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Biomedical subjects

I Dawidson

Publications and source records attributed to I Dawidson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Sensory stimulation (acupuncture) increases the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the saliva of xerostomia sufferers.

Over the last decade, several patients afflicted with xerostomia have been treated with acupuncture. Their salivary flow rates increased significantly and the improvement lasted during a long observation period. We also found that the release of several neuropeptides in the saliva of healthy subjects can be increased by acupuncture stimulation. The concentration of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide increased significantly in the saliva of xerostomic patients after acupuncture treatment. The release of the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was investigated in the saliva of xerostomic patients in order to elucidate further the mechanisms of the effect of sensory stimulation (acupuncture) on the salivary secretion. CGRP-like immunoreactivity was measured with radioimmunoassay (RIA) before and after a double series of acupuncture treatment, in stimulated saliva of 14 patients who suffered from xerostomia. The results showed that the concentration of CGRP increased significantly (P<0.001) in the saliva of these patients after the end of acupuncture treatment as compared to base-line levels. Taking into consideration the influence of CGRP on the salivary flow, as well as its trophic effect, we concluded that the increased release of CGRP could be one of the factors that affect positively the salivary flow rates of xerostomic patients who were treated with acupuncture.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1998

The influence of sensory stimulation (acupuncture) on the release of neuropeptides in the saliva of healthy subjects.

In recent studies we have shown that xerostomia (dry mouth) can be treated successfully with sensory stimulation (acupuncture). The increase of saliva secretion lasted often for at least one year. Some neuropeptides have been found to influence the secretion of saliva. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms behind the effect of acupuncture on salivary secretion by measuring the release of neuropeptides in saliva under the influence of sensory stimulation. VIP-like immunoreactivity (VIP-LI), NPY-LI, SP-LI, CGRP-LI and NKA-LI were analysed in the saliva of eight healthy subjects. Manual acupuncture and acupuncture with low-frequency electrical stimulation (2 Hz) were used. The saliva was collected during 20 minutes before the start of acupuncture stimulation, then during 20 minutes while the needles were in situ and then for another 20 minutes after the needles were removed. Four different saliva sampling techniques were used: whole resting saliva, whole saliva stimulated by paraffin-chewing, whole saliva stimulated by citric acid (1%), and parotid saliva, also stimulated with citric acid (1%). The results showed significant increases in the release of CGRP, NPY and VIP both during and after acupuncture stimulation, especially in connection with electro-acupuncture. SP showed only few increases, mainly in connection with electro-acupuncture, whereas NKA generally was unaffected by the acupuncture stimulation. The sensory stimulation-induced increase in the release of CGRP, NPY and VIP in the saliva could be an indication of their role in the improvement of salivary flow rates in xerostomic patients who had been treated with acupuncture.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1998

Sensory stimulation (acupuncture) increases the release of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the saliva of xerostomia sufferers.

We have shown in earlier studies that xerostomia can be treated successfully with acupuncture. We also found that acupuncture stimulation can increase the concentration of neuropeptides in the saliva of healthy subjects. In this study, the concentration of the neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was measured in the saliva of xerostomic patients in connection with acupuncture treatment (AP). Patients suffering from xerostomia caused by irradiation treatment, Sjögren's syndrome and other systemic disorders had been treated with acupuncture. Some of these patients showed an increase of their salivary flow rates after the AP was completed. Seventeen patients out of 65 were chosen due to their ability to produce enough saliva for the radio immunoassay (RIA) analyses to be conducted prior to the start of AP. VIP-like immunoreactivity (VIP-LI) was measured in the chewing stimulated saliva of these patients before and after the whole AP (24 sessions of 30 min each). The results showed that there was a significant increase of the concentration of VIP after the AP as compared to the measurements made before the start of the treatment (p<0.05). We concluded that the increase of neuropeptide VIP might be one of the mechanisms behind the positive effect of acupuncture on the salivary flow rates of the xerostomic patients.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1997

Neuropeptides in the saliva of healthy subjects.

