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Biomedical subjects

M E Lewis

Publications and source records attributed to M E Lewis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The use of a videotaped questionnaire for studying asthma prevalence. A pilot study among New Zealand adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of measuring asthma prevalence by means of an audio-visual presentation of asthma symptoms and signs (video questionnaire) and to compare this technique with a standard written questionnaire for predicting bronchial hyperresponsiveness. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study comparing the ability of a video questionnaire and a written, interviewer administered questionnaire to predict bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Bronchial responsiveness was measured with hand held nebulisers. SETTING: Community survey of a New Zealand rural secondary school. SUBJECTS: A total of 456 adolescent school children aged 12-19 years (mean 15.5 years). OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of a standard questionnaire versus a video questionnaire for bronchial hyperresponsiveness. RESULTS: The technique was easy to administer in the community setting. Overall sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of bronchial hyperresponsiveness were similar for the video and interviewer administered questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: This new technique is easily used in the community setting, and gives predictions of bronchial hyperresponsiveness similar to those of a standard interviewer administered questionnaire. Further examination of the technique in comparisons of asthma prevalence among different populations is planned.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Induction of NGF by isoproterenol, 4-methylcatechol and serum occurs by three distinct mechanisms.

Evidence is provided that isoproterenol, 4-methylcatechol and serum induce NGF by three separate mechanisms. Isoproterenol and 4-methylcatechol induced NGF and NGF mRNA in mouse fibroblast L929 cells in either the presence or absence of serum. Propranolol prevented NGF induction by isoproterenol, but not by 4-methylcatechol or serum. All possible combinations of these inducers resulted in additive increases in the levels of NGF and NGF mRNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Wilms' tumour in New Zealand 1960-1986.

Between 1960 and 1986, 177 cases of Wilms' tumour were reported to the New Zealand National Cancer Registry. There was an equal sex distribution and 93.2% of patients were in the paediatric age group with a mean age of 3.4 years. The mean symptom interval was 2.0 months and the majority of patients presented with localised disease, although the incidence of advanced disease was greater than that reported from other series. The 5-year survival rate for all cases was 52.5%. Data were divided into patients presenting before and after the publication of the first National Wilms' Tumour Study (NWTS) in the United States in 1976. In patients presenting after 1976 the diagnosis was based on histology in 100%, compared to 58.6% in patients before 1977. Treatment was considered curative in a greater proportion of the post-1976 group. Treatment modalities reflected the recommendations of the NWTS and the 5-year survival rate of this group was 78.3%, this being similar to that reported from the NWTS. Multivariate analysis showed patient age, symptom interval, tumour stage and treatment (pre- and post-NWTS) to be independent predictors of survival.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Baller-Gerold syndrome associated with congenital hydrocephalus.

We present a new case of the Baller-Gerold syndrome (BGS) in an infant with prenatally apparent severe hydrocephalus, growth retardation, and cardiac and limb abnormalities detected by ultrasound at 26 weeks of gestational age. Subsequent survival to term and neonatal examination confirmed an unsuspected diagnosis of BGS.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1991

Autoradiographic study of irreversible binding of [3H]beta-funaltrexamine to opioid receptors in the rat forebrain: comparison with mu and delta receptor distribution.

beta-Funaltrexamine (beta-FNA) is an irreversible mu antagonist and a reversible kappa agonist in in vivo and in vitro tests. However, whether it produces irreversible delta antagonism is controversial. In binding studies, it is clear that beta-FNA does not bind irreversibly (it does reversibly) to kappa receptors. Yet there is no consensus as to whether beta-FNA binds irreversibly to mu and/or delta receptors. In this study, irreversible binding of [3H]beta-FNA to opioid receptors was examined in rat forebrain sections in the presence of 200 mM NaCl and its distribution compared with those of mu and delta opioid receptors, labeled by [3H][D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin ([3H]DAMGO) and [3H][D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin ([3H]DPDPE), respectively. Irreversible binding of [3H]beta-FNA was determined as the binding that remained following 5 washes at room temp. for 1, 5, 20, 20, and 20 min each. Non-specific binding was defined by including 10 microM naloxone, beta-chlornaltrexamine (beta-CNA), or beta-FNA in the incubation mixture. At 37 degrees C, specific irreversible binding of [3H]beta-FNA to opioid receptors reached a plateau at 10 nM in 60 min, and constituted 50-70% of total irreversible binding. Series of 4 sections of similar anatomical levels were labeled with [3H]DAMGO, [3H]beta-FNA, [3H]beta-FNA + 10 microM naloxone, beta-CNA, or beta-FNA, and [3H]DPDPE, resp., and exposed to [3H]-Ultrofilm. The distribution of [3H]beta-FNA (5 nM) irreversible labeling is very similar to that of [3H]DAMGO, i.e. patches and subcallosal streaks in caudate-putamen, patches in nucleus accumbens, dense labeling in thalamus, and more binding in the rostral than caudal striatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Quantitative non-radioactive in situ hybridization of preproenkephalin mRNA with digoxigenin-labeled cRNA probes.

