Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Madsen

Publications and source records attributed to S Madsen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Long-term graft survival after conversion from cyclosporin to azathioprine 1 year after renal transplantation. A prospective, randomized study from 1 to 6 years after transplantation.

Cyclosporin has improved graft survival after renal transplantation, but cyclosporin nephrotoxicity is a severe clinical problem. Conversion from cyclosporin to azathioprine 1 year after transplantation might improve long-term graft survival by avoidance of cyclosporin nephrotoxicity. After treatment with cyclosporin and prednisolone during the first year after renal transplantation, 106 patients were consecutively randomized to treatment with either azathioprine and prednisolone or cyclosporin and prednisolone in a prospective, controlled study during the following 5 years, i.e. 6 years after transplantation. Actuarial estimates of graft survival rates after inclusion in the study were obtained by the product-limit method of Kaplan-Meier, and the Mantel-Cox log rank test was used to compare the two treatment regimens. When the end-points in the analyses were cessation of graft function or withdrawal of immunosuppressive treatment due to side-effects, and when patients alive with graft function or who had died with a functioning graft were treated as censored observations, graft survival 5 years after inclusion in the study was 57.7 +/- 5.2% in the total material and was the same in both the azathioprine group (52.4 +/- 7.7%) and the cyclosporin group (63.3 +/- 6.7%) (log rank = 0.40, P = 0.53). When cessation of graft function was the only end-point, graft survival 5 years after inclusion in the study was 73.7 +/- 5.2% for the total material with no significant differences between the two groups (log rank = 0.58, P = 0.45).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Penicillin in clinical use--50 years].

Penicillin was first used to combat experimental infections in rats in August 1940. Towards the end of December the same year it was decided to treat seriously ill patients with penicillin. The first patient was given the new drug on the 12 February 1941, nearly 50 years ago. The patient improved considerably, but due to shortage of penicillin later succumbed to staphylococcal sepsis. Penicillins are still the most widely used and least toxic antibiotics. This article briefly reviews the history of penicillin from its discovery in 1928 to 1944, when the drug was first used on a larger scale in Norwegians.

History, 20th Century↗

[Poisoning with deadly agaric (Amanita virosa). Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment].

Amatoxin poisonings are uncommon in Norway. We describe a case where a young couple was poisoned after accidental ingestion of Amanita virosa (deadly agaric). After hospital treatment they recovered without serious damage to the liver. We briefly review the biological actions of amatoxins, discuss the symptoms and signs of amatoxin poisoning in detail, and outline current recommendations on therapy.

Adult↗

Immunocytochemical evidence suggests that taurine is colocalized with GABA in the Purkinje cell terminals, but that the stellate cell terminals predominantly contain GABA: a light- and electronmicroscopic study of the rat cerebellum.

The distributions of taurine-like and GABA-like immunoreactivities in the rat cerebellum were compared by analysis of consecutive semithin and ultrathin sections, postembedding labeled with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique or with an indirect immunogold procedure, respectively. Taurine-like immunoreactivity was selectively enriched in Purkinje cell bodies, dendrites and spines, and boutons in the cerebellar nuclei exhibiting ultrastructural features typical of Purkinje cell terminals. The stellate and basket cell bodies and terminals were very weakly labeled. A computer assisted quantitative assessment of the net immunogold labeling revealed that the mean gold particle density in the Purkinje cell terminals was about 70% higher than that in the Purkinje cell dendrites, and about 14 times higher than that in the stellate/basket cell terminals in the molecular layer. Stellate, basket and Purkinje cell terminals emerged as intensely immunoreactive in adjacent sections processed with an antiserum against conjugated GABA. These findings indicate, contrary to recent electrophysiological data, that GABA is a more likely transmitter candidate than taurine in the stellate cells. The apparent colocalization of GABA and taurine in the terminals of Purkinje cells raises the possibility that these terminals are capable of releasing two different inhibitory amino acids.

Animals↗

Alphacalcidol and renal function in normal subjects.

Sixteen young healthy adults were treated for 3 weeks with alphacalcidol (1 alpha OHD3), 1 microgram orally per day, and renal function tests were performed before, at the end and 3 weeks after termination of the drug. No significant changes occurred in the serum concentrations of calcium or phosphate, whereas the serum calcium-phosphorus product and the urinary excretion of calcium increased significantly. Serum creatinine and the urinary excretion of creatinine showed no significant changes. Inulin clearance decreased by 4% (p = 0.11). The total plasma clearance rate of 51Cr-EDTA and the 24-hour endogenous creatinine clearance both decreased by 4% during the treatment (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that treatment of normal subjects with 1 alpha OHD3, in a modest dose causing no significant change in serum calcium, is associated with a small but reversible decrease in renal function.

Adult↗

Immunocytochemical demonstration of taurine.

Amino acid immunocytochemistry represents a new and powerful tool in neuroscience. Antisera are now available to a large number of amino acids, including those that are thought to serve a transmitter role. The antiserum described here against conjugated taurine seems to be of good specificity and can be used to demonstrate taurine in the CNS as well as in other organs; in normal tissue and in experimental and pathological conditions.

Animals↗

Intraocular pressure in the first days after implantation of posterior chamber lenses with the use of sodium hyaluronate (Healon).

Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured before and 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after extracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of a posterior chambers lens in 3 groups of patients. Group I (30 patients): Sodium hyaluronate (Healon) was used during anterior capsulotomy and lens implantation and was aspirated at the end of surgery. Group II (22 patients): Healon as in group I + 500 mg acetazolamide at the end of surgery. Group III (17 patients): BSS and/or air was used instead of Healon during surgery. In all groups statistically significant rises in IOP after 6 h were followed by significant falls in the remaining post-operative period. The rise and subsequent fall in IOP was significantly greater in group I than in group III. Acetazolamide in group II did not prevent excessive rises in IOP. Aspiration probably shortens the period of Healon-induced hypertension. We recommend a meticulous aspiration of Healon at the end of surgery.

Acetazolamide↗

Evaluation of the immunocytochemical method for amino acids.

Free amino acids can be coupled to proteins by glutaraldehyde. Rabbits immunised with a bovine serum albumin-glutaraldehyde-amino acid conjugate form antibodies that recognise similar conjugates with brain proteins in glutaraldehyde-fixed tissue. Antisera raised against conjugated GABA (gamma-aminobutyrate), glutamate, aspartate, taurine, glutamine, or glycine were tested against a variety of small molecular compounds that had been fixed by glutaraldehyde to brain protein and immobilised on cellulose ester filters for processing together with the brain sections. This system permitted closely similar conditions for testing and immunocytochemistry. After removing antibodies against the carrier used for immunisation and against cross reacting amino acid conjugates the antisera showed a high specificity. The specific nature of the antisera was corroborated by solid phase adsorption to the homologous antigens and by inhibition experiments with free amino acids and amino acid-glutaraldehyde fixation complexes. After transection of the striatonigral pathway the ipsilateral substantia nigra was almost depleted of GABA-like immunoreactivity; this observation lends additional support to the selectivity of the GABA antiserum. A semiquantitative relation was established between the concentration of amino acid before fixation in a model system and the subsequent intensity of immunostaining. Similar model experiments suggested that the conjugation of an amino acid to brain protein with glutaraldehyde, and the immunoreactivity of the conjugates, may be significantly inhibited in the presence of high concentrations of other amino compounds.

Amino Acids↗