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Biomedical subjects

I Rudolph

Publications and source records attributed to I Rudolph.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Norethisterone enanthate plus testosterone undecanoate for male contraception: effects of various injection intervals on spermatogenesis, reproductive hormones, testis, and prostate.

The goal of this study was to find the most favorable injection interval of norethisterone enanthate (NETE) plus testosterone undecanoate (TU) in terms of gonadotropin, sperm suppression, and prostatic effects. Fifty normal men were randomly assigned to receive NETE 200 mg plus TU 1000 mg every 8 wk (n = 10), every 12 wk (n = 10), every 6 wk for 12 wk and then every 12 wk (n = 10), and every 6 wk for 12 wk and thereafter TU 1000 mg plus placebo every 12 wk (n = 10), and placebo plus placebo every 6 wk for 12 wk and then every 12 wk (n = 10) for 48 wk. Semen analyses, blood drawings, physical examinations, and prostate ultrasounds were performed throughout the study. Of the men in the 8-wk injection group, 90% (nine of 10) achieved azoospermia, compared with 37.5% (three of eight) in the 12-wk injection group (P = 0.019). TU plus placebo injected every 12 wk did not maintain sperm suppression. Prostate volumes did not change significantly in either group. In conclusion, these data suggest that the combined administration of NETE and TU at 8-wk intervals represents an effective hormonal contraceptive regimen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Influence of a continuous combined HRT (2 mg estradiol valerate and 2 mg dienogest) on postmenopausal depression.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was planned to investigate the effects of continuous combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with 2 mg estradiol valerate and 2 mg dienogest (Climodien/Lafamme) over 24 weeks on postmenopausal depression. METHOD: A total of 129 patients with a mild to moderate depressive episode according to ICD-10: F32.0, F32.1 in the context of a postmenopausal syndrome (ICD-10: N95.1) and a baseline score in the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) > or =16 were included in the study. The primary target variable was depression severity as measured by the HAMD after 24 weeks of treatment. A four-point difference between HRT and placebo at the end of the study and, in addition, a final score < or =8 (corresponding to an improvement of > or =50% as compared to baseline) for the individual patient (responders analysis) were considered clinically relevant. Clinical global impression (CGI) of investigators (therapeutic and side-effects) at the end of the study was investigated. Secondary effects of HRT on depression severity caused by its effect on vasomotor symptoms or sleep disturbances (domino hypothesis) were taken into consideration. Also, the study addressed the question of whether the effect of HRT on depression severity depends on a history of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or postnatal depression (PND). RESULTS: The results showed a clear and clinically relevant reduction of depression severity under HRT after 24 weeks of treatment and superiority over placebo (p < 0.0005) in spite of a strong placebo effect. The effects of the estrogen-progestin combination thereby seemed only partially to be dependent on the improvement of vasomotor symptoms and sleep disturbances. Also, the effects of HRT could not be shown to be dependent on a history of PMS and/or PND, even though women with and without this history clearly differed in baseline depression scores (p < 0.0001). The assessment of CGI was positive: whereas HRT was clearly superior to placebo with regard to therapeutic effects (p = 0.0014), there were no differences with regard to side-effects (p = 0.35). CONCLUSION: The combination of 2 mg estradiol valerate and 2 mg dienogest can be regarded as an effective and safe treatment option for women with mild to moderate depression in the context of postmenopausal syndrome.

Depression↗
PubMed2001

Crohn's disease of the esophagus: Three cases and a literature review.

Three cases of esophageal Crohn's disease (CD) are described, each with dysphagia and/or odynophagia caused by esophageal ulceration. All three patients had associated ileocolitis. One patient followed for a prolonged period responded to treatment with sulfasalazine and prednisone. A computer search back to 1967 produced 72 additional cases of esophageal CD. Among these 75 patients (total), who were, on average, 34 years old, esophageal disease was the presenting disease symptom in 41 patients (55%). The diagnosis was difficult in 13 patients, in whom no distal bowel disease was detected at the time of initial esophageal presentation. The most common presentation was dysphagia associated with aphthous or deeper ulcerations (52 patients). In 11 of these patients, oral aphthous ulcerations were also present. Esophageal stenosis or fistulas to surrounding structures were present in 27 patients and led to surgery in 17 patients. Most of the unfavourable outcomes were in this group of 27 patients with esophageal complications, including five deaths. Fourteen additional patients required surgery for CD of other areas. Responses of uncomplicated ulcerative disease of the esophagus tended to be favourable if the medical regimen included prednisone. Clinical patterns of esophageal CD were divided into three categories: ulcerative, stenosing and asymptomatic (acute disease in children).

