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Biomedical subjects

R C Smith

Publications and source records attributed to R C Smith.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Red blood cell and plasma levels of thioridazine and mesoridazine in schizophrenic patients.

Thioridazine and mesoridazine levels and levels of thioridazine plus metabolites were determined in plasma and red blood cells (RBC) by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and spectrofluorometry (SP), respectively, in schizophrenic patients treated with fixed doses of thioridazine. There was wide interpatient variability in RBC:plasma ratios for thioridazine and mesoridazine, a higher ratio of thioridazine to mesoridazine in RBC than plasma, and a higher ratio of GLC total (thioridazine plus mesoridazine), to SP-determined total drug constituents in RBC than in plasma. RBC showed a monotonic increase in drug levels with dose, whereas levels of drug in the plasma began to level off above the 250 mg/day dose. Drug levels 24 h after the acute dose did not predict steady-state blood levels in plasma or RBC.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Prevention by 3-N-ribosyluric acid of the oxidation of bovine hemoglobin by sodium nitrite.

The addition of sodium nitrite to washed bovine erythrocytes incubated in buffered saline resulted in the formation of methemoglobin with a decrease in the concentration of 3-N-ribosyluric acid. The oxyhemoglobin in hemolysates prepared from bovine red cells which contained high concentrations of 3-ribosyluric acid was oxidized to methemoglobin more slowly than oxyhemoglobin from cells with low levels of 3-ribosyluric acid. Oxyhemoglobin from hemolysates that were dialyzed was oxidized more rapidly than oxyhemoglobin which was not dialyzed. 3-Ribosyluric acid, glutathione, uric acid, and ascorbic acid prevented the oxidation of oxyhemoglobin by nitrite. Uric acid protected oxyhemoglobin at the lowest concentration, followed closely by ascorbic acid, 3-ribosyluric acid, and glutathione. Hydrogen peroxide enhanced the oxidation produced by nitrite; this effect was also prevented by the four antioxidants used.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Protein synthesis in dorsal and ventral regions of Xenopus laevis embryos in relation to dorsal and ventral differentiation.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis has been used to analyze protein synthesis in dorsal and ventral regions in embryonic stages of Xenopus laevis. Proteins specific either to dorsal or to ventral regions are synthesized for the first time at gastrulation, concomitant with morphological differentiation. The reliability of these proteins as markers of dorsal and ventral differentiation was tested by examining their synthesis in Uv-irradiated embryos, which have severely reduced capacity for dorsal development, reflected in reduced levels of the neuromuscular-specific enzyme acetylcholinesterase, but which continue to synthesize the great majority of proteins at normal rates. Synthesis of dorsal indicator proteins should be reduced or absent in these embryos, whereas ventral indicators should be synthesized at least to the same extent as in control embryos. Some of the putative dorsal and ventral indicators failed this test, but the majority were confirmed as reliable markers of dorsal and ventral differentiation, thus providing a connection between morphology and gene expression in the establishment of the dorsal-ventral axis in X. laevis.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1984

Nuclear magnetic resonance in schizophrenia: a preliminary study.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) scans were performed in nine patients with schizophrenia and five control subjects. NMR scans allowed multiple-plane views of the brains of schizophrenic patients and demonstrated much greater detail of morphological structure than computed tomographic (CT) scans. This small sample of subjects, however, showed no significant differences in several quantitative measurements between schizophrenic patients and control subjects. Problems in the interpretation of image intensity measures of NMR scans are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

The meaning of dreams: the need for a standardized dream report.

One way to study dream function is to use dream content as an independent variable. Erroneous or inconstant definition of the dream content, however, would undermine its use as a predictor. This study describes a dream interview technique that allows assessment and control of the distorting effect from using, in addition to a single report of manifest content, associative dream content and repetition of the dream report. Dream reports obtained by this technique were rated for the number of references to the following seven variables: death, mutilation, separation, illness, guilt, shame, and falling. The data showed considerable variability in designating the presence or absence of all seven dream content variables, depending on how the dream report itself was defined. It is concluded that to use dream content as an independent variable in the study of dream function, associative content and repetition of the dream report must be systematically controlled.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Plasma and red cell levels of thioridazine and clinical response in schizophrenia.

The relationship of plasma and red blood cell (RBC) levels of thioridazine to clinical response in schizophrenia was evaluated in a fixed-dose study. Steady-state plasma and RBC levels of thioridazine, mesoridazine, and sum of thioridazine and mesoridazine, determined by gas-liquid chromatography, were not significantly correlated with clinical response as measured by improvement on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. RBC thioridazine levels were not substantially more strongly correlated with clinical response than plasma levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Prolactin response to single and multiple doses of haloperidol in schizophrenic patients.

Serum prolactin and blood levels of haloperidol were assessed in schizophrenic patients after single acute oral doses of haloperidol and during fixed dose treatment with this medication. Although significant intrapatient correlations between prolactin responses to different doses of haloperidol were found, no statistically significant interpatient relationship between haloperidol dose and prolactin response emerged. There were statistically significant relationships between steady-state plasma and red cell haloperidol levels (measured by radioreceptor or gas liquid chromatographic techniques) and serum prolactin response, but not between blood levels after the acute haloperidol dose and prolactin response.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Teaching interviewing skills to medical students: the issue of 'countertransference'.