Non-radioactive detection of mRNA with in situ hybridization histochemistry has emerged as an important new technology for the study of gene expression. Quantitative in situ hybridization studies have generally relied upon counting of autoradiographic grains in the emulsion overlying cells containing hybridized, radioactively labeled probe. However, such high resolution studies require tedious grain counting over individual cells, frequently in addition to weeks of exposure to nuclear emulsion. The present report describes a quantitative, non-radioactive approach to the detection of a specific mRNA in the brain with the advantages of comparatively rapid tissue processing and computerized image analysis. The validity of this approach was tested by measuring the haloperidol-induced increase in the level of preproenkephalin mRNA in striatal sections of the rat brain using an RNA probe labeled with digoxigenin-11-UTP. Detection of probe hybridized to tissue sections was carried out enzymatically following complex formation with an antidigoxigenin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate. Using computerized image analysis, it was found that chronic treatment of rats with haloperidol resulted in a 50 +/- 6% increase in striatal neuronal optical density, a value in good agreement with previous studies using low-resolution radioactive methods, showing a 30-80% increase in striatal preproenkephalin mRNA hybridization signal.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Secondary acute non-lymphocytic leukemia with monosomy 7 arising 9 years after acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood.

We report a case of pediatric acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) with monosomy 7 occurring in a child successfully treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) nine years earlier. Acquired monosomy 7 is currently recognized as a distinct therapy-related cytogenetic abnormality which nonrandomly occurs as a late complication of cytotoxic therapy used in the treatment of both malignant and nonmalignant disease. Most commonly, this occurs as a disorder of bone marrow morphology and function characterized as a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or ANLL. This case report emphasizes the need for continued evaluation of long-term survivors of childhood cancer to identify and minimize therapy-related side effects without compromising successful management.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1991

Non-radioactive detection of nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) mRNA in rat brain using in situ hybridization histochemistry.

Radioactively labeled RNA probes in conjunction with in situ hybridization histochemistry have become a useful method for studying gene expression in the central nervous system. We used digoxigenin-labeled uridine triphosphate to synthesize cRNA probes for localization of nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) mRNA in the rat basal forebrain. Detection of cells containing digoxigenin-labeled NGFR mRNA was accomplished using a digoxigenin antibody conjugated with alkaline phosphatase. NGFR mRNA-positive cells were distributed in three major cell groups in the basal forebrain: the medial septal nucleus, vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band of Broca, and nucleus basalis. This technique provides a rapid and sensitive method for high-resolution detection of mRNA species in the central nervous system, as well as the potential for co-localization of two different mRNA species within individual cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Wilms' tumour: a 30 year experience at Wellington Hospital.

Over the 30 year period from 1958-88, 20 cases of Wilms' tumour have been treated at Wellington Hospital. All eight patients presenting prior to 1976 have died. The 12 patients presenting after 1976 were treated according to the guidelines of the National Wilms' Tumour Study Group and ten of these are alive (mean follow up seven years). Four of the patients received preoperative chemotherapy and this was found to facilitate surgical removal of the tumour. The concept of partial nephrectomy in the management of Wilms' tumour is discussed. Retrospective analysis of this series has shown that this would have been a feasible management option in four of the cases reviewed.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1990

Anatomical localization of calmodulin mRNA in the rat brain with cloned cDNA and synthetic oligonucleotide probes.

Calmodulin is a small, acidic calcium-binding protein that regulates a number of calcium-dependent enzyme activities and is thought to be involved in neurotransmission. To begin to explore further the regulation of this important protein in the brain, we have cloned a rat calmodulin cDNA and designed an oligonucleotide probe based on this sequence. Both the cDNA and oligonucleotide probes revealed a markedly heterogeneous distribution of hybridization signal for calmodulin mRNA in the rat brain. The greatest apparent abundance of mRNA for calmodulin was seen in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, whereas many brain regions showed relatively low hybridization signal, including the striatum and portions of the hypothalamus and brainstem.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Localization of nerve growth factor receptor mRNA in the rat basal forebrain with in situ hybridization histochemistry.

1. In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to localize nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) mRNA in the adult rat basal forebrain. 2. In emulsion-dipped sections 35S-labeled RNA antisense probes produced a high density of silver grains over cells located in the medial septum, vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band of Broca, and nucleus basalis. 3. This distribution of NGFR mRNA overlaps with the distribution of NGFR protein localized using immunocytochemical techniques. 4. No hybridization signal was detected when sections were hybridized with a 35S-labeled RNA sense (control) probe. 5. We suggest that NGFRs are synthesized in these basal forebrain nuclei and transported to terminal areas where NGF is thought to be bound and internalized, an initial step in the many actions of this neurotrophic factor.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Neuronal localization of cholecystokinin mRNA in the rat brain by using in situ hybridization histochemistry.

The distribution of cholecystokinin (CCK) mRNA in the rat brain was determined by means of in situ hybridization histochemistry. Our results demonstrate a widespread distribution of neurons containing CCK mRNA throughout the rat brain. Hybridization-positive neurons were distributed throughout the neocortex, olfactory bulb, claustrum, amygdala, the dentate gyrus and hippocampus proper, and several subnuclei of the thalamus and the hypothalamus. The most abundant and most heavily labeled neurons were found in the endopiriform/piriform cortex, tenia tecta, and the ventral tegmental area. The distribution of neurons positive for CCK mRNA paralleled that of CCK-like immunoreactive neurons. These results detail the distribution of CCK mRNA and clearly identify the existence of CCK-synthesizing neurons in regions such as the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus, where the presence of CCK cell bodies was previously uncertain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