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At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Herbal diuretics revisited: from "wise women" to William Withering.

This contribution summarizes the use of herbal diuretics over the period of two thousand years. After describing the role of herbs in the framework of the theory of the balance of humors for well-being, it details the contributions of Pliny the Elder (23-79), Dioscorides (40-90), Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), Pietro Andrea Matthioli (1500-1577), and Leonard Fuchs (1501-1566) in providing increasingly more precise descriptions and illustrations of medicinal plants. Then, William Withering's (1741-1799) scientific analysis of the use of foxglove for the treatment of dropsy is presented, taking into account the role peasant "wise women" played in his discoveries and the role of "folklore medicine" before him.

Digitalis↗
PubMed2007

A history of the kidney in plasma cell disorders.

BACKGROUND: The kidneys are commonly injured in plasma cell dyscrasias. METHODS: We reviewed the pertinent medical literature related to the historical development of clinical nephrology and diagnostic renal pathology; early case reports of patients with plasma cell disorders; and historical descriptions of multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, and the renal disorders that are associated with these conditions. RESULTS: Medieval uroscopists recognized proteinuria, and in 1827 Richard Bright first linked proteinuria to both dropsy (edema) and the autopsy finding of chronically diseased, scarred kidneys. In the 1840s, Henry Bence Jones and William Macintyre described a peculiar form of proteinuria in a middle-aged English grocer with fragile, tumor-riddled bones; this proteinuria became known as 'Bence Jones type'. It was initially believed that Bence Jones proteins were harmless to the kidney, but after 1899 (when myeloma cast nephropathy was recognized), investigators observed numerous renal injury patterns associated with plasma cell dyscrasias. Gross observations of 'waxy degeneration' or 'lardaceous change' in organs including the kidney yielded to the misnomer 'amyloid' in 1854, when iodine staining suggested to Rudolf Virchow that the strange material present in these conditions was a form of starch or cellulose. During the 20th century, biochemists and physicians carefully studied patients with myeloma, in order to better define the nature and structure of normal and pathological immunoglobulins. CONCLUSION: Historical understanding of the kidney in plasma cell disorders reflects developments in understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the kidneys in health and in disease.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1994

John Blackall (1771-1860): failure to see the obvious in dropsical patients with coagulable urine?

Despite his success in publishing a book which was widely read and which drew attention to the fact that some cases of dropsy are associated with coagulable urine, John Blackall failed to make the link between this phenomenon and disease of the kidneys. Thus, to Richard Bright must go the credit for providing the critical understanding of the phenomenon. The single most probable reason for Bright's success and Blackall's failure was that Bright carried out post mortem examinations of almost all of his patients. In addition, Bright was ruthlessly systematic in documenting his autopsy findings, and not least was the fact that he possessed the rare talent of being objective in looking at his data, without being influenced by the preconceptions of the times.

Edema↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of the twin-twin transfusion syndrome: initial experience using laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy.

This paper describes our initial experience with laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) for the treatment of the twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). This procedure was utilized in four pregnancies-three monochorionic twin pregnancies and one triplet pregnancy (20-26 weeks of gestation)-with severe TTTS with fetal dropsy, polyhydramnion of the acceptor, and anhydramnion of the donor. In vitro examinations of placental tissue had shown that laser coagulation can be monitored by sonography, hence we used this method for the first time in these four pregnancies. Blood vessels connecting the two umbilical cords were determined prior to the treatment using a new ultrasound color technique which is highly sensitive and capable of representing slow blood flow velocities. A 1.2 mm thick puncture needle was then directed to the shunt under on-line ultrasound control. All patients had an anterior wall placenta. The laser fiber was inserted via this thin needle. A coagulation time of 2-3 min was necessary at 3 W. In the one twin pregnancy the intrauterine fetal death of the smaller child occurred 10 weeks after LITT, the other child survived and is healthy. A cesarian section was necessary in another twin pregnancy 1 week after LITT due to the intrauterine death of the smaller child. In the third twin pregnancy, the donor, who had already had distinct bradycardia prior to the treatment, died immediately after LITT. The intrauterine fetal death of the donor in the triplet pregnancy occurred 3 days after LITT once the volume of amniotic fluid had basically returned to normal. The tragic intrauterine death of the uninvolved child occurred 13 weeks later as a result of umbilical cord strangulation, the surviving child is healthy. All four pregnancies were severe and advanced cases of TTTS with a very poor prognosis, leaving us with no other alternative to the described method of treatment. The instruments we used are a lot thinner than those utilized for fetoscopic laser treatment to date. Furthermore, it is not necessary to penetrate the amniotic sac in patients with an anterior wall placenta; intraplacental vessels can be coagulated, and the laser energy required for LITT is also much lower. In our opinion these advantages justify the utilization of LITT under more promising conditions than those described above.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The pharmacological potential of Sorbus commixta cortex on blood alcohol concentration and hepatic lipid peroxidation in acute alcohol-treated rats.

