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Biomedical subjects

A Solana

Publications and source records attributed to A Solana.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Prospective study of artificial anal sphincter and dynamic graciloplasty for severe anal incontinence.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dynamic graciloplasty and artificial anal sphincter are two options for refractory incontinence, the efficacy of which was compared in a prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 1966 and June 1998, 16 patients were operated on (artificial anal sphincter 8, dynamic graciloplasty 8). Four consecutive operations with each technique were performed by two colorectal surgeons (one initiated the study with the neosphincter and the other with dynamic graciloplasty). Two independent observers assessed postoperative results at 4-month intervals. Patients were followed up to January 2001, with a median (interquartile range) of 44 (13) months and 39 (15) months for the nesophincter and the dynamic graciloplasty, respectively. RESULTS: Fourteen patients had complications. In the immediate postoperative period; there were eight cases of wound healing-related problems (four in the graciloplasty group). Perineal infection occurred in one patient in the graciloplasty group. At follow-up there were 11 complications (6 in the neosphincter group). Four patients undergoing neosphincter implantation had erosion or pain at the cuff site and had the implant removed (a new device was reimplanted in one). Four patients undergoing dynamic graciloplasty had the stimulator removed. Postoperatively the neosphincter was associated with a significantly lower score on the continence grading scale of the Cleveland Clinic Florida than graciloplasty. CONCLUSION: The artificial anal sphincter is a more convenient technique than dynamic graciloplasty for institutions treating small number of patients. However, technical failures and complications during follow-up that require reoperation are very high in both types of treatments.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Inactivation of bovine herpesvirus 1 in semen using a hyperimmune egg yolk semen extender.

Hyperimmune egg yolk semen extender was used for the inactivation of bovine herpesvirus (BHV-1) in experimentally infected bovine semen. As much as 5 x 10(4) TCID50/ml of virus was inactivated in semen as assayed by tissue culture. Moreover the hyperimmune egg yolk semen extender did not produce any adverse effect on the quality of the semen after being frozen/thawed in comparison with normal egg yolk semen extender (P > 0.05). The hyperimmune egg yolk semen extender is considered an important tool for containing the spread of BHV-1 from infected semen.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of the effects of different trypsin treatments on semen quality after BHV-1 inactivation, and a comparison of the results before and after freezing, assessed by a computer image analyzer.

Semen infected experimentally with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (BHV-1) was treated with trypsin at concentrations of 0.30%, 0.25% and 0.15%, with or without (w or w/o) trypsin inhibitor in order to render the semen virus free. The trypsin treatments (at 0.30% and 0.25% by concentration) inactivating the virus up to 10(4) TCID50/ml, and its effects on semen quality were assessed weekly from the 1st to 20th week after being frozen. The following parameters were determined using a computerized semen analysis system (Hamilton Thorn motility analyzer, HTM): total motility, progressive motility and linearity of sperm cells. The results showed that the total and progressive motility of sperm cells were reduced in frozen/thawed semen, principally in the semen treated with trypsin at concentrations of 0.30%. Moreover, the plasma membranes were damaged by trypsin treatments (0.30% by concentration), as determined by the hypoosmotic swelling test (HOS test). These findings suggest that trypsin treatments were effective against the virus however the effects on semen quality and the possibility of a decrease in semen fertility were clear. Trypsin treatment could be recommended at a maximum concentration of 0.25% (w/o trypsin inhibitor) on semen with a high concentration and high motility values of spermatozoa before freezing.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Can digital examination substitute anorectal manometry for the evaluation of anal canal pressures?

