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Biomedical subjects

M Black

Publications and source records attributed to M Black.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Alternating combination chemotherapy using cisplatin-bleomycin with sequential methotrexate-5-FU plus leucovorin rescue in patients with head and neck cancer.

Thirty-two patients (only two had previously untreated disease) with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were treated with alternating combination chemotherapy. The regimen consisted of cisplatin (50 mg/m2) and bleomycin (30 units) given iv on Days 1 and 2, alternated with 1 hour of sequential methotrexate (200 mg/m2) and 5-FU (600 mg/m2) given iv, plus oral leucovorin rescue on Day 22. The entire cycle was repeated every 5 weeks (less than or equal to five cycles). Objective tumor regression was obtained in 33% of the 30 evaluable patients, with 13% complete regression. The median duration of response was only 3 months. Evidence of response occurred within one cycle, and was maximal after two cycles. Toxicity was very mild. Alternating combination chemotherapy is not more effective than either combination chemotherapy alone.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

The immunological basis of nasal polyp formation.

Forty-six patients were studied to assess the role of immunological factors in the formation of nasal polyps. Total IgE levels did not correlate with positive skin testing and were generally higher in polyp sac fluid than in corresponding sera. Asthmatics had significantly higher IgE levels in both serum and polyp fluid than nonasthmatics. Specific IgE (RAST) found in polyp specimens could not be detected by conventional skin or serum testing in nine of 15 patients. By direct immunofluorescence IgE was present in 81% of polyp specimens compared with 13% in mucosal controls. These data indicate that nasal polyp formation may be an IgE mediated disease process and conventional skin or serum testing may not detect this local allergic process.

Adult↗

Photocontrol of Hypocotyl Elongation in De-Etiolated Cucumis sativus L. : Long Term, Fluence Rate-Dependent Responses to Blue Light.

Hypocotyl growth in Cucumis sativus L. cv Ridge Greenline is inhibited by increasing blue light (B) fluence rate in a near log linear fashion once a low fluence threshold is exceeded. Deviation from log linearity at the highest fluence rate used here is due to light perceived by the cotyledons and this effect is assigned to phytochrome. This response can be removed by Norflurazon treatment, without affecting the rest of the fluence response curve.There is also some activation of phytochrome by lower fluence rates of B, an effect which contributes to the overall inhibition of growth. Responses to photostationary state and cycling rate indicate, however, that B does not primarily act via phytochrome, but through a specific blue light photoreceptor.

Journal Article↗

Acetaminophen hepatotoxicity.

This review of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity begins with a history of the drug and consideration of the scope of its current use. The molecular basis for hepatotoxicity is discussed and this serves as a background for delineation of its clinical manifestations and treatment. Although massive overdose in attempted suicide remains the most common setting for hepatotoxicity from acetaminophen, its occurrence with ingestion of the drug in therapeutic quantities is being recognized increasingly. The particular susceptibility of the alcoholic individual to this complication is reviewed, and recommendations regarding more complete labelling of the drug are offered.

Acetaminophen↗

Histopathology of early effects of oral cadmium in the rat kidney.

Adult male Wistar rats were given 50 ppm Cd in drinking water over a period of 1-24 weeks. The rats were killed and the cadmium concentration of whole blood, blood plasma red cells, liver and kidneys estimated. The plasma metallothionein concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Kidney samples were taken for light, transmission and scanning electron microscopic examination. The accumulation of cadmium in the tissues was shown by a linear increase with time, after exposure for 12 weeks. Plasma Cd concentrations showed a clear increase after 3 weeks and preliminary investigation suggests that most is present as Cd-thionein. Early pathological changes in the rat kidney were seen around the 4-6 week period which coincided with the distinct rise in plasma Cd. At 12 weeks, signs of tubular necrosis, interstitial fibrosis and glomerular epithelial cell hypertrophy were present in small areas of the cortex. By 24 weeks, the renal cortex showed clear evidence of tubulo-interstitial nephritis at a Cd concentration of 60 micrograms Cd/g wet weight.

Administration, Oral↗

Vasopressin stimulates thromboxane synthesis in isolated hamster hepatocytes: relation to hepatocyte calcium content.

This study was designed to determine if vasopressin stimulates the formation of thromboxane B2 in freshly isolated hamster hepatocytes and if so, whether this thromboxane synthesis plays a role in the vasopressin-induced efflux of 45Ca++ from these cells. Thromboxane synthesis was found to be linear for 15 minutes, to be stimulated by arachidonic acid, and to be inhibited by indomethacin and by 7-(1-imidazolyl) heptanoic acid (7IHA), a selective inhibitor of thromboxane synthetase. Vasopressin stimulation of thromboxane synthesis was dose-related. Pretreatment with 7IHA and meclofenamate significantly increased basal 45Ca++ uptake by the cells. Neither 7IHA nor meclofenamate inhibited the ability of vasopressin to reduce the 45Ca++ content of the isolated hepatocytes. These results indicate that vasopressin stimulates thromboxane synthesis in hepatocytes but suggest that thromboxane does not play a role in the vasopressin-induced reduction in 45Ca++ content in this cell type.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Late presentation of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity.