The effect of Sorbus commixta cortex, a traditional herbal medicine used for the treatment of bronchitis, gastritis and dropsy, on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and hepatic lipid peroxidation was examined in acute alcohol-treated rats. A 30-min pretreatment with a methanol extract of S. commixta cortex (SC) at concentrations higher than 200 mg kg(-1) resulted in a significant decrease in BAC and the ethyl acetate fraction (SE) of the extract showed the highest potency, with a maximum of a 46% decrease at 150 mg kg(-1) 2 h after alcohol administration (3.0 g kg(-1)) compared with the control group (P < 0.005). The rapid reduction in BAC did not appear to be due to the protection or activation of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity by SE. Hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased by acute alcohol administration within 6 h, although pretreatment with the SE caused a significant decrease in MDA levels compared with alcohol treatment alone. Hepatic glutathione (GSH) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity remained unchanged by alcohol, SE alone or by the combined treatment of alcohol and SE. However, catalase activity was significantly reduced by acute alcohol administration and pretreatment with the SE led to significant protection of its activity. These results suggest that pretreatment with SE reduces hepatic lipid peroxidation by decreasing the bioavailability of alcohol and its oxidative metabolites, such as H2O2, at least partly, through the protection of hepatic catalase in acute alcohol-treated rats.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1976

Effects of tetraacetyl-bis-dehydroascorbic acid, a derivative of ascorbic acid, on Ehrlich cells and HeLa cells (human carcinoma cells).

Derivatives of ascorbic acid were synthesized, and the studies were made on their effects in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells, in regard to the inhibition and the prolongation of survival time as well as on the morphological degeneration in HeLa cells. In a model infection study carried out by using tetraacetyl-bis-dehydroascorbic acid in dd mice infected with Ehrlich cells, it was proved that the prolongation of survival time was nearly double in comparison to the control group mice. Also, it was noted that hypertrophy due to abdominal dropsy and body weight were reduced much more than in the control group. From these results, the inhibiting effect of tetraacetyl-bis-dehydroascorbic acid was confirmed. While in the case of DHA and other derivatives, almost no inhibition and prolongation of survival time were observed. As for HeLa cells in a tissue culture, tetraacetyl-bis-DHA, in a dosage of 125-250 mug/ml, demonstrated definitely its morphological degeration. After 125 mug/ml of tetraacetyl-bis-DHA was added to a tissue culture solution of HeLa cells, the cells were washed and recultured. No growth of the cells was observed. Consequently, this substance was confirmed to be anti-HeLa substance with a low toxicity.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Iridovirus infections in farm-reared tropical ornamental fish.

