Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M H Flint

Publications and source records attributed to M H Flint.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The development of the circle technique for determining the optimum line of tumour excision.

The healing of skin wounds is markedly influenced by their relationship to the tensional forces in the skin. Directional variations in skin extensibility which give rise to the cleavage line phenomenon and the skin tension lines are easily visualized by a recently developed skin marking technique. This technique makes it possible to plan accurately the optimum line of excision of skin tumours, including malignant melanomata, so as to allow primary linear wound closure without the necessity of undermining or grafting. The technique is particularly applicable to the excision of tumours of the back and limbs, and in addition, provides a warning if the local skin tensional state makes primary closure hazardous.

Dermatologic Surgical Procedures↗

The proteoglycan content and the axial periodicity of collagen in tendon.

The glycosaminoglycan content and the axial periodicity of collagen was determined in various regions of the rabbit flexor digitorum profundus tendon. This tendon, which passes from the calf to the toes round the inner side of the ankle, contains a thickened sesamoid-like pad where it is subjected to friction and pressure. Other regions of the tendon are subject only to longitudinal tension. In tensional areas the axial periodicity of collagen was of the order of 62 nm and the tissue contained less than 0.2% proteoglycan on a dry weight basis. In the sesamoid-like region, however, the axial periodicity was a significant 13-15% less, and the proteoglycan constituted about 3.5% of the dry weight. Also, in the tensional areas the predominant glycosaminoglycan was dermatan sulphate, whereas in the sesamoid the predominant glycosaminoglycan was chondroitin sulphate. The possible interrelationships between collagen axial peroidicity and proteoglycan content in this tissue are discussed.

Animals↗

The effect of centrifugal force on glycosaminoglycan production by aortic smooth muscle cells in culture.

Cultured smooth muscle cells from pig aorta subjected to centrifugation (48 h at 45 g over a 72-h period) increased their production of glycosaminoglycans by approximately 50%. The sulphated components, heparan sulphate, dermatan sulphate and chondroitin sulphate, showed a relatively greater increase than hyaluronic acid (66-34%). The results are consistent with the hypothesis that mechanical stress, such as hypertension, leads to increased accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in the aortic wall and that secondary trapping of lipoproteins by sulphated glycosaminoglycans produces atherosclerotic plaques.

Animals↗

A comparison of the glycosaminoglycans of weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing human dermis.

Twenty-six samples of human skin from three non-weight-bearing and 27 samples from three weight-bearing sites were obtained at autopsy from 11 subjects varying in age from 4 to 91 years. The dermis was idssected free of other tissues and after proteolytic digestion, the glycosaminoglycans were isolated quantitatively by ion-exchange chromatography. Analysis of the preparations showed that there was significantly more glycosaminoglycan in the dermis from weight-bearing sites (p less than 0.001). The major glycosaminoglycans were hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate with chondroitin sulfate as a minor component, but the relative proportions of these components were not significantly different in the two sets of samples (p greater than 0.1). It is suggested that the quantity of glycosaminoglycan in the dermis is influenced by the functional requirements of the dermis at that site.

Adolescent↗

Diagnostic parameters in experimental renal infection.

Urinary tract infections are commonly encountered in medical practice but their laboratory diagnosis presents many difficulties. In this study we have used experimental models to assess the value of serum antibody, urinary antibody, rheumatoid factor, and the histochemical examination of renal tissue as diagnostic parameters. Under the conditions of the experiment the analyses did provide useful diagnostic information and may prove to be of value in the management of urinary tract infection in man.

Animals↗

The effect of dried mussel extract on an induced polyarthritis in rats.

A polyarthritis was induced in a number of rats by the intradermal injection of a modified Freund's adjuvant into the right foot pad. Powered extract of New Zealand mussel fed to the rats did not have any beneficial effect on either the development or the severity of the arthritis.

Animals↗