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Biomedical subjects

R Werner

Publications and source records attributed to R Werner.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

[Detoxication by hemoperfusion].

In 13 patients (2 males, 11 females, 15-70 years of age) on account of severe intoxications with hypnotics sedatives, psychopharmaca, in most cases mixed intoxications, with propranolol and halogenized hydrocarbons a 4--8-hour haemoperfusion treatment with amberlite XAD-4-Resin was performed. 11 patients survived, 1 patient died in irreversible cardiogenic shock of a propranolol intoxication, another patient of the sequels of a crotylbarbital and methaqualone intoxication. The curves of the course of the blood concentration of the individual substances showed a good elimination for phenobarbital and crotylbarbital, methaqualone, meprobamat and didropyridine as well as trichlorethylene, a less good elimination for nitrazepam, propranolol and tetrachlorethylene, Altogether the effectiveness of the detoxication clearly higher in the time unit, compared with the dialysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Induction of cell--cell channel formation by mRNA.

Intercellular junctional communication is very common in normal organized tissue. It provides a pathway for transmission of electrical signals, especially in heart muscle, and may be important in differentiation and growth control. The hydrophilic channels which enable cell--cell communication have been well characterized by biophysical methods, and there is now good evidence that they are contained in the nexus (gap junctions). Little, however, is known about the molecular mechanism of biosynthesis of junctional channels. Knowledge in this area has been obtained almost exclusively from experiments with reaggregated cells, a system complicated by the fact that de novo synthesis of channel proteins is obscured by reassembly of pre-existing subunits or utilization of precirsors. To avoid these problems, we have now isolated mRNA from cells that are in the process of making new intercellular nexus with high efficiency, incorporated it via liposomes into communication-defective cells and have shown that the recipient cells established junctional communication.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Origin and characterization of short DNA chains in Escherichia coli.

One of the major problems in the study of DNA replications involves the presence of numerous short, non-nascent DNA chains in the cell. Such chains often contaminate nascent DNA preparations, making accurate analysis of the replicative DNA difficult. This complication can be avoided by the use of hydroxyapatite chromatography. Previous results from this laboratory had shown that short nascent DNA chains could be eluted from hydroxyapatite at low phosphate concentrations because of their non-covalent association with protein. Additional data now indicate that this isolation procedure yields a DNA preparation which contains only nascent DNA and is essentially free of non-nascent chains. 5'-Terminal labelling patterns and molecular weight distributions show that only nascent DNA chains from the DNA-protein complex and can therefore be separated from non-nascent chains if the isolation is performed under non-denaturing conditions. The protein involved in the complex appears to be rather specific for DNA chains in the replication fork since short chains resulting from the excision of dUMP immediately after replication also form the DNA-protein complex. Using this isolation technique, the 5'-terminal nucleotides of nascent DNA chains were determined in an effort to learn something about the chain initiation process. DNA was pulse-labeled in several ways, purified by hydroxyapatite chromatography, and labeled at the 5' end with [32P]phosphate. Two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography of the 32P-labeled nucleotides, obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis, revealed that all four deoxyribonucleotides are present at the 5' end in approximately equal amounts. In most cases, this 5'-terminal nucleotide distribution does not vary significantly, even when the conditions of pulse-labeling are changed. Only if the cells are allowed to run out of thymine is a variation in the relative amounts of 5'-end nucleotides detected. In this case, the amount of dTMP at the 5' end decreases significantly, reflecting the low thymine levels and indicating that the cell can compensate for this deficiency by utilizing other available nucleotides. From these results, it appears that DNA chain initiation is essentially random with respect to the nucleotide used in the initiation process.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1981

Acute dimethyl sulfoxide therapy in experimental brain edema: Part I. Effects on intracranial pressure, blood pressure, central venous pressure, and brain water and electrolyte content.

Albino rabbits with experimental brain edema produced by a cryogenic lesion or by a cryogenic lesion combined with a metabolic blocker, 6-aminonicotinamide, were given 1 g of a 10% solution of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) per kg by intravenous bolus. Simultaneous recording of intracranial pressure (ICP), systemic arterial pressure (SAP), and central venous pressure and electroencephalography were performed while the animals were mechanically ventilated at a constant PaCO2 (PaCO2, 38 to 42 torr). One hour after the administration of DMSO, the rabbits were killed by air embolus, and the brain was removed promptly for the determination of wet and dry weights and electrolyte content. The ICP at 15, 30, and 60 minutes after DMSO was lower in both groups; ICP was significantly lower at 30 minutes (p less than 0.5) in the cold lesion group and at 15 minutes in the combined group (p less than 0.05). These was no significant change in SAP after DMSO in either group. There was s significant reduction of brain water content after DMSO in the combined lesion group (p less than 0.005 for the left hemisphere and p less than 0.025 for the right); there was no significant reduction of water content in the group with a cold lesion only.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Effect of the adrenocorticostatic agent, metopirone, on thermoregulatory heat production in the European hedgehog*.

