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Biomedical subjects

J Weber

Publications and source records attributed to J Weber.

At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources

Effect of gallopamil on energy metabolism of the isolated perfused rat brain in the postischemic period.

The isolated perfused rat brain was used to demonstrate an effect of gallopamil on energy metabolism affected by ischemia. After a perfusion period of 30 min and 10 min of ischemia the isolated brain preparation was reperfused. From the onset of perfusion onwards, gallopamil (1 or 10 mumol/l) was present in the medium. The higher concentration of gallopamil accelerated significantly the restoration of the high-energy phosphates in the recovery stage: after 2 min of recirculation the ATP and the creatine-P levels were higher and the AMP level was lower in cortical tissue of drug-treated brains than in untreated controls. These results suggest that gallopamil protected brain energy metabolism against ischemic damage.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Effect of brain-stem lesion on colonic and anorectal motility. Study of three patients.

The supraspinal control of colonic motility and anorectal motility is poorly documented. We had the opportunity to study colonic function, esophageal function, and urinary bladder function in three patients who presented with vascular lesions limited to the anterior (case 1) or the posterior area (cases 2 and 3) of the pons. Esophageal manometry, urodynamic examination, whole and segmental transit time measurements (using radiopaque markers) and anorectal motility were systematically performed. The results were the following: (1) in the first case esophageal motility was not altered, whereas abnormal micturition, right colonic inertia, and absence of rectoanal inhibitor reflex were observed; (2) in cases 2 and 3, there was a poor esophageal coordination, the micturition and rectoanal inhibitor reflex were normal, and the transit time of the left colon was increased. Our observations are consistent with the previously described localization of neurological areas controlling swallowing and micturition; they also favor the pons as the possible level of supraspinal control of colonic and anorectal motility.

Adult↗

Long-term sequelae in children surviving adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Nine children surviving severe adult respiratory distress syndrome were studied 0.9 to 4.2 years after the acute illness. They had received artificial ventilation for a mean of 9.4 days, with an Fio2 greater than 0.5 during a mean time of 34 hours and maximal positive end expiratory pressure levels in the range of 8 to 20 cm H2O. Three children had recurrent respiratory symptoms (moderate exertional dyspnea and cough), and two had evidence of fibrosis on chest radiographs. All patients had abnormal lung function; the most prominent findings were ventilation inequalities, as judged by real-time moment ratio analysis of multibreath nitrogen washout curves (abnormal in eight of nine patients) and hypoxemia (seven of nine). Lung volumes were less abnormal; one patient had restrictive and two had obstructive disease. A significant correlation between intensive care measures (Fio2 greater than 0.5 in hours and peak inspiratory plateau pressure) and lung function abnormalities (moment ratio analysis and hypoxemia) was found. A possibly increased susceptibility of the pediatric age group to the primary insult or respiratory therapy of adult respiratory distress syndrome is suggested.

Adolescent↗

[The use of Gianturco spirals in percutaneous transhepatic bile duct drainage].

One hundred and thirty percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage procedures have been carried out so far (catheter drainage in 80, biliary endoprostheses in 50 cases). In 36 patients Gianturco coils were introduced into the fistulous tract in order to control severe bleeding and to stop biliary leakage. Three patients of this group had rectifiable complications.

Catheterization↗

[Technical problems in percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage].

Technical problems are repeatedly encountered during percutaneous transhepatic drainage by catheter or endo-prosthesis which are caused by the position, extent and tightness of the stenosis in the biliary ducts. All means of overcoming these problems must be used, otherwise technical failure or complications become inevitable. The methods to be adopted if catheters break and endo-prostheses become displaced or occluded, and for haemorrhage, are described, as well as methods for draining multiple, proximal or intrahepatic stenoses. This is based on an experience with 74 patients on whom 130 drainage procedures have been performed (80 catheters, 50 endo-prostheses). All complications and mortality (five patients, 3.8%) were due to problems which could not be solved. Internal biliary drainage by means of an endoprosthesis is markedly superior to catheter drainage.

Adult↗

Thermography as a predictive tool for laser treatment of port-wine stains.

The argon laser, which has been proven both useful and safe for port-wine stain therapy, interacts with the hemoglobin of the vessels. In a percentage of cases, this treatment is still inefficient, and there is a lack of correlation between these bad results and clinical or histologic criteria. Thermography, which explores the vascularization of the port-wine stain, leads us to consider port-wine stains from a physical point of view. This very simple test shows no correlation with the clinical parameters of port-wine stain but is closely related to the results obtained with laser therapy. It seems to be a good criterion to estimate the argon laser treatment prognosis.

