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D S Morris

Publications and source records attributed to D S Morris.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Ocular blunt trauma: loss of sight from an ice hockey injury.

A case of ocular blunt trauma is described in which a 17 year old male ice hockey player collided with an opponent during a game. The opponent's stick travelled under the patient's half face visor and struck his left eye causing hyphema, angle recession, lens subluxation, and choroidal rupture over the macula, permanently reducing his vision to counting fingers. Sequelae of ocular blunt trauma are discussed along with methods of injury prevention by addressing players' behaviour and safety equipment. This injury is unlikely to have occurred with properly used full face protection.

Adolescent↗

Embryonic chick muscle produces an FGF-like activity.

Normal and pathological formation of blood vessels is of considerable interest both in terms of basic scientific processes and clinical applications. Angiogenic events in the adult are likely to represent persistence of developmental mechanisms, and embryos are therefore a suitable experimental model for these processes. Among embryonic tissues, muscle is particularly appropriate for investigation, since it is highly vascularised from early stages. There are a number of competing explanations of how this process is controlled. Bioassays offer advantages over conventional molecular localisation techniques, in that they reveal the presence of active processed forms of the molecules under study, rather than non-processed forms, or non-translated messages. Using these techniques, we report here that embryonic chick muscle, taken from the stages at which blood vessels are forming, produces an angiogenic activity on the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), and transforms NR6 cells in soft agar. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is shown to be angiogenic on the CAM in the same way, and also transforms NR6 cells (NR6 cells lack functional epidermal growth factor/transforming growth factor-a receptors, and are believed to respond only to bFGF in this way). Anti-bFGF removes the transforming activity of the embryonic muscle. We conclude that this represents evidence that embryonic chick muscle is producing an FGF-like molecule which is capable of acting as an angiogenic agent at the appropriate times in development.

Allantois↗

Surgeons and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is at the forefront in the provision of surgical care to the victims of war. In 1990 twenty-two surgical teams were deployed in 14 hospitals in eight countries and 18,450 patients were treated. This article reviews the contribution made by ICRC, and the experience that can be gained by New Zealand and Australian surgeons and anaesthetists.

Australia↗

Abdominal injuries in the war wounded of Afghanistan: a report from the International Committee of the Red Cross Hospital in Kabul.

This report is from the hospital opened by the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Kabul, which receives acute war-wounded patients from the Afghanistan conflict. Of more than 1000 operations carried out by the New Zealand team in a 6-month period, there were 70 laparotomies for penetrating wounds. These injuries were dealt with by established surgical techniques. The main area of controversy was the management of colonic wounds where the recent trend away from mandatory colostomy was followed by good results. Selective primary repair was achieved in 16 of 27 patients with colonic injury with no mortality and minimal morbidity. The right colon was considered particularly favourable for primary anastomosis. The overall mortality rate for all laparotomies was 13 per cent, with injuries to the liver, major veins and rectum particularly being fatal. There were eight negative laparotomies.

Abdominal Injuries↗

2(1H)-quinolinones with cardiac stimulant activity. 2. Synthesis and biological activities of 6-(N-linked, five-membered heteroaryl) derivatives.

A series of 6-(N-linked, five-membered heteroaryl)-2(1H)-quinolinone derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for cardiotonic activity. Most compounds were prepared by sulfuric acid catalyzed cyclization of an N-(4-heteroarylphenyl)-3-ethoxypropenamide or by condensation of a 2-amino-5-heteroarylbenzaldehyde or -acetophenone derivative with the ylide derived from triethyl phosphonoacetate. In anesthetized dogs, 6-imidazol-1-yl-8-methyl-2(1H)-quinolinone (3; 25 micrograms/kg) produced a greater increase in cardiac contractility (percentage increase in dP/dt max) than alternative 6-(five-membered heteroaryl)-substituted analogues (4-8). Introduction of 4-methyl (10) or 2,4-dimethyl (13) substituents into the imidazole ring of 3 produced a marked increase in inotropic activity, and these compounds were some 10 and 5 times more potent than milrinone. Most of these quinolinones also displayed positive inotropic effects (decrease in QA interval) in conscious dogs after oral administration (0.0625-1 mg/kg) and in many cases (3, 5-7, 9, 11, 13, 16) there was little difference in activities at both the 1- and 3-h time points. Compound 13 (62.5, 125, 250 micrograms/kg po) demonstrated dose-related cardiac stimulant activity which, in contrast to milrinone, was maintained over the whole 7-h test period. No changes in heart rate were detected at any dose level and compounds 3, 9, 10, and 13 also displayed high selectivity for the stimulation of cardiac contractile force rather than heart rate in the Starling dog heart-lung preparation. Increases in dP/dt max of approximately 50% were accompanied by heart rate changes of less than 10 beats/minute. Physicochemical measurements gave a log P of 1.64 for 13 with pKa values of 7.13 +/- 0.04 and 11.5 +/- 0.2 for the imidazole and quinolinone moieties, respectively. X-ray structural analysis of 13 showed the imidazole and quinolinone rings at 52 degrees to one another in close agreement with the minimum-energy conformation (30 degrees) suggested by PCILO calculations. 6-(2,4-Dimethylimidazol-1-yl)-8-methyl-2-(1H)-quinolinone (13, UK-61,260) is currently undergoing phase II clinical evaluation in congestive heart failure patients.

