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Biomedical subjects

K Tan

Publications and source records attributed to K Tan.

87 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Projections of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata in the cat.

Injections of HRP in the nucleus raphe magnus and adjoining medial reticular formation in the cat resulted in many labeled neurons in the lateral part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) but not in the medial part of this nucleus. HRP injections in the nucleus raphe pallidus and in the C2-segment of the spinal cord did not result in labeled neurons in the BNST. Injections of 3H-leucine in the BNST resulted in many labeled fibers in the brain stem. Labeled fiber bundles descended by way of the medial forebrain bundle and the central tegmental field to the lateral tegmental field of pons and medulla. Dense BNST projections could be observed to the substantia nigra pars compacta, the ventral tegmental area, the nucleus of the posterior commissure, the PAG (except its dorsolateral part), the cuneiform nucleus, the nucleus raphe dorsalis, the locus coeruleus, the nucleus subcoeruleus, the medial and lateral parabrachial nuclei, the lateral tegmental field of caudal pons and medulla and the nucleus raphe magnus and adjoining medial reticular formation. Furthermore many labeled fibers were present in the solitary nucleus, and in especially the peripheral parts of the dorsal vagal nucleus. Finally some fibers could be traced in the marginal layer of the rostral part of the caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus. These projections appear to be virtually identical to the ones derived from the medial part of the central nucleus of the amygdala (Hopkins and Holstege 1978). The possibility that the BNST and the medial and central amygdaloid nuclei must be considered as one anatomical entity is discussed.

Amygdala↗

Effect of glucagon antibodies on plasma glucose, insulin and somatostatin in the fasting and fed rat.

A potent high-titre glucagon antibody pool was used to induce a state of acute glucagon deficiency in order to investigate the importance of glucagon in maintaining euglycaemia in the fed and fasted anaesthetised rat. Binding characteristics of the antiserum and evidence of its neutralisation of the biological effects of exogenous glucagon are described. The amount of antibody administered was capable of neutralising up to 12 times the total content of glucagon (approximately 1 nmol) in the rat pancreas. The hyperglycaemic response to 1.43 nmol exogenous glucagon was significantly inhibited in the rat by glucagon antibodies given intravenously or intraperitoneally (p less than 0.001). However, no changes in plasma glucose occurred in rats fasted 16 h (4.35 +/- 0.1 mmol/l or 24 h (4.0 +/- 0.05 mmol/l) after antibody administration. The same dose of glucagon antibodies produced no change in plasma glucose (6.1 +/- 0.2 mmol/l), immunoreactive insulin (1.85 +/- 0.05 microgram/l) or immunoreactive somatostatin (110 +/- 30 ng/l) in rats after antibody administration. Antibody excess, equivalent to a binding capacity for glucagon of 40 nmol/l in the plasma of recipient animals, was demonstrable at all times after passive immunisation. The absence of any affect on glucose concentrations following immunoneutralisation of glucagon suggests that glucagon secretion may not be a major factor in the maintenance of euglycaemia in the rat.

Animals↗

Divergent effect of glucagon antibodies on arginine and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the rat.

The effects of glucose and arginine on insulin secretion in the presence of glucagon antibodies were investigated in rats in vivo. In contrast to controls, animals given glucagon antibodies showed an inhibition of arginine-stimulated (p less than 0.001), but not glucose-stimulated, insulin secretion. That these effects were not due to incomplete neutralisation of endogenous glucagon is evidenced by the presence of large antibody excess throughout the duration of the experiments. Both the glucagonotropic effect of arginine (319 +/- 60 ng/l, p less than 0.01) and the insulinotropic effect of exogenous glucagon (8.3 +/- 0.8 microgram/l, p less than 0.001) were demonstrable under our experimental conditions in the absence of exogenous glucagon antibodies. These observations suggest that different mechanisms are involved in the stimulation of insulin release by arginine and by glucose, and that glucagon may play an important physiological role in the mediation and regulation of insulin secretion by secretogogues, such as arginine.

Animals↗

Multiple hormone secretion by a human pancreatic glucagonoma in culture.

A patient presenting clinically with the glucagonoma syndrome had high plasma glucagon levels (1920 ng/l) and at laparotomy, a pancreatic islet cell tumour was removed. The tumour was dispersed and placed in culture where it remained viable for 63 days. The tumour cells secreted immunoreactive (IR) glucagon at levels up to 2400 ng/l as detected by a C-terminal glucagon specific antibody and 85 400 ngequiv./l as measured by an N-terminal glucagon specific antibody. The difference between these two levels was attributed to the presence of different molecular forms of glucagon measured with the N-terminal specific antibody. IR insulin (up to 302 mU/l) and IR somatostatin (up to 2500 ng/l) were also detected. There was no direct or inverse correlation between different hormone levels. Small but significant levels of N-terminal and C-terminal vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were detected in some cultures but there was no evidence of gastrin or ACTH. Glucagon and somatostatin secretion persisted for the duration of the culture (63 days) but insulin concentrations declined. Incubation of cultures with somatostatin (1 ng/ml) caused a 75% decrease in glucagon levels, while insulin (1000 mU/l) produced a 70% inhibition of somatostatin.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

Effect of pretreatment with a high fat diet on the gastric inhibitory polypeptide and insulin responses to oral triolein and glucose in rats.

