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Biomedical subjects

U Kaufmann

Publications and source records attributed to U Kaufmann.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Endotoxin-induced hypotension in rats is not mediated by prekallikrein activation.

To test whether endotoxin decreases blood pressure acutely in rats by activating the plasma kinin-forming system, plasma kallikrein activity was determined in different experimental settings of endotoxemia. Conscious normotensive rats were infused for 45 min with endotoxin (LPS E. coli 0111:B4) at a dose (0.01 mg/min) which had no effect on blood pressure. Additional rats were infused with the vehicle of endotoxin. Plasma prekallikrein activity was measured at the end of the 45 min infusions. In other rats, a bolus intravenous injection of endotoxin (2 mg) was administered following the 45 min infusion of endotoxin or its vehicle. In these two latter groups of rats, plasma prekallikrein activity was determined 15 min after administration of the bolus dose of endotoxin. In rats pretreated with the endotoxin infusion, the bolus dose of endotoxin had no significant effect on blood pressure, whereas rats infused with the vehicle became and remained hypotensive up to the end of the experiment. There was however no significant difference in plasma prekallikrein activity within the different groups of rats. In another group of rats, dextran sulfate (0.25 mg i.v.), which activates factor XII and thereby the conversion of prekallikrein to kallikrein, induced a short-lasting fall in blood pressure. 15 min after administration of dextran sulfate, plasma prekallikrein activity was almost completely suppressed. These results obtained in unanesthetized rats strongly suggest that the blood pressure fall induced by E. coli endotoxin is not due to activation of prekallikrein and consequently of the kinin-forming system.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Flecainide versus quinidine for conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm.

The effectiveness and safety of flecainide and quinidine for conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm were compared. Sixty consecutive patients were treated with either flecainide (up to 2 mg/kg intravenously and then orally) or quinidine (up to 1.2 g orally). There was no statistical difference in age, left atrial size, duration of the arrhythmia and underlying cardiac diseases between the 2 groups. The overall conversion rate to sinus rhythm was 63% (38 patients): AF was converted in 18 patients (60%) treated with quinidine and 20 (67%) with flecainide. If AF lasted less than 10 days, the conversion rate was 86% in the flecainide group and 80% in the quinidine group (difference not significant). When AF lasted more than 10 days the rate was 22% in the flecainide group and 40% in the quinidine group. Adverse effects were more frequent in the quinidine group (27%) (gastrointestinal disturbances) than in the flecainide group (7%) (conduction disturbances), but they were less severe in the quinidine group. Thus, flecainide given intravenously appeared to be as effective as quinidine given orally for conversion of AF of recent onset (within 10 days). However, quinidine should probably remain the preferred drug for conversion of AF of long duration (more than 10 days) to sinus rhythm. Adverse effects occurred less often with flecainide therapy, but they were more severe.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The acrocallosal syndrome in sisters.

Two sisters born to non-consanguineous healthy parents are described who present the following abnormalities: macrocephalus, prominent forehead, hypertelorism, absence of the corpus callosum, inguinal hernias, duplication of hallucal phalanges and severe mental retardation. The older sister in addition had cleft palate, while only the younger had a supratentorial cyst between cerebrum and cerebellum and epileptic fits. After 6 sporadic cases, this is the first instance of siblings with the acrocallosal syndrome. This observation and definite and possible parental consanguinity in two further patients suggest that this syndrome might be recessively inherited.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1985

Intracranial sarcoma in childhood.

Three cases of intracranial sarcomas in children are presented. The children were 1 month, 8 months and 7.5 years old. In two cases the tumor was in the cerebral hemisphere and in one case (the 7.5-year-old child) in the cerebellum. The histopathological diagnosis was undifferentiated sarcoma and spindle cell sarcoma in the cases with tumor in the cerebral hemisphere and arachnoidal sarcoma of the cerebellum. There was one postoperative death. The two children subjected to postoperative X-ray therapy and cytostatic therapy survived 1.75 years and 7 months, respectively.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1983

[Concordant monocytic leukemia in twin infants].

Acute monocytic leukemia was diagnosed almost simultaneously in 6-month-old male identical twins. Inspite of chemotherapy one twin died of disseminated intravascular coagulation with pulmonary haemorrhage; the other one, however, went into long-term remission. Conception of the twins had taken place inspite of intrauterine device (copper T).

