Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P Schmid.
The rate of sensitization to isothiazolinones (Kathon CG) detected in Switzerland rose from 3.5% (out of 2,491 patients) in 1987 to 6.3% (out of 982 patients) in 1988 and 5.6% (out of 2,295 patients) in 1989-90. This rate of sensitization appears to be related to the more and more widespread use of isothiazolinone biocide in cosmetics, domestic products and in industry.
In order to determine the efficacy of Anticholest, an apple-pectin-guar soft-drink in reducing elevated cholesterol (c) levels, 33 participants (aged from 8 to 73 years) were divided into three groups of comparable age, body-mass index, total c, LDL-c, HDL-c, and triglycerides. They received this combined fiber product either (group 1) at dosages of 1 cup (17 g) every second day, or (group 2) of 1 cup a day or (group 3) of 2 cups a day. Anticholest significantly reduced total c, LDL-c and the total c/HDL-c ratio. In group 3 HDL-c was increased significantly (p less than 0.01). The average percentage decrease in total c was 10.0% for group 1, 10.7% for group 2, and 15.7% for group 3. LDL-c was lowered 14.4% in group 1, 13.8% in group 2 and 19.1% in group 3. The highest individual reduction amounted to more than 30% for total-c and LDL-c. A significant decrease was also detected in the triglycerides (tg) in group 3 (p less than 0.05). 7 patients were non-responders. Anticholest appears to be an appropriate treatment for patients at risk of coronary heart disease with insufficient or inadequate response to dietary measures, but where long-term pharmacotherapy is not yet indicated. The lack of side effects and its form of administration as a viscous drink are important determinants for long-term compliance, which is essential in the management of a chronic progressive disease such as atherosclerosis.
CASE REPORT: After uneventful induction of general anesthesia, severe hypotension and cardiac arrest developed in a 39-year-old, non-atopic man following infusion of 20% mannitol 80 min after the beginning of anesthesia. It caused a systolic blood pressure of 40 mmHg during a period of 10 min and tachycardia followed by ventricular fibrillation. Immediate resuscitation measures, i.e., external cardiac compression, rapid infusion of 3,000 ml crystalloid and 1,000 ml colloid, central-venous application of suprarenin (2.4 mg total), lidocaine (100 mg), sodium bicarbonate (100 mmol), and two defibrillations, could alleviate the life-threatening reaction. The patient recovered a few hours later without any further sequelae. ALLERGOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS: Allergologic studies with all drugs involved revealed a positive and specific reaction in an intradermal skin test to 1:100 diluted mannitol, as did in-vitro leucocyte histamine release to 20% and 2% mannitol. For all the other drugs, skin tests and leucocyte histamine release were negative or unspecific. Available RAST determinations to thiopental and suxamethonium were also negative. The total IgE level was normal. CONCLUSIONS: Reflecting the hypotension induced by histamine, the hematocrit rose from 0.4 to 0.5 even though the patient received a large amount of fluid before and during resuscitation. This can be explained by marked sequestration of plasma in the interstitial compartment, leading to hypovolemia. The clinical course and test results suggest that mannitol was the agent responsible for the anaphylactoid reaction.
In patients with an internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion the CO2 reactivity (autoregulatory reserve) is supposed to give information about the function of the collateral supply. To prove this hypothesis we compared the CO2 reactivity measured by transcranial Doppler sonography to the ipsilateral clinical symptoms and the patterns of infarction in cranial computed tomography (CCT). We studied 251 cases of ICA occlusion. Of the 141 cases with normal autoregulatory reserve, 37 (27%) had recently developed an ipsilateral neurological deficit. Of the 44 cases with exhausted CO2 reactivity, 28 (64%) had experienced an event. The difference is highly significant (p less than 0.0001). In 59 of the 75 patients for whom CCT images were available, we found signs of vascular-ischemic lesions. Of the 30 patients with hemodynamic infarctions, 13 showed an exhausted autoregulatory reserve, while of 19 cases with territorial infarctions only 1 and of 10 with lacunar infarctions none had an exhausted CO2 reactivity. The difference is significant (p less than 0.01).
