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Biomedical subjects

M Russ

Publications and source records attributed to M Russ.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Hematogenous osteomyelitis in adults].

Hematogenous osteomyelitis (HOM) in adults is a very rare event in industrialised countries. However, in tropical regions the morbidity of HOM is more important, primarily due to the impact of sickle cell disease, thalassemia, HIV-infection and tuberculosis. HOM is most commonly caused by pyogenic bacteria and mycobacteria, but infections by fungi, viruses and parasites must also be considered. In spite of modern diagnostic procedures such as nuclear and magnetic resonance imaging, the histopathologic and microbiologic examination of bone remains the gold standard for diagnosing OM. Other diagnoses should also be considered. Nonbacterial osteomyelitic lesions (plasmacellular OM, sclerosing OM, SAPHO syndrome) as well as acute leukemia, malignant bone tumors (i.e., Ewing's sarcoma, osteosarcoma) are conditions with similar presentations. Acute HOM is best managed by appropriate antibiotic therapy. In case of failure and in chronic HOM, surgical debridement is mandatory.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

[Postoperative wound healing in wound-water contact].

UNLABELLED: The avoiding of water-contact to the freshly closed operation-wound is an unwritten law in surgery. In general, taking a bath or shower is not allowed before wound stitch removal under the idea that early water-contact may lead to a higher wound-infection rate. In a prospective trial 170 patients, operated in our short-stay surgery-unit, were allowed to take a shower 24 hours after surgery. Full water contact of the fresh uncovered wound was accepted. The wound-infection rate in this group was compared with the infection-rate of an historical group from our department (n = 956). RESULTS: In the water-contact group no case of wound-infection was observed while we were observing a wound-infection-rate of 0.6% in the other group. The difference between the two groups wasn't statistically significant (p = 0.125). CONCLUSION: Water-contact of the fresh operation wound 24 hours after surgery did not increase the post-operative wound infection risk in this study.

Adolescent↗

[Biosurgery - maggots, are they really the better surgeons?].

Between 1 October 1996 and 31 December 1998 123 patients (74 men, 43 women) suffering from acute (n = 17) and chronic (n = 21) infections and chronic wounds (n = 85) were treated with sterile maggots (Lucilia sericata). In most patients the indication for the use of maggots was a failure to respond to standard therapy. Healing occurred in all patients with acute infections, and chronic infections showed excellent short-term results. In chronic wounds disturbances of healing in diabetics responded best to maggot therapy, the etiologically inhomogeneous group of leg ulcers asked for a polypragmatic approach, and the worst results were seen in chronic arterial occlusive disease (stage 4). Our limited experience with "biosurgery", biased selection of patients, and lack of late results reduce the significance of our data; nevertheless, sterile maggots seem to be an astonishingly workable tool for solving problems in surgical wound treatment.

Acute Disease↗

Reduced activation and altered laterality in two neuroleptic-naive catatonic patients during a motor task in functional MRI.

BACKGROUND: Catatonia, a symptom complex with motor, affective and cognitive symptoms seen in a variety of psychotic conditions and with organic disease, was examined using a motor task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS: Two acute catatonic patients and two age- and sex-matched healthy controls performed sequential finger opposition (SFO) after being medicated with 2 mg of lorazepam (i.v.). Functional magnetic resonance images were collected using a gradient echo pulse sequence (EPI). RESULTS: Patients with catatonia showed reduced motor activation of the contralateral motor cortex during SFO of the right hand, ipsilateral activation was similar for patients and controls. There were no differences in the activation of the SMA. During left hand activation the right-handed catatonic patients showed more activation in the ipsilateral cortex, a reversal from the normal pattern of activation in which the contralateral side shows four to five times more activation than the ipsilateral side. CONCLUSIONS: In catatonic patients there is a decreased activation in motor cortex during a motor task compared to matched medicated healthy controls. In addition activation of the non-dominant side, left-handed activity in right-handed patients, results in a total reversal of the normal pattern of lateral activation suggesting a disturbance in hemispheric localization of activity during a catatonic state.

Acute Disease↗

[The BMW (biosurgical mechanical wound treatment) in diabetic foot].

The BMW-concept (Biosurgical-Mechanical-Wound treatment) is a effective supplement of already existing options of wound treatment. Based on the established principles of septic surgery vacuum sealing, instillation vacuum sealing and the application of sterile maggots optimize the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, reduce time of treatment and offers a high comfort to the patient.

