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Biomedical subjects

H Kruse

Publications and source records attributed to H Kruse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Organochlorine pesticides, octachlorostyrene, and mercury in the blood of Elb River residents, Germany.

Blood samples of 135 residents living near the estuary of the Elb River (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) were analyzed for organochlorines (e.g., beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) (less than 0.5-22.9 ng/ml), benzene hexachloride (HCB) (0.8-55.2 ng/ml), DDE (less than 0.5-29.2 ng/ml) and for mercury (Hg, n = 44) (1.1-79.2 ng/ml). It was the first time that octachlorostyrene (OCS) (n.d.-9.2 ng/ml) could be detected in Germans. The pollutants were determined by means of capillary gas chromatography and atomic absorption spectroscopy, respectively. Covariance analysis and log-linear models revealed correlation between increasing age and blood concentrations of HCB, beta-HCH, DDE and OCS, between relative body weight and HCB or DDE, between locality and all pollutants analyzed, and, finally, between fish consumption and OCS and Hg. Regarding the influence of locality on the body burden of pollutants it may be assumed that additional routes of uptake, e.g., via drinking water or air, might be important.

Age Factors

Effects of heat shock on neuroblastoma (N1E 115) cell proliferation and differentiation.

Heat shock (44 degrees C) applied for only 15 min induced the development of neurites in neuroblastoma cells 3-6 days later. During the first day after heat shock a transient increase in the rate of cytokinesis together with a synchronizing effect was observed, which led to waves of cytokinesis 14.5 h apart. Individual cell cycles were determined and showed a lengthening in the minimal cell cycle duration and a decrease in the cell cycle variance after shock. Two to 3 days after heat shock the proliferation rate decreased and then recovered. During the 6 days after heat shock, total protein synthesis was lower compared to the untreated cultures. The synthesis of heat shock proteins (100, 90, 84, 70, 68 kDa and some of lower MW) reached a maximum 6 h after heat shock. Parallel changes in the phosphorylation state of proteins were observed in an in vitro assay. Four proteins (100, 89, 67, and 15 kDa) increased and two proteins (97, 73 kDa) decreased their phosphorylation state significantly. Six days after heat shock two proteins (89, 55 kDa) increased their phosphorylation state; the 55-kDa phosphoprotein was identified as tubulin. The effect of heat shock on the intracellular calcium level was determined by measuring Fura 2 fluorescence. Six hours after shock, the Ca2+ level increased to a maximum (about three times the control value) and then dropped during the following days below the control values. We conclude from these results that a decrease in the calcium level may be causally involved in the differentiation process. The calcium effect is probably mediated by changes in the activity of different kinases. This assumption is compatible with the results of experiments with cyclic nucleotides when 10(-5) M cAMP and cGMP were added to in vitro assays of protein phosphorylation. They had different stimulating effects in heat-shocked, differentiating, and growing (control) cells.

Animals

Multiresistant Shigella species from African AIDS patients: antibacterial resistance patterns and application of the E-test for determination of minimum inhibitory concentration.

The antibacterial resistance pattern and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 25 Shigella flexneri, 5 S. boydii, 8 S. sonnei, and 3 strains of S. dysenteriae type 2 isolated from Kenyan prostitutes with bacillary dysentery and AIDS were determined, and the applicability of the E-test for MIC determination evaluated. All strains were resistant to > or = 3 of 9 different antibacterial agents tested. All strains were resistant to tetracycline and erythromycin, 95% to trimethoprim/sulfonamide, 93% to streptomycin, 54% to ampicillin, 39% to chloramphenicol, 2% to nalidixic acid and none to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. Six different resistance patterns were observed. The most common pattern was resistance to tetracycline, erythromycin, trimethoprim/sulfa and streptomycin (39%). The E-test was shown to be well-suited for susceptibility testing of multiresistant Shigella spp.; the reproducibility was excellent and the correlation with the microtiter dilution method and the disk diffusion method were 98% in both instances. The MIC measured with E-test and the microdilution method were within +/- 1 dilution step for 94.4% of the combinations tested.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Administering non-restricted medications in hospital: the implications and cost of using two nurses.

In an effort to improve patient safety, some hospitals require that two nurses rather than one administer all medications. Such a policy has not been subjected to an economic evaluation. The authors conducted a cross-over study comparing error rates when medication was administered by two nurses as against a single nurse. During a 46 week study period, 319 errors were detected among 129,234 medications administered in a geriatric assessment and rehabilitation unit, giving an overall error rate of 2.5 per 1000 medications. The vast majority of errors detected were relatively minor and had no serious adverse consequences. The error rate per 1000 medications administered by a single nurse was 2.98 (95% CI: 2.45-3.51) and was statistically significantly higher than 2.12 (95% CI: 1.69-2.55) per 1000 for two nurses. A time and motion study indicated that when two nurses rather than one administered medication an additional 17.1 h of nursing time was required per 1000 medications administered. The authors conclude that the use of two nurses to administer medication does statistically significantly reduce the medication error rate, but the clinical advantages are dubious and in our view such a policy cannot be recommended.

