Biomedical subjects

P Alm

Publications and source records attributed to P Alm.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

PubMed1984

Adrenergic nerves to the rat parotid gland originating in the contralateral sympathetic chain.

The parotid gland of the rat seems to receive some adrenergic nerves from the sympathetic chain of the opposite side. This is suggested by the following evidence: after unilateral removal of the superior cervical ganglion, parotid tissue from the contralateral gland shows degeneration secretion of amylase in vitro similar to, but much smaller than that known to occur ipsilaterally. When parotid secretion is evoked parasympathetically in the anesthetized rat, superimposed stimulation of the contralateral cervical sympathetic trunk can be shown to increase the secretion of amylase into this parasympathetic saliva; as it does, much more, ipsilaterally. It may also cause an evanescent decrease of the salivary flow, suggesting that not only secretory, but also vasoconstrictor nerves had been activated. After removal of one sympathetic ganglion, some undergenerated adrenergic nerves remain ipsilaterally, as earlier demonstrated; but no such fibers can be detected when the ganglion has been removed on both sides.

Amylases↗

PubMed1984

Halothane dissolved in fat as an intravenous anaesthetic to rats.

The anaesthetic properties of a halothane-in-fat solution given either as a single i.v. dose or as a continuous i.v. infusion were investigated in rats. 0.3 ml of a 5% solution of halothane in fat emulsion was injected i.v. into 15 awake rats. At the end of the 30 s injection, all rats had collapsed from the upright position and showed no response to a firmly applied tail clamp. Breathing usually became shallow and irregular just after injection. Two rats died. In the surviving rats, movement in response to clamping of the tail reappeared after some 30 s (range 15-90 s). The rats regained the upright position after about 100 s, and appeared fully awake about 3 min (range 2-5 min) after injection. Surviving rats behaved normally after the experiment, and gained in weight. They were killed 1-29 days later. The lungs, kidneys, heart, brain and liver had a normal macroscopic and microscopic appearance. In a second set of experiments (n = 9), a 10% solution of halothane was continuously infused i.v. (3.75 microliters min-1). The anaesthetic depth, as well as the mean arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and arterial PCO2 and PO2 were similar to values observed during inhalation of halothane in air at an inspired concentration of 1.1%. By doubling the infusion rate, MAP was reduced by 23%. It was easy to adjust anaethestic depth by changing the infusion rate and recovery was fast.

Anesthesia, Intravenous↗

PubMed1984

Perchloroethylene: effects on body and organ weights and plasma butyrylcholinesterase activity in mice.

The effects of continuous and intermittent inhalation of perchloroethylene (PCE) on plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity, organ weights, liver morphology and motor activity in mice (strain NMRI) were tested. PCE exposure increased plasma BuChE activity in a time- and concentration dependent manner in both sexes. The increase was statistically significant at 37 p.p.m. in animals continuously exposed for 30 days. BuChE increased approximately 1.5 times in females and 2.5 times in males after 120 days exposure to 150 p.p.m. After rehabilitation of animals exposed for 30 days to 150 p.p.m., BuChE levels returned to normal. Liver weight also increased in a time and concentration dependent manner. Both sexes exhibited significant liver enlargement at 9 p.p.m. The increase was about 2.3 in females and 1.9 in males after continuous exposure to 150 p.p.m. for 120 days. After rehabilitation (120 days) of animals exposed to 150 p.p.m. for 30 days, a 10% increase still remained. A decrease in body weight gain was seen in both sexes after exposure to concentrations above 75 p.p.m. Female kidney weight was slightly increased. No clear effect on spleen weight could be detected. When the same time-weighted average concentration was used, intermittent exposure for 30 days had similar effects on liver weight and BuChE activity as continuous exposure, even when exposures lasted for only one hour per day. Liver cell morphology was changed after PCE exposure. The alterations could be observed already at 9 p.p.m. but disappeared after rehabilitation.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Testicular tumour markers in tissue correlated to serum levels and clinical stage.

