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Biomedical subjects

J F Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to J F Cooper.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Action of taurine, 3-aminopropanesulfonic acid, and GABA on the hindgut and heart of the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae.

Taurine, glycine, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were all present in concentrations of greater than 1% of the total free amino acid content in the brain, thoracic, and abdominal ganglia of Leucophaea maderae. Hemolymph, subesophageal ganglia, and hindgut had substantial amounts of glutamate and glycine, but less than 0.3% taurine or GABA. Taurine, 3-aminopropanesulfonic acid (3-APS), cysteine-sulfinic acid (CSA), and GABA each had myotropic activity on the isolated cockroach hindgut, with 3-APS having the most consistent effect (ED50 = 0.63 mM), while taurine and CSA activities were similar to that of GABA on the hindgut. Both taurine and 3-APS had anti-arrhythmic effects on semi-isolated heart preparations of L. maderae, while GABA was inhibitory and induced arrhythmia. Bicuculline was antagonistic to the effects of GABA, taurine, and 3-APS on the hindgut, and induced arrhythmia in heart preparations; this arrhythmia was reversible by taurine, but not by GABA or 3-APS.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1990

Endogenous colonization by gentamicin-resistant gram-negative bacilli elaborating aminoglycoside (3)-5-acetyltransferase.

Members of the family Enterobacteriaceae that elaborate aminoglycoside 3-5-acetyltransferase [AAC(3)-5] caused a nosocomial outbreak at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and have persisted. To see whether the gene for AAC(3)-5 was present in the community, stool cultures of newly admitted patients and ambulatory persons were examined with a specific gene probe. AAC(3)-5-positive strains were present in the intestinal flora examined.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1989

Mycobacterium chelonae: a cause of nodular skin lesions with a proclivity for renal transplant recipients.

PURPOSE: Infections due to Mycobacterium chelonae are uncommon. Several renal transplant recipients at our medical center have developed M. chelonae infections during the past several years, so we decided to review our recent experience with M. chelonae infections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical microbiology laboratory records of four Vanderbilt University Affiliated Hospitals were reviewed. Ten patients with M. chelonae tissue or blood infections were identified between 1982 and July 1988. RESULTS: All infections involved the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Three infections developed at the sites of medical injections. The remaining seven infections occurred in renal transplant recipients and produced a clinically distinctive syndrome. All were indolent tender nodular lesions on the extremities, usually the lower legs. Systemic symptoms were absent, and white blood cell counts were within normal limits. Diagnosis required tissue biopsy and cultures that were incubated for a month. Therapy consisted of surgical excision combined with long-term antibiotics. Even so, some patients had a chronic, relapsing course. CONCLUSION: Although other diagnoses must be considered, the presumptive diagnosis of M. chelonae infection is suggested by the appearance of nodular erythematous lesions on the legs of a renal transplant recipient.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Recurrent meningitis in a black man.

A 43-year-old black man had recurrence of acute bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. He had had three previous episodes of acute meningitis, starting at age 27 years. The patient's serum was found to have an undetectable level of the sixth component of complement. Congenital absence of one of the terminal proteins in the complement system impairs a patient's ability to eradicate bacteria, and increases susceptibility to recurring infections caused by meningococci and other Neisseria species. Though the serum of complement-deficient patients promotes normal opsonization of bacteria, it is unable to kill meningococci directly. The currently available meningococcal vaccine may augment type-specific antibody, but it does not correct the underlying complement deficiency. The role of self-administered antibiotics in preventing recurrent Neisseria infection remains uncertain.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Effect of patient positioning on distribution of tetracycline in the pleural space during pleurodesis.

