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Biomedical subjects

G Shah

Publications and source records attributed to G Shah.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Differential inhibition by NMDA antagonists of rapid tolerance to, and cross-tolerance between, ethanol and chlordiazepoxide.

We have recently found that the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists, (+)MK-801 and ketamine, block the development of rapid tolerance to ethanol. In the present report we show that they also block rapid cross-tolerance from chlordiazepoxide to ethanol as well as ethanol to chlordiazepoxide. However, NMDA antagonists fail to block the development of rapid tolerance to chlordiazepoxide. Our results suggest that NMDA antagonists may affect not only the acquisition of rapid tolerance or cross-tolerance to sedatives but also the ability to express that tolerance or cross-tolerance, depending on the drugs used. It is also possible that the phenomena of rapid tolerance and rapid cross-tolerance have basic differences not previously reported in the literature.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Incidence, prevalence, and clinical course of hepatitis C following liver transplantation.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the agent responsible for posttransfusion hepatitis. The incidence, timing, and clinical course of HCV positive hepatitis in liver transplant recipients are unknown. Three hundred and seventeen donor-recipient liver transplant pairs were grouped on the basis of their pretransplant HCV antibody status. The biopsy findings were examined. Four distinct groups were identified on the basis of HCV serology: group I, both were negative; group II, donor was negative and recipient was positive; group III, donor was positive and recipient was negative; group IV, both were positive. The prevalence of anti-HCV positivity in recipients was 13.6%. The rate of seroconversion was 9.2%. Histologic hepatitis not ascribable to any specific cause other than non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis occurred in 13.8%. The incidence of histologic chronic active hepatitis was 1.6%, and none progressed to cirrhosis. The concordance rate for a positive anti-HCV serology and NANB hepatitis was 2.8%. Of the 35 patients (group II and IV) with positive anti-HCV serology pretransplant, only 17 were positive posttransplantation. Based on these data it can be concluded that posttransplant NANB hepatitis occurred in 13.8% of liver recipients. Twenty percent of these were anti-HCV positive. Progression to histologic chronic active hepatitis occurs over a period of 1-5 years in 1.6% of cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Rapid tolerance and cross-tolerance as predictors of chronic tolerance and cross-tolerance.

Hypothermia and motor impairment (tilt-plane) tests were used to assess the phenomenon of rapid tolerance to ethanol and cross-tolerance to various alcohols, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates that differ in lipid:water partition coefficients. The hypothermic and motor impairment responses to ethanol were significantly reduced on day 2 in rats receiving ethanol (2 doses of 2 g/kg each for the hypothermia test and 2.3 and 1.7 g/kg for the tilt-plane test) 24 and 22 h earlier compared to the control group pretreated with saline. Ethanol pretreatment resulted in rapid cross-tolerance, on both tests, to the various alcohols (n-propanol, n-butanol, and t-butanol) and the benzodiazepines (chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, oxazepam, and flurazepam) tested. Ethanol pretreatment also conferred clear rapid cross-tolerance to barbital and phenobarbital, but did not result in rapid cross-tolerance to pentobarbital, secobarbital, amobarbital, or thiopental. The results on rapid cross-tolerance on both tests seen in these studies parallel the results obtained in chronic tolerance and cross-tolerance studies reported recently. These results suggest that rapid tolerance and cross-tolerance can be used as predictors of chronic tolerance and cross-tolerance.

Alcohols↗
PubMed1992

Ketamine retards chronic but not acute tolerance to ethanol.

Motor impairment (tilt-plane test) was used to investigate whether the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist ketamine prevents the development of chronic and acute tolerance to ethanol. Rats were treated with ethanol or saline in the presence and absence of ketamine (separate groups) for 10 days and tested for ethanol tolerance in the absence of ketamine on the fifth and tenth days. In other studies, the effect of ketamine on acute tolerance to ethanol was examined. Rats that received ethanol daily without ketamine showed significant tolerance to ethanol on days 5 and 10, but those receiving ethanol plus ketamine daily showed significantly less tolerance to ethanol. Thus, ketamine interfered with the development of chronic tolerance just as it had been found previously to prevent rapid tolerance. In contrast, ketamine failed to block acute tolerance to ethanol. These results would suggest that the phenomena of acute tolerance and chronic tolerance have differences not previously reported.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Effect of (+)MK-801 and ketamine on rapid tolerance to ethanol.

The motor impairment (tilt-plane test) responses to ethanol were significantly reduced on days 2, 3, 4, or 5 in rats receiving ethanol (2.3 and 1.7 g/kg) 24 and 22 h earlier, compared to the control group pretreated with saline. Administration of (+)MK-801, prior to behavioral testing with ethanol on day 1, inhibited the development of tolerance on all these days. Tolerance and the inhibitory effect of (+)MK-801 could no longer be seen if the second injection of ethanol was given on day 7, 8 or 11. Administration of (+)MK-801 on day 1 but after behavioral testing with ethanol did not block the development of rapid tolerance to ethanol on day 2. Administration of another commonly employed NMDA antagonist, i.e., ketamine, prior to ethanol on day 1, also blocked the development of rapid tolerance to ethanol. The findings suggest that NMDA antagonists block rapid tolerance by preventing some adaptation that occurs during intoxicated practice.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Hepatitis C testing. Comparison of Ortho's EIA and RIBA II tests in 1,182 patients undergoing primary liver transplantation.

