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Biomedical subjects

R Becker

Publications and source records attributed to R Becker.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Semisynthetic human insulin: pharmacokinetics and biological potency in healthy subjects in comparison with highly purified porcine insulin.

Pharmacokinetics and the biological activity of a new semisynthetic human insulin (VEB Berlin-Chemie) were investigated in 5 healthy men. Following an overnight fast, 0.2 IU per kg body weight of human and pork insulins (SNC insulin; VEB Berlin-Chemie) were injected subcutaneously into thigh of each individual at a time interval of 8 days. To assess biological potency of both insulins all subjects were twice connected to the BIOSTATOR. A very similar pattern of serum insulin levels (IRI) was observed following subcutaneous injection of human and pork insulin, marked by a sharp initial increase and maximum values reached after 2.5 hours. 8 hours after the insulin administration the original fasting concentrations were nearly attained. According to C-peptide levels, both insulins inhibited endogenous insulin secretion. Evaluation of insulin action was determined by euglycemic clamp technique, provided by the BIOSTATOR, whose function was transformed into a glucose-controlled dextrose infusion system. The amount of glucose delivered by the system in order to keep the blood glucose steady state concentrations at the fasting level was utilized as the measure of biological activity of the injected insulin on glucose metabolism. Maximum values of glucose infusion were achieved between 3 and 4 hr after injection of human and pork insulins. At the end of the study (8 hr) the glucose administration did not return to its initial rate. After administration of both the human and porcine insulins, a marked but similar decrease of FFA concentrations was observed. This indicated a clear-cut inhibition of lipolysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Absorption↗
PubMed1988

Potential pharmacotherapy of Alzheimer disease. A comparison of various forms of physostigmine administration.

This paper reviews clinical trials with physostigmine administered to Alzheimer patients using three different routes of administration: oral, i.v. and intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.). It compares results obtained with three different routes by the authors as well as by other authors. Particular emphasis is given to a novel type of physostigmine administration, the i.c.v. route. Advantages and disadvantages, as well as side effects of each route are presented and discussed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1988

Response time of stroke patients to a visual stimulus.

We used a computer program to test response time among stroke patients in a clinical setting. Visual stimuli were presented to 82 hospitalized stroke patients, to 21 hospitalized controls, and to 76 nonhospitalized controls. Stroke patients had longer mean response times than controls. Patients with right hemispheric lesions had longer response times than those with left hemispheric lesions when the stimuli were presented on the left. The corresponding phenomenon of longer response times in patients with left hemispheric lesions to stimuli presented on the right was not observed. Patients with right hemispheric lesions with visual hemineglect had a longer mean response time than those without visual hemineglect when the stimuli were presented on the left or centrally, whereas the patients with right hemispheric lesions without neglect had a mean response time similar to that of patients with left hemispheric lesions.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1988

MRI demonstrates descending transtentorial herniation.

Descending cerebral transtentorial herniation (DTH) is a serious and often fatal complication of intracranial mass lesions. The condition can be inferred from clinical neurologic signs, but has not been visualized during life. Using midsagittal magnetic resonance images (MRIs), we compared vertical brainstem position on 50 images from normals and 21 images from 15 clinically stable patients with large supratentorial tumors. The length of Twining's line (T), the perpendicular distance from T to the pontomesencephalic junction (T-PMJ), and from T to the apex of the midbrain aqueduct (T-A) were measured. We also measured lateral shifts of the diencephalon and midbrain on axial images. T-PMJ decreased from 2.04 +/- 0.06 mm in normals to 0.94 +/- 0.2 mm in patients with large cerebral tumors (p less than 0.0001). Similarly, T-A decreased from 6.35 +/- 0.13 mm in normals to 4.83 +/- 0.35 mm in patients (p = 0.001). Lateral diencephalic-midbrain shifts often accompanied DTH but to an unpredictable degree. Either lateral or downward brainstem shift could occur alone and did not necessarily produce specific neurologic signs or an altered state of consciousness. Anatomic DTH occurs in life, it can be quantified with MRI, and in slowly developing cerebral mass lesions the process can precede the appearance of neurologic signs and symptoms that indicate lower-diencephalic or midbrain dysfunction.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1988

Nutritional evaluation of grain amaranth for growing chickens.

The nutritional value of raw and autoclaved grain amaranth, its milling fractions (perisperm and bran), fat-free flour, and of popped amaranth was evaluated for growing chickens. The control diet, which was composed primarily of corn and soybean meal, contained 3.06 kcal apparent ME (AME)/g and 23.6% CP. Test diets contained about the same AME and CP levels, and the following levels of the test samples: whole grain amaranth flour, 61.46%; fat-free flour, 62.10%; perisperm, 49.50%; bran, 35.30%; and popped amaranth, 61.10%. Two groups of six unsexed broiler chicks each, 2-day old when received, were used per diet. Chickens fed diets containing autoclaved grain amaranth or its fractions over 17 or 18 days grew as well as those fed the control diet. Feeding of popped amaranth resulted in poorer performance. On a dry matter basis, AME values of raw grain amaranth flour, fat-free flour, perisperm, bran, and popped amaranth were found to be 3.21, 3.09, 3.68, 3.06, and 2.98 kcal/g, respectively. Respective AME values for the first four autoclaved samples were 3.04, 2.94, 3.10, and 3.17 kcal/g. Autoclaved grain amaranth and its perisperm fraction replaced corn in the diets of growing chickens with similar performance results.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1988

[The tongue as a factor in craniofacial growth. 4. Results of animal experiments].

