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Biomedical subjects

S Reddy

Publications and source records attributed to S Reddy.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Interaction of Interceed oxidized regenerated cellulose with macrophages: a potential mechanism by which Interceed may prevent adhesions.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine whether Interceed oxidized regenerated cellulose (Johnson & Johnson Medical, Arlington, Tex.), because of its polyanionic nature, may compete for the macrophage scavenger receptor. STUDY DESIGN: RAW macrophages were incubated with Interceed oxidized regenerated cellulose and known scavenger receptor ligands. The production of interleukin-1beta by mouse peritoneal macrophages was measured in the presence of Interceed cellulose. RESULTS: When macrophages were incubated with Interceed cellulose, increasing concentrations inhibited the uptake of fluorescent acetyl low-density lipoprotein. In the presence of Interceed cellulose there was a decrease in the production of interleukin-1beta by mouse macrophages. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the interaction of Interceed oxidized regenerated cellulose with macrophages with scavenger receptors may result in a decreased secretion of matrix components, inflammatory mediators, and cellular growth factors. Thus Interceed cellulose may function as a biologic barrier in preventing adhesions.

Animals↗

Surgical management of complete obliteration of the endometrial cavity.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a technique for surgical management of complete obliteration of the endometrial cavity. DESIGN: A report of a series of three patients. SETTING: A university-based hospital. PATIENT(S): Three patients with complete obliteration of the endometrial cavity. INTERVENTION(S): Transfundal scar removal using stents in the fallopian tubes to serve as landmarks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Regular withdrawal bleeding. RESULT(S): Regular menses in all three patients. CONCLUSION(S): The technique described here show promise for establishing uterine cavity integrity in cases of complete endometrial obliteration where there are no landmarks in the uterine cavity.

Amenorrhea↗

An analysis of valve re-replacement after aortic valve replacement with biologic devices.

Biologic valve re-replacement was examined in a series of 1343 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, with a cryopreserved or 4 degrees C stored allograft valve or a xenograft valve. A parametric model approach was used to simultaneously model the competing risks of death without re-replacement and re-replacement before death. One hundred eleven patients underwent a first re-replacement for a variety of reasons (69 patients with xenograft valves, 28 patients with 4 degrees C stored allograft valves, and 14 patients with cryopreserved allograft valves). By multivariable analysis younger age at operation was associated with xenograft, 4 degrees C stored allograft, and cryopreserved allograft valve re-replacement. However, this effect was examined in the context of longer survival of younger patients, which increases their exposure to the risk of re-replacement as compared with that in older patients whose decreased survival reduced their probability of requiring valve re-replacement. In patients older than 60 years at the time of aortic valve replacement, the probability of re-replacement (for any reason) before death was similar for xenografts and cryopreserved allograft valves but higher for 4 degrees C stored valves. However, in patients younger than 60 years, the probability of re-replacement at any time during the remainder of the life of the patient was lower with the cryopreserved allograft valve compared with the xenograft valve and 4 degrees C stored allografts.

Adolescent↗

Increasing insulin sensitivity lowers blood pressure in the fructose-fed rat.

In the rat, simple carbohydrate feeding induces insulin resistance, and insulin resistance is associated with impaired endothelium dependent vasodilation. To determine if increasing insulin sensitivity corrects this defect of endothelial function, we evaluated the effects of an insulin-sensitizing agent, pioglitazone, on arterial pressure and in vitro vascular reactivity in three groups of Sprague Dawley rats: 1) control; 2) 60% fructose diet for 4 weeks; 3) 60% fructose diet plus pioglitazone (20 mg/kg daily, by oral gavage). Direct mean arterial pressure did not differ in Groups 1 (120 mm Hg +/- 2) and 2 (121 +/- 2) and was lower (P < .05) in Group 3 (112 +/- 2). In vitro uptake of tritiated glucose by adipocytes in response to insulin was reduced (P < .05) by fructose and increased (P < .01) by pioglitazone. In strips of thoracic aorta, norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction and nitroprusside induced vasodilation did not differ among groups. However, in response to graded dose of acetylcholine, vasodilation was reduced (P < .05) by fructose; this was normalized by pioglitazone. In all groups, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) completely blocked acetylcholine-induced vasodilation. Thus, pioglitazone increased insulin sensitivity, lowered blood pressure, and normalized acetylcholine-induced vasodilation in insulin resistant, fructose-fed rats. Increasing insulin sensitivity may lower arterial pressure by augmenting endothelium dependent vasodilation.