INTRODUCTION: Anorectal manometry provides objective information on the sphincter function of the anal canal. However, in many centers sphincter function is evaluated by digital examination, due to the unavailability of manometry. OBJECTIVE: A study is made to correlate the sensitivity and specificity of a quantitative digital examination in the analysis of sphincter tone with the pressures recorded by manometry, and to examine the capacity of both techniques to discriminate continent subjects and incontinent patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 191 patients were divided into three groups: control (C), obstructive defecation (OD) and fecal incontinence (FI). Subjective quantitative digital evaluation of anal tone was performed on a scale of 0 to 5 points at rest, and 0 to 10 points at squeeze. A correlation analysis was performed, and the sensitivity and specificity of each fecal incontinence diagnostic test was determined. RESULTS: Digital examination found rectal tone to be diminished in elderly patients. A significant correlation was established between the digital and manometric tone readings, both at rest and at squeeze. Both techniques showed a low anal sphincter pressure in the FI group versus the C and OD groups. Differences in tone were recorded between the C and OD groups with manometry, but not with digital examination. The latter was in turn found to be more sensitive but less specific than manometry in differentiating between fecal continence and incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: Although digital examination does not substitute anorectal manometry, a good correlation exists between the two techniques. In this sense, digital examination may afford an approximate clinical evaluation of some fecal continence mechanisms in those centers where manometry is not available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Anorectal function in patients with complete rectal prolapse. Differences between continent and incontinent individuals.

AIMS: A study is made of the alterations in anorectal physiology among rectal prolapse patients, evaluating the differences between fecal continent and incontinent individuals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with complete rectal prolapse were divided into two groups: Group A (8 continent individuals) and Group B (10 incontinent women), while 22 healthy women were used as controls (Group C). Clinical exploration and perineal level measurements were performed, along with anorectal manometry, electrophysiology, and anorectal sensitivity to electrical stimuli. RESULTS: The main antecedents of the continent subjects were excess straining efforts, while the incontinent women presented excess straining and complex deliveries. Pathological perineal descent was a frequent finding in both groups, with a hypotonic anal canal at rest (p < 0.001 vs controls) and at voluntary squeezing (p < 0.001 vs controls). In turn, the incontinent patients exhibited a significantly lower anal canal pressure at rest than the continent women (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between Groups A and C in terms of pudendal motor latency, though latency was significantly longer in Group B than in the controls (p < 0.01). Moreover, pudendal neuropathy was more common, severe and often bilateral in Group B. There were no differences in rectal sensation to distention or in terms of the volumes required to relax the internal anal sphincter. In turn, both prolapse groups exhibited diminished anal canal and rectal sensitivity to electrical stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with rectal prolapse exhibit a hypotonic anal canal at rest, regardless of whether they are continent to feces or not. Continent patients have less pudendal neuropathy and therefore less pressure alterations at voluntary sphincter squeeze than incontinent individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Exposure of gilts in early gestation to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

Twenty-five gilts without measurable serum antibody titres to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) were identified and 16 were inoculated with PRRSV at seven, 14 or 21 days of gestation and killed 20 to 22 days later to determine the effect of the virus on their embryos. The remaining nine gilts were not exposed to PRRSV, but were killed at the same stages of gestation. The gilts were observed for clinical signs of infection and the gilts and their embryos were tested for PRRSV and homologous antibodies. The infection was demonstrated by the re-isolation of the virus and its detection by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in serum and other tissue samples from the inoculated gilts, and also by seroconversion. However, the gilts remained healthy throughout the study, except for one which was depressed and anorexic for two days. Two of the litters from the gilts challenged with PRRSV on day 14 of gestation contained one and three infected live embryos; the other embryos from these two litters did not contain detectable virus, although most of the embryos in one of the litters were dead. The other nine litters from the gilts challenged with PRRSV and the control litters, showed no evidence of infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Semen changes in boars after experimental infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus.

Eleven boars seronegative to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) were trained for semen collection: five boars were inoculated intranasally with 6 x 10(6)TCID(50)/ml of PRRSV (Group A); four boars were inoculated intranasally with 6 x 10(4)TCID(50)/ml (Group B); and two boars were used as uninfected control (Group C). Semen samples were collected at 7-d intervals from 49 d prior to experimental inoculation with PRRSV to 70 d after inoculation, and were examined for sperm volume, sperm concentration, sperm morphology, sperm motility and for the presence of PRRSV. The infection in boars was demonstrated by the reisolation of PRRSV from the serum of all inoculated boars. Rectal temperatures and general health of the boars were clinically normal throughout the trial. Differences were observed in the quality of semen collected from boars after experimental infection with PRRSV. This infection induced a significant decrease in sperm motility and in spermatozoa with normal acrosomes. Of the semen samples tested for virus isolation in swine alveolar macrophages PRRSV was only isolated in 1 boar from Group B. The virus was detected in an additional semen sample in Group A by the production of an antibody titer in a biological assay. All attempts to detect PRRSV by RT-PCR in semen samples were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, from our study it is possible to suggest that the PRRSV can occasionally be transmitted in the semen during the initial phase of the disease.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Anorectal sensitivity in patients with obstructed defaecation.

