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Biomedical subjects

R C Collins

Publications and source records attributed to R C Collins.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Kainic acid-induced limbic seizures: electrophysiologic studies.

Surface and depth electroencephalograms (EEGs) were studied after intravenous injections of kainic acid (KA). High frequency oscillations and spikes appeared in the hippocampus at a dose (1 mg per kilogram) that did not affect other structures. Higher doses (greater than or equal to 4 mg per kilogram) led to electrical seizures in limbic structures, similar to those in temporal lobe epilepsy. In hippocampal slices maintained in vitro, 0.1 to 1.0 microM KA produced spontaneous epileptiform spikes, originating in CA3, and increased evoked potentials. Systemic KA is a potent means of inducing limbic seizures with a primary action in the hippocampus. We propose that this selective activation arises when KA augments excitatory glutamatergic synapses in critical epileptogenic areas, such as the CA3 region of the hippocampus.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Seasonal trends and diurnal patterns of man-biting activity of four species of Guatemalan black flies (Simuliidae).

Collections and dissections of black flies from human subjects were carried out over a 13-month period at two onchocerciasis-endemic sites in Guatemala. Simulium ochraceum comprised 87% of all flies collected. Populations of this species peaked during the first part of the dry season in November, while populations of S. metallicum, S. callidum and S. downsi were highest during the rainy season from June-October. Diurnal patterns of host-seeking activity were most pronounced for S. ochraceum, with a sharp peak occurring between 0700 and 0900 hours each day. Parous ratio was lowest at this time (27%), and rose to a peak of 63% between 1200 and 1400 hours each day. Eighty-eight percent of all parous S. ochraceum collected during 1200-1400 hours had large dilatations in the tunica of the ovarioles resulting from recent oviposition, thus indicating that this species oviposits in the morning and immediately seeks the subsequent blood meal. Parous biting density (the product of the total number of flies biting at a given time and the corresponding parous ratio) showed two distinct diurnal peaks, one in the early morning characterized by low parous ratio and high total number of flies, and the other in the early afternoon characterized by high parous ratio and low total number of flies. Moreover, the diurnal pattern of biting density of filaria-infected S. ochraceum was similar to that of parous biting density.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Metabolic effects of unilateral lesion of the substantia nigra.

Regional brain glucose utilization following unilateral lesion of the substantia nigra in rat was studied by [14C]-2-deoxyglucose autoradiography. Substantia nigra lesions were performed by perinigral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) . HBr, 6 microgram, in rats pretreated 30 min earlier with desmethylimipramine (DMI), 25 mg/kg, subcutaneously. The lesion produced extensive destruction of the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars compacta and a greater than 99% reduction in dopamine concentration in the ipsilateral striatum. Pretreatment with DMI prevented any reduction in the concentration of norepinephrine in ipsilateral forebrain structures. Glucose utilization was increased in the ipsilateral globus pallidus at 11, 21, 53, and 104 days after substantia nigra lesion with the largest increase (about 140% of control) occurring at 21 days post-lesion. In addition, glucose utilization in ipsilateral lateral habenular nucleus was increased at each of the above time points. No changes in glucose utilization were noted in frontal cortex, striatum, subthalamic nucleus, entopeduncularis, or ventral tier nuclei of the thalamus. These results suggest that lesion of the substantia nigra with depletion of striatal dopamine content results in disinhibition of some striatal, and perhaps olfactory cortical, efferents producing increased metabolism and glucose utilization in terminal fields within the globus pallidus and lateral habenular nucleus.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Regional brain glucose utilization following intrastriatal injections of kainic acid.

Regional brain glucose utilization following intrastriatal injections of kainic acid (KA) was studied by [14C]deoxyglucose autoradiography. In halothane anesthetized rats intrastriatal injections of 0.5-1.9 nmol KA produced histological lesions characterized by neuronal necrosis and glial reaction which varied in volume from approximately 3 to 25 cu. mm. These lesions were restricted to the striatal injection site. Intrastriatal injections of 3.8 nmol led to large lesions in striatum but also in ipsilateral hippocampus, pyriform cortex, entorhinal cortex, and amygdaloid nuclei. Injection doses of 0.5-3.8 nmol KA produced a large increase in striatal glucose utilization within 1 h; 7 days after injections however, glucose utilization was reduced below control levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition to striatum there were large transient increases in glucose utilization in deep layers of frontal cortex, substantia nigra pars reticulata, ventral tier nuclei of thalamus, and lateral septum. Each of these structures bear close physical or synaptic proximity to the striatal injection site. Also, structures far distant from the striatal injection site exhibited large, transient, dose-dependent increases in glucose utilization; these regions included hippocampus, pyriform cortex, entorhinal cortex, and amygdaloid nuclei. There was a close correlation between the development of areas of neuronal necrosis and a reduction in glucose utilization. These results suggest that intrastriatal injections of KA may cause metabolic and perhaps electrical activation not only of structures near or synaptically connected to the injection site, but also of far distant, but particularly 'sensitive' brain structures probably by diffusion of small amounts of drug. The occurrence of neuronal death in limbic structures after injections of relatively high doses of KA into striatum may result from prolonged firing in those circuits which continues without the prolonged presence of KA.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Anticonvulsant effects of muscimol.

Muscimol is a potent agonist at GABA-inhibitory synapses in mammalian brain. Given systemically at 7 mumol per kilogram, it blocks topical penicillin seizures and delays the onset of generalized metrazol convulsions in rats. It has no effect against generalized seizures caused by picrotoxin or strychnine. Higher doses of muscimol cause bradykinesia, ataxia, catatonic posturing, and slowing of the electroencephalogram. When applied topically to cortex, muscimol blocks focal penicillin, bicuculline, and picrotoxin discharges in a dose-response relationship. It has no effect against topical strychnine. Muscimol offers a potential new approach to the treatment of epilepsy.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Serologic studies on onchocerciasis in Guatemala using fixed-tissue sections of adult Onchocerca volvulus.

