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Biomedical subjects

M Murray

Publications and source records attributed to M Murray.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

An improved parasitological technique for the diagnosis of African trypanosomiasis.

Light microscopic examination of the buffy coat zone of a microhaematocrit capillary tube expressed on to a slide was found to be consistently more reliable than other standard techniques in detecting trypanosomes in the circulation of cattle. This method alaos allowed identification of different trypanosome species. Optimal results were obtained using darkground illumination.

Animals↗

Regeneration of retinal axons into the goldfish optic tectum.

The growth of regenerating retinal axons into the central portion of the optic tectum of adult goldfish was examined with the light and electron microscopes. Optic tracts were cut and, two days to five months later, the animals were perfused and the tecta prepared for microscopy. Regenerating axons first reached central regions of the tectum seven to ten days postoperatively. Regenerating axons appear in very large numbers and travel in fascicles in the stratum opticum (SO) and in the adjacent neuropil, the stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale (SFGS). In the SO, the fascicles are bordered by glial cells and degenerating debris. Within the SFGS, however, the fascicles do not seem to be similarly associated with glial cells and degenerating debris. The youngest regenerating axons are very slender processes, containing microtubules but few or no neurofilaments or dense granular material. By 10 to 14 days postoperatively, neurofilaments can be seen and, in addition, large numbers of vesicles with dense cores appear. The vesicles with dense cores increase in numbers until about 28 days postoperatively and then become quite rare. That vesicles with dense cores were seen in regenerating axons in both SO and SFGS during the period of growth into the tectum but were not seen in axon terminals at any time, suggests that they may be concerned with axon elongation. During the period one month to five months postoperatively, the regenerating axons gradually increase in diameter but do not reach preoperative sizes, suggesting that the regenerative changes may still be occurring. Remyelination is delayed and proceeds slowly. Many axons remain unmyelinated for as long as five months postoperatively.

Animals↗

Morphology and classification of subdivisions of the intrahepatic vascular and biliary systems in sheep.

Tensol casts and histology were used to demonstrate sub-divisions of the portal and hepatic veins, and arterial and biliary systems. Portal and hepatic venous subdivisions were most readily identified. Based upon size, location, sequence of branching and histological characteristics a nomenclature for the sub-divisions of the portal vascular system was proposed. The names of distributing, primary, terminal, secondary (long and short) and tertiary veins were adopted to identify portal veins branches. The same criteria allowed the identification of three hepatic vein branches, central, sublobular and hepatic; the central hepatic veins and to a much lesser extent the sublobular hepatic veins drained the sinusoids. Casts of the arterial system demonstrated the arterial blood supply to the biliary system, to the sinusoids and portal vein vasa vasorum but they were of little use in identifying subdivisions. Arterial subdivision identification is possible by using accompanying portal veins as morphological markers and designating the subdivision after the vein. This approach is also applicable to the biliary system and provides a more accurate means of subdivision identification than does the broader division into ductules, intermediate and large ducts.

Animals↗

The blood-brain barrier and ventricular system of Myxine glutinosa.

Comparison of the rate and extent of penetration of test compounds from plasma into brain and muscle of the hagfish, Myxine glutinosa, indicates that the blood-brain barrier is poorly developed or absent in this species. We examined a series of hagfish brains in the light and electron microscope in order to relate the structure of the brain to the physiology of the blood-brain barrier and cerebrospinal fluid. The ventricular system consists of an ependymal cell-lined central canal extending from the spinal cord to the midbrain and two or more ependymal cell-lined cavities located more rostrally. A preoptic and an infundibular recess were present in the diencephalons of all brains and were isolated from each other and from the primary ventricular system. Since a typical choroid plexus could not be identified, this suggests that cerebrospinal fluid must be formed entirely by brain in this species. Cerebral capillaries differ significantly from those of other vertebrates in possessing large numbers of cytoplasmic vesicles and in the relative rarity of tight junctions between endothelial cells. These capillaries do not, therefore, appear to be morphologically specialized for barrier functions.

Animals↗

Hemodynamic and prognostic findings in patients with transmural and nontransmural infarction.

One hundred and eleven patients with transmural (TMI) and 49 with nontransmural myocardial infarction (NTMI) underwent hemodynamic investigation within 24 hours of onset of symptoms. Patients with NTMI were subdivided into those with ST-segment or T-wave changes alone with a normal QRS complex (NTMI-A) and a group with QRS abnormalities that did not satisfy the criteria for TMI (NTMI-B). Those with TMI had a significantly higher peak creatine phosphokinase (CPK) than those with NTMI: 840 plus or minus 99 and 336 plus or minus 69, respectively, P smaller than 0.05. There was not difference in peak CPK between those with NTMI-A and B. The incidence of arrhythmias and cardiac failure, and routine hemodynamic findings except for left ventricular filling pressure were similar in those with TMI and NTMI. There was not significant difference in in-hospital mortality between those with TMI (22%) and NTMI (33%). There was however a significant difference in in-hospital mortality between those with NTMI-A (0%) and NTMI-B (27%, P smaller than 0.05). The late mortality in those surviving their initial hospitalization was also not different between those with TMI (18%) and NTMI (19%) during a mean follow-up period of 20.2 months. In contrast to the in-hospital mortality those with NTMI-A had a late mortality similar to those with NTMI-B and those with TMI.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

Right ventricular dysfunction detected by gated scintiphotography in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction.

Twenty-seven patients with acute myocardial infarction not complicated by cardiogenic shock and ten normal volunteers were studied with gated cardiac blood pool scans. The ratio right vetricular area/left ventricular area (RVA/LVA) determined from the left anterior oblique end-diastolic scans was examined. The ratio was 1.11 +/- .06 in the normal volunteers. In patients with anterior infarction the ratio fell to 0.75 +/- .12 (P less than .05) due to left ventricular enlargement. In those with inferior infarction the ratio was 1.12 +/- .23 which was greater than in those with anterior infarction (P less than .05) due to enlargement of both the left and right ventricles. Six patients with cardiogenic shock, three with inferior and three with anterior infarction were studied. The three with anterior infarction had left ventricular enlargement and a decrease in the ratio of RVA/LVA to 0.62 while the three with inferior infarction had an increase in the ratio to 2.05 suggesting right ventricular dilatation and dysfunction. These studies suggest a high incidence of right ventricular dysfunction in patients with inferior myocardial infarction.

Aged↗