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Biomedical subjects

J Watson

Publications and source records attributed to J Watson.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Gold therapy lowers serum interleukin 6 levels in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical utility and the effect of sodium aurothiomalate (GSTM) on serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Open prospective study of 50 patients with RA treated with GSTM. Serum IL-6 measured by bioassay. RESULTS: IL-6 showed correlations with Ritchie articular index, duration of morning stiffness and C-reactive protein. GSTM significantly reduced IL-6 levels. CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 is a potentially useful additional indicator of disease activity in RA and is modulated by GSTM.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1992

Maintenance of therapeutic community principles in an age of biopharmacology and economic restraints.

The therapeutic community has changed significantly since its development in England more than 40 years ago. However, the hallmarks of the therapeutic milieu, such as patient participation in decision making, a multidisciplinary staff, and a belief that the environment is the treatment agent, remain part of many psychiatric settings. The therapeutic community will continue to undergo alteration to adapt to changes in society. It will continue to be a viable treatment modality as long as the value system of the organizational culture and the internal structure of the community are included as basic concepts. Systems theory and organizational culture concepts are used to explore the factors that enhance the functioning of a therapeutic community in an era of biological treatment and rising health care costs.

Biological Psychiatry↗
PubMed1992

Technique for the primary culture of human breast cancer cells and measurement of their prostaglandin secretion.

1. A method is described for the primary culture of human breast tumour cells on feeder layers of the STO mouse embryo fibroblast cell line. 2. The secretion of the prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha from the cells was measured and the results indicate that the secretion of both prostaglandins was dependent on oestrogen-receptor status, with cells from oestrogen-receptor-positive tumours secreting significantly more prostaglandin than cells from oestrogen-receptor-negative tumours. 3. Prostaglandin E2, but not prostaglandin F2 alpha, secretion was also significantly greater from cells of tumours from postmenopausal women than from cells of tumours from premenopausal women. Small (< 3 cm) tumours secreted significantly more prostaglandin than large (> 3 cm) tumours, and increased levels of prostaglandin were secreted with advancing clinical stage (T1-T4). 4. Additional evidence for increased prostaglandin metabolism in oestrogen-receptor-positive tumours compared with oestrogen-receptor-negative tumours was obtained from studies on the uptake of [14C]arachidonic acid from the cultures. Significantly more labelled arachidonic acid was incorporated into cells from oestrogen-receptor-positive tumours compared with oestrogen-receptor-negative tumours, with the subsequent release of more prostaglandin in response to various stimuli.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The effects of cold application and modified PNF stretching techniques on hip joint flexibility in college males.

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of modified Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) flexibility techniques on hip flexion in college males and to determine if local cold application enhances the effectiveness of these techniques. Male subjects (N = 120), with an average age of 21.5 +/- 2.7 years, were randomly assigned to one of four different kinds of stretching treatments with cold or no cold application (15 per group). Range of motion (ROM) in degrees was determined following four stretching techniques: three modified PNF (PCP, 3-PIECP, 3-PIFCP) and a passive stretch (P). Data were analyzed using a 2 (conditions) x 4 (treatments) ANOVA. There were no significant differences in ROM between cold and no cold conditions. Significant differences existed among ROM techniques (p less than .05). Post hoc analyses revealed that the three modified PNF techniques resulted in greater ROM than the passive stretch technique. However, we conclude that cold application does not influence the effectiveness of selected stretching techniques.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Retrospective accounts of dementia symptoms: are they reliable?

Relatives of patients with dementia completed questionnaires about caregiver stress and patients' functional and psychiatric problems during an initial evaluation, at follow-up 4 to 17 months later, and retrospectively (i.e., based on recall of symptoms and behaviors at the initial assessment). Retrospective accounts correlated well with initial reports, particularly with larger scales including a wider range of alternative responses, but psychiatric symptoms were underreported in the retrospective accounts. Spouses tended to report lower levels of psychiatric symptoms than did younger relatives.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Evidence for validity of a health status measure in assessing short term outcomes of cholecystectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity of the Nottingham health profile (NHP) as an indicator of short term outcome of cholecystectomy. DESIGN: Prospective assessment of outcome. SETTING: One teaching hospital. Patients--161 consecutive patients admitted for cholecystectomy between January 1989 and September 1990. MAIN MEASURES: Patients' reported symptoms and self assessed NHP scores before cholecystectomy and at follow up at three and 12 months (76 patients); assessment before admission (19). RESULTS: Complete data were obtained preoperatively and at three months' follow up from 154 patients; seven did not respond to the follow up questionnaire. 76/84(90%) patients in the study 12 months or more answered the 12 month follow up questionnaire; eight did not respond. Significant changes in score before and at three months after the operation were observed for four of the six dimensions: energy (35.34 v 19.53, p < 0.0001), pain (27.38 v 9.8, p < 0.0001), sleep (26.99 v 17.51, p = 0.0002), and emotional reactions (16.12 v 7.56, p = 0.001). The mean scores for 76 patients followed up at three and 12 months showed little subsequent change. Scores in readmitted patients were all significantly higher, suggesting poor health. Patients with five reported symptoms had significantly worse scores for all dimensions. Scores were similar before cholecystectomy whether the questionnaire was completed before or after admission. CONCLUSION: The NHP is an appropriate tool for monitoring changes in health after cholecystectomy.