Adolescent↗

Cutaneous adverse reactions to acyclovir: case reports.

Intravenous, oral, and topical formulations of acyclovir have been successful in treating genital herpes. We report on two patients who developed skin reactions while taking acyclovir, which resolved when treatment was stopped.

Acyclovir↗

Recurrent Salmonella typhimurium bacteremia associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Seven Haitian and one white patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and Salmonella typhimurium bacteremia were identified over a 28-month period. In three patients bacteremia developed concurrently with an opportunistic infection associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The remaining five patients had their initial episodes of bacteremia 3 to 11 months before the diagnosis of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. These five patients had signs suggestive of the syndrome, plus evidence of disordered cellular immune function (lymphopenia, anergy, decreased T-helper cells, decreased proliferative responses, and a deficiency in mononuclear-cell alpha interferon production). Salmonella typhimurium bacteremia in the appropriate clinical setting may be an opportunistic pathogen associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Transpapillary bile duct endoprostheses in obstructive jaundice].

12 patients were treated with endoscopic transpapillary biliary endoprosthesis. The indication for biliary drainage was malignant obstructive jaundice in 10 and benign obstructive jaundice in 2 cases. The effectiveness of drainage is indicated by the disappearance of jaundice. The lifetime of the endoprosthesis was maximal 4 months and the survival of the tumor patients maximal 6 months. If the endoprosthesis is occluded replacement by a new one is necessary. Nonsurgical biliary drainage is an alternative method to palliative operation and should be preferred in general inoperability and in patients with irresectable tumors.

Ampulla of Vater↗

An immunohistological approach to persistent lymphadenopathy and its relevance to AIDS.

Recent evidence has shown that not only AIDS but also the majority of 'unexplained' persistent, generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL) are related to HTLV-III/LAV infections. The early detection how these changes may proceed to AIDS then become a prime interest. Eleven patients with PGL (10 homosexual males and one heterosexual haemophiliac) have been studied by immunohistology using monoclonal antibodies to dendritic reticulum cells of the germinal centre, T and B lymphocyte subsets, plasma cells and factor VIII, as an endothelial marker. In six cases only follicular and paracortical hyperplasia was detected, while in five other cases destruction of the dendritic reticulum cell network was seen with this sensitive method. This early destruction may explain the release of activated B cells into the circulation and prove to be an ominous prognostic sign, as it appears to correlate with 'prodromal' symptoms. In four out of 11 cases the depletion of T4+ cells in the paracortex was not as severe as in the blood, indicating that T4+ cells may preferentially settle in tissues at the time of T4 lymphopenia. In addition, germinal centres contained an additional patchy infiltration of T8+ cells. A patient with Kaposi's sarcoma did not show germinal centre destruction but did reveal extensive plasma cell infiltrates. Immunohistology may contribute to the definition of prognosis and analysis of disease progression in patients with PGL.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Postoperative gastrointestinal transit. Results of the measurement of segmental transit times].

The postoperative transit times of radioopaque markers through the gastrointestinal tract where measured in 6 patients after gastric surgery, in 13 patients after cholecystectomy, in 10 patients after appendicectomy and in 7 other patients who underwent general anesthesia without laparotomy. After ingestion of 20 markers, overall and segmental transit times were calculated according to their distribution on serial plain films of the abdomen taken 6 and 24 h after the operation, and every 24 h thereafter until complete evacuation of the markers. Overall transit times of the 3 groups of patients with laparotomy (171, 130 and 113 h respectively) were greater than overall transit times of patients without laparotomy (25 h). Overall transit times of patients with gastric operations were greater than overall transit times of patients with cholecystectomy (p less than 0.05) or appendicectomy (p less than 0.01). The increase in overall transit time was mainly due to an increased gastric transit time in patients after gastric surgery and an increased transit time through the right colon in patients who underwent cholecystectomy and appendicectomy. Once markers began to be defecated, their disappearance rate was the same in the 4 groups of patients. These results show that an increased overall transit time may be the consequence either of an increased transit time through the stomach or through the right colon, depending on the type of operation. As well, when digestive propulsive activity returns, it is de novo normal.

Abdomen↗

[Effect of two years of deferoxamine therapy on iron balance, ferritin, liver and heart in patients with thalassemia major].