Acetylcholine↗

Inducible nitric oxide synthase in pancreatic islets of the non-obese diabetic mouse: a light and confocal microscopical study of its ontogeny, co-localization and up-regulation following cytokine administration.

Nitric oxide has been shown to mediate beta-cell destruction in rodent islets exposed to interleukin 1 beta in culture. The inhibitory effect is potentiated by tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma. Cytokine stimulation leads to gene transcription and translation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, the biosynthetic enzyme of nitric oxide. In the non-obese diabetic mouse, progressive invasion of pancreatic islets by immune cells may lead to local production of inflammatory cytokines, resulting in inducible nitric oxide synthase expression within the islets. In this study, the ontogeny of this enzyme and its cellular expression were examined in pancreatic sections of female non-obese diabetic mice by double-label immunofluorescence. Light and confocal microscopy were employed to study the up-regulation, co-localization and immunocytoplasmic distribution of the enzyme in female non-obese, diabetic and Swiss mice following cytokine treatment. From day 40 to day 220 a small number of beta-cells and a proportion of macrophages, usually in peri-islet and exocrine areas, expressed the enzyme. At onset of diabetes, an increasing number of macrophages within and surrounding the islets were positive for the enzyme. Treatment of day 60 female non-obese diabetic mice with interleukin 1 beta alone and in combination with tumour necrosis factor-alpha and/or interferon-gamma resulted in a significant influx of macrophages into the pancreas, while this was lower in female Swiss mice treated similarly. Cytokine administration led to intense but sometimes eccentric immunocytoplasmic labelling for the enzyme in a considerable proportion of macrophages and beta-cells. Macrophages positive for inducible nitric oxide synthase were located in peri- and intra-islet areas, being distal and adjacent to enzyme-positive and negative beta-cells. Treatment with tumour necrosis factor-alpha and/or interferon-gamma did not lead to enzyme up-regulation. These results show that in the non-obese diabetic mouse there is low and sustained expression of islet inducible nitric oxide synthase in the prediabetic period, which is followed by an increase around onset. However, treatment of female non-obese diabetic and Swiss mice with interleukin-1 beta, alone or together with tumour necrosis factor-alpha and/or interferon-gamma leads to a marked expression of this enzyme within macrophages and beta-cells.

Animals↗

Technical note. The serum concentration of the advanced glycation end-product N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine is increased in uremia.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) such as pentosidine and N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) have been traditionally quantified by HPLC or gas chromatography--mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) have been introduced as a convenient alternative to simplify the detection and measurement of AGEs in proteins and tissues, but some of these studies are limited by the lack of information on the structure of the epitopes recognized by antibodies to AGE-proteins. In this work we demonstrate that an antibody used in a previous study, reporting increased levels of AGEs in patients with diabetes or on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and hemodialysis (HD), recognizes CML as its major epitope. We also show that there is a significant correlation between the concentration of AGEs in serum measured by ELISA and a GC/MS assay for CML in serum proteins. Both analyses yielded comparable results, with patients on CAPD and HD having about threefold higher AGE- or CML-concentrations in their serum. Our data suggest that ELISA assays for CML should be useful for the clinical measurement of AGEs in serum proteins.

Antibodies↗

Update on digoxin and other oral positive inotropic agents for chronic heart failure.

The benefit of digoxin in chronic heart failure has been debated fervently for decades. In the 1970s, the use of digoxin was challenged due to the high incidences of digitalis toxicity and the lack of data on the effects of digoxin in patients with chronic heart failure. In the 1980s, interest in digoxin was renewed after several trials with oral inotropic agents demonstrated increased mortality. Recently, several trials have studied the hemodynamic, neurohormonal, and clinical effects of digoxin, providing further insights into the possible mechanisms for its beneficial effects in patients with chronic heart failure. In an effort to find new pharmacologic therapies for the treatment of this patient population, studies of newer oral inotropic agents such as vesnarinone, pimobendan, and ibopamine have been disappointing. This paper reviews data published or presented in 1995 and 1996 examining the effects of digoxin and other oral inotropic agents in patients with chronic heart failure.