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed2001

A rat mammary tumor model induced by the organophosphorous pesticides parathion and malathion, possibly through acetylcholinesterase inhibition.

Environmental chemicals may be involved in the etiology of breast cancers. Many studies have addressed the association between cancer in humans and agricultural pesticide exposure. Organophosphorous pesticides have been used extensively to control mosquito plagues. Parathion and malathion are organophosphorous pesticides extensively used to control a wide range of sucking and chewing pests of field crops, fruits, and vegetables. They have many structural similarities with naturally occurring compounds, and their primary target of action in insects is the nervous system; they inhibit the release of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase at the synaptic junction. Eserine, parathion, and malathion are cholinesterase inhibitors responsible for the hydrolysis of body choline esters, including acetylcholine at cholinergic synapses. Atropine, a parasympatholytic alkaloid, is used as an antidote to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. The aim of this study was to examine whether pesticides were able to induce malignant transformation of the rat mammary gland and to determine whether alterations induced by these substances increase the cholinergic activation influencing such transformation. These results showed that eserine, parathion, and malathion increased cell proliferation of terminal end buds of the 44-day-old mammary gland of rats, followed by formation of 8.6, 14.3, and 24.3% of mammary carcinomas, respectively, after about 28 months. At the same time, acetylcholinesterase activity decreased in the serum of these animals from 9.78 +/- 0.78 U/mL in the control animals to 3.05 +/- 0.06 U/mL; 2.57 +/- 0.15 U/mL; and 3.88 +/- 0.44 U/mL in the eserine-, parathion-, and malathion-treated groups, respectively. However, atropine alone induced a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the acetylcholinesterase activity from the control value of 9.78 +/- 0.78 to 4.38 +/- 0.10 for atropine alone, to 1.32 +/- 0.06 for atropine in combination with eserine, and 2.39 +/- 0.29 for atropine with malathion, and there was no mammary tumor formation. These results indicate that organophosphorous pesticides induce changes in the epithelium of mammary gland influencing the process of carcinogenesis, and such alterations occur at the level of nervous system by increasing the cholinergic stimulation.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2000

Pituitary responsiveness to diurnal and nocturnal GnRH pulses in melatonin-treated ewe lambs.

It has been shown that oral administration of melatonin to Suffolk ewe lambs, from 10 weeks of age onwards, advances the onset of puberty compared with control lambs maintained under the same natural photoperiod. Luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency at 20 and 26 weeks of age was unchanged by melatonin. However, LH pulse amplitudes greater than 1 ng mL(-1) were consistently observed in melatonin-treated lambs, suggesting either a high responsiveness of the pituitary gland to endogenous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulses, or a large amount of GnRH released by each pulse. The purpose of the present study was to assess the pituitary responsiveness to six diurnal and six nocturnal exogenous pulses of GnRH (10 ng kg(-1) bodyweight) in melatonin-treated ewe lambs (3 mg melatonin daily at 1600 hours, from 10 weeks of age; n = 5) and control lambs of the same age (n = 5), born in the spring and kept under natural photoperiod. Pulses of GnRH were given intravenously at 60-min intervals by means of an indwelling jugular catheter from 0900 to 1400 hours and from 2100 to 0200 hours to ewe lambs of 20 and 26 weeks of age. Blood samples were collected at 10-min intervals using a contralateral jugular vein catheter from 1 h before and up to 1 h after the last GnRH pulse. The difference (delta) between plasma LH concentrations at 0 min and the greatest concentration of LH after each GnRH pulse was calculated and compared in the same group. The total area under the GnRH response curve (AUC) was also calculated and compared within and between the groups. The AUC of melatonin-treated lambs (66.1 +/- 5.94 and 52.24 +/- 7.42 ng mL(-1)/6 h, diurnal and nocturnal respectively) was greater than that of control lambs (39.42 +/- 4.29 and 32.82 +/- 3.6 ng mL(-1)/6 h diurnal and nocturnal respectively; P<0.05) at 20 weeks of age. At 26 weeks of age, only the diurnal total AUC was greater in melatonin-treated lambs than in control lambs (60.17 +/- 7.98 and 29.8 +/- 5.02 ng mL(-1)/6 h respectively; P<0.05). Delta LH concentrations in response to the first diurnal pulse of GnRH were greater than those in response to the fifth diurnal GnRH pulse (P<0.05) in melatonin-treated lambs of 20 weeks of age. Also, the delta LH concentrations in response to the first three diurnal GnRH pulses were greater than to the last three nocturnal pulses of GnRH (P<0.05). Delta LH concentrations were greater in response to the second diurnal pulse of GnRH than to the last three diurnal GnRH pulses, and greater than the responses to the first and the last four nocturnal GnRH pulses (P<0.05), at 26 weeks of age in melatonin-treated lambs. The response to nocturnal pulses of GnRH was similar. In control lambs, the responses to diurnal and nocturnal GnRH pulses were similar at 20 and 26 weeks of age. These results suggest that melatonin enhances the pituitary responsiveness to GnRH pulses in ewe lambs.