We have studied the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1, -beta 2, and -beta 3 in the non-lactating and lactating bovine mammary gland by in situ hybridization. All three isoforms were expressed in the lobuloalveolar framework of the non-lactating and lactating gland although marked differences were apparent in their spatial distribution. TGF-beta 1 was expressed predominantly by the epithelial cells of the lobules although expression was also observed in the intralobular stroma cells lining the epithelium. In contrast, TGF-beta 2 expression was only observed in the epithelial cells. TGF-beta 3 transcripts were expressed at the highest levels and were observed in almost all cells of the lobule. No TGF-beta signals were found in the interlobular regions of the mammary gland. The possible regulatory functions of these molecules in development of the mammary gland and on differentiation processes in the neonate are discussed.
The distribution of c-myc and N-myc transcripts during mouse organogenesis was investigated by in situ hybridization and compared to proliferation in several tissues. Only c-myc expression was found during the formation of cartilage, brown adipose tissue, glandula submandibularis, thymus and liver. There was a temporally and spatially ordered expression of N-myc only during the organogenesis of brain, retina and eye lens. In some organs (e.g., in lung and tooth bud), c-myc and N-myc were expressed in a striking complementary pattern that reflected the ontogenic origins of different tissue components. Transcripts of both genes were found in the early gut epithelium, but as formation of villi began, the spatial expression pattern of N-myc and c-myc diverged. The results suggest a link between the proliferative state of cell types and the differential expression of N-myc vs. c-myc. Specifically, c-myc is only expressed in rapidly proliferating tissues, while N-myc expression often persists through cytodifferentiation, e.g., during development of eye lens, retina, telencephalon and gut epithelium. Thus, in spite of the structural similarities of N-myc and c-myc genes and proteins their developmental expression patterns suggest different functional roles.
Understanding thermal energy distribution is essential to interpret skin temperature for diagnosing various pathological and experimental conditions. The present paper investigates temperature data measurements acquired with an infrared thermometer system and in vivo temperature measurements on the backs of New Zealand rabbits. Local differences in skin temperature are significant around bony structures and in visceral areas. The results suggest that the location of experimental sites must be considered when interpreting data which use local temperature as an indicator of microvascular phenomena on the skin surface. Our techniques have proven valuable for quantifying thermal effects on small fields or skin lesions of experimental animals, and can be used noninvasively to measure the onset and transient vascular effects caused by noxious insults including laser radiation.
We have examined by Northern analysis and in situ hybridisation the expression of TGF beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3 during mouse embryogenesis. TGF beta 1 is expressed predominantly in the mesodermal components of the embryo e.g. the hematopoietic cells of both fetal liver and the hemopoietic islands of the yolk sac, the mesenchymal tissues of several internal organs and in ossifying bone tissues. The strongest TGF beta 2 signals were found in early facial mesenchyme and in some endodermal and ectodermal epithelial cell layers e.g., lung and cochlea epithelia. TGF beta 3 was strongest in prevertebral tissue, in some mesothelia and in lung epithelia. All three isoforms were expressed in bone tissues but showed distinct patterns of expression both spatially and temporally. In the root sheath of the whisker follicle, TGF beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3 were expressed simultaneously. We discuss the implication of these results in regard to known regulatory elements of the TGF beta genes and their receptors.
By in situ hybridisation we have examined the expression of p53 during mouse embryogenesis from day 8.5 to day 18.5 post coitum (p.c.). High levels of p53 mRNA were detected in all cells of the day 8.5 p.c. and 10.5 p.c. mouse embryo. However, at later stages of development, expression became more pronounced during differentiation of specific tissues e.g. of the brain, liver, lung, thymus, intestine, salivary gland and kidney. In cells undergoing terminal differentiation, the level of p53 mRNA declined strongly. In the brain, hybridisation signals were also observed in postmitotic but not yet terminally differentiated cells. Therefore, gene expression of p53 does not appear to be linked with cellular proliferation in this organ. A proposed role for p53 in cellular differentiation is discussed.
The application of beta-blocking agents in endurance sports leads to deterioration of physical capacity because of negative influence of hemodynamics and metabolism. In sports with modest dynamic but high psychological strain it leads to an increase of physical capacity and decrease of stress caused by competition. The present paper summarizes changes in ski jumping, flying, motor car racing, parachute jumping, bob running and shooting. Significant decreases of heart rate, modest decreases in blood pressure as well as a reduction of occasionally appearing extrasystoles are found. Levels of glucose and lactate as well as cholesterol and triglycerides remain unchanged during beta-blockade, as do free fatty acids and free glycerol with placebo under beta-adrenolyse. Whereas ski and parachute jumpers display psychologic stress, bob runners and sport shooters were positively influenced. As a possible reason for an increased physical capacity after sympathicolysis, changes of cardiovascular parameters as well as central influences are conceivable. The application of beta-blocking agents should be regarded as "doping" because of the increases of physical capacity and should be avoided in healthy sportsmen.
