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R K Sharma

Publications and source records attributed to R K Sharma.

611 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Value of histopathology, culture and guinea pig inoculation in osteoarticular tuberculosis.

Evaluation of histopathology, culture and guinea pig inoculation in 58 patients provisionally diagnosed as having osteoarticular tuberculosis in the Department of Orthopedics, P.B.M. Hospital, Bikaner is presented. The following conclusions were reached. Where facilities exist, all the investigations should be carried out in each case to obviate chances of missing the diagnosis and if possible all the pathological material available should be used. Otherwise histopathology plus guinea pig inoculation or histopathology plus culture should be mandatory. Clinical examination, radiological evidence and gross appearances of the lesion can only serve as an aid to preliminary diagnosis and/or prognosis.

Adolescent↗
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Long term follow-up of percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty with special reference to aorto-arteritis.

Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) was attempted in 96 patients of renovascular hypertension (RVHT) admitted during the period 1986 to 1992. The patients' age ranged from 14-70 (mean: 38.7 +/- 18.8) years. There were 42 (43.8%) males and 54 (56.2%) females. The cause of renal artery stenosis (RAS) was aorto-arteritis in 44 (45.8%), atherosclerosis in 28 (29.2%) and fibromuscular dysplasia in 24 (25%). Bilateral RAS was found in 16 (16.7%). PTRA was angiographically successful in 92 (95.8%) patients. The mean pressure gradient decreased from 82.6 +/- 8.2 to 11.2 +/- 3.6 mm Hg in aorto-arteritis, 75.2 +/- 13.2 to 9.6 +/- 6.4 mm Hg in atherosclerosis and from 86.4 +/- 10.6 to 13.2 +/- 8.2 mm Hg in fibromuscular dysplasia respectively. The patients were followed up for 43.2 +/- 24.1 (range: 6-77) months. Remission or satisfactory lowering of blood pressure was achieved in 80 (86.9%) patients. Clinical success rate (remission or satisfactory lowering of BP) at the end of follow-up period was 75.3 percent. Randomly selected repeat angiography was done in 45 out of 92 (49.1%) patients at the end of 24 months of follow-up. Restenosis was detected in 12 (26.7%) patients and was commonest in the atherosclerotic group (42.8%), followed by fibromuscular dysplasia (14.3%) and least common in aorto-arteritis (11.8%). Repeat angioplasty was done successfully in 10 (83.3%) patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
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Spermatozoal abnormalities and male infertility in the rat following sulfasalazine treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the (reversible) antifertility effect in the male rat of sulfasalazine, a common therapy for inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: Sulfasalazine (120, 250 and 500 mg/kg) was administered for 60 days by oral gavage to sexually mature male rats. RESULTS: Both motility of sperm and fertility of animals was significantly altered at the highest dose (500 mg/kg). Morphological abnormalities included alteration in the normal profile of the spermatozoa and presence of lesions on the sperm head. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that sulfasalazine brings about its antifertility effects by altering sperm motility and number of spermatozoa in addition to increased surface abnormalities, which render the spermatozoa infertile.

Administration, Oral↗
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Wegener's vasculitis: diagnostic and therapeutic problems.

A case of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) presenting with pulmonary manifestation which were initially suspected to be due to tuberculosis is being reported. Renal involvement appeared later. He developed complications of antitubercular treatment and of immunosuppression. The difficulties in distinguishing pulmonary manifestation of WG from tuberculosis and other diagnostic and therapeutic problems are discussed.

Antitubercular Agents↗
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Outcome of patients with pre-existing hepatitis B virus infection following renal transplant.

Twenty four patients who were HBsAg positive prior to renal transplantation were studied with respect to their hepatic and renal outcome. The kidneys in all patients were obtained from living related donors. The standard immunosuppressive therapy consisted of azathioprine and prednisolone. Post-renal transplant follow-up varied from 32-86 months (mean 55 +/- 9). Renal functions, liver functions, HBsAg and HBsAb status was closely monitored during follow-up. One patient developed acute hepatitis four months after transplantation; this resolved in 10 weeks. Four patients showed transient elevations of liver enzymes. The results of liver biopsy in 16 cases revealed, normal histology (8), virus in hepatocytes (5), and acute hepatitis (3). None of the patients had evidence of chronic liver disease. Two patients died due to chronic rejection/chronic renal failure and two patients died due to septicaemia. Five living patients have mild to moderate chronic rejection. It was concluded that pre-existing HBsAg carrier state in transplant patients had no deteriorating effect on the liver. The mortality was related to chronic rejection and septicaemia.

