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Biomedical subjects

C Cook

Publications and source records attributed to C Cook.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Self testing for diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple, economically viable, and effective means of population screening for diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: A postal request system for self testing for glycosuria with foil wrapped dipsticks. Preprandial and postprandial tests were compared with a single postprandial test. The subjects were instructed how to test, and a result card was supplied on which to record and return the result. All those recording a positive test result and 50 people recording a negative result were invited for an oral glucose tolerance test. SETTING: General practice in east Suffolk, list size 11534. PATIENTS: All subjects aged 45-70 years registered with the practice were identified by Suffolk Family Health Services Authority (n = 3057). The 73 subjects known to have diabetes from the practice's register were excluded, leaving 2984 subjects, 2363 (79.2%) of whom responded. 1167 subjects completed the single test and 1196 the two tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Response rate and number of patients with glycosuria. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of a single postprandial test and preprandial and postprandial tests. Number of new cases of diabetes identified and cost of screening. RESULTS: Of the patients completing the single postprandial test, 29 had a positive result, an oral glucose tolerance test showed that eight (28%) had diabetes, six (21%) impaired glucose tolerance, and 14 (48%) normal glucose tolerance. 44 of the group who tested before and after eating had a positive result; nine (20%) had diabetes, five (11%) impaired tolerance, and 26 (11%) normal tolerance. Screening cost 59p per subject and 81 pounds per case detected. Of the 17 people with previously undiagnosed diabetes, eight were asymptomatic and 11 had not visited their general practitioner in the past three months. CONCLUSIONS: A postal request system for self testing for postprandial glycosuria in people aged 45-70 is a simple and effective method of population screening for diabetes mellitus.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Acquisition of the functional properties of the transferrin receptor during its biosynthesis.

The properties of the newly synthesized and partially glycosylated forms of the transferrin receptor were examined to determine which co- and post-translational modifications are necessary for the acquisition of transferrin binding activity and transport of the receptor to the cell surface. The nascent transferrin receptor containing core-glycosylated asparagine-linked oligosaccharides does not possess complete intersubunit disulfide bonds, sediments predominantly as a monomer in sucrose density gradients, and shows reduced binding to transferrin-agarose. Within 20-30 min after synthesis, the transferrin receptor acquires the ability to bind to a transferrin-linked affinity column. Intersubunit disulfide bond formation occurs slowly throughout the transit of the receptor to the cell surface. These results indicate that core glycosylation of the receptor may be necessary but is not sufficient for the acquisition of the ability of the receptor to bind transferrin and that intersubunit disulfide bond formation is a post-translational event. Inhibition of complex carbohydrate synthesis by either swainsonine (1 micrograms/ml) or deoxynojirimycin (4 mM) does not inhibit the ability of this receptor to form intersubunit disulfide bonds or to be transported to the cell surface. The partially glycosylated receptor, however, does show an approximately 3-fold reduced affinity for transferrin.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1991

Intravenous recombinant soluble human thrombomodulin prevents venous thrombosis in a rat model.

Thrombomodulin is an endothelial surface thrombin receptor. Thrombin bound to thrombomodulin loses all procoagulant activity and instead activates the protein C anticoagulant pathway. We developed a recombinant thrombomodulin analog and compared the effects of recombinant thrombomodulin (100 micrograms/ea), saline (controls), recombinant hirudin (1.0 mg/kg), and heparin (100 units/kg) on thrombus formation, activated partial thromboplastin time, and tail transection bleeding time in a rat model of stasis-induced venous thrombosis. Results showed that thrombus was detected in the vena cava in six of the six rats treated with saline solution, in zero of the six rats treated with recombinant thrombomodulin (p less than 0.05), in one of six rats treated with recombinant hirudin (p less than 0.05), and in zero of six rats treated with heparin (p less than 0.05). The activated partial thromboplastin time in rats receiving recombinant thrombomodulin was slightly longer than controls (22 +/- 8 vs 37 +/- 6, p less than 0.05). The bleeding times in rats receiving recombinant thrombomodulin were approximately twice as long as controls (215 +/- 68 vs 545 +/- 173, p = 0.037). In all rats treated with recombinant hirudin or heparin, activated partial thromboplastin times were greater than 120 seconds and bleeding times were greater than 1200 seconds. We conclude that recombinant thrombomodulin inhibits venous thrombosis in a rat model with less prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time and bleeding time than heparin or hirudin.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Dosimetry of beryllium in cultured canine pulmonary alveolar macrophages.

