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Biomedical subjects

D L Faulk

Publications and source records attributed to D L Faulk.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Determination of total protein concentration and viscosity of synovial fluid from the tibiotarsal joints of horses.

Viscosity of synovial fluid (SF) from 29 clinically normal horses was determined by use of a rotational cone and plate microviscosimeter. Total protein concentration in the SF of the 29 horses, as measured with a refractometer, was less than 2.5 g/dl. When the Coomassie brilliant blue test was used to determine total protein concentration in SF for 15 horses, the mean value was 1,088 mg/dl. Viscosity values at 60, 30, 12, 6, 3, and 1.5 revolutions/min (rpm) spindle speed were 4.41 +/- 1.54 centipoise (cp), 5.29 +/- 1.94 cp, 6.76 +/- 2.76 cp, 8.52 +/- 4.27 cp. 10.41 +/- 6.30 cp, and 13.07 +/- 9.05 cp, respectively. Synovial fluid viscosity increased with decreasing rpm and shear rate, but the shape of the curve for each horse fitted the asymptotic curve. The rotational cone and plate microviscosimeter was an accurate instrument in measuring SF viscosity at multiple rpm or shear rates in horses. The values obtained on clinically normal horses in this study will serve as a baseline for comparison in the evaluation of horses with joint disease.

Animals

Surgical treatment in familial visceral myopathy.

In a kindred with a familial visceral myopathy, seven patients had operations seeking relief of chronic abdominal pain and other symptoms of intestinal obstruction; one patient had an 80% cystectomy and a Y-V-plasty of the bladder neck for urinary retention. Five patients with megaduodenum had bypass operations; a side-to-side duodenojejunostomy was done in four and a retrocolic gastrojejunostomy in one. Two of these died of postoperative complications, and one developed symptomatic adhesions. Two other patients who had duodenojejunostomy have done well for 6 years and 1 1/2 years respectively. One patient with dilation of the distal jejunum and proximal ileum had relief of intestinal obstructive symptoms from jejunostomy to decompress the destal jejunum. One patient who had a resection of the descending and sigmoid colon for sigmoid volvulus has done well for four years. Three of these seven patients developed peritonitis postoperatively, and two had symptomatic adhesions after operations. Duodenal aspiration from a patient who developed postoperative peritonitis grew E. coli, 10(13) colonies per ml. After review of the results of operations in other families and in our kindred, we favor side-to-side duodenojejunostomy in megaduodenum. Duodenal aspirate must be cultured before operation. Evidence of bacterial overgrowth in the aspirate should prompt appropriate antibiotic treatment to reduce the likelihood of sepsis.

Abdomen

Effects of some autonomic drugs on duodenal smooth muscle.

Longitudinal muscle strips (LMS) and circular muscle strips (CMS), 2 mm wide and 1.5--2 cm long, from opossum duodenum were exposed to some autonomic agonists. The cholinergic agonists, acetylcholine, carbachol, methacholine, and bethanechol stimulated only tonic contractions in LMS and tonic followed by phasic contractions in CMS. These effects were abolished by atropine 10(-6) M. The ED50S of all cholinergic agonists for LMS were significantly lower than for CMS. Norepinephrine caused initial contraction (abolished by phenoxybenzamine, 10(-4) M), followed by relaxation (abolished by propranolol, 10(-5) M), and isopropylnorepinephrine caused relaxation (abolished by propranolol, 10(-5) M) in both layers. There were no differences in relative potencies for adrenergic agonists between the layers. Tetrodotoxin did not affect the response to adrenergic agonists. Thus, the potency of cholinergic agonists is greater in longitudinal than in circular muscle, and the layers respond differently to cholinergic agonists. The alpha-adrenergic receptors mediate contraction and beta-adrenergic receptors mediate relaxation on the duodenal smooth muscle.

Acetylcholine

Idiopathic chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Use of central venous nutrition.

Patients with idiopathic chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction suffer from malnutrition because of inability to maintain adequate oral intake without the development of obstructive symptoms. We have successfully used central venous nutrition in two patients with this syndrome, both on a short-term and long-term home-maintenance basis. Hyperalimentation can provide adequate nutrition in patients with intestinal pseudo-obstruction until normal bowel function returns or until definitive therapy for this chronic disease is found.

Child

A familial visceral myopathy.

A kindred contained at least 18 members with visceral myopathy. Sixteen had symptoms of chronic obstruction of the gastrointestinal or urinary tracts. Of six patients with megaduodenum on contrast roentgenograms, two were asymptomatic. Four patients had redundant colon on barium enema, and four had megacystis. Specimens from duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon, or urinary bladder from five patients showed thinning and extensive collagen replacement of the longitudinal muscle layer; ganglion cells were normal by light and electron microscopy. Esophageal manometry in three patients showed decreased gastroesophageal sphincter pressures and no contractions in the smooth muscle segment of the esophagus; duodenal manometry showed a low frequency and amplitude of contractions. Three patients developed fever and signs of peritonitis after operations to bypass dilated segments. This seems to be a generalized smooth muscle disease with variable clinical manifestations and with an autosomal dominant or sex-linked dominant mode of inheritance.

Adolescent