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Biomedical subjects

S Berger

Publications and source records attributed to S Berger.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

[Course of chronic life-threatening digitalis poisoning in infancy with immunopharmacologic treatment using antidigoxin Fab of sheep].

A 2 months old girl was given a tenfold increased dosage of Beta-Methyldigoxin for 2 weeks and subsequently developed severe symptoms of glycoside intoxication. In hospital she was treated by digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments. 18 hours later the symptoms had totally disappeared. However, 48 hours from the beginning of the treatment free digoxin levels rose again to toxic ranges. In chronic intoxications the rediffusion of glycosides from tissues and interstitial space seems to be much more pronounced than in acute intoxications, and there is a higher risk of reintoxication.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1987

Functional cybrid plants possessing a Nicotiana genome and an Atropa plastome.

Mesophyll protoplasts of plastome chlorophyll-deficient, streptomycin-resistant Nicotiana tabacum were fused with those of wild type Atropa belladonna using the polyethylene-glycol/high Ca++/dimethylsulfoxide method. Protoplasts were cultured in nutrient media suitable for regeneration of tobacco but not Atropa cells. In two experiments, a total of 41 cell lines have been selected as green colonies. Cytogenetic (chromosomal number and morphology) and biochemical (isozyme analyses of esterase, amylase and peroxidase) studies were used to evaluate the nuclear genetic constitution of regenerated plants. To study plastid genetic constitution, restriction endonuclease analysis of chloroplast DNA was performed. Three groups of regenerants have been identified: (a) nuclear hybrids (4 cell lines); (b) Atropa plants, most probably arising from rare surviving parental protoplasts (4 lines) and (c) Nicotiana/Atropa cybrids possessing a tobacco genome and an Atropa plastome (33 lines). Most of cybrids obtained were diploid, morphogenetically normal plants phenotypically similar to tobacco. Some plants flowered and yielded viable seeds. Part of cybrid regenerants were variegated, variegation being transmitted to sexual progeny. Electron microscopic analysis of the mesophyll cells of variegated leaves revealed the presence of heteroplastidic cells. Analysis of thylakoid membrane polypeptides shows that in the cybrids the content of at least one of the major polypeptides, presumably a chlorophyll a/b binding protein is drastically reduced.

Atropa belladonna↗
PubMed1986

Increases in cellular calcium concentration stimulate pepsinogen secretion from dispersed chief cells.

Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca]i) and pepsinogen secretion from dispersed chief cells from guinea pig stomach were determined before and after stimulation with calcium ionophores. [Ca]i was measured using the fluorescent probe quin2. Basal [Ca]i was 105 +/- 4 nM. Pepsinogen secretion was measured with a new assay using 125I-albumin substrate. This assay is 1000-fold more sensitive than the widely-used spectrophotometric assay, technically easy to perform, rapid, and relatively inexpensive. The kinetics and stoichiometry of ionophore-induced changes in [Ca]i and pepsinogen secretion were similar. These data support a role for calcium as a cellular mediator of pepsinogen secretion.

Aminoquinolines↗
PubMed1986

Comparative activity of ofloxacin with reference to bacterial strains isolated in in-patients and out-patients.

The in vitro activity of ofloxacin, a new quinolone derivative, was compared to that of other agents commonly in use against pathogens isolated in the community and in the hospital. None of the community or hospital strains isolated from urinary tract infection showed resistance to ofloxacin, while variable resistance was demonstrable with all other oral agents. Similar results were obtained with pathogens isolated from infected wounds originating in the community and in the hospital. Among pathogens isolated from the respiratory tract, ofloxacin was most active against Haemophilus influenzae, but less active than the penicillin-cephalosporin group against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Ofloxacin was active against all but one (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) blood culture isolates. Of 112 strains isolated from community-acquired infections, only one strain was ofloxacin-resistant while resistance to sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim, ampicillin and doxycycline was 34%, 42% and 30%, respectively. Among 219 pathogens originating from nosocomial infections, 3.2% were resistant to ofloxacin compared to 56% for cefazolin, to 7.2% for cefotaxime, 15.8% for piperacillin and 22.3% for gentamicin. These results suggest that ofloxacin has great therapeutic potential for the therapy of bacterial infections originating both in the community and in the hospital.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1986

Prostaglandin levels: predictors of indomethacin responsiveness.

