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Biomedical subjects

R Grimm

Publications and source records attributed to R Grimm.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Nonpharmacological control of hypertension.

Ability to safely withdraw well-controlled mild hypertensives from drugs is being tested in a three-group randomized trial. Group I (intervention) was removed from drugs after the first 2 months of nutrition counseling. Counseling is continuing through the remaining years of the trial to achieve a minimum weight loss of 10 lb if overweight, reduction of sodium intake to less than 1,800 mg, and reduction of alcohol intake to not more than two drinks per day. Group II (the first control group) was also removed from drugs to see if previous long-term blood pressure control had a carryover effect without dietary change. Blood pressure is monitored frequently in both groups, with return to drug treatment in the event of specified blood pressure rise. Group III (the second control group) has remained on drugs for comparison of blood pressure and biochemical variables. In Group I mean 30-month weight loss was 8 lb, with 35% losing 10+ lb; sodium intake was reduced by 38%. Blood pressure control without drugs was maintained for 47% of Group I patients but only 16% of group II patients (P less than 0.05). These findings indicate it may be possible, after establishing good blood pressure control, to maintain control in a sizable proportion without medication, when reduction of weight, sodium, and alcohol intake is achieved.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Trial on control of hypertension by nutritional means: three-year results.

Ability to safely withdraw medication from well-controlled mild hypertensives was tested in a 3-group randomized trial. Group I (Intervention): drugs were stopped 2 months after nutrition counseling began. Counselling continued throughout the remaining years of the trial to achieve: a minimum of 10 lb weight loss if overweight; reduction of sodium intake to 1800 mg/day or less; reduction of alcohol intake to not more than 2 drinks per day. Group II (control group 1): drugs were stopped to see if previous long-term blood pressure control had a carryover effect without diet change. Pressure was monitored frequently in both groups with return to treatment if diastolic blood pressure rose to 90 mmHg or above. Group III (control group 2) remained on drugs for comparison of blood pressure and biochemical variables. In Group I mean weight loss at 3 years was 7 lb (3.18 kg) with 39% losing 10 lb (4.55 kg) or more; sodium intake was reduced by 37%. Blood pressure control without drugs was achieved in 44% of Group I patients. This compares with only 15% in Group II. These findings suggest it may be possible after establishing good blood pressure control, to maintain control in a sizeable proportion with less or no medication, when reduction of weight, sodium, and alcohol is achieved.

Antihypertensive Agents↗

[Anesthesia in neuroradiology].

Cerebral angiographies can be performed under general anaesthesia, analgosedation in the presence of an anaesthesiologist, and under local anaesthesia. The criteria governing the choice of the most appropriate method of anaesthesiology are discussed. In computed tomography of the head, general anaesthesia is indicated only if it proves impossible to achieve satisfactory cooperation with the patient. Discographies , myelographies and the now rare pneumoencephalography are performed almost without exception under local anaesthesia or without anaesthesia. If general anaesthesia is preferred, it will be necessary to take into account the special pathophysiological conditions obtaining in neurosurgical patients (disturbance of cerebral blood flow due to enhanced intracranial pressure or caused by stenosing vascular processes).

Adult↗

Chronic congestive heart failure in coronary artery disease: clinical criteria.

Congestive heart failure is a frequent and important manifestation of cardiovascular disease, but no uniform clinical criteria are available for use in epidemiologic studies. To develop diagnostic criteria, we related pertinent clinical findings to physiologic measures of left ventricular function in patients with coronary artery disease. When left ventricular end diastolic pressure or arteriovenous oxygen difference was used as the physiologic criterion, the following variables contributed significant (P less than 0.01) information: heart volume, ventricular gallop, heart rate, and blood pressure. The most reliable and valid set of descriptors determined in one group was tested in a second group of 1306 patients who had been followed for 6 to 36 months after initial evaluation. The validity of the descriptors was confirmed, and patients identified as having heart failure by these criteria experienced a worse survival rate (P less than 0.001). These criteria characterize patients likely to have impaired left ventricular function and a greater risk of death.

Alabama↗

Blood lipid effects of antihypertensive therapy: a double-blind comparison of the effects of methyldopa and propranolol.

Thirty-two middle-aged men with essential hypertension completed a double-blind randomly allocated comparison of the effects of methyldopa versus propranolol on blood lipid levels. After a four-week period on a placebo for each drug, subjects were titrated for the next six weeks with either methyldopa from 500 to 2000 mg/day or propranolol from 80 to 320 mg/day plus a placebo for the other drug until supine diastolic blood pressure was below 90 mm Hg or the ceiling dose was reached. Subjects were then maintained on the achieved drug dose for an additional six weeks and finally switched back to a placebo for each drug for four more weeks. Blood lipid levels were measured twice during each study period and the values averaged and compared. Neither drug significantly affected levels of total plasma cholesterol. However, both drugs reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels about 10 per cent and increased the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio. In addition, propranolol significantly increased plasma triglyceride levels (28.3 per cent). The changes in lipid levels were not dose related. Whether or not these blood lipid changes persist and their possible clinical implication during prolonged therapy remain to be elucidated.

Aged↗

The anticonvulsive effect of BCH 325 is age dependent.

The two different experimental approaches which were applied to study the anticonvulsive effectiveness of BCH 325, a des-tyrosine derivative of bovine beta-casomorphin-(5), in immature (22-day-old) and mature (7-week-old) female rats revealed that the peptide was able to protect mature females from electrically induced seizures and that it had no effect on pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions. As opposed to this, immature animals were protected against chemically induced seizures but no effect was found using electrically induced seizures.

Age Factors↗

Suppression of c-fos induction in rat brain impairs retention of a brightness discrimination reaction.

Recently, the induction of transcription factor-encoding immediate-early genes such as c-fos was observed in distinct brain regions of rats trained to acquire a footshock-motivated brightness discrimination in a Y-maze. The functional relevance of inducible transcription factors for learning and memory formation is, however, not clear. To address this question in the present study, we have used a synthetic antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide to suppress in vivo the expression of c-fos in rat brain. Intrahippocampal application of the oligodeoxynucleotide 10 hr and 2 hr before starting a brightness discrimination training drastically reduced the induction of c-Fos immunoreactivity normally observed in limbic and cortical areas after the training session. Acquisition of the discrimination reaction was not affected by this treatment. In a relearning test 24 hr after the first training, retention of the discrimination reaction was specifically impaired compared with rats pretreated with control oligodeoxynucleotide or saline. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the inducible transcription factor c-Fos is involved in processes underlying the formation of long-term memory.

Animals↗

Computer analysis of phytochrome sequences from five species: implications for the mechanism of action.

The amino acid sequences of phytochrome from Avena sativa, Oryza sativa, Curcurbita pepo, Pisum sativum and Arabidopsis thaliana have been analyzed with a variety of computer programs, with a view to identifying areas of the protein which contribute to the properties of this photoreceptor. A region at the C-terminus has been shown to be amphiphilic, and by analogy with surface-seeking peptides, may be responsible for interaction of phytochrome with lipid bilayers. Possible targeting sequences in phytochromes have been identified, including a series of four basic residues which correspond to those responsible for transport of nuclear-located proteins. Sites capable of post-translational modification have been found in monocot sequences, but not in dicot sequences. Areas of the phytochrome molecule which are exposed on the surface of the protein, and which are therefore capable of interaction with other cellular macromolecules, have been identified. Analogies with other biliproteins have been used to define minimum chromophore-protein interactions. Possible enzymic activities associated with phytochromes have been discussed with respect to local amino acid sequence similarity with enzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