Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Sharma.
Reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura in a mother and her daughter is reported. Both demonstrated peri-orbital involvement in addition to involvement of acral areas, face and eyelids which has not been recorded before.
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Effect of epidural steroid injection has been studied in 107 cases (50 males and 57 females, mostly above 20 years of age) with non-specific low backache. Out of 42 cases with acute syndrome 20(47.6%) showed good response, 10(23.8%) showed fair response and 12(28.6%) showed poor response, whereas similar responses were found in 5(7.7%), 10(15.4%) and 50(76.9%) cases respectively among 65 cases of chronic syndrome (p less than 0.001). Agewise, 23(32.9%), 9(12.9%) and 38(54.2%) cases among 70 patients below 40 years of age and 2(5.4%), 11(29.8%) and 24 (69.8%) cases among 37 patients above 40 years of age showed good, fair and poor responses to epidural steroid respectively (p less than 0.001). Hence epidural steroid injection has been shown to be a useful adjunct to conservative treatment of low backache in young patients with acute syndrome.
A 19 year old girl had mutilating palmoplantar keratoderma with generalised ichthyosiform dermatosis and linear verrucous plaques in popliteal fossae. Her mother had similar disorder.
The authors describe a new species of the genus Mizelleus Jain, 1957. Its characteristic features include the number of head organs, the presence of pharyngeal glands, the shape of the copulatory complex, the structure of the egg and the shape of the dorsal transverse bar, the ventral hamuli and the ventral transverse bar.
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Two situations that result in the conversion of human mid-cycle cervical mucus from a sperm-receptive to a sperm-hostile form are described here: firstly, the addition of mucospissic agents, and secondly, the presence of antisperm antibodies. Two mucospissic biguanides were studied, chlorhexidine and Vantocil; both were totally spermicidal in the range 1-10 mg ml-1. Treatment of mucus with 1.5 microM to 1.65 mM Vantocil caused a dose-dependent increase in the dynamic storage modulus. The compatibility of the two biguanides with mucus was examined by measuring the rate of entry of diffusion of the [14C]biguanides into mucus. Chlorhexidine entered the mucus up to 0.53 mM, i.e. the highest concentration used, whilst Vantocil only entered at concentrations below 0.53 mM. This limited entry may be caused by the precipitation of mucus at the interface, producing a barrier of reduced permeability. The behaviour of purified mucin on ultracentrifugation was also altered after treatment with chlorhexidine. The s20 (at 2 mg ml-1 purified mucin) increased from 11.2 S to 19.3 S upon addition of 200 microM chlorhexidine. Further indication of structural alteration of biguanide-treated mucin was given by its loss of solubility in 0.22 M-sodium thiocyanate. The application of these biguanides to vaginal contraception is suggested. When antisperm antibodies are present in either the semen or cervical mucus, we suggest that an interaction can occur between galactose residues on the spermatozoa and galactose recognition sites on the antisperm antibody; in addition, binding can also occur between the Fc region of the antibody and cervical mucus. This process could therefore contribute to the binding of spermatozoa to the antibody and the immobilisation of this complex by the cervical mucus that is seen in immunological infertility. It was shown, by Immunobead binding, that immediate exposure of spermatozoa to D-galactose in the presence of chymotrypsin resulted in a considerable decrease or total loss of bound antisperm antibodies in males who had previously had a high titre of antibody. This reduction in the antibody level on the spermatozoa was accompanied by the appearance of the antibody level on the spermatozoa was accompanied by the appearance of the ability of the spermatozoa to penetrate cervical mucus in those couples examined. This pretreatment regimen for the ejaculate is suggested as a form of therapy for infertility related to the presence of antisperm antibodies.
Declining mortality from cerebrovascular disease (stroke) has become a hallmark of cause-specific mortality trends nationwide. Analysis of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the population in Allegheny County, western Pennsylvania, in 1980 was carried out to explore their utility as indicators of stroke mortality. Percent black population (followed by unemployment) was found to be the best predictor of stroke mortality in different county areas (r = 0.6, P = 0.001) compared with other variables including income or education. Possible implications for community intervention or primary care programs are discussed.
Eight structurally diverse hypolipidaemic agents have been examined for their ability to induce the microsomal cytochrome P-452-dependent fatty acid hydroxylase system and the enzymes of peroxisomal beta-oxidation in rat liver. Using a specific ELISA method, we have shown that the cytochrome P-452 isoenzyme is induced up to ten fold by hypolipidaemic challenge, concomitant with a pronounced elevation of the peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes, mirrored by an increase in peroxisomal volume as determined morphometrically. In addition, the induction of cytochrome P-452 is accompanied by a decrease in the activities of cytochromes P-450b and P-450c as measured by benzphetamine N-demethylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities respectively, the latter being more extensively reduced by hypolipidaemic treatment. A hypothesis is presented whereby an early biological response is the hypolipidaemic induction of microsomal cytochrome P-452 resulting in omega-hydroxy fatty acids and their subsequent further oxidation to dicarboxylic acids, the latter providing the proximal stimulus for peroxisomal proliferation.
