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Biomedical subjects

R J Miller

Publications and source records attributed to R J Miller.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Evaluation of two concurrent drug-delivery systems in a skilled-nursing facility.

Traditional and modified traditional drug-delivery systems were compared in a 91-bed, two-floor, skilled-nursing facility. Both floors used a traditional system during the first study period. One of the floors then initiated a modified traditional (30-day card) system. Both floors were remeasured two months later for nursing time, pharmacist time, pharmacy-technician time, and error rates. Concordance data were obtained to determine in data-collection methods were reproducible. Savings expected from returnable 30-day cards were extrapolated from wasted medications collected. A significant decrease in nursing administration-time errors was observed on the modified floor, which may have been due to the modified traditional system. Pharmacist and pharmacy technician time were significantly increased by the modified-traditional system. Nursing time was not significantly altered. Potential savings from decreased waste was +677 per year. Nonetheless, the modified traditional system imposed an overall added cost of +942 annually, or approximately +0.24 per prescription. A cost-effective advantage was not demonstrated by the modified traditional system as compared with the traditional system.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1982

Prenatal ontogeny of neurons with enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the rat central nervous system: an immunohistochemical mapping investigation.

Immunohistochemical techniques were used to describe the presence of endogenous levels of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (ELI) in the developing central nervous system of the rat up until birth. The appearance and prenatal ontogeny of nerve cell bodies, nerve fiber pathways and varicose terminal plexuses expressing ELI were thus mapped using the indirect fluorescence immunohistochemical technique and fluorescein- and rhodamine-conjugated second antisera. ELI was first observed in beaded fibers along the midline from ventral pons to cervical spinal cord by prenatal day 15. Fluorescence could not be observed in the brains of 14 day old fetuses, although the adrenal medulla did show ELI at this stage. ELI-positive cell bodies at prenatal day 18 were found in most areas in which they have previously been described in adult rats. Many of the cells observed at prenatal day 18 were, however, not seen in untreated full term fetuses with the techniques used here. ELI-positive fibers and terminal fields begin to approach adult distributions at prenatal day 21--22. Several ELI-positive axon pathways which have not been previously reported from adult or developing brain, such as e.g. pathways in medial neocortex, in fasciculus retroflexus, in tractus mammillothalamicus, between ventral hypothalamus and globus pallidus and between ventromedial pons and the locus coeruleus area, are described. Semischematic maps are presented which outline all ELI-positive material as seen in sagittal projections of the central nervous system of 15 day, 18 day and full term fetuses. Maps of representative transverse sections of the full term brain are also included.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Analysis of version in the acetabular cup.

To determine the amount of anteversion or retroversion of the acetabular component of the implanted total hip prosthesis, two anteroposterior radiographs of the hip are obtained, with the contralateral hip flexed to compensate for the possible existing flexion contracture. The X-ray beam is centered on the implanted total hip in one radiograph, and moved away from it toward the contralateral hip in the second radiograph. If the cup is anteverted, the opening will seem wider in the second radiograph. To calculate the angle, the location of the center of the X-ray beam on the X-ray plate must be know. The center of the X-ray beam can be marked on the radiograph by putting a metalic cross on the patient, over the centering cross of the X-ray light source. If the distance of the signature of the X-ray's center beam is less than 8 mm for the center of the cup on the X-ray film, the cup version can be calculated from the arcsin of the shortest to the largest diameter of the cup. If the central ray's signature is farther away, correction is necessary for this calculation. Also, the variable parameters, e.g., cup size, and magnification rate, should be considered in the calculations. The anteroposterior radiographs of the implanted total hip, obtained with the central beam being marked on the X-ray plate, not only are useful for evaluation of the implant but also can be used to calculate the version angle with an accuracy of +/-2 degrees. The necessary calculation is tabulated for cups with an outside diameter of 44-56 mm.

Acetabulum↗
PubMed1982

Analyses of human tracheobronchial mucus from healthy subjects.

Tracheobronchial mucus was obtained from four healthy subjects by fibreoptic bronchoscopy. The material was fractionated by gel exclusion chromatography on a Sepharose CL2B column. One peak of optical density 280 nm was found in the excluded volume and another in the included volume suggesting that these contained the majority of the aromatic amino acids. Alcian Blue was used to precipitate acidic glycoproteins in each fraction. When the dye had been redissolved two peaks of optical density at 620 nm were detected, in the excluded and included volumes respectively, and these peaks corresponded with the absorbance at 280 nm. The elution profiles were similar to those given by mucins from other systems. Treatment with urea and dithiothreitol caused no change in the elution profile so there is no evidence that disulphide bonds link glycoprotein subunits in airway mucus from healthy subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Immunocytochemical localization of catecholamine synthesizing enzymes and neuropeptides in area postrema and medial nucleus tractus solitarius of rat brain.

