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Biomedical subjects

M F Miller

Publications and source records attributed to M F Miller.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Comparison of microscopic and laser diffraction methods for measuring sarcomere lengths of contracted muscle fibers of chicken pectoralis major muscle.

The objective of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of a microscopy method with a laser diffraction method for measuring sarcomere lengths of chicken pectoralis major (p. major) muscle fibers exhibiting various contraction states. Chicken p. major muscles were excised from the animals at death. Samples of each muscle were treated with pH-buffered (5.0 and 7.5) isoionic CaCl2, KCl, or ethylene glycol bis-(b-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) solutions in order to produce variability in the degree of fiber contraction. Sarcomere lengths (SL) of the fibers were observed using light microscopy and a laser diffraction method. The methods gave comparable results for sarcomere lengths greater than 1.6 microns. However, for SL less than 1.6 microns, sarcomere contraction was not accurately assessed by the laser diffraction method.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Complement attack of altered outer membrane areas synthesized after inhibition of the 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate pathway leads to cell death.

Salmonella typhimurium containing specific genes coding for either temperature-sensitive (TS) 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate (KDO) 8-phosphate synthetase or TS cytidine monophosphate-KDO synthetase grow normally when incubated at 30 degrees C and are resistant to C-mediated killing. However, bacteria become avirulent and sensitive to C-mediated killing upon thermal inhibition of TS KDO-8-phosphate synthetase (incubation at 38 degrees C) or TS cytidine monophosphate-KDO synthetase (incubation at 42 degrees C). Such thermal inhibition concurrently causes synthesis of an altered outer membrane which we now show is the site that renders cells susceptible to C-mediated killing. After incubation of cells in serum, the altered outer membrane area contains C9 in a trypsin-resistant state and membrane attack complex (MAC) lesions observable by electron microscopy. Trypsin-resistant C9 and MAC lesions were also observed in the inner membrane fraction from such serum-treated cells. In contrast, little C9 and few MAC lesions were associated with unaltered outer membrane areas present on these same serum treated cells. Control cells, grown at 30 degrees C and treated with serum (1) bound one-fifth as much C9 as was bound to cells incubated at 42 degrees C, (2) contained only a rare MAC lesion in the outer membrane, and (3) no observable MAC lesions in the inner membrane. We conclude that the altered outer membrane area is the site that renders cells susceptible to insertion of the MAC into both the outer and inner membrane resulting in cell death.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Firefighting acutely increases airway responsiveness.

The acute effects of the products of combustion and pyrolysis on airway responsiveness among firefighters are poorly documented. To study this relationship, spirometry and methacholine challenge testing (MCT) were performed on 18 active Seattle firefighters before and 5 to 24 h after firefighting. Body plethysmography was used to measure changes in specific airway conductance (SGaw), and results of MCT were analyzed using PD35-SGaw, the cumulative dose causing a 35% decrease in SGaw. Subjects who did not react by the end of the protocol were assigned a value of 640 inhalational units, the largest cumulative dose. Fire exposure was defined as the total time (hours) spent without a self-contained breathing apparatus at the firesite and was categorized as mild (less than 1 h, n = 7), moderate (1 to 2 h, n = 5), or severe (greater than 2 h, n = 6). Mean age of the 18 firefighters was 36.7 +/- 6.7 yr (range, 25 to 51), with a mean of 9.1 +/- 7.9 active years in the trade (range, zero to 22). None was known to be asthmatic. After firefighting, FEV1 % predicted (%pred) and FEF25-75 %pred significantly decreased by means of 3.4 +/- 1.1% and 5.6 +/- 2.6%, respectively. The mean decline in PD35-SGaw after firefighting was 184.5 +/- 53.2 units (p = 0.003). This observed decline in PD35-SGaw could not be explained by decrements in prechallenge SGaw, FEV1, or FVC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Acute and long-term lipogenic response to insulin and clenbuterol in bovine intramuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissues.

The present study was conducted to determine whether insulin and clenbuterol affected either short-term (2-h) incubations or long-term (48-h) tissue cultures of i.m. and s.c. adipose tissue explants. Samples were taken from control steers and steers fed 7 mg.head-1.d-1 clenbuterol for 50 d, after which time the drug was withdrawn from the diet for 90 d prior to slaughter. Neither short-term incubations nor long-term explant cultures contained bovine serum albumin (BSA). Insulin (6.67 x 10(-9) M) had no effect (P greater than .05) on lipogenesis in s.c. and i.m. adipose tissue in 2-h tissue incubations of fresh adipose tissue. There was a substantial decrease in activity during the culture period, which was ameliorated somewhat in s.c. adipose tissue by the presence of insulin in the culture media. Clenbuterol exposure for 48 h in vitro decreased the production of lipids from acetate in both adipose tissue depots but had no effect in short-term adipose tissue incubations. Results from the present study confirm that omitting BSA from incubation media does not enhance the responsiveness of bovine s.c. adipose tissue or the less mature i.m. adipose tissue to insulin. Insulin may maintain greater cell viability in 48-h explant cultures.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1988

A randomized, comparative study of buserelin with DES/orchiectomy in the treatment of stage D2 prostatic cancer patients.

