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Biomedical subjects

B Günther

Publications and source records attributed to B Günther.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Tourniquet shock in rats: effects of allopurinol on biochemical changes of the gastrocnemius muscle subjected to ischemia followed by reperfusion.

Recent data suggest that oxygen free radicals are implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic injury. This study evaluates the effects of allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor, on malonaldehyde generation, free sulfhydryl levels, oxygen consumption, and water contents of rat gastrocnemius muscles of female Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to tourniquet shock and after hind-limb reperfusion. Serum lactic dehydrogenase isozyme patterns after ligature release were also examined. Our results show that the four muscle parameters were not altered during 5 hr of ischemia, but that on hind-limb reperfusion, malonaldehyde production, SH levels, O2 consumption, and water contents were significantly altered in the control animals, but not in those pretreated with allopurinol. LDH serum patterns of the untreated animals showed the presence of all five isoforms; these were much less evident in the drug-protected rats. Our data suggest that following ischemia, the affected muscles are unable to recover their normal function when reperfusion is resumed. The subsequent damage is probably due to the generation of cytotoxic superoxide radicals formed during the XO-catalyzed transformation of hypoxanthine to uric acid on tissue reoxygenation. The severity of tissue damage is related to the duration of the ischemic episode possibly due to hypoxanthine accumulation during ischemia.

Allopurinol↗
PubMed1986

Improvement of impaired postoperative insulin action by bradykinin.

The effect of bradykinin on insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism was studied in 5 operated patients using the euglycemic insulin clamp technique and the forearm catheter technique. Insulin infusion [1.0 mU/(kg b.w. X min)] raised plasma insulin levels up to 73 muU/ml. Euglycemia was maintained by a computerized glucose infusion rate, amounting to 2.9 mg/(kg b.w. X min). Addition of bradykinin [1.5 micrograms/(kg b.w. X h)] resulted in a significant increase of the glucose infusion rate [+ 1.0 mg/(kg b.w. X min)] indicating elevated whole body glucose uptake. This was related to an enhanced forearm glucose uptake [+ 1.16 mumol/(100 g X min)]. Forearm blood flow remained stable.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Monitoring immunocompetent cells in the peripheral blood of stomach cancer patients after splenectomy and gastrectomy.

The status of lymphocyte subpopulations in splenectomized (Sx) stomach cancer patients (SCa-patients), assessed by monoclonal antibodies, has not been evaluated so far. Therefore subsets of peripheral white blood cells were monitored prior to and following surgical treatment in gastrectomized (Gx) and Sx (n = 64) as well as in non-Sx patients (n = 39). Postoperative surgical complications were more frequent in the Sx group. However, the 2-year survival rate of this group was higher than in non-Sx patients. Lymphocytes were significantly decreased in both groups of patients during the early postoperative period. Monocytes and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) increased correspondingly. A significant loss of lymphocytes and their subsets in Sx patients was observed during the 1st-3rd postoperative days as compared to the Gx only patients. The OKT4/OKT8 ratios did not differ in either group of patients, whereas the OKT3+anti-B-Ly2 ratio was significantly increased in Sx patients 1 to 3 days postoperatively.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1985

Intrinsic times in biology.

The meaning of time in the physical sciences (absolute vs. relational) is compared with the "intrinsic" times in the biological sciences. Since all organisms can be considered as "mixed regimes", the corresponding intrinsic times will be different in a mechanical similarity (organism and environment), in a biological similarity (morphometry and physiometry inside the organism), and in a transport similarity (diffusion processes at the cellular level). These three similarity criteria are based on specific postulates, and it is possible -through dimensional analysis- to obtain quantitative predictions of the numerical value for the reduced exponents of the body weight ratio (w), which can then be compared with the empirically found allometric exponent (b) of Huxley's power equation, which is expressed as a function of body weight (W). The correlation between the theoretically predicted values and the empirical findings of numerous chronological functions pertaining to living beings is satisfactory.

Biology↗
PubMed1984

Transport similarity: dimensional analysis of diffusion at cellular level.

Scale dependent variables in animals of different sizes can be studied by means of dimensional analysis and biological similarity criteria. The aim of this report is to demonstrate a transport similarity at the cellular level, based on two postulates derived from Fick's law of diffusion; the constancy of the "concentration gradient" between two compartments separated by a membrane; and the invariance of the "diffusion coefficient" of a given substance in homologous cells. A general equation for a transport similarity was deduced from these two postulates and it was then possible to calculate the corresponding "reduced exponents" as functions of body weight, which, in turn, can be compared with the empirical allometric exponents of Huxley's power equation. The biological meaning of the theoretically predicted reduced exponents of the transport similarity are discussed and the predicted values are compared with the experimental findings.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Altered hormonal activity in severely ill patients after injury or sepsis.

