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Biomedical subjects

C Lauer

Publications and source records attributed to C Lauer.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Reversible MM-creatine kinase binding to cardiac myofibrils.

Skinned rat papillary muscles and purified preparations of rat cardiac myofibrils were used to study the nature of the interaction of creatine kinase with cardiac myofibrils. High activity of creatine kinase (2 IU/mg protein in fibers and 0.9 IU/mg in purified myofibrils) was due mostly to reversibly bound enzyme. This activity could be removed and rebound. The process of creatine kinase rebinding was characterized by apparent Km value of 0.14 mg/ml (approximately equal to 2 X 10(6) M). Rebinding of creatine kinase to cardiac myofibrils restored the phenomenon of functional compartmentation of adenine nucleotides in myofibrillar space and restored the ability of phosphocreatine to decrease the rigor tension in the presence of MgADP. The physiological experiments with quick length changes showed that rebinding of creatine kinase to skinned papillary muscle also restored Ca sensitivity, increased maximal tension development, decreased stiffness, and restored the tension recovery after quick length changes in muscle under condition of inhibition of endogenous creatine kinase by 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. It is concluded that creatine kinase reversibly bound to cardiac myofibrils is involved in the energy supply for cardiac contraction.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1987

Sleep and dreams in eating disorders.

The results of several studies on sleep EEG and dreams in patients with eating disorders are presented and compared with the data obtained in patients with a major depression. The sleep pattern, which is characteristic of depression, could not be found in the eating disorder group. Regarding the cholinergic REM induction test, the depressive displayed a pronounced shortening of REM sleep latency. However, this biological marker, indicating a cholinergic hyperactivity in depression, could not be observed in patients with eating disorders. The content analysis of laboratory-recorded dreams yielded several differences between depression and eating disorders and also, more subtle, between anorexia and bulimia.

Anorexia Nervosa↗
PubMed1987

Hormonal and metabolic mechanisms in the development of cerebral pseudoatrophy in eating disorders.

Cranial computed tomography (CT) examinations performed on patients with schizophrenia, affective disorders or on patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa revealed morphological brain alterations. In patients with eating disorders these structural changes were characterized by enlarged ventricles and sulci. Malnourishment-induced hormonal and metabolic disturbances may be responsible for this morphological brain alteration which, due to its reversibility after clinical remission, is frequently called 'pseudoatrophy'. As patients with alcohol dependency also display a cerebral pseudoatrophy, the search for similarities between alcoholics and patients with eating disorders may help to elucidate some of the pathogenetic factors which cause the CT findings in patients with different psychiatric or psychosomatic disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa↗
PubMed1986

Comparative effects of the ionophore A23187 on the mechanical responses of muscle in normal Pietrain pigs and pigs with malignant hyperthermia.

Since increased intracellular Ca2+ is believed to be the main factor causing skeletal muscle contracture in human and porcine malignant hyperthermia, the potential effects of the ionophore A23187, which enhances intracytoplasmic Ca2+, were investigated in Pietrain pig muscles. These effects were compared with those of caffeine, known to induce dose-dependent contracture in vitro in isolated muscle from human subjects with malignant hyperthermia. For this purpose, the mechanical and biochemical actions of caffeine and A23187 were tested in intercostal muscle biopsies from 10 normal pigs and 10 with malignant hyperthermia. The results show that A23187 allowed very clear differentiation between the muscles of normal and pathological animals. In view of the wide spectrum of drug sensitivity characterizing subjects with malignant hyperthermia, it is suggested that exposure to A23187 be added to the halothane and caffeine tests currently used to detect this disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Fulminant hepatic failure due to allopurinol.

A 58-year-old Chinese woman was admitted to hospital with a presumed hypersensitivity reaction to allopurinol. Her illness was characterised by high fever, eosinophilia, exfoliative dermatitis and jaundice. She developed fulminant hepatic failure and septicemia with a fatal outcome. Clinical details are presented and the possible relationship of allopurinol hypersensitivity to renal impairment is discussed.

Allopurinol↗
PubMed1979

Burkitt's lymphoma in Australia.

Three patients with Burkitt's lymphoma have been seen at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital during the past 18 months. Following treatment, two patients are in complete clinical remission.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Pancreatic duct obstruction with an acrylate glue: a new method for producing pancreatic exocrine atrophy.

