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Biomedical subjects

G Zerbe

Publications and source records attributed to G Zerbe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

A non-invasive transport system for GDNF across the blood-brain barrier.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a neurotrophin which supports midbrain dopaminergic neurons and spinal cord motorneurons. GDNF has been proposed as a possible therapeutic agent for Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury or motorneuron degenerative disorders. Administration of GDNF is complicated by its poor penetration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Central nervous system capillaries are uniquely enriched in transferrin receptors and antibodies to these receptors (OX-26) have been proposed as potential carriers to transport large molecules across the BBB. Intravenous administration of an OX-26-GDNF conjugate enhanced survival of spinal cord motorneurons in intraocular transplants, which possess an organotypic BBB. This suggests that the OX-26-GDNF conjugate could be utilized for non-invasive treatment of neurodegenerative diseases of the spinal cord or midbrain dopaminergic neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

The impact of gestational age and fetal growth on the maternal-fetal glucose concentration difference.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether the human fetus accommodates to the increasing glucose requirements of late pregnancy with an increased maternal-fetal glucose concentration gradient and whether there are differences in pregnancies with fetal growth restriction (FGR) according to clinical severity. METHODS: Umbilical venous glucose concentration was measured in 77 normal pregnancies (appropriate for gestational age [AGA]) and 42 pregnancies complicated by FGR at the time of fetal blood sampling. In 40 AGA and in all FGR cases, a maternal "arterialized" blood sample was collected simultaneously. Growth-restricted fetuses were subdivided into three groups according to fetal heart rate (FHR) recordings and Doppler measurements of the umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI): group 1 (normal FHR and PI; 12 cases), group 2 (normal FHR, abnormal PI; 17 cases) and group 3 (abnormal FHR and PI; 13 cases). RESULTS: In normal pregnancies with increasing gestational age, there was a significant decrease (P < .001) of umbilical venous glucose concentration and a significant increase of the maternal-fetal glucose concentration difference (P < .001). In addition, there was a significant relation between fetal and maternal glucose concentrations (P < .001). In FGR pregnancies, the maternal-fetal glucose concentration difference was significantly higher in fetuses of groups 2 and 3 compared with normal pregnancies and FGR pregnancies of group 1. CONCLUSION: In human pregnancy, the fetal glucose concentration is a function of both gestational age and the maternal glucose concentration. In FGR pregnancies, as an accommodation of the fetus to a restricted placental size and placental glucose transport capacity, the maternal-fetal glucose concentration difference is increased, and this increase is a function of the clinical severity.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Impact of conceptus mass on glucose disposal rate in pregnant women.

The impact of an increasing fetal and placental mass on maternal glucose disposal rate (GDR) was studied in 17 pregnant women. Eleven pregnancies were singleton pregnancies, five were twin and one was a triplet pregnancy. Both the maternal fasting glucose concentration [Glc] and the total fetal and placental weight (W) were significantly correlated with an increased maternal GDR. Glucose concentration and conceptus weight were interdependent. The multiple linear regression of glucose disposal rate on glucose concentration and total weight is given by GDR = -1.573 + 0.176W + 0.932[Glc] +/- 0.24, r2 = 0.52, P < 0.01. These data are utilized to estimate the glucose utilization rate of the human conceptus at a fasting glucose concentration of 3.9 mM with a range of 10-15 mg.kg-1.min-1. Maternal GDR increases with increasing glucose concentration at a rate similar to that reported for newborn infants, consistent with a high glucose utilization by the uterus.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors augment growth of fetal brain tissue grafts.