Five neuropeptides: Substance P (SP), Neurokinin A (NKA), Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP), Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP), were measured in the saliva of eight subjects. The saliva was collected using different stimulation techniques: whole resting saliva, whole paraffin stimulated saliva, whole citric acid stimulated saliva and parotid saliva of different secretion rates -0.25 mL/min, 0.50 mL/min and 1.00 mL/min, also stimulated by citric acid. The neuropeptides were analysed by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that the concentration of all neuropeptides decreased significantly, two- to four-fold (CGRP up to 16-fold) in whole saliva, when the salivary secretion rates increased six- to eight-fold due to stimulation. However, the amounts of all neuropeptides released over time into the whole saliva increased two- to five-fold (ten-fold for CGRP) as the volumes of saliva increased due to chewing-stimulation as compared to resting saliva or citric acid stimulated saliva. There was also more CGRP in the resting saliva than in the citric acid stimulated saliva. The concentration of CGRP in the parotid saliva decreased three- to ten-fold when the salivary flow increased, whereas the concentration of NKA increased three- to four-fold and that of NPY almost two-fold under the same conditions. The concentrations of SP and VIP did not change in the different flows of parotid saliva. The release of all neuropeptides in the parotid saliva over time showed significant increases (3-14-fold) when the secretion rates increased except CGRP, which showed no changes at all. We concluded that neuropeptides are continuously released into the saliva. Their amounts increase with stimulation, but they are diluted by the increased volume of saliva, and they are also affected by the mode of stimulation-muscular activity leads to a greater release than citric acid stimulation. As the neuropeptides play an important role in the control of salivary secretory mechanisms, their normal occurrence and release are of fundamental importance for the understanding of the function of the salivary glands.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The influence of acupuncture on salivary flow rates in healthy subjects.

This study investigated the influence of acupuncture stimulation on the salivary secretion of eight healthy subjects. The salivary flow of each subject was measured before, during and after every acupuncture session. The unstimulated, chewing-stimulated and citric acid-stimulated flows were investigated, in combination with manual and electrically stimulated acupuncture. The results showed a significant increase of the unstimulated salivary flow both during and after the manual acupuncture stimulation as compared to baseline levels. There was no effect on the unstimulated salivary flow with electro-acupuncture. The stimulated salivary flow was not affected by manual acupuncture, while the electrically stimulated acupuncture led to a significant decrease of the chewing-stimulated salivary flow. The improvement of the unstimulated salivary secretion in healthy subjects was in accordance with our previous findings in xerostomic patients. It is possible that the salivary secretion is influenced by the augmented release of neuropeptides caused by acupuncture. Some neuropeptides have been shown to affect salivary secretion as well as capillary blood flow.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1996

Acupuncture treatment of patients with radiation-induced xerostomia.

Xerostomia is a common and usually irreversible side effects in patients receiving radiation therapy (> 50 Gy) for head and neck cancer. Of 38 patients with radiation-induced xerostomia, 20 in the experimental group were treated with classical acupuncture and 18 patients in the control group received superficial acupuncture as placebo. Within both groups the patients showed significantly increased salivary flow rates after the acupuncture treatment. In the experimental group 68% and in the control group 50% of the patients had increased salivary flow rates at the end of the observation period. Among those patients who had had all their salivary glands irradiated, 50% in both groups showed increased salivary flow rates (> 20%) by the end of the observation period of 1 year. The study indicates that among the patients who had increased salivary flow rates already after the first 12 acupuncture sessions, the majority had high probability of continual improvement after the completion of acupuncture treatment. The improved salivary flow rates usually persisted during the observation year. The changes observed in the control group were somewhat smaller and appeared after a longer latency phase. Significant differences for salivary flow rates could be observed only within each group, and there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. There were no differences in the improvement of salivary flow rates between those patients who were irradiated within a year before the acupuncture treatment and those who had received radiation therapy several years earlier. The results indicate that acupuncture might be a useful method for the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia, and that superficial acupuncture should preferably not be used as placebo acupuncture.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1996

Renal autotransplantation after horseshoe kidney injury: a case report and literature review.

We present a patient with lap seatbelt trauma to a previously unsuspected horseshoe kidney. Preoperative single film intravenous pyelography did not suggest the presence of this renal anomaly or define the extent of renal injury. Because of the severity of the injury, nephrectomy was life-saving, but inadvertently rendered the patient anephric. Recognition of horseshoe kidney anatomy, microvascular back-bench reconstruction, and renal autotransplantation allowed the salvage of both the patient and her renal function.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1996

Reperfusion injury.

