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Biomedical subjects

R C King

Publications and source records attributed to R C King.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Management of an oroantral fistula in a patient with Wilson's disease: case report and review of the literature.

After removal of an impacted maxillary third molar, an oroantral fistula developed in a patient with Wilson's disease. Management consisted of antibiotics, decongestants, irrigation, and surgical closure. Complications of treatment did not directly involve the disease but, rather, were related to the therapeutic agent penicillamine. Penicillamine causes interference between the cross links of tropocollagen molecules and cleaves newly formed molecules. Reduction in dosage is recommended when surgery is planned to increase collagen formation and, thus, healing. Such a measure was undertaken in this case. The patient healed uneventfully. A review of Wilson's disease and a case report are presented.

Adult↗

General medicine in the 'eighties.

The general physician with or without an interest is directly responsible for the initial and continuing care in most acute medicine. Specialty interests cover the whole range of medicine but in most instances are subordinate to the claims of general medicine. Consultants in district general hospitals carry a bigger caseload in acute medicine than their colleagues in teaching hospitals, and this has implications for undergraduate and postgraduate training. The management of patients in intensive care units remains very much the task of the general physician. The general physician will continue to be an essential member of the hospital service in the foreseeable future.

Emergencies↗

Complementation between alleles at the ovarian tumor locus of Drosophila melanogaster.

The (ovarian tumor) otu gene resides at 23.2 on the genetic map of the X chromosome and near 7F1 on the cytological map. This germ line-expressed locus behaves as if it encodes a gene product which is required during certain steps in the transformation of oogonia into functional oocytes. On the basis of their ovarian morphologies 17 ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-induced mutants have been distributed among three developmental classes as follows: quiescent (eight), oncogenic (four), and differentiated (five). The otu13 and otu14 alleles interact to yield fertile females, and many other heteroallelic combinations show partial complementation. Since many mutant alleles interact beneficially, the functional product of the otu gene may be a multimer. We conclude, from an analysis of heteroallelic interactions and dosage effects, that the abnormal phenotypes observed are graded consequences of reduced levels of functional gene product and that the minimum concentration required for development increases as oogenesis proceeds.

Alleles↗

Release of immunoreactive met-enkephalin by intraventricular beta-endorphin in anesthetized rats.

The release of immunoreactive met-enkephalin and leu-enkephalin from the spinal cord by intraventricular injection of different doses of beta-endorphin was studied using the intrathecal perfusion technique. The intraventricular beta-endorphin elicited the release of immunoreactive met-enkephalin from the spinal cord in a dose dependent manner. Immunoreactive leu-enkephalin in the spinal perfusate was not increased after intraventricular beta-endorphin injection. Both immunoreactive met-enkephalin and leu-enkephalin in the spinal cord were not changed by low doses (2-6 micrograms) of beta-endorphin but were increased markedly by 60-70% after high doses of beta-endorphin (32-64 micrograms). It is likely that the biosynthesis of enkephalins was also increased after intraventricular beta-endorphin injection. Intraventricular naloxone, 30 micrograms did not induce any release of immunoreactive met-enkephalin from the spinal cord and did not block the release of immunoreactive met-enkephalin induced by intraventricular beta-endorphin, 15 micrograms.

Animals↗

Cytophotometric evidence for the transformation of oocytes into nurse cells in Drosophila melanogaster.

A small proportion of ovarian chambers from females homozygous for the otu7 (for ovarian tumor) mutation contain an "oocyte" that in its nuclear morphology resembles a nurse cell. Such transformed oocytes also appear in colchicine-poisoned wild type ovaries. Cytophotometric estimates demonstrate that these oocytes have undergone 3-4 additional DNA replications, but that they lag behind the adjacent nurse cells by an average of 1.3 replication cycles. It follows that, under certain circumstances, the definitive oocyte can switch to the nurse cell developmental pathway and therefore that a mechanism normally exists for preventing the further replication of its DNA. In the case of otu7, oocytes sometimes restart their endocyclic DNA replications and produce paired, polytene, homologous chromosomes.

Animals↗

Cytophotometric studies on cells from the ovaries of otu mutants of Drosophila melanogaster.

Amounts of chromosomal DNA were estimated for Feulgen-stained, ovarian cells from flies carrying certain mutant alleles of the otu (ovarian tumor) gene. Epithelial sheath cells and lumen cells were found to contain the diploid (2C) amount of DNA and therefore served as internal, cytophotometric standards. Mitotically active follicle cells over young tumors from homozygous otu1 females contained either the 2C or 4C amounts of DNA; whereas, the tumor cell population contained 2C, 4C and 8C nuclei and many intermediate values. Egg chambers also occur in homozygous otu7 females. Follicle cells above these oocytes undergo a maximum of four cycles of endomitotic DNA replication. The accompanying nurse cells (PNC) contain polytene chromosomes. These undergo a maximum of 12 endonuclear replication cycles. The PNCs show the expected levels of DNA for the first 6 cycles and the fraction failing to replicate during subsequent cycles may be as small as 10%. Lower than expected levels of DNA were detected in PNCs from an otu1/otu3 ovary, reflecting roughly 20% underreplication. The latter PNCs may have been interrupted before DNA synthesis was concluded. No simple model of genomic underreplication accounts for the several different patterns of DNA behavior observed for various otu mutants.

Animals↗

An ultrastructural study of ovarian development in the otu7 mutant of Drosophila melanogaster.

Females homozygous for the otu7 allele produce ovarian tumours, as well as egg chambers that reach a relatively late stage of development. Mutant ovarian nurse cells contain giant polytene chromosomes. These are transcriptionally active, and RNA is transported to the oocyte through ring canals, although at reduced rate. Vitellogenic oocytes are endocytotically active. Protein (alpha yolk) spheres are formed, but glycogen (beta yolk) spheres were never seen in the ooplasm. Follicle cells migrate normally and secrete more vitelline membrane and chorion than is required to cover the slowly growing oocyte. Specialized follicle cells also secrete relatively normal dorsal appendages. The micropylar cone is secreted by another cluster of specialized follicle cells called border cells. These are out of phase with the oocyte, and the forming micropylar cone prevents the nurse cells from passing the remainder of their cytoplasm to the oocyte. The result is a morphologically abnormal chamber blocked at the p-12 stage. Sections through the micropylar cone of a p-12 chamber demonstrated that one of the border cells formed a projection containing a bundle of microtubules. Secretions of the border cells were deposited against this tube, which later degenerates or is withdrawn. Normally this results in a canal, the micropyle, through which the sperm enters the egg. The slowed growth of the mutant oocyte presumably results from a defect in the transport of fluids or charged molecules to it, and the otu+ gene is therefore believed to play a vital role in this process.

Alleles↗