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Biomedical subjects

G D Branum

Publications and source records attributed to G D Branum.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Bile flow--an index of ischemic injury.

Bile formation is an active secretory process involving bile salt-dependent and -"independent" mechanisms. This study was performed to determine the effect of selected periods of warm ischemia on biliary secretion. Rats were studied using an in situ liver perfusion system after stabilization of bile flow with intravenous sodium taurocholate. Bile flow remained stable in control livers and ceased during ischemic periods of 15 or 25 min. After reperfusion of 15-min ischemic livers, bile flow was depressed but returned to normal by 45 min of reperfusion. After 25 min of ischemia, bile flow remained depressed. A similar depression in bile salt secretion was observed. These studies indicate that both bile flow and bile salt secretion reflect the degree of ischemia in this isolated perfused system, and further use of this model for the investigation of biliary flow as an index of ischemic injury is warranted.

Animals↗

Effect of cyclosporine on bile secretion in rats.

Short-term effects of cyclosporine were studied in the isolated perfused rat liver model. Bile flow was inhibited by cyclosporine in 2 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg doses but not by a 0.2 mg/kg dose. Cholestasis was accompanied by a decrease in bile acid secretion, indicating an inhibitory effect on the bile acid-dependent fraction of bile flow. Perfusate bilirubin levels increased threefold in rat livers given 20 mg/kg of cyclosporine, but did not change in control animals. Alkaline phosphatase and transaminase levels did not differ from those of control animals. The isolated perfused rat liver was able to excrete cyclosporine, as demonstrated by a continual decrease in perfusate cyclosporine levels. No light microscopic evidence of cholestasis or hepatocellular damage was demonstrated on histologic staining. Our model appears to be a good one for the study of altered hepatic physiologic characteristics caused by administration of cyclosporine.

Animals↗

Complications of laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair.

The complications of laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair at two institutions were reviewed to determine the rate and type of complications. A total of 76 patients underwent laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair between December 1992 and April 1996. Seventy-one of them had fundoplication (6 required a Collis-Nissen procedure). Five patients underwent hernia reduction and gastropexy only. There was one conversion to laparotomy. Traumatic visceral injury occurred in eight patients (11%) (gastric lacerations in 3, esophageal lacerations in 2, and bougie dilator perforations in 3). All lacerations were repaired intraoperatively except for one that was not recognized until postoperative day 2. Vagus nerve injuries occurred in at least three patients. Three delayed perforations occurred in the postoperative period (4%) (2 gastric and 1 esophageal). Two patients had pulmonary complications, two had gastroparesis, and one had fever of unknown origin. Seven patients required reoperation for gastroparesis (n = 2), dysphagia after mesh hiatal closure of the hiatus (n = 1), or recurrent herniation (n = 4). There were two deaths (3%): one from septic complications and one from myocardial infarction. Paraesophageal hernia repair took significantly longer (3.7 hours) than standard fundoplication (2.5 hours) in a concurrent series (P <0.05). Laparoscopic paraesophageal hernia repair is feasible but challenging. The overall complication rate, although significant, is lower than that for nonsurgically managed paraesophageal hernia.

Adult↗

Laparoscopic fundoplication for dysphagia and peptic esophageal stricture.

Peptic esophageal stricture with dysphagia is a late manifestation of severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although laparoscopic fundoplication is an effective antireflux operation, its efficacy for persons with peptic esophageal stricture and dysphagia has not been well defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes after fundoplication in this subgroup of GERD patients. Forty GERD patients with moderate, severe, or incapacitating dysphagia and peptic esophageal stricture were compared to a control group of 121 GERD patients without significant dysphagia or stricture. Reflux symptom severity was scored by each patient preoperatively and at most recent follow-up postoperatively (mean 1.5 years) using a scale ranging from 0 to 4 (0 = symptoms absent; 4 = symptoms incapacitating). Symptom scores were compared by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Postoperative redilation and fundoplication failure rates were also determined. At a mean follow-up of 1.5 years after fundoplication, the median dysphagia score had improved from 3 to 0 (P <0.001) in stricture patients and remained low (score 0) in the control group. The median heartburn score also improved from 3 to 0 (P <0.001) in stricture patients, with an identical response in the control group (P <0.001). Among dysphagia/stricture patients, 35 (87.5%) reported overall satisfaction and have not required secondary medical treatment or esophageal dilation. Four patients (10%) have required endoscopic redilation for residual dysphagia and one (2.5%) had reoperation for fundoplication herniation shortly after operation. Laparoscopic fundoplication is an effective therapy for patients with dysphagia and peptic esophageal stricture.

Adult↗

The feasibility of the detection and quantitation of beta-adrenergic blockers by solid-phase extraction and subsequent derivatization with methaneboronic acid.

Urine specimens containing 11 common beta blockers were processed using solid-phase extraction technology to extract the drugs from the urine matrix, then converted to their cyclic methaneboronates by treatment with methaneboronic acid in ethyl acetate. The compounds tested included acebutolol, atenolol, alprenolol, bisoprolol, betaxolol, carteolol, penbutolol, propranolol, pindolol, timolol, nadolol, sotalol, labetolol, metoprolol, and oxprenolol. The extraction efficiencies were greater than 90% for all drugs tested. The cyclic methaneboronates formed by this procedure generally possessed good chromatographic properties. The mass spectral behavior of the methaneboronates was excellent, with all compounds containing several high mass fragments and every tested compound possessing a unique mass spectrum.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