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Biomedical subjects

D Levine

Publications and source records attributed to D Levine.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The olive on end: a useful variant of the "shoulder" sign in the barium X-ray diagnosis of idiopathic hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

We describe a radiographic sign of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. This sign, elicited during firm compression of the barium-coated pyloric region, is a round or avoid filling defect caused by the hypertrophied pyloric muscle protruding en face into the gastric lumen. This filling defect typically reveals a barium-containing central depression or stellate indentation, representing the proximal end of the obstructed pyloric channel. This sign, like the closely related "shoulder sign", appears to establish the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis without need for filling of the pyloric channel or for additional radiographic maneuvers.

Barium Sulfate↗
PubMed1992

Simple adnexal cysts: the natural history in postmenopausal women.

Transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound (US) examinations were performed in 184 asymptomatic postmenopausal volunteers to determine prospectively (a) the frequency and natural history of simple adnexal cysts in healthy postmenopausal women and (b) the relationship between cyst activity and both hormone replacement and length of time since menopause. Eighty-three simple adnexal cysts were found in 52 women. Thirty-two of 184 women (17%) had 37 cysts identified at initial examination; 46 new cysts appeared in 31 women (11 of whom previously had cysts). Forty-nine women with 72 cysts were reevaluated with subsequent US scanning over a period of 3-23 months. Thirty-eight of the 72 cysts (53%) disappeared completely, 20 (28%) remained constant in size, eight (11%) enlarged by 3 mm or more, two (3%) decreased in size by 3 mm or more, and four (6%) both increased and decreased in size on repeated examinations. No statistical relationship was found between presence of cysts or cyst activity with respect to the type of hormone replacement or length of time since menopause.

Adnexal Diseases↗
PubMed1992

Taurine attenuates renal disease in chronic puromycin aminonucleoside nephropathy.

Repeated administration of low doses of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAMN) to rats induces a proteinuric renal disease that resembles focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Reactive oxygen molecules may be involved in the progressive course of this nephropathy. Therefore we evaluated whether taurine, an endogenous antioxidant, could limit the extent of renal injury. Sprague-Dawley rats received low-dose injections of PAMN, 2 mg/100 g body wt, over a 12-wk period. Two groups were studied: 1) controls given tap water (n = 23), and 2) an experimental group that drank 1% taurine-supplemented water (n = 22). Taurine-treated nephrotic rats had a reduction in albuminuria, as assessed by the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (26 +/- 4 vs. 44 +/- 4, P less than 0.0001). After 12 wk, creatinine clearance was 0.33 +/- 0.03 (experimental) vs. 0.17 +/- 0.03 ml.min-1.100 g body wt-1 (control) (P less than 0.001), and inulin clearance (n = 6 pairs) was 0.26 +/- 0.04 (experimental) vs. 0.13 +/- 0.02 ml.min-1.100 g body wt-1 (control) (P less than 0.025). Administration of taurine reduced the percentage of segmentally sclerosed glomeruli (9.8 +/- 1.7 vs. 16.2 +/- 1.8%, P less than 0.02) and the tubulointerstitial injury score (1.36 +/- 0.19 vs. 2.61 +/- 0.25, P less than 0.0025) in experimental vs. control rats. Taurine treatment normalized the elevated renal cortical malondialdehyde level in rats with PAMN nephropathy (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Synthetic vs human surfactants in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome: radiographic findings.

Exosurf, a synthetic surfactant, was instilled endotracheally in 49 neonates as treatment for respiratory distress syndrome. The radiologic courses of these neonates were compared with the courses of 18 neonates previously treated with human surfactant and of 18 untreated neonates. The radiologic severity of respiratory distress syndrome decreased significantly in neonates treated with Exosurf compared with that in untreated neonates. Radiologic improvement in those treated with Exosurf was slightly delayed when compared with the improvement of age-matched neonates treated with human surfactant. Otherwise no significant difference was noted between Exosurf and human surfactant in radiologic severity of respiratory distress syndrome or in the prevalence of pulmonary interstitial emphysema, pneumothorax, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. These findings support the thesis that artificial surfactant is an acceptable substitute for surfactants of biological origin, with possible benefits of safety and ease of use.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗
PubMed1990

Subacute scrotal pain: evaluation of torsion versus epididymitis with MR imaging.

Torsion knot and whirlpool patterns result from the twisting of the spermatic cord, which produces distortion of cord structures. These two findings, along with spermatic cord vascularity, were used to prospectively differentiate testicular torsion from epididymitis in 11 patients with subacute scrotal pain who underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The final diagnosis was established clinically in four patients and surgically in five. MR imaging enabled the recognition of each entity without error. Retrospective review of findings highlighted other potential discriminating features, the most important of which were testicular size and vascularity. Because of its ability to highlight vessels and detail normal and abnormal intrascrotal anatomy, MR imaging in this small series enabled the differentiation of subacute torsion from epididymitis with 100% accuracy. This high degree of accuracy warrants further investigation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Elimination of canrenone in congestive heart failure and chronic liver disease.