Patients with obstructed defaecation (OD) perform major defaecatory efforts that lead progressively to pudendal motor neuropathy. Anorectal sensory function in these patients and its possible influence in the pathogenesis of the disease have been little studied. In the present paper we investigated anorectal sensitivity to electric and thermal stimuli in patients with OD, and studied the possible existence of pudendal sensory neuropathy associated to their known pudendal motor neuropathy. Forty subjects were divided into two groups: 21 healthy controls (11 females and 10 males; mean age 51.8 +/- 11 years, range 33-67) and 19 patients with OD (18 females and 1 male; mean age 48 +/- 15 years, range 20-71). The patients with OD suffered constipation and an obstruction sensation upon defaecating, even in the case of soft stools. Clinical perineometry, manometry, pudendal motor latency studies, external anal sphincter single fibre electromyography and the evaluation of sensitivity to electric and thermal stimuli were carried out in all cases. All pudendal motor function parameters showed statistically significant differences between the two groups. In the controls the electrical sensitivity threshold was minimal in the mid anal canal, where sensory receptor presence is greater. Sensitivity was significantly higher in the upper and lower anal canal regions (P < 0.05), and much higher in the rectum (P < 0.001). A similar sensory profile was recorded in the patients with OD, though with significantly higher thresholds at all points with respect to the controls. The thermal stimulus thresholds in the lower and middle anal canal were significantly smaller than in the upper canal region and rectum, and the thresholds were again higher among the patients with OD than among the controls. In all cases the thresholds for heat were lower than for cold stimuli. In both groups the motor function parameters were correlated with the sensory function variables, and the latter between themselves. Patients with OD presented sensory deterioration at all points studied in the anal canal and rectum. Sensory pudendal neuropathy was found to be associated with the pudental motor neuropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Effect of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) on development of porcine fertilized ova in vitro.

Fertilized pig ova, collected from 14 estrus-synchronized gilts 32 h after presumed ovulation were microinjected or cultured for 72 h in Beltsville Embryo Culture Medium-3 with or without Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV). To detect virus in the samples, virus isolation of swine alveolar macrophage, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction and Fluorescent Antibody techniques were employed. Microinjection or incubation of embryos with PRRSV did not significantly inhibit development of the porcine embryos in vitro when compared with that of controls (P = 0.75 and P = 0.14, respectively). Although either 10 to 20 TCID50 were microinjected or large concentrations of virus were used for embryo exposure by incubation, PRRSV was not detected in association with the embryos. It is concluded based on the experiments reported here that 4- to 16-cell stage pig embryos are not susceptible to productive infection with PRRSV in vitro.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Phylogenetic relationships of european strains of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) inferred from DNA sequences of putative ORF-5 and ORF-7 genes.

The complete ORF-5 gene and a fragment of the ORF-7 gene from 14 different European porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) isolates were amplified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and their nucleotide sequences were determined. The ORF-7 gene displayed nucleotide and amino acid identities of 94.1-99.6% and 95.3-100% among isolates from different countries. The ORF-5 gene showed higher nucleotide (87.1-99.2% identity) and amino acid (-88% identity) variability. The resulting sequences were aligned with other European and North American PRRSV strains and phylogenetic relationships among these strains were established by the maximum parsimony method. The phylogenetic trees inferred from both genes were in agreement and showed that European and North American PRRSV strains clearly represent two different genotypes. According to both trees, there is a perfect correlation between strains and the countries in which they were isolated. Additionally, the phylogenetic position of European and North American PRRSV strains within the recently proposed family Arteriviridae was also analyzed.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Rapid and high sensitivity test for direct detection of bovine herpesvirus-1 genome in clinical samples.

