PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Kent

Publications and source records attributed to J Kent.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Cold-acclimation-induced protein hypertrophy in channel catfish and green sunfish.

1. Following acclimation of channel catfish to a reduction in temperature from 25 degrees to 15 degrees C, there were approximately two-fold increases in liver mass, cell size, total protein, and total enzyme activity, relative to activity per milligram of protein and per gram wet weight of tissue, indicating tissue hypertrophy. There was no change in either total liver DNA content or protein concentration per gram weight. 2. Green sunfish, unlike catfish, showed virtually no change in liver mass following cold acclimation. However, sunfish showed a net increase in total liver protein content and an increase in protein concentration. The increase in protein content was balanced by a reciprocal and equivalent decrease in glycogen content. Consequently, liver mass was maintained. 3. During cold acclimation both catfish and sunfish showed an increase in ventricular heart mass and protein content, but no change in protein concentration. 4. The activities of several enzymes were measured in liver from 15 degrees C and 25 degrees C steady-state-acclimated catfish and at intervals following transfer from 15 degrees to 25 degrees C and from 25 degrees to 15 degrees C. Total tissue enzyme activity showed positive compensation which correlated with the change in liver mass and protein content. Specific activities based on protein and on wet weight showed dissimilar acclimatory patterns. Two enzymes - cytochrome oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase - showed inverse compensation in specific activity but positive compensation in total activity. Citrate synthase, glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase showed positive compensation in both specific and total activities. 5. The increase in tissue protein content or 'protein hypertrophy' occurred with cell hypertrophy in cold-acclimated catfish, while protein hypertrophy occurred as an increased protein concentration without cell hypertrophy in sunfish. This phenomenon is considered adaptive in that it permits a compensatory increase in the total enzymatic capacity of a tissue. The two-fold increases in total enzyme activities, superimposed on either an increase or decrease in specific activity, suggest that two biochemical mechanisms may be operative during cold-induced liver hypertrophy, one effecting a specific step in protein translation at a point common to the synthesis of all proteins and a second targetted pretranslationally, i.e., transcriptional regulation.

Acclimatization↗

Facial asymmetry while posing positive and negative emotions: support for the right hemisphere hypothesis.

The purpose of this report was to examine facial asymmetry during the expression of positive and negative emotions. In addition, methodological factors in the study of facial asymmetry were considered. Subjects were 16 neurologically-healthy right-handed adult males, videotaped while posing eight facial expressions (positive and negative) under two conditions (verbal command and visual imitation). Separate asymmetry ratings of the two sides of the face were made by judges viewing normal or mirror-reversed versions of the videotape. There were no effects of valence, condition, or videotape orientation on the asymmetry ratings, and, in general, expressions were produced significantly more intensely on the left than the right side of the face. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that the right cerebral hemisphere is dominant for the expression of facial emotion of both valences.

Dominance, Cerebral↗

Optical and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of hypoxia in human tissue and tumors.

Correlations of energy state with response to therapy are more difficult to analyze because of the large effect of tumor clearing and oxygenation upon the tumor energy state as detected by PMRS alone. The combination of time-resolved hemoglobinometry using picosecond laser technology and localized PMRS seems appropriate to unravel the complexities of therapeutic intervention, tumor energetics, and oxygenation.

Energy Metabolism↗

Posed facial emotional expression in brain-damaged patients.

Posed emotional facial expression was examined in brain-damaged adults with right (RBD) or left (LBD) hemisphere cerebrovascular lesions and in matched normal controls (NC). Subjects were videotaped while posing eight facial expressions (positive and negative) under two elicitation conditions (verbal command and visual imitation). Expressions were rated by four naïve judges for intensity, category accuracy, and valence accuracy. RBDs were significantly more impaired than LBDs or NCs on category and valence accuracy, while LBDs posed expressions with significantly more intensity than RBDs or NCs. These findings held for positive emotions only. The results for category accuracy replicate an earlier report (Borod et al., 1986) which utilized a different rating procedure. Finally, expressions posed to visual imitation were rated as more intense and more accurate than those posed to verbal command.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗

Delusional infestation and dementia: a case report.

