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Biomedical subjects

M Ford

Publications and source records attributed to M Ford.

102 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Changes in the intensity and pleasantness of human vaginal odors during the menstrual cycle.

Men and women estimated (by the method of magnitude estimation) the pleasantness and intensity of the odors of vaginal secretions sampled from consecutive phases of 15 ovulatory menstrual cycles of four women. On the average, secretions from preovulatory and ovulatory phases were slightly weaker and less unpleasant in odor than those from menstrual, early luteal, and late luteal phases. However, considerable variation in odor patterns was present across cycles from the same donor, as well as across cycles from different donors. These results indicate that human vaginal odors change slightly in both pleasantness and intensity during the menstrual cycle, but do not support the notion that such odors are particularly attractive to humans in an in vitro test situation.

Animals↗

Respiratory diseases in cyclophosphamide-treated mice. I. Increased virulence of Mycoplasma pulmonis.

Mice infected intranasally with Mycoplasma pulmonis were treated with cyclophosphamide, a potent immunologic suppressor. In place of a chronic smouldering infection with little mortality (2%), a rapidly lethal infection with high mortality (66%) was produced. M. pulmonis was able to be isolated from several organs during the course of the unmodified infection. In the infected animals treated with cyclophosphamide, dissemination occurred earlier, and higher titers of mycoplasma were found. Reconstitution experiments with spleen cells from previously infected animals reversed the effect of cyclophosphamide, indicating that immunity plays an important role in containment of the infection and eventual recovery.

Administration, Intranasal↗

In vivo gene therapy in young and adult RPE65-/- dogs produces long-term visual improvement.

Defects in the RPE65 gene, which is selectively expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), result in blindness and gradual photoreceptor cell degeneration. Experiments were conducted to assess the efficacy of gene replacement therapy in restoring retinal function in RPE65-/- dogs. Long-term effects of RPE65 gene therapy were assessed using visual behavioral testing and electroretinographic (ERG) recordings at 10-12 weeks and 6-9 months after surgery in five affected dogs. Subretinal injections of similar dosages of two constructs were performed in affected dogs at the ages of 4-30 months: rAAV.RPE65 into one eye and, in four of five dogs, rAAV.GFP contralaterally. Before surgery all RPE65-/- dogs were behaviorally blind with either no or very low-amplitude ERG responses to light stimuli. Marked improvements in visual behavior and ERG responses were observed as early as 4 weeks after surgery in affected animals. Except for light-adapted 50 Hz ERG flicker responses, all ERG parameters tested increased significantly in the eyes treated with the rAAV.RPE65 construct at the early follow-up. Gradual progressive improvements in ERG responses were observed in the RPE65-treated eyes over time. An unexpected finding was that on long-term follow-up, marked improvement of photopic ERG responses were also observed in the contralateral control eye in both young and older dogs. These results are promising for future clinical trials of human patients with retinal degenerative diseases, such as Leber congenital amaurosis, that result from RPE65 gene defects.

Animals↗

The subjective aspects of coronary care.

An exit questionnaire to measure satisfaction with selected aspects of coronary care was given to patients following discharge from coronary care units in 11 community hospitals in the Intermountain West. Although overall satisfaction was found to be high, the responses indicated significant differences (p less than .01) in patient satisfaction among the dimensions examined. The central findings suggest the need for more attention to the nontechnical aspects of care, especially reduction of emotional trauman and improved interpersonal relations. Practical implicattions of these and other findings for the nursing profession as well as for coronary care are discussed.

Communication↗