Adult↗
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Studies on microbial aerobic flora of skin in leprosy patients.

This study reports the isolation and identification of aerobic organisms from biopsies/slit-skin smears/scrapings from 129 leprosy patients and 50 healthy controls. These include 56 paucibacillary (PB) and 73 multibacillary (MB) cases. Thirty-six isolates from the specimens from 21 patients and 15 healthy controls were grown. The non-mycobacterial isolates from clinically PB leprosy (TT/BT/I) patients were: (1) Gram-positive cocci: Staphylococcus aureus(1), Staphylococcus albus(1); (b) Gram-positive bacilli: Bacillus subtilis(1), Corynebacterium xerosis(1); (c) Gram-negative bacilli: Escherichia coli(1), Proteus mirabilis(2), Klebsiella pneumoniae(1) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(1). The isolates from clinically MB leprosy (BB/BL/LL) patients were: (a) Gram-positive cocci: Micrococci(1), Staphylococcus aureus(1) and Staphylococcus albus(1); (b) Gram-positive bacilli: Corynebacterium xerosis(1); Corynebacterium hofmanni(1) and Bacillus cereus(1). (c) Gram-negative bacilli: Escherichia coli(2), Klebsiella pneumoniae(1) and Proteus mirabilis(2). The specimens from healthy controls yielded similar organisms. These were (a) Gram-positive cocci: Staphylococcus albus(2), Staphylococcus aureus(2) and Micrococci(2); (b) Gram-positive bacilli: Corynebacterium xerosis(1), Bacillus subtilis(2), Corynebacterium hofmanni(1) and Bacillus cereus(1); (c) Gram-negative bacilli: Escherichia coli(3), Proteus vulgaris(1) and Proteus mirabilis(1). While these results show no significant differences in the species types of non-mycobacterial aerobic organisms isolated from healthy skin and PB/MB types of leprosy, these isolates need to be characterized by immunological/molecular methods to find out subtypes if any.

Bacteria, Aerobic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Isolation and characterization of cultivable mycobacteria from leprosy skin.

Attempts were made to isolate cultivable mycobacteria from 129 biopsies/slit-skin scrapings from the skin of leprosy patients (73 multibacillary-BB/BL/LL and 56 paucibacillary-TT/BT/I) as well as 50 healthy controls. Among the 19 isolates obtained, 17 were from specimens from leprosy cases whereas two were from healthy controls. 14 of the 17 isolates were from multibacillary cases and three were from paucibacillary patients. The mycobacteria isolated were: M.scrofulaceum (4 = all LL cases); M.avium (3 = 2 from LL cases and 1 from healthy control); M.avium-intracellulare complex (1 LL); M.gordonae (2 = 1 from BT and BB each); M.flavescens (1 BL); M.smegmatis (2 = both LL); M.phlei (4 = 1 LL, 1 BL, 1 BT and 1 healthy control); M.fortuitum (1 BL); and M.chelonei (1 BT relapse). The results of this study suggest a preferential colonization of skin of lepromatous leprosy cases by M.scrofulaceum and M.avium. As such isolates have been reported by the investigators from other parts of the world, independent confirmation of such trends in Indian patients is significant and casual relationship (if any) between such colonization and development of lepromatous disease merits further investigation.

Biopsy↗
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Effect on human gamma interferon on mice testis: a quantitative analysis of the spermatogenic cells.

Effect of Human Gamma Interferon (Hu-IFN-gamma) on the testicular histology was studied in mice. Male mice were administered Hu-IFN-gamma intratesticularly at the doses of 2, 10 and 20 micrograms/testis in a volume of 1.0 microliter isotonic normal saline. Contralateral testis served as control and was administered same amount of vehicle. All the animals were sacrificed 7 days after drug administration. Body weight and the weights of testis and epididymis were not affected by IFN treatment nor was there any effect of the drug on the motility of the vas deferens spermatozoa. Low dose of IFN (3 mukg) did not have significant effect on the histoarchitecture of the testes and various spermatogenic elements, a progressive damage was however observed with the increasing doses of IFN. Pronounced deleterious effect of IFN on the testis leading to desquamation of the germinal epithelium, reduction in the germinal cell height and tubular diameter was observed with 20 micrograms dose. Quantitative studies on seminiferous epithelium showed a significant decrease in the number of Sertoli cells, stage-7 spermatids and stage-16 spermatozoa. The ratios of resting type spermatocyte: type A spermatogonia and stage-7 spermatids: pachytene spermatocyte was also reduced. The ratios of pachytene spermatocyte: resting spermatocyte and stage-16 spermatozoa: stage-7 spermatids were however not affected by IFN treatment. In another experiment IFN was administered (2 micrograms/day) subcutaneously to male mice for 30 days. No effect of drug treatment on body weight, organ weight, sperm motility and histology (including morphometry) of the testis was observed. Our data suggest that IFN action at testis may be associated with the antiproliferative effect of interferon.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Membrane guanylate cyclase signal transduction system.