This study was designed to determine the dosimetry within macrophages of beryllium compounds administered at sublethal doses. Information on the dosimetry of beryllium within macrophages is required to guide further efforts to isolate and characterize beryllium-containing haptens. Inhalation of beryllium aerosols can cause chronic berylliosis, a progressive, granulomatous fibrosis of the lung. Studies in laboratory animals indicate that alveolar macrophages take up beryllium compounds and participate in a hypersensitivity immune response to beryllium-containing antigen. Beagle dog macrophage cultures were incubated with 7BeSO4 in solution or with suspensions of 7BeO particles that had been calcined at 500 or 1000 degrees C. Beryllium-7 was measured in fractions collected from cultures after successive centrifugation and filtration steps at 2, 6, 20, and 48 h after addition. An insignificant percentage of BeSO4 was taken up by the cells and did not cause cytotoxicity. Maximum BeO uptake occurred within 6 h, was 60 +/- 6% of added BeO, and was independent of BeO calcination temperature or specific surface area. Approximately 22% of 500 degrees C BeO dissolved within 48 h after addition to cell culture, concurrent with 39% cell killing. Dissolved beryllium remained associated with cells until a cytotoxic concentration was reached (2.2 x 10(-5) M, 15 nmol Be/10(6) cells), when the beryllium was released into the medium. There was no significant dissolution of the 1000 degrees C BeO within 48 h, and no significant cell killing. The results indicate that beryllium dissolved from phagocytized BeO was more cytotoxic than soluble beryllium added extracellularly. The data support an interactive mechanism in which phagocytized BeO particles were dissolved, and dissolved beryllium remained associated with the macrophage until a cytotoxic concentration accumulated, whereupon the beryllium was released to the medium and not appreciably taken up by viable cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Mechanisms of toxicity of hepsulfam in human tumor cell lines.

1,7-Heptanediol disulfamate (hepsulfam, NSC 329680) is a new anti-cancer agent which is currently undergoing phase I clinical trials. The mechanism of action of this compound is not clear at this time. We have recently shown that hepsulfam was more toxic to L1210 leukemia cells than was busulfan. Consistent with the difference in toxicity, we found that hepsulfam induced DNA interstrand cross-links in L1210 mouse leukemia cells, whereas busulfan did not. In the present study, we have found that hepsulfam was more cytotoxic to two human leukemia cell lines (HL-60 and K562) and to two human colon carcinoma cell lines (BE and HT-29) than was busulfan. As in L1210 cells, hepsulfam induced a higher level of DNA interstrand cross-links than busulfan. Both compounds induced DNA-protein cross-links. Hepsulfam was also more cytotoxic to the human leukemia cell lines when the concentrations were reduced 10-fold and the duration of drug exposure was increased to 12-h This more accurately reflects the drug exposures that human leukemia cells may encounter in vivo. Under these 12-h drug exposures, hepsulfam was still able to form DNA interstrand and DNA-protein cross-links, whereas busulfan was only able to form DNA-protein cross-links. These results show that busulfan and hepsulfam react with DNA differently and that hepsulfam is a more potent cytotoxic agent.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1989

Long-term follow-up of patients with echocardiographically detected mitral anular calcium and comparison with age- and sex-matched control subjects.