The study reported here revealed a very high incidence of unrecognized feelings toward the patient ("countertransference") and potentially harmful associated behaviors in a group of medical students at the midpoint of their training. Fifteen students were studied individually by the author during a clinical interview each student conducted with a patient. Typically, unrecognized feelings were fear of harming the patient, fear of loss of control, performance anxiety, and fears unique to the individual student (such as fear of cancer in self). One or more of these feelings were present in 14 of the students. Interview behaviors that were potentially deleterious were present in 13 students; avoidance and/or overcontrol of the psychosocial aspects of the interview accounted for 11 of these instances, while two students exhibited behaviors unique to the student. Although these students all had demonstrated adequate interviewing skills previously, the unrecognized feelings were, in each of the 13 instances, related to impaired interview performance. These data suggest the need for interviewing instructors to teach medical students about the concept of counter-transference in addition to interviewing techniques.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

A possible biologic role of dreaming.

This study investigated the possibility that dreams are reactive to biologic function by evaluating them for a relationship to clinical outcome in patients with severe medical disease. Dream material was rated for references to death and separation. The clinical outcome for the 6 months following hospital discharge was scored on a 6-point scale as cured, improved, unchanged, worse without rehospitalization, worse with rehospitalization, and death. These cases were retrospectively evaluated and significant associations of death references (males) and separation references (females) with a poor clinical outcome were found. These data in men were consistent with Kardiner's formulation that severe and uncompensated stress to the ego, biological as well as psychological, is associated with dreams of death and dying. The data from both men and women support the hypothesis that dreams are reactive to biologic function.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Influence of clinostat rotation on fertilized amphibian egg pattern specification.

Pattern specification in fertile Xenopus eggs rotated on horizontal clinostats was monitored with respect to primary embryonic axis formation, subsequent morphogenesis, and compartmentalization of the cytoplasm. At the speeds of 1 to 24 rpm (which are believed to simulate microgravity) a large percentage of eggs developed normal axial structures. Eggs clinostated at 12 rpm showed a randomization of dorsal/ventral polarity. The cytoplasmic compartments showed some clinostat effects but no abnormal mixing, disruption or dislocation of compartments. It is predicted that Xenopus eggs fertilized and allowed to develop in space will retain normal cytoplasmic density compartments, establish primary axes and undergo normal morphogenesis in space. Their dorsal/ventral polarity may not, however be determined by the sperm entrance site (as is the case for 1g eggs).

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Blood levels of haloperidol and thioridazine during maintenance neuroleptic treatment of schizophrenic outpatients.

Plasma and red blood cell levels of haloperidol, thioridazine, and thioridazine's main metabolite mesoridazine were measured in schizophrenic outpatients during treatment with fixed doses of haloperidol or thioridazine for several months. These drug levels were compared to those in schizophrenic inpatients treated with fixed doses of the same neuroleptics. There were large interpatient variations in plasma and red blood cell levels at a given dose for schizophrenic outpatients as well as for inpatients. The intrapatient day-to-day fluctuation was much greater in the outpatients. The mean coefficient of variation of thioridazine or mesoridazine levels was about two-fold higher in schizophrenic outpatients than in inpatients. Differences in blood sampling time or compliance in medication ingestion do not fully explain the issue. The factors accounting for the increased intrapatient variability of plasma levels of thioridazine, mesoridazine, and haloperidol in schizophrenic outpatients remain unclear.

Erythrocytes↗
PubMed1984

Abnormalities of brain structure and density in schizophrenia.

Quantitative and qualitative measures of brain morphology were derived through CT scans using computer-assisted methodology in patients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective psychosis and headache controls. Schizophrenics had significantly higher density of white matter, together with greater right vs. left asymmetry in density of white matter than controls. Schizophrenics tended to have larger widths of cortical sulci than headache patients. In our sample of schizophrenics, however, no significant differences were found on measures of lateral ventricle (LV) width, LV area, VBR, or other measures of ventricular size compared to headache controls. There were no differences between CT scan measures taken in patients with schizophrenia vs. schizo-affective psychosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Rocky Mountain spotted fever in an urban canine population.

A survey for the prevalence of Rocky Mountain spotted fever antibodies in dogs from a well-defined endemic area in Columbus, Ohio (Franklin County), was conducted during the summer of 1981. Seventy-three blood samples from dogs in this area were tested by microimmunofluorescence for antibodies to Rickettsia rickettsii and other rickettsial antigens. Thirty-three (45.2%) of these samples were positive for R rickettsii, with titers ranging from 1:8 to 1:2,048. For comparison, 137 blood samples from dogs at the Franklin County Dog Pound also were tested. One dog (0.7%) from the comparison group was seropositive to R rickettsii, with a 1:64 titer. The results indicated a nidus of this disease within the city of Columbus, Ohio.

Animals↗