Economics, Nursing

Resolution, absolute stereochemistry, and enantioselective activity of nomifensine and hexahydro-1H-indeno[1,2-b]pyridines.

Nomifensine and three selected compounds from the series of H4a,H5-trans,H4a,H9b-cis-2,3,4,4a,5,9b-hexahydro-1H-in deno[1,2-b]pyridines have been resolved into their enantiomers. All compounds exhibit pronounced enantioselective activity with respect to their inhibition of tetrabenazine-induced ptosis and potentiation of yohimbine toxicity. Nomifensine exhibits the same preference for one enantiomer with respect to dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, whereas in the indeno[1,2-b]pyridine series in vitro experiments do not discriminate between the optical antipodes. The absolute stereochemistry of the pharmacologically active enantiomers in both series was determined by X-ray analyses and comparative CD spectra. For biological activity the diphenylmethane is an essential structure feature in both series. Its absolute configuration proved to be 4S for nomifensine and 5S for indenopyridines. The similar pharmacological profile of the two chemical entities is therefore reflected in an identical configuration of this pharmacologically important molecular part.

Animals

Organochlorines and mercury in blood of a fish-eating population at the River Elbe in Schleswig-Holstein, FRG.

The blood of people living near the River Elbe who eat contaminated fish from the river was checked for organochlorines (n = 136): Hexachlorobenzene, HCB, the Hexachlorocyclohexanes beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, Octachlorostyrene, OCS, p,p-DDE and Mercury, Hg (n = 43). The concentrations (ng/ml blood) of OCS (less than 0.5-9.2) and Hg (1.1-79.2) can be attributed to fish consumption, those of the organochlorines--exept gamma-HCH--are related to age.

Age Factors

[Discrepancy between the clinical and immunologic picture of in vitro diagnosis during transfer factor therapy in a patient with Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome].

The attempt of an interval treatment in a patient affected with Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome with transfer factor between the 6th and 14th month of life had good clinical success initially which coincided with the normalization of in vitro stimulation of the patient's lymphocytes. Only short-term (in vitro) measurable effects could be achieved by the transfer factor. Whereas clinical therapy effects were diminishing from treatment phase to treatment phase, it was possible to observe further positive results in paraclinical findings. It was only MLC reactivity that correlated with the clinical picture. Etiologically, all findings gained speak in favour of a helper cell defect and/or monocyte defect. TF therapy was not repeated because of the findings obtained and the clinical course.

Child, Preschool

Thyroliberin (thyrotropin releasing hormone): antagonism of halothane and hexobarbital narcosis in mice. Comparison with pentetrazol, caffeine, d-amphetamine and adrenaline.

The effect of L-pyroglutamyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide (thyroliberin, thyrotropin releasing hormone, TRH) on halothane and hexobarbital narcosis was investigated in mice and compared with pentetrazol, caffeine, d-amphetamine and adrenaline. TRH shortened dose-dependently the halothane and hexobarbital sleeping-time with ED50 values of 3.1 and 6.6 mg/kg s.c., respectively. The analeptic effect of TRH was superior to all reference compounds in terms of potency, efficacy and drug safety. Due to its ergotropic activity TRH may be a useful aid in anaesthesiology and intensive care.

Animals

Immunologic parameters of children with acute leucosis after cessation of polychemotherapy under repeated immunostimulation with intradermal B.C.G.

11 children with acute leucosis (10 with ALL, 1 with AML) showed a significant increase of the absolute number of lymphocytes and E-rosette forming cells in the peripheral blood after 3-years-polychemotherapy under repeated intradermal B.C.G. vaccination. Such an increase of the absolute number of lymphocytes could not be found in an analogous control group without immunostimulation. At present 14 children with acute leucosis (11 with ALL, 3 with AML) in our hematologic-oncologic primary center of Rostock are still living in a first stable remission from the first up to the third year under regular immunostimulation with intradermal B.C.G. when polychemotherapy off.

Antineoplastic Agents

Novel tetracyclic spiropiperidines. 1. 3-Aryl-1,3-dihydrospiro[benzo[c]thiophene-1,4'-piperidines] as potential antidepressants.

A series of 3-aryl-1,3-dihydrospiro[benzo[c]thiophene-1,4'-piperidine] derivatives was synthesized and evaluated pharmacologically for potential psychotropic activity. Potent antidepressant-like activity was noted throughout the series, as assessed by tetrabenazine (TBZ) ptosis prevention in mice and potentiation of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) induced behavioral effects in rats. A possible therapeutic advantage of the title compounds appears to be the overall low anticholinergic potential in comparison with the classic tricyclic antidepressants. Several congeners with nuclear halogen substitution also exhibited CNS stimulant properties, as evidenced by their ability to induce a dopamine agonist-like stereotypy and to increase the spontaneous motor activity in mice.

5-Hydroxytryptophan