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Biomedical subjects

J L Costa

Publications and source records attributed to J L Costa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Association of paradoxical sleep deprivation and ecstasy (MDMA) enhances genital reflexes in male rats.

Ecstasy ((+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a psychostimulant and a synthetic derivative of amphetamine that, according to its consumers, promotes the enhancement of sexual pleasure. This study sought to investigate the effects of ecstasy in the genital reflexes of paradoxical sleep deprived (PSD) male rats. Distinct groups of PSD rats were administered with saline or different doses of ecstasy. The incidence of genital reflexes was verified for 100 min. The four doses that were used induced genital reflexes in PSD animals and these significantly differed from their respective treated control groups. Under the influence of two intermediary doses (2.5 and 5mg/kg), all animals displayed erection and ejaculation. The frequency of genital reflexes was also significantly greater than in relation to the PSD-saline group. The comparison between cocaine and ecstasy in PSD rats revealed that ecstasy induced more erections and ejaculations than cocaine. Thus, the present results showed a great enhancement of the genital reflexes of PSD rats that might have occurred due to serotoninergic alterations induced by this illicit substance when associated to sleep deprivation.

Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors↗
PubMed2001

Influence of enrichment media and application of a PCR based method to detect Salmonella in poultry industry products and clinical samples.

To attempt the rapid detection of Salmonella enterica, we have coupled a culture procedure with PCR amplification of the genus-specific invE/invA genes. The method was applied to different kinds of samples from the poultry industry and evaluated by using hydrolyzed feather meal, meat meal, litter and viscera, all experimentally inoculated with a known number of Salmonella followed by cultivation in selenite--cystine broth prior to the PCR reaction. The expected 457bp specific DNA fragment could be amplified from dilutions containing as few as 5.7CFU, indicating that the PCR technique can be successfully coupled with culture in an enrichment broth to distinguish Salmonella species from other enteric bacteria present in samples from the poultry industry. Tetrathionate broth proved to be a much better enrichment media compared to selenite-cystine when the presence of Salmonella was evaluated by PCR in 1-day-old chicks experimentally infected with known numbers of Salmonella. Samples included cecal tonsils and viscera, collected at 48h and 7 days postinfection. The PCR technique was more sensitive in detecting infected animals than the standard microbiological procedure, which detected only 47% of all PCR positive samples.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Genetic diversity of Nostoc symbionts endophytically associated with two bryophyte species.

The diversity of the endophytic Nostoc symbionts of two thalloid bryophytes, the hornwort Anthoceros fusiformis and the liverwort Blasia pusilla, was examined using the tRNA(Leu) (UAA) intron sequence as a marker. The results confirmed that many different Nostoc strains are involved in both associations under natural conditions in the field. The level of Nostoc diversity within individual bryophyte thalli varied, but single DNA fragments were consistently amplified from individual symbiotic colonies. Some Nostoc strains were widespread and were detected from thalli collected from different field sites and different years. These findings indicate a moderate level of spatial and temporal continuity in bryophyte-Nostoc symbioses.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Diversity of cyanobacterial hydrogenases, a molecular approach.

In an effort to elucidate the diversity of cyanobacterial hydrogenases, we used a molecular approach. Filamentous strains from a broad range of sources were screened for the presence of hup (uptake hydrogenase), xisC (rearrangement within hupL), and hox (bidirectional hydrogenase) genes. As expected, an uptake hydrogenase seems to be present in all N(2)-fixing cyanobacteria. On the other hand, no evidence was found for the presence of a conventional bidirectional enzyme in several strains. Similarly, the presence of xisC is not a characteristic shared by all the heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria. Although tempting, it is not possible to establish a correlation between the presence/absence of the bidirectional hydrogenase and the occurrence of xisC. The natural molecular variation of hydrogenases in cyanobacteria is certainly a field to explore, both to understand the physiological functions of the respective enzymes and to identify a genetic background to be used when constructing a strain for photobiological H(2) production in a bioreactor.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2000

