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Biomedical subjects

E Spring

Publications and source records attributed to E Spring.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Therapeutic levels of nitroglycerin do not affect the uptake and release of heparin by endothelial cells in vitro.

Intravenous heparin and nitroglycerin are frequently given in combination to patients with acute coronary syndromes such as unstable angina and post myocardial infarction angina. Heparin is prescribed since it has been shown that intracoronary thrombus formation is important in the pathophysiology of these acute conditions. However, it has been demonstrated that intravenous nitroglycerin can interfere with the anticoagulant effect of heparin. The exact mechanism of the interaction is unknown but it has been suggested that there is a direct effect on plasma heparin characterised by a reduction in circulating plasma heparin levels. Heparin binds to the surface of endothelial cells in a process that is time dependent, reversible and exhibits saturation kinetics. A possible mechanism of the observed effects on the plasma heparin levels produced by nitroglycerin may be the altered handling of heparin by endothelial cells. We have investigated this further by assessing the effects of therapeutic doses of nitroglycerin on heparin uptake and release by endothelial cells, using 35S labelled heparin and human umbilical vein endothelial cell cultures.

Cells, Cultured↗

Motor neuron disease (ALS): evaluation of detection thresholds of cutaneous sensation.

Cutaneous touch-pressure, vibration, and thermal cooling detection thresholds were estimated on the skin of one foot for 80 patients with motor neuron disease (MND) and compared with that of more than 300 site, age, and sex-matched healthy controls. Fourteen of the patients had elevated thresholds (greater than or equal to 95th percentile): 7 showed elevated thresholds of sensitive points, 5 an increased number of insensitive grid points, and 2 a combination of these criteria. Therefore, raised vibration thresholds occur more frequently in MND patients than in controls (p less than 0.001). A detection threshold abnormality was not demonstrated for touch-pressure or for thermal cooling. These results are in keeping with the demonstrated increased cutaneous myelinated fiber degeneration in this condition and with evidence of sensory neural system involvement at postmortem examination. Although motor neurons are selectively vulnerable in MND, afferent neurons may also be affected, albeit less frequently and/or to a lesser degree.

Adult↗

Simultaneous application of pulsed high frequency currents and gamma-rays to cultured melanoma cells.

Cells differentiated from a human metastasizing melanoma have been irradiated simultaneously with pulsed high frequency currents (27.12 MHz, 400--600 pulses/s, pulse duration 65mus, average power 25--38 Watt) (Diapulse), and gamma radiation from a Co-60 source. Simultaneous pulsed high frequency field and gamma radiation acted in a way resembling a cell-protecting mechanism, enhancing the number of surviving cells to the extent of about 15 percent as compared with the cell number scored after pure Co-60 gamma-radiation treatment. Irradiation with pure high frequency currents resulted in increasing cell death for a period of up 4 minutes; subsequently, this seemed to be almost independent of time. The number of cells which survived, as compared with the controls, was found to be approximately 80 percent, near a distance of 6.5 cm from the symmetry axis, perpendicular to the plane of the radiating element.

Cell Survival↗