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Biomedical subjects

L Wilkie

Publications and source records attributed to L Wilkie.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Alcohol consumption is associated with alterations in macrophage responses to interferon-gamma and infection by Salmonella typhimurium.

Abuse of ethanol (EtOH) by human beings and administration of EtOH to experimental animals has been shown to be associated with a suppression of the immune system. Consumption of EtOH has also been associated with an increased incidence and severity of infections of human beings and experimental animals, which has been attributed to the immunosuppression associated with EtOH consumption. It has been shown that EtOH also affects the function of macrophages (MØ), which are important effector cells in the innate and adaptive immune responses to infectious agents. The present studies were designed to investigate the effects of EtOH on MØ function with an animal model of EtOH consumption. The experiments reported in this paper were done with inflammatory MØ and were designed to determine the effects of EtOH on the ability of inflammatory MØ to respond to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to control the intracellular growth of Salmonella typhimurium, as well as the production of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide. The ability of MØ from EtOH-fed mice to respond to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) and IFN-gamma was also evaluated. MØ isolated from EtOH-fed mice did not respond as well to IFN-gamma as MØ isolated from control mice as measured by control of S. typhimurium, as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and nitric oxide production. Interleukin (IL)-6 production was not affected. Activation of MØ from EtOH-fed mice with LPS and IFN-gamma produced levels of nitric oxide and TNF only slightly less than the levels seen in MØ from control mice, but a significant decrease in IL-6 was seen when MØ from EtOH-fed mice were stimulated with this combination. Flow cytometric analyses showed that IFN-gamma receptor expression was not affected by EtOH. Together the data presented in this paper show that consumption of EtOH is associated with changes in inflammatory MØ responses to IFN-gamma.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2001

A demographic database for monitoring community life support skills.

Training in community life support has been shown to lessen the mortality from sudden myocardial events 1. Such community training is badly quantified and its efficacy difficult to prove. In a diversity of communities in the West of Scotland emergency life support (ELS) training schemes have been set up in localities ranging from isolated islands to urban centres with considerable social disadvantage. An Access database 2 was created that has captured demographic data about those trained. This simple technique, with data-capture from a wide range of lay trainers, is demonstrating at its crudest exactly how many have been trained. It can show population rates of training and compare these with the international target of 20% of the population. It highlights the age bands of those trained and whether the socially disadvantaged are having equitable training. UK Post-code (Zip-code) has in parallel with other Scottish work 3 been used as a proxy for social circumstances. The greatest value of the database is that it is ready to be married up with national data from the Scottish Ambulance Service and allied studies 4 to show over time how effective the training is in altering mortality. The effort in creating and maintaining such an epidemiological database requires faith. It is the "posterity planting" of modern public health medicine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The national health demonstration projects.

The White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland pledged 15 million Pounds to support four national health demonstration projects to lead the way in achieving sustained improvement in child health, young people's sexual health, coronary heart disease and cancer. The Starting Well project aims to demonstrate that child health in Glasgow can be improved by a programme of activities which both supports families and provides them with access to enhanced community-based resources. The Healthy Respect project aims to help young people in Lothian develop a positive attitude to their own sexuality and that of others, and a healthy respect for their partners, in order to reduce unplanned teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The Have a Heart Paisley project is targeting coronary heart disease among the population of Scotland's largest town. The Cancer Challenge project is piloting a screening programme in the North East of Scotland for the detection of colorectal cancer. Though each project has specific objectives, appropriate to its own topic, all share underlying principles. The projects will act as test beds for action and a learning resource for the rest of Scotland.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1994

Lewis rat EAN is suppressed by the 21-aminosteroid tirilazad mesylate (U-74006F).

Lewis rat experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) was treated with the 21-aminosteroid, tirilazad mesylate (U-74006F). High doses of tirilazad mesylate, begun just before the onset of clinical signs, reduced the clinical and pathological severity of the disease. In rats immunized with a high dose of myelin, axonal degeneration was a major pathological feature. Tirilazad mesylate reduced the amount of axonal degeneration but had little effect on the other pathological features of EAN, such as inflammation and demyelination. Tirilazad mesylate may block axonal degeneration by inhibiting lipid peroxidation of axonal membranes. Inhibition of axonal degeneration is an important goal in the treatment of human neuropathies.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Antigalactocerebroside antibody increases demyelination in adoptive transfer experimental allergic neuritis.

