[Local lysis therapy in renal artery thrombosis].
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Heart Diseases↗
Biomedical subjects
B Braun
Publications and source records attributed to B Braun.
Seeding of enzymatically derived and subcultivated canine endothelial cells on fibrous polyurethane vascular prostheses.
Fibrous polyurethane (FPU) prostheses with or without fibronectin coating and gelatin impregnation and FPU prostheses with or without fibronectin coating were seeded with 4.8 x 10(5) subcultivated dog endothelial cells per cm2 prosthesis. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) prostheses with and without fibronectin coating served as controls. The numbers of cells retained on uncoated polyurethane prostheses were minimal but increased with fibronectin coating and/or gelatin impregnation. Adhering cells were predominantly round in shape and few cells were seen stretched over the prosthetic fibres. Optimum numbers of cells were found in prostheses impregnated with gelatin and coated with fibronectin, where almost all the cells were stretched forming a confluent monolayer. In ePTFE prostheses only minimal numbers of cells were retained but in the fibronectin-coated prostheses a high cell count was noted. Gelatin-impregnated and fibronectin-coated FPU prostheses, as well as ePTFE prostheses coated with fibronectin, were additionally perfused in vitro after seeding under nearly physiological conditions for 1 h. Cells in the FPU prostheses were still present after perfusion, whereas all the cells in the ePTFE prostheses were lost from the inner surface. It is concluded that FPU prostheses impregnated with gelatin and coated with fibronectin are a suitable substrate for subcultivated endothelial cells to be seeded on. The cells remained at the surface even after 1 h in vitro perfusion with tissue culture medium under nearly physiological conditions. Further research including in vivo implantations is indicated.
Animals↗
Characterization of two porcine proinsulin reactive monoclonal antibodies by immunostaining of beta-cells in pancreatic sections of different species.
Murine monoclonal antibodies against porcine proinsulin were generated by somatic cell hybridization. As detected by radioimmunoassay, 2 monoclonal antibodies KSPI14D4 and KSPI13G10 showed a strong binding to 125I-labelled porcine proinsulin but not to insulin. The species specificity of these 2 monoclonals was found to be different as shown by indirect immunofluorescence using sections of Bouin-fixed pancreata of different species. The KSPI14D4 recognized the proinsulin of pig, mouse, man, cattle, rat, dog, and cat but not that of guinea pig, whereas the KSPI13G10 bound to porcine proinsulin only. From these results it is concluded that KSPI14D4 effectively recognizes a wide-spread epitope located in one of the insulin-C-peptide junctions of the proinsulin molecule, whereas KSPI13G10 is directed to a species-specific epitope of the porcine connecting peptide.
Animals↗
Phytochrome evolution: a phylogenetic tree with the first complete sequence of phytochrome from a cryptogamic plant (Selaginella martensii spring).
We have sequenced cDNA and genomic clones coding for phytochrome of the fern Selaginella. On the amino acid level, this phytochrome shares sequence homologies with phytochromes of higher plants which range between 62 (phytochrome B of Arabidopsis) and 55 (56)% [phytochrome C of Arabidopsis (Avena)]. Introns in the Selaginella gene are short and occupy positions known from phytochrome sequences of higher plants. A rooted phylogenetic tree based on mutation distances puts Selaginella phytochrome closest to the hypothetical ancestor. A similar tree arises if the tree is constructed with partial sequences (about 200 amino acids) around the chromophore attachment site. An extension of this tree by sequences of other cryptogamic plants (Mougeotia, Ceratodon, Psilotum) shows all these sequences including those of the phytochromes B and C of Arabidopsis on a branch, well separated from the branch formed by phytochromes known to accumulate in etiolated plants. The rooted phytochrome phylogenetic tree, however, is difficult to reconcile with the fossil record.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
[Diffuse cholangiofibromatosis--incidental findings in sonography, ERCP and laparoscopy].
Diffuse cholangiofibromatosis is a rare and asymptomatic abnormality. Its clinical significance results from problems that occur in differential diagnosis to granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, multiple microabscesses or diffuse tumour infiltration of the liver, when it is incidentally found in ultrasound, ERCP or laparoscopy. The characteristic findings in these examinations are described in two case reports. The ultrasonic pattern of multiple intrahepatic double structures, microcystic areas and surrounding hyperechoic reflexes are in accordance with multiple intrahepatic microcystic and hazy areas in ERCP x-rays and multiple white-yellowish areas that retract liver surface in laparoscopy. Final diagnosis is confined by the characteristical microscopic finding of von Meyenburg-complexes in liver biopsy.
Bile Duct Neoplasms↗
Muscle function after exercise-induced muscle damage and rapid adaptation.
