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Biomedical subjects

P Allain

Publications and source records attributed to P Allain.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

[Reposition osteoplasty of the median process in bilateral labiomaxillary clefts].

Twenty two bilateral cleft lips accompanied by a premaxilla protusion and associated with cleft palates have been operated according to the technic called "Premaxilla Reposition Osteoplasty". This operation must follow the cheiloplasty. It is often preceeded by an orthopedic appliance, used to make place for the premaxilla. The main goals are: to normalize the incisors level in relation with the one of the decidual canines and molars; to obtain a synostosis of premaxilla and lateral parts of the cleft maxilla osteous ridges; to close the residual vestibular and palatal hiatus. The good results observed in twenty cases have made easier the complementary orthodontic or surgical treatments.

Child, Preschool↗

Ca2+ uptake and energy supply of sheep heart mitochondria in presence of some calcium antagonists.

The action of the calcium antagonists nifedipine, bepridil, diltiazem and of an alpha adrenergic antagonist, prazosin, was studied on Ca2+ uptake and energy supply (i.e. oxidative phosphorylation) of sheep heart mitochondria. In order to appreciate an inhibition, uncoupler like, of the Ca2+ influx, a comparative study was made with DNP. The Ca2+ uptake was inhibited, at the concentrations tested, (less than or equal to 10(-3) M), only by bepridil, nifedipine and DNP: a 2.5.10(-4) M concentration of these drugs brought an inhibition of 95%, 65% and 100% respectively. The inhibition was accompanied by a decrease of the ADP:O ratio and the RCI except with nifedipine. It is suggested that bepridil could act more as an inhibitor-uncoupler and nifedipine as an inhibitor of the Ca2+ uptake uniporter; both leading to a decrease of the mitochondrial participation in the regulation of the cellular homeostasis. This phenomenon could contribute to the known clinical properties of bepridil and nifedipine.

Animals↗

[A case of barium-peritoneum with neurological involvement. Importance of barium determination in biological fluids].

Barium in the peritoneum following a barium enema led to a severe and irreversible chronic barium poisoning, although from the abdominal and gastro-intestinal point of view, there were virtually no sequelae. Barium assay on the cerebro-spinal fluid of this patient revealed excessively high levels, which provides the laboratory evidence of the direct action of barium on the central nervous system. Barium assays on biological fluids after barium-peritoneum could be used to assess the degree of barium poisoning and may have prognostic value.

Aged↗

[Modifications in blood zinc and lead concentrations and ALA-dehydratase activity in optic neuropathy from alcohol and tobacco abuse].

Plasma red blood cell and total blood zinc levels were significantly decreased in 52 consecutives cases of bilateral, retrobulbar, axial optic neuropathy caused by chronic abuse of ordinary wine and/or beer and/or hard beverages and cigarette smoking principally in men in their forties [plasma zinc: 746 mg/l +/- 179 (n = 52), control 907 mg/l +/- 127; red blood cell zinc: 10,218 mg/l +/- 1,327 (n = 10), control 12,244 mg/l +/- 1,307; total blood zinc: 4,849 mg/l +/- 1,069 (n = 51), control 5,831 mg/l +/- 644]. In contrast, blood lead levels were increased in these cases - blood lead: 344 mg/l +/- 101 (n = 30), control 193 mg/l +/- 94. Activity of red blood cell delta-amino-levulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-dehydratase), a zinc dependent enzyme, was decreased [red blood cell ALA-dehydratase; 18,8 IU/l +/- 2,2 (n = 13), control 44,8 IU/l +/- 3,3]. Plasma magnesium was slightly decreased while serum copper was not significantly modified. Possible ophthalmological implication of these findings are discussed.

Alcoholism↗

[Therapeutic affect of zinc sulfate on central scotoma due to optic neuropathy of alcohol and tobacco abuse].

The oral administration of 400 mg/day for one month of zinc sulphate, when compared with placebo, provoked normal plasma zinc level in treated patients, principally men in their forties, with bilateral, retrobulbar, axial, optic neuropathy related to excessive smoking and consumption of ordinary wine and/or beer and/or spirits. Treatment significantly improved visual capacity (measured with Friedmann analyser) of the central scotoma area (5 degrees).

Alcoholism↗

[Etiological treatment of anterior vertical excess of the lower portion of the face].

