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Biomedical subjects

W R Martin

Publications and source records attributed to W R Martin.

259 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Bronchoalveolar lavage.

The technique of BAL performed through the fiberoptic bronchoscope has, in two decades, provided clinicians and researchers with the ability to safely sample the inflammatory-immune cell milieu of the human lung. Standardized BAL and processing of the lavage constituents provides assistance in determining the optimal care of patients with a variety of lung diseases, and renders diagnosis in selected cases. It has become indispensable in the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates in immunocompromised patients, and plays an important role in improving clinical management. Finally, it continues to yield an ever increasing amount of data for the researchers studying the mechanisms and pathogenesis of lung disease. It is likely that BAL will become an even more valuable tool with increasing relevance to the practice of chest medicine in the 1990s.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thermally evoked tail avoidance reflex: input-output relationships and their modulation.

Latency to onset and magnitude (angular displacement) of thermally evoked tail avoidance reflexes (TETAR) to graded thermal stimuli were measured in pentobarbital-treated and untreated rats. The latency to onset was inversely and the magnitude was directly proportional to the thermal stimulus intensity. Pentobarbital prolonged the latency to onset of the TETAR to low by not high stimulus intensities. Activation of (-)-nicotine sensitive brainstem hyperalgesic processes shortened the latency and increased the magnitude of the TETAR. The hyperalgesic actions of (-)-nicotine were most demonstrable at lower thermal stimulus intensities. These studies suggest that the TETAR is graded in intensity as the stimulus intensity is increased and that the response evoked by different intensities of stimulus probably involve common neurophysiologic mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Positron emission tomography after MPTP: observations relating to the cause of Parkinson's disease.

The dopa analogue 6-fluorodopa (6-FD) used with positron emission tomography (PET) allows in vivo visualization of dopamine and its metabolites in nigrostriatal nerve endings. We have now found abnormal 6-FD scans in four subjects exposed to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). None had parkinsonism. The results suggest subclinical damage to the nigrostriatal pathway. This is the first direct evidence that dopaminergic impairment can exist without clinical deficits. Here we discuss this finding in the context of the hypothesis that Parkinson's disease may stem from clinically silent damage to the substantia nigra, followed by slow attrition of neurones in this region because of its particular vulnerability to cell loss as a normal consequence of ageing.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Endoscopic stenting in obstructive jaundice due to liver metastases: does it have a benefit for the patient?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The goal of this report is to describe our experience with the palliative endoscopic treatment of jaundice occurring in the setting of liver and hilar metastases of a distant primary malignancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical course of 29 consecutive patients with metastatic tumors not originating in the hepatobiliopancreatic area, who were treated by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with endoprostheses insertion. RESULTS: We achieved a complete follow-up in 24 out of the 29 patients (11 women, median age 69 years). The primary tumor site was the colorectum in 15 patients, stomach in 4, lung in 2, breast and prostate in 1 and one patient had a lymphoma. The median bilirubinemia before therapy was 16 (1.8-31) mg/dl and the median minimum serum bilirubin reached after stenting was 2.6 (0.3-11.5) mg/dl. Stent dysfunction was observed in 33.5% of the patients and stent change was necessary 13 times. The median survival after therapy was 4 (2.5-19) months for patients with colon tumors and 3 (0.5-12) months in patients with other cancers. An improvement in the quality of life was obtained in 75% of the patients after endoscopic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic stenting should be attempted even on patients with obstructive jaundice due to liver metastases.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Suspected chromium picolinate-induced rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis results from skeletal muscle injury and release of muscle cell contents into plasma. A number of etiologic factors have been reported for the condition, including strenuous exercise, weight lifting, trauma, seizure, sepsis, and alcohol and drug abuse. Hundreds of drugs also reportedly cause rhabdomyolysis. A 24-year-old body builder developed the disease after ingesting 1200 microg of chromium picolinate (6-24 times the daily recommended allowance of 50-200 microg) over 48 hours. We believe this to be the first reported case of chromium-induced rhabdomyolysis.

Adult↗