The elimination half-life (T1/2) of canrenone, the principal unconjugated metabolite of spironolactone, was 59 h (range 32-105 h) in 5 patients with chronic liver disease and 37 h (range 19-48 h ) in 7 patients withcongestive heart failure. In comparison the T1/2 in normal subjects was 13.5-24 h in previous reports and 20.5 h in the present study, However there was no evidence of greater cumulation of canrenone in the plasma of those patients with a prolonged T1/2.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Treatment environment and staff ideology in two British mental hospitals.

Hypotheses were derived from assumptions inherent in two contrasting conceptions of a treatment environment, attitudinal and ecological. Research was conducted in two different British mental hospitals, using scales from the OMI and the CTE. As predicted, the OMI scales were related only to staff attributes and did not discriminate among environments of institutions or units that differed in program, philosophy, organization, or type of patients. CTE scales distinguished between hospital treatment environments and wards. There was slight evidence that observed attributes influenced ecological measures of the objective treatment environment, or that staff ideology had any substantial impact upon treatment environments.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Antagonism of endogenous mineralocorticoids in normal subjects by prorenoate potassium and spironolactone.

The pharmacological activity of single oral doses of a new aldosterone antagonist, prorenoate potassium, has been compared with spironolactone and placebo in a balanced double-blind crossover study in six healthy subject. Endogenous mineralocorticoids were stimulated by administration of frusemide followed by dietary sodium restriction, and the urinary excretion of electrolytes in response to prorenoate potassium, spironolactone and placebo was measured over a 24 hour period. Significant activity of prorenoate potassium and spironolactone was observed between 2 - 24 hours after medication, with peak activity at 6 - 8 hours. The active drugs significantly increased sodium excretion and the sodium : potassium (Na/K) ratio, but changes in potassium excretion were not significant. The total urine Na/K response to prorenoate potassium 45 mg was significantly greater than to spironolactone 100 mg.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Furosemide and bumetanide: a study of responses in normal English and German subjects.

Diuretic responses to oral administration of 1 mg bumetanide and 40 mg furosemide were determined in double-blind, crossover balanced trials in 10 normal English subjects and 6 normal German subjects. In each experiment the 0- to 8-hr urine volume and sodium excretion were significantly higher after bumetanide, potassium excretion did not differ, and the Na/K ratio, although higher after bumetanide, was not significantly different by analysis of variance. In German subjects the diuretic and natriuretic responses to both drugs were greater and the potassium excretion less than in English subjects. In the English, the pretreatment 24-hr urinary Na/K ratio correlated with the urinary Na/K ratio response to both drugs and with the potassium excretion after furosemide. The mean plasma uric acid before treatment correlated with the Na/K ratio and potassium excretion after furosemide. Aldosterone excretion did not correlate with response to either diuretic. The mean pretreatment 24-hr log10 Na/K ratio in the two treatment periods of the English and German subjects correlated with the mean sodium excretion, potassium excretion, and log10 Na/K after the two diuretics, thus providing a partial explanation for intersubject and interstudy variation. Pretreatment log10 Na/K could also explain intrasubject variation, justifying its use as a covariate in covariance analysis. This demonstrated that at this dose ratio the urinary log10 Na/K ratio response to bumetanide was significantly higher than that to furosemide.

Aldosterone↗
PubMed1976

Prolactin, diuretics and urinary electrolytes in normal subjects.

The relationship of plasma prolactin concentration and renal electrolyte excretion has been investigated in six normal male volunteers. In two studies, 80 mg frusemide were administered at 18.00 h on Day 1 and followed by dietary sodium restriction. In study A, after 38 h of sodium depletion, a second dose of frusemide was administered at 08.00 h on Day 3. In study B, after 14 h of sodium depletion, the effect of administration of 100 mg spironolactone or 45 mg prorenoate potassium (another aldosterone antagonist) at 08.00 h on Day 2 was compared with that of a placebo. After the first dose of frusemide in study A, the mean plasma prolactin concentration correlated negatively with the urinary Na and K excretion over 5 h. After 38 h sodium depletion, the plasma prolactin concentration correlated positively with urinary Na excretion following the second dose of frusemide. In study B, after Na depletion for 14 h the plasma prolactin concentration of 08.00 h on Day 2 had a positive correlation with the 24 h urinary log10 Na:K ratio following placebo administration and had negative correlations with the true urinary log10 Na:K ratio following spironolactone and prorenoate potassium administration. Neither acute Na deprivation nor the administration of single doses of frusemide, spironolactone or proprenoate potassium appeared to affect the normal circadian rhythm of plasma prolactin concentrations which remained constant for each subject throughout the 3 months covered by the investigation. The correlations of plasma prolactin concentration to renal excretion of electrolytes, with no evidence for a negative feedback control mechanism, suggest an indirect relationship between prolactin and renal function.

Adult↗