The iron balance, the urinary excretion of iron between transfusions, the serum ferritin, the liver density, the size of the heart, the ECG and the echocardiogram of 14 children with thalassaemia major were assessed before and during or after 2 years of deferoxamine therapy (DF, 1 or 2 g/kg body weight/day according to age, by subcutaneous infusion on 5 days per week, 11 months per year). The mean iron balance decreased significantly (p less than 0.001) from 15.4 +/- 4 mg/kg body weight/month before DF to -7.1 +/- 9.4 mg/kg body weight/month in the first year of DF and increased to -2.5 +/- 6.5 mg/kg body weight/month during the second year of DF therapy. Despite administration of a constant dose of DF the urinary excretion of iron during the last days before transfusion was twice as high as during the first days after transfusion. The mean serum ferritin level fell from 6380 +/- 2600 ng/ml before DF to 5074 +/- 1600 ng/ml during the first and 4346 +/- 1900 ng/ml during the second year of DF therapy (p less than 0.05). There was no significant change in liver density or cardiac parameters.

Adolescent↗

[Regional metastasis of bronchial cancer and therapeutic consequences. A contribution to the problem of the prognostic effectiveness of lymphadenectomy].

In 1003 patients suffering from bronchial carcinoma the authors examined the type of lymph node spread. Radical lymph nodeectomy takes 30 to 60 minutes more without increasing the survival time, only the rate of regional metastases is diminished. The fate of the patient is dependent on the spread of haemotogenous micrometastases. According to the authors opinion simple extirpation of the regional lymph nodes as an en-bloc-procedure will be sufficient.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Antiasthmatic effects of onion extracts--detection of benzyl- and other isothiocyanates (mustard oils) as antiasthmatic compounds of plant origin.

Previous studies showed the inhibitory effects of crude ethanolic onion extracts (COE) on allergic skin reactions in man as well as on allergen-induced bronchial asthma in man and guinea-pigs. Work is in progress in order to identify both the mode of action of COE and the active substance(s). The present study describes asthma-protective effects of isothiocyanates. Groups of at least 5 guinea-pigs sensitized to ovalbumin were challenged twice (time 0 and 10 min) by the inhalation of ovalbumin 30 min after oral treatment with increasing doses of the agent tested or control solutions. Bronchial obstruction (BO) was measured by whole body plethysmography. Chloroform extracts of onions showed similar protective effects on BO as COE. The water-soluble fraction of COE was inactive. Benzyl-isothiocyanate (BITC) was identified as one component of onion lipids by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. BITC inhibited BO in a dose-dependent fashion: 150 mg/kg: 89%; 75 mg/kg: 76%; 30 mg/kg: 66%; 15 mg/kg: 49%. Ethyl-isothiocyanate and allyl-isothiocyanate showed similar effects; p-hydroxy-benzyl-isothiocyanate, a very unstable mustard oil, was ineffective. Additional experiments showed no antagonistic effects of COE on histamine- or acetylcholine-induced BO. The antiasthmatic effects of onions and - perhaps - other plants may be mediated at least in part by isothiocyanates.

Administration, Oral↗

Azidonaphthoyl-ADP: a specific photolabel for the high-affinity nucleotide-binding sites of F1-ATPase.

3'-O-[5-azidonaphthoyl]-ADP has been synthesized as a photoreactive analog to 3'-O-naphthoyl(1)-ADP which is known to bind to the high-affinity nucleotide sites of mitochondrial F1-ATPase, considered to be the catalytic sites. The photolabel in the dark acts as a ligand to F1-ATPase and as a competitive inhibitor with Ki = 11 microM. Binding to the enzyme is accompanied by a quench of endogenous protein fluorescence leveling off at an occupancy of 1 mol/mol F1, whereas the total number of reversible sites accessible to the analog is 3 mol/mol F1 as measured by isotope studies. Covalent insertion by near ultraviolet activation of the probe yields labeling of both alpha and beta polypeptides of F1; it is accompanied by corresponding removal of reversible high-affinity sites for ADP or naphthoyl-ADP and by an inhibition of the enzyme; total inactivation occurs at a covalent occupancy of 2 mol/mol F1. This is the maximum number of sites accessible to covalent modification by the label; one reversible site is still available in the totally inactivated enzyme. This observation is discussed in terms of a stochastic model requiring a minimum of two interacting catalytic domains out of three in order to commence catalysis.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