The suspect role of the receptor-mediated cyclic GMP signaling pathway was dispelled by the discovery of a membrane guanylate cyclase that was also an atrial natriuretic factor receptor. It is now established that the membrane guanylate cyclase transduction system is linked to the signaling of natriuretic factors, guanylin/enterotoxin, and emerging evidence suggests that a new neural tissue-specific subfamily of membrane guanylate cyclases exists whose mechanism of signal transduction is different from those of the other membrane cyclases. This review will briefly discuss the fascinating, albeit turbulent, history of this signal transduction field, which will be followed by its current status and finally the direction it is heading.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Study of oxygen saturation, breathing pattern and arrhythmias in patients of interstitial lung disease during sleep.

Twenty patients of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and same number of healthy adults were selected to monitor arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO2) breathing pattern and arrhythmias during sleep. The maximum fall in SaO2 during sleep was 13.1% (10-16%) in ILD patients as compared to 4.8% (3-6%) in controls and the difference was significant (p < 0.005). The ILD patients spent 16.9% of mean total sleep time (TST) below 85% SaO2 and 0.7% of mean TST below 80% SaO2 whereas none of the healthy subjects had SaO2 below 90% during sleep. These patients had more disturbed sleep than controls. Abnormally high breathing frequency demonstrated by ILD patients while awake, was not altered during sleep. Both tidal volume (VT) and minute ventilation (Vmin) decreased by 6.6% and 11.5%, respectively in ILD patients during sleep though it was not significant (p > 0.25) statistically. The respiratory drive was declined during sleep in ILD patients. The percent of tidal volume contributed by rib cage (% RC) lessened during sleep in all the subjects. The ratio of the total excursion of the rib cage and abdomen during inspiration without considering the direction of movement, divided by tidal volume (TCD/VT) revealed asynchronous breathing in ILD patients during sleep. Arrhythmias were found in 6 (30%) of ILD patients and 4 (20%) of control subjects. Observed apnea-hypopnea did not qualify for sleep apnea syndrome in any case.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of single- and two-layer Percoll separation for selection of motile spermatozoa.

OBJECTIVE: Sperm recovery using a single-layer Percoll procedure is significantly better than using the swim-up technique for infertile men and patients with normal sperm characteristics; however, in normal men results have been contradictory. Some studies have shown further improvement in semen quality with multiple layers. Therefore, this study compared the effect of single-layer and two-layer Percoll procedures on sperm characteristics of normozoospermic men. METHODS: Semen specimens from 10 normal donors were processed by layering 1 mL of the liquefied ejaculate on a single layer of 80% Percoll or on a two-layer (47% and 90%) Percoll gradient. Computer-assisted semen analysis was done to examine total motile sperm, percentage of recovery of motile cells, percent motility, curvilinear velocity, linearity, and amplitude of lateral head displacement. Each specimen was evaluated by the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test, bovine cervical mucus penetration test, viability (eosin-nigrosin stain), and sperm morphology (World Health Organization and Kruger's strict criteria). RESULTS: Specimens processed with the two-layer Percoll procedure had significantly better recovery of spermatozoa, and significantly better percentage motility, linearity, amplitude of lateral head displacement, percentage tail swelling, and percentage viability than those separated on single-layer Percoll. Results for sperm morphology using WHO and Kruger's criteria were similar between the two methods (P = 0.92 for both sets of criteria). CONCLUSIONS: In normozoospermic men, the two-layer Percoll separation procedure significantly improves semen characteristics compared with separation on a single layer.

Animals↗
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Acquired hemolytic anemia after minor ABO incompatible renal transplantation.