Post-natal craniofacial growth in the miniature pig MIN-LEWE is influenced by the tongue in various ways. Periodic and locally differentiated intensive craniofacial growth explains why the tongue has a measurable effect on jaw growth only at certain times. This is the situation in animals glossectomized at an age of 12 weeks. Shortening of the tongue in miniature pigs aged six weeks resulted in no measurable changes in the jaw after a prolonged post-surgical interval (23 weeks), which indicates that the capacity of the orofacial system during post-natal development is considerable.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[The tongue as a factor in craniofacial growth. 1. Modification of the linear dimensions of the lower jaw].

The influence of the tongue on craniofacial growth was studied in 96 miniature pigs MINI-LEWE. The animals were partially glossectomized at different ages and slaughtered at various post-operative intervals. The skulls were macerated for biometric analysis. Mandibular growth in length was significantly reduced in the animals glossectomized at an age of 12 weeks. Both the overall length and that of the tooth-bearing portion were affected.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[The tongue as a factor in craniofacial growth. 3. The influence of the height and angle of the lower jaw].

In the miniature pig MINI-LEWE partial glossectomy had no significant effects on vertical growth of the lower jaw, growth of the upper jaw or overall skull growth. No relationship was found between age at glossectomy or post-surgical interval and the size of the gonion angle. The tongue, peri-oral muscles and the muscles of the floor of the mouth are in a state of functional equilibrium which changes in the course of development, the influence of either the tongue or the peri-oral muscles increasing as a result. Partial disruption of this state of equilibrium leads to dysgnathia.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[The tongue as a factor in craniofacial growth. 2. The influence of the width dimension of the lower jaw].

The role played by the tongue in orofacial growth is also indicated by the reduced width of the lower jaw. In miniature pigs MINI-LEWE that were partially glossectomized at an age of 12 weeks lateral growth of the whole lower jaw was reduced after eight months. In animals that had been glossectomized at an age of six weeks lateral growth of the lower jaw was reduced in the region of the 1st deciduous molars and the canines right months after glossectomy.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Development and evaluation of a low-cost amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) containing food for preschool children.

A powdered blend for feeding preschool children was prepared from whole amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) seeds, pearled oats, soybeans, sucrose and vegetable oil. The blend was similar in proximal chemical analysis and total caloric content, and identical in calorie distribution and vitamin and mineral patterns to a soy/oats infant formula previously developed. The amaranth blend equalled the FAO/WHO 1973 children's pattern in tryptophan and exceeded this pattern, as well as the soy/oats formula in all other essential amino acids; it reflected higher PER than casein and the soy/oats formula. In feeding trials with children 1-3 years of age, no significant differences in weight gain was observed when either product was fed. The anticipated cost of the amaranth blend is 6% lower than that of the soy/oats formula.

Amaranthus↗
PubMed1987

Hand function in the elderly: relation to osteoarthritis.

Hand function and osteoarthritis (OA) were assessed in 32 subjects, over 60-years-old. The Smith Hand Function Test bore a relation to age, coordination and hand strength but not to the degree of OA. Hand strength also was not related to OA. Subjective hand disability, measured with the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire, correlated with radiographic OA and joint tenderness as well as with sex and hand strength. OA does not contribute significantly to the objective decline in hand function in the elderly but may contribute to a subjective sense of functional limitation.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Nerve growth factor (NGF) sensitizes human medullary thyroid carcinoma (hMTC) cells for cytostatic therapy in vitro.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (hMTC) cells were established from nine patients with MTC disease to initiate a new approach of adjuvant medical therapy in these patients. We measured calcitonin (CT) secretion, DNA synthesis, and cell proliferation in vitro and their response to various substances. Nerve growth factor (NGF) (0.01 to 10 micrograms/ml), glucagon (0.01 to 100 micrograms/ml), and isoproterenol (4 to 500 micrograms/ml) stimulated CT secretion and DNA synthesis in hMTC cells. Other substances, calcium (1.0 to 15 mmol), pentagastrin (1.0 to 50 mumol), dibutyryl-cyclic-adenosine-monophosphate (1.0 to 100 mumol), and phorbol ester TPA (1.0 to 100 nmol), stimulated CT secretion but not DNA synthesis. In addition, NGF enhanced cell proliferation of hMTC cells 2- to 3- fold and caused an increased sensitivity of these cells for chemotherapy in vitro. Thus 0.5 microgram/ml doxorubicin (half-maximal effective dose) induced a cell death rate of up to 32.8%, which was enhanced by preincubation with NGF to 68.1% (1.0 microgram/ml, NGF) and to 100% (10.0 micrograms/ml, NGF), respectively. Pulsative stimulation of APUD cell carcinomas with NGF may therefore improve the response rate of these tumors to chemotherapy, which would be of significant clinical importance for patients with residual postoperative MTC tissue.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1986

Differential changes of nuclear-envelope-associated enzyme activities involved in nucleocytoplasmic mRNA transport in the developing rat brain and liver.

Nucleocytoplasmic transport of rat liver mRNA is thought to be regulated by a nucleoside triphosphatase whose activity in the intact nuclear envelope is stimulated by the 3'poly(A) tail of poly(A)+ mRNA. In contrast to the liver mRNA, the mRNA from rat brain contains a great population of poly(A)- mRNA's that does not appear until after birth. Measurements of the nuclear-envelope-associated enzyme activities involved in mRNA transport, and their dependence on endogenous (isolated cytoplasmic mRNA-transport-stimulating proteins) and exogenous (poly(A), lectins, and neoglycoproteins) factors during prenatal and postnatal rat brain and liver development, revealed marked organ-dependent differences paralleling the appearance of the poly(A)- mRNA unique in the brain.

Animals↗