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E J Lim

Publications and source records attributed to E J Lim.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Intracisternal administration of chemokines facilitated formalin-induced behavioral responses in the orofacial area of freely moving rats.

The present study investigated the effects of intracisternal administration of MCP-1, Rantes or IL-8 on pain transmission in the orofacial area. We also investigated mechanisms of hyperalgesic responses produced by intracisternal administration of IL-8. An orofacial formalin test was employed to assess the effects of chemokines on nociceptive processing. For each animal, the number of behavioral responses and the time spent grooming, rubbing and/or scratching the facial region proximal to the formalin injection site was recorded for nine successive 5-min intervals. Intracisternal administration of MCP-1, Rantes or IL-8 significantly increased formalin-induced scratching behavioral responses in the orofacial area. Intracisternal pretreatment with indomethacin, a non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, did not block IL-8-induced hyperalgesia. Pretreatment with 100 microg propranolol, a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist and 50 microg atenolol, a selective beta(1)-adrenergic receptor antagonist, inhibited the number of scratches and the duration of scratching produced by 1 ng of IL-8 injected intracisternally. These results indicate that intracisternal administration of chemokines produce a hyperalgesic response with an orofacial inflammatory pain model and that the IL-8-induced hyperalgesia is mediated by central beta(1)-adrenergic receptor.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2001

Factor V inhibitor in neonatal intracranial hemorrhage secondary to severe congenital factor V deficiency.

We report a newborn infant girl, born to consanguineous parents, with recurrent intracranial hemorrhage secondary to congenital factor V deficiency with factor V inhibitor. Repeated transfusions of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) and platelet concentrates, administrations of immunosuppressive therapy (prednisolone and cyclophosphamide), and intravenous immunoglobulin failed to normalize the coagulation profiles. Exchange transfusion followed-up by administrations of activated prothrombin complex and transfusions of FFP and platelet concentrates caused a temporary normalization of coagulation profile, enabling an insertion of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt for progressive hydrocephalus. The treatment was complicated by thrombosis of left brachial artery and ischemia of left middle finger. The child finally died from another episode of intracranial hemorrhage 10 days after insertion of the VP shunt.

Brachial Artery↗
PubMed2000

Purification and characterization of biosurfactants from Nocardia sp. L-417.

The Nocardia sp. L-417 strain grown with n-hexadecane as a carbon source produced two types of biosurfactant that have different characteristics. These biosurfactants were purified by procedures that included ammonium sulphate fractionation, chilled acetone and hexane treatments, silica-gel column chromatography and Sephadex LH-20 gel filtration. The purified biosurfactants were very stable over a broad range of pHs (2-12) and temperatures (100 degrees C, 3 h). The biosurfactant type I had strong properties as an emulsifying agent and as an emulsion-stabilizing agent, whereas type II had a strong ability to reduce surface tension.

Chromatography, Liquid↗
PubMed2000

Bone marrow and peripheral blood changes in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: 47 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were studied retrospectively to determine their marrow and blood changes at diagnosis. METHODS: The blood counts, blood films, marrow smears, trephine and tissue biopsies of patients at diagnosis were reviewed. The scheme proposed by the International Lymphoma Study Group (REAL) was utilised for lymphoma subclassification. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 21.3% had lymphoblastic lymphoma, 21.3% had peripheral T-cell lymphoma (unspecified), 29.8% had diffuse large B-cell NHL, 10.6% had Burkitt's lymphoma and 17% had others. The incidences of anaemia, one or more abnormal counts, lymphocytopenia, increased marrow reticulin and marrow eosinophilia at diagnosis were 66%, 85.1%, 41.3%, 40.9% and 44.7% respectively. Marrow involvement was present in 46.8% of the patients, with diffuse infiltration noted in 71.4% of these cases. Abnormal counts and anaemia were common in all the NHL subtypes. In lymphoblastic lymphoma, the common haematological abnormalities were peripheral atypical lymphocytes and diffuse marrow involvement. In peripheral T-cell lymphoma (unspecified), common features were peripheral lymphocytopenia, increased marrow reticulin and eosinophilia. In diffuse large B-cell NHL, peripheral lymphocytopenia, peripheral myeloid precursors and/or nucleated red cells and marrow involvement were common. In Burkitt's lymphoma, diffuse marrow involvement and eosinophilia were common. No significant differences were noted between most of the haematological parameters of B and T-NHLs. In comparison with other reports, we recorded higher overall incidences of anaemia and diffuse marrow involvement, and a lower incidence of marrow infiltration in peripheral T-cell lymphoma (unspecified).

