not modified by larger SK doses. A patent culprit artery was demonstrated at coronary arteriography performed 3 days after SK in 90% of patients. Only one instance of severe bleeding was observed. Thus, a reduced SK dose in association to heparin provides adequate lytic effect and artery patency rate in patients with MI.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Learning clinical teaching skills at the baccalaureate level.

Nurses returning to work after obtaining their baccalaureate degree in nursing find increased expectations to participate in student and staff clinical education. Often these nurses are not prepared for this role. This paper describes a project that involved final year post-diploma registered nurse students in the clinical teaching of second year basic degree students in a baccalaureate nursing programme. Results of a pilot study to determine if the perceptions of the students involved in the teaching project changed following the experience, show a more positive change in teacher behaviours in these student tutors compared to students doing a traditional clinical experience. Course evaluations indicate the experience increased knowledge and comfort in clinical teaching and point to positive changes in the perceptions of behaviours conducive to clinical teaching.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1989

Nucleus accumbens cholecystokinin (CCK) can either attenuate or potentiate amphetamine-induced locomotor activity: evidence for rostral-caudal differences in accumbens CCK function.

In this study the effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) microinjections into the rostral or caudal nucleus accumbens (Acc) on locomotor activation derived from systemic amphetamine treatment were examined. It was found that CCK microinjections into the rostral Acc attenuated and CCK microinjections into the caudal Acc potentiated amphetamine-induced locomotor activity. Results indicate that rostral Acc CCK microinjections have dopamine antagonistlike effects and caudal Acc CCK microinjections have dopamine agonistlike effects on amphetamine-induced locomotor activity. The relevance of the present findings to previous results regarding CCK-dopamine interactions is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Changes in fetal organ flow during intrauterine mechanical ventilation with or without oxygen.

To investigate whether the changes in circulation at birth are due to lung ventilation, changes in PaO2 or both we mechanically ventilated in utero the lungs of 10 fetal sheep (120-127 days of gestational age) five days after instrumentation under general anaesthesia. Electrocortical activity (ECoG), eye movements (EOG), electromyographic activity from diaphragm and posterior neck activity (EMG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded. Fetal catheters (artery and vein of the hindlimb, arteries of both forelimbs which in three occasions were advanced into the left ventricle, fetal trachea and amniotic cavity), and an endotracheal tube were placed. After recovery radioactive 15 mu microspheres (I125, Ce141, Sr85 and Sc46) were injected into the inferior vena cava or left ventricle during high voltage electrocortical activity before and after lung expansion with N2 and after expansion with O2 for two levels of PaO2. PaCO2 did not change. The percentage of spheres trapped in the lungs increased from 9.6% to 44% after expanding the lungs with N2 and to 90% when fetal PaO2 increased (P less than 0.001). Blood flow to different organs did not change during normoxic expansion but it decreased significantly to the brain (91 +/- 25 to 27 +/- 8 ml/min per 100g, [mean +/- SD]) placenta (160 +/- 57 to 54 +/- 33 ml/min/100g) and coronaries (239 +/- 91 to 117 +/- 60 ml/min per 100g) when PaO2 was increased. In conclusion fetal circulation responds to raised levels of PaO2 well before birth probably by a direct action of oxygen on the vessels.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Epidemiologic study of clinical and physiologic parameters in grain handlers of northern United States.

To study the effects of grain dust exposure, we compared respiratory parameters between 310 grain handlers and 237 city workers of comparable age, height, weight, and smoking habits. Both populations resided and worked in the same geographic area of the United States. Information was obtained by questionnaire, interview, and examination. Pulmonary function tests included FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75, Vmax50, CV, delta N2/L, and DLCO. The prevalence of acute work-related and chronic respiratory symptoms, of auscultatory bronchi, and of airways obstruction (FEV1/FVC less than 0.7) were significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in grain handlers than in control subjects. The mean values of all lung functions except CV, delta N2/L, and DLCO were significantly lower in grain workers than in control subjects. The effects of smoking and grain handling on symptom prevalence and lung functions adjusted for age and height, analyzed by logistic regression model, were highly significant (p values ranged from 0.00001 to 0.5) and independent. The odds of having chronic bronchitis or wheezing at work were, respectively, increased 4.4-fold and 4.8-fold by grain handling and by 2.9-fold and 1.9-fold by smoking. Grain handling increased the odds of having airways obstruction 2.6-fold and smoking increased it 2.7-fold. We conclude that grain handlers have a higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis and other respiratory symptoms than do comparable workers who do not handle grain. The effect of grain dust exposure on symptom prevalence is usually greater than that of smoking. Grain handling has an adverse effect on lung function that is of the same or smaller magnitude than that of smoking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Hepatitis B vaccine requirements in at-risk hospital personnel: a survey of hospitals in Metropolitan Toronto.

