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Biomedical subjects

J Legrand

Publications and source records attributed to J Legrand.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Monitoring biological effects of contamination in marine fish along French coasts by measurement of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity.

The use of bioindicators to evaluate exposure to the biological effects of chemical pollutants in marine organisms constitutes a new tool in the monitoring field. The establishment of a North Sea monitoring network in 1991, involving such international organizations as the North Sea Task Force, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and the Intergovernmental Oceanography Commission, led French researchers to develop an enzymatic biomarker to monitor biological effects within the National Observation Network. The biomarker, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), dependent on the CP450 system, has been monitored biannually since 1992 in several species of fish (Callionymus lyra, Limanda limanda, Serranus sp., Mullus barbatus) in two coastal sites particularly exposed to industrial and domestic pollution. A rapid method is used to assay EROD enzymatic activity determined along a pollution gradient, and results are interpreted on a microplate reader. The strategy of this approach is to assess the effects on the marine ecosystem during prolonged exposure to specific pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Duodenogastric reflux in patients with Barrett's esophagus.

The role of duodenogastric reflux in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease is not clear. Using hepatobiliary scanning techniques, we found evidence of duodenogastric reflux in six of 13 patients with Barrett's esophagus. This compares with only two positive studies in 19 control subjects. This difference is statistically significant (P = 0.038, two-tailed Fisher's exact test). Three of nine patients who had gastroesophageal reflux without Barrett's