Cardiotonic Agents↗

Cardioprotection with dexrazoxane for doxorubicin-containing therapy in advanced breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the cardioprotective effect of dexrazoxane (DZR) used in a doxorubicin-based combination therapy in advanced breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 1988 and January 1991, 534 patients with advanced breast cancer were randomized to two multicenter, double-blind studies (088001 and 088006). Patients received fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) with either DZR (DZR-to-doxorubicin ratio, 10:1) or placebo (PLA) every 3 weeks and were monitored with serial multiplegated acquisition (MUGA) scans. RESULTS: The hazards ratio (HR) of PLA to DZR for a cardiac event, which was predefined ejection fraction changes or congestive heart failure (CHF), was 2.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.61 to 4.27; P < .001) for 088001 and 2.00 (95% CI, 1.01 to 3.96; P = .038) for 088006. The objective response rates for 088001 were 46.8% for DZR and 60.5% for PLA, a difference of 14% (95% CI, -25% to -2%; P = .019), and for 088006 were 53.7% for DZR and 49.3% for PLA, a difference of 4% (95% CI, -13% to 22%; P = .63). Time to progression and survival were not significantly different between treatment arms in either study. Toxicities on the DZR arms included lower granulocyte and platelet counts at nadir (P = .009 and P = .004, respectively) and more pain on injection (P = .001), with no difference in the rates of fever, infection, or hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: DZR had a significant cardioprotective effect as measured by noninvasive testing and clinical CHF. One of the two studies (088001) showed a lower response rate with DZR, but time to progression and survival were not significantly different. DZR is the first agent shown to reduce cardiotoxicity from doxorubicin.

Aged↗

A strategy for the development of secure telemedicine applications.

Healthcare applications based on computer-supported collaboration technologies have the potential to improve the quality of care delivered to patients. Such applications can help overcome barriers to quality healthcare in the small, scattered populations of rural areas enabling telemedicine to be a part of the practice of medicine. However the growing concern about the potential for abuse through disclosure of personal health information to unauthorized parties has restricted the deployment and adoption of these potentially valuable tools. The authors, who built ARTEMIS--an Intranet healthcare collaboration facility, now describe their approach to develop secure telemedicine applications for rural healthcare practitioners.

Computer Security↗

Experiences with ARTEMIS--an Internet-based telemedicine system.

ARTEMIS is one of the first systems to exploit the Internet/Intranet technologies for exchanging patient information among health care providers. The primary project goal was to develop and demonstrate a regional telehealth environment specifically to support real-time consultations among health care providers via a computer network, provide secure access to multi-media patient records and discharge summaries, facilitate authentication/digital sign-off, multi-media mail-based referrals, and network-based dictation/transcription. A prototype is deployed in southern West Virginia in a Community Care Network (CCN). The CCN consists of providers, hospitals, clinics, laboratories, that make up one "Virtual" clinic on the "Intranet". ARTEMIS employs new technologies such as Java and JavaScript for the browser, and CORBA-based "middleware" for interoperability at the server-end. Several experiments were designed for evaluating the impact of ARTEMIS on patient care. In this paper we discuss the challenges we faced and the means by which we plan to meet these challenges. We conclude by outlining new thrust areas in which we are concentrating in our next phase of development of ARTEMIS.

Computer Communication Networks↗

A dermatoglyphic predictive and comparative study of Class I, Class II, div. 1, div.2 and Class III malocclusions.

A study was conducted using dermatoglyphics to predict and compare Class I, Class II, div. 1, div.2 and Class III malocclusions. A total of 96 subjects were divided into 3 malocclusion groups, i.e. Class I (control group), Class II, div.1, div.2 and Class III (experimental group) in the ages of 12-14 years. The dermatoglyphic findings revealed that the craniofacial Class II, div. 1, div.2 pattern was associated with increased frequency of arches and ulnar loops and decreased frequency of whorls, whereas in Class III, there was an increased frequency of arches and radial loops with decreased frequency of ulnar loops. In predicting Class III malocclusion, based on frequency of arches, the sensitivity values were found to be higher and more reliable than the sensitivity values of Class II, div.1 and div.2 malocclusion.

Adolescent↗

A 20-epi side chain restores growth-regulatory and transcriptional activities of an A ring-modified hybrid analog of 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 without increasing its affinity to the vitamin D receptor.

