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Biomedical subjects

A P Manning

Publications and source records attributed to A P Manning.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Differential effect of 5 alpha-reductase inhibition and castration on androgen-regulated gene expression in rat prostate.

Castration reduces prostate size and causes intraprostatic testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to fall to very low levels. 5 alpha-Reductase inhibition also reduces prostate size, but results in a marked increase in intraprostatic T levels. To compare the effects of 5 alpha-reductase inhibition and castration on prostate physiology, male Sprague-Dawley rats were left intact, castrated, or given the selective 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride for up to 9 days. To be sure that finasteride itself did not directly affect gene expression, an additional group of rats was castrated and given finasteride for 4 days. The prostates were weighed, intraprostatic RNA, DNA, and androgen levels were measured, and mRNAs for two androgen-regulated genes, prostate steroid-binding protein (PSBP; an androgen-induced gene) and testosterone-repressed prostate message (TRPM-2), were quantitated by Northern and slot blot analyses. Finasteride caused a 95% reduction in intraprostatic DHT levels and a 10-fold increase in intraprostatic T levels. Finasteride, as expected, caused a pronounced decrease in prostate weight (45% on day 4). DNA content fell correspondingly (48% on day 4). Intraprostatic DNA (micrograms of DNA per gland) on day 4 was 328 +/- 53 in control rats, 171 +/- 10 in finasteride-treated rats (P less than 0.001 compared to controls), 115 +/- 2 in castrated rats (P less than 0.05 compared to finasteride), and 107 +/- 43 in finasteride-treated plus castrated rats (P = NS compared to castration alone). There were no significant differences in DNA levels among the groups when expressed per mg prostate tissue, indicating that mean prostate cell size was unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors

Adverse reactions to sulphasalazine and 5-amino salicylic acid in the same patient.

We report a patient who developed sulphasalazine-related hepatitis with a subsequent adverse reaction to rectal 5-amino salicylic acid, in the form of pain and fever without associated liver dysfunction, suggesting reactions to both components of sulphasalazine. Included is a review of the literature. Caution should be observed when prescribing 5-amino salicylic acid to sulphasalazine-intolerant patients.

Adult

Towards positive diagnosis of the irritable bowel.

A questionnaire to establish the presence of 15 symptoms thought to be typical of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was given to 109 unselected patients referred to gastroenterology or surgery clinics with abdominal pain or a change in bowel habit or both. Review of case records 17--26 months later established a definite diagnosis of IBS in 32 patients and of organic disease in 33. Four symptoms were significantly more common among patients with IBS--namely, distension, relief of pain with bowel movement, and looser and more frequent bowel movements with the onset of pain. Mucus and a sensation of incomplete evacuation were also common in these patients. The more of these symptoms that were present the more likely was it that the patient's pain or altered bowel habit, or both, was due to IBS. We conclude that a careful history can increase diagnostic confidence and reduce the amount of investigation in many patients with chronic abdominal pain.

Abdomen

Colonscopy for investigation of unexplained rectal bleeding.

215 colonsocopic examinations were performed on patients with rectal bleeding whose cause had not been determined by barium enema. The probable or definite source of the bleeding was diagnosed in 41% of cases. 13% had a carcinoma, 14% had one or more colonic polyps, 7% had previously unrecognised inflammatory bowel disease. The remainder had various other colonic conditions. The source of bleeding was twice as likely to be found by colonoscopy in patients presenting with frank rectal blood-loss as in those with occult blood. A carcinoma was found twice as often in those patients with diverticular disease as in those without this condition. A lesion was discovered in the majority of patients who had had two or more negative barium enemas. These results emphasise the importance of rectal bleeding as a symptom of colonic abnormality and the value of colonscopy in its investigation in patients where the results of radiology are negative.

Colitis

Variability of colonic function in healthy subjects.

