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Biomedical subjects

C Curry

Publications and source records attributed to C Curry.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

A comparison of the efficacy and safety of a beta-blocker, a calcium channel blocker, and a converting enzyme inhibitor in hypertensive blacks.

A double-blind, positively controlled, forced dose titration study comparing the efficacy and safety of atenolol, captopril, and verapamil sustained release as single agents in the treatment of black patients with mild to moderate hypertension (diastolic blood pressure, 95 to 114 mm Hg) was conducted. A total of 394 patients were randomized to one of the three therapies. Mean blood pressures during a 2- to 4-week placebo treatment period (baseline) ranged from 100.4 to 100.7 mm Hg diastolic and 151.7 to 152.5 mm Hg systolic for the three groups. Of the patients, 355 (of whom 345 had assessable data) completed the first treatment period, which consisted of therapy with either 50 mg/d of atenolol, 25 mg every 12 hours of captopril, or 240 mg/d of verapamil sustained release. During the second 4-week treatment period, which 319 patients completed (307 assessable), half of the patients had their antihypertensive medication increased and the other half continued the same dose. Goal blood pressure was defined as a supine diastolic pressure of less than 90 mm Hg or a 10-mm Hg or greater drop in supine diastolic blood pressure from pretreatment levels. Atenolol, captopril, and verapamil sustained release therapy was associated with goal blood pressure achievement during the first treatment period 55.1%, 43.8%, and 65.2% of the time, respectively, and during the second treatment period 59.6%, 57.1%, and 73.0% of the time. Side effects were minimal and comparable for all three drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Expression and Secretion of a Cellulomonas fimi Exoglucanase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We used the yeast MEL1 gene for secreted alpha-galactosidase to construct cartridges for the regulated expression of foreign proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The gene for a Cellulomonas fimi beta-1,4-exoglucanase was inserted into one cartridge to create a fusion of the alpha-galactosidase signal peptide to the exoglucanase. Yeast transformed with plasmids containing this construction produced active extracellular exoglucanase when grown under conditions appropriate to MEL1 promoter function. The cells also produced active intracellular enzyme. The secreted exoglucanase was N-glycosylated and was produced continuously during culture growth. It hydrolyzed xylan, carboxymethyl cellulose, 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-d-cellobiose, and p-nitrophenyl-beta-d-cellobiose. A comparison of the recombinant S. cerevisiae enzyme with the native C. fimi enzyme showed the yeast version to have an identical K(m) and pH optimum but to be more thermostable.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Limb body wall complex: I. Pathogenesis.

Twenty-five fetuses with limb body wall complex (LBW complex) were evaluated. The diagnosis was based on two out of three of the following: exencephaly/encephalocele with facial clefts; thoraco- and/or abdominoschisis; and limb defect. Ninety-five percent (24/25) of the fetuses had associated internal structural defects. In 72% (18/25) the internal defects have been recognized as being secondary to vascular disruption. Concordance was not found between the side and location of the body wall defect versus the limb, internal, and cranial defects. In 85% there was evidence for persistence of the extraembryonic coelom by examination of the placenta. In this same group (85%) there was persistence of the ectodermal-amnion margin, with the amnion being continuous with the skin of the body wall defect. In 40% (10/25) there were tags and amniotic adhesions at other sites. There was no difference in the types or incidence of internal defects between those with and those without amniotic bands. The abnormalities in this collection and experimental animal models support vascular disruption during 4-6 weeks' gestation as an etiology for LBW complex. There is disruption and loss of existing tissues, persistence of embryonic structures, and secondary malformations. Persistence of the extraembryonic coelom may lead to the typical amniotic tags, ring constrictions, and adhesions seen in some specimens.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1987

Limb-body wall complex: II. Limb and spine defects.

Limb defects from 25 fetuses with limb-body wall (LBW) complex were evaluated to determine the mechanism of limb damage. The limb defects could be divided into 3 pathogenetic groups: (1) secondary to disruption of embryonic vessels and surrounding tissue (84%), (2) secondary to amniotic bands or adhesions (16%), and (3) deformation versus hemorrhage (44% with club feet), with some fetuses having more than one pathogenetic mechanism causing limb defects. The hypothesis that the majority of limb defects resulted from disruption of embryonic vessels was supported by the following findings: 96% of the LBW complex fetuses had limb defects; the lower limbs were at greater risk of damage than the upper limbs (28% rt arm, 52% lt arm, 60% rt leg, 72% lt leg); there was a distal to proximal progression of limb damage in 92% of the fetuses; statistical analysis of comparing the location of the most severe limb defect and the body wall defect did not find concordance between the side (p = 1.0) and the region (p = 0.18) of the body wall defect; and limb defects found in the human specimens were similar to those produced in experimental animals following disruption of embryonic vessels at a corresponding gestation. In the specimens with amniotic band related limb defects (16%), the most likely pathogenesis is mechanical rupture through the amnion in the presence of a persistent extraembryonic coelom or from adhesion of the amnion to necrotic embryonic tissue after the initial disruptive event. Club feet were present in 44% and may be due either to disruption of embryonic vessels or to deformation. Further studies are needed to resolve this question.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1987

Labetalol compared with propranolol in the treatment of black hypertensive patients.

