Biomedical subjects

R Gorodetsky

Publications and source records attributed to R Gorodetsky.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1985

Direct fluorometric determination of erythrocyte free and zinc protoporphyrins in health and disease.

Precise estimation of erythrocyte non-iron fluorescent protoporphyrins in conditions where small variations in their level are involved is experimentally difficult. We used a highly sensitive fluorometric procedure which provided, in a single direct measurement, the differential estimation of the levels of free (FPP) or zinc (ZPP) protoporphyrins relative to the hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration in diluted blood samples. With use of an internal calibration procedure, the levels of ZPP and FPP in normal healthy donors were found to be 2.7 +/- 0.9 and 0.20 +/- 0.08 micrograms/g Hgb, respectively. In blood samples taken from patients suffering from acute inflammatory processes the mean ZPP level was twofold higher, and the mean FPP was four times higher, than the normal level, suggesting better sensitivity of the FPP measurement for the detection of minor influences on the hemopoietic system. In a variety of non-inflammatory diseases FPP was less but still significantly above normal level. No significant correlation was found between the levels of both protoporphyrins and Hgb concentrations in all the groups of normal donors and patients examined.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Noninvasive analysis of skin iron and zinc levels in beta-thalassemia major and intermedia.

Diagnostic x-ray spectrometry, a method based on x-ray fluorescence analysis, was used for noninvasive determination of iron and zinc in two distinct skin areas, representing predominantly dermal and epidermal tissues, in 56 patients with beta-thalassemia major and intermedia. The mean iron levels in the skin of patients with beta-thalassemia major and intermedia were elevated by greater than 200% and greater than 50%, respectively, compared with control values. The zinc levels of both skin areas examined were within the normal range. The data indicate that the rate and number of blood transfusions, which correlated well with serum ferritin levels (r = 0.8), are not the only factors that determine the amount of iron deposition in the skin (r less than 0.6). Other sources of iron intake contribute to the total iron load in the tissues, particularly in patients who are not given multiple transfusions. The noninvasive quantitation of skin levels may reflect the extent of iron deposition in major parenchymal organs. Repeated DXS examinations of the skin could monitor the clearance of iron from the tissues of patients with iron overload in the course of therapy with chelating agents.

Blood Transfusion↗

PubMed1981

Iron content of skin before and after thalidomide treatment of lepra reaction. A preliminary report.

THe concentration of copper, zinc and iron in the skin of patients suffering from lepra reaction was measured by diagnostic X-ray spectrometry (DXS) at the sites of the lesions before and after treatment with thalidomide. The results were compared with the levels of these elements in the skin of healthy individuals. No significant changes in the copper level of leprous skin were found. The zinc levels showed significant elevations in some lesions with no apparent trend. The iron level in the affected areas had highly elevated values in all cases of lepra reaction. However, in contrast to the fast clinical improvement which followed the treatment with thalidomide, the iron levels did not decrease for prolonged periods.

Adult↗

PubMed1980

Microanalysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of platelets in diseases with elevated muscle calcium.

Electron microscopic X-ray microanalysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were done on platelets from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and idiopathic scoliosis (both these conditions are known to be associated with increased intramyofibre calcium). A significant increase in calcium and phosphorus concentrations was found in the dense granules and whole cells of both conditions. The findings suggest that idiopathic scoliosis like Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a multisystem disease with detectable changes in platelets.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1978

Experimental chalcosis: a comparison between in vivo and in vitro findings.

The ocular changes following the introduction of a copper foreign body in the eye of rabbits were studied by histological, histochemical, and quantitative analysis. The findings are compared with previously reported changes observed in vivo. The efficacy of ophthalmoscopy and electroretinography in the early detection of chalcosis is compared with the efficacy of a new method, diagnostic X-ray spectrometry.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

X-ray fluorescence analysis of muscles in scoliosis.

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was used to determine calcium, copper, and zinc concentrations in paraspinal and gluteal muscles obtained during spinal surgery from patients with scoliosis. Samples of 1-3 mg were sufficient to demonstrate that calcium was higher in idiopathic than in other forms of scoliosis or in normal control muscles. It is suggested that a calcium-related neuromuscular defect could be an important factor in the genesis of idiopathic scoliosis.

Calcium↗

PubMed1977

Noninvasive copper measurement in chalcosis: comparison with electroretinography and ophthalmoscopy.

The developement of chalcosis bulbi in rabbits' eyes is investigated by ophthalmoscopy, electroretinography, and diagnostic x-ray spectrometry (DXS), a new method for in vivo analysis and quantitation of metals. The DXS is shown to provide an effective method for the early detection of intraocular foreign bodies (IOFB) dissolution. The ophthalmoscopic changes observed in chalcosis are discussed in relation to dissolution of IOFB and electroretinographic findings.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Elements in muscle measured in vivo and in vitro with X-ray spectrometry.