A procedure for direct detection of the BHV-1 genome in clinical samples, including semen, was developed. The method is based on the PCR amplification of a highly conserved DNA fragment within the glycoprotein gI sequence of the virus (323 bp between nt 1491 to nt 1814). The method is rapid and highly specific for all 27 subtypes assayed, which are included in the clinical and genetically different groups of BHV-1. The viral origin of the PCR product was assessed by Southern hybridization, with an internal probe. The method for DNA isolation from clinical samples included a fast extraction procedure with Chelex 100 resin allowing the loading of larger amounts of DNA in the PCR and in turn increasing the sensitivity of the method of detection. The level of sensitivity achieved by PCR was in the range of 1 TCID(50). This PCR assay may be an useful tool for BHV-1 monitoring in semen banks at low cost.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Prevalence of pudendal neuropathy in fecal incontinence. Results of a prospective study.

PURPOSE: A prospective study was made of the prevalence and associations of pudendal neuropathy in 96 patients with fecal incontinence (72 females and 24 males). METHODS: Clinical exploration, perineal level measurement, anorectal manometry, and electrophysiologic evaluations (pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (PNTML) and external sphincter fiber density (FD)) were performed. RESULTS: Pudendal neuropathy (defined as PNTML > 2.2 ms or FD > 1.65) was found in 67 patients (69.8 percent) and was more common in females (75 percent) than in males (50 percent; P = 0.05). Pudendal neuropathy was also more frequent in patients with pathologic perineal descent (85 percent vs. 55 percent; P < 0.01) or exhibiting risk factors such as difficult labor or excessive defecatory straining (P < 0.01). Perineal level at staining correlated inversely with both PNTML and FD (P < 0.01). Manometric findings suggested greater external anal sphincter damage in patients with pudendal neuropathy than in those suffering fecal incontinence but no neuropathy (P < 0.05). Pressure caused by the striated anal sphincter was also inversely correlated to PNTML. Pudendal neuropathy was encountered in 37 of 33 (58.7 percent) patients with sphincter injury vs. in 31 of 33 (93.9 percent) patients with idiopathic fecal incontinence (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Pudendal neuropathy is an etiologic or associated factor often present in patients with fecal incontinence. In this sense, clinical, perineometric, and manometric findings correlate with pudendal neuropathy, though such explorations do not suffice to detect it.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Rapid and sensitive detection of the bovine viral diarrhea virus genome in semen.

A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) procedure was developed for the detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in cell culture supernatant and in bovine semen. Several sets of primers, PCR conditions and extraction methods were examined to optimize the procedure. A set of primers designed to amplify a highly conserved portion of the p80 gene from BVDV (corresponding to NADL strain sequence from bp 6668 to 7107), was demonstrated to be the most effective. These oligonucleotide primers consistently amplify a 440-bp fragment from several non-cytopathic and cytopathic biotypes of BVDV. The viral origin of the PCR products was assessed by sequencing. The introduction of a Sephacryl S-400 chromatography step to remove seminal inhibitors prior to RNA extraction permitted RT-PCR detection of BVDV in raw and extended semen samples. A maximum sensitivity of 0.4 TCID50 was achieved with this method using RNA extracted from tissue supernatants. This RT-PCR assay may be a useful tool for the detection of BVDV in semen of persistently infected bulls.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Direct detection of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus by reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

A method for direct detection of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus was developed, based on reverse transcription of the viral RNA coupled to DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction. A set of primers was designed from Lelystad virus sequence within ORF 7 encoding nucleocapsid protein. From seven Spanish field isolated strains the 312 bp amplified fragment was cloned and sequenced. Alignment with Lelystad virus sequence revealed a 96-97% homology. A maximum sensitivity of 6.7 TCID50 was achieved with the reported procedure in experimentally infected swine alveolar macrophages cultures. The sensitivity obtained in crude clinical samples from experimentally infected 3-weeks old pigs was approximately 10(2) TCID50. High specificity for the PRRS virus was demonstrated for the method, as none of the seven common swine virus assayed rendered DNA amplification product.

Animals↗