Clinical investigation of 11 patients with testicular tumour included tests for the marker substances AFP (alpha fetoprotein) and HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in serum and in tumour tissue, using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. In one case of pure seminoma, neither AFP nor HCG was detectable in tissue or in serum. In eight of ten patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumour there was AFP-immunoreactivity in tumour tissue, and seven of them also had elevated serum levels of AFP. Five patients showed HCG-immunoreactivity in tumour tissue and the same number had elevated serum levels of HCG. The findings indicated good correlation between immunoreactivity of tumour tissue, serum level of the tumour markers and clinical stage of the neoplastic disease.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗

PubMed1984

Stage I squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.

Eighty-six patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva stage I were followed for 2 to 20 years after surgical treatment varying from local excision to radical vulvectomy with inguinal lymph node dissection. The results are presented and the prognosis discussed in relation to the radicality of the surgical intervention, the degree of tumour differentiation, the morphologic properties of tumour cell population, and the tumour host relationship. The most important prognostic factor seemed to be the radicality of the surgical intervention. To reduce patient morbidity in radical surgery while still achieving a comparable survival rate an operative approach with less than radical vulvectomy, inguinal dissections or pelvic lymphadenectomy, or both, is proposed for selected patients.

Actuarial Analysis↗

PubMed1983

Prognostic factors in early invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix. A clinical, histopathologic, and statistical analysis of 343 cases.

Three hundred forty-three cases of early invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix were analyzed. Depth of infiltration and lateral extension of the tumors varied between 0.2 and 9.0 mm and 0.4 and 17.2 mm and were found to be of no prognostic importance. A multivariate statistical analysis revealed several risk factors: an epithelialized portio at diagnosis, suspected or evident tumor invasion in capillary-like spaces, absence of tumor-free margins at conization, and treatment with conization or simple hysterectomy, especially in the presence of the above-mentioned factors. Tumors of a large cell keratinizing type were prognostically favorable. Confluent growth was not associated with increased risk of recurrence or death from recurrence. Cervical biopsies proved to be inadequate as diagnostic material. Recurrences were almost always local and developed late. In absence of risk factors conization is sufficient treatment. In the presence of risk factors treatment should be the same as that performed for frankly invasive Stage IB carcinomas.

Carcinoma↗

PubMed1983

Immunoglobulin-A producing probably primary lymphoma of the breast.

A breast tumour from a 65-year old woman was found to be a primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a very rare primary malignancy in this location. The lymphoma was of a diffuse histiocytic type according to the classification of Rappaport, or polymorphic immunocytoma according to the Kiel classification. Immunohistochemistry, not previously reported for breast lymphomas, revealed the production of IgA. In the serum this appeared as an IgA M-component which was greatly reduced after tumour removal. Immunological properties of primary breast lymphomas are reviewed, we suggest further extended studies with the immunohistochemical use of marker substances for the evaluation of prognosis.

Aged↗

PubMed1983

Laser miniconization in mild and moderate dysplasia of the uterine cervix.

Mass cytologic screening for cervical cancer often reveals only mild dysplasia not indicating conization but necessitating continual checkup. Such routine checkups are often insufficient, beside which the patients find them frustrating. Therefore a new method, called miniconization, for treatment of patients with vaginal smears showing mild or moderate dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia/CIN/I-II), was developed. With the CO2 laser handpiece a 5-mm-thick disc of the cervix, including the whole transformation zone, was removed. This was followed by endocervical curettage. The advantage of the method over cryosurgery, electrocoagulation, and laser vaporization, for example, is that the tissue specimen as a whole disc including the transformation zone can be sectioned and examined histologically. Another advantage is the decreased risk of postoperative bleeding, which enables ambulant care. One hundred and fifty-one patients have hitherto been treated and carcinoma in situ has been found in 15.2% and microinvasive carcinoma in 1.3% of all these patients in whom vaginal smears showed mild or moderate dysplasia (CIN I-II).

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Prognostic factors in malignant epithelial ovarian tumors.