Calcium, iron, copper, and zinc concentrations in muscle were measured in vivo by x-ray spectrometry (XRS). The undersurface of the tongue was examined in cardiomyopathic and in normal hamsters. Values were compared to in-vitro analyses of various muscles from the same groups of animals using XRS and chemical analysis. Blood tests as well as histologic and histometric examinations were also performed. The correlated results show that XRS is a relatively sensitive and practical method for measuring chemical elements in muscle, and that it could be developed into a useful clinical test in certain neuromuscular and myocardial diseases. An interesting incidental finding was that, though all the examined muscles of myopathic animals had pathologic changes, only the tongue and myocardium, which are composed exclusively of red fibers, showed excessive calcium accumulation. This suggests either that the basic genetic aberration is not directly related to the oxidative metabolism, or that white muscles have a more efficient system for dealing with calcium overload.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Element analysis of skeletal muscle in Duchenne muscular dystrophy using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

Concentrations of calcium, iron, copper, and zinc were simultaneously measured by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry in muscle biopsies from 11 normal subjects, 13 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and 3 DMD carriers. Calcium and copper levels were significantly elevated in patients with DMD compared to controls, and one presumptive carrier also showed an elevated calcium concentration. Comparisons with morphological data for the same samples showed a significant positive correlation between calcium concentration and the percentage area of type 2 fibers in controls, but no other correlations were found to be significant. These results illustrate the value of x-ray fluorescence spectrometry and provide further evidence for the involvement of calcium in dystrophic processes.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A sensitive noninvasive analysis of Pt in external tissues. Followup of Pt deposition following cisplatin treatment.

Noninvasive analysis of heavy elements in external tissues by diagnostic-x-ray spectrometry (DXS) is presented. Pt can be detected accurately with sensitivity below 1 microgram/g wet weight of tissue. In the present paper the possibility to monitor Pt accumulation and clearance in the external tissues of cancer patients treated with cisplatin [Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)-cDDP] chemotherapy is reported. The DXS method is based on x-ray fluorescence analysis. Heavy elements in the small skin area of interest are analyzed by their excitation with a monochromatic soft x-ray beam of 14.6 KeV. Spectral L lines of heavy metals such as Pt are detected with minimum interference by other elements in the tissues. Skin Pt levels up to about 6 micrograms/g were observed following several courses of cDDP treatment. The Pt seemed to be homogeneously distributed in different skin areas with similar levels in the dermis and epidermis. The rate of clearance of Pt from the skin (50% in about 30 days) was slower by three orders of magnitude than its clearance from plasma. Further studies may use DXS to establish the accurate kinetics of Pt deposition and clearance in tissues of cDDP treated patients, as well as the exact relation between tissue Pt levels and the development of the drug related late complications.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Re-emergence of lead poisoning from contaminated flour in a West Bank Palestinian village.

Although contaminated flour was first described as an important source of endemic lead poisoning in the Middle East almost 20 years ago, the use of lead in community flour mills has not been eliminated and continues to represent a significant environmental risk. The authors describe an outbreak of lead poisoning in a West Bank Palestinian family and draw attention to this unusual but important source of lead exposure. All 13 members of the family (two children and 11 adults), were found to have lead poisoning following hospitalization for "gastroenteritis," headache, joint pain, weight loss, and vision difficulties. Seven females had low hemoglobin levels. Blood lead concentrations ranged from 42 to 84 microg/dL. Household flour samples obtained from a stone mill, previously closed because of lead contamination, contained 2,000 ppm lead. Flour from traditional stone mills reinforced with lead joints remains a potential source for lead poisoning.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sub-additive effect of the combination of radiation and cisplatin in cultured murine and human cell lines.

The use of cisplatin (CDDP) as a potential radiosensitizer in tumors is controversial. Reports about CDDP interaction with radiation range from high radiosensitization to a clear sub-additive effect. We examined the effect of the combination of different concentrations of CDDP with radiation in murine mammary adenocarcinoma (EMT-6) and human ovarian carcinoma (OV-1063) cell lines. CDDP was given in the dose range of 0.01-3.0 micrograms/ml and radiation in the dose range of 1-6 Gy. A methylene blue assay of cell density was used for the evaluation of cell survival and rate of proliferation in 96-microwell plates. The validity of this assay for evaluation of cell survival was verified by colony-forming assay and radiolabeled thymidine uptake. The dose response to CDDP for both OV-1063 and EMT-6 cells lines was examined; the ID50 was 0.06 and 0.9 micrograms/ml respectively. A sub-additive effect of the combination of radiation with CDDP was clearly observed in the two cell lines tested; the increase in dose of each modality resulted in a decrease of the relative contribution on the effect of the other. These findings question the rationale of combining CDDP with radiation for the enhancement of tumor response, since with the increase in the dose of either modality the additional effect of the other decreases.

Adenocarcinoma↗