This brief review focuses on the time course of changes in muscle function and other correlates of muscle damage following maximal effort eccentric actions of the forearm flexor muscles. Data on 109 subjects are presented to describe an accurate time course of these changes and attempt to establish relationships among the measures. Peak soreness is experienced 2-3 d postexercise while peak swelling occurs 5 d postexercise. Maximal strength and the ability to fully flex the arm show the greatest decrements immediately after exercise with a linear restoration of these functions over the next 10 d. Blood creatine kinase (CK) levels increase precipitously at 2 d after exercise which is also the time when spontaneous muscle shortening is most pronounced. Whether the similarity in the time courses of some of these responses implies that they are caused by similar factors remains to be determined. Performance of one bout of eccentric exercise produces an adaptation such that the muscle is more resistant to damage from a subsequent bout of exercise. The length of the adaptation differs among the measures such that when the exercise regimens are separated by 6 wk, all measures show a reduction in response on the second, compared with the first, bout. After 10 wk, only CK and muscle shortening show a reduction in response. After 6 months only the CK response is reduced. A combination of cellular factors and neurological factors may be involved in the adaptation process.
Adaptation, Physiological↗
Attenuation of contraction-induced skeletal muscle injury by bromelain.
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Animals↗
A randomized trial of the cost effectiveness of VA hospital-based home care for the terminally ill.
All admissions to a 1,100-bed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital were screened to identify 171 terminally ill patients with informal caregivers who were then randomly assigned to VA hospital-based team home care (HBHC, N = 85) or customary care (N = 86). Patient functioning, and patient and caregiver morale and satisfaction with care were measured at baseline, one month, and six months. Health services utilization was monitored over the six-month study period and converted to cost. Findings included no differences in patient survival, activities of daily living (ADL), cognitive functioning, or morale, but a significant increase in patient (p = .02) and caregiver (p = .005) satisfaction with care at one month. A substitution effect of HBHC was seen. Those in the experimental group used 5.9 fewer VA hospital days (p = .03), resulting in a $1,639 or 47 percent per capita saving in VA hospital costs (p = .02). As a result, total per capita health care costs, including HBHC, were $769 or 18 percent (n.s.) lower in the HBHC sample, indicating that expansion of VA HBHC to serve terminally ill veterans would increase satisfaction with care at no additional cost.
Activities of Daily Living↗
[Hantavirus nephritis: endemic in the Reutlingen area].
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Antibodies, Viral↗
Phytochromes and bacterial sensor proteins are related by structural and functional homologies. Hypothesis on phytochrome-mediated signal-transduction.
Phytochrome and bacterial sensor proteins are related by functional and structural homologies. They are both sensors of environmental stimuli and share structural homologies which comprise a domain of about 250 amino acids (about 28 kg.mol-1). This domain is C-terminal in phytochromes and in several bacterial sensor proteins. In both groups of sensors this domain undergoes conformational changes which are caused by the N-terminal part sensing the stimulus. In the case of bacterial sensors, the conformational alteration is, regulated by additional proteins, conferred to a corresponding regulator protein which then acts on transcription. The coincidences between the two groups of sensors are striking enough to assume phytochrome to transduce signals in a way comparable to the bacterial two-component systems.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Failure to obtain long-term patency after implantation of fibrous polyurethane prostheses in the carotid arteries of rabbits.
Fibrous polyurethane prostheses were implanted in the carotid arteries and aortae of New Zealand white (NZW) and Chinchilla (CHIN) rabbits. No immediate post-implantation patency was obtained after implantation in the carotid arteries in NZW rabbits. In CHIN rabbits patency up to 1 week was obtained after carotid implantation. Attempts to increase patency rates by administration of 20 mg/kg body weight/day of both dipyridamol (DIP) and acetyl-salicylic acid (ASA) p.o., starting the week before implantation, had an adverse effect; prostheses became occluded within a few hours after implantation. Coagulation tests (Lee and White, Am J Med Sci 145:495-503, 1913) carried out with blood drawn from CHIN rabbits revealed hypercoaguability after administration of either 10 or 20 mg/kg body weight/day of both DIP and ASA compared to pre-medication values. Prostheses implanted in the aortae of both strains remained patent without anti-platelet-aggregation therapy for a 3-month observation period. It is concluded that in the NZW rabbit carotid implantation was not successful due to severe spasmic reactions and that in CHIN rabbits only very short-term patency could be obtained both with and without administration of 10 or 20 mg/kg body weight/day medication DIP and ASA.
Animals↗
Effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on exercise performance, VO2max, and lipid peroxidation in trained cyclists.
The effects of dietary supplementation with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a reputed performance enhancer and antioxidant, on physiological and biochemical parameters were examined. Ten male bicycle racers performed graded cycle ergometry both before and after being given 100 mg per day CoQ10 or placebo for 8 weeks. Analysis of variance showed a significant difference between groups for postsupplementation serum CoQ10. Although both groups demonstrated training related improvements in all physiological parameters over the course of the study, there were no significant differences between the two groups (p > .05). Both groups showed a 21% increase in serum MDA (an index of lipid peroxidation) after the presupplementation exercise test. After 8 weeks this increase was only 5%, and again was identical for both groups. Supplementation with CoQ10 has no measurable effect on cycling performance, VO2max, submaximal physiological parameters, or lipid peroxidation. However, chronic intense training seems to result in marked attenuation of exercise-induced lipid peroxidation.
Adult↗
Hirudin--a potential stabilizing factor for platelet preservation in transfusion.