Thoracostomy tube drainage with tetracycline (TCN) instillation is an effective technique for management of recurrent, symptomatic, malignant pleural effusions. Although patient rotation through various positions after instillation of TCN has been advocated empirically, it has not been shown scientifically to be necessary and is often uncomfortable for the patient and time-consuming for personnel. Five patients with symptomatic, malignant pleural effusions were studied during pleurodesis using radiolabelled TCN. Scintigraphic imaging was done immediately after TCN instillation prior to patient rotation. Patients were rotated through six positions and multiple images were obtained at 30 and 120 minutes. Tetracycline dispersed throughout the pleural space within seconds. Patient positioning had no effect on the intrapleural distribution of TCN in four of the five patients. In one patient with loculated hydropneumothorax and trapped lung, rotation minimally improved distribution of TCN to the apex. Rotation during pleurodesis does not appear to be necessary in patients with a relatively normal pleural space. However, patient rotation enhances distribution of TCN when the lung is separated substantially from the chest wall, as with trapped lung. Possibly, in this situation the properties of fluid mechanics and capillary action no longer apply.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Combined serum and bone marrow radioimmunoassays for prostatic acid phosphatase.

Combined serum and bone marrow radioimmunoassays for prostatic acid phosphatase provide a unique means for the early diagnosis and more accurate clinical staging of prostatic cancer. The combined screening technique appears to be helpful, particularly in providing a clinical assessment of the presence or absence of early, subclinical lymphatic and bone marrow metastases. Low titer elevations of bone marrow prostatic acid phosphatase by radioimmunoassay have been observed commonly in clinically understaged C prostatic cancer with normal technetium bone scans, indicating the presence of unrecognized stage D disease with bone metastases. The combined screening method also is of distinct clinical value in the early diagnosis of prostatic cancer and in monitoring the effects of specific therapy. In therapeutically responsive patients marked suppression of serum and bone marrow prostatic acid phosphatase is observed regularly with the radioimmunochemical method under study.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1978

Excessive proliferation of peripelvic fat of the kidney.

Excessive proliferation of the peripelvic fat of the kidney (EPPF) is a benign process with an innocuous effect on the patient. However, this condition may assume major clinical significance by producing pyelocalyceal deformities that may be mistaken for true renal masses. Rarely, EPPF may masquerade as a renal pelvic tumor. We present the second reported case of EPPF simulating a renal pelvic tumor and review the history as well as the characteristic radiographic and sonographic features of this condition.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1978

A solid phase radioimmunoassay for prostatic acid phosphatase.

The sensitivity of a recently developed solid phase radioimmunoassay for human prostatic acid phosphatase was compared to that of an enzymatic method using p-nitrophenylphosphate as substrate. In 109 histologically verified untreated stages I to IV prostatic cancers and 200 men without such cancer the solid phase radioimmunoassay method demonstrated substantially greater sensitivity and specificity than the enzymatic technique. In the 109 prostatic malignancies the immunochemical method correctly classified 80 (73 per cent) versus 34 (31 per cent) for the p-nitrophenylphosphate enzymatic technique (p less than 10(-6). In 44 stages I and II cancers confined to the prostate the radioimmunoassay was abnormally elevated in 19 (43 per cent) with only 4 (9.1 per cent) enzymatic elevations (p less than 10(-3). In 65 stages III and IV extraprostatic cancers correct classifications were noted in 61 (94 per cent) of the radioimmunoassays and 30 (46 per cent) enzymatic tests (p less than 10(-6). The radioimmunoassay in 200 male controls yielded 11 (5.6 per cent) and the p-nitrophenylphosphate enzymatic test yielded 7 (3.5 per cent) falsely positive results. In 90 non-prostatic human cancer sera 85 (94.5 per cent) were correctly classified as negative by the radioimmunoassay for prostatic acid phosphatase versus 66 (73 per cent) as negative by the enzymatic method. These data are discussed in terms of the merits of a radioimmunochemical approach for the measurement of human serum prostatic acid phosphatase.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1978

Radioimmunochemical measurement of bone marrow prostatic acid phosphatase.