Male Wistar rats were pretreated with 3 ml triolein orally for 4 days in addition to their normal diet. A similar control group were allowed free access to normal laboratory food. When given an oral fat load (1 ml triolein) plasma gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the fat pretreated group. Inhibition of fat-stimulated GIP release by exogenous insulin was demonstrated in the untreated control group (plasma GIP: 663 +/- 49 versus 853 +/- 92 ng/l, mean +/- SEM p less than 0.025), but pretreatment with an oral fat load abolished this effect (plasma GIP: 1008 +/- 95 versus 1116 +/- 100 ng/l, p NS). Plasma glucose levels were significantly higher in fat pretreated rats given oral fat and intraperitoneal insulin compared with untreated controls (plasma glucose nadir 2.6 +/- 0.48 versus 1.6 +/- 0.15 mmol/l, p less than 0.05). Fat-pretreated rats showed significantly higher insulin and glucose levels compared with the untreated rats when given oral glucose (plasma insulin: 6.2 +/- 1.2 versus 2.5 +/- 0.59 micrograms/l, p less than 0.01; plasma glucose: 10.2 +/- 0.39 versus 8.9 +/- 0.41 mmol/l, p less than 0.025). Pretreatment of rats on a high fat diet causes (1) increased GIP secretion in response to an oral fat load, (2) abolition of the feed-back inhibition of exogenous insulin on fat-stimulated GIP release, and (3) some degree of insulin resistance.

Animals↗

Metabolic fate of 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil in rats.

1. The metabolic fate of a new antitumour agent, 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluoro [6-14C]uracil (14C-HCFU) in rats after oral administration was compared with that of 5-fluoro[6-14C]uracil (14C-FU). 2. Tissue radioactivity reached a max. 1 to 3 h after administration of 14C-HCFU and 0.5 h after 14C-FU. 3. Both drugs were excreted rapidly, mostly in urine. Expired 14CO2 from 14C-HCFU was significantly less than that from 14C-FU. 4. Unchanged FU was not detected in plasma 3 h after administration of 14C-FU, whereas FU was detected in plasma 5 h after 14C-HCFU. The pyrimidine ring of 14C-HCFU might be degradated more slowly than that of 14C-FU. 5. 1-(5-Carboxypentylcarbamoyl)-5-fluorouracil and 1-(3-carboxypropylcarbamoyl)-5-fluorouracil were identified as the major urinary metabolites of 14C-HCFU.

Animals↗

Analysis of the neurotoxic plasticizer n-butylbenzenesulfonamide by gas chromatography combined with accurate mass selected ion monitoring.

The plasticizer, n-butylbenzenesulfonamide (NBBS), is reported to be neurotoxic when inoculated intracisternally or intraperitoneally into rabbits. Because NBBS is commonly used in the production of polyamide (nylon) plastics and is soluble in water, the disposal of NBBS-containing plastics in landfill sites could result in NBBS appearing in the leachate. Further, NBBS could also be leached from packaging into their contents. To allow us to examine the risks posed by NBBS in the environment, we have developed a quantitative assay for this compound. The assay employs a one-step extraction into dichloromethane followed by gas chromatography with accurate mass selected ion recording. The assay incorporates [13C6]NBBS as an internal standard to allow precise quantitation, and four separate ion chromatograms are recorded. NBBS was found in some Australian domestic solidwaste landfill leachate (from less than 0.3 to 94.6 ng/mL), but ground water in the vicinity of a landfill had only trace quantities of NBBS. NBBS was also quantitated in some bottled and cask wines, and levels varied from not detected to 2.17 ng/mL (n = 14). Additional studies are required to assess the public health risks associated with the use of NBBS as a plasticizer.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

Chemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of Halimium voldii.

Volatile constituents and a hexane extract of the leaves of Halimium voldii Kit Tan, Perdetzoglou & Raus, sp. nova, were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Thirty compounds were identified in the essential oil of Halimium representing 88.7% of the oil composition. The main components were nonanal (12.8%), dodecane (10.6%), Z-caryophyllene (8.2%), gamma-muurolene (10.9%), delta-cadidene (3.5%), caryophyllene oxide (5.1%), beta-eudesmol (3.6%) and manoyl oxide (5.5%). Thymol was identified in the hexane extract as the main compound. A labdane diterpene ent-labd-7, 13 (E)-dien, 15-ol was detected by its mass spectra fragmentation pattern and its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods and its optical rotation. The essential oil and the hexane extract were assayed for their antimicrobial activity against gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Emergency coronary surgery: Evolving indications.

Between December 1970 and October 1973, 74 patients underwent emergency myocardial revascularization for the relief of acute coronary insufficiency. Through our experience in this area, we have established three categories for which we perform emergency surgery. The first of these is cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction for which 14 patients underwent emergency saphenous vein grafting. Seven of these patients expired during operation and one died three months after operation. The second category is acute unstable myocardial infarction for which 25 patients received surgery. There were no operative deaths in this group, but two patients died at six weeks and four months after operation. Thrity-five patients were classified as pre-infarctional angina, the third category for which we perform surgery on an emergency basis. There was one operative death and two late deaths at four and ten months in this group of patients. Our experience suggests that immediate coronary angiography and revascularization will improve survival in the three above-named categories.

Adult↗

The effect of cement volume on crown seating.

This in vitro study examined the effect of cement volume on the seating of complete crowns. A spaced complete crown was made to fit a nickel-chromium replica mounted in a cementation jig that allowed static and dynamic seating. The crown was luted 10 times for each group using zinc phosphate cement under an initial static load followed by a dynamic load of 1,500 Hz. Seating was measured by a linear variable differential transducer. Mean vertical discrepancies for the three cement volumes were: completely filled (90.0 +/- 15.2 microns); half filled (42.1 +/- 8.6 microns); and brushed on (27.4 +/- 7.2 microns). Means differed significantly (P < .0005). This study indicated that a thinly brushed-on layer of luting cement gave smaller vertical seating discrepancies than greater volumes of luting cement.

Cementation↗