Characterization of gait parameters in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

The gait of five patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth(CMT) disease was analyzed using light-emitting diodes and a force plate. The flexion-extension motions of the hips, knees, and ankles, as well as their moments (vector sums of forces acting at the joints) in the flexion-extension and abduction-adduction planes, were quantified. The gait of the CMT patients showed abnormalities consistent with both distal weakness (ankle dorsi- and plantar-flexors) and weakness of the hip abductor muscles. The latter weakness appeared to produce asymmetric hip moments and truncal instability in the mediolateral plane during ambulation. However, the extent to which the gait was abnormal appeared not to be exclusively related to the severity of the sensorimotor conduction deficits in the peripheral nerves. In the four patients for whom nerve conduction velocity studies were available, decrease in the lower-extremity distal conduction velocities and evoked motor amplitude potentials did not correlate with the severity and extent of the gait abnormalities.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed1999

Comparative analysis of a novel gene from the Wolf-Hirschhorn/Pitt-Rogers-Danks syndrome critical region.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a multiple malformation syndrome characterized by mental and developmental defects resulting from the absence of a segment of one chromosome 4 short arm (4p16.3). Recently, Pitt-Rogers-Danks syndrome (PRDS), which is also due to a deletion of chromosome 4p16.3, has been shown to be allelic to WHS. Due to the complex and variable expression of these disorders, it is thought that WHS/PRDS results from a segmental aneusomy of 4p resulting in haploinsufficieny of an undefined number of genes that contribute to the phenotype. In an effort to identify genes that contribute to human development and whose absence may contribute to the phenotype associated with these syndromes, we have generated a transcript map of the 165-kb critical region and have identified a number of potential genes. One of these genes, WHSC2, which was identified with the IMAGE cDNA clone 53283, has been characterized. Sequence analysis defined an open reading frame of 1584 bp (528 amino acids), and transcript analysis detected a 2.4-kb transcript in all fetal and adult tissues tested. In parallel, the mouse homologue was isolated and characterized. Mouse sequence analysis and the pattern of expression are consistent with the clone being the murine equivalent of the human WHSC2 gene (designated Whsc2h). The data from sequence and transcript analysis of this new human gene in combination with the lack of significant similarity to proteins of known function imply that it represents a novel gene. Most importantly, its location within the WHSCR suggests that this gene may play a role in the phenotype of the Wolf-Hirschhorn/Pitt-Rogers-Danks syndrome.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed1997

Association of Leishmania heat shock protein 83 antigen and immunoglobulin G4 antibody titers in Brazilian patients with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL) is characterized by the presence of numerous nonulcerated nodules and plaques containing large numbers of Leishmania amazonensis parasites and few lymphoid elements. The immune responses of DCL patients reflect severe antigen-specific T-cell deficiencies, while the antibody response to Leishmania antigens is often accentuated. We report herein on the Leishmania antigen-specific antibody subclass distribution in DCL patients and demonstrate that a dominant antigen contributing to the biased immunoglobulin G4 antibody subclass in sera of DCL patients is Leishmania heat shock protein 83.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of gait parameters in adult-onset myotonic dystrophy: abnormal hip motion.

The gait of five patients with myotonic dystrophy was analyzed using light-emitting diodes and a force plate. When compared with the gait of control subjects, that of myotonics suggested weakness of the tibialis anterior and triceps surae muscles. Although the myotonics showed no evidence of lower-extremity myotonia (delayed muscle relaxation following contraction), or of weakness of the hip or knee musculature, all had striking abnormalities in their hip motion. In contrast to the smooth and consistent extension of the hip throughout stance phase observed during gait in control subjects, the hips of myotonics oscillated irregularly as they progressed through stance phase extension, with considerable variation between legs and during successive strides. Excessive use of hip musculature in an attempt to control the oscillatory hip motion may contribute to the chronic fatigue associated with myotonic dystrophy.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Estimation of rate constants for serotonin uptake and compartmentation in normal human platelets.

