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Biomedical subjects

M Lin

Publications and source records attributed to M Lin.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Echocardiographic evaluation of thickened aortic valve and its relation to aortic stenosis and regurgitation.

To elucidate the aging changes of human aortic valves and their relation to aortic regurgitation (AR) or stenosis (AS), consecutive echocardiographic examinations in 1601 subjects were carried out. These patients were prospectively divided into 5 groups: adolescence (< 20, N = 38); adulthood (20-39, N = 131); middle age (40-59, N-222); old age (60-79, N = 1194) and octogenarian (> = 80, N = 16). The incidence of thickened aortic valve (TAV), to be overall, was 29%. It was specifically 0% in the adolescence and adulthood, 15% in the middle age group, 35% in the elderly group and up to 69% in the octogenarian group. Among 307 subjects with TAV, the incidence of AR tended to increase with age, to be 31% in the 4th and 5th decades, 43% in the 6th and 7th decades and 62% in the 8th decades. The TAV existed more frequently over the noncoronary cusp (56%) than either left (22%) or right (22%) coronary cusp. In addition, the percentage of aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation also tended to increase with age. In conclusion, TAV occurred more frequently at the noncoronary cusp than at the right or left coronary cusp. The incidence of TAV and the associated AS and AR tended to increase with age.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Nosocomial outbreak of scabies.

Scabies is a common infestation caused by the human itch mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Small outbreaks in communities or hospitals are not uncommon, but are rarely documented. In this paper, we report on a nosocomial outbreak of scabies originating from a patient with Norwegian scabies at the Intensive Care Unit in Taiwan Provincial Tainan Hospital. Twenty-nine individuals including four inpatients and 25 hospital personnel were involved. The diagnosis was based on history, clinical findings or a positive skin scraping. Unfamiliarity with the clinical manifestations delayed the diagnosis and the highly contagious nature of Norwegian scabies precipitated this outbreak. Early initiation of effective control measures with extensive therapeutic and prophylactic treatment of all contacts resulted in successful eradication of the outbreak.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[A study on measles vaccination rate and its antibody level in children aged 12-24 months in Guangxi, 1989].

This report described the measles vaccination rate (MVR) as well as its HI antibodies of 1842 children aged from 12 to 24 months. The MVR was 99.57% but HI positive rate was only 83.50%. HI of 298 target children still remained negative. Among them, 6 children were unvaccinated and others vaccinated. The HI negative rate reached 16.50% The HI positive rate was higher in the target children who lived in the area with convenient transportation and relatively low atmospheric temperature, and who received measles vaccine at the age of 8 months or more. Otherwise, the HI positive rate was lower. So some suggestions were proposed that the vaccination season, age of vaccine, increasing vaccine dosage should be considered carefully before measles vaccination session had arranged.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1991

Intracellular heterogeneity in mitochondrial membrane potentials revealed by a J-aggregate-forming lipophilic cation JC-1.

By using a potential-dependent J-aggregate-forming delocalized lipophilic cation, 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolocarbocyanine++ + iodide (JC-1), we find that membrane potentials across mitochondria in a living cell can be heterogeneous. Remarkably, even within a long contiguous mitochondrion, regional heterogeneity in membrane potentials appears to be possible.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Atypical lipoleiomyoma of the uterus.

A case of uterine atypical lipoleiomyoma in a 55-year-old obese woman is described. Histologically it was composed of atypical smooth muscle tissue and adipose tissue, as proved by immunohistochemical staining and ultrastructural study. Moreover, these studies revealed a transition from tumor smooth muscle cells to lipocytes. The features of this tumor suggest that at least some lipoleiomyomas result from lipomatous metaplasia of leiomyoma. Lipoleiomyoma is a rare lesion of the uterus, and the present tumor with an atypical leiomyomatous appearance is the first reported case of its kind. A review of previous case reports, together with the condition of this patient, revealed that patients with lipoleiomyoma are often overweight and menopausal, and have a high incidence of gallbladder disease.

Desmin↗
PubMed1991

Replication of ocular isolates of human adenovirus is serotype-dependent in rabbit corneal organ culture.