Twenty healthy subjects eating normal diets made repeated five-day stool collections, the 10 females making their collections in four to six successive weeks. In most subjects there were striking variations in transit time, measured by Hinton's method. The variability of average faecal wet and dry weight, faecal volume, and the frequency of defaecation was equally great, suggesting that the transit time variations were genuine. The size of individual stools varied even more, often tenfold or more. Faecal water content was relatively constant. There were no significant differences between males and females, and in the females there were no obvious changes related to the phases of the menstrual cycle. The normal variability of colonic function should be taken into account in planning experiments and in interpreting existing data.

Adolescent

Wheat fibre and irritable bowel syndrome. A controlled trial.

Twenty-six patients with irritable bowel syndrome entered a controlled trial of diets with a high or low wheat-fibre content. After 6 weeks on the high-wheat fibre regimen there was significant improvement in symptoms and an objective change in colonic motor activity. No such improvement occurred on the low-fibre regimen. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome should be encouraged to increase their daily intake of wheat fibre.

Adult

Preparation of the large bowel for endoscopy.

After the use of a number of varied purgation regimens for precolonoscopy preparation of the bowel and use of X-Prep liquid for the purgation phase in 500 patients with a very high success rate and low side-effects, we have found that this preparation provides the best results, both for the patient and the endoscopist.

Castor Oil

Effect of pectin on serum lipids and lipoproteins, whole-gut transit-time, and stool weight.

Pectin (12g daily with meals) was taken by twelve healthy men aged 22-45 (mean 25 yr) for 3 weeks. This produced a statistically significant mean decrease in total serum-cholesterol of 0.48 +/- 0.18 mmol/1 (+/- S.E.M.)--i.e., 7.9 +/- 2.6%. The decrease was largely due to a reduction in serum-low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol of 0.45 +/- 0.19 mmol/1 accompanied by a fall in serum-apolipoprotein-B of 0.11 +/- 0.04 g/1. During pectin administration wet stool weight increased from 150 +/- 10 to 186 +/- 15 g/24 h. There was no clear change in total serum-triglycerides, serum very low density lipoproteins, or in whole-gut transit-time.

Adult

How trustworthy are bowel histories? Comparison of recalled and recorded information.

One hundred and fifty hospital outpatients were questioned about their bowel habits and then asked to record these in diary booklets for two weeks. Overall, recalled and recorded figures for frequency of defecation agreed fairly closely, but in 16% of patients there was a discrepancy of three or more bowel actions per week. This was usually an exaggeration of the difference from the norm of one a day. Patients were bad at predicting episodes of changed bowel frequency. These findings cast doubt on the value of population surveys of bowel habit based solely on questionnaires. They also suggest that the irritable bowel syndrome might be correctly diagnosed more often if patients were routinely asked to record their bowel actions.

Adult

Lack of effect on blood lipid and calcium concentrations of young men on changing from white to wholemeal bread.

1. When nineteen "free-living" male students, who normally ate 231 (SEM 14) g white bread/d changed to wholemeal bread for a 19-week period, there was no significant change in body-weight, plasma cholesterol or plasma triglyceride levels. These values, as well as plasma concentrations of calcium, phosphate, urate and haemoglobin, remained essentially the same as those for a control group. 2. Increasing the wheat-fibre intake by eating wholemeal bread is not an effective method for reducing blood lipids levels, at least in healthy young men with a moderate bread intake.

Adult

The effect on intestinal transit and the feces of raw and cooked bran in different doses.

Ten healthy male subjects on a low fiber diet were given two doses of raw wheat bran (12 and 20 g/day) and two doses of cooked bran (13.2 and 22 g/day). Both doses of raw bran increased fecal dry weight but only the higher dose decreased transit time and increased stool volume. Individual stool size was increased only by raw bran 12g/day. Neither bran influenced fecal wet weight or stool frequency. This study suggests that the cereal manufacturing process alters wheat bran so that cooked bran has less effect on the intestine than does a comparable amount of raw bran.

Adult