Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Meyer.
Two cases of tibial fracture combined with dislocation of the superior tibio-fibular joint are analysed. This rare combination often passes unnoticed, with a risk of instability at the tibial fracture whether treated conservatively or by nailing, which was the method normally used by the authors in the majority of tibial fractures.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Since December 1987, the chirurgical pediatric team in Clermond-Ferrand performs total colonic electromyography in children. This examination is integrated into a diagnostic and therapeutic protocol for chronic constipation. We used an intraluminal probe supporting 10 groups of 3 ring electrodes. Inside the probe a lead pellet was placed opposite each electrode. The probe was inserted through the colon by colonoscopy into a starving child. The recording starts 24 hours later and is registered for 3 hours before and 3 hours after a meal. The aim of this work is to report the preliminary results of 6 electromyography in constipated children.
Two young girls with type IIa homozygotic familial hypercholesterolemia were treated by plasma exchange to reduce circulating cholesterol levels, values prior to treatment being abnormally elevated (greater than 10 mmol/l). Simultaneous determination of membrane fluidity (by fluorescence polarization) of erythrocytes and lymphocytes showed marked decreases due principally to an increase in the intramembrane cholesterol/phospholipid ratio. Values after treatment showed a tendency to return to physiologic levels without, however, attaining normal values. In vitro studies of cholesterol incorporation in these membranes demonstrated the primordial role of cholesterol in these processes of membrane rigidity, and their reversibility. It is suggested that certain physical membranal properties could provide a useful index to assess need for more or less frequent plasma exchanges.
Variations in skin resistance are an indicator of a patient's sympathetic nerve activity. To record these variations, a mobile measuring system was developed. Even if this method is not yet used as a clinical routine, it could be helpful in studying the effects of nerve blocks in anesthesia. It seems to be advantageous for estimating the effectiveness of a block, the stress of the patient, and for recognizing very early reactions of a patient's sympathetic system. METHOD. An objective sign of a successful and sufficient block should be diminishing and finally the total lack of skin reaction amplitudes if the block is total. This was measured in a patient (male, 30 years old, nonsmoker, calm type) who suffered from a sudden loss of hearing on the left for four consecutive days when his left stellate ganglion was blocked. The effectiveness of the block was estimated from a two-channel measurement of skin reactions. On one channel the skin resistance of the blocked left side was recorded and on the other, unblocked skin areas of the right side were measured simultaneously. RESULTS. Although all four blocks were successful, which was evidenced by a Horner syndrome as well as elevated skin temperature 1-2 min after the injection of 7 ml bupivacaine (C6/C7), in all four cases residual sympathetic activity could be measured. In Fig. 1, the diminishing amplitudes of channel A as compared with channel B demonstrate this finding after the onset of a block at 2:03 p.m. An interpretation of skin reactions generated by a series of action potentials is given.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The toxic potential of the combination of morphine and Adriamycin (doxorubicin) has been evaluated in mice. Intravenous administration of 20 or 40 mg Adriamycin/kg resulted in a dose-related mortality beginning 4 days postdose. Increasing the dose of Adriamycin to 75 mg/kg caused a biphasic mortality pattern, with 30% of the animals dying within 30 min of drug treatment. Pretreatment with morphine (20 mg/kg) reduced by 80% the dose of Adriamycin required to induce a 30% mortality at 30 min post-Adriamycin administration. Morphine pretreatment also caused a dose-dependent increase in plasma Adriamycin, as measured by total plasma fluorescence. Morphine or Adriamycin administered alone resulted in a slight hematocrit increase. The combination of morphine and Adriamycin caused an increase in hematocrit to maximal levels of approximately 75% from basal levels of about 48%. The increase in hematocrit after morphine plus Adriamycin exceeded the rise caused by higher doses of Adriamycin which, without morphine, resulted in similar plasma Adriamycin levels. The temporal relationship between the elevated hematocrit and early (30 min) mortality suggest a cause/effect relationship between these two events following combined morphine plus Adriamycin treatment.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) presented in 10 children under 2 years of age (group 1) and in 5 between 3 and 8 years (group 2). The clinical, ECG, chest radiographic and echocardiographic features are reviewed and prognosis over a mean follow-up period of 3.5 years is reported. Patients in group 1 had more symptoms and 7 had evidence of heart failure at some stage; all had ECG abnormalities. Group 2 patients presented with murmurs and only 1 had heart failure. Medical management of these patients is discussed and the importance of accurate diagnosis stressed, since HCM may have a poor prognosis in childhood; 3 out of 15 patients have died.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
To detect and quantify diffusion limitation in alveolar-capillary O2 transfer, measurements of pulmonary gas exchange were performed in 6 awake, chronically tracheostomized dogs (mean body weight 28.3 kg) breathing low O2 (arterial PO2 35-39 Torr), with or without CO2 added to inspired gas. From rest to exercise, with O2 uptake averaging 23 ml/(min X kg), the ideal-alveolar-to-arterial PO2 difference (PAiO2-PaO2) increased from 2.1 +/- 0.2 Torr (mean +/- SE) to 2.9 +/- 0.2 in hypoxia, and from 1.9 +/- 0.7 Torr to 3.0 +/- 0.5 in hypercapnic hypoxia. The apparent pulmonary O2 diffusing capacity (DLO2), calculated from O2 uptake, mixed-venous PO2, arterial PO2, and ideal-alveolar PO2, was found to be increased by hypercapnia and exercise. During exercise DLO2 averaged 74 ml/(min X Torr) in hypoxia and 76 ml/(min X Torr) in hypercapnic hypoxia. Because of the influence of inhomogeneity effects, these values should be considered as minimum values for the true pulmonary O2 diffusing capacity. When compared to the pulmonary CO diffusing capacity (DLCO) previously determined by C18O rebreathing in the same dogs in similar conditions, the DLO2/DLCO ratio averaged 1.2, thus being in accordance with the value predicted from the corresponding Krogh diffusion constant ratio. It is concluded that the DLO2 and DLCO values determined drug exercise in hypoxia may be considered to represent acceptable measures for alveolar-capillary diffusion conductance of lungs.