One hundred seven patients with echocardiographically documented mitral anular calcium (MAC) and 107 age- and sex-matched control subjects without MAC were studied and followed for a mean of 4.4 +/- 2.4 (standard deviation) years. Fourteen (7%) patients were lost to follow-up. Compared with the control group, patients with MAC had higher frequency of precordial murmurs (p less than 0.0001), cardiomegaly (p less than 0.0001), left atrial enlargement (p less than 0.0001), and rhythm and conduction disturbances (p less than 0.0001). During the follow-up, patients with MAC had higher incidence of valve replacement (p less than 0.0025), permanent pacemaker implantation (p less than 0.0025), congestive heart failure (p less than 0.0001), thromboembolic cerebrovascular event (p less than 0.01), sudden death (p less than 0.001) and total cardiac death (p less than 0.0001). However, the frequencies of myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass surgery and angioplasty, endocarditis or noncardiac death were not significantly different between patients with MAC and the control subjects. Thus, patients with MAC have higher frequencies of precordial murmurs, cardiomegaly, left atrial and ventricular enlargement, rhythm and conduction disturbances. They more frequently undergo valve replacement and permanent pacemaker implantation, develop congestive heart failure and die of cardiac causes than age- and sex-matched control subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in elderly patients: a comparison with younger patients.

Twenty-nine patients of 287 undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) were over 65 years old. These patients, mean age 67.2 years, were compared with 258 younger patients who had a mean age of 52.6 years. The primary success rate was 76% for the older and 79% for the younger patients. The rates for vessel occlusion, myocardial infarction, emergency surgery, and restenosis were similar in the two groups. When vessel occlusion occurred the results were more serious in the elderly and led to a fatality of 7%, compared with 0.4% for the younger patients. At 6 months' follow-up, 69% of those over 65 and 74% of those under 65 showed improvement in anginal symptoms. PTCA in older patients has similar immediate and short-term results to those in younger patients. However if complications occur, older patients have a higher fatality rate.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Efficacy and plasma concentrations of SC-36602 in canine models of ventricular arrhythmia.

The antiarrhythmic effectiveness of a new class I agent, SC-36602, was evaluated in two canine models of ventricular arrhythmia. In a Harris coronary ligation-induced arrhythmia model, SC-36602 significantly reduced ectopic rate at doses of 8 mg/kg i.v. and 15, 20 and 30 mg/kg per os. In a ouabain-induced arrhythmia model, a 9 mg/kg i.v. dose of SC-36602 had a sustained (greater than or equal to 60 min) antiarrhythmic effect. The approximate plasma concentration of SC-36602 necessary for measurable antiarrhythmic activity was estimated to be 2-7 micrograms/ml after either i.v. or oral administration. No adverse cardiovascular or central nervous system effects were observed in conscious or anesthetized dogs in response to SC-36602.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1989

The neuroprotective actions of a calcium channel antagonist, flunarizine, in the infant rat.

One postulated final common pathway leading to neuronal death after hypoxic-ischemic insults is an increase in intracellular calcium concentrations. We examined the effect of pretreatment with flunarizine, a calcium channel antagonist known to pass the blood brain barrier, on the behavioral and histologic changes after an hypoxic-ischemic insult in the infant rat. The 21-d-old rats were subjected to unilateral carotid ligation, then to 2 h of hypoxia. They were pretreated with either flunarizine (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or with an equal volume of diluent. After 5 days of observation they were killed for histology. Acute behavioral abnormalities were observed in more controls than treatment animals, 52 vs 11% (p less than 0.002). Cerebral injury was almost entirely confined to the ligated side and was significantly worse in the control rats. Full thickness cortical infarction was noted in 56% of controls (n = 27) vs 4% of flunarizine-treated rats (n = 24), (p less than 0.001). Mean and maximum damage scores for all areas assessed including cortex, corpus striatum, thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus were improved markedly in treatment rats (p less than 0.005). These observations confirm that flunarizine, when given prophylactically, has a neuroprotective effect against hypoxic-ischemic injury in the developing brain.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The Escherichia coli biotin biosynthetic enzyme sequences predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the bio operon.