Animals↗

2(1H)-quinolinones with cardiac stimulant activity. 3. Synthesis and biological properties of 6-imidazol-1-yl derivatives.

A series of 6-imidazol-1-yl-8-methyl-2(1H)-quinolinones was synthesized and evaluated for cardiac stimulant activity in dogs. The majority of compounds were prepared from an appropriate 6-imidazol-1-yl-2(1H)-quinolinone precursor or by sulfuric acid catalyzed cyclization of an N-(4-heteroarylphenyl)-3-ethoxypropenamide. Introduction of a range of 5-substituents into 6-(2,4-dimethylimidazol-1-yl)-8-methyl-2(1H)-quinolinone (1) reduced inotropic activity in anesthetized dogs (percentage increase in dP/dtmax) although replacement of the 2-methyl group by iodo (10) or cyano (11) substituents was well tolerated. The 2-methyl-4-chloro (15) and 2-methyl-4-(methylthio) (22) derivatives displayed similar potency to 1 (40-50% increase in dP/dtmax, 10-12.5 micrograms/kg) and these compounds were 3-5 times more potent than milrinone. Introduction of iodo (14), cyano (16), or acetyl (17) substituents into the 4-position approximately halved inotropic activity. In conscious dogs, 11 (0.25 mg/kg) and 16 and 17 (0.125 mg/kg) produced similar increases in cardiac contractility (decrease in the QA interval) to 1 (0.125 mg/kg) and maximum responses were maintained for at least 3 h. Dose-related (25, 125, 250 micrograms/kg) cardiac stimulant activity was demonstrated by 17 and after the higher doses a marked response (approximately 30% increase in dP/dtmax) was still observed after 7 h, in contrast to milrinone. The substantial increases in cardiac contractility observed with 16 and 17 in the conscious dog were not accompanied by any tachycardia. These compounds also displayed an overwhelming selectivity for increasing the force of cardiac contraction (greater than 120% increase in dP/dtmax) rather than heart rate (5-10 beats/min decrease) in the Starling heart-lung preparation. As a result of this beneficial pharmacological profile, 6-(4-acetyl-2-methylimidazol-1-yl)-8-methyl-2(1H)-quinolinone (17, UK-66,838) was selected for preclinical development studies.

Animals↗

Colonoscopy and the followup of colorectal carcinoma.

The colonoscopy findings in 100 patients who had had a previous resection for colorectal carcinoma are reviewed. This postoperative surveillance was aimed at discovering benign or malignant neoplastic growth within the remaining large bowel. Six patients had further carcinoma discovered at colonoscopy followup, five of these were symptomless. Twenty-eight patients had one or more adenomas. A special risk group was confirmed: patients with multiple neoplasia in the original resected specimen have over a 50% chance of further adenomas being present. This represents a worthwhile yield and colonoscopy surveillance of the remaining colon should be part of the followup programme in these patients.

Carcinoma↗

Multiple and recurrent inflammatory fibroid polyps in three generations of a Devon family: a new syndrome.

The recurrence of multiple inflammatory fibroid polyps is reported in three generations of a Devon family. Only one female in each has been affected in a direct line of descent. The grandmother has had nine polyps resected over 11 years, the mother seven over 18 years, and the daughter six over six years. None of the patients or their relatives are known to have any allergies, dietary fads, or gastrointestinal infections. Chromosome studies have been normal in two patients. No cancer risk has been identified. Conventional histology, electron microscopy, and immunohistology suggest that the lesion is a self-limiting proliferation of histiocytes; the initiating event or stimulus remains unknown. A genetic factor is likely to operate in this unique family which is probably polygenic and multifactorial in nature.

Adult↗

Renal tuberculosis in a multi-racial community.

There were 44 new cases of renal tuberculosis at the Waikato Hospital, 1961-1975. Thirty-three patients were Maoris or Polynesians and 10 Europeans. Most patients were adults. Culture of the urine and intravenous urography were the most useful diagnostic tests. The patients were treated with antituberculous chemotherapy. Seventeen had surgical procedures including 10 nephrectomies. In all there was one death. Factors concerned with prevention in high risk groups are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Nocturnal enuresis.

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Adult↗