Cholecystectomy↗
PubMed1992

Effects of insulin on diacylglycerol/protein kinase-C signalling and glucose transport in rat skeletal muscles in vivo and in vitro.

Insulin treatment in vivo provoked rapid dose-related increases in diacylglycerol content and/or translocation of protein kinase-C (PKC) from cytosol to membranes in rat soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. These effects were apparent with 1) insulin doses that provoked submaximal and maximal increases in glucose utilization, and 2) glucose-stimulated endogenous insulin secretion. Insulin-stimulated PKC translocation was evident when PKC was assayed by 1) histone or protamine phosphorylation after PKC purification by Mono Q column chromatography, and 2) immunoblotting for PKC beta and PKC epsilon. Dose-related effects of insulin on PKC translocation were also observed in the rat soleus in vitro, and this was associated with increased phosphorylation of 40- and 80-kilodalton proteins, which were also phosphorylated by phorbol ester treatment. A role for diacylglycerol-PKC signalling in insulin-stimulated glucose transport was suggested by studies of [3H]2-deoxyglucose ([3H]2-DOG) uptake in the rat soleus in vitro in that 1) PKC translocation and 2-DOG uptake were correlated; and 2) stimulatory effects of insulin and phorbol esters on 2-DOG uptake were apparently nonadditive.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The chief scientist reports... Consultant out-patient services: provision at health centres in Scotland.

Hospital based consultant (out-patient) services are most likely to be found in the community at health centres. By 1991 some 45% of the Scottish population had access to services provided at these health centres. The clinical specialties most commonly provided were psychiatry, obstetrics, paediatrics and gynaecology, and they accounted for some 10% or more of all attendances. Regular consultant visits in these and other specialties were more common at the larger health centres and at those further distant from alternative provision.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMed1992

Automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: early experience at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center.

Fifteen patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias were treated with the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) over a 22-month period. The cause of the arrhythmia was coronary artery disease in 13 of the patients (87%), sarcoid cardiomyopathy in one (7%), and a primary electrical abnormality in one (7%). The mean ejection fraction was 29%, with a range of 15% to 70%. Fourteen of the patients had inducible ventricular tachycardia using program stimulation. Defibrillating and rate-sensing leads were inserted through a lateral thoracotomy in 13 patients and through a median sternotomy in two patients in conjunction with other cardiac procedures. The generators were positioned in a subcutaneous pocket beneath the left costal cartilage. There was one early and one late death, both due to congestive heart failure. Neither was related to a ventricular tachyarrhythmia, and in each patient the AICD was functioning properly at the time of death. The mean follow-up period was 11.5 months, with five patients receiving a total of 17 shocks. We conclude that the AICD is a highly effective, low-risk treatment for malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Antisense DNA downregulates protein kinase C isozymes (beta and alpha) and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake in rat adipocytes.

Rat adipocytes were treated with antisense dimethoxytrityl pentadecadeoxynucleotides, complementary to mRNA initiation codon regions for alpha and beta isozymes of protein kinase C (PKC). This antisense treatment provoked 50-70% decreases in PKC and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake, but did not inhibit insulin-stimulated diacylglycerol synthesis. Sense or nonsense oligodeoxynucleotides were without effect on PKC and 2-deoxyglucose uptake. These results suggest that: (i) PKC-alpha and PKC-beta isozymes can be specifically downregulated in rat adipocytes by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, and (ii) insulin-stimulated glucose transport requires PKC.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1991

Transferrinuria in type 2 diabetes: the effect of glycaemic control.

Urinary excretion rates of transferrin, albumin, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M) were measured in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients at diagnosis and after 6 and 12 weeks treatment. Initially 21 (53%) patients had elevated transferrin excretion rates. The proportion of patients with raised transferrin excretion rates fell to 30% at 6 weeks and 20% at 12 weeks with treatment of diabetes. At diagnosis 11 (28%) patients had elevated albumin excretion rates and 10 of these had elevated transferrin excretion rates. After 6 weeks treatment only six (15%) had elevated albumin excretion rates and by 12 weeks this number had fallen to four (10%). NAG and A1M levels also fell with treatment of diabetes. There were correlations between the transferrin excretion rate and albumin excretion rate (r = 0.86, P less than 0.0001), transferrin excretion rate and NAG (r = 0.46, P less than 0.0001), and transferrin excretion rate and A1M (r = 0.55, P less than 0.0001) at each visit. There were weaker correlations between the albumin excretion rate and A1M and NAG at each visit. The correlations between the transferrin excretion rate and markers of tubular function (NAG and A1M) suggest that tubular dysfunction may play a part in renal loss of transferrin in diabetes mellitus. There were no differences in transferrin excretion rates between patients with and without evidence of complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Is the beneficial effect of sulfasalazine due to inhibition of synovial neovascularization?

Angiogenesis is fundamental to support the continued synovial proliferation observed in rheumatoid arthritis. We investigated the effects of sulfasalazine and its metabolites on endothelial cell proliferation, a prerequisite to angiogenesis. At concentrations achieved in vivo sulfapyridine inhibited basal and endothelial cell growth factor stimulated endothelial cell proliferation. Sulfasalazine and 5 amino salicylic acid had no effect.

Aminosalicylic Acids↗