The nucleotide sequence of the biotin (bio) biosynthetic operon of Escherichia coli has been determined. The 5.8-kilobase region contains the five biotin operon genes, bioA, B, F, C, and D. and an open reading frame of unknown function. The operon is negatively regulated and divergently transcribed from a control region between the bioA and bioB genes. The product of the bioA gene, 7,8-diaminopelargonic acid aminotransferase, was discovered to be related to ornithine aminotransferase. The product of the bioF gene, 7-keto-8-aminopelargonic acid synthetase, was found to be similar to 5-aminolevulinic acid synthetase.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗
PubMed1988

Blast cells transfer experimental hypersensitivity pneumonitis in guinea pigs.

We previously demonstrated that experimental hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) can be transferred by lymph node cells (LNC) cultured in vitro with antigen. The purpose of this study was to identify the cells responsible for transfer and to determine if pulmonary cells can transfer HP. We cultured LNC from sensitized Strain 2 guinea pigs with a soluble extract of Micropolyspora faeni for 72 h, separated lymphoblasts from small lymphocytes, and transferred both subpopulations intravenously to syngeneic recipients. We also transferred irradiated lymphoblasts (1,500 rads), macrophage-depleted, lymphoblast-enriched populations, and pulmonary cells either without culture or after culture with M. faeni. Control animals received an equal volume of medium. All recipient animals were challenged intratracheally (i.t.) with M. faeni 48 h after the cell transfer, and they were killed 4 days after i.t. challenge. Randomly selected microscopic fields of the lung (250/animal) were judged to be normal or abnormal without knowledge of treatment. This measurement was reproducible (r = 0.95 for duplicate measurements, n = 55). All guinea pigs were maintained in HEPA-filtered air. There was a low level of pulmonary response to an i.t. challenge of M. faeni in animals that received medium. Animals that received pulmonary cells, either cultured or noncultured, did not differ from those in the control group. There was a substantial increase (p less than 0.01) in the extent of pulmonary abnormalities in the recipients of the lymphoblast population, with significant correlation (r = 0.87, p less than 0.01) between the number of lymphoblasts transferred and the extent of pulmonary abnormalities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1987

Murine autoimmune oophoritis, epididymoorchitis, and gastritis induced by day 3 thymectomy. Immunopathology.

(C57BL/6 X A/J) F1, (SWR/J X A/J) F1 and BALB/cBy mice, thymectomized on Day 3 (D3TX) or Day 7 (D7TX) or sham thymectomized (STX), were studied for immunopathologic changes in the ovary, testis, and gastric wall. In 95% of B6AF1, 100% of SWRAF1, and 35% of BALB/cBy mice ovarian disease developed, with onset at 5-6 weeks of age. Ovarian disease was not found in D7TX or STX mice. In D3TX mice, it was associated with mononuclear infiltration and ovarian follicle destruction, leading to atrophy. Epididymovasitis was detected in 70-90% of SWRAF1, 50% of B6AF1, and 64% of BALB/cBy mice after D3TX; whereas orchitis occurred in about 20% of SWRAF1 and B6AF1 mice. In some mice epididymovasitis also developed after D7TX, but not after STX. In contrast to the negative immunohistochemical findings in diseased ovaries, typical immune complex-like deposits of mouse IgG were detected by immunofluorescence along the basement membrane of epididymal ducts and seminiferous tubules. However, maximum incidence of epididymitis preceded immune complex detection. Gastritis developed in both female (57%) and male (50%) BALB/cBy mice after D3TX, occasionally after D7TX, but not after STX. Gastric mucosa was hypertrophic with dilated glands and heavy lymphocytic infiltrations throughout all gastric layers. BALB/cBy mice with gastritis usually did not have disease in the gonads, and vice versa. This study, therefore, confirms and extends the findings of Nishizuka and colleagues.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Ancillary use of folk medicine by patients in primary care clinics in southwestern West Virginia.

At three urban and three rural primary care clinics in southwestern West Virginia, 170 patients were surveyed to ascertain the current extent of the practice of folk medicine. The study revealed that folk remedies continue to be used by a diverse population actively seeking medical care. Seventy-three percent of the respondents used one or more remedies during the preceding 12 months, with a mean use of 4.46 remedies per person. In addition, both the ailments treated and the remedies used had the potential for causing serious morbidity or mortality.

Adult↗