Aging↗
PubMed1999

Regulation of prostaglandin production by nitric oxide in rat smooth muscle myometrial cells.

Smooth muscle myometrial cells isolated by an enzymatic method from estrogenized rats were used after 7-10 days of culture. They were incubated for 24 h with two distinct competitive nitric oxide (NO) inhibitors: NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA: 300 microM) and L-nitro-arginine methylester (L-NAME: 600 microM, 5 mM and 10 mM). Afterwards, the supernatants were separated in order to measure nitrite production and prostaglandin PGE synthesis. In the present report, we demonstrate that myometrial cells from estrogenized rats are able to produce NO, since all the inhibitors significantly decrease the production of nitrites in the culture media. Furthermore, we report that both inhibitors inhibited PGE synthesis by myometrial cells. We also used a donor of NO in the incubation medium for 24 h, sodium nitroprusside (NP), obtaining an strong (P< 0.001) increase in both nitrite and PGE production. We conclude that myometrial cells can produce NO and that one possible role of the NO synthetized by this cells may be the modulation of PGE production.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Interaction between nitric oxide and prostaglandin E pathways in rat smooth muscle myometrial cells.

Previously, we demonstrated the presence of a nitric oxide (NO) prostaglandin (PG) pathway in myometrial cells obtained from uterine rat tissue. This pathway was modulated by estrogen and one possible function could be to modulate uterine relaxation. In the present study, we investigated the role of progesterone in the regulation of NO synthesis and the uterotonic PGE production by myometrial cells from uterine rat tissue. We worked with two groups of rats: (i) ovariectomizcd (OV) rats, without influence of sex hormones and (ii) OV rats injected with progesterone (4 mg) s.c. Myometrial uterine cells were obtained by a selective enzymatic digestion. In the incubation medium of these cells, nitrite concentration (as a measure of NO production) and PGE production were evaluated. To ensure a specific response, a competitive NOs inhibitor, N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine; L-NMMA (300 microM) was used. We found that at 48 h of the incubation period, cells obtained from progesterone-primed uterine tissue presented an increase in the nitrite concentration concomitant with a decrease in the PGE production. When L-NMMA was added to the cells, nitrite production and PGE synthesis returned to control values. The fact that this effect had not been observed in the group of cells obtained from OV rats suggests that progesterone was responsible for it. These data provide strong evidence that in spite of the fact that estrogen and progesterone modulate the NO-PG pathway in the uterine rat tissue, the two hormones have opposite effects.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The role of chair exercises for older adults following hip fracture.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the influence of regular participation in chair exercises on postoperative deconditioning in respect of selected physiological, psychological and anthropometric variables. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental, non-randomised control group pre-test/post-test design where test group (N = 20) and control group (N = 10) were not equivalent because random selection and assignment were not possible. SUBJECTS: Patients discharged from an orthopaedic ward 8-10 days after hip surgery who were cognitively competent (mean score on Mini-Mental State Examination 26 (SD 3.5)), sedentary (mean score on Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire for the Elderly 7.4 (SD 3.3)) women aged 70 years and above (mean 80 (SD 6.6) years). SETTING: Hip fracture patients admitted to a multidisciplinary geriatric hospital for further medical observation. MEASUREMENTS: Abstraction of medical records provided information about co-morbidities and questionnaires assessed demographic, affective and cognitive function. Physiological, psychological and anthropometric status was measured pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Data revealed high variability, suggesting that the effect of the independent variable was obscured by the heterogeneity of the cohort. Both groups improved similarly in grip strength, and in levels of depression and confidence. Body composition data explained the weight maintenance as a consequence of significant gains in fat-free mass in the experimental group. The significant change in systolic blood pressure and heart rate over the exercise and recovery period suggested that the 6-week period of moderate-intensity exercise was adequate to stimulate cardiovascular adaptations. CONCLUSIONS: Whether or not the submaximal chair exercise regimen was of optimal benefit remains unclear. However, the intervention did appear to have contributed to the maintenance of the physical condition of older women temporarily disabled as a result of a fracture and subsequent hip surgery.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Acute cocaine intoxication with fatal outcome].

