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Biomedical subjects

S Rao

Publications and source records attributed to S Rao.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Importance of periodic measurements in evaluating feeding programmes.

Attempts were made to show that periodic measurements are important for evaluating impact of feeding programmes as considerable "within variation" in increments exists which cannot be overlooked. From two socio-economic classes two kindergartens were selected one of which was implementing a feeding programme while the other was not. A total of 273 children were measured for weight and height, three times during the period of 7 months. Normal children showed significant gain in weight while malnourished children showed significant gain in height. The significance in weight (or height) increment at the end of the feeding programme did not necessarily mean that the significance could be obtained in each period even of equal time interval. Simple and cross correlations in increment revealed that weight increment in one period was significantly associated with height increment in the following period suggesting alternating priorities of the body for growth. Carefully planned longitudinal growth studies are therefore necessary for better understanding of growth process and thereby for proper evaluation of feeding programmes.

Body Height↗
PubMed1991

Cell-cycle-dependent, differential prenylation of proteins.

Isoprenylated proteins related to cell growth have been detected during proliferation. Since cholesterogenesis (isoprenoid synthesis) is mandatory for cell proliferation, the observation of a temporally coordinated protein prenylation during the cell division cycle might constitute obligatory processes in the signalling pathway for initiating DNA replication and/or in maintaining the growing state. We have found such a definitive cell-cycle-phase-dependent pattern of prenylation for various classes of cytosolic and nuclear matrix proteins in synchronized HepG2 cells. Characteristic [3H]mevalonate incorporation began to increase during mid-to-late G1, just after cholesterol synthesis reached its apex, and peaked just prior to or coincident with mid S. Incorporation then declined subsequent to S (during G2) as cells approached mitosis. Prior to the rise in mevalonate incorporation into proteins, during early-to-mid G1, steady-state [14C]acetate incorporation into chromatographically resolved cholesterogenic lipid intermediates displayed a maximum only into cholesterol. However, during the late-G1/S interval, a singular peak of 14C incorporation was found for the farnesyl moiety (farnesol/nerolidol plus farnesyl diphosphate). Except for the farnesyl moiety, none of the other polyisoprenoids detected by our procedures showed any fluctuation in 14C incorporation subsequent to mid G1. These results support the proposal that subsequent to peak cholesterol synthesis in early-to-mid G1, the generation of a cholesterol-pathway-dependent set of post-translationally modified, polyisoprenylated proteins could constitute an obligatory step leading to the duplication of the cellular genome, thereby impelling transit through the cell cycle. The well known high flux through cholesterogenesis in tumors, which manifests an intrinsic lack of sensitivity to feedback inhibition and operates continuously, is consonant with this proposal.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1991

Automatic memory processes in patients with multiple sclerosis.

To better understand the nature of the memory deficit in patients with multiple sclerosis, we designed a study to compare automatic vs effortful memory processes. Forty-one patients with definite multiple sclerosis and 45 demographically matched normal control subjects were administered two tasks designed to assess both automatic (monitoring frequency and modality) and effortful (free and cued-recall) processing. Results indicated that patients with multiple sclerosis, as expected, were significantly impaired on memory measures requiring effort, but performed normally on automatic measures. Performance on the memory indexes did not correlate with self-reported depression. The implications of these findings for delineating the locus of the memory impairment in multiple sclerosis is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Insulin reverses haemodynamic changes and pulmonary oedema in children stung by the Indian red scorpion Mesobuthus tamulus concanesis, Pocock.

