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J Descotes

Publications and source records attributed to J Descotes.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Influence of acetaminophen on antipyrine kinetics in rats.

Studies have suggested that acetaminophen may inhibit the liver metabolism of several drugs. Due to the expected clinical relevance of these findings, the present study was undertaken to examine acetaminophen effects on in vivo drug metabolism in the rat, using the model substrate antipyrine. Oral doses of 15 mg/kg acetaminophen were administered twice daily for 7 days. Antipyrine kinetics were determined before and immediately after acetaminophen treatment in rats (used as their own control). Acetaminophen treatment significantly increased antipyrine half-life by 29% and reduced its clearance by 24%, without affecting its volume of distribution. Further studies are warranted to determine the relevance and mechanism of these findings.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed1990

Influence of macrolide antibiotics on the chemiluminescence of zymosan-activated human neutrophils.

No statistically significant changes in the chemiluminescence response of the whole blood were noted following in vitro treatment with 0, 2, 10, 25, or 50 micrograms/ml of erythromycin, josamycin, miomycin, roxithromycin, and spiramycin. These results suggest that these macrolide antibiotics are unlikely to impair the phagocytizing abilities of human neutrophils, in agreement with previous findings indicating their lack of influence upon neutrophil chemotaxis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

Neutrophil functions in lead-exposed workers.

Neutrophil functions were studied in 38 lead-exposed workers compared to 34 controls. Both groups were matched according to age, sex, drinking and smoking habits, ethnic origin and drug intake. Blood lead levels were found to be seven times higher in exposed workers than in controls. Phagocytosis assayed by chemiluminescence was found to be slightly but not significantly altered in exposed workers. In contrast, chemotaxis using the agarose technique was significantly depressed. These results are in agreement with previous in-vitro findings. A further assessment of clinical consequences is warranted.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗
PubMed1990

Applicability of the popliteal lymph node assay in the Brown-Norway rat.

A number of drugs and chemicals can induce autoimmune disorders. Previous studies suggested the popliteal lymph node (PLN) assay might be a suitable and reliable model to detect such compounds in the mouse. The applicability of this assay has been examined in the Brown-Norway rat using a panel of positive as well as negative reference compounds. Popliteal lymph nodes were excised and weighed seven days after subcutaneous injection of 5 mg of each compound into one footpad. Interestingly, all negative reference compounds produced no significant increase in PLN weight index whereas four positive reference compounds were associated with PLN-weight indices greater than 2.3. However, no increase in PLN weight was noted in procainamide- and isoniazide-treated rats as previously reported in the mouse. This first set of experiments indicates that the PLN assay is applicable to Brown-Norway rats and warrants further investigation.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Aneurysm of iliac arteries. Is it anatomo-clinical entity? Report of 18 cases].

338 patients with aorto iliac aneurysms were operated in the Department of vascular surgery (Hosp. E.-Herriot-University A.-Carrel Lyon). Retrospective evaluation found 20 solitary iliac artery aneurysms (AAIS) in 18 patients (2 bilateral AAIS). 77% of aneurysms were on the common iliac artery, 17% on the internal iliac artery, and one case of mycotic aneurysm on the external iliac artery. 8 patients (44.4%) were asymptomatic, 5 (27.8%) had non specific complaints. Rupture or acute ischemia occurred in 5 cases (27.8%). The incidence of non atherosclerotic cause (dysplasia 33.3%, infection 16.7%) in this series shows a real difference with AAA (atherosclerotic dominant etiologic factor). The value of C.T. scanning and sonographic evaluation and their extensive use in vascular and non vascular diagnostic problems are an obvious explanation for increasing AAIS reports. The risk of rupture is probably higher than in AAA because of the incidence of arterial dysplasias (1/3 in this study) and mycotic origin. This occurrence suggests an aggressive surgical management. Aneurysmorrhaphy with graft interposition by intraperitoneal approach is the routine technique for most of surgeons. An alternative procedure (retroperitoneal approach) was performed on ten of our patients (55.5%). No perioperative mortality and low morbidity rate (one case of phlebitis) in our cases support this surgical management. The survival rate based on actuarial method is estimated 64% at five years (all grafts patent).