Antero-vertical excess of the lower third of the face is associated with dysfunction of the base of the tongue and widening of the goniac angle. This dysfunction forms part of a complex dynamic clinical picture: antero-vertical excess can complicate: -retrognathism -acceptable bone relations as shown by cephalometric measurements after correction of the goniac angle; -a true mandibular prognathism. Contrary to its reputation, we believe sagittal osteotomy of the rami to be the method of choice, because it permits: 1) correction of the goniac angle, 2) completion by an advancement or by a backing of the dental portion of the mandible. This technique is said to have a high relapse rate, no doubt due to disregard for the indispensable rehabilitation of lingual dynamics in the post-operative phase. With a follow-up of between one year and 6 years, we have seen no cases of relapse by following these rules: 1) Routine tongue modelling starting 6 months before the orthopaedic operation. 2) Kinesiorthophony to raise the usual positions of the base of the tongue.

Adolescent↗

[Tissue binding of orally administered bismuth in the rat. Effect of the digestive microbial flora].

Strains of E. coli and Str. faecalis, which do not darken in the presence of Bismuth in vitro, and which had been previously isolated from faeces of patients having presented bismuthic myoclonic encephalopathy, were implanted in the digestive tract of axenic rats. Then these monoxenic rats were treated orally for 15 days with bismuth subnitrate (0,24 millimoles = 50 mg/animal/day) and sacrificed on day 16. At this time, levels of bismuth in blood, brain, kidney and femur from these rats did not significantly differ from those obtained from axenic rats or monoxenic rats implanted with the homologous bacterial strains which darken in the presence of bismuth. Conversely, under the same conditions, levels of bismuth in kidney, muscle and femur were significantly lower in holoxenic rats than in axenic rats. Levels of bismuth in kidney and femur were also significantly lower in holoxenic rats than in monoxenic rats implanted with one of the four bacterial strains mentioned above.

Administration, Oral↗

Enhanced bismuth digestive absorption in rats by some sulfhydryl compounds: nmr study of complexes formed.

In a preliminary paper [Thérapie 34, 397 (1979), we showed that cysteine enhances bismuth digestive absorption in rats. In this paper, we have studied in rats the effects of various thiol compounds (mercaptopropionic acid, penicillamine, cysteine, homocysteine, 2-mercaptoethylamine, mercaptoethane) and nonthiol compounds (methionine, serine, alanine) orally administered on the absorption and elimination of bismuth also given orally. Bismuth was measured in blood and urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry. All of the thiol substances, and particularly cysteine, homocysteine, and mercaptopropionic acid, have considerably enhanced bismuth absorption and elimination; whereas, nonthiol substances have had no effect. Moreover, the acute toxicity of bismuth was enhanced when bismuth was given as a complex with cysteine (LD50 = 156 +/- 20 mg/kg). Studies by nmr spectroscopy of interactions between bismuth and these organic compounds have shown that bismuth induces an important chemical shift of the protons of the alpha carbon of the sulfhydrile group. Mainly, studies of C and N have confirmed this fact. The selectivity of such a complexation, in our pH conditions, may be tentatively explained on the ground of hard and soft acid and base (HSAB) theory. We have suggested that an increase in the concentration of thiol compounds in the gastrointestinal tract arising from food, or more probably from microorganism synthesis, could be an explanation for human encephalopathies.

Amino Acids↗

Identification and quantitation of neutral and basic drugs in blood by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

There is an increasing need for the quantitation of drugs that act on the central nervous system in blood of patients suspected of poisoning. A simple method for quantitative determination of neutral and basic drugs is described. The method involves a basic extraction without derivatization. The plasma extracts are injected on a Hewlett-Packard chromatograph using two nitrogen-specific detectors. In most cases, the comparison of relative retention times on the two columns is sufficient for identification of the ingested drugs. But when the method falls, the use of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer equipped with a chemical ionization source is necessary.

Antidepressive Agents↗

Osteoarticular complications in bismuth encephalopathy.

The authors have observed 59 cases of bismuth encephalopathy between 1972 and 1979. Eight female patients in this group showed osteoarticular lesions confined exclusively to the thoracic vertebrae and the humerus. These lesions included six cases with fractures of the surgical neck of the humerus, bilateral in two patients, three cases with spine fracture, and osteonecrosis of the humeral head in five cases. These lesions were seen predominantly in the severe and chronic myoclonic and convulsive forms of the disease. Intraspongy microfractures due to the intense and repeated myoclonia could explain osteonecrosis. It has been suggested that bismuth facilitates the modification of the bony tissue; however, the evidence remains inconclusive as there are few anomalies of phosphocalcic metabolism.

Adult↗