The fibroblast growth factor family of peptides (FGF's) are biological regulators which have a diverse array of activities. Among the biological responses reported are inductive effects during early embryogenesis, mitogenic activity on a variety of mesenchymally derived tissues, potent angiogenic activity and neurotrophic activity for both the peripheral and central nervous system. In vitro studies have been performed showing that the FGF's play a regulatory role in the survival and growth of neurons from several regions of the developing rat brain. By using the in vivo model of intraocular transplantation and repeated injections into the anterior chamber, we have been able to observe and follow the survival and growth of small, defined areas of central nervous system (CNS) under the influence of acidic (a) FGF or basic (b) FGF. Acidic FGF significantly enhanced growth of transplanted parietal cortex, embryonic day 17-20 [E17-20], hippocampus [E20] but not spinal cord [E14] when compared to the bovine serum albumin (BSA) vehicle alone. Parietal cortex grafts increased approximately 200% and the hippocampus grafts 100% when stimulated with aFGF. Basic FGF greatly enhanced the growth of intraocularly transplanted parietal cortex (E17-18), hippocampus (E16-17), and spinal cord (E14) by approximately 400%, 100% and 50% respectively when compared to the vehicle alone, and was thus significantly more potent than aFGF at the same concentration. Effects on all areas were seen using concentrations of aFGF down to 25 micrograms/ml and bFGF as low as 2.5 micrograms/ml. Histochemical and immunohistochemical studies carried out on cryostat sectioned grafts suggested either no change or normalization of markers for vascularization, glial and neuronal populations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Carbon monoxide assessment of smoking in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major, often fatal, drain on health-care resources. Most cases of COPD result from Tobacco Dependence, and smoking cessation slows COPD's progression. But there is very little information on treating Tobacco Dependence in COPD patients. In preparation for clinical trials using monetary payments to motivate reduced smoking, as assessed by breath carbon monoxide (CO) levels in COPD patients, we have addressed three issues. First, surveying 182 advanced COPD patients, we found that CO levels above 8 parts per million (ppm) were strongly associated with a self-report of current smoking, and that CO levels correlated neither with COPD severity, nor with age: about one-third of these patients were currently smoking. Second, among 12 still-smoking COPD patients serially observed for 8 h. CO half-life averaged about 6.5 h. Third, 8 patients reinforced with lottery tickets for CO reductions significantly reduced CO levels during 2 test weeks, mainly by deferring smoking before scheduled CO measurements.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1989

Effects of glucose and insulin on fetal glucose oxidation and oxygen consumption.

Glucose and insulin clamp experiments were performed in late-gestation fetal lambs to quantify the separate and combined effects of physiological concentrations of fetal glucose (G; 7.3-62.6 mg/dl) and insulin (I; 2-119 uU/ml) on fetal glucose metabolism and O2 consumption. Fetal glucose utilization rate (GUR) varied from 2.82 to 15.12 mg.min-1.kg-1. Fetal CO2 production from fetal glucose carbon oxidation (CO2Pr) varied from 32 to 234 mumol.min-1.kg-1 and was directly related to G and I [CO2Pr = -0.00868 + 0.00578 (G) + 0.000901 (I) - 0.0000619 (G)2, r = 0.88] and to GUR (CO2Pr = 0.0159 GUR - 0.0130, r = 0.89). CO2Pr accounted for 54.7% of the mean GUR and for 35.9% of the mean umbilical O2 uptake (UO2U), ranging from 26.0% in the control studies to 36.5% in hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic studies and to 45.1% in hyperinsulinemic-hyperglycemic studies. UO2U varied from 0.200 to I [UO2U = 0.303 + [0.000813 (G)] + [0.0000461 (I)], r = 0.89] and to GUR (UO2U = 0.0098 GUR + 0.275, r = 0.91). These results define independent (additive) effects of G and I on glucose oxidation in the late gestation fetal lamb and demonstrate the necessity for considering the levels of both G and I when studying these aspects of fetal metabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Thyrotropin releasing hormone augments growth of spinal cord transplants in oculo.

The effects of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) on spinal cord growth were evaluated using the in oculo transplant model. The growth of fetal spinal cord allografts, placed into the anterior eye chamber of Sprague-Dawley rats, was markedly augmented by acute exposure of the graft and host animal to TRH at the time of transplantation. No significant growth augmentation was seen after equimolar administration of a mixture of the amino acids that comprise the TRH molecule. It is concluded that acutely administered TRH, at the time of grafting, elicits a significant stimulation of the growth of spinal cord tissue. Our data strengthen the rationale for continued clinical trials of this peptide in spinal cord injury.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1988

Detection of antibodies to varicella-zoster virus proteins in sera from the elderly.