Passenger lymphocytes in grafted kidney have been reported to result in autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) in minor ABO incompatible transplants. We followed up 15 cases of minor ABO incompatible transplants for one year. Two patients developed severe but self-limited auto-immune hemolytic anemia within two weeks of renal transplantation. Both were blood group A and had received a kidney from a group O donor. Preoperative cross-match and antibody screen was negative; however subsequent to the hemolytic episode, group-specific blood was incompatible and patients were transfused with group O, cross-match compatible blood. Serological tests showed positive direct anti-globulin test (DAT) and anti-A was eluted from both cases.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mouse trophoblastic cell lines: II--Relationship between invasive potential and proteases.

The specialized interaction between embryonic and maternal tissue is unique to mammalian development. This interaction begins with the invasion of the uterus by the first differentiated embryonic cells, the trophoblasts, and culminates in formation of the placenta. Because of their highly specialized behavior invasive cells must attach to the extracellular matrix proteins, secrete proteinases, capable of degrading matrix, and migrate through the degraded matrix; invasion is partially dependent on the proteinase activity of the cells. The objective, therefore, was to study a vitro system to examine the mechanism(s) of trophoblast cell invasion and its relationship to proteinases. Since little is known about the actual mechanism(s) involved. The mouse trophoblast cell lines established from placentas of different gestational ages were chosen to study their invasive properties in vitro. To begin to understand the biochemical basis of this behavior, the chromogenic assay and the substrate gel technique was used to analyze the cell associated and secreted plasminogen activators. All lines secrete and synthesize both urokinase-type (uPA) and tissue-type (tPA) plasminogen activators. The most invasive line SM9-2, derived from mid-gestation (day 9) placenta showed the highest enzymatic activity in the conditioned medium (CM), whereas in cell extract (CE) SM-10 line derived from late gestation placenta had the highest PAs activity. Four forms of secreted PAs in CM were of 79, 72, 43 and 35 kDa molecular weights, whereas in CE only 79 kDa molecular weight form of PA was detected using substrate SDS-PAGE gels. Additional observations from cells cultured on Marrigel Invasion Chambers also showed secretion of PAs by noninvading and invading cells in a biphasic pattern suggest the involvement of these enzymes in the extracellular proteolysis. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase gelatinase B (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) were examined by RT-PCR in all the lines, however MMP-9 and TIMP-1 signals were strongly expressed in SM9-2 and SM-10 lines respectively. CM and CE were characterized by gelatin zymography, and the proteinases secreted by these cells in CM were confirmed to be metalloproteinases with approximate molecular masses between 52 to 92 kDa. Proteinases secreted by noninvading and invading cells cultured on Matrigel Invasion Chambers were not identical suggesting that specialized, temporally regulated metallopro-teinases are involved in trophoblast invasion. Trophoblast cell invasion in Matrigel Invasion Chambers was significantly inhibited in all the lines by using 1, 10-phenanthroline, an inhibitor of metalloproteinases. The results indicated that mouse trophoblast cells have matrix--degrading capabilities through metalloproteinase activity. Similar metalloproteinase activity has been reported to be necessary for human trophoblast invasion, suggesting a similar mechanism of implantation. Trophoblast culture system described here should be useful in studying some of the early events in human placentation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between creatine kinase activity and semen characteristics in subfertile men.

OBJECTIVE: Creatine kinase is an indicator of sperm maturity. We studied whether sperm creatine kinase levels differ between normal healthy donors and subfertile patients and determined the correlation between sperm creatine kinase level and semen quality in subfertile men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Semen samples were obtained from 76 subfertile and 15 healthy normal donors after 48 to 72 hours of sexual abstinence. Sperm characteristics were assessed with a computer-assisted semen analyzer. Morphology was evaluated by Kruger's strict criteria and World Health Organization methods. The thiobarbituric acid assay was used to measure lipid peroxidation; sperm creatine kinase activity was measured using a commercial kit after detergent extraction (Triton X-100). RESULTS: Creatine kinase levels were significantly higher (P < .001) in subfertile men (median = 0.197 U/10(8) sperm) compared with donors (median = 0.061 U/10(8) sperm). In subfertile men, creatine kinase levels correlated significantly with lipid peroxidation levels (r = .49; P = 0.03) and sperm concentration (r = -.70; P < .001), and with normal sperm forms by Kruger's (r = -.30; P = 0.01) and WHO methods (r = -.32; P < .005). Creatine kinase levels and spermatozoal characteristics did not correlate significantly in donors. Compared with subfertile normospermic men, creatine kinase activity was significantly higher in oligospermic and asthenospermic men (P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: The inverse relationship between creatine kinase level and sperm concentration and morphological forms suggests that creatine kinase levels can be a reliable marker for semen quality in subfertile men. An elevated creatine kinase level and its correlation with lipid peroxidation levels may reflect biochemically immature spermatozoa.