The case of an 82-year-old woman with delusional infestation and senile dementia of the Alzheimer type is reported. Her symptoms of infestation ceased dramatically with pimozide given for 5 weeks, and did not recur during follow-up over 9 months. The importance of organic factors in patients with this disorder is emphasised.

Aged↗

Folie à deux in Down's syndrome. A case report.

A case of folie à deux in a 29 year-old man with Down's syndrome, whose mother had a paranoid psychosis, is described. Successful treatment of the mother's illness also resulted in full recovery of the son without the need for medication.

Adult↗

von Willebrand factor antigen levels in Kaposi's sarcoma.

Consistent elevations of plasma von Willebrand factor antigen were observed in otherwise healthy elderly patients with Kaposi's sarcoma. The elevations were predominantly of the endothelial cell--derived antigen, as opposed to the factor VIII procoagulant, with resultant elevations in the antigen/procoagulant ratios. Lesser elevations were seen in a group of age-matched control subjects who did not have Kaposi's sarcoma or intercurrent illness. The greater elevations in plasma von Willebrand factor antigen therefore appear to be the direct consequence of the presence of Kaposi's sarcoma cells. Our findings also suggest that there is a direct relationship between tumor load and degree of von Willebrand factor antigen elevation.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Multiple controls of oxidative metabolism in living tissues as studied by phosphorus magnetic resonance.

Three types of metabolic control of oxidative metabolism are observed in the various tissues that have been studied by phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The principal control of oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle is by ADP (or Pi/phosphocreatine). This conclusion is based upon studies of arm muscles of humans during steady-state exercise. A work-cost (Vm vs. Pi/phosphocreatine) relationship follows a Michaelis-Menten rectangular hyperbola, where Km values from 0.5 to 0.6 and Vmax values from 50 to 200 (at nearly constant pH) are found in linearized plots of the equation V/Vmax = 1/(1 + 0.6 phosphocreatine/Pi) where V is work level (which is equal to the velocity of the enzymatic reaction) and Vmax is the maximal work capacity that is a measure of the enzyme activity (E) of oxidative metabolism. Adaptation to exercise enhances the slope of the work-cost relationship and causes large changes in Vmax or E. A second metabolic control may enhance the slope of the work-cost relationship but not Vmax. For example, the initiation of exercise can lead to an improved characteristic that can be explained by 2-fold increased substrate delivery, for example, increased oxygen delivery by microcirculatory control. Cardiac tissue of the adult dog affords an example of optimal endurance performance adaptation and exhibits the steepest work-cost relationship observed and is attributed to a coordinated control of substrate delivery that may involve Ca2+ and inorganic phosphate control of NADH; control of O2 delivery may also be involved. The calculated work-cost relationship is similar to that observed in the beagle heart. The theoretical curve illustrates that the liability of multiple controls is a sharp break point in metabolic control at the end of the multiple control range--a possible cause of instability of cardiac performance at high V/Vmax.

Acidosis↗

Single-hand tying of the surgeon's or friction knot.

Described is a new method for single-hand tying of the Surgeon's or Friction Knot, which is essentially a modification of the basic knot-tying technique, involving the formation of an inside loop. It is recommended for obtaining secure knots with synthetic suture materials.

Humans↗

Metabolic control principles and 31P NMR.

31P NMR is a unique research tool for studying metabolism during exercise. This communication gives the underlying theory and experimental data for obtaining the transfer characteristic relating work and NMR-determined metabolic paramenters, particularly the ratio of free inorganic phosphate to phosphocreatine (Pi/PCr). Furthermore, illustrations of the types of transfer characteristics observed in different individuals and different training regimens can be obtained, including both hyperbolic (Michaelis-Menten) and sigmoid transfer characteristics. With a hyperbolic transfer characteristic, oxygen delivery appears to be adequate to support the exercise regimen over the range studied (up to 50% of Vmax), whereas with a sigmoid transfer characteristic, there appears an imprint of limited oxygen delivery on the kinetics from rest up to 50% of Vmax. These two types of transfer functions are appropriate to explain the transition to anaerobic metabolism (anaerobic threshold), with a hyperbolic transfer characteristic representing a graded transition; and a sigmoid transfer characteristic representing an abrupt transition. A sigmoid transfer characteristic may involve greater lactate accumulation at submaximal exercise levels, and in both types of transfer characteristic sufficient aerobic lactate is formed to meet the metabolic demand for pyruvate. The results suggest an important role for 31 P NMR in studies of energy-related metabolites as a means of determining exercise performance in terms of regulation of tissue oxidative metabolism and oxygen delivery to tissue.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Quantitative autoradiography of the development of mu opiate binding sites in rat brain.