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The level of mRNAs for the c-myc protooncogene and the serum proteins alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin in liver, visceral yolk sac and gut between day 9 and day 19 of mouse gestation was studied by in situ hybridization employing single-stranded RNA probes. In the prehepatocyte population, c-myc was coexpressed with albumin and AFP. No heterogeneity was noted within this cell population with respect to the expression of these mRNAs up to day 15. AFP expression was high in the liver primordium and rose further until day 15. Albumin mRNA was expressed weakly but distinctly in the hepatic bud and increased throughout fetal life. C-myc expression in prehepatocytes exhibited a maximum around day 13 and a dramatic decline after day 15, but was much lower in other cell types of the fetal liver. In the visceral yolk sac, AFP was strongly expressed, with albumin expression first becoming detectable at day 13, while c-myc mRNA was detected up to day 9. In the endodermal gut epithelium, c-myc expression was high, albumin mRNA was not detected and AFP message was restricted to individual loops of the gut. These results suggest that a period of high c-myc expression in the developing liver may allow rapid expansion of the prehepatocyte population at a specific stage of differentiation.
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A simplified method of in situ hybridization is described for the detection of HIV targets. This standardized method can be applied to sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, cell blocks, and smears of cultured cells using 3H- or 35S-labeled DNA and 35S-labeled RNA probes. In order to use elevated stringencies in the hybridization and wash steps, tissue sections and cells are covalently bonded to silanated glass slides without their subsequent loss from the slides. Routine hematoxylin and eosin or Romanovsky's stains enable the identification of the cells detected by in situ hybridization. HIV-infected neuroblastoma and lymphoid cell lines, lymph nodes, bone marrow, kidney, as well as brain tissue from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex are used to demonstrate the generality of the procedure. The standardized method described widens the ease and applicability of in situ hybridization in the investigation of pathologic tissues with the use of diverse specimens and probes.
The status of hepatitis B virus DNA was investigated by in situ hybridization in multifocal areas of a noncancerous hepatitis B virus-associated cirrhosis. This liver exhibited a marked degree of dysplasia and adenomatous hyperplasia. The results of these studies were correlated with the histopathology and immunohistochemical stains for hepatitis B core and surface antigens. There was clear evidence of a marked reduction to absence of hepatitis B viral DNA by in situ hybridization and absence of HBc and HBsAg in the foci of liver cell dysplasia and adenomatous hyperplasia. These results support the hypothesis that liver cell dysplasia and adenomatous hyperplasia are preneoplastic in nature.
Percutaneous sclerotherapy of varicocele is performed at the Kantonsspital of St. Gallen since 1983 as an alternative to the conventional operation. The main indication to treat varicocele was an associated fertility disorder. Success rate was around 60%. Adverse reactions of the treatment occurred in only 6.5%. The procedure can be done on an outpatient basis, is well tolerated by patients, economic and is associated with only minimal complications.
Since 1982 we have performed surgery in 2 cases of obstruction ileus caused by fungi. Both patients had stenosis of the gut, due to adhesions and Crohn's disease respectively. Unless carefully chewed, mushrooms keep their shape and almost their size in the bowel, and can thus become jammed in a stenosis and cause ileus. High risk patients should be advised to avoid eating mushrooms or else to chew them very carefully.
The c-myc protooncogene in mouse embryos was shown by RNA in situ hybridization to be preferentially expressed in tissues of endodermal and mesodermal origin. Most organs developing from the ectoderm, such as skin, brain, and spinal cord, displayed low levels of c-myc RNA. The thymus represented the only hematopoietic organ with high c-myc expression. In organs and structures strongly hybridizing to c-myc probes, for example the fetal part of the placenta, gut, liver, kidney, pancreas, submandibular glands, enamel organs of the molars, and skeletal cartilage, the level of expression depended on the stage of development. Expression was observed to be correlated with proliferation, particularly during expansion and folding of partially differentiated epithelial cells.