In a study of 494 patients with ovarian carcinoma all known factors that eventually influence prognosis were tested both separately and comparatively in a multivariate statistical analysis, using survival as the dependent variable. It was found that the histologic grade and the size of the residual tumor after surgery are the most important factors influencing survival. The histologic type affected prognosis only in Stage III patients with large residual tumors. The stage of tumor progression had prognostic value, although Stage IIa was found to have the same survival rate as Stage I of this disease. The state of the tumor capsules in Stage I had no prognostic effect. Ascites only affected survival in Stage III patients who had small or no residual tumor after surgery. Age was found to influence survival only in Stage III patients with small residual tumors, or no residual tumor, and in advanced Stage II cases. Continued chemotherapy seems to be of benefit in Stage III patients with small or no residual tumors following surgery.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1983

Age and prognosis in stage Ib squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Two materials consisting of patients with early invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix have been studied in regard to the influence of age and treatment technique on prognosis. In the first material, consisting of 254 Stage Ib patients treated only with radiation therapy, a poorer prognosis was found in the women under 35 years of age. The second material consisted of 274 Stage Ib patients who had been preoperatively irradiated and had undergone radical hysterectomy. The prognosis was (not significantly) better for those patients under 35 years of age in this group. The rate of central recurrence was higher among the younger patients who received only radiation therapy. Analysis of histologic grading and cell type according to J. W. Reagan and S. F. Yao (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 5, 1015-1020 (1979) ) revealed no explanation for the poorer prognosis among younger women treated solely with radiation therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

Trichloroethylene: further studies of the effects on body and organ weights and plasma butyrylcholinesterase activity in mice.

The effects of continuous and intermittent inhalation of trichloroethylene (TCE) were studied in male and female mice. Plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity, body, liver, kidney and spleen weights were measured. The liver was studied histologically and motor activity measured with doppler radar. Continuous TCE-exposure (37-300 p.p.m.) increased plasma BuChE activity in the males in a time and concentration dependent manner. After 30 days at 37 p.p.m. the increase was about 25%. Exposure to 300 p.p.m. for 30 days increased the activity three times. BuChE activity in females was only slightly influenced even at 300 p.p.m. Liver weight was increased in a time and concentration dependent manner in both sexes. In animals continuously exposed for 30 days to 300 p.p.m., liver weight was roughly twice that of the air-exposed controls. Morphological changes were observed in the liver of TCE-exposed animals. Above 150 p.p.m. kidney weight in both sexes was significantly increased. This effect was more pronounced in the males than in the females. Spleen weight was not influenced by the exposure. Body weight increase was slightly lower in exposed animals. Plasma BuChE activity and liver weight returned to normal when exposure was terminated. Intermittent exposure to short pulses of high concentration of TCE had roughly the same effect on BuChE, body and organ weights as continuous exposure to the same time-weighted average. Motor activity was affected by the intermittent exposure schedules. At 900 p.p.m. decrease in activity was observed. At 3600 p.p.m. motor activity was considerably increased.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Cure rates after laser conization for early cervical neoplasia.

Follow-up results by vaginal cytology and colposcopy after laser conization for early cervical neoplasia in 333 patients are reported. 95.7% of all the women were free from disease after 4-24 months. The separate figure for very early invasive carcinoma was 96.4% and for CIN III through CIN I it was 96.6%, 94.9% and 90.6% respectively. The cure rate depended on whether or not the resection margins of the cones were free from epithelial cells with atypia. The highest cure rate, 97.8%, was noted for CIN III with margins free from atypical cells. Out of patients not free from disease, 92.9% were detected at the first follow-up at 4--6 months after conization and represent persistent disease. Laser conization seems to give at least as good cure rates as laser vaporization and has the chief advantage that histopathological evaluation is available both for the whole lesion and the resection of the cones. The procedure can be safely performed on an out-patient basis.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

[Laser miniconization - a new method of treating mild and moderate cervix dysplasia].

The miniconization by carbon dioxid laser is a non-destructive method for treatment of mild and moderate dysplasia of the uterine cervix permitting an adequate histopathological interpretation of the whole transformation zone. The risk of postoperative haemorrhage is minimal which enables ambulant care. 413 patients have hitherto been treated and we have found carcinoma in situ in 16.7%, micro-invasive carcinoma in 1.2% and invasive carcinoma in 0.25%.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1982

Histologic pattern and growth in two human testis cancers before and after transplantation to nude mice.