Anemia↗
PubMed1999

Mutational analysis of aspartate residues in the transmembrane regions and cytoplasmic loops of rat vesicular acetylcholine transporter.

The vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) is responsible for the transport of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) into synaptic vesicles using an electrochemical gradient to drive transport. Rat VAChT has a number of aspartate residues within its predicted transmembrane domains (TM) and cytoplasmic loops, which may play important structural or functional roles in acetylcholine transport. In order to identify functional charged residues, site-directed mutagenesis of rVAChT was undertaken. No effect on ACh transport was observed when any of the five aspartate residues in the cytoplasmic loop were converted to asparagine. Similarly, changing Asp-46 (D46N) in TM1 or Asp-255 (D255N) in TM6 had no effect on ACh transport or vesamicol binding. However, replacement of Asp-398 in TM10 with Asn completely eliminated both ACh transport and vesamicol binding. The conservative mutant D398E retained transport activity, but not vesamicol binding, suggesting this residue is critical for transport. Mutation of Asp-193 in TM4 did not affect ACh transport activity; however, vesamicol binding was dramatically reduced. With mutant D425N of TM11 transport activity for ACh was completely blocked, without an effect on vesamicol binding. Activity was not restored in the conservative mutant D425E, suggesting the side chain as well as the negative charge of Asp-425 is important for substrate binding. These mutants, as well as mutant D193N, clearly dissociated ACh binding and transport from vesamicol binding. These data suggest that Asp-398 in TM10 and Asp-425 in TM11 are important for ACh binding and transport, while Asp-193 and Asp-398 in TM4 and TM10, respectively, are involved in vesamicol binding.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1998

Clinical and molecular heterogeneity in carbonic anhydrase II deficiency and prenatal diagnosis in an Italian family.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) II deficiency is characterized by osteopetrosis, renal tubular acidosis, cerebral calcification, and usually severe mental retardation. We describe an Italian boy with this disease whose mental retardation was relatively mild and whose renal tubular acidosis had only a distal component. A novel mutation of a gt-->tt change of splice donor site at the 5' end of intron 6 was demonstrated. Comparison of this patient with two previous Italian families with different mutations illustrates the clinical and molecular heterogeneity of this disease. The identification of the mutation in this family provided the opportunity for prenatal diagnosis in a subsequent pregnancy.

Acidosis, Renal Tubular↗
PubMed1996

Efficiency of blood usage for elective surgery in the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Provision of quality care, service and blood products to patients while containing costs and the amount of blood used should be the aim of every blood bank. Therefore a prospective audit was carried out over three months to determine how efficiently blood was being used in elective surgery in the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. Every case with blood crossmatched was monitored to determine the amount transfused and the posttransfusion haemoglobin level. Overcrossmatching of varying degrees was noted in almost all surgical procedures and overtransfusion in 45.5% of patients transfused. The rate of case postponement was 18.1%. These indicate inefficient utilization of blood and other resources. The transfusion index (TI) and range of units transfused were calculated for each procedure. They can be used as indicators of blood requirement and potential severity of hemorrhage. Suggestions to improve efficiency of blood utilization include the introduction and ongoing monitoring of guidelines on crossmatching and transfusion based on the data obtained here, by the hospital blood transfusion committee; the "group, screen and hold" practice for surgical procedures with high crossmatch transfusion ratios, low transfusion indices and a small range of units transfused could also be adopted.

Adolescent↗