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Sodium valproate does not alter immune competence in mice.

Spleen and thymus weight, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), contact hypersensitivity to picryl chloride, anti-sheep red blood cell hemagglutinin titers and plaque-forming cells (PFC), resistance against experimental toxoplasmosis as well as serum total and intestinal specific IgA were investigated in Swiss mice given sodium valproate (250 mg/kg/day) orally for 21 consecutive days. Sodium valproate (SV) did not exert marked effects as only DTH to SRBC and PFC numbers were found to be slightly altered. These results suggest that SV is unlikely to alter immune competence markedly.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1989

[Value of somatosensory evoked potentials in thoraco- brachial outlet syndrome].

INTRODUCTION: Brachial plexus involvement in symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is often difficult to assess from clinical data. Conventional EMG and nerve conduction studies (NCS) do not seem reliable to all authors. For this reason, our investigations of this syndrome were complemented by study of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in order to compare the results of these different techniques. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten patients were studied, all of whom had prominent vascular symptoms which led to their consulting a vascular surgeon. Only one had hand wasting without hypoesthesia. None had cervical rib or cervical spine anomaly. In all cases, diagnosis was confirmed by arteriography or phlebography. Operations were decided on clinical data and results of vascular investigations. Patients were tested with conventional motor and sensitive NCS F-wave studies. Needle EMG was performed in abductor pollicis brevis, first dorsal interosseus or abductor digitiminimi. Their SEP were performed as for controls. Ten controls were studied whose SEP were obtained at Erb's point (N9) and C2 cervical spine level (N13) after percutaneous stimulation of median and ulnar nerves at the wrist on both sides. The criterion of abnormality was the mean of controls + 2.5 SD for latencies. Amplitude was considered as low when it was less than 50% of the contralateral one. RESULTS: For 2 patients EMG, NCS and SEP were abnormal. One had hand wasting and denervation in hand muscles as well as slowed median and ulnar sensory conduction with low amplitude responses. SEP at Erb's point were slightly delayed after ulnar stimulation. No cervical response was obtained after ulnar stimulation. The second one had normal responses at Erb's point but delayed responses at the cervical level. In addition, N13 amplitude after ulnar stimulation was low. Four patients had normal EMG, NCS and SEP. Two patients had normal EMG and NCS, but their SEP was questionable since latencies were normal, even though amplitude was low after median and ulnar stimulation. This was not considered this to be abnormal since it was bilateral. For the remaining 2 patients (F.1), EMG and NCS and Erb's point SEP were normal, but C2 median and ulnar responses were delayed in one case and C2 ulnar response amplitude was very low on one side only in the other. In conclusion, SEP were abnormal for 4 patients out of 10 but gave more information than conventional EMG and NCS for only 2 patients. SEP abnormalities prevailed after ulnar stimulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[The neoartery, myth or reality? Study of 79 explanted arterial prostheses].

This study represents the third stage of a personal study on the long term fate of reconstruction and arterial restoration materials presented to the Academie de Chirurgie. 79 explanted prostheses were studied. First of all by an in depth histological study (8 cases selected from 70 reinterventions carried out before 1980), and then by a more complete protocol: scanning electron microscopy, resistance testing, programmed differential calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and biochemical analysis (71 reinterventions carried out after 1980). Our findings agree with the studies of R. Guidoin. With the exception of structural manufacturing defects or defects related to surgical manipulation, mechanical fatigue in a Dacron (PET) arterial prosthesis is inevitable: on average by the 7th to 10th year, a prosthesis looses one half of its mechanical resistance. The covering tissue, like that of the external capsule, which has poor mechanical properties, cannot compensate for prosthetic deterioration which may be considered to be complete by the 25th year. Knitted arterial prostheses, especially aortic, more rapidly undergo dilatation than woven prostheses which are much more resistant. On the other hand, the poor compliance of the latter compared with the recipient artery, perhaps favorises late anastomotic rupture. At internal capsule or pseudo-intimal level, endothelium is never present, but rather there is a permanent turnover with a variable time course, the mechanisms of which are poorly understood (role of prostaglandins?). Rather than a neo-artery, the vascular surgeon is only capable of producing an imperfect arterial tube, fragile from many points of view, and having an evolution which remains poorly understood.