The regional developmental appearance of mu binding sites in rat brain was examined by quantitative autoradiography of 3H-dihydromorphine binding in rats 2, 14, 21, and 28 days old. Labeling with 3H-dihydromorphine was heterogeneous in adult rat brains, as previously reported by other laboratories. Levels of 3H-dihydromorphine binding ranged from approximately 250 nCi/g tissue in the interpeduncular nucleus and 100 nCi/g tissue in the habenula to 40 nCi/g tissue in the hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray. Some areas, particularly white matter regions, had no detectable specific binding. The density of 3H-dihydromorphine binding increased in all regions between 2 and 28 days of age. The increases in 3H-dihydromorphine binding in various regions of rat brain developed at different rates. Maximal densities were seen by 14 days of age in most regions examined, including the caudate, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. Binding in the medial thalamus and quadrigeminal plate, however, did not reach maximal levels until 21 days. Although quantitative autoradiography offers major advantages in the examination of the regional distribution of opiate binding sites, variability both between sections from the same brain and between sections from different brains demonstrate some of the difficulties associated with this type of experimental approach.

Aging↗

Control of oxidative metabolism and oxygen delivery in human skeletal muscle: a steady-state analysis of the work/energy cost transfer function.

The concept of transfer function for organ performance (work output vs. biochemical input) is developed for skeletal and cardiac muscle under steady-state exercise conditions. For metabolic control by the ADP concentration, the transfer function approximates a Michaelis-Menten hyperbola. Variation of the work identifies metabolic operating points on the transfer function corresponding to ADP concentrations or to a ratio of inorganic phosphate to phosphocreatine that can be determined by phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance. This operating point is characterized by the fraction (V/Vmax) of maximal activity of oxidative metabolism in the steady state. This quantity appears to be useful in predicting the degree to which metabolic homeostasis is effective; poorly controlled metabolic states can readily be identified and are used in the diagnosis and therapy of metabolic disease in the organs of neonates and adults.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Haematological and biochemical values in horses naturally infected with Strongylus vulgaris.

The concentrations of serum proteins (beta 1, beta 2, gamma, alpha 1, alpha 2 globulins and albumin) and absolute numbers of eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes were examined in 64 naturally infected horses and ponies in which the number of larvae of Strongylus vulgaris in the cranial mesenteric artery and the severity of the lesion of verminous arteritis could be determined. The horses were grouped according to the number of larvae found and the severity of the arteritis. The results demonstrated that, although some significant deviation from a random distribution occurred in certain of the values (chi 2 test), there was considerable individual variation in the values obtained for individual animals within groups and overlap of the range of values between groups. Also the number of larvae present in the artery did not necessarily accurately reflect the severity of the arterial lesion. Thus, the parameters examined could not be used reliably to estimate the intensity of infection with S vulgaris in an individual animal.

Animals↗

Automated fibronectin assay using light-scattering optics on a centrifugal analyzer.

We describe an automated, kinetic nephelometric method for fibronectin on the Multistat III F/LS Centrifugal Analyzer (Instrumentation Laboratory Inc., Lexington, MA 02173). Antiserum is diluted with polyethylene glycol. Calibrators and samples are prediluted with potassium phosphate buffer (10 mmol/L, pH 7.0) containing 8.5 g of NaCl per litre. Intensity (I) is read at 5 and 180 s and the resulting delta I plotted against concentration. A non-linear least squares curve fitting and interpolation of results is carried out automatically. Three controls, with values of between 190-370 gave coefficients of variation between 4 and 7 percent, and the sensitivity of the method is to 25 mg/L.

Adult↗