A systemic viral infection in both gourami Trichogaster spp. and swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii and an outbreak of lymphocystis in scalare Pterophyllum scalarae and gourami are reported to have occurred in fish reared in ornamental fish farms in Israel. The systemic infection developed in endothelial cells that became hypertrophic and their contents were modified. The presence of such cells in light-microscopically examined stained smears and sections provides an initial indication for this systemic viral infection. Infection in gourami caused hemorrhagic dropsy. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images of iridovirus-like particles recovered from gouramies showed them to be 138 to 201 nm from vertex to vertex (v-v); those from swordtails were 170 to 188 nm v-v. TEM images of lymphocystis virions from scalare were 312 to 342 nm v-v and from gourami 292 to 341 nm v-v. Lymphocystis cells from the gourami were joined by a solid hyaline plate, which was lacking in the infection in scalare where the intercellular spaces between the lymphocystis cells consisted of loose connective tissue.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Protective effects of 5,4'-dihydroxy-3',5'-dimethoxy-7-O-beta-D -glucopyranosyloxy-flavone on experimental hepatic injury.

AIM: To investigate the pharmacological effects of rice flavone (5,4'-dihydroxy-3',5'-dimethoxy-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy-flavone, RF) separated from panicle-differentiating to flowing rice on rat experimental hepatic injury. METHODS: Models of rat acute hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) administration, rat hepatic fibrosis induced by thioacetamide, injury of primary cultured rat hepatocytes induced by CCl(4), respectively, were established. After treated with RF, content of serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and albumin (Alb), hyaluronic acid (HA), the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and hydroxyproline (Hyp) were measured and liver tissue was observed pathologically by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Effects of RF on pathological changes, function index, enzyme of scavenging free radicals and blood rheology were evaluated. RESULTS: In model of rat acute hepatic injury induced by CCl(4), RF can significantly decrease the contents of serum ALT, AST, increase the content of Alb, improve the dropsy and fat denaturalization of hepatocytes. In model of rat hepatic fibrosis induced by thioacetamide, RF can inhibit the increase of HA, Hyp and whole blood viscosity, and improve the activities of GSH-Px and SOD, and inauricular microcirculation. CONCLUSION: RF has apparent protective effects on hepatic injury by increasing activity of GSH-Px and SOD, scavenging free radicals produced by CCl(4), reducing blood viscosity, and improving microcirculation and blood supply.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Preparation and activity of conjugate of monoclonal antibody HAb18 against hepatoma F(ab')(2) fragment and staphylococcal enterotoxin A.

AIM: To prepare the conjugate of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) protein which is a bacterial SAg and the F(ab')(2) fragment of mAb HAb18 against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and identify its activity in order to use SAg in the targeting therapy of HCC. METHODS: MAb HAb18 was extracted from the abdominal dropsy of Balb/c mice, and was purified through chromatography column SP 40HR with Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system. The F(ab')(2) fragment of mAb HAb18 was prepared by papainic digestion method. The conjugate of mAb HAb18 F(ab')(2) fragment and SEA was prepared with chemical conjugating reagent N succinimidyl 3 (2-pyridyldithio) propionate (SPDP) and purified through chromatography column Superose 12 with FPLC system. The molecular mass and purity of each collected peak were identified with SDS-PAGE assay. The protein content was assayed by Lowry's method. The antibody activity of HAb18 F(ab')(2) against HCC in the conjugate was identified by indirect immunocytochemical ABC method, and the activity of SEA in the conjugate to activate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was identified with MTT assay. RESULTS: The IgG mAb HAb18 was extracted, and purified successfully. Immunocytochemical staining demonstrated that it reacted with most of HHCC cells of human HCC cell line. There were two peaks in the process of purification of the prepared HAb18 F(ab')(2) SEA conjugate. SDS-PAGE assay demonstrated that the molecular mass of the first peak was about 130 ku, and the second peak was the mixture of about 45 ku and a little 100 ku proteins. The immunocytochemical staining was similar in HAb18 F(ab') (2) SEA conjugate and HAb18 F(ab') (2), i.e.the cytoplasm and/or cell membranes of most HHCC cells were positively stained. The MTT assay showed that the optical absorbance (A) value at 490 nm of HAb18 F(ab') (2) SEA conjugate was 0.182 +/- 0.012, that of negative control was 0.033 +/- 0.009, and there was significant difference between them (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SPDP is a good protein conjugating reagent and can be used in preparing protein conjugate. The conjugate of mAb HAb18 F(ab') (2) fragment and SEA protein was prepared successfully in present study and can be used in the experimental study of HCC targeting therapy with the conjugate of SAg and anti HCC mAbs or their fragments.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

[Importance of supplementary testing for diagnostic proficiency at the bedside].