Aneurysm↗
PubMed1988

Stability of performances of vascular prostheses retrospective study of 22 cases of human implanted prostheses.

Twenty-two cases of vascular graft failures (thrombosis, pseudoaneurysm, dilation, infection) were investigated by means of physicochemical, histological, and ultrastructural studies. A general decrease of mechanical resistance to stress of the prostheses was observed. Its magnitude ranged from 2 to 75% of the values of identical virgin prostheses and there was no relation with the duration of implantation. In addition to the breakage of yarn filaments (SEM), migration of fiber debris (histology) was observed in 7 cases. The structure of the polyester molecule had evolved after implantation. A decrease of crystallinity (x-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry) was noted. These observations raise the question of the established stability of vascular prostheses and emphasize the need for further investigations in human graft retrieval programs.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed1988

Spiramycin: safety in man.

Spiramycin, a 16-membered lactone ring macrolide, has been in clinical use for the past 15 years with little serious associated toxicity. Gastrointestinal disturbance has usually been mild and no changes in gastrointestinal motility have been noted either experimentally or in humans, in contrast to other macrolides, such as erythromycin. Allergic reactions have been uncommon and mainly restricted to transient skin eruptions. Although liver injury is a possible complication of most macrolide treatments, no conclusive evidence for spiramycin-induced hepatitis is currently available, and, again in contrast to most other macrolides, the lack of drug interactions with spiramycin has been clearly established in biochemical, pharmacokinetic and clinical studies.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Enhancement of antibody response and delayed-type hypersensitivity by thalidomide in mice.

Renewed interest in thalidomide stemmed from the suggestion by several authors that it might prove useful against immune-related diseases. Despite interesting preliminary findings, little is actually known regarding its immunoenhancing properties in vivo. Male and female Swiss mice, aged 6-8 wk, were given 0.5 or 25 mg/kg/day of thalidomide orally for 4 wk. Various immunological parameters were then assessed. When compared to controls, mice exposed to the higher dose presented with a significantly increased thymus weight index, whereas spleen weight index remained unchanged. Anti-sheep erythrocyte plaque-forming cells and hemagglutinin titers were increased by 44% and 29%, respectively. Contact hypersensitivity to picryl chloride was enhanced by 62%. Finally, colloidal carbon clearance was not altered. Interestingly, the lower dose (5 mg/kg/day) exerted no effect whatsoever.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Influence of tetanus and typhoid vaccines on hepatic drug metabolism.

Several experiments suggested that vaccines might inhibit liver drug-metabolizing enzymes, an assumption in agreement with other findings obtained with most immuno-enhancing agents. A direct, non-specific activation of macrophages with subsequent release of interleukin 1 may account for this inhibition. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether tetanus and typhoid vaccines exerted such an influence on pentobarbital sleeping time in mice and antipyrine elimination in rabbits, both in vivo correlates of the activity of these enzymes. It is shown that tetanus (unlike typhoid) vaccination in both species can lead to a marked but transient impairment of hepatic drug metabolism in these conditions. The reason for this discrepancy is unclear. The assumption that aluminium hydroxide might play a critical role, as this adjuvant is included in the formulation of tetanus vaccine in contrast to that of typhoid vaccine, is not supported by our findings since aluminium hydroxide alone failed to exert any influence in our experimental conditions. Further studies are therefore warranted to elucidate the mechanism of this inhibition of the activity of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes.

Aluminum Hydroxide↗