Ten dogs have been used in a study which demonstrates the feasibility of producing total pancreatic duct obstruction with alkyl-alpha-cyanoacrylate glue. Low pressure injection of glue into the pancreatic duct has led to a reproducible pancreatic atrophy with preservation of the islets. A sharp rise in serum amylase was noted in each dog, but at autopsy examination at monthly intervals after the operation, no evidence of chronic pancreatitis was observed. None of the dogs was rendered diabetic. The success of the experimental technique raises the possibility that such a technique might be useful in the management of human chronic pancreatitis as an alternative to pancreatic resection, and the operation has been performed on three patients so far.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of an ACTH/MSH(4-9) analog (HOE 427) on the sleep EEG and nocturnal hormonal secretion in humans.

The synthetic ACTH/MSH(4-9) analog HOE 427 ("ebiratide"), which is behaviorally the most potent ACTH-derived peptide but which is devoid of endocrine activity, was administered intravenously in a pulsatile mode 4 times (120 micrograms each) at 2200, 2300, 2400 and 0100 to study its effect on the sleep EEG and on concomitant hormonal secretion of cortisol and growth hormone. In comparison to placebo, the peptide produced signs of general activation associated with specific deteriorating effects on the quality of sleep. Sleep onset latency and intermittent wakefulness were increased, slow wave sleep was reduced, but only during the first 3 hours of the sleep period. The nocturnal secretory patterns of cortisol and growth hormone were unaffected by HOE 427. These effects are different from those reported in similar studies in which corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) was applied in humans, and they suggest that peripherally administered neuropeptides have specific nonendocrine behavioral effects.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of serum progesterone levels at the time of hCG on the release of ova during hMG cycles.

A study was designed to monitor release of ova by sonography in hMG-treated patients following hCG and to determine if failure to release ova correlates with critically low or high progesterone levels. This was a retrospective study of 292 consecutive patients treated with hMG. The requirement for treatment was that hCG be given when at least one follicle attained a 17-mm diameter with a serum estradiol level of at least 200 pg/mL per mature follicle. If the serum progesterone assay was greater than or equal to 1.8 ng/mL, then hCG would be given as long as there was at least one dominant follicle and a serum estradiol level greater than 200 pg/mL. The patients were divided into four groups for study based on the progesterone level at the time of hCG administration. There were no statistically significant differences in the ability to achieve ova release whether serum progesterone was very low or close to 2 ng/mL when hCG was given. The rise in the progesterone level prior to ovulation has been proposed to enhance egg release. However, the data presented herein do not support the necessity for a critical level of serum progesterone at the time of hCG injection in hMG-treated women.

Anovulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ovulation-inducing drugs versus specific mucus therapy for cervical factor.

Ovulation disorder as a possible cause of a cervical factor problem was evaluated in 30 patients with poor postcoital tests. The diagnosis of an ovulatory defect was based on follicular maturation studies included in serial pelvic ultrasonography and serial assays of serum estradiol and progesterone. Patients were divided into three groups with cervical factor presumably due to (1) immature follicular development, (2) premature luteinization, and (3) pure cervical factor. A higher pregnancy rate was achieved in the group with pure cervical factor when the therapy was directed exclusively toward improving the cervical mucus. However, a significant improvement in pregnancy rate was observed when therapy was aimed at correcting both abnormal follicular maturation and the cervical mucus problem. Combined use of pelvic sonography and quantitation of serum estradiol and progesterone allow the clinician to select the treatment for cervical factor that is most likely to achieve successful pregnancy.

Cervix Mucus↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ovulation-inducing drugs versus progesterone therapy for infertility in patients with luteal phase defects.

The efficacy of ovulation-inducing drugs (OVI) for treating infertility related to luteal phase defects (LPD) was compared with the efficacy of progesterone vaginal suppositories (PVS). Patients were divided into two groups: (1) LPD secondary to immature follicles and (2) pure LPD, in which the follicle was mature. Twenty-four of 31 women (77%) with pure LPD conceived (one aborted) during the first 6 months, compared with only 3 of 27 (11%) treated with OVI--and 2 of 3 aborted. However, in women with LPD secondary to immature follicles, 14 of 20 (70%) treated with OVI and PVS conceived (and one aborted) compared with 7 of 10 conceiving (70%) with OVI only (four aborted), and 3 of 12 conceived (25%) with PVS only (none aborted). Thus, both PVS and OVI are effective in treating LPD; follicular maturation studies help determine the proper choice. PVS appears to decrease the risk of abortion in both categories.

Clomiphene↗