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Biomedical subjects

L Witzel

Publications and source records attributed to L Witzel.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Effects of prolonged administration of metiamide on serum gastrin, gastrin content of the antrum and gastric corpus, and G-cell population in the rat.

The effect of prolonged metiamide administration on serum gastrin, gastrin content of the antrum and gastric corpus, and G-cell population was studied in the rat. A single subcutaneous injection of metiamide (200 mg/kg) at the onset of 16 days of continous treatment with three daily injections was followed by a fivefold increase in serum gastrin level at 4 hr in fasted and at 4 and 6 hr in fed rats. After 16 days of metiamide, the fed rats showed a peak in serum gastrin level of the same magnitude as on day 1, but only at 4 hr. Two hours later, the levels decreased rapidly to basal values. In the fasted animals, the response to metiamide was reduced to a threefold increase at 2 hr. There was no difference in gastrin content of the antrum and gastric corpus nor in volume density of the G-cells after the prolonged treatment compared with the controls. It is concluded that in spite of rises in serum gastrin, prolonged metiamide medication has no effect on the gastrin content of the antrum and gastric corpus nor on the G-cell population in the rat. Furthermore, after prolonged treatment, metiamide-induced gastrin release is diminished.

Animals↗

Diagnostic value of biopsy, guided lavage, and brush cytology in esophagogastroscopy.

In a prospective study 96 patients with esophageal and gastric lesions were investigated by multiple endoscopic biopsy, brush cytology, and guided lavage cytology. The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of each of these methods in a prospective study. 50 malignant and 46 benign lesions were found. The final diagnosis was proven by operation or autopsy in 53 cases, by multiple endoscopic follow-up in 31, and by clinical control in 8. No follow-up was possible in 4 patients. The malignant lesions were diagnosed by multilple biopsy in 86.0%, by brush cytology in 84.0%, and by lavage cytology in 50.0%. The diagnostic yield of lavage cytology was thus significantly lower (P less than 0.01). It is concluded that a combination of multiple biopsy and brush cytology is the most valuable aid in endoscopic diagnisis of esophageal and gastric malignancy with a diagnostic accuracy of 96%.

Adolescent↗

Gastric and duodenal ulcer healing under placebo treatment.

The healing time relation of 30 gastric and 15 duodenal ulcers was assessed by repeated endoscopic measurements of ulcer size on days 1, 21, and 42 of a 6-week period, during which a selected population of patients was being treated as outpatients on an inert placebo. Antacids in small amounts were only given in case of ulcer pain. There was evidence for a linear relationship between the absolute initial ulcer size and its reduction with the time in incompletely healed ulcers of both types. Their percentage reduction from the original size was 71% after 3 weeks in gastric and 83% in duodenal ulcers; 82% after 6 weeks in gastric and 83% in duodenal ulcers. The healing time course for both types of ulcers appeared to follow an exponential function. The calculated half-life was 1.7 weeks for gastric and 1.9 weeks for duodenal ulcers. The number of healed duodenal ulcers observed at the 3-week examination was significantly greater than that of healed gastric ulcers (P = 0.05). It is concluded that repeated measurements of the ulcer size before complete ulcer healing contribute to a optimal characterization of the healing time course. The calculated half-life of less than 2 weeks makes shorter control intervals reasonable for both types of ulcers. The ulcer half-life appears to be a more accurate criterion of the healing process than that of complete healing.

Adolescent↗

Evaluation of specific value of endoscopic biopsies and brush cytology for malignancies of the oesophagus and stomach.

The value of multiple biopsies and brush cytology at oesophago-gastroscopy was assessed in relation to macroscopy and localization on 100 verified tumours in a prospective study. The cumulative accuracy achieved was 96%. This was significantly better (P less than 0-01) than that of biopsy (83%) and of cytology (85%). While the reliability of both procedures was not significantly different in malignancies of the oesophagus, the gastric body, and the antrum, cytoloty was significantly more accurate in cancers of the cardia (90% and 55% respectively, P less than 0-05). Cytology was also more reliable in stenosing tumours (92%/72%,P less than 0-05). In polypoid malignancies a positive but not significant trend was found in favour of multiple biopsies (94%/64%). One of the two early cancers was only diagnosed by cytology. The results confirm the high diagnostic accuracy of multiple endoscopic biopsies combined with brush cytology and demonstrate the value of cytology in stenosing tumours, especially in those of the cardia.

Adult↗

Behaviour of the dying patient.

One hundred and ten dying patients were studied during the 24 hours before death and 250 patients during the weeks before death: 60% were well orientated in time and space 24 hours before death and 26% at 15 minutes before death. A control group of patients with serious, but not fatal, illness were also studied. There was a contrast in attitude to death between the dying patients and the ill but not dying controls. The dying were resigned to their approaching death, experienced little or no fear, and did not wish to know about their illness, whereas the control patients wanted information about their condition and feared death, though few thought they would actually die. The relief of physical symptoms in the dying is important. There was often a brief improvement in condition, with reduced need for analgesic, shortly before death.

Adult↗

[Selective pancreatic angiography and retrograde pancreatic cholangiography as a combined examination].

The diagnostic value of selective pancreatic angiography and retrograde pancreatic cholangiography used in combination was studied in 24 patients with chronic pancreatitis or pancreatico-duodenal carcinomas. This was done as a prospective study. The accuracy of the individual methods is 75% and 79% respectively; used in combination, a correct diagnosis is obtained in 91% of cases. The advantage of combining the techniques depends on the fact that they supplement each other.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗

Secretin snuff: evaluation of the action on pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion and on pancreatic bicarbonate production.

In an informative qualitative study 75 U (near the range of 1 U/kg) secretin given as a snuff resulted in a weak but significant stimulation of pancreatic bicarbonate output in 8 volunteers studied. The result further indicated that this dose would slightly inhibit pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion. This was confirmed in a quantitative study at the dose of 150 U (similar to 2 U/kg), and the mean amount of inhibition of MAO was 30% in the 10 subjects studied. A supramaximal dose of 1 mg (approximatively 54 U/kg) of synthetic secretin given to one volunteer resulted in a transient block of near maximally pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion. The amount of acid inhibition as compared to a control experiment was 45% in the first and 52% in the two post-secretin hours. These results indicate that secretin given as a snuff at dose levels that would induce maximal pancreatic secretion when given as an i.v. injection results only in a weak inhibition of stimulated gastric acid secretion and evokes only a little stimulation of pancreatic bicarbonate secretion. Supramaximal secretin snuff doses have, however, a potent effect on both gastric and pancreatic secretion that is of similar order to that achieved by intravenous secretin. Owing to the obviously incomplete absorption of secretin through the nasal mucosa, secretin snuff is unlikely to solve the therapeutic problem of duodenal ulcer disease. If, however, an active fragment of the peptide could be synthetized at a reasonable price, the greater convenience of pernasal application might compensate for the partial loss of action.

Adult↗