We studied the hormonal millieu and possibility of altered thyroid function in 25 patients in a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) who had severe life-threatening illnesses. Sixteen patients had septic complications and nine patients had multiple-system injuries. On admission to the ICU, serial measurements were begun of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), T4-binding globulin, thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]), corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH]), cortisol, prolactin, human growth hormone, catecholamine, insulin and glucose, lactate, retinol-binding protein, prealbumin, and transferrin levels. All patients initially had low normal levels of T4 (4.5 +/- 2 micrograms/dL) and T3 (55 +/- 26 ng/dL), with normal TSH levels (2.3 +/- 2.3 microU/mL) (the "low T3 syndrome"). The 11 surviving patients had their levels increase to normal before leaving the ICU (T4, 7.0 +/- 2.1 micrograms/dL; T3, 110 +/- 48 ng/dL; and TSH, no change). The 14 patients who died showed further decreases before death (T4, 2.6 +/- 2.1 micrograms/dL; T3, 30.6 +/- 23.5 ng/dL; and TSH, 0.9 +/- 0.7 microU/mL). The corticotropin, cortisol, prolactin, and growth hormone levels were normal throughout the study. Catecholamine levels were high initially and decreased in surviving patients. Epinephrine levels increased greatly in nonsurvivors before death, and the norepinephrine-epinephrine ratio decreased from 5.7:1 to 2:1. After protirelin (thyroid-releasing hormone [TRH]) stimulation, the TSH level increased either minimally or not at all in six patients who eventually died. This indicates hypothalamic-pituitary dysregulation or suppression, and altered release and/or peripheral metabolism of T4. Whether this represents a deficiency of thyroid hormone for cell and organ function remains to be established.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Substrate balances across skeletal muscle tissue in severe sepsis.

Substrate metabolism of skeletal muscle was studied by the forearm technique in eight patients with severe sepsis. The data were compared to those of 13 patients after elective surgery. In the septic group forearm blood flow was increased, but muscular utilisation of oxygen was diminished. Arterial concentrations of free fatty acids and ketone bodies were low. Thus, both only played a minor role in the supply of skeletal muscle with substrates. From the decreased production of lactate and alanine and the comparable utilisation of glucose we conclude that in the septic patients energy expenditure of skeletal muscle was mainly met by oxidation of glucose. In contrast to reduced lipolysis of adipose tissue intramuscular lipolysis may still be working since muscular production of lactate and glycerol was correlated. These findings suggest a changing pattern of arterial supply of substrates and utilisation of substrates by skeletal muscle during deterioration of clinical condition in the course of sepsis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

Superoxide radical involvement in the pathogenesis of burn shock.

The pathogenesis of burn shock syndrome involves the production of superoxide radicals which are first generated in the burned skin. They are responsible for an increase in vascular permeability with loss of plasma, which results in hemoconcentration and hypovolemia. The resulting systemic hypoperfusion leads to a generalized production of superoxide radicals and subsequent cellular damage. Prior administration of allopurinol or superoxide dismutase increases the survival rates of mice subjected to burn shock.

Allopurinol↗
PubMed1984

[Postoperative insulin resistance of lipolysis and ketogenesis using the glucose clamp technic].

In seven healthy patients we studied the influence of various doses of insulin on the substrate concentration of free fatty acids and ketone bodies on the first day after major abdominal surgery by the glucose clamp technique. Insulin was infused at a rate of 0.2 and 1.0 mU/kg bw.min for ninety minutes and thus insulin concentrations were raised twice and seven times above the basal value. Already the minimal infusion of 0.2 mU insulin/kg.bw.min lead to a significant decrease of free fatty acids and ketone bodies. Our results show that even in postoperative stress the lipolysis of adipose tissue can be reduced by minimal insulin doses.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1984

[Secondary resection in primarily omitted thyroidectomy as a prerequisite for multimodal therapy of differentiated thyroid cancers].

From 1.1. 1970 to 31.12. 1982 62 patients underwent secondary thyroidectomy. In 28.3% primary thyroidectomy was omitted due to false negative frozen section. The rate of lesions of the recurrens nerve amounted to 4.8%, the percentage of hypoparathyroidism was 3.2%. The postoperative uptake of radioiodine was 19.4 +/- 16.8%. Uptake of radioiodine and the time interval between the first and second operation were correlated.

Adenocarcinoma↗