Amputation, Surgical↗

[Vacuum sealing as carrier system for controlled local drug administration in wound infection].

Between 1.4.96 and 1.3.97 27 patients with acute infections of bone and soft tissues (n = 13), chronic osteomyelitis (n = 8), and chronic wounds (n = 6) were treated by using Instillation-Vacuum-Sealing. Polyvinylalcohol sponges with drainage tubes were used to cover the internal or external wound surfaces which resulted from surgical debridement. Having hermetically covered the wound with a transparent film dressing a vacuum source generated a partial vacuum in the sponge which was modified according to the type of wound between 20 and 80 kPa. Several times daily, the vacuum line was blocked and, in an alternating fashion, antiseptic or antibiotic solution instilled for 30 minutes. Then, the vacuum was reestablished and the fluids drained from the wound. Seven days later, intermittent drug instillation was stopped and there was either immediate or delayed wound closure by secondary suturing (n = 22), skin grafting (n = 3) or spontaneous epithelialization (n = 2). During a follow-up from the beginning of the instillation treatment of 4.2 (3-14) months there was one recurrency of infection in a patient with chronic osteomyelitis.

Adolescent↗

[Treatment of infection by vacuum sealing].

Between 1 January 1992 and 31 July 1995, 313 patients with acute and chronic infections were treated by vacuum sealing (VS). The average duration of VS treatment was 16.7 days, and there was an average of 3.1 changes in the VS system. In acute infections (n = 203) the wounds were closed by secondary suturing (65.5%), spontaneous epithelialization (17.2%), skin grafting (12.3%) and flap transfer (2%). Six patients died (3%). Infection recurred in 3.9% and was cured by another VS treatment. Unstable scar formations (1%) were treated by free flap transfers. When compared with standard open-wound treatment, the low-cost VS technique offers great advantages with regard to hospital hygiene, patient comfort and therapeutic results.

Abscess↗

[Closure of defect wounds by combined vacuum sealing with instrumental skin expansion].

Between 1.6.1995 and 31.12.1995, 17 trauma defect wounds were closed by suturing in 12 patients with a median of age of 35 (11-65) years, a new type of instrument for skin stretching being used in combination with a vacuum sealing procedure. According to clinical experience, closure of the skin defect would have required skin grafting in all patients. After secondary suturing 15 wounds healed without problems, while in the case of 1 wound there was a small skin defect, which healed spontaneously. In another sutured wound a partial dehiscence occurred over the medial malleolus on the 10th postoperative day; this also healed spontaneously without further surgical measures. There were no wound infections or necroses of the wound edges. This procedure is recommended for the closure of defect wounds, as it reduces the risk of wound infections, shortens the period of treatment and avoids cosmetically and functionally inadequate skin grafts.

Adolescent↗

Insulin action on cardiac glucose transport: studies on the role of protein kinase C.

Isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes from adult rat have been used to elucidate a possible relationship between protein kinase C (PKC) and the stimulatory action of insulin on cardiac glucose transport. Cells were incubated in the presence of either insulin or phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens (PLC-Cp) and intracellular sn-1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) levels and initial rates of 3-O-methylglucose transport were determined. Insulin had no effect on the DAG mass level, whereas it was elevated by PLC-Cp to 200% of control. Under these conditions the hormone produced a 2.7-fold stimulation of glucose transport with no significant effect of PLC-Cp. Insulin was unable to produce a redistribution of PKC, whereas phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) increased membrane associated PKC twofold. The PKC inhibitors tamoxifen and staurosporine did not interfere with glucose transport stimulation by insulin. Furthermore, cells treated with PMA exhibited unaltered basal and maximally insulin stimulated rates of glucose transport. In contrast, at physiological concentrations of insulin the stimulatory action of the hormone was significantly reduced. We conclude from our data that PKC is not involved in insulin action on cardiac glucose transport. However, activation of this enzyme may lead to a modified insulin sensitivity of the cardiac cell.

Animals↗

Effects of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) on glucose transport and lipid metabolism of newly-differentiated human fat cells in cell culture.

Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) has been found to cause a delipidation of fat cells and a decrease of the adipose tissue mass. In the present study, we tried to elucidate some of the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon by investigating the action of TNF alpha on specific pathways which are involved in lipid storage. Cultured stromal cells from human adipose tissue were induced to differentiate into adipose cells by exposure to adipogenic factors and subsequently used for studying the effects of TNF alpha on fat cell metabolism. Presence of 5 nmol/l TNF alpha for 24 h resulted in a complete loss of the stimulatory effect of insulin on 2-deoxy-glucose transport. This inhibitory action was paralleled by a decrease of GLUT4 protein and mRNA levels. The amount of cellular GLUT4 protein was reduced by 49 +/- 3% after a 24-h exposure and by 82 +/- 18% after a 72-h exposure to 5 nmol/l TNF alpha. GLUT4 mRNA was almost undetectable after a 24-h incubation with 5 nmol/l TNF alpha. In a similar time-dependent manner, TNF alpha dramatically reduced the lipoprotein lipase mRNA content of the cells. Furthermore, incubation of cultured human fat cells with TNF alpha resulted in a marked dose-dependent stimulation of lipolysis, assessed by glycerol release, by up to 400% above controls, which became apparent after a 6-h exposure at the earliest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗

Photoaffinity labelling of cardiac membrane GTP-binding proteins in response to insulin.

Plasma membranes from rat cardiac ventricular tissue and insulin receptors partially purified by wheat-germ-agglutinin chromatography were subjected to direct photoaffinity labelling with [alpha-32P]GTP in order to elucidate the presence of insulin-receptor-coupled GTP-binding proteins. In plasma membranes three proteins have been identified that exhibit an enhanced photolabelling with the nucleotide in response to insulin. The apparent molecular masses of these proteins were found to be 56, 60 and 74 kDa. Photolabelling of partially purified insulin receptors showed the copurification of the 60-kDa species, whereas the 56-kDa and 74-kDa proteins could not be detected. Furthermore, the 60-kDa G-protein was found to be specifically co-immunoprecipitated with the insulin receptor. Incubation of insulin receptors with insulin increased the labelling of the 60-kDa band to 205 +/- 27% (n = 5) of control. Immuno- and ligand-blotting experiments revealed the additional presence of a 39-kDa G(o)-like protein and two G-proteins with molecular masses of 24 and 26 kDa in the receptor preparation. Under basal conditions the insulin receptor and the 60-kDa G-protein exhibited an apparent inverse distribution between plasma and microsomal membranes with the G-protein being extensively labelled in the microsomal fraction. In conclusion, our data show that, in its native environment, the cardiac insulin receptor couples to at least three GTP-binding proteins. Out of these, a 60-kDa species of microsomal origin, copurifies with the insulin receptor. It is suggested that this G-protein is associated with the insulin receptor and may be involved in insulin receptor signalling in target cells.

Affinity Labels↗

G protein expression and adenylate cyclase regulation in ventricular cardiomyocytes from STZ-diabetic rats.

Isolated adult ventricular cardiomyocytes have been used to study the effects of insulin-deficient diabetes on the expression of cardiac G protein alpha-subunits. Immunoblot analysis of plasma membranes revealed the presence of three different Gs proteins with molecular masses of 45, 47, and 52 kDa. Furthermore, cardiomyocytes were found to contain Gi-2 (41 kDa) and G(o) (39 kDa). Heart cells from streptozotocin-diabetic rats exhibited an unaltered expression of the Gs proteins, whereas Gi-2 and G(o) were reduced by 58 +/- 2 and 27 +/- 11%, respectively. In cells from diabetic rats, adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation in response to isoproterenol decreased by approximately 30% at agonist concentrations of 10(-7) to 10(-5) M, with an unaltered maximum stimulation by forskolin. Treatment of cardiomyocytes with pertussis toxin resulted in an incremental increase of isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP formation, which was significantly lower in cardiac myocytes from streptozotocin-diabetic animals (19.2 +/- 1.7 vs. 11.5 +/- 2.4 pmol cAMP.5 x 10(4) cells-1 times 10 min-1). The inhibition of the isoproterenol-induced cAMP accumulation by carbachol in the intact cell was not altered in streptozotocin-diabetes. In conclusion, our data show that insulin-deficient diabetes is associated with a reduced expression and concomitant functional loss of Gi in ventricular cardiomyocytes. Receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase remains unaffected by this process, whereas the beta-adrenergic stimulatory pathway involves an additional defect upstream of the adenylate cyclase/G protein system.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Regulation of cardiac insulin receptor function by guanosine nucleotides.