Creatine Kinase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mouse trophoblastic cell lines: I--Relationship between invasive potential and TGF-beta 1.

In the present study five mouse trophoblastic cell lines were used, SM9-1, SM9-2 and SM10 from outbred (Swiss) mice, and HLA-B1 and HLA-B3 from inbred transgenic (HLA-B27) mice placentas generated in the laboratory of Dr. Joan S Hunt (K U Medical Center, Kansas City, KS). All of the cell lines demonstrated a basic set of characteristics that are strongly associated with and probably exclusive to trophoblast cells. Successful propagation of normal trophoblast cell lines with distinct phenotypes cultured in vitro provides an excellent model for the study of mechanisms regulating trophoblast invasion very similar to invasion by tumor cells. Application of these cells to in vitro invasion assay has uncovered some of the molecular mechanisms responsible for trophoblast invasiveness and its control. Using the in vitro invasion assay SM9-2 and SM-10 were identified as the most invasive and least invasive cell lines, respectively. By using RT-PCR we have shown that all lines express TNF-alpha mRNA and this level is high in HLA-B derived cell lines. Other experiments has revealed that only Swiss mice derived cell lines (SM9-1, SM9-2 and SM-10) express the TGF-beta 1 mRNA and among these lines SM9-2 has the highest level. In TGF-beta 1 activity assay, secreted conditioned medium of these cell lines further showed that SM9-2 line has the highest inhibitory activity on Mv-1-Lu cell line. Exogenous TGF-beta 1 down-regulates invasion as well as mRNA level in SM9-2 trophoblasts. However, neutralizing TGF-beta 1 antibody in this cell line up-regulates invasion minimally. Late gestational trophoblast cells show a major reduction of invasive ability which is an autocrine type negative regulation of trophoblast invasion, and is possibly mediated by TGF-beta 1 production by the trophoblasts. Thus trophoblast TGF-beta 1 could be implicated in the invasion of these cells and this invasive phenotype is retained with complete fidelity during their further propagation in culture.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
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Effect of in vitro incubation on spontaneous acrosome reaction in fresh and cryopreserved human spermatozoa.

OBJECTIVES: Capacitation and acrosome reaction are prerequisites for fertilization. However, in vitro capacitation is not necessary for an agonist-induced acrosome reaction. We studied whether in vitro capacitation is important in spontaneous acrosome reaction and analyzed how capacitation before cryopreservation influences the acrosomal status of thawed spermatozoa. METHODS: Semen specimens from normal donors (n = 15) were processed by the swim-up technique and divided into two aliquots. One aliquot was capacitated (capacitation induced) for three hours by incubation in a modified-BWW medium with 3% HSA at 37 degrees C under 5% carbon dioxide. The other aliquot did not receive any treatment. Both aliquots were analyzed by CASA to assess the capacitation status of the spermatozoa and then cryopreserved. Spontaneous acrosome reaction was assessed by FITC-PNA lectin before and after cryopreservation. Sperm viability was measured using Hoechst-33258 stain. RESULTS: Before freezing, the frequency of spontaneous acrosome reaction was higher in the capacitation-induced sperm preparation (median, 20.5% [interquartile range, 17.2-37.8]) than in swim-up-induced specimens (median, 10.6% [range, 4.8-23.2]; P <.001). The percentage of viable cells showing acrosome reaction increased after cryopreservation in both swim-up-induced specimens (median, 241.4% [interquartile range, 37.1-678.6]; P <.001) and capacitation-induced specimens (median, 48.2% [range, 6.1-63.3]; P = 0.002). Although this increase was higher in the swim-up-induced specimens (P = 0.002), frequency of postthaw spontaneous acrosome reaction was similar in both groups (P = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that sperm capacitation significantly optimizes the acrosome reaction. However, a small proportion of normal spermatozoa do not require capacitation to undergo spontaneous acrosome reaction in vitro. After cryopreservation, the percentage of spermatozoa that had intact acrosomes was similar in both groups, despite the fact that one aliquot underwent prefreeze capacitation. These findings suggest that the acrosome reaction may involve complex mechanism(s) rather than a physiological change induced by capacitation.

Acrosome Reaction↗