Plasma samples from 1,182 patients undergoing primary liver transplantation were tested for anti-hepatitis C (HCV) virus by two methods: Ortho HCV ELISA Test System (EIA) and Chiron RIBA HCV Test System (RIBA II). The EIA results, 0 or +, were recorded first, followed by RIBA results, N = negative, P = positive, or I = indeterminate. Concordant results--0N, + P, + I--were found in 1,076 (91%), and discordant results were found in 106 (9%). The EIA optical density did not relate to concordant or discordant results. Band patterns were described by stating the band position (1, 2, 3, or 4) and inserting a dash (-) if no band was visualized. Most + P samples fell into two patterns: 47% showed all four bands, pattern 1234, and 15% showed the two-band pattern, 34. When the EIA was negative, 0P, the opposite was seen: 8% showed the 1234 pattern and 81% showed the 34 pattern. There were 226 samples that formed bands (+ P, 149; 0P, 31; + I, 15; 0I, 31). The frequency of bands was as follows: 4, 32%; 3, 31%; 2, 19%; and 1, 18%. Band 2 and the EIA test detected antibodies to the same c100-3 fragment and showed 74% concordance. No explanation is apparent for the lower concordance rate here than that between the EIA test and bands 3 = 96% or 4 = 88%. The EIA and RIBA II tests, together with positive liver function tests and abnormal tissue pathologic findings, provide a basis for the diagnosis of HCV.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed1991

The balance between Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase and catalase affects the sensitivity of mouse epidermal cells to oxidative stress.

Oxidants are toxic, but at low doses they can stimulate rather than inhibit the growth of mammalian cells and play a role in the etiology of cancer and fibrosis. The effect of oxidants on cells is modulated by multiple interacting antioxidant defense systems. We have studied the individual roles and the interaction of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in transfectants with human cDNAs of mouse epidermal cells JB6 clone 41. Since only moderate increases in these enzymes are physiologically meaningful, we chose the following five clones for in-depth characterization: CAT 4 and CAT 12 with 2.6-fold and 4.2-fold increased catalase activities, respectively, SOD 15 and SOD 3 with 2.3-fold and 3.6-fold increased Cu,Zn-SOD activities, respectively, and SOCAT 3 with a 3-fold higher catalase activity and 1.7-fold higher Cu,Zn-SOD activity than the parent JB6 clone 41. While the increases in enzyme activities were moderate, the human cDNAs were highly expressed in the transfectants. As demonstrated for the clone SOD 15, this discordance between message concentrations and enzyme activities may be due to the low stability of the human Cu,Zn-SOD mRNA in the mouse recipient cells. According to immunoblots the content of Mn-SOD was unaltered in the transfectants. While the activities of glutathione peroxidase were comparable in all strains, the concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) were significantly lower in SOD 3 and SOD 15. This decrease in GSH may reflect a chronic prooxidant state in these Cu,Zn-SOD overproducers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Tolerance to ethanol and cross-tolerance to pentobarbital and barbital in four rat strains.

Chronic ethanol treatment by gastric intubation conferred tolerance to ethanol-induced motor impairment and hypnosis in four different rat strains: Fischer 344, Long-Evans, Sprague-Dawley, and Wistar. Cross-tolerance to barbital was also observed in all strains after chronic treatment with ethanol. However, chronic ethanol treatment failed to produce cross-tolerance to pentobarbital-induced motor impairment and hypnosis in any of the four strains. The demonstration of cross-tolerance to barbital and the lack of it to pentobarbital after chronic ethanol treatment confirms and extends recent observations on the specificity of the site and/or mechanism of action of sedative-hypnotic drugs that differ in lipid solubility.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Rapid tolerance as an index of chronic tolerance.

Hypothermia and motor impairment (tilt-plane test) were used to assess the phenomenon of rapid cross-tolerance between ethanol and pentobarbital in rats. The hypothermic and motor-impairment responses were significantly reduced on day 2 in animals receiving ethanol on day 1, compared to the control group pretreated with saline. Ethanol pretreatment, however, did not result in rapid cross-tolerance to pentobarbital on either test. Pentobarbital pretreatment on day 1 resulted in rapid tolerance to pentobarbital on day 2. However, in contrast to the lack of rapid cross-tolerance to pentobarbital after pretreatment with ethanol, pentobarbital pretreatment clearly conferred rapid cross-tolerance to ethanol. Determination of ethanol and pentobarbital blood levels suggested that pharmacokinetic alterations did not contribute significantly to the observed rapid tolerance and cross-tolerance. The asymmetry of rapid cross-tolerance seen in these studies mimics the results obtained by us in chronic tolerance and cross-tolerance studies reported recently. These results suggest that rapid tolerance and cross-tolerance can be used as predictors of chronic tolerance and cross-tolerance.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Evidence that mutacin II production is not mediated by a 5.6-kb plasmid in Streptococcus mutans.