Approximately 50 000 individuals are employed in various hospital-based occupations in Metropolitan Toronto. To determine the proportion of this population that might be considered as first-priority recipients of the new hepatitis B vaccine, a questionnaire was sent to the executive directors of 45 hospitals in this region. The questionnaire requested data on the numbers of full- and part-time employees whose frequency of contact with blood and blood-related equipment was the greatest. The response rate was 89%. Of the 9545 individuals identified as being at risk of exposure to hepatitis B, 5443 (57%) were nonphysicians and 4102 (43%) were physicians. A highly significant (p less than 0.001) positive and linear relation was found between the numbers of personnel at highest risk of exposure and the total number of hospital personnel and type of hospital. Therefore, the potential exists for developing and validating a simple bivariate model that could predict the initial vaccine requirements for hospital-based personnel in Ontario and other provinces.

Hepatitis B↗
PubMed1983

Uptake of metabolism of norepinephrine in isolated perfused fetal, newborn and adult rabbit lungs.

We compared the ability of isolated perfused lungs from previable, 26-day gestation, fetal rabbits; newborn rabbits (within 12 hours of birth) and 3 month old adult rabbits to metabolize a 20-second bolus of norepinephrine (NE). The concentration of NE infused was much below the Km for the NE uptake process to assure first order uptake kinetics. At these low concentrations no vasoactivity was observed. The retention time of a vascular marker dye was monitored as an index of pulmonary vascular surface area. In all three sizes of lungs perfusate flow was adjusted to produce an approximately 7 second dye retention time. At these flow adult and newborn lungs inactivate about 50 to 60 percent of the infused NE. In contrast, fetal rabbit lungs inactivate about 80 percent of the infused NE. We conclude that circulating NE is most avidly taken up and metabolized during fetal lung development. The physiologic significance of this fetal NE inactivation remains unknown.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Importance of anti-lung antibody in farmer's lung disease.

The presence of anti-lung antibody was evaluated in 20 patients with farmer's lung disease. Antibody was found in 14. In patients with disease of less than five years' duration, there was no evidence of any significant differences in vital capacity, total lung capacity, diffusion capacity, and PaO2 between those with and without anti-lung antibody. However, in patients with disease of longer than five years' duration, the diffusion capacity was lower in the anti-lung antibody-positive group (p less than 0.05). The prevalence of abnormalities of vital capacity and diffusion capacity and fibrosis on chest roentgenograms was higher in those who had anti-lung antibody and disease of more than five years' duration. The study suggests that anti-lung antibody is present before permanent measurable physiologic abnormality occurs and may potentiate the pulmonary damage during subsequent episodes.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Differences in the perinatal development of the isolated rabbit lungs' ability to inactivate vasoactive substances.

A 20-second bolus of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT), prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) or norepinephrine (NE) was infused into the pulmonary arteries of lungs isolated from 26-day gestation fetal, newborn (within 12 h of birth), and young adult rabbits. In each case the concentration of the infused substrate was much less than the apparent Michaelis constant for the uptake process. At these low concentrations there was no observable vasoactivity. In order to assure a constant ratio of flow to capillary surface area (independent of lung size), perfusate flow was adjusted so that the retention time of a vascular dye was approximately 7 s. Under these conditions the isolated adult rabbit lungs inactivate a similar fraction (40-50%) of each of the substrates. In contrast, isolated newborn rabbit lungs inactivate about 20% of the infused PGE1, 90% of the 5HT, and 60% of the NE, and the nonventilated, previable fetal rabbit lungs inactivate about 20% of the infused PGE1, 60% of the 5HT, and 80% of the NE.

Alprostadil↗