A 37-year-old alcoholic presented to hospital with metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia, hypoprothrombinemia, and markedly elevated SGOT level. Despite the absence of volunteered information, acetaminophen hepatotoxicity was considered the probable cause, and this diagnosis was eventually supported. This combination of findings appears to be highly suggestive of well-established acetaminophen hepatotoxicity and implies that the drug-induced lesion selectively impairs certain hepatocellular functions early in the progression of the injury.

Acetaminophen↗

Effects of treatment with beclomethasone dipropionate in subpopulations of perennial rhinitis patients.

The efficacy and safety of beclomethasone dipropionate (BD), 0.05 mg three times daily, sprayed in each nostril was studied in 39 adult patients with perennial rhinitis in a 12 wk, double-blind, vehicle controlled trial. Parameters of IgE-mediated reactivity, including epicutaneous skin testing, total serum IgE, specific serum IgE, and nasal eosinophilia, were assessed. All adverse reactions, including changes in serum cortisol and nasal and pharyngeal Candida infections, were monitored. Sixty-three percent of BD patients achieved total or substantial control of nasal symptoms compared with 25% of controls (p = 0.04). Eighty-three percent of BD-treated, skin test-positive patients improved, while only 14% of BD nonatopics improved (p less than 0.05). All BD patients with nasal eosinophilia improved compared with 38% without eosinophilia. Adverse reactions were frequent, minor, and equal in both groups. Serum cortisols were stable and no nasal Candida infections were documented. This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of BD in treatment of perennial rhinitis, particularly in atopic patients with nasal eosinophilia.

Adolescent↗

Use of categorical knowledge to aid recall.

Recall performance of 84 mildly retarded adolescents and 84 non-retarded fourth graders was compared under various encoding conditions. The seven encoding conditions consisted of the following format-cueing combinations: simultaneous-subject cues, simultaneous-experimenter cues, sort-subjects cues, sort-experimenter cues, sequential-subject cues, sequential-experimenter cues, and sequential-no cues. Stimuli were 24 colour pictures from six categories. Results indicated generally comparable levels of performance for retarded and non-retarded subjects. However, retarded subjects were less responsive to sort and experimenter cue conditions, which led to increased recall in the non-retarded subjects. It was suggested that retrieval difficulties may be interfering with the ability of retarded individuals to utilize categorical knowledge to facilitate recall.

Adolescent↗

A method for monitoring medication omission error rates.

A study was conducted of the number of doses omitted on eight patient care units in a hospital which employs a decentralized unit dose system. Omitted doses were doses of drugs that were returned to the pharmacy and that, as subsequently determined, should have been administered to patients. The number of omitted doses was 0.048 per patient day. The number of omitted doses per patient day varied among the patient care units. The results were reported to the Medication Practices Review Committee, a subcommittee of the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. Subsequently, educational efforts by the Departments of Nursing and Pharmacy were directed towards reducing the omitted-dose rate. The study was repeated five months later. The number of omitted doses had fallen to 0.011 doses per day, a significant difference from the previous study. All patient care units but one had significantly fewer omitted doses, with the other patient care unit showing no change. This study showed that the rate of omitted doses can be estimated without the use of trained observers. Additionally, this method can be used to determine the changes in the omitted dose rate within a hospital.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

Nasal polyposis--a multidisciplinary study.

Thirty-seven adults with nasal polyps were assessed in a multidisciplinary fashion. It was found that 43% of patients were allergic and 57% had asthma. Performing a polypectomy did not alter lower airway flow rates. Eosinophilia was prominent in nasal secretions of both atopics and nonatopics. Histological characteristics could not distinguish the "allergic" from the "inflammatory" polyp. Immunofluorescent studies indicated an abundance of polyp IgE leading to speculation of an IgE mediated process in polyp formation.

Adult↗

Beclomethasone dipropionate in the management of rhinitis--a review.

Beclomethasone dipropionate has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of seasonal and perennial rhinitis. Comparative studies with other medications are lacking. Adverse reactions are frequent but minor. No alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, nasal mucosal histology or bacterial and fungal flora have been recognized.

Administration, Topical↗

Dermatologic changes after systemic cancer therapy.

Dermatologic changes associated with systemic cancer therapy are common. These changes can be conveniently grouped into three clinical categories: 1) cytotoxic effects; 2) pigment alterations; and 3) rashes and eruptions. The clinician should be alert to these manifestations so that needless work-up is avoided..

Adult↗