The catecholaminergic and peptidergic neurons in the area postrema and adjacent portion of the medial nucleus tractus solitarii (mNTS) were characterized by the immunocytochemical localization of the catecholamine synthesizing enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and two neuropeptides, substance P and (Leu5)-enkephalin. The catecholamine synthesizing enzymes TH and DBH, found jointly only in noradrenergic and adrenergic neurons, were localized in cells having a similar morphology and topographical distribution. These cells were located throughout the rostrocaudal and dorsoventral extent of the area postrema, as well as in neurons within the mNTS. The processes showing TH and DBH immunoreactivity appear to form reciprocal connections between the area postrema and mNTS. Phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, the enzymatic marker found only in adrenergic neurons, was detected immunocytochemically in terminals distributed throughout the area postrema and in neuronal perikarya and varicosities within the adjacent mNTS. Like the catecholamine synthesizing enzymes TH and DBH, enkephalin-like immunoreactivity was localized to perikarya, proximal processes and varicose axon terminals within the area postrema and the adjacent mNTS. However, in contrast to the widespread distribution of the enzymes, the enkephalin-like immunoreactivity was localized predominantly along the dorsal and ventrolateral margins of the area postrema. The distribution of substance P immunoreactivity, which was detected only in varicose processes, paralleled the distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity, being predominantly located along the dorsal and ventrolateral margins of the area postrema. Within the mNTS adjacent to the area postrema, substance P immunoreactivity was localized to neuronal perikarya, proximal processes and varicose axon terminals. Based upon the presence of appropriate biosynthetic enzyme markers and neuropeptide localization, these findings suggest that neurons within the area postrema contain noradrenalin and enkephalin and that the afferent axons contain substance P, adrenalin and, probably, noradrenalin.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Immunohistochemical localization of the catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes, substance P and enkephalin in the human fetal sympathetic ganglion.

The human fetal sympathetic ganglia were studied using the indirect peroxidase-antiperoxidase PAP method for immunocytochemical demonstration of three catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT) as well as the neuropeptides leucine (Leu5)-enkephalin and substance P. The neuroblasts of the ganglia showed intense peroxidase immunoreactivity for TH, moderate reaction to DBH, and no reaction to PNMT. The small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells situated along the blood vessels also showed positive labelling for only two enzymes, TH and BDH. The immunocytochemical localization of these enzymes suggests that both neuroblasts and SIF cells synthesize noradrenalin. Neither the neuroblasts nor SIF cells showed a reaction to substance P, and only the SIF cells contained enkephalin-like immunoreactivity. The role of enkephalin in the noradrenalin-containing SIF cells is unknown, but may be related to neuromodulation of ganglionic transmission.

Catecholamines↗
PubMed1981

Distinct high-affinity binding sites for benzomorphan drugs and enkephalin in a neuroblastoma--brain hybrid cell line.

The high-affinity binding of benzomorphan drugs (ethylketocyclazocine and N-allylnorcyclazocine) and [DAla2,DLeu5] enkephalin was examined in a mouse neuroblastoma--Chinese hamster brain clonal hybrid cell line (NCB-20). Scatchard analysis of saturation binding isotherms indicated the presence of a single binding site for 3H-labeled [DAla2,DLeu5]enkephalin (Kd = 3 nM) and multiple binding sites for [3H]ethylketocyclazocine (Kd = 4 and 20 nM) and N-[3H]allylnorcyclazocine (Kd = 0.5 and 15 nM). Both ethylketocyclazocine and N-allylnorcyclazocine competed (Ki = 10 and 30 nM, respectively) with [3H][DAla2,DLeu5]enkephalin binding in NCB-20 cells but neither [DAla2,DLeu5]enkephalin nor morphine could completely inhibit the specific binding of [3H]ethylketocyclazocine (7 nM) or N-[3H]allylnorcyclazocine (3 nM). Furthermore, not all benzomorphan drugs (e.g., ethylketocyclazocine) were totally efficacious in displacing 3 nM N-[3H]allylnorcyclazocine binding in the presence or absence of high concentrations of [DAla2,DLeu5]enkephalin. The data presented suggest that benzomorphan drugs interact with three distinct high-affinity binding sites: (i) a site that binds enkephalin and morphine in addition to ethylketocyclazocine and N-allylnorcyclazocine; (ii) a site that binds both ethylketocyclazocine and N-allylnorcyclazocine but not enkephalin and morphine; and (iii) a site that binds N-allylnorcyclazocine but not enkephalin, morphine, or ethylketocyclazocine. The first of these sites was comparable to the delta opiate receptor expressed in NG108-15 and N4TG1 cell lines based on the potency series obtained for various opiates and benzomorphan drugs in competition studies with [3H][DAla2,DLeu5]-enkephalin. However, the specific high-affinity benzomorphan binding sites thus far are unique and may represent biochemical correlates of kappa and sigma opiate receptors which have been proposed to exist on the basis of physiological studies.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed1981

Neuropeptide proctolin (H-Arg-Tyr-Leu-Pro-Thr-OH): immunological detection and neuronal localization in insect central nervous system.

Proctolin (H-Arg-Tyr-Leu-Pro-Thr-OH) is a pentapeptide first extracted from cockroaches. It is known to have many neurohormonal effects and has been associated with specific, identified cockroach neurons. We have produced proctolin antisera and report here on their application in detecting proctolin-like immunoreactivity (PLI) in the cockroach central nervous system. Radioimmunoassay, capable of detectable 50 fmol of proctolin, was used to quantify the distribution of PLI. Highest concentrations were detected in the genital ganglia and lowest in the cerebral ganglia. Immunohistochemistry on the cockroach central nervous system demonstrated that PLI is localized to neurons. Neurons stained by using immunohistochemistry were widespread in the ganglia. Cell bodies were found to be in constant positions from animal to animal and to occur in bilaterally symmetrical pairs. These neurons are potentially identifiable.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Light and electron microscopic localization of enkephalin and tyrosine hydroxylase in neostriatum of fetal and adult rat brain.

In fetal rat brain, immunocytochemical localization of tyrosine hydroxylase and methionine (Met5)-enkephalin demonstrates that dopaminergic axons labeled with the biosynthetic enzyme can be detected in th neostriatum prior to the appearance of the peptide in neuronal perikarya. The tyrosine hydroxylase-labeled axon terminals in adult neotriatum may form axodendritio synapses with neurons containing enkephalin. However the majority of the dopaminergic axon terminals lack synaptic specializations in the mature neostriatum.

Aging↗