The efficacy of insulin administration in reversing haemodynamic changes in pulmonary oedema in victims of poisonous scorpion sting is assessed by a study based on animal experiments in which insulin administration reversed metabolic and electrocardiographic changes induced by scorpion envenomation. Six previously healthy children aged 18 months to 11 years were admitted to hospital five to 17 hours after scorpion sting. Frusemide for raised central venous pressure and pulmonary oedema, crystalloid infusion for reduced central venous pressure, and hydrocortisone and dopamine for hypotension were used as standard therapy. Insulin (0.3 units g-1 of glucose) was administered when the standard therapy failed to produce an improvement, and at the earliest sign of haemodynamic instability. Reversal of pulmonary oedema and haemodynamic changes, and attainment or normal respiratory rate, blood pressure and central venous pressure, were observed. It is concluded that insulin administration may be useful in reversing haemodynamic changes and pulmonary oedema in victims of scorpion stings.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effect of hydroxyurea on blood viscosity in chronic myelogenous leukemia with hyperleukocytosis.

The effect of hydroxyurea on blood viscosity was studied in 10 patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and hyperleukocytosis (white blood cell counts over 200 x 10(9)/l). All the patients had visible manifestations of leukostasis such as headache, blurred vision, retinal hemorrhage, pulmonary infiltrates, etc. Contraves LS 30 viscometer was used to measure the blood viscosity at 37 degrees C and at different shear rates on paired leukemic blood samples obtained before and after the hydroxyurea treatment. The blood viscosity was significantly higher in CML patients then normal subjects and decreased after treatment with hydroxyurea. In all the cases plasma viscosity was unaffected by the treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Cauda equina compression associated with breast cancer. A case study in differential diagnosis.

The determination of the etiology of spinal cord compression in cancer patients is essential for appropriate therapy. Patients with metastatic disease are not immune to the development of superimposed nonmalignant disease. Although metastatic epidural compression may occur in up to 9% of breast cancer patients, care must be taken to rule out other nonmetastatic lesions causing compression. The association of concurrent breast carcinoma and a spinal neurilemoma simulating a metastatic lesion seems not to have been previously reported. A neurilemoma was observed in a 50-year-old woman. A neurilemoma suspected to be a metastatic lesion may produce the clinical features of pain, neurologic deficit, and weakness. Differentiation will be aided by roentgenograms, radionuclide bone scans, computed tomography, and possible magnetic resonance imaging. Radiologic differentiation hinges on the recognition and the slow-growing nature and noninvasive boundaries of the nonmalignant lesion. Ultimate verification is by biopsy. Treatment should consist of neurectomy, if severely symptomatic, and stabilization as indicated.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1991

Effect of antiepileptic drugs valproic acid, carbamazepine and ethosuccimide on exploratory behaviour in mice.

Valproic acid in 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg doses produced a significant dose dependent decrease in exploratory behaviour, tested as number of head dips on the hole board. In the open field test, control mice entered less number of peripheral squares and more number of central squares on day 4 as compared to day 1 of the test. In the lower doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) valproic acid increased central square entries on day 1 with significant decrease by all doses on subsequent days indicating inhibition of exploratory behaviour. However, in peripheral square entry they followed the same pattern as control mice. Neither carbamazepine (10 and 20 mg/kg) nor ethosuccimide (100 and 200 mg/kg) affected exploratory behaviour in either the hole board or open field test.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1991

Echinococcal infestation of the spine in North America.

Taenia echinococcal infestation, a parasitic disease rarely seen in the United States, occurred in a 62-year-old man. Bone is involved in about 1% of all cases, and of these cases, the spine is involved in about 50%. Preoperative identification is difficult because of lack of characteristic radiographic features. Successful management is also problematic because of the difficulty of preoperative diagnosis, the invasive nature of the bony involvement, and the variable anaphylactic reaction to the cyst fluid antigen. The diagnosis must be entertained in the differential diagnosis of benign spinal neoplasms especially when dealing with patients from endemic areas.

Echinococcosis↗
PubMed1991

Analysis of 61 cases of vertebral osteomyelitis.