Human acid phosphatases are ubiquitous phosphohydrolases that are present in most respiring tissues and cells. Specifically, human prostatic acid phosphatase is a unique enzyme within a vast family of acid phosphatases concerned with catabolic processes in cellular metabolism. The majority of serum and bone marrow acid phosphatases are of non-prostatic origin and are present chiefly in erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets and other maturing cells in the bone marrow. The specific concentration of prostatic acid phosphatase in serum and bone marrow is normally relatively low compared to non-prostatic acid phosphatases. Many falsely positive assays for total serum acid phosphatases and bone marrow acid phosphatases have been reported, particularly after traumatic marrow biopsy procedures and mishandling of blood samples in the clinical laboratory and in hematologic disease states. The disruption and lysis of whole blood and marrow cells can liberate non-specific acid phosphatases into the serum. Since standard enzymatic assays do not discriminate accurately prostatic acid phosphatase from non-prostatic acid phosphatase present in the serum spurious results can be realized. A preliminary experience with a promising radioimmunoassay for the specific measurement of prostatic acid phosphatase in bone marrow and serum is presented.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1978

The natural history of papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and its treatment in an unselected population on the basis of histologic grading.

Between 1950 and 1965, 365 patients were treated for transitional cancer of the bladder at our hospitals. A retrospective study was done, using clinical records and a histopathologic review to determine the long-term natural history of this population when treated conservatively. The natural history of 3 separate patient populations was discovered, based solely on the grading of the transurethrally resected fragments. Based on the grade on initial presentation these patients were divided into grades I, II and III. Of the patients 5 per cent in grade I, 16 per cent in grade II, 28 to 35 per cent in grade III not involving muscle and 83 per cent in grade III involving muscle died of bladder cancer. Ninety-seven patients (26 per cent) died of bladder cancer, 110 (31 per cent) died of other causes and 158 (43 per cent) have been alive more than 5 years (104 more than 10 years). Grade I tumors that progressed to a higher grade did so within 2 years of the initial diagnosis. Of the bladder cancer deaths 83 per cent occurred within 2 years of the initial diagnosis. Of 64 patients dying more than 5 years after presentation only 7 died of bladder cancer.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1978

Measurement of prostatic acid phosphatase in various cell lines.

In the last few years, we have developed a radioimmunoassay for the measurement of human prostatic acid phosphatase. This method, which requires samples of the patient's serum, has been proved to be more accurate than the conventional enzymatic assay for the detection of early stages of carcinoma of the prostate. We used the enzymatic assay and radioimmunoassay for the quantitation of prostatic acid phosphatase in cultured prostatic cell lines. We were unable to show any difference in the concentration of prostatic acid phosphatase between prostatic and any other established cell lines.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1978

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis in determination of prostatic acid phosphatase in human serum.

We evaluated counterimmunoelectrophoresis for use in measuring prostatic acid phosphatase in detection of prostatic cancer. After staining for acid phosphatase, we could detect as little as 0.3 ng of purified enzyme standard complexed with antibody by this technique. However, when serum samples were used as antigen, the method was less sensitive (1.5-2.0 ng) because some of the serum proteins migrate with the phosphatase and decrease the intensity of the stain for acid phosphatase. For this reason we could not detect the phosphatase in serum samples of normal persons; only patients with moderately (or greater) increased activity in their serum showed positive results. In contrast, by radioimmunoassay as little as 1.0 ng of the phosphatase can be detected in serum.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1978

Experimental use of fluoroalkyl cyanoacrilate in ureteral anastomosis.

A fluorinated tissue adhesive Fluoroalkyl Cyanoacrilate has been used in end-to-end ureteral anastomoses as an adjunct to suture material to avoid urinary extravasation in seven dogs. A similar number of dogs served as controls. The urinary tracts were evaluated grossly, radiographically, and histologically after 3 to 12 months. Better anatomical results and less inflammatory reaction and fibrosis were found in the group submitted to the tissue adhesive.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

A radioimmunoassay for prostatic acid phosphatase.

A solid phase radioimmunoassay for human prostatic acid phosphatase has demonstrated substantially greater biochemical sensitivity than a standard enzymatic method for which p-nitrophenylphosphate was used as substrate. Preliminary data indicate that the radioimmunochemical approach can precisely classify 43% stage I-II and 94% stage III-IV prostate cancers. In contrast, the standard enzymatic methods correctly classified only 9% stage I-II and 46% stage III-IV cancers. It is clinically apparent that a radioimmunochemical approach for the measurement of human prostatic phosphatase may have distinct potential in the clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Acid Phosphatase↗