Two patients are described who were originally published in Reports of medical cases (1827; 1831) by Richard Bright. The first patient suffered from haematuria and oedema (dropsy) and died after acute epiglottitis. At autopsy the kidneys were swollen and haemorrhagic (acute glomerulonephritis in present terms). The second patient died after two episodes of acute headache and decreased consciousness. At autopsy an aneurysmatic dilatation of a brain artery was found. Today the diagnosis of acute glomerulonephritis or subarachnoid haemorrhage would have been made from the history and physical examination, and newly developed laboratory and histological techniques would have been helpful in securing it. But even nowadays, clinical skills are still continually expanding by feedback from new diagnostic techniques.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

[From the library of the Dutch Journal of Medicine: Richard Bright (1789-1858) and his 'Reports of Medical cases'].

At the beginning of the 19th century, medicine underwent an important metamorphosis. The emphasis shifted from function to structure, and from organism to organ. This went hand in hand with the development of the physical examination. The founders of the new movement were Italian and French. In Great Britain, Richard Bright (1789-1858) was an important pioneer. In his books Reports of medical cases, published in 1827 and 1831, with many colour plates, Bright correlated clinical features with morphological changes found at autopsy. He became most famous for showing the relationship of dropsy, coagulable urine and kidney changes. Acute glomerulonephritis is named after him. With Addison and Hodgkin he contributed to the fame of Guy's Hospital in London.

Eponyms↗
PubMed1999

The Mexican poppy poisons the Indian mustard facts and figures.

Argemone seeds are mixed with mustard seeds either accidentally or purposefully, and, ingestion of this contaminated oil can lead to often fatal "epidemic dropsy". The liver, heart, kidney and lungs are the major target organs of the toxins (the alkaloids, sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine) and damage is mostly caused by free radical (singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical) to the cell membranes. Treatment at present is mainly symptomatic but therapy with anti-secretory agents for glaucoma and anti-oxidants/free radical scavengers for systemic manifestations appear to be logical.

Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury↗
PubMed2001

Tumours and cancers in Graeco-Roman times.

In Graeco-Roman times all tumours (Greek: onkoi, abnormal swellings) were considered to be of inflammatory origin, the result of unfavourable humoural fluxes, and caused by an extravascular outpouring of fluid into tissue spaces. The neoplastic nature of tumours is a more recent concept, barely two centuries old. In Hippocratic literature tumours were mainly classified as karkinômata, phumata, and oidêmata. Phumata included a large variety of tumours, inflammatory and neoplastic in origin, and mostly benign (in modern terms), while oidêmata were soft, painless tumours and even included generalised oedema (dropsy). Although all categories possibly included occasional cancers, the vast majority of what appears to have been malignant tumours were called karkinoi karkinômata (Latin: cancrum/carcinoma). There was, however, no recognition of benign and malignant, primary and secondary tumours, in the modern sense.

Greek World↗
PubMed1994

[Causes of death of the host of no. 2 Chu Grave in Baoshan, Jingmen, Hubei Province: a preliminary study].

On the bamboo slips found in the No. 2 Chu Grave unearthed in Baoshan, Jingmen, Hubei Province in 1986, there were records about its host, Shao Tuo, consulting a sorcerer for his disease from March 4 (Chu Calendar) 317 B.C. to May 7th (Chu calendar), 316 B.C. As a result of textual research on the name of disease recorded as heart disease, lower heart disease and abdominal heart disease; the symptoms such as short breath, upper abdominal distension and dropsy; the characteristics of the disease such as sudden and intermittent onset, more and more severe condition, relatively rapid death and so on, it is considered that Shao Tuo died of cardiac disease. The two possible reasons why Shao Tuo suffered from cardiac disease are also discussed.

China↗
PubMed2003

[Infrared sweat secretion stimulation as a means of homeostatic correction in patients with kidney dysfunction].