This multicenter, randomized study compared the LH-RH agonist buserelin with diethylstilbestrol (DES)/orchiectomy in the treatment of patients with stage D2 prostatic carcinoma. Subjects were randomized to treatment with buserelin or DES/orchiectomy in a 2:1 ratio. Data from 160 subjects were available for analysis: 105 buserelin subjects (89 s.c. and 16 i.n.), 41 DES-treated subjects, and 14 orchiectomized subjects. Either subcutaneous (200 micrograms q.d.) or intranasal (400 micrograms t.i.d.) maintenance doses of buserelin suppressed serum testosterone values to below castrate levels (less than 100 ng/dl) by week 3 and maintained suppression for over 24 months. Times to treatment failure for specific reasons were analyzed and compared between treatment groups. There was a significant difference between treatment groups in favor of buserelin in the time to treatment failure due to an adverse event (p less than or equal to 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the treatment groups in the progression-free survival, best response, and life survival analyses. In addition, buserelin treatment improved quality of life parameters such as pain, performance status, and genitourinary symptoms. With the exception of symptoms of androgen deficiency, few side effects were reported in the buserelin subjects and most were of a minor nature. The incidence of severe side effects was significantly higher among the DES/orchiectomy subjects.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1988

Adipose tissue, longissimus muscle and anterior pituitary growth and function in clenbuterol-fed heifers.

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of feeding clenbuterol on adipose tissue and longissimus muscle growth in heifers. For 50 d, 14 heifers were fed either a sucrose-based, clenbuterol supplement or a placebo in which the clenbuterol had been omitted. The heifers were slaughtered in two groups, based on initial weight. Adipose tissue from several anatomical sites and longissimus muscle (depending on slaughter group) were obtained fresh at slaughter. Changes in carcass characteristics elicited by clenbuterol were similar to those reported by others for steers and sheep. Subcutaneous (sc) and intramuscular (im), but not perirenal, adipocytes were smaller and there were more cells per g tissue in the adipose tissue depots of the clenbuterol-fed heifers. Clenbuterol decreased lipogenic enzyme activities, fatty acid-binding protein activity, basal lipolysis and acetate incorporation into glyceride-fatty acids (P less than .05) in sc adipose tissue, but had no effect (P greater than .05) on lipogenesis or lipolysis in im adipose tissue. Clenbuterol elicited a 20% increase in type II myofiber diameters (P less than .05) but had no effect on type I myofiber diameters. In vitro growth hormone release by perifused anterior pituitaries was not affected significantly by long-term in vivo exposure to clenbuterol. These data indicate that a depression in lipogenesis is the mechanism by which clenbuterol decreases subcutaneous fat accretion in cattle.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1988

Non-A, non-B hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma in a chimpanzee.

Epidemiology has indicated the possible association of non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in man, but there are no means for confirmation. Chimpanzees are recognized models for studying hepatitis B and NANBH, and may become carriers of both. The first case of HCC to be reported in chimpanzees was found after longitudinal study of a hepatitis B-free chimpanzee 7 years after inoculation with human plasma from a patient reported to have chronic NANBH.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

For the love.

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Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1987

Cardiopulmonary function during 5 hours of constant-dose isoflurane in laterally recumbent, spontaneously breathing horses.

Hemodynamic and respiratory effects of 5 h of unvarying 1.57%, end-tidal (1.2 MAC) isoflurane in O2 anesthesia were characterized in ten left laterally recumbent horses. Compared to base line values at 30 min of constant dose isoflurane, cardiac output, hematocrit, total plasma solids, PaCO2, and peak inspired gas flow progressively and significantly (P less than 0.05) increased over the course of study. Arterial blood pressure increased (P less than 0.05) during the first 2 h of constant dose of isoflurane then decreased and remained near base line values. Inspiratory time progressively decreased with time of anesthesia. All horses recovered from anesthesia uneventfully within 1 h of termination of isoflurane.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗
PubMed1987

An artificial test substrate for evaluating electron microscopic immunocytochemical labeling reactions.

We describe an artificial substrate system for optimization of labeling parameters in electron microscope immunocytochemical studies. The system involves use of blocks of glutaraldehyde-polymerized BSA into which a desired antigen is incorporated by a simple soaking procedure. The resulting antigen-impregnated artificial substrate can then be fixed and embedded identically to a piece of tissue. The BSA substrate can also be dried and then sectioned for immunolabeling with or without chemical fixation and without exposing the antigen to dehydrating agents and embedding resins. The effects of various fixation and embedding procedures can thus be evaluated separately. Other parameters affecting immunocytochemical labeling, such as antibody and conjugate concentration, can also be evaluated. We used this system, along with immunogold labeling, to determine quantitatively the optimal fixation and embedding conditions for labeling of hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg), human IgG, and horseradish peroxidase. Using unfixed and unembedded HBsAg, we were able to detect antigen concentrations below 20 micrograms/ml. We have shown that it is not possible to label HBsAg within resin-embedded cells using conventional aldehyde fixation protocols and polyclonal antibodies.

Acetone↗