Biochemical and pharmacological experiments led to a model describing a thrombin-releasable (vesicular) compartment and two non-thrombin-releasable compartments for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) in normal human platelets (J. L. Costa, K. L. Kirk, D. L. Murphy, and H. Stark. Br. J. Pharmacol. 72: 449-459, 1981). With tritiated 5-HT as substrate, the amounts of total and nonreleasable intraplatelet tritiated material were measured. Moreover, in the last set of experiments, the amounts of extraplatelet tritiated material and extraplatelet tritiated 5-HT were also measured. With these data, identification of the kinetic constants for movement between the various compartments was possible. A recent extension of the similarity transformation approach to nonlinear compartmental models was used to carry out the a priori identifiability analysis. Then numerical identification was performed by implementing and achieving efficient methods from optimal control theory. Under our experimental conditions, the main results are as follows: 1) the vesicular compartment corresponds to the platelet storage 5-HT compartment, 2) instead of pools I and II proposed previously, only a single nonreleasable thrombin-resistant pool could be detected, and 3) the optimized model computed to suit the first set of experiments fits homologous intraplatelet results obtained under similar experimental conditions in the last set of experiments and also fits one of the two supplementary extraplatelet investigations.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1991

Rehabilitation of three patients after treatment for herpes encephalitis.

Patients with Herpes simplex encephalitis often are considered to be poor rehabilitation candidates because of their multiple deficits and grave prognosis. This report presents case reports on three patients with biopsy-proven Herpes simplex encephalitis, all of whom were treated with acyclovir in acute care and then admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation program. All had multiple brain lesions with minimal motor findings but cognitive and communication deficits. One patient, two weeks after admission, slipped into a coma and was transferred to an acute care hospital where he subsequently expired. The other two made useful functional gains and were discharged home in two weeks and 10 weeks, suggesting that a trial of rehabilitation may be warranted after Herpes simplex encephalitis.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Clinical findings associated with pulmonary embolism in a rehabilitation setting.

In a rehabilitation setting, pulmonary embolism is a relatively frequent and life-threatening complication. Deciding when a patient may be experiencing this condition is difficult, however, because of frequent deficits in patient communication skills (eg, aphasia and cognitive deficits) and the multisystem illnesses affecting many rehabilitation patients. We reviewed the charts of 30 rehabilitation patients transferred emergently during the years 1986 to 1988 with a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, which was subsequently documented by ventilation-perfusion scanning. The average age of the 30 patients was 65; 63% were women and 20 (67%) had an admitting diagnosis of stroke. The most common new-onset clinical findings in the 24 hours before discharge were unusual facial skin color changes (pale, flushed, or cyanotic) (57%), chest or upper back pain (47%), tachycardia (heart rate more than 100 bpm) (40%), hypoxemia (arterial oxygen saturation less than or equal to 90%) (40%), and fever less than 101F (37%). In 63% of the patients, either anxiety, restlessness, diaphoresis, or dyspnea was also noted in the 24 hours before discharge. The data suggest that careful physician and nursing scrutiny may identify clinical signs characteristic of pulmonary embolism, and that the de novo appearance of these constellations of findings may help to select candidates for ventilation-perfusion scanning.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Compartmentation of 4,6-difluoro-5HT studied by nuclear magnetic resonance in normal and CHS bovine platelets.