The influence of additional hirudin in low doses on platelet and coagulation parameters was studied in platelet concentrates (PC) prepared by cytapheresis using citrate-dextrose solution formula A. The in vitro release of platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin was markedly lowered and morphological platelet alterations, as assessed by platelet size studies were considerably less accentuated in the presence of hirudin over a 5-day storage period; this suggests a possibly protecting effect on platelet function. No clear activation of the coagulation and fibrinolysis system was evident during PC storage with and without hirudin since thrombin-antithrombin III complexes and D-dimers did not markedly change.
Blood Coagulation↗
Historical reliability: a key to differentiating populations among patients presenting signs of multiple personality disorder.
The clinical value of inconsistencies in the historical data of patients presenting with signs of multiple personality disorder was assessed. Three major inconsistencies in historical data were identified in 23 patients who were admitted to a Dissociative Disorders Program with a diagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder. This group showed psychological disturbance that was quite different from 23 patients with a similar discharge diagnosis but who did not exhibit inconsistencies in history. The former group reported less psychological disturbance and fewer dissociative experiences. Patients who are less credible by virtue of inconsistencies in their historical reports may belong to a different diagnostic group. The findings point to the need to chart history carefully in authenticating genuine cases.
Adult↗
The validity and predictive value of four assessment instruments for evaluation of the cervical and stomatognathic systems.
Four assessment instruments--a 10-item cervical pain questionnaire, a 10-item TMJ pain questionnaire, the Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) instrument, and the Craniomandibular Index--were used to evaluate 25 consecutive patients presenting to a physical therapy clinic for evaluation and treatment of cervical hyperextension-hyperflexion injuries. The assessment tools were tested for internal consistency between the cervical and stomatognathic measures as well as between the two sets of measures. The cervical questionnaire was strongly correlated to the CROM measurements. Tenderness to palpation of the superficial neck muscles was not correlated to the cervical questionnaire nor to measures of cervical flexion-extension or lateral flexion. It was, however, correlated to cervical rotation. The TMJ questionnaire was a useful predictor of muscular tenderness and self-reported symptoms in the stomatognathic system, but it was not related to the intra-articular signs of TMD. The flexion-extension and rotation measures of cervical mobility were useful predictors of masticatory muscle tenderness. These assessment tools are valid indicators of cervical or stomatognathic status and, when used together, provide a comprehensive description of jaw and neck status.
Humans↗
Comparison of different prothrombin complex concentrates--in vitro and in vivo studies.
The potency and tests for thrombogenicity were studied prospectively in 7 different (two lots of each brand, A-G) prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC). Human albumine (H) and a factor IX concentrate (I), served as controls. The potency of coagulation factors and inhibitors varied considerably. Two brands (E, F) contained no protein S, additionally one brand contained no protein C. Two preparations exhibited high amidolytic activities, especially towards the thrombin-sensitive chromogenic substrate S-2238, in vitro. These activities could be quenched in part by the addition of hirudin or antithrombin III. The heparin and antithrombin III content of the PCCs was significantly different, and, after addition of antithrombin III an increase of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes in 2 preparations (B, D) was observed in vitro. Additionally, three brands (B, D, F) caused more severe cardio-pulmonary reactions in rabbits, associated with an increase of fibrin split products for brands B and D. We conclude that the use of these preparations in patients, in whom an acquired protein C or S defect, or a hypercoagulable state, can be suspected, cannot be recommended.
Animals↗
[Myelolipoma of the adrenals--a chance sonographic finding].
A markedly echogenic and sharply marginated suprarenal mass was found incidentally during an abdominal sonography in the case of three patients. One female patient died due to a mesenterial infarct, in the other cases the tumors were removed surgically. In two cases the histological diagnosis indicated a myelolipoma of the adrenal gland, in one case an angiolipoma attached directly to the adrenal. Myelolipoma is a benign and hormone-inactive tumorous lesion, which most commonly occurs in the adrenal gland. Knowledge of the clinical and sonomorphologic characteristics along with computed tomography helps to distinguish other tumors of the retroperitoneum. Thus, unnecessary surgical intervention can be avoided.
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
Experimental dermatophytosis in nude guinea pigs compared with infections in Pirbright White animals.
With this investigation we wanted to compare the suitability of two different strains of guinea pigs to evaluate topical antifungals after experimental Trichophyton mentagrophytes infection. The "hairless"-strain was compared with the hairy Pirbright White strain. The infection areas were treated with a skin retention test (application before infection) and two sets of therapy tests (application after infection). In the retention test the different antimycotic compounds led to better gradations. Also, in the two sets of therapy tests the gradations among the compounds were more clearly and more comparable to published results of clinical trials. In the histological investigations the infections in the "hairless" animals developed in a way which is known from dermatophytoses in human skin. In the Pirbright White strain, however, due to the adjacent hair roots, a marked inflammatory reaction of the tissue persisted for 3 weeks which is not observed on human skin of the trunk and extremities. We, therefore, consider the "hairless" strain of guinea pigs to be more suitable than hairy animals for the comparison of topical antimycotics.
Animals↗