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Biomedical subjects

S M Martin

Publications and source records attributed to S M Martin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

CNS-directed case management. Cost and quality in harmony.

Preserving the integrity of high quality care in a financially restricted environment is the primary challenge facing healthcare providers. The critical question is which delivery system will use limited resources most efficiently without jeopardizing quality of care? Case management has been identified as a solution that offers the most promise. The case management model at Sioux Valley Hospital was developed to deal proactively with resource-intensive patients with chronic illnesses who have frequent admissions and who create financial risk for the hospital. The authors describe the fiscal and clinical outcomes of these select patients.

Adolescent↗

Perfluorochemical reperfusion yields improved myocardial recovery after global ischemia.

Reperfusion injury remains a limiting factor in extending ischemic storage time for human heart transplantation. In this study, initial myocardial reperfusion with an oxygenated perfluorochemical (Fluosol) was investigated as a means of limiting such injury. Neonatal piglet hearts were arrested with crystalloid cardioplegia, excised, and stored for 12 hours in saline solution at 0 degrees C. Initial reperfusion (10 minutes) was either with whole blood (n = 6), unmodified perfluorochemical (n = 8), or aspartate/glutamate-enriched perfluorochemical cardioplegia (n = 6), and was followed by an additional 40 minutes of whole blood perfusion. Functional evaluation was then completed, and left ventricular biopsy specimens were taken. A control group (n = 7) was evaluated without an intervening period of ischemia. At a left ventricular end-diastolic pressure of 9 mm Hg, hearts stored in whole blood cardioplegia developed a left-ventricular stroke work index of 3.8 +/- 2.3 x 10(3) erg/g (mean +/- standard error of the mean). Under the same conditions, perfluorochemical-reperfused hearts achieved a stroke work index of 14.6 +/- 1.3 x 10(3) erg/g, significantly greater than that of the whole blood group (p < 0.001). Stroke work index for hearts reperfused with aspartate/glutamate-enriched perfluorochemical cardioplegia was 19.8 +/- 1.6 x 10(3) erg/g, significantly increased over that of the nonenriched perfluorochemical group (p < 0.01) and not different from values obtained in controls (19.2 +/- 0.8 x 10(3) erg/g).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

A method for continuous blood sampling during cold water immersion.

A technique, consisting of a pre-calibrated, catheter-peristaltic pump combination, for continuous blood sampling was tested using six volunteers during a 20 min immersion in cold water at 14.7 +/- 0.9 degrees C. The device offered the advantage of continued collection of blood samples from an antecubital vein during the experiment with little discomfort for the subjects and in sufficient volume for assay of plasma constituents eg. catecholamines.

Blood Specimen Collection↗

Pulmonary sequestration: 17-year experience at UCLA.

Pulmonary sequestration is a complex anomaly involving the pulmonary parenchyma and its vascularity. From 1975 to 1992, 10 cases have been treated at the UCLA Medical Center. The ages of the seven females and three males were bimodal, the median age of the seven children was 29 days (range 1 day-6 years); it was 32 years (range 28-39) for the three adults. One child was delivered by cesarean section for fetal distress and another was born at 29 weeks gestation. Symptoms included: recurrent pneumonia (5), respiratory distress (5), hemoptysis (2), stridor (1), and pleuritis (1). Chest radiographs were consistent with sequestration in seven patients and diaphragmatic hernia in another, but incorrectly diagnosed one diaphragmatic eventration and one pulmonary varix. Computed tomographs suggested sequestration in five patients, but mistakenly interpreted a pulmonary varix in one case. Angiography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging were infrequent investigative studies and yielded variable results. All patients underwent thoracotomy and lobectomy without morbidity or mortality. Five had intralobar and five had extralobar sequestration. All adults had intralobar sequestration. Two had aberrant subdiaphragmatic arterial vessels. Eight had vessels originating from the descending thoracic aorta. Nine patients are asymptomatic at six months to 10 years follow up. The 29-week-old premature infant died 30 days postoperatively due to necrotizing enterocolitis. Pulmonary sequestration remains an uncommon entity. The radiologic investigations that provide the most information are the chest radiography and computed tomography. Definitive diagnosis is made at thoracotomy. Pulmonary sequestrations are resected with excellent results by the trained thoracic surgeon who is aware of the unusual vascular connections.

Academic Medical Centers↗

Fluosol cardioplegia results in complete functional recovery: a comparison with blood cardioplegia.