Age Factors↗
PubMed1981

Thymic involvement and initial white blood count in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

From 1970 to 1977, two nonrandomized groups of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with two different induction regimens. A total of 168 patients (group DAL) received induction therapy closely adapted to St. Jude protocol VII. A total of 119 patients (group BFM) were treated with the West Berlin induction protocol. Evaluable for analysis were 138 patients of group DAL and 113 patients of group BFM. Thirty children had thymic involvement (Thy+), 15 in each group. In children without thymic involvement (Thy+), the median initial white blood count (WBC) was 8400/mm3 in group DAL and 8000/mm3 in group BFM. In contrast, the initial WBC was 42,000/mm3 and 79,200/mm3 in the corresponding group with thymic involvement (Thy+). The probability of continuous complete remission (CCR) at 9 years is 0.41 +/- 0.05 for patients without thymic involvement and 0.09 +/- 0.09 for patients with thymic involvement in group DAL, and 0.65 +/- 0.05 for those without thymic involvement and 0.52 +/- 0.13 for those who had thymic involvement in group BFM. After adjustment for initial WBC (regression analysis) the presence of thymic involvement was still a predictor of poor outcome in group DAL (p less than 0.001), whereas it was not a predictor of poor response in group BFM. In view of comparable patient composition in both treatment groups, the favorable prognosis in BFM patients has to be related to the mode of induction therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

The effect of different extraction procedures on two different molecular weight species of serum NSILA and on the carrier protein of small molecular weight NSILA (NSILA-S).

The influence of Dowex-50 adsorption chromatography on the recovery of two different forms of serum NSILA, large and small mol. wt. NSILA, and on the recovery of the binding protein of the small mol. wt. form was studied and compared with another extraction procedure, gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 in 1 M acetic acid. Partially purified NSILA-S is adsorbed to Dowex-50 at pH 6.8. It can be eluted with 20 mM NH4OH and appears unchanged with regard to its biological activity and molecular weight. Adsorption of 125I-labelled NSILA-S to Dowex-50 does not change its binding characteristics to serum. When serum is chromatographed on Sephedex G-50 in 1 M acetic acid, NSILA is obtained in a large and in a small molecular weight form (NSILA-S). After recombination of the small molecular weight NSILA fraction with the "stripped" serum fraction, which contains large mol. wt. NSILA and a specific carrier protein for NSILA-S, re-chromatography of this mixutre on Sephadex G-50 at neutral pH yields NSILA mostly in the void volume. It adsorbs to Dowex-50. After elution from Dowex, acidic gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 results in an elution pattern which is completely different from that of NSILA-S. Adsorption of serum to Dowex-50 results in a dramatic decrease of the NSILA-S binding activity. It is concluded that Dowex-50 adsorption chromatography of serum 1) inactivates most of the serum NSILA-S binding protein 2) leads to the loss of acid dissociable small mol. wt. NSILA (NSILA-S). Therefore, Dowex-50 adsorption chromatography is not suitable for the subsequent determination or further purification of NSILA-S from whole serum.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1979

[Transverse symptomatics in lymphosarcoma patients (author's transl)].

We report about two patients with compression of the spinal cord caused by lymphosarcomas. In the first patient the tumour was localized in the lumbal region and destroyed two vertebrae. In the second patient the lymphosarcoma also infiltrated the meninx, the cord, and some internal organs. Both children died.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

On the mechanism of action of biguanides. evidence against an inhibition of gluconeogenesis from protein in normal fasting subjects.

The effect of phenformin on fuel homeostasis and on gluconeogenesis from protein was studied in 8 normal subjects who underwent two 4-day fasts 8-12 weeks apart. Each person received placebo or phenformin 50 mg every 12 hours for 3 days before and during the fasts. Circulating glucose, lactate, pyruvate, free fatty acid and ketone levels as well as urinary nitrogen excretion observed during placebo and phenformin treatment were not significantly different from each other. The lack of an effect of phenformin on urinary nitrogen excretion and plasma glucose level strongly suggests that gluconeogenesis from amino acids was unaltered by phenformin in these fasting subjects. The present findings are at variance with those by other authors which may be related to differences in methodology.

Adult↗