Sera from 458 residents of a coffee plantation in an area of Guatemala endemic for onchocerciasis were examined for the presence of antibodies to Onchocerca volvulus using a fluorescent antibody (IFA) test with sections of adult worms as the antigen. Antibody response increased with age of the residents and microfilarial density. A total of 70.0% of the residents were serologically positive and 65.1% were positive for microfilariae. Males had higher microfilarial densities and higher IFA responses. Sixty-three individuals were positive for microfilariae and IFA-negative indicating a lack of sensitivity on the part of the test antigen. Seventy-four individuals were negative for microfilariae and IFA-positive, suggesting the possible usefulness of the test in the determination of present or past infection in the absence of microfilariae.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Parasitological diagnosis of onchocerciasis: comparisons of incubation media and incubation times for skin snips.

Tissue culture fluid NCTC 135 (Hank's base) was compared to water and to saline as incubation media for the detection of microfilariae of Onchocerca volvulus in skin snips. NCTC 135 allowed detection of significantly more positive persons than did water (P less than 0.001) or saline (P less than 0.05) when two snips per person were incubated for periods of 0.5 or 24 hours. In addition, snips containing microfilariae were incubated in NCTC 135 or in saline and the number of emerged microfilariae was determined at various intervals of time up to 24 hours. After incubation, snips were either fixed in 10% formalin, serially sectioned, and the microfilariae counted, or they were digested in collagenase solution to free unemerged microfilaire. Of the total number of microfilariae present in the snips, 43.9% +/- 18.5, 80.2% +/- 22.2, 83.0% +/- 19.5, and 85.3% +/- 18.0 had emerged by 0.5, 4, 8, and 24 hours of incubation, respectively. Of the microfilariae that remained in the skin after incubation, most were located deep in the dermis.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Quantitative aspects of the infection of Simulium ochraceum by Onchocerca volvulus: the relation of skin microfilarial density to vector infection.

In Guatemala, 16 wild Simulium ochraceum were permitted to feed on a 15" x 15" grid on the back of each of 13 persons infected with Onchocerca volvulus. Based on 6 skin biopsies, the mean microfilarial density (mfd) in these study participants ranged from 1.256 mf/mg of skin to 111.824 mf/mg. The files were dissected 6 to 10 hours after feeding and the number of microfilariae in the blood meal and escaping the midgut into the thoracic musculature were counted. A nearly linear relationship was found between the mean skin mfd and the mean microfilarial uptake by S. ochraceum (rs = 0.868). An even stronger relation existed between the mean mfd and the mean number of microfilariae escaping the midgut (rs = 0.915). Because the approximate 1:1 relationship observed between the number of microfilariae escaping the midgut and the subsequent number of infective (L3) larvae has been previously demonstrated, it can be concluded that a similar linear relationship exists between microfilarial skin densities and the number of L3 larvae available for transmission of O. volvulus by the Guatemalan vector.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Functional anatomy of occipital lobe seizures: an experimental study in rats.

Small amounts of penicillin were used to create a seizure focus in the primary visual cortex (area 17), extrastriate cortex (area 18 and 18a), and neighboring somatosensory and temporal areas in rats. Autoradiography with 14C-deoxyglucose was used to map the focus and the local cortical and long subcortical circuits. Mild seizures from area 17 were associated with focal spiking without behavioral manifestations. There was restricted utilization of local U-fiber circuits and ipsilateral subcortical visual system nuclei. Stronger seizures filled up the visual cortex and projected into adjacent neocortex and limbic cortex, the contralateral 17-18a border, and additional subcortical nuclei. Seizures originating in the posterior visual cortex were associated with prolonged afterdischarges and stereotyped behavioral manifestations, with spread into the posterior cingulum, the subicular complex, and the bilateral hippocampus. After analyzing the electrographic discharges, behavior, and seizure pathways in each animal, we conclude that ictal symptoms associated with seizures would not be the expression of the function of a cortical focus, but rather of the dysfunction of excessive discharges through many local and long circuits.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

The gonotrophic cycle in Simulium ochraceum.

Oogenesis in Simulium ochraceum is characterized in terms of distinct stages of follicular development following emergence, sugar feeding, and completion of a blood meal. Changes in the ovary following the first oviposition are also described. This black fly species was found to be anautogenous and exhibited gonotrophic concordance. The formation of follicular dilatations after oviposition followed a distinct pattern with traces of cellular debris evident up to 144 hours. The presence of fructose, as detected by the cold Anthrone test, indicated that both parous and nulliparous flies routinely imbibe nectars as part of their foraging behavior. The availability and frequent use of nectar may contribute significantly to longevity of parous flies, hence increasing their vector potential.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Development of Onchocerca volvulus in Simulium ochraceum and Simulium metallicum.

The development of Onchocerca volvulus was compared in Simulium ochraceum and S. metallicum by maintaining infected flies under uniform conditions. Larval development in S. ochraceum was synchronous and orderly so that nearly all larvae reaching the thoracic muscles from a single blood meal matured to third-stage infective larvae within 192 hours. In contrast, development in S. metallicum was asynchronous, slower, and retarded. In this species many first-larvae were malformed and stunted after the 5th day of development; and microfilariae and first- and second-stage larvae were still present 8--10 days after a single infecting blood meal when third-stage larvae had developed. The development of O. volvulus in S. ochraceum is more compatible with the intense transmission associated with human disease.

Animals↗