Pretreatment plasma dilator prostaglandin levels were measured in 16 premature infants with patent ductus arteriosus in an attempt to correlate abnormally elevated levels with clinical responsiveness to indomethacin therapy. Nine of the 16 infants responded well to indomethacin, with complete disappearance of their murmurs by 48 h. Eight of these nine infants had elevated baseline 6 keto PGF1 alpha levels (greater than 500 pg/ml). In contrast, seven of the 16 infants did not respond to indomethacin, and six of these had 6 keto PGF1 alpha within the normal range (less than 500 pg/ml). PGE2 levels varied in the same general direction, but lacked the specificity and sensitivity of the 6 keto PGF1 alpha levels. Thus, 6 keto PGF1 alpha levels seem to correlate with, and may eventually be helpful in predicting, clinical indomethacin responsiveness in the premature neonate with patency of the ductus arteriosus.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1986

Evidence for a circaseptan and a circasemiseptan growth response to light/dark cycle shifts in nucleated and enucleated Acetabularia cells, respectively.

Nucleated as well as enucleated Acetabularia mediterranea cells were subjected to 14 different patterns of shifts in a regimen of 12 hr of light alternating with 12 hr of darkness in four 30-day long experiments. With one exception, which might be due to a circannual modulation, these experiments showed that nucleated cells had maximal growth rates when a shift was performed every 7th or 15th day. In enucleated cells, maxima were observed on shift schedules that were about 3-4 days rather than about 7 days apart. The results indicate that in the unicellular green alga Acetabularia a rhythm of about 7 days (circaseptan) exists and that removal of the nucleus results in a circaseptan frequency multiplication.

Acetabularia↗
PubMed1986

Prostaglandins and echocardiography in the assessment of patent ductus arteriosus.

Prostaglandin (PG) levels and M-mode echocardiography were used to evaluate the severity of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in 19 premature infants. Mean 6-keto-PGF1 alpha levels in infants with more severe left-to-right shunting were significantly higher than those in infants with a moderate level of shunting (1335 +/- 763 vs. 504 +/- 348 pg/ml, respectively). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between this elevation and a decrease in the left ventricular systolic time interval, suggesting that both reflect the severity of ductal shunting. Although other echocardiographic measurements of cardiovascular function generally showed some tendency to vary with 6-keto-PGF1 alpha levels, none was as closely correlated with the extent of PG elevation. Levels of PGE2 also seemed to vary with PDA severity; however, this correlation was not as significant.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1986

Clinical correlates do not predict PaO2 response after tolazoline administration in hypoxic newborns.

In an attempt to determine which hypoxic newborns might benefit from administration of tolazoline hydrochloride (Tz), we identified all neonates known to have received Tz at four Chicago area perinatal centers over a 4-yr period. For each of 41 infants, five statistical analyses were used to correlate 31 clinical and ventilatory variables with PaO2 values before and after Tz administration. Fourteen neonates responded to Tz infusion with more than a two-fold increase in PaO2. None of 31 clinical variables successfully predicted a positive Tz response in these infants, and a positive response (increased PaO2) was not associated with increased likelihood of survival. BP fell after Tz in 72% of patients, while heart rate rose after Tz treatment in 66% of cases. These data suggest a need to re-evaluate the administration of Tz to hypoxic newborn infants.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1986

In vitro activity of ciprofloxacin compared with other agents against recent hospital isolates.

Ciprofloxacin's in vitro activity was tested against 385 hospital isolates originating from three geographically distinct regions. Of all strains tested, only three (1 Acinetobacter sp. and 2 Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were ciprofloxacin resistant. Ciprofloxacin was more active against Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Acinetobacter sp., Proteus sp., Shigella sp. than gentamicin, mezlocillin and cefotaxime. It was more active than azlocillin and cefsulodin against P. aeruginosa. It was more active than cloxacillin and cefamandole against staphylococci. It was as active as cefotaxime against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii and Serratia marcescens. Ciprofloxacin demonstrated similar activity in broth and solid agar. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC's) of all strains were similar to the minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC's). Ciprofloxacin's MIC was not influenced by increase of the inoculum or addition of human serum and only slightly influenced by anaerobic conditions. Decrease of the medium pH increased the MIC substantially. Ciprofloxacin exhibited a rapid bactericidal effect and had only a minimal post-antibiotic effect. These favorable in vitro characteristics of ciprofloxacin warrant further studies.

Acinetobacter↗