1 alpha-hydroxymethyl-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1 beta-hydroxymethyl -3 alpha,25-hydroxyvitamin D3, two analogs with modifications restricted to the A ring, bind poorly to vitamin D receptor (VDR). The effective doses required for 50% of maximal binding activity (ED50) are 7 x 10(-7) M for the former and 8 x 10(-8) M for the latter, and the ED50 for their growth-inhibitory activities is greater than 10(-6) M. Unexpectedly, a hybrid analog with 20-epi configuration at its side chain and a 1 beta-hydroxymethyl group but not a 1 alpha-hydroxymethyl group inhibits malignant cell growth with an ED50 of 7 x 10(-9) M. To determine if the restored biological activity of the hybrid analog is associated with better binding to VDR, we performed competitive binding assays in vitro with calf thymus VDR and in vivo with recombinant human VDR. We found that the 20 epi side chain reduced the affinity of the 1 beta- and the 1 alpha-hydroxymethyl hybrid analogs for VDR in vitro and in vivo fourfold to tenfold. To determine whether the 1 beta-hydroxymethyl analogs induced a VDR-mediated transcription, we tested the induction of reporter gene expression through the osteocalcin vitamin D response element (VDRE) in ROS 17/2.8 cells and the induction of binding activity of VDR to VDRE in COS-1 cells. We found that the ED50 for transcriptional activity of 1 beta-hydroxymethyl-3 alpha,25-hydroxyvitamin D3 was greater than 10(-6) M, but its 1 alpha diastereomer had barely detectable transcriptional activity. The 20-epi side chain preferentially increased the transcriptional activity of the 1 beta-hydroxymethyl hybrid analog to an ED50 of 10(-8) M, but the 1 alpha-hydroxymethyl hybrid analog remained inactive. To confirm that this transcriptional activity was dependent on the VDR, we repeated the assay in VDR-negative CV-1 cells and compared ligand-dependent expression of the VDRE/growth hormone reporter in the presence of either wild-type or transcriptionally inactive mutant VDR expression vectors. Transcription was induced by the 1 beta-hydroxymethyl compounds only in the presence of wild-type VDR. Thus, we conclude that it is possible, by adding a 20 epi side chain, to restore growth-inhibitory and VDR-mediated transcriptional activities without increasing binding to the VDR of A ring-modified analogs.

Animals↗

Immunomagnetic isolation of magnetoferritin-labeled cells in a modified ferrograph.

Pan T, helper, and cytotoxic lymphocytes were isolated from the human peripheral blood mononuclear cell fraction by antibody staining, ferritin labeling, and deposition on glass slides. Two distinct forms of ferritin were used: one was native horse spleen ferritin, and the other was magnetoferritin. Magnetoferritin was obtained by reconstituting the horse spleen ferritin iron core with superparamagnetic magnetite instead of the usual paramagnetic ferrihydrite crystal. The cell deposition on microscopic glass slides in the magnetic field was obtained by an instrument that was adapted from an industrial magnetic deposition analyzer, the ferrograph. The identity of cells in the magnetic deposits was confirmed by comparing the cell fractions in the feed and in the eluate with the use of flow cytometry. The immunostaining protocol amplified the number of ferritin molecules per cell surface antigen 20-70 times. Magnetoferritin, but not native ferritin, imparted a sufficient magnetic moment to cells to deplete the labeled cell population between 67 and 88% of its initial concentration in a magnetic field of 1.67 Tesla (T), a field gradient of 2.57 T/mm, and a flow rate of 0.01 ml/min. This study showed that the magnetic moment of magnetoferritin was sufficient for immunomagnetic isolation of lymphocytes from mononuclear cell preparations in the modified ferrograph.

Animals↗

Chronic volume expansion in the rat: proximal tubular Na+ transport and Na+ pump inhibition.

1. The lesser natriuresis of chronic volume expansion (ChVE) compared with that of acute volume expansion (AcVE) implies different homeostatic mechanisms. Because little information is available in the literature on proximal tubular (PT) Na+ transport and intracellular electrolyte concentrations, these were investigated in a rat model of ChVE. 2. Haematocrit was significantly lower and urine volume and Na+ excretion were significantly higher in ChVE rats compared with control rats. 3. Proximal tubular Na+ transport with artificial PT fluid was normal (3.67 +/- 0.09 x 10(-4) mm3 mm-2 s-1; mean+/-S.E.M.), while with endogenously harvested tubular fluid it was reduced to 2.78 +/- 0.07 x 10(-4) mm3 mm-2 s-1 in ChVE rats (P < 0.0001). 4. Intracellular Na+ was significantly elevated from 18.0 +/- 0.7 mmol (kg wet wt)-1 in control rats to 20.2 +/- 0.8 mmol (kg wet wt)-1 in ChVE rats (P = 0.044). The cells showed residual swelling, with dry weight and phosphorus values decreasing significantly compared with controls (19.5 +/- 0.4 to 18.5 +/- 0.03% and 130.4 +/- 3.7 to 117.8 +/- 2.8 mmol (kg wet wt)-1, P = 0.04 and 0.006, respectively). 5. The results demonstrate that in ChVE a tubular factor inhibits PT Na+ transport associated with an inhibition of the Na+ pump and this resembles one mechanism defined in AcVE.

