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Biomedical subjects

W Berger

Publications and source records attributed to W Berger.

340 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1968

Electrical transmission at the nexus between smooth muscle cells.

The hypothesis that nexuses between cells are responsible for the core conductor properties of tissues was tested using smooth muscle preparations from the taenia coli of guinea pigs. Action potentials recorded from small diameter preparations across a sucrose gap change from monophasic to diphasic when a shunt resistor is connected across the gap. This indicates that transmission between smooth muscle cells is electrical, because the resistor only allows current to flow. Nexal fusion of cell membranes occurs especially where one cell sends a large bulbous projection into a neighbor. Hypertonic solutions rupture the nexuses between smooth muscle cells. Hypertonicity also increases the resistance of a bundle across the sucrose gap and blocks propagation of action potentials. Thus the structural and functional changes in smooth muscle due to hypertonicity correlate with the hypothesis.

Action Potentials↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Radiologic findings in lymphangioma of the posterior tibial nerve.

A case of lymphangioma of the posterior tibial nerve is reported. MRI showed an elongated multiseptated cystic lesion along the tibial nerve leading to axonal degeneration and progressive left calf pain. A similar cystic lesion in a second patient was shown to be a ganglion. The diagnosis was made by surgical resection.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A skin test for autonomic neuropathy.

Intradermal injection of 0.5 microgram histamine produced equal skin reactions in normal individuals (n = 15) and in diabetic patients with (n = 10) or without (n = 9) evidence of autonomic neuropathy as well as in patients after lumbar sympathectomy (n = 5). Addition of noradrenaline (0.1 microgram) resulted in a significantly smaller skin reaction (mean +/- SEM) in normal (101.9 +/- 10.1 vs. 136.3 +/- 6.5 mm2, p less than 0.005) and in diabetic patients without autonomic neuropathy (101.8 +/- 8.4 vs. 123.9 +/- 8.7 mm2, P less than 0.05), but remained unchanged in diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy (131.0 +/- 9.0 vs, 130.7 +/- 8.2 mm2, n.s.) and after lumbar sympathectomy (135.2 +/- 17.5 vs 130.2 +/- 19.6 mm2, n.s.) when compared with the reaction to histamine alone. Addition of terbutaline produced similar results as observed with noradrenaline. These findings suggest a defect at the adrenoceptor level in diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy and in patients with lumbar sympathectomy. Thus, the combined intradermal injection of histamine and the adrenoceptor agonists noradrenaline or terbutaline represents a simple and useful test for identifying patients with impaired adrenergic function.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tri-Nasal triamcinolone acetonide nasal spray 200 and 400 micrograms qd versus placebo and Nasacort triamcinolone acetonide nasal aerosol 440 micrograms qd in patients suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis during the grass season.

Tri-Nasal Nasal Spray is an investigational solution of triamcinolone acetonide (TAA) currently being evaluated as a treatment for allergic rhinitis. The safety and efficacy of 200 and 400 micrograms once daily doses of Tri-Nasal Nasal Spray, an active control (440 micrograms once daily of Nasacort Nasal aerosol), and Tri-Nasal Nasal Spray placebo were compared over a 2-week treatment period in a double-blind (the Nasacort treatment was not blinded), parallel design trial. A total of 377 adult patients in 13 centers were enrolled during the grass pollen season. The primary efficacy variable was the weekly average of the SSI (Symptom Severity Index), the sum of daily nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and sneezing severity scores from the patient diary. A total of 355 patients completed the study. All active treatments were significantly more effective than placebo in relieving nasal symptoms at each treatment week. The 400 micrograms Tri-Nasal Nasal Spray and Nasacort treatments had a rapid onset of action, demonstrating significant improvement in the SSI versus placebo by the second day of treatment. Results for the individual nasal symptoms and other secondary efficacy measures paralleled those of the primary efficacy variables. Tri-Nasal Nasal Spray and Nasacort were comparable in safety, and in treating the nonocular symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vaccinating Asian Pacific Islander children against hepatitis B: ethnic-specific influences and barriers.

PURPOSE: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a known cause of liver cancer, especially among Asian and Pacific Islanders (API). Despite national recommendations and school entry requirements for vaccination, many children are not fully vaccinated with the Hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B) before entering school. The purpose of this study was to measure ethnic group-specific hepatitis B vaccination rates among school-aged API children after implementation of universal recommendations and school laws, and quantify ethnic-specific risk factors associated with late and incomplete vaccinations. METHODS: A multilingual questionnaire was distributed to parents of second and fourth graders in nine Los Angeles County (LAC) elementary schools with high proportions of API students. Data on Hepatitis B vaccination dates, source of health care and health information, cultural factors, and general knowledge and attitudes about HBV and vaccination were collected and analyzed. FINDINGS: Overall, 1,696 (77%) of 2,183 questionnaires were returned. Of these, 1,024 were from API children. The API second graders in this survey had a 72% coverage rate, ranging from 46% to 94% among the individual ethnic groups. Fifty-one percent of API fourth graders had three doses of Hep B vaccine, ranging from 38% to 69% among the individual ethnic groups. Factors influencing coverage levels among API fourth graders were speaking limited English at home, living in the United States less than five years, and not having discussed hepatitis B vaccination with a health care provider. Factors influencing low immunization levels differed among the API ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis and intervention on a non-aggregate level are necessary for designing both effective and cultural-specific outreach programs for diverse API communities such as LAC's.

Asian↗