Blood cardioplegia is considered by many to be the preferred solution for myocardial protection. Proposed benefits include the ability to deliver oxygen and the ability to maintain metabolic substrate stores. However, the decreased capacity of blood to release oxygen at hypothermic conditions as well as the presence of deleterious leukocytes, platelets, and complement may limit complete functional recovery. Fluosol is an asanguineous solution with the ability to bind and release oxygen linearly at low temperatures. Neonatal piglet hearts (24 to 48 hours old) were excised and supported on an isolated, blood-perfused working heart model. After baseline stroke-work index was determined, hearts were arrested with either normocalcemic blood cardioplegia (group 1, n = 8) or normocalcemic Fluosol cardioplegia (group 2, n = 8). Cold cardioplegia was administered at 45 mm Hg every 20 minutes for 2 hours. Hearts were then reperfused with whole blood. Functional recovery, expressed as percent of control stroke-work index, was determined 60 minutes after reperfusion at left atrial pressures of 3, 6, 9, and 12 mm Hg. Functional recovery at 60 minutes was similar between group 1 (95%, 93%, 93%, 88%) and group 2 (100%, 94%, 94%, 95%) at left atrial pressures of 3, 6, 9, and 12 mm Hg, respectively. Mean lactate consumption 5 minutes after reperfusion was significantly greater (p = 0.0001) in group 1 (31.8 +/- 6.3 micrograms.min-1 x g-1) than in group 2 (-0.59 +/- 0.1 microgram.min-1 x g-1), indicating superior metabolic recovery in the blood cardioplegia hearts. Edema formation, as determined both by water content (group 1, 81.10%; group 2, 81.63%) and by electron microscopy, was not significantly different between groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PHLIS: an electronic system for reporting public health data from remote sites.

Disease surveillance conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in conjunction with state health departments provides databases of information to public health workers. These databases' utility is limited by the lag time from occurrence of disease events until records are available for analysis. We developed the Public Health Laboratory Information System (PHLIS), a PC-based electronic reporting system for entering, editing, and analyzing data locally and for transmitting data electronically to other state or federal offices. Advantages of PHLIS include reduction in paper handling, decrease in lag time between disease incident and availability of information for analysis, ability to rapidly examine data for clusters of disease, downloadable summary tables, data editing at site of input, data analysis capability, increased interaction among participants, and current data for responses to inquiries. PHLIS is available without cost and is transportable to other agencies, states, or countries.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗

Perfluorochemical reperfusion limits myocardial reperfusion injury after prolonged hypothermic global ischemia.

The ability of an oxygenated perfluorochemical (Fluosol) to limit myocardial reperfusion injury following global hypothermic ischemic insult was investigated. Neonatal piglet hearts were arrested with cold crystalloid cardioplegia and stored for 12 hours in 2 degrees C saline. Reperfusion was carried out using an isolated, blood-perfused, working heart preparation. Hearts were initially reperfused (10 minutes) with either whole blood (WB, n = 6), unmodified perfluorochemical (PFC, n = 8), or aspartate/glutamate-enriched perfluorochemical cardioplegia (PFC+, n = 6), prior to institution of whole blood perfusion, functional evaluation and left ventricular biopsy. A control group (C, n = 7) was evaluated without an intervening period of ischemia. At a left ventricular diastolic pressure of 9 mm Hg WB hearts developed a left-ventricular stroke work index (SWI) of 3.8 +/- 2.3 x 10(3) erg/g (mean +/- standard error of the mean). Under similar conditions, PFC-reperfused hearts achieved a SWI of 14.6 +/- 1.3 x 10(3), significantly greater than that of WB (p less than 0.001). SWI for PFC+ hearts was 19.8 +/- 1.6 x 10(3), significantly increased over that of PFC (p less than 0.01), and not different from values obtained for C (19.2 +/- 0.8 x 10(3)). In addition, PFC-reperfused hearts demonstrated superior maintenance (p less than 0.05) of ATP (2.08 +/- 0.16 umole/g), compared to WB (1.50 +/- 0.19), while preservation of ATP in PFC+ hearts (2.99 +/- 0.12), was significantly increased over that of PFC (p less than 0.001), and not significantly different from that for C (2.68 +/- 0.17).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Immunocytochemical double labeling of glial fibrillary acidic protein and transferrin permits the identification of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the rat brain.

Sequential immunocytochemical double labeling of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and transferrin (Tf) was used for the simultaneous identification of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in paraffin-embedded sections of the rat brain. Paraformaldehyde or formalin-alcohol-acetic acid fixation followed by protease treatment of paraffin-embedded sections provided the most satisfactory double-labeling. The results demonstrated GFAP-positive astrocytes and Tf-positive oligodendrocytes as two subpopulations of glia with no overlap. Our results suggest that, with some exceptions, immunocytochemical double labeling of GFAP and Tf has a potential application for the simultaneous identification of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the rat brain.