Reperfusion injury, precipitated by lack of oxygen, is likely to play a major role in many clinical conditions, including shock, coronary artery occlusion disease, and solid organ transplantation. Certain tissues, such as the intestinal mucosa, may be especially susceptible because of the specific microvascular anatomy. Structural changes include not only swelling of the organelles but also the entire cell due to the entry of water and electrolytes. Lysosomal ruptures precede cell death. Other key substances which either participate in or are part of oxygen free radical formation in tissue injury are calcium ions, leukocytes, and bacteria. Leukocyte adhesion has been implicated as a critical step in vascular endothelium injury, leading to increased microvascular permeability and thrombosis. Induction of neutropenia or the administration of antileukocyte adhesion monoclonal antibodies, preventing typical injuries, implies a central role of the white blood cells in reperfusion injury. Specifically, oxygen free radical formation in the intestines may trigger or cause injury in other distant organs, e.g., the heart and lungs, and affect overall vascular function. So-called "bacterial translocation" from the intestines to the lymphatic vessels and the bloodstream is a more recently discovered phenomenon whose role is largely unknown. Ischemic preconditioning is still another concept, mainly tested in the canine heart, that has potential clinical applications. Reperfusion of ischemic tissue occurs with solid organ transplantation, often after considerable cold ischemia time. Protective mechanisms include oxygen free radical scavengers, i.e., allopurinol and superoxide dismutase. Other measures proven to be effective during the implantation are blood volume expansion with colloid solutions and/or electrolyte solutions, and the administration of a calcium antagonist. The mechanisms of these measures are likely related to improved renal microcirculation and relief of vasospasm.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Enhancement of peritoneal macrophages reduces postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation.

Postoperative adhesion formation results from a fibroproliferative inflammatory reaction. Macrophages are critical in the final resolution of the inflammatory process and tissue repair, including modulation of proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts and secretion of neutral proteases like plasminogen activator. We, therefore, studied the influence of peritoneal macrophage enhancement on postoperative adhesion formation in five groups of rabbits. Group 1 was a control with normal peritoneum. Animals in group 2 had increased macrophage population in their peritoneum by intraperitoneal injection of protease peptone 3 days before adhesion induction. In group 3, animals were treated by protease peptone as in group 2 and then depleted of the increased macrophage population by peritoneal lavage before adhesion induction. In group 4 macrophages were transplanted from animals enriched as in group 2 into a nonenriched peritoneum at the time of adhesion induction. Group 5 had a normal peritoneum with peritoneal lavage before adhesion induction. Peritoneal adhesions were induced at laparotomy by repairing a peritoneal defect in two different models. It was found that enhancement of peritoneal macrophages by protease peptone reduced markedly the degree of postoperative adhesion formation. After depletion of the enhanced peritoneal macrophages by peritoneal lavage the degree of adhesion formation was equivalent to that of controls. Finally, macrophage transplantation into a nonenhanced macrophage peritoneum also reduced the degree of postoperative adhesion formation. It is concluded that enhancement of peritoneal macrophages reduces postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Lymphoproliferative disease presenting as obstructive uropathy after renal transplantation.

Lymphoproliferative disorders occur with a greater frequency in recipients of solid organ transplants. Unlike in the general population, these tumors tend to arise in extranodal sites and are often confined to a single organ. We report on a patient with lymphoproliferative disease confined to the hilum of the renal allograft. The only clinical clue to the presence of the tumor was an increase in the serum creatinine secondary to ureteral obstruction by the mass.

Humans↗
PubMed1993

Effects on local blood flux of acupuncture stimulation used to treat xerostomia in patients suffering from Sjögren's syndrome.

Twenty-one patients with Sjögren's syndrome were given four different kinds of acupuncture stimulation, at acupuncture points previously used to treat xerostomia. The local blood flux in the skin overlying the parotid gland was measured with laser Doppler flowmetry before, during and after the acupuncture stimulation. The results showed that the local blood flux increased significantly during and after both manual acupuncture and low-frequency (2 Hz) electro-acupuncture as compared with superficial acupuncture. These results indicate that acupuncture induced an increase in the local blood flux which was more pronounced for those patients who had previously reacted with increased salivary flow to acupuncture.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1992

The effect of acupuncture on salivary flow rates in patients with xerostomia.

Of 21 patients with severe xerostomia, 11 were treated with acupuncture and 10 patients received placebo acupuncture. Those patients who received acupuncture treatment showed increased salivary flow rates during and after the acupuncture treatment. The improved salivary values persisted during the observation year, whereas the patients who received placebo acupuncture showed some improvement of salivary flow rates only during the actual treatment. The results of the present study indicate that acupuncture may be a useful adjunct for the stimulation of salivary flow in some patients with xerostomia.

Acupuncture Points↗