A double-blind parallel group study was conducted to examine the effects of oral labetalol, in doses from 100 to 800 mg BID, and propranolol, 40 to 320 mg, in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. The doses of labetalol (n = 74) and propranolol (n = 79) were titrated weekly to achieve a sitting diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of less than 90 mmHg or at least a 10-mmHg decrease from placebo baseline on two consecutive visits. A 2-month fixed-dose maintenance phase followed in which a diuretic could be added if the sitting DBP was greater than or equal to 100 mmHg on maximum doses of either drug. BP and heart rate were measured 8-12 hours after a dose in the sitting and standing positions. Labetalol was significantly more effective at the end of monotherapy than propranolol was in lowering both the sitting (p less than .05) and standing (p less than .04) DBP. The reduction in the systolic, although more pronounced for those on labetalol, was not significantly different; 53% of patients had a "good" response to labetalol compared with 30% of the propranolol group. Propranolol significantly (p less than 0.01) lowered heart rate compared with labetalol. Nine patients in the labetalol group and 10 in the propranolol group required a diuretic. The decrease in BP after the addition of a diuretic was comparable. Changes in plasma lipids were not significant, but HDL increased 9% with labetalol and decreased 2% with propranolol. Triglycerides increased 25% with labetalol and 31% with propranolol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Proliferative colitis in a pet ferret.

A 4-month-old male ferret was examined because of mucus-laden diarrhea of several days' duration. The diarrhea became bloody and the ferret became progressively anorexic and lost weight. Treatment with antibiotics did not result in amelioration of clinical signs. A biopsy specimen was obtained from the colon, which was thick and turgid. Proliferative colitis associated with Campylobacter sp infection was diagnosed histologically. Because of the poor prognosis and potential zoonotic hazard associated with Campylobacter, the ferret was euthanatized.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Upper airway obstruction in infants with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a well-known entity, but its association with upper airway anomalies has not been established. We describe three patients, all of whom had fetal alcohol syndrome and upper airway obstruction. Recognition of this problem is important, as it may help to prevent serious complications such as obstructive apnea, sudden infant death syndrome, or pulmonary hypertension in these already compromised infants.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1986

Association of amyoplasia with gastroschisis, bowel atresia, and defects of the muscular layer of the trunk.

We reviewed 225 cases of amyoplasia, and the association of amyoplasia with gastroschisis and with monozygotic twinning was confirmed. In addition, an apparently increased association of bowel atresia and defects in the muscular layer of the trunk wall with amyoplasia was observed. The association of amyoplasia, monozygotic twinning, and these trunk wall defects strongly suggests that the pathogenesis of amyoplasia is linked to some type of vascular compromise.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1985

Inspection time and intelligence in dyslexic children.

Dyslexics and normal readers aged 9-11 were compared on an inspection time task. Results indicated that dyslexics required significantly longer inspection times. The findings suggested, however, that there was greater individual variation among dyslexics than among normal readers and that the dyslexics benefited from practice to a considerable extent. Inspection times were not significantly related to IQ as measured by a non-verbal test.

Attention↗
PubMed1983

The effect of unphosphorylated and phosphorylated sugar moieties on human and mouse natural killer cell activity: is there selective inhibition at the level of target recognition and lytic acceptor site?

A number of different sugars were investigated for their effect on human and mouse natural killer cell (NK)-mediated cytolysis. From the pool of nonphosphorylated sugars, D-mannose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAcGlc), D-glucose, and, to a lesser extent, beta-gentiobiose were found to inhibit human NK cytolysis. Mouse NK activity against YAC-1 target cells was reduced consistently in the presence of D-mannose and NAcGlc only. The sugars, NAcGlc, D-glucose, and beta-gentiobiose, were specifically inhibitory against NK-mediated cytolysis with no inhibitory effects being observed against ADCC, monocyte-mediated cytolysis, or CTL activity. Pretreatment and washing at either the target or effector cell level as well as direct target binding assays using Percoll-purified NK cells indicated that at least NAcGlc and beta-gentiobiose function at the recognition stage of NK cytolysis. D-Mannose, which was the most effective nonphosphorylated sugar inhibitor, was capable of inhibiting all cell-mediated cytotoxic mechanisms tested (NK, ADCC, monocyte, and CTL) and its action did not appear to be solely due to an impairment in the recognition event. All the phosphorylated sugars caused significant inhibition of human and mouse NK-mediated cytolysis, although repeated analyses of sugar titration curves consistently showed mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) to be the most effective inhibitor. Inhibition with the phosphorylated sugars was apparent against all cytotoxic mechanisms investigated. It is possible that these sugars may function as general metabolic inhibitors or may activate a common signal which negatively regulates cell-mediated cytotoxic mechanisms. Nevertheless, the relative degree of inhibition with the majority of these sugars (particularly Man-6-P) was greater against NK and ADCC activity than against monocyte and CTL activity. Furthermore, studies with selected well-characterized human and mouse NK-resistant target cells strongly indicated that these sugars, particularly Man-6-P, compete at an acceptor site responsible for the uptake of the NK lytic factor, which is independent of the recognition structure(s).

Animals↗
PubMed1975

A competitive protein binding radioassay for 17alpha-ethynylestradiol in human plasma.

A competitive protein binding radioassay system using a rabbit uterine cytosol preparation for the measurement of ethynylestradiol [EE2e] in human plasma has been developed. Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography is used for the separation of the estrogens prior to assay. EE2 levels were measured in 23 normotensive subjects on contraceptive pills containing either 50 mug of EE2 or mestranol. The EE2 values ranged from 144 to 248 pg with a mean of 211 pg (S.D. +/- 37.94). The method is sensitive enough to detect 25 pg of EE2 in plasma. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 7.54% and 10.75%, respectively. Water blanks and plasma blanks from subjects not on pills gave negligible readings for EE2.

Animals↗