Absorption↗

Glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 and 67 isoforms in fetal, neonatal and adult porcine islets: predominant beta cell co-localization by light and confocal microscopy.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) has been shown to exist as two isoforms with molecular weights of 65 kD (GAD65) and 67 kD (GAD67) in the central nervous system as well as in several non-neuronal tissues, including the pancreatic islets. Recently, this enzyme has been proposed as a key beta-cell autoantigen in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In the present study, we used double label light and confocal microscopy to examine the expression of the two GAD isoforms in islet cells of fetal, neonatal and adult porcine pancreas. We also aimed to identify the islet cell-type(s) which co-express GAD. In the adult pig, GAD65 was localized exclusively in most of the beta cells, whereas GAD67, in addition to being present in a majority of the beta cells, was also seen in a proportion of glucagon and somatostatin labelled cells. In the 90-day fetus and the 7-day neonate, while GAD65 was also observed in a majority of beta cells, a proportion of glucagon cells also co-expressed this isoform. The cellular expression of GAD67 in the fetal and neonatal stages was similar to that in the adult. Detailed confocal analysis of GAD65 immunoreactive cells showed a granular cytoplasmic staining, with labelled granules often concentrated in specific perinuclear regions, possibly the Golgi apparatus. In contrast, GAD67 positive cells showed more diffuse cytoplasmic staining. The predominant expression of both the isoforms in porcine beta cells suggests that islet cells from this species may act as a suitable cellular model for study of GAD autoreactivity during the early stages of IDDM.

Animals↗

Descriptive epidemiology of childhood cancers in Bangalore, India.

While fairly complete and reliable incident data on childhood cancers are available from the registries in India, mortality and survival information is not. Information concerning the latter was obtained by the Bangalore cancer registry through active follow-up involving visits to homes of patients. Between 1982 and 1989, 617 cases of cancers in childhood were registered, giving an age-standardized incidence rate of 84.8 and 48.4 per million in male and female children, respectively. Active follow-up provided mortality/survival information in 532 or 86.2 percent of these cases. Overall, observed five-year survival was 36.8 percent (both genders combined) with a relative survival of 37.5 percent when childhood mortality in the general population was taken into account. The five-year relative survival was best for thyroid carcinoma (100 percent) followed by Hodgkin's disease (73 percent) and retinoblastoma (72.9 percent). Survival was comparatively low, being 9.9 percent in acute nonlymphatic leukemia and less than 20 percent in rhabdomyosarcoma and the category grouped as 'other malignant neoplasms.' Survival in Hodgkin's disease was influenced by clinical stage at presentation, but was not statistically significant possibly due to small numbers.

Adolescent↗

Lipid-complexed camptothecin: formulation and initial biodistribution and antitumor activity studies.

Water-soluble derivatives of camptothecin, and active topoisomerase I inhibitor, have shown a broad spectrum of activity against human tumors. Early clinical trials with the water-soluble sodium salt of camptothecin were hindered by significant cystitis, gastroenteritis, and leukopenia. Furthermore, the sodium salt of camptothecin has been shown to have significantly less activity than the water-insoluble lactone form of the compound. We describe a formulation of lipid-complexed CPT (LC-CPT; particle size range 20.8-208.1 nm) that is very easy to prepare and allows for intravenous administration in vivo in clinically relevant lipid-drug ratios (12.5:1 w/w). The lipid formulation had in vitro antitumor activity similar to that of CPT formulated without lipids and displayed similar cytotoxicity against MDR-1-negative and -positive tumor cells. The biodistribution of CPT was profoundly affected by lipid complexation; free CPT achieved the greatest concentration in the pulmonary parenchyma while LC-CPT achieved the highest concentration in the gastrointestinal tract. LC-CPT had significant antitumor activity in vivo against intraperitoneal L1210 and P338 leukemia and appeared to be more potent then free CPT.

Animals↗