Male Wistar rats have been pretreated with either clofibrate or diethylhexylphthalate and the dose-dependency of induction of the microsomal, cytochrome P-452-driven fatty acid hydroxylase and peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation system investigated. Both clofibrate and DEHP specifically induced (approximately 10-fold) the 12-hydroxylation of lauric acid in a dose-dependent manner and only marginally increased the associated 11-hydroxylase activity. This dose-dependent increase in fatty acid hydroxylase activity was accompanied by a similar ten-fold increase in the specific content of the cytochrome P-452 isoenzyme responsible for this activity, as assessed by an immunochemical-based ELISA method. Similarly, both clofibrate and DEHP induced the peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that, after oral administration, clofibrate has a higher in vivo potency in inducing the above enzymes of fatty acid metabolism than is exhibited by DEHP. A correlation matrix analysis of the above data indicated a close association between the induction of microsomal cytochrome P-452 (and its associated fatty acid hydroxylase activity) and peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes, implicating a mechanistic inter-relationship between changes in fatty acid metabolising enzymes in these two hepatic subcellular organelles.
1. Specific binding of [3H]dexamethasone to cytosol and the activation of bound hormone-receptor complexes were studied in the kidney of immature (3-week) and mature (26-week) Long-Evans male rats. 2. The concentration of specific binding sites was significantly higher (25%) in the kidney of immature rats as compared with mature, while dissociation constants (Kd) remain unaltered at both ages. 3. Heat activation (25 degrees C for 45 min) significantly enhanced the binding of [3H]dexamethasone-receptor complexes to DNA-cellulose and purified nuclei at both ages to the same extent. Cross-mixing experiments (i.e. binding of activated cytosol from mature rats to nuclei of immature and vice versa) gave similar results to the non-mixed groups. 4. Ca2+ activation (0 degree C for 45 min with 20 mM Ca2+) also enhanced the nuclear and DNA-cellulose binding at both ages but to a greater magnitude in immature rats. 5. Differences in the number of specific binding sites and some of the physicochemical properties of kidney glucocorticoid receptors presented here between immature and mature rats may underlie the functional changes in tissue response with age.
A mathematical model is presented to study the motion of the spermatozoa in the cervical canal by considering the transverse waves along its tail and the transverse and longitudinal motions of the cervical wall. In an attempt to control fertility by reducing the speed of sperm, the transverse waves have been considered in the direction opposite to the motion of the spermatozoa. It has been shown that by having appropriate transverse wave motion and longitudinal velocity, the sperm may not be able to move towards the oviduct even if it could continue to have its own propelling velocity. A particular case of the motion of a thin plane sheet in a channel under peristaltic motion of its walls has also been obtained and studied.
No significant change occurred in the uptake by the thyroid of male Wistar rats of a standard dose of carrier-free 131I administered intraperitoneally and its retention by the thyroid, as measured by biological and effective half-life, after feeding these rats a powdered pelleted diet containing lithium carbonate (1.1 g per kg of diet) for 7 days. However, continuing this diet for 10 days inhibited thyroid uptake and increased the retention of 131I. Uptake remained suppressed for up to 4 months after lithium treatment and continuing this treatment for 6 months did not result in any significant change in 131I uptake by the thyroid. Lithium treatment for 10 days increased the biological and effective half-life of 131I in the thyroid and this increase continued for the 6 months treatment period. The dose of 131I delivered to the thyroid was significantly lower after 10 days and 1 month of lithium treatment but there was no change in this dose after 2 and 4 months of treatment. However, there was a significant increase after 6 months.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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Mortality rates for stroke in 1971, 1974, 1977, and 1980 were obtained for residents of Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania. Hospital case fatality ratios were also obtained in the same 4 years for those discharged with the diagnosis of stroke (ICD 430-438 of the Eighth and Ninth Revisions of the International Classification of Disease) in two large hospitals (greater than 400 beds). Age-adjusted mortality rates per 100,000 population have declined significantly in this period for the whole county as well as for the four sex-race groups. Case fatality ratio in the two hospitals of the study has decreased from 19.6 to 11%. A change in the severity of the disease manifested by a reduction in the number of comatose patients has occurred, and this reduction in comatose patients was responsible for greater than 80% of the decline in case fatality ratio. Coma appears to be the best predictor of mortality among hospitalized stroke cases (r = 0.6, p less than 0.00001). The recent introduction of computed tomography for the diagnosis of stroke in the late 1970s was accompanied by a twofold increase in the survivorship of stroke patients. However, this increase in survivorship may reflect selection bias and is based on ecological association. Further studies are needed to examine the role of computed tomography in improving survival.