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Biomedical subjects

W C Smith

Publications and source records attributed to W C Smith.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

High blood pressure in the Western Isles: a comparative study with Dundee.

A screening programme for cardiovascular risk factors in men aged 50-59 was undertaken in North Uist, and the results compared with an age- and sex-matched control group from Dundee screened as part of the Scottish Heart Health Study. Blood pressure levels were higher in the Islanders than in controls (148 +/- 20/89 +/- 10 mmHg vs 134 +/- 19/84 +/- 11 mmHg (P less than 0.001). Analysis of standard twelve-lead electrocardiograms revealed a greater prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in the Islanders (51% vs 16%, P less than 0.005), suggesting that the recorded BP differences were real and not artefacts of measurement. The explanation for the higher BP on North Uist is less clear. Environmental factors that might influence BP including body mass index, the amount of exercise taken, alcohol consumption, dietary salt and potassium intake were similar in North Uist and Dundee. By contrast, an analysis of family names in the two centres indicated a greater degree of common ancestry in North Uist (28 surnames/84 islanders v 98 surnames/110 controls, P less than 0.001). These results suggest that known environmental causes of hypertension are not responsible for higher BP amongst men of North Uist, and this with the data on family names raises the possibility that genetic factors are more important.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed1988

Surgical treatment of Menière's disease since Thomsen.

The effects of Thomsen's 1981 report of a controlled double-blind study on the surgical treatment of Meniere's disease were studied by reviewing the current literature and Thomsen's subsequent reports. The current surgical literature was found to contain reasonable support for the continued use of endolymphatic shunt procedures despite the criticism of such procedures by Thomsen. Surgical therapy for Meniere's disease continues to be divided into auditory sparing or conservative procedures and auditory ablative or destructive procedures. Conservation procedures are important because approximately 30% of patients with Meniere's disease progress to bilateral involvement. Endolymphatic sac procedures continue to be classified as conservative. Important findings in the current literature are reports of long-term follow-up of patients after sac surgery. These question the long-term control of hearing loss but support the use of the procedure due to its low morbidity and consistent control of vertigo. Other authors have described the different types of endolymphatic procedures and confirm their equal effectiveness. The results of middle fossa and retrolabyrinthine vestibular neurectomy were also reviewed, and its continued control of vertigo were affirmed. The increased number of severity of complications (compared with endolymphatic shunt procedures) were noted. Finally, a strategy for surgical treatment of Meniere's disease, beginning with the patient with uncontrollable vertigo, is presented.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Pre-weaning supplementary feed and porcine post-weaning diarrhoea.

Attempts were made to induce an intestinal hypersensitivity response to weaner diet by feeding pigs with small quantities of this material before weaning. In two trials using different weaner diets piglets subjected to this regimen showed no significant differences in small intestinal structure, in ability to absorb xylose, in bodyweight gain, in incidence of diarrhoea or excretion of enteropathogens after weaning compared with pigs not given any of the diet before weaning, or fed with a different diet before weaning. When post-weaning diarrhoea occurred it was associated with an earlier, more prolonged and greater proliferation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in the small intestines than occurred in healthy pigs after weaning. The greater proliferation in pigs which developed diarrhoea could not be attributed either to an excessive dietary intake after weaning, or to a specific proliferation of rotaviruses.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Identification and characterization of a heterogeneous population of growth hormone receptors in mouse hepatic membranes.

Covalent cross-linking of radiolabeled mouse growth hormone (125I-mGH) with the homobifunctional cross-linking agent bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate (BS3) to microsomal membranes prepared from late pregnant mouse liver resulted in the labeling of three specific mGH binding proteins (receptors) with apparent Mr = 125,000, 62,000, and 56,000, as measured by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. These same three specifically labeled proteins were present, but with slightly lower apparent molecular weights, when samples were electrophoresed in the absence of reductant. Cross-linking of 125I-mGH to plasma membrane-enriched fractions of late pregnant mouse liver resulted only in the specific labeling of the two lower molecular weight receptors. Removal of all N-linked carbohydrate with peptide: N-glycosidase F resulted in decreasing the apparent molecular weights of the three receptor forms to 110,000, 50,000, and 46,000 for the 125,000, 62,000, and 56,000 molecular weight forms of the receptor, respectively. Smaller decreases in the molecular weights of all three receptor forms were also apparent after treatment with neuraminidase. However, the differences seen in the intact forms of the growth hormone receptor were also present in the deglycosylated receptors. The relationship between the three forms of the growth hormone receptor was further investigated by comparing the fragments produced by proteolytic digestion of the cross-linked receptors with Staphylococcus aureus protease and endoproteinase Lys-C. The fragments produced from all three receptor forms had very similar molecular weights, although there were slight molecular weight differences in the fragments produced by endoproteinase Lys-C digestion. The overall similarity of the fragments produced by the proteolytic digestions suggests that the three forms of the receptor are related.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

International differences in coronary heart disease mortality and consumption of fish and other foodstuffs.

The relationship between fish consumption and coronary heart disease mortality was investigated using data on foodstuff consumption and mortality from 21 countries. A moderate negative association was found which appeared stable over different periods. This association disappeared when the effects of other foodstuffs were controlled for in multiple regression analysis. One feature to emerge was the anomalous position of Japan in consumption of several foodstuffs. Inclusive or exclusion of this country from regression analysis had a powerful effect on which independent variables entered the model. This illustrates the danger of using single countries, for example Japan with a high fish consumption and low CHD mortality, to support causal hypotheses about diet and disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Coronary heart disease and water hardness in Scotland--is there a relationship?

Scotland has a mortality rate from coronary disease which is one of the highest in the world. There is also a considerable variation in this mortality rate within Scotland. Data on water hardness throughout Scotland have been collected from Regional Water Authorities to see whether variations in coronary mortality rates can be explained by variations in water hardness. Analysis demonstrates a much weaker negative association than has been demonstrated in studies in other countries. The geographical variation in coronary mortality rates in Scotland cannot be explained by variations in water hardness, and weak association between these in Scotland is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Asymptomatic rupture of a rudimentary uterine horn.

Pregnancy in a noncommunicating rudimentary uterine horn frequently results in rupture. Uterine rupture may cause a massive intraperitoneal hemorrhage, necessitating operative intervention to control bleeding. The following is a report of an unusual patient who had an asymptomatic rupture of a rudimentary horn.

Adult↗