The clinical course and some toxicologic-analytical aspects of an acute intoxication with cocaine are presented. Diagnosis was made by the induced toxicologic emergency investigation since neither symptoms nor clinical test results or anamnestic data showed relevant diagnostic information. Based on the results of the analytic investigation, we concluded it was a suicide based on long-term abuse of cocaine. Because of the unusually high concentrations of cocaine und cocaine metabolites in the body of liquids and tissues, it seemed probable that the patient was intoxicated with a lethal dose of at least 1 g cocaine. This case report underlines the importance of clinical and toxicological investigations in the diagnostic procedure of unclear comata and the importance of forensic toxicological analysis in clarifying anamnestic questions.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Interactive effects of growth hormone and exercise on muscle mass in suspended rats.

Measures to attenuate muscle atrophy in rats in response to stimulated microgravity [hindlimb suspension (HS)] have been only partially successful. In the present study, hypophysectomized rats were in HS for 7 days, and the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (GH), exercise (Ex), or GH+Ex on the weights, protein concentrations, and fiber cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of hindlimb muscles were determined. The weights of four extensor muscles, i.e., the soleus (Sol), medial (MG) and lateral (LG) gastrocnemius, and plantaris (Plt), and one adductor, i.e., the adductor longus (AL), were decreased by 10-22% after HS. Fiber CSAs were decreased by 34% in the Sol and by 17% in the MG after HS. In contrast, two flexors, i.e., the tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL), did not atrophy. In HS rats, GH treatment alone maintained the weights of the fast extensors (MG, LG, Plt) and flexors (TA, EDL) at or above those of control rats. This effect was not observed in the slow extensor (Sol) or AL. Exercise had no significant effect on the weight of any muscle in HS rats. A combination of GH and Ex treatments yielded a significant increase in the weights of the fast extensors and in the CSA of both fast and slow fibers of the MG and significantly increased Sol weight and CSA of the slow fibers of the Sol. The AL was not responsive to either GH or Ex treatments. Protein concentrations of the Sol and MG were higher only in the Sol of Ex and GH + Ex rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Bronchoalveolar lavage--a diagnostic method in chronic nonspecific bronchopulmonary diseases in childhood? 2. Studies of cellular and humoral parameters in BAL irrigation fluid].

With a view of the pathogenesis of chronic bronchopulmonary diseases the interrelations between infections and evolving defense system are of interest, they are perhaps detectable by means of diagnostic bronchoalveolar lavage. We carried out cytodifferentiation, investigated adenosine deaminase activities and interleukin 1 formation of macrophages, determined immunoglobulin concentrations (secretory IgA), lysozyme, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, albumin. Because the cytodifferentiation yields insight into topical inflammatory reactions, shows diagnostic useful informations in single cases and because it is simple to carry out we can recommend it for each bronchological examination. There were no results specific for any disease group for parameters mentioned above.

Adenosine Deaminase↗