Sera from 40 elderly individuals ranging in age from 60 to 94 years were tested for the presence of antibodies to varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific proteins. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of lysates of VZV-infected BSC-1 cells labeled with either [35S]methionine or [3H]mannose and immunoprecipitated with human sera revealed the variable presence of VZV-specific antibodies to four VZV glycoproteins (gpI, gpII, gpIII, and gpIV), and three nonglycosylated proteins (155, 140, 32 kilodaltons, kDa). The predominant antibody response in the sera from the elderly was to VZV gpII and the 155-kDa species. In addition, some sera from elderly individuals without an identifiable history of varicella or zoster contained antibodies to VZV proteins, suggesting a possible subclinical infection in these patients. Finally a history of zoster in the elderly was significantly correlated (p = 0.02) with the presence of antibody to gpIV.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Effects of insulin and glucose concentrations on glucose utilization in fetal sheep.

Glucose and insulin clamp experiments were performed in vivo in chronically catheterized, late-gestation fetal lambs to quantify the effects of glucose and insulin on fetal glucose metabolism. Fetal glucose uptake from the placenta via the umbilical circulation (umbilical glucose uptake) was measured by application of the Fick principle, and fetal glucose utilization rate (GUR) was measured using [U-14C]glucose tracer. Fetal plasma insulin concentrations ranged from 2 to 119 microU.ml-1 and fetal blood glucose concentrations ranged from 7.3 to 62.6 mg.dl-1. GUR varied from 2.82 to 15.12 mg/min/kg and the exogenous glucose entry rate (umbilical glucose uptake + glucose infusion) varied from 2.46 to 13.95 mg/min/kg. The mean GUR [6.53 +/- 0.28 (SEM) mg/kg/min] was not different from the mean exogenous glucose entry rate [6.29 +/- 0.30 (SEM) mg/kg/min]. Multiple linear regression analysis on a glucose-by-insulin surface demonstrated a best-fit model of fetal glucose utilization following the quadratic equation: GUR = -0.322 + [0.289 (glucose)] + [0.108 (insulin)] - [0.00319 (glucose)2] - [0.000673 (insulin)2], r = 0.883 (all terms significant at p less than 0.02). This model predicted a GURmax of 10.56 mg/min/kg at blood glucose concentration = 45.3 mg/dl and plasma insulin concentration = 80 microU/ml and Km values for blood glucose concentration and plasma insulin concentration of 20.6 mg/dl and 10 microU/ml, respectively. According to this model, the glucose and insulin effects were additive. Furthermore, change in GUR was not proportionate to change in glucose concentration, accounting for a decreasing metabolic clearance rate at higher glucose concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Acetylmethadol versus methadone: human mood and motility.

Outpatients receiving daily methadone-maintenance treatment were crossed over to alternating-day doses of 1-alpha-acetylmethadol, receiving placebo on between-dose days. Spontaneous motility was dramatically higher on acetylmethadol dose days than on placebo days; activity on methadone days was intermediate between these extremes. Patients reported less vigor, more fatigue, and fewer ejaculations on placebo days than on acetylmethadol days, and patients' mood while on this drug was slightly euphoric in comparison to methadone. These effects are subtle, but such drug-induced variations in day-to-day behavior might adversely affect social interactions.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Variability in simian motor and social behavior with alternating-day acetylmethadol.

Monkeys receiving acetylmethadol thrice weekly were more active on dosing days, and less active on between-dose days, than while drug-free. Aggressive social behaviours increased significantly on drug-dosing days, while quiescent resting behaviors were much more common on between-dose days. Tolerance to these effects was modest, and the effects were not blocked by naltrexone. These subtle but potentially disruptive behavioral effects appear to parallel many of the actions of acetylmethadol in man.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Naltrexone-induced dysphoria in former opioid addicts.

Naltrexone treatment, used to prevent relapse among former opioid addicts, is reported to have an extraordinary rate of noncompliance. Since activation of opioid receptors produces a sense of well-being, naltrexone's blockade of these receptors might produce dysphoria, which could contribute to noncompliance among addicts under treatment. To test this hypothesis, the authors administered naltrexone to four men who had been free of opioids for 9 to 44 months using a 6-week, placebo-controlled crossover design. One subject dropped out with abstinence-like symptoms, and two others reported mild but significantly greater dysphoria during naltrexone administration. The results suggest that naltrexone may induce mild dysphoria long after addicts stop using opioids.

Adult↗