There is suggestive but inconclusive evidence for a contribution of T cells and antimyelin antibodies to the pathogenesis of the Guillain-Barré polyneuropathy. We have studied the potential synergism of cellular and humoral immunity in the adoptive transfer model of EAN. EAN was induced in Lewis rats by injecting varying doses of P2 peptide (SP26)-sensitized T lymphocytes. Disease severity was dose-dependent. The addition of intravenous GC-AB to a subclinical dose of SP26-sensitized T cells resulted in overt clinical disease and markedly enhanced demyelination. Intravenous injection of antibody alone had no effect. We conclude that activated neuritogenic T cells, while entering into peripheral nerves, alter the blood-nerve barrier, which gives circulating demyelinating antibodies access to the endoneurium. The observations support the concept of a synergistic role of T-cell autoimmunity and humoral responses in the inflammatory demyelination of Lewis rat EAN.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Adoptive transfer of experimental allergic neuritis in the immune suppressed host.

Experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) was induced in normal and irradiated Lewis rats by passively transferring T cells sensitized to SP-26, a peptide fragment of P2 myelin protein. The recipients became sick 4-8 days post transfer and the degree of disability correlated directly with the dose of T cells. Smaller doses caused demyelination of nerve roots and sciatic nerves and larger doses produced more severe demyelination and significant axonal degeneration. Irradiated recipients developed similar clinical EAN and showed macrophage-mediated demyelination despite severe suppression of the host inflammatory response.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

P2-peptide induced experimental allergic neuritis: a model to study axonal degeneration.

In experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) severity of clinical disease and pathology correlate with the dose of antigen (Hahn et al., Lab Invest 59:115-125, 1988). To avoid axonal membrane contamination of the antigen, EAN was induced with a synthetic peptide, corresponding to residues 53-78 of bovine P2 myelin protein. Severity of EAN correlated with the dose of peptide in the inoculate. The relationship between demyelination, inflammation and axonal degeneration was studied. Low doses resulted in pure demyelination. Axonal degeneration occurred only with high doses of antigen and in association with very active mononuclear inflammation. The role of macrophages in producing axonal damage is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Spontaneous regression of squamous cell lung carcinoma with adrenal metastasis.

A 61-year-old man was found to have squamous cell carcinoma of the left hilum with metastasis to the left adrenal gland documented by needle aspiration. About two years later, the primary tumor is not detectable, and the adrenal gland is of normal size on follow-up computerized tomography. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of spontaneous regression of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung with adrenal metastasis.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1987

Pre-treatment with beta blockers and the frequency of hypokalaemia in patients with acute chest pain.

Plasma potassium concentration was measured at admission in 1234 patients who presented with acute chest pain. One hundred and ninety five patients were on beta blockers before admission. The potassium concentrations of patients admitted early (within four hours of onset of symptoms) were compared with those admitted later (4-18 hours after onset of symptoms). There was a transient fall in plasma potassium concentrations in patients not pre-treated with beta blockers. This was not seen in patients who had been on beta blockers before admission. Non-selective beta blockers were more effective than cardioselective agents in maintaining concentrations of plasma potassium. These findings suggest a mechanism for the beneficial effects of beta blockers on morbidity and mortality in acute myocardial infarction.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1976

Chromosome analysis on 930 consecutive newborn children using quinacrine fluorescent banding technique.

Chromosome analysing using quinacrine fluorescence was performed on 930 consecutive newborn infants. The total incidence of major chromosome aberrations including numerical changes of the sex chromosomes, and structural changes of autosomes, was 0.54%. Incidence of XYY (0.4%) and XXY (0.2%) were relatively higher as compared to other studies. About 0.75% of the newborn infants were found to have a variable bright fluorescent band located on the proximal area of the short arm (p11) rather than on the proximal long arm (q11) of chromosome No. 3. Attempts were also made to record the variable fluorescent regions on 7 autosomes and the Y chromosome.

Chromosome Aberrations↗