A yolk sac tumor of the testis and a testicular germ cell tumor with a mixed pattern were serially transplanted to athymic mice. The morphologic pattern in light microscope of each of the transplanted tumours were similar to that of the donor tumor, and both the donor and the transplanted tumors revealed alphafetoprotein reactivity by immunohistochemical staining. The observed growth of the mixed tumor in the donor and in the transplants fitted well with an estimation by the Gompertz equation. The ultrastructure of the transplanted tumors were similar to those previously described for testicular tumors with similar histologic patterns.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Heterotransplantation of two human tumours in athymic mice and asplenic-athymic mice.

The growth in athymic mice (Balb/c nu/nu mice) and athymic-asplenic mice (BALB/c nu/nu Dh/ + "lasat" mice) of two human tumour lines (one nasopharyngeal carcinoma and one testicular germ cell tumour), established in athymic mice, were compared. No significant difference in take rate was observed: 13 of 16 inocula grew in athymic mice and 11 of 12 inocula in lasat mice. Estimated by the square root of the relative tumour size related to time, the tumour growth was slightly, but insignificantly, less in lasat mice than in athymic mice. When the transplants removed from either athymic or lasat were compared by light microscopical examination, each of the two tumours demonstrated a similar appearance. The atypic mice prospered, while the lasat mice failed to thrive in similar laboratory surroundings. Thus this study does not confirm that heterotransplantation of human solid tumours on lasat mice is preferable to transplantation in athymic mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

A histochemical and ultrastructural study of human urethral uroepithelium.

The ultrastructure and histochemistry of the human urethral mucosa was studied. By scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) the cover cell of the urethra was found to be polygonal and with a surface topography characterized by numerous microvilli and micro-ridges. By transmission electronmicroscopy (TEM) the cover cells were shown to be interconnected with tight junctions but to lack the asymmetric luminal membrane and the fusiform vacuoles that characterize urothelium above the bladder neck. Histochemical analyses showed the human urethral cells to harbour large amounts of glycogen, and the glycocalyx facing the urethral lumen displayed high affinity for alcian blue and colloidal iron, indicating the presence of acid mucopolysaccharides. The reactivity with alcian blue appeared at pH 2.5, but was abolished by pre-treatment with sialidase. Studies with TEM or using SEM with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) confirmed the high content of acid mucopolysaccharides in the luminal glycocalyx of the cover cells by demonstrating high binding capacity for ruthenium red. The quantitative binding of ruthenium red was not influenced by pH shifts between 4.5 and 7.5. Utilizing the SEM + EDX technique, small variations in quantity of negative charge (i.e. of bound ruthenium red) were detected within individual cover cells, but considerable variations were found between cells. The significance of these physicochemical properties of the human urethral lining is discussed with special reference to the previously demonstrated liability of this mucosal surface to interact with microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Cell Membrane↗

PubMed1982

Severe bleeding from urinary conduits. A case report.

Repeated, often severe, bleeding occurred from conduits constructed for urinary diversion in a young man. Ileum, sigmoid colon and part of the gastric antrum were successively utilized for diversion of urine. Histologic studies showed inflammatory changes within the conduit loops. The cause of this rare condition is unknown. Various measures to control the bleeding were unsuccessful.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Laser conization versus cold knife conization.

This prospective, randomized study compares, for the first time, measured blood loss at conization and within 24 hours after using either the cold knife technique or the carbon dioxide laser scalpel. One hundred and ten consecutive patients were evaluated. The median blood loss in the laser group of 55 patients was 4.6 milliliters at, and within, 24 hours after operation compared with 30.1 milliliters in the cold knife group of 55 patients. More important, however, is that the corresponding figures for the range of bleeding were 0.4 to 155.4 milliliters and 5.6 to 1,570.9 milliliters, respectively. The incidence rate for bleeding complications requiring surgical intervention was 1.8 per cet for the laser group and 14.6 per cent for the cold knife group. This difference was statistically significant, p less than 0.015--Fischer's exact test. Conization for treatment of premalignant changes of the cervix uteri will probably remain the treatment of choice for some time to come. It is our opinion that, in the future, laser conization will replace cold knife conization.

Carcinoma in Situ↗