1. Non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) was studied in 8 hedgehogs before and after a single injection of metopirone ditartrate (150-450 mg/kg, i.p.) at a thermoneutral chamber temperature (Ta) of 28C and during cold exposure (Ta = 8 degrees C for 20 min). 2. An average metabolic increase of 149% of the standard metabolic rate (SMR) was observed 12-26 min after an injection of metopirone ditartrate at thermoneutral chamber temperature. Average temperatures simultaneously increased by 2.1C in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) and 2.0C in the deep colon. This initial effect lasted for 40 plus or minus 8 min. 3. In a period of 3-48 h after injection of metopirone ditartrate, cold-induced NST was reduced by 89% of SMR (av.). Concomitant exposure to cold caused average temperatures to decrease by 1.0C in the BAT and 1.1 C in the colon relative to control experiments. 4. Our results suggest the participation of corticosteroids in the control of NST in the hedgehog. As metopirone blocks enzymatic 11 beta-hydroxylation in the steroid ring, there is a pronounced increase of endogenous 11-deoxycorticosteroids, such as deoxycorticoterone (DOC). An injection of DOC (3 mg/kg, i.m.) increases NST at hermoneutrality similar to the initial metabolic effect elicited by metopirone ditartrate. The reduced response to cold exposure after several hours may be explained by competitive inhibition of glucocorticoid receptors since there is also an increased production of other 11-deoxycorticosteroids.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

De novo construction of cell-to-cell channels.

Nexus (gap junctions), which are considered to contain cell-to-cell channels, are newly formed in uterine smooth muscle during parturition or in response to estrogen treatment of virginal animals. A mRNA preparation was isolated from estrogen-dominated rat myometria and was encapsulated into liposomes. Subsequently the liposomes were fused with cultured cells of a mouse cell line CL-1D. It is established that these tumor cells normally are neither electrically coupled nor do they contain nexus. The cells, however, become electrically coupled a few hours after being loaded with the mRNA preparation. This de novo expression of cell coupling persisted for a litte more than 24 hr after a single loading procedure. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy revealed small nexus-like particle aggregates at the time coupling was present. In control experiments the cells remained noncoupling when the RNA preparation was pretreated with ribonuclease, when cycloheximide was applied to the cells, or when liposomes filled with buffer solution only were used. These data suggest that the de novo expression of cell-to-cell coupling is accomplished by mRNA-induced protein biosynthesis resulting in the formation of cell-to-cell channels.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

[The incidence and significance of amyloid deposits in gingival, buccal and rectal mucous membranes (author's transl)].

The commonly-chosen location for biopsy proof of generalized amyloidosis are the gingival, buccal and rectal mucous membranes. In 100 cases of unselected autopsy material, mucosal specimens were taken from these locations and searched for the presence of local amyloid deposits. Control specimens were obtained from the liver and kidneys. Evidence of local amyloid deposits were detected in 75 of the gingival, 56 of the buccal and 33 of rectal mucosa specimens. 30 cases showed positive findings of local amyloid in all 3 locations simultaneously. Histologically, the amyloid distribution strictly followed the pericollagenous pattern. Furthermore, the tendency towards amyloid deposition diminished with increasing age. No relationship to underlying basic disease was found. In view of the frequently extensive amyloid deposits and the special structure of the tissue we object to the use of specimens from gingival mucosa to prove the existence of generalized amyloidosis. It is suggested that of all examined tissue biopsies the rectal mucosa is most suited to this purpose. The morphological differences between the mode of deposition in local and in generalized amyloidosis are discussed on the basis of the literature, as well as our own results.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1978

[Polypoid eosinophilic granuloma of the small intestine (author's transl)].

The case of a circumscribed polypoid eosinophilic granuloma of the small intestine is reported. The tumor caused an intussusception with consecutive ileus. After resection of the involved bowels the patient was healed. No allergic history was found. The morphology, clinical features, and the therapy of this type of tumor is discussed and the relationship to the Histocytosis X is emphasized.

Adult↗