The clinical and laboratory investigation was done on 40 patients with kidney disfunction (glomerulonefritis), treated by standard medicines with regulary infrared total body heating (from 15-20 to 40 min) daily during 10 days. Control group of 37 patients, was treated only by standard medicines. The thermochambers construction forces the possibility of normal temperature air breathing under the radial skin heating to 50-60 degrees C. It was shown, that hypertensions, dropsy manifestation and nitrogen contents in blood significantly decreased in comperison with the control group of patients. The positive effects in laboratory dates was shown in 65%; the subjective reports--in 100% patients. These data may be conformed to widley using infrared chamber procedures for combinative drugs and thermal treating patients with kidney disfunction.

Body Temperature↗
PubMed2001

[On the etymology and the semantics of the medical term: Istiska'].

This article deals with the etymology and semantics of the term istiska' which was interpreted as cirrhosis in some studies. The meaning of the term in the old medical texts and dictionaries was studied by quoting examples from original sources. It is concluded that istiska was used for dropsy, that is, an abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in tissue or in a cavity of a body, such as the abdomen, pleura, thorax, peritoneum etc.; and in the 19th and 20th centuries it meant hydrax and, was used as the prefix hydr- or hydro-. The text also describes the various forms of istiska' found in the Turkish terminology.

Edema↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sir Robert Christison (1797-1882): a neglected founder of nephrology.

Although Robert Christison (1797-1882) of Edinburgh was one of the three main pioneers of modern nephrology along with Bright and Rayer, his name much is less well known than his compatriots, even in his native Scotland. Amongst many contributions to an amazingly wide variety of medical fields in a long and distinguished career, he confirmed and extended Bright's work on the nature and origins of albuminuria and dropsy, showed that these states might be completely reversible, suggested a relationship between acute nephritis, large white and granular kidneys, discovered the basis for understanding uremia whilst applying chemistry to the study of blood and urine in patients with renal disease, described and quantified the anemia of renal failure for the first time, made early microscopical examinations of the kidney and urine, and finally described the syndrome of acute renal failure from intrinsic renal involvement in response to outside noxious stimuli or poisons. Today, it is not easy to discern why he has been so overlooked. Possibily, the fact that he had such an enormous output in other fields, particularly pharmacology and jurisprudence, on which his fame principally rests today, whilst he studied renal diseases for only 25 years of his long career. In addition, only one year after his own book on granular kidney was published, Pierre Rayer brought out his enormous treatise and even though he quoted Christison's results, subsequently tended to be cited even by British physicians. Finally, he left no school of pupils to honour and advertize his achievements to subsequent generations.

History, 18th Century↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Postoperative analgesia with nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs in children].

The purpose of the case-study was to evaluate the efficiency of non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs (NAD) for postoperative analgesia in children after small-scope surgical interventions. Diclofenac, 1 mg/kg per day administered as rectal suppositories or intramuscular injections after initial narcosis, was used for postoperative analgesia in children of the main group; postoperative analgesia made by analgin and promedol in the control group was compared with the former. Forty-seven children and 10 children with identical diseases like groin hernia, varicocele and dropsy of testicular membranes, were respectively in the main and control groups. Clinical examinations and registration of functional parameters were made in patients during certain time periods, i.e. before surgery (in the standing and lying postures) and after surgery (in 20 minutes, as well as in 1, 2, and 3 hours after surgical interventions). The efficiency of postoperative analgesia was evaluated by means of cardiointervalography according to Bayevsky method as well as by a state of central hemodynamics and by clinical examinations, including the visual-analogue 10-point scale and the 0-4 point verbal pain assessment scale. The postoperatively obtained data revealed a pronounced misbalance between the main and control groups, which is indicative of that the application of NAD for preventive and postoperative analgesia in children improves essentially the postoperative course and contributes to a fast rehabilitation of patients. A comparative analysis of the efficiency of postoperative analgesia by the discussed drugs showed that diclofenac possesses a sufficient analgetic activity and is free of any side-effects inherent in narcotic analgetics.

Administration, Rectal↗