Animals↗

Depletion of brain alpha-MSH alters prostaglandin and interleukin fever in rats.

Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), a putative endogenous antipyretic agent, is synthesized largely within neurons in the arcuate nucleus. To test the hypothesis that destruction of this area would increase the febrile response, male Wistar rats, treated as neonates with intraperitoneal injections of monosodium glutamate (MSG) or saline, were given intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections of prostaglandin E1 (20 ng; 200 ng) or purified interleukin-1 (20 U) and body temperature was monitored. The fevers displayed by the MSG-treated animals were significantly greater (P less than 0.05) than those of the controls for the lower dose of PGE1 at 10-30 min and for IL-1 at 3-6 h after the injections. MSG-treated rats showed significant reduction (P less than 0.01) in alpha-MSH content of the medial basal hypothalamus and lateral septum when compared to saline controls. Body temperature response of non-febrile animals to high ambient temperature was not affected by the MSG treatment. These data support the hypothesis that alpha-MSH is an endogenous antipyretic in the rat.

Alprostadil↗

Influenza outbreaks in nursing homes: how effective is influenza vaccine in the institutionalized elderly?

During the 1984-1985 influenza season, outbreaks of influenza A (H3N2) occurred in three Connecticut nursing homes. Influenza vaccination rates were 67% (96 out of 144), 35% (30 out of 85) and 69% (332 out of 483), respectively. The relative risk of illness for vaccinated compared to unvaccinated residents was 1.8 (95% confidence interval, 0.6, 5.9), 1.6 (95% confidence interval, 0.8, 3.0) and 1.1 (95% confidence interval, 0.8, 1.7) for each of the three nursing homes, respectively. In the third outbreak, 22 vaccinated residents without clinical illness had a geometric mean titer of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody of 20. Although low, this titer was significantly higher than that of nine unvaccinated residents without clinical illness (12, p less than .05); only three (14%) vaccinated residents had HI titers of greater than or equal to 40. These results suggest that levels of HI antibody in vaccinated residents were not protective at the time of the third outbreak, four to five months after vaccination. In general, the study of vaccine effectiveness in nursing homes is limited by sample size and statistical power. Despite these limits, the retrospective investigation of influenza outbreaks in nursing homes is often the only practical way to evaluate influenza vaccine effectiveness in the elderly on a yearly basis.

Adult↗

Cardiac transplantation: the UCLA experience 1984 to 1990.

The international experience has documented the therapeutic value of cardiac transplantation in the management of carefully selected patients with endstage heart disease. The UCLA program's experience over the years 1984 to 1990 mirrors these results, establishing heart transplantation as an accepted form of therapy that offers extended survival and improved quality of life compared to alternative means of treatment. Criteria of eligibility for recipient candidates have become less restrictive, most notably the expansion of age limits to include increasingly older patients. Seventy-three patients over 55 years of age underwent heart transplantation in this series, with actuarial survival results comparable to that achieved in adult patients 55 years of age and under (68.5% vs 74.7% at 4 years, respectively). Twenty-one children between the ages of 7 months and 17 years have undergone cardiac transplantation at UCLA with survival results comparable to that of our adult population (74.3% vs 76.5% actuarial survival at 3 years, respectively). Continued efforts aimed at the development of improved means of immunosuppression as well as better methods for the detection of rejection are needed if these results are to be significantly improved.

Adult↗

Combinative ligand-receptor interactions: effects of cAMP, epinephrine, and met-enkephalin on RAW264 macrophage morphology, spreading, adherence, and microfilaments.

Cell surface ligand-receptor interactions play a central role in the regulation and expression of macrophage function. Included among these macrophage membrane receptors are the beta-adrenergic and opioid receptors. We studied the abilities of epinephrine, met-enkephalin, forskolin, and adenosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) analogues to affect macrophage morphology, spreading, and adherence. Cell spreading was quantitated by measuring the perimeters of adherent cell images recorded by videomicroscopy. Epinephrine induced a dose-dependent decrease in macrophage spreading; at 10(-5) M epinephrine the mean perimeter was 10.4 +/- 0.3 microns in comparison to 15.0 +/- 1.0 microns for controls. The inhibition of spreading can be blocked by the antagonist propranolol. On the other hand, met-enkephalin induced a dose-dependent increase in macrophage spreading, with a perimeter of 18.5 +/- 1.0 microns at 10(-8) M. Since catecholamines and opioids are simultaneously released from chromaffin cells of the adrenal, we examined the combinative effects due to treatment with both ligands. When macrophages were exposed to 10(-5) M epinephrine and 10(-8) M met-enkephalin, cell morphology and spreading were indistinguishable from that due to 10(-5) M epinephrine alone. The epinephrine dose-response curve in the presence of 10(-8) M met-enkephalin was similar to that of epinephrine alone. The beta-adrenergic receptor is apparently capable of diminishing or abrogating the opioid receptor signal(s). These combinative and epinephrine-mediated effects may be at least partially accounted for by the action of cAMP. Forskolin and the cAMP analogues N6-2'-O-dibutyryladenosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate (dbcAMP) and 8-bromoadenosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate (Br-cAMP) affected cell morphology and spreading in the same fashion as epinephrine. These differences in morphology and spreading behavior were accompanied by changes in the distribution of F-actin, as judged by phalladicin staining and fluorescence microscopy. We suggest that cAMP and microfilaments play important roles in receptor-mediated neuroregulation of macrophage function.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Plasma catecholamines in conscious rabbits after central administration of vasopressin.