Here we present evidence that the cryptic 5.6-kb plasmid found in certain strains of Streptococcus mutans is not involved in mutacin production. This evidence comes from demonstrating similarities between a plasmid-less strain T8 and a group II plasmid strain UA96. Both produce what appears to be an identical mutacin based on spectrum of activity and physiological properties. Also, T8 and UA96 are members of the same immunity group (group II). Genotypically, both strains appear similar except for plasmid content based on DNA fingerprinting profiles. T8 and UA96 exhibit identical hybridization patterns following transformation of T8 with a mutacin-negative (bac-1::Tn916) sequence from a Tn916-insertionally inactivated mutant of UA96. This transformation also resulted in the mutacin-negative phenotype in T8 transformants, showing recombination between a mutacin-associated gene in UA96 and its apparent homologous sequence in T8. Moreover, when a plasmid containing a putative repeat element from UA96 (pPC264) was used as a probe, it hybridized to the same five EcoRI fragments in both T8 and UA96. Collectively, these data, coupled with data from other sources, indicate that the plasmid resident in mutacin II strains is not involved in mutacin production.

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1985

Initial sensitivity versus acquired tolerance to ethanol in rats selectively bred for ethanol sensitivity.

Chronic tolerance to ethanol-induced sleep, motor impairment (moving belt test), and hypothermia were examined in two lines of rats that had been selectively bred for their different initial sensitivities to ethanol. In agreement with previous work (Mayer et al. 1982, 1983), the least-affected (LA) rats were found to be less sensitive than their most-affected (MA) counterparts in all three tests. Chronic treatment with ethanol resulted in a more rapid and more marked tolerance development in MA animals than in LA ones. The two lines did not differ in final level of tolerance achieved for either sleep time or hypothermia. However, significant differences were observed with respect to the moving belt test, in that at the end of chronic ethanol treatment the MA animals were more resistant to ethanol than the LA ones. These studies support the existence of a relationship, but not necessarily a direct genetic linkage, between initial sensitivity and acquired tolerance.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1985

Mediation of muscarinic stimulation of pepsinogen secretion in the frog.

The in vitro release of pepsinogen secretion by the isolated esophagus of the American bullfrog was studied with an improved model system. The tissue was mounted in a double chamber that preserves mucosal polarity and provides both control and test segments, each 1 cm2 from the same tissue. Pepsinogen secretion was severalfold higher than previously found with mucosal strips and could be sustained for several hours. Bethanechol (BCh) caused concentration-dependent (0.1-50 microM) pepsinogen secretion with a Vmax of 74 +/- 12 micrograms X mg prot-1 X h-1 or 50-60% of total pepsinogen; Km was 3 microM and 500 microM BCh stimulated at less than the Vmax value. Atropine specifically blocked BCh and pA2 = 9.3. In the presence of 100 microM isobutylmethyxanthine, BCh produced a dose-dependent increase in tissue cAMP but not cGMP. BCh remained effective in Ca2+-free medium. In calcium-free medium EGTA concentration dependently (0.2-5 mM) suppressed the pepsinogen response to BCh. The evidence thus far suggests that cholinergic stimulation of pepsinogen secretion in the tissue acts via both cAMP and Ca2+. More specific studies would be required for absolute confirmation of either or both apparent mechanisms and to resolve how they interact.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1983

Interferon production by human marrow stromal cells.

We have demonstrated that normal human bone marrow stromal cells can be induced to produce high levels of beta-interferon (IFN). One of three randomly selected human stromal cell lines produced beta-IFN in similar amounts to one of the best beta-IFN producer cell lines produced beta-IFN in similar amounts to one of the best beta-IFN producer cell lines (MG-63 osteosarcoma cells). The marrow stromal cell lines did not produce gamma-IFN, though a low level of alpha-IFN was apparently produced. The stromal cell lines differ from usual producer cell lines in that they can be subcultured for a much longer growth period and also maintain the ability to producer IFN. The cells are karyotypically normal and are not virus transformed. Such cell lines may be useful in the production of human IFN as well as allowing studies on the role of IFN in stromal cell-haemopoietic cell interactions.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1982

Effect of naloxone on ethanol- and pentobarbital-induced narcosis.

Single or repeated subcutaneous administrations of naloxone in doses of up to 4 mg X kg-1 did not alter the time for onset or the duration of ethanol- or pentobarbital-induced narcosis in rats. An increase in the naloxone dosage to 50 mg X kg-1 s.c. resulted in a small reduction of ethanol-induced sleep duration. Repeated i.p. or i.v. administrations of much higher doses of naloxone (300-400 mg X kg-1 and 120-180 mg X kg-1, respectively) did produce significant reductions in ethanol-induced narcosis. However, similar naloxone doses, when administered alone, i.v., had marked convulsant effect. It appears that naloxone, in low doses, is not an effective antidote for narcosis caused by ethanol or pentobarbital at the ethanol and pentobarbital doses tested, whereas the antagonism of ethanol-induced sleep by high doses of naloxone may be due to the analeptic action of this drug.

Animals↗