The goal of the present in vitro study was to determine the ability of unadapted human adenoviral ocular isolates to replicate in the rabbit cornea. Rabbit corneas grown in organ culture (24 well plate) were inoculated topically with 50 microliters (5 x 10(5) pfu) of different ocular adenoviral serotypes (ATCC and clinical isolates). Control wells (no cornea present) were inoculated in a similar fashion. Viral replication was determined by serial aliquots titrated on A549 cells. We demonstrated sustained viral replication over time of all isolates (100%) of Ad1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 37 tested. No isolates (0%) of Ad3, 7A, 19, and 4 demonstrated replication in our model. Peak titers varied among successful serotypes from 10(2) pfu/ml (Ad11) to 10(5) PFU/ml (Ad5), and among different isolates of a given serotype. We conclude that the ability of unadapted human Ad serotypes to replicate in rabbit corneas was serotype-dependent, and that subgroup C (Ad1, 2, 5, and 6) appeared to be the most successful subgroup.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1991

Comparisons of long-term effects between converting enzyme inhibitors and conventional therapy in treating mild to moderate hypertension.

A group of consecutive 180 veteran patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were chosen to participate in clinical antihypertensive trial for the purpose of defining the role of converting enzyme inhibitors and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in the management of mild to moderate hypertension patients. After a two-week placebo period, these patients were randomly assigned to regimens of converting enzyme inhibitors (enalapril or captopril with or without diuretics) or conventional therapy (diuretics with or without traditional vasodilators with or without beta-blockers). Each patient was regularly followed up every two weeks and doses were added until the diastolic blood pressure was equal to or lower than 90 mmHg. After 1 year of follow-up, only 162 patients completed the study. All high blood pressure was significantly reduced by these three regimens, but no significant difference of blood pressure control was noted. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 55.9 +/- 6.2 to 57.5 +/- 5.3% in captopril group (P less than 0.05, n = 59) and from 54.8 +/- 6.8 to 57.2 +/- 5.8% enalapril group (P less than 0.01, n = 53), in contrast to the insignificant change in control group (n = 50) (56.5 +/- 7.7 to 56.6 +/- 5.9%). The exercise duration also significantly increased only in converting enzyme inhibitors group (P less than 0.01). Furthermore, the plasma aldosterone level was significantly reduced by converting enzyme inhibitors therapy, whereas conventional therapy had no beneficial effect (P less than 0.01). Furthermore, the plasma aldosterone level was significantly reduced by converting enzyme inhibitors therapy, whereas conventional therapy had no beneficial effect (P less than 0.001). Concomitantly, antidiuretic hormone and plasma norepinephrine levels were also significantly reduced by converting enzyme inhibitors. In addition, converting enzyme inhibitors had a favorable trend to affect the metabolism of lipid in contrast to the conventional therapy. These results show that a first-step treatment of hypertension with converting enzyme inhibitors permits better left ventricular function and improves exercise tolerance by way of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition. Thus, converting enzyme inhibitors might be suggested as the first step regimen in the treatment of hypertension.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Enalapril in congestive heart failure: acute hemodynamic and neurohumoral evaluation and short-term follow-up.

The acute efficacy of rapid loading of oral long-acting enalapril in congestive heart failure remains to be established. We evaluated the efficacy of this treatment modality in 22 patients with chronic congestive heart failure N.Y.H.A. functional class ranging from II-IV with Creatinine level less than 2 mg/dl. Following hemodynamic evaluation, there was significant favorable change in the left ventricular functional curve. Moreover, acute hemodynamic assessment showed a significant reduction in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure from 19.2 +/- 4.8 to 17.2 +/- 4.7 mmHg (p less than 0.005) and an increases in stroke volume index from 28.3 +/- 9.2 to 33.1 +/- 7.5 ml/m (p less than 0.005). After rapid enalaprilization, blood pressure fell from 127 +/- 21/78 +/- 15 to 108 +/- 21/68 +/- 15 mmHg (p less than 0.005), systemic vascular resistance from 1725 +/- 602 to 1370 +/- 376 dyne.sec.cm-5 (p less than 0.05) and pulmonary vascular resistance from 262 +/- 19 to 218 +/- 65 dyne.sec.cm-5 (p less than 0.05). Cardiac index rose significantly from 2.43 +/- 0.62 to 2.60 +/- 0.50 l/min/m2 (p less than 0.05). In terms of neurohumoral assessments, there was a significant inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Aldosterone fell from 21.3 +/- 13.4 to 9.4 +/- 8.0 ng/dl and plasma renin activity rose from 3.3 +/- 4.6 to 11.3 +/- 11.0 ng/nl/hr (p less than 0.005). Plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine levels were found to have significant reduction in addition to antidiuretic hormone concentration. During short-term trial, left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly elevated from 27.5 +/- 6% to 32.8 +/- 10.8% (p less than 0.005). Thus, this limited study clearly demonstrates the rapid administration of enalapril not only achieves inhibition of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system but also reduces preload and afterload significantly in the failing heart. We conclude that rapid enalaprilization is an effective methodology which still needs meticulous attention, providing significant hemodynamic and symptomatic benefits in patients with chronic congestive heart failure.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of enalapril and conventional vasodilator therapy in patients with chronic congestive heart failure.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system during anti-heart failure treatment with additional enalapril versus conventional vasodilator therapy (hydralazine + sorbitrate) and to assess whether or not enalapril can be suggested as the preferential vasodilator therapy in patients with chronic congestive heart failure. Over a 2.5-year period, 120 patients (New York Heart Association II-IV, creatinine less than or equal to 2.0 mg/dl) were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to receive enalapril or hydralazine and sorbitrate therapy in addition to optimal digitalis and diuretics administration. At the end of a one-year followup, there was a tendency for mortality to be lower in the enalapril[correction of enlapril] group (4 cases) compared to the conventional group (9 cases), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.21). Both groups showed similar increases in plasma renin activity. The plasma aldosterone level decreased significantly in the enalapril group (p less than 0.005); whereas it rose significantly in the conventional group (p less than 0.005). The plasma norepinephrine level of the enalapril group fell significantly when compared with the conventional group. Thus, enalapril therapy achieved better reduction in the activating sympathetic system (p less than 0.0001). Reduction in the anti-diuretic hormone level was also found to be highly significant in the enalapril group, whereas no difference was seen in the conventional group. Furthermore, the serum creatinine level and blood urea nitrogen remained unchanged in the conventional group; whereas both were demonstrated to be reduced significantly in the enalapril group at a 1-year follow up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1991