In newborn rats the levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA (mRNANGF) and NGF receptor mRNA (mRNA(rec)) in the sciatic nerve were 10 and 120 times higher, respectively, than in adult animals. mRNA(rec) levels decreased steadily from birth, approaching adult levels by the third postnatal week, whereas mRNANGF levels decreased only after the first postnatal week, although also reaching adult levels by the third week. Transection of the adult sciatic nerve resulted in a marked biphasic increase in mRNANGF with time. On the proximal side of the cut, this increase was confined to the area immediately adjacent to the cut; peripherally, a similar biphasic increase was present in all segments. mRNA(rec) levels were also markedly elevated distal to the transection site, in agreement with previous results obtained by immunological methods [Taniuchi, M., Clark, H. B. & Johnson, E. M., Jr. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83, 4094-4098]. Following a crush lesion (allowing regeneration), the mRNA(rec) levels were rapidly down-regulated as the regenerating nerve fibers passed through the distal segments. Down-regulation of mRNANGF also occurred during regeneration but was slower and not as extensive as that of mRNA(rec) over the time period studied. Changes in mRNANGF and mRNA(rec) occurring in vivo after transection were compared with those observed in pieces of sciatic nerve kept in culture. No difference was found for mRNA(rec). Only the initial rapid increase in mRNANGF occurred in culture, but the in vivo situation could be mimicked by the addition of activated macrophages. This reflects the situation in vivo where, after nerve lesion, macrophages infiltrate the area of the Wallerian degeneration. These results suggest that mRNANGF synthesis in sciatic non-neuronal cells is regulated by macrophages, whereas mRNA(rec) synthesis is determined by axonal contact.
Using both fluorescent labelled toxin and antibody--secondary antibody techniques, the Bacillus sphaericus toxin was found to bind strongly to susceptible Culex quinquefasciatus cells, but far less strongly to cells of insensitive insects. An insensitive clone of the C. quinquefasciatus cell line was discovered which bound toxin efficiently. The toxin was bound in the cold to sensitive cells and these cells could be rescued from cytotoxicity for ca. 15 min after warming, by which time toxin appeared to be internalized. Binding was saturable. This toxin is apparently internalized by receptor-mediated endocytosis, probably involving a glycoprotein receptor containing N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Evidence for toxin binding to lipids was not found. Antibody appeared to detect internalized toxin, and high concentrations of sugars inhibited cytotoxicity; these results along with evidence from a recent ultrastructural study suggest that this toxin may form pores in the cell membrane.
The contribution of serum creatine kinase (CK) levels to the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in an emergency room was studied in 252 patients presenting with chest pain. Thirty percent were ultimately diagnosed as having AMI. The electrocardiogram (ECG) identified 66% of patients with AMI who were evaluated within 4 h of onset of symptoms; while CK serum levels were elevated in only 9%. Among patients evaluated more than 4 h after the onset of symptoms, the ECG was helpful in diagnosing AMI in only 36.6%, while serum CK levels were high in 63.4%. CK testing added significantly to the diagnosis of AMI in patients already studied by ECG. We suggest that determination of serum CK levels in the emergency room is of value in the evaluation of patients complaining of chest pain 4 or more hours after the onset of symptoms.
As an essential element of the comprehensive rehabilitation efforts at Northport VA Medical Center, and as a service whose demand is projected to increase substantially with the expanding proportion of aging veterans, eye/vision care has become increasingly important. As a result, the administration of the Medical Center decided to heed the suggestions of Congress and the Director of Optometry in VA Central Office and reorganize the delivery of eye/vision services so the ever-increasing demand could be met more rationally, efficiently and effectively. In this paper, the Northport VA Medical Center's Comprehensive Eye/Vision Program, including the residency program in rehabilitative optometry, will be described and the benefits of the reorganization will be discussed.
Rats reared from weaning in a complex environment with other rats and numerous objects display sex differences in several brain areas, yet there is little systematic information on the types of interactions that rats have within complex environments or whether there are sex differences in these interactions. Therefore, male and female rats were observed in the complex environment over a 15-30 day period in three separate replications that included same-sex and mixed sex groups of rats. The rats spent considerably more time interacting with the objects than in social interactions in all replications, and the types of interactions varied little over the length of the study. A few sex differences appeared, such as in play fighting, but these differences were small and not consistent across replications. Male and female rats interacted with the environment in a very similar manner.