A platelet storage pool deficiency (SPD) is present in platelets from cattle with the Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS). The most plausible hypothesis for the SPD is that dense granule precursors are simply not formed in CHS megakaryocytes. There is, however, evidence that some recently acquired 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) is located in granules and that the granules have an acidic interior. To obtain a greater understanding of the processing of 5HT by SPD platelets, normal and CHS platelets were incubated with 4,6-difluoro-5HT and studied by 19F NMR at 188 mHz. Normal platelets contained 2 compartments for 4,6-difluoro-5HT as indicated by 2 well-developed resonances for each 19F. The resonances were unequal in magnitude. The predominant resonance broadened with lower temperatures and was absent in CHS bovine platelets; it was, therefore, the dense granule compartment. There was only 1 resonance for each 19F in CHS platelets. The chemical shift was identical to the minor resonance, or non-dense granule resonance, found in normal bovine platelets but the resonance width was increased, indicating that some non-dense granule 4,6-difluoro-5HT was in a more restricted environment within CHS platelets than it was in normal platelets.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Effects of tricyclic antidepressant drugs on energy-linked reactions in mitochondria.

The effects of impramine and chlorimipramine on energy-linked reactions in mitochondria were characterized. Both compounds exhibited some characteristics of classical uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation, i.e. they released respiratory control, hindered ATP synthesis, and enhanced ATPase activity of isolated rat liver mitochondria. Unlike classical uncouplers, however, these compounds only weakly stimulated proton uptake in intact mitochondria. They also exhibited unusual effects on energy-linked reactions in beef heart submitochondrial particles (SMP). Both compounds inhibited NADH oxidation in SMP in an "oligomycin-like" manner, and inhibited ATPase activity of SMP and the soluble F1-ATPase. In contrast, the drugs weakly inhibited ATPase activities of bovine adrenal gland chromaffin granules and resealed granule ghosts. The mechanisms responsible for the multiple effects on mitochondrial energy-linked processes are unclear. They may be related to the hydrophobicity of the drugs, as has been shown for other hydrophobic amines.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1986

The effect of short chain fatty acid administration on hepatic glucose, phosphate, magnesium and calcium metabolism.

Intra peritoneal administration of the short chain fatty acids, acetate, propionate and butyrate, in amounts calculated to reach 20 mM in total body water were given to fed and 48 hour starved male Wistar rats. One half hour after administration, the livers were freeze-clamped and the hepatic contents of various intermediary metabolites were measured. The liver content of total glycolytic intermediates was elevated by short chain fatty acids. In fed animals, the portion of glycolysis from fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) to PEP was elevated 2 to 4 fold. In 48 hour starved animals, where gluconeogenesis is active, the portion of the gluconeogenetic pathway from FBP to glucose was elevated 1.5 to 3.5 fold with the exception of the butyrate treated animals where blood glucose was not elevated. The metabolites of the hexose-monophosphate pathway that were measured, namely 6-phosphogluconate, ribulose 5-phosphate and xylose 5-phosphate were increased in both fed and starved animals. The free cytoplasmic [NAD+]/[NADH], [NADP+]/[NADPH], and [epsilon ATP]/[epsilon ADP] X [epsilon Pi] ratios were all decreased in both fed and starved animals after short chain fatty acid administration. The liver content of calcium increased 1.2 to 2 fold in fed animals and 2 to 3 fold in starved animals while total liver magnesium was either unchanged or increased only 1.2 times. The liver pyrophosphate (PPi) content increased a minimum of 10 fold in fed animals and over 100 fold in starved animals. In all cases no PPi could be detected in vivo by 31P NMR even though in the starved rats the PPi levels approached those of ATP. The liver content of inorganic Pi increased 1.3 to 1.5 fold in fed animals and 1.5 to 2 fold in starved animals. The total "rapidly metabolizing" Pi pool, that includes adenine and guanine nucleotides, glycolytic and shunt intermediates, Pi and PPi increased 1.3 times in fed animals (from 13.8 mumole/g fresh weight) and 1.5 to 1.7 fold in starved animals (from 15.7 mumol/g fresh weight). The total phosphate taken up from blood and entering the rapidly turning over pool of liver phosphate ranged between 4 and 12 mumols/g of liver.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adenine Nucleotides↗