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Biomedical subjects

N J Bell

Publications and source records attributed to N J Bell.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The ontogeny of ultrasounds in two strains of Rattus norvegicus.

The developmental course of ultrasonic signaling by neonatal rat pups (Rattus norvegicus) was monitored under varying degrees of hypothermic stress. Signal rate, peak frequency, duration, and complexity of signals were analyzed separately for two different laboratory stocks. Sprague-Dawley and Wistar/Furth. Additionally, preliminary data were obtained on maternal retrieval latencies during the 1st 4 days post-partum and compared with the emission rate of neonatal ultrasounds. On the basis of these and other data, there is evidence that mothers play an important role in mediating many early experience effects. The data suggests that rate of neonatal ultrasounds may provide an index of some aspects of rat of maturity; that there may be different periods of maximum sensitivity to external stimulation in various stocks of laboratory animals; and that differential maternal responsiveness in different stocks of laboratory animals may correlate with differences in neonatal ultrasonic calling. Implications for comparative, genetic, and developmental studies are discussed.

Age Factors↗

Use of sterile maggots to treat panniculitis in an aged donkey.

An aged female donkey developed a severe, localised, suppurative panniculitis secondary to a skin wound. Bacterial culture of swabs taken from the wound gave a profuse growth of multi-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a profuse growth of Escherichia coli and a moderate growth of beta-haemolytic Streptococcus species. The lesion did not respond to conventional medical and surgical treatment and continued to progress. Six applications of sterile larvae (maggots) of the common greenbottle, Lucilia sericata, were used to debride the wound successfully.

Animals↗

Progress with proton pump inhibition.

The proton pump, a H+/K(+)-ATPase located on the secretory canalicular membrane of the parietal cell, forms the final pathway for gastric acid secretion. Omeprazole is concentrated in the secretory canaliculus, where it is converted to its active form, which binds covalently with the H+/K(+)-ATPase, thus inhibiting acid secretion arising from any stimulus. Meta-analysis has defined the primary determinants for peptic ulcer healing as the degree of acid suppression, the duration of suppression over 24 hours, and the length of treatment. The longer duration of acid suppression with omeprazole, particularly during the day, when food is ingested and H2-receptor antagonists are less effective, is reflected in the clinical superiority for symptom relief and ulcer healing and especially for the treatment of erosive esophagitis. Extensive clinical experience has proved omeprazole to be safe, and concerns over hypergastrinemia, ECL-cell hyperplasia, and carcinoid formation have not been substantiated in humans. Recent evidence has shown that omeprazole suppresses Helicobacter pylori and, in combination with antibiotics, can eradicate this organism in a substantial proportion of patients. This effect may result from enhancement of antibiotic bioavailability and optimizing host defense mechanisms.

Duodenal Ulcer↗