The efficacy of early continuous positive airway pressure therapy in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy using a face mask is known to improve oxygenation, the intrapulmonary shunt reduction remains unsettled. Our study was designed to explore this issue. From 1985 to 1987 80 patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema were randomly chosen to receive either serial CPAP therapy or high-flow face mask oxygen therapy without CPAP (control) for the purpose of evaluating the efficacy of CPAP therapy. After screening for exclusion, only 55 patients were included in the first 3-hour investigation period. PaO2 in the CPAP group showed a significant increase by the end of the initial study; whereas intrapulmonary shunt and alveolar-arterial oxygen tension gradient AaDO2 revealed simultaneously a significant reduction. Conversely, neither PaO2 nor intrapulmonary shunt (or AaDO2) in the control group demonstrated any significant beneficial changes. As for cardiovascular function, only the CPAP therapy achieved a significant reduction in rate pressure product in contrast to the control (face mask) therapy alone. In terms of therapeutic failure, 10 patients in the control group failed. However, in the CPAP group only 5 patients had failed at the end of the first 3-hour study period. Overall, the cumulative therapeutic failure rate was 28% in the CPAP group and 60% in the control group during a 6-hour observation study. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in 24-hour hospital mortality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

Hemodynamic response to BMI model PIAB catheter.

Using the BMI model PIAB catheter designed and produced by our laboratory, we carried out serial animal experiments to evaluate its hemodynamic effects in goats. The animal experiments and comparison tests indicated that BAPDP = 24, PSP = 22; BAEDP = 8, EDP = 14; BAPSP = 20, PSP = 22. The various hemodynamic parameters of our PIAB catheter are equivalent to or better than those of imported products. But the price of our PIAB catheter is much lower than that of foreign products. It has been used in some hospitals, showing satisfactory results.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Studies on the structure of gnetifolin A of Gnetum parvifolium (Warb.) C.Y. Cheng].

A new component, gnetifolin A, was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the stem of Gnetum parvifolium (Warb.) C.Y. Cheng together with three known components isorhapontigenin, resveratrol and beta-sitosterol. The structure of gnetifolin A has been established as 2-(3',5'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyphenyl)-3-methoxy-5-hydroxybenzofuran by spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, MS, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, 2D-NMR).

Benzofurans↗
PubMed1991

Argyrophilia in ovarian serous tumors. A comparative study in 127 epithelial ovarian tumors.

The distribution of argyrophil cells in epithelial ovarian tumors was studied in 127 cases. The results showed that not only mucinous tumors and endometrioid tumors contained argyrophil cells, but also some serous tumors expressed argyrophilia. 31% of serous tumors including 40% of serous adenocarcinomas contained variable numbers of argyrophil cells. Argyrophilia has been demonstrated in mucinous tumors, endometrioid tumors and Brenner tumors before. However, this is the first time the presence of argyrophilia in serous tumors has been noticed. Moreover, the argyrophil cells in 5 serous carcinomas showed reactivity with Neuroendocrine (chromogranin A) antibody but not with serotonin. The expression pattern of argyrophilia in the serous tumors was different from that of the mucinous tumors; in the former, argyrophil granules appeared in apical portions or throughout the cytoplasm of single or clustered cells. In addition, the argyrophilia in some serous tumors and endometrioid tumors decreased after diastase digestion. Ultrastructurally, no typical neurosecretory granule was found in the argyrophilic serous tumors. The findings in this study suggest that argyrophilia could be quite frequently found in ovarian epithelial tumors and in itself is not a very specific differential characteristic of carcinoid tumors. The argyrophilia found in a variety of epithelial ovarian tumors might lend additional support to the histogenesis and close relationship between the common epithelial tumors of the ovary.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1991

Evidence for intraluminal Ca++ regulatory site defect in sarcoplasmic reticulum from malignant hyperthermia pig muscle.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a pharmacogenetic disease of humans and various animal species that predisposes to a life-threatening, anesthetic agent-induced syndrome. MH is thought to be a consequence of abnormal, sustained increases in myoplasmic Ca++ and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes from MH muscle have been shown to have a Ca++ release channel defect. In the present study we have tested a hypothesis that the abnormal Ca++ release mechanism in MH can be expressed when Ca++ is loaded in the presence of pyrophosphate. SR membrane vesicles isolated from normal and MH pig muscle were loaded with Ca++ in the presence and absence of pyrophosphate until Ca(++)-induced Ca++ release occurred. Under both circumstances the threshold amount of Ca++ loaded until Ca++ release occurred was lower in the SR from MH pig skeletal muscle. This difference in amount of Ca++ preload is not explained by results obtained comparing rates of Ca++ uptake, number of ryanodine binding sites or the amounts of calsequestrin among SR vesicles from MH and normal muscle. We conclude from this study that use of pyrophosphate for Ca++ loading does not ablate the abnormal Ca++ release in SR from MH muscle, suggesting the study can be done on small amounts of SR from biopsied human muscle. The data also suggest that abnormality in an intraluminal, low affinity Ca++ binding site regulating Ca++ release occurs in the SR membrane of MH pig muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

S-100 protein in ovarian tumors. A comparative immunohistochemical study of 135 cases.

The distribution of S-100 protein in 135 ovarian tumors, of which 127 were epithelial, was investigated using the immunoperoxidase method. S-100 protein has been demonstrated previously in tumors of various origins. The present study further revealed its characteristic distribution in common epithelial tumors of the ovary. S-100 protein was present in 69% of serous tumors (benign, 50%; borderline, 100%; malignant, 71%), as well as in the serous elements of serous & mucinous mixed tumors (30%). S-100 protein was also demonstrated in 25% of clear cell carcinomas and 29% of endometrioid carcinomas. Interestingly, none of the mucinous tumors were positive for S-100 protein. In addition, the expression of S-100 protein by epithelial ovarian tumors was compared with that of CA 125 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The distribution of S-100 protein was similar to that of CA 125, since both antigens were frequently present in serous tumors, although their expression patterns were different. On the other hand, S-100 protein-positive cases were almost negative for CEA or vice versa. Our observations indicate that demonstration of S-100 protein in common epithelial tumors of the ovary and comparison of S-100 protein distribution with that of CA 125 and CEA may further clarify the characteristics of common epithelial tumors of the ovary.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMed1990

Cytochrome and Alternative Pathway Respiration during Transient Ammonium Assimilation by N-Limited Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Mass spectrometric analysis of gas exchange in light and dark by N-limited cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii indicated that ammonium assimilation was accompanied by an increase in respiratory carbon flow to provide carbon skeletons for amino acid synthesis. Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle carbon flow was maintained by the oxidation of TCA cycle reductant via the mitochondrial electron transport chain. In wild-type cells, inhibitor studies and (18)O(2) discrimination experiments indicated that respiratory electron flow was mediated entirely via the cytochrome pathway in both the light and dark, despite a large capacity for the alternative pathway. In a cytochrome oxidase deficient mutant, or in wild-type cells in the presence of cyanide, the alternative pathway could support the increase in TCA cycle carbon flow. These different mechanisms of oxidation of TCA cycle reductant were reflected by the much greater SHAM sensitivity of ammonium assimilation by cytochrome oxidase-deficient cells as compared to wild type.

Journal Article↗