The present study examined the effect of GTP-gamma-S on the function of insulin receptors partially purified from adult rat cardiomyocytes by WGA chromatography. GTP-gamma-S increased receptor autophosphorylation about two times and fully mimicked the stimulatory action of insulin on poly(Glu:Tyr) phosphorylation with no additional effect of the hormone. The effect of GTP-gamma-S was specific, dose-dependent, and due to an increase in the Vmax of the kinase. In the presence of ATP or AMP-PNP, insulin significantly enhanced the binding of [35S]GTP-gamma-S to the partially purified insulin receptor. The findings suggest coupling of the insulin receptor to a G-protein which may be involved in the regulation of tyrosine kinase activity.

Animals↗

Diabetes-induced decrease in the mRNA coding for sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase in adult rat cardiomyocytes.

The present study examined the level of the mRNA coding for the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase in isolated ventricular myocytes from streptozotocin-diabetic rats and genetically obese (fa/fa) rats using Northern blotting techniques. In both animal models one single transcript with a mean size of 4.12 kb could be detected. In insulin-deficient rats the Ca(2+)-ATPase transcript level decreased by 51% when compared to normal rats. In obese animals a modest decrease in the Ca(2+)-ATPase mRNA content to 77% of lean controls has been detected. Decreased mRNA expression of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase may partly explain the delayed diastolic relaxation observed in the diabetic heart.

Animals↗

Inverse regulation of glucose transporter Glut4 and G-protein Gs mRNA expression in cardiac myocytes from insulin resistant rats.

The present study examined the mRNA levels of glucose transporter Glut4 and G-protein Gs alpha-subunit in isolated ventricular myocytes from lean and genetically obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats and streptozotocin-diabetic rats. In obese animals the amount of transcripts coding for Glut4 increased to 122 +/- 6% of lean controls, whereas the mRNA coding for Gs alpha-subunit decreased by 42 +/- 12%. An unaltered level of Gs mRNA was observed in insulin deficient rats. When cardiomyocytes from normal rats were treated with insulin, the Glut4 transcript level increased by 48 +/- 5%, whereas the Gs mRNA level decreased by 55 +/- 8%. The findings suggest that insulin may act as a potential regulator of Glut4 and Gs mRNA expression in the cardiac cell.

Animals↗

[Comparative psychological test studies of the intellectual ability of Parkinson patients].

Patients with Parkinson's disease (n = 81) are compared with normal controls and three clinical groups, each representing a different level of cerebral impairment (TIA; Stroke; Alzheimer's disease (AD) and multi-infarct dementia (MID). Psychometric measures of abstract reasoning, speed of information processing, verbal and visual memory, visuospatial perception and psychomotor functions are taken using a neuropsychological test battery with appropriate age-correction and normalized scaling. Following differentiation between the uncomplicated idiopathic Parkinson's syndrome and Parkinson plus (signs of cerebral polypathy and/or a degenerative process exceeding the nigro-striatal system) the neuropsychological profile reveals intellectual impairments approaching the dementia level (AD/MID) only in the Parkinson plus subgroup. With the exception of the severe motor deficiencies, the overall performance of patients with an uncomplicated Parkinson's syndrome is largely on the level of age-matched controls. Slight deficits exist only in the speed of information processing (action under time restriction) and in visuoconstructive performance.

Aged↗

A comparison of Doppler flow measurements, ultrasonic and arteriographic imaging in the evaluation of stenoses of the carotid artery.

To determine the value of Doppler periorbital flow measurements (DOP) and real-time ultrasonic in the analysis of carotid artery occlusive disease, 1,203 carotid arteries were evaluated in 669 consecutive patients from 1 June 1980 to 1 July 1981. The results of DOP and US were compared with biplane carotid arteriograms using the Seldinger technique. The stenoses were graded: Grade I (zero to 25 per cent), Grade II (25 to 50 per cent), Grade III (50 to 75 per cent) and Grade IV (75 to 100 per cent). Both US and CA agreed in 71.3 per cent of 209 arteries. US and DOP were performed together in 1,203 arteries and agreed in 83.2 per cent. The flow surfaces of an additional 29 arteries were visually inspected at operation to determine the capacity of US to predict ulceration. All of the arteries demonstrated visible ulceration, but only six (20.7 per cent) were predicted by US. The deepest ulcerations that were not detected by US were 2 millimeters in depth. US images were unsatisfactory in 44 arteries (3.7 per cent) because of excessive sound reflection and in 60 (5.0 per cent) because of a "high bifurcation." We conclude that Doppler periorbital flow studies are not as accurate as carotid sonography nor do they add to the accuracy of sonography when the two examinations are combined. Sonography identified significant stenoses but failed to grade the stenoses well and was unreliable in detecting shallow to moderately deep ulcerations.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