Arterial levels of epinephrine (E) were significantly raised for all times sampled, after intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of arginine vasopressin (AVP) (1 nmol) into conscious rabbits. Venous levels of norepinephrine (NE) were significantly raised within the first 4 min after a similar i.c.v. injection of AVP. The significant increases in arterial E and venous NE correspond in time and therefore could account for changes in heart rate and blood pressure elicited by centrally injected AVP. Therefore, AVP could influence cardiovascular function by increasing the activity of the sympatho-adrenomedullary system.

Animals↗

Prostaglandin fever in rats is altered by kainic acid lesions of the ventral septal area.

The ventral septal area (VSA) has been shown to be a region within the rat brain where arginine vasopressin (AVP) acts to reduce fever. To test the hypothesis that destruction of this area would affect the magnitude of the febrile response, body temperature was monitored in male, Wistar rats given intracerebroventricular injections of prostaglandin E1 (200 ng) and saline (10 microliter) before and after bilateral injections of kainic acid (KA) or of saline vehicle into the VSA. While fever heights were unaffected by the lesion, fever in the KA-lesioned animals remained significantly elevated (P less than 0.05) for 1 h after the peak response. There was no significant difference in the fever responses displayed by sham-lesioned animals. The body temperature response of non-febrile animals to high or low ambient temperature was unaffected by the lesions. The enhanced fever following the KA lesion, but not sham lesions of the VSA would support the hypothesis that this region is involved in endogenous suppression of fever.

Alprostadil↗

The Fourier transforms of the laser-induced absorption decay from glycogen phosphorylase and DOPA decarboxylase.

Fourier analysis of the laser-induced absorption decay curves of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) decarboxylase and glycogen phosphorylase demonstrates a powerful technique in the analysis of complicated decay behavior. Phosphorylase which uses the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate cofactor in an unknown manner exhibits over weak absorption an intense decay while decarboxylase demonstrates only weak absorption. Fourier analysis of the decay curves clearly shows that phosphorylase has an intense absorption decay in the midst of three weaker ones and that decarboxylase only has three weak decays. This conclusion justifies the isolation and use of the intense decay of phosphorylase as an observable in the study of protein dynamics at the active site about the cofactor. The decay has demonstrated a movement of positive charge to substrate in the mechanism of phosphorylation of glycogen units.

Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases↗

The role of vasopressin as an antipyretic in the ventral septal area and its possible involvement in convulsive disorders.

Perfusion of the peptide, arginine vasopressin (AVP), within the ventral septal area (VSA) of the brain of a number of species reduces fever but not normal body temperature. This antipyretic response appears to be mediated by AVP receptors of the V1 subtype. Lesions of the VSA with kainic acid are associated with prolonged and enhanced fevers in rats. A role for endogenous AVP in fever suppression within the VSA comes from several types of experiments: (1) AVP release within the VSA is inversely correlated to fever height; (2) AVP antagonists or antiserum injected into the VSA prolong fever; (3) animals lacking endogenous AVP in the VSA (Brattleboro rat, long-term castrated rat) develop enhanced fevers. Electrical stimulation of the AVP-containing cell bodies of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) orthodromically inhibits VSA neurons and also suppresses fever; the latter effect can be abolished with application of a V1 antagonist to the VSA. Iontophoretic studies indicate that AVP inhibits glutamate-stimulated activity of thermoresponsive and other VSA neurons. AVP can also act in the VSA to cause severe motor disturbances; this action is receptor mediated and increases in severity upon sequential exposure to AVP. Because sites of action of the antipyretic and convulsive action of AVP are similar, and because animals lacking brain AVP display reduced convulsive activity, it is possible that AVP, released during fever, could be involved in the genesis of convulsive activity.

Action Potentials↗