Sixty-one cases of bacterial vertebral osteomyelitis from July 1969 to July 1979 were analyzed. The ages of the 49 men and 12 women ranged from 21 to 66 years. The portal of entry was hematogenous in 58 cases, gunshot wounds in two cases, and and adjacent retroperitoneal abscess in one case. Biopsy was performed in 60 patients. There were 15 complications related to the disease. Gram-negative rods were the predominant bacteria isolated. Blood culture was positive in 13 of the 26 (50%) patients tested. Eleven of the 13 (85%) organisms isolated from the blood cultures correlated with organisms recovered from biopsy specimens. Eleven of the patients had more than one disk level involved. Of the 61 patients, 29 went on to spontaneous fusion, 17 were lost to follow-up study, 11 failed to fuse, three had surgical fusion, and one patient died. Recommendations for diagnosis included the collection of blood cultures and radionuclide bone scans. Management recommendations included systemic antibiotics for at least three weeks and immobilization with either bed rest or spinal orthoses. Surgery was indicated if an abscess was present, neurologic complications occurred, instability became a factor, or the medical treatment failed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Exchange transfusions in neonatal sepsis.

Between October, 1987 and October, 1988, 53 neonates with severe or unresponsive sepsis were subjected to therapeutic exchange transfusions (ET) using 170 ml/kg of citrated blood less than 24 hours old. The procedure was repeated up to a maximum of 4 times. The success of therapy was adjudged by resolution of sclerema and/or improvement in clinical features. There were 32 low birth-weight (LBW) and 21 non-LBW infants and 51/53 subjects had sclerema. The mean time for recovery following ET was 19.6 +/- 12.4 h (range: 1-48 h). The overall survival was 77.4% and the survival rates for LBW and non-LBW infants were 73.6 and 68.2%, respectively, however, the difference was not statistically significant. No significant or fatal complications occurred during ET. The effects of other associated problems on outcome studied by multiple regression analysis showed that neurologic problems were associated with a poor chance for survival despite ET. Exchange transfusion may thus be an effective and safe therapeutic modality for severe neonatal sepsis.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1990

Substrate alterations in a sarcoma-bearing rat model: effect of tumor growth and resection.

The time course of plasma substrate level alterations in the tumor-bearing (TB) host and their relationship to tumor burden or weight loss has not been well defined. Plasma glucose, lactate, pyruvate, cholesterol, triglycerides, acetoacetate, beta-hydroxy butyrate, and glycerol levels were measured in postabsorptive TB and nontumor-bearing (NTB) male Fisher 344 rats at weekly intervals for 5 weeks. Chronically starved rts (CS) had plasma substrates measured at Week 3 and compared with TB and NTB levels. Tumor burden was 0.5% of body weight at Week 1, 3.5% at Week 2, 12% at Week 3, and 20% at Week 5. Glucose levels were significantly lower in TB versus NTB (P = 0.01) at Week 1 and progressively declined in TB versus NTB through Week 5 (P less than 0.001). At Week 2, plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxy butyrate were significantly elevated in TB versus NTB (P less than 0.001) and increased further to Week 5. The profile of substrate changes in TB and CS, when compared to NTB rats at Week 3, were different, suggesting that the plasma substrate alterations seen in the TB state were not secondary to starvation. In addition, when tumors were excised from TB animals at Week 3 and plasma substrates were determined 1 week later, all substrates that were different between TB and NTB animals, except cholesterol, returned to NTB levels when compared to sham-operated controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗
PubMed1990

Duodenal ulcer in sickle cell anemia.

A 14-year-old black male with sickle cell anemia developed a duodenal ulcer that masqueraded as sickle cell-related abdominal pain crisis on multiple occasions. Malingering and poor therapeutic compliance aggravated the ulcer in this patient, who ultimately succumbed to a catastrophic bleed. Duodenal ulcer appears to be an infrequent but difficult to treat lesion in sickle cell disease. An in-depth review on the occurrence of duodenal ulcer in sickle cell anemia is presented. The etiological mechanisms of peptic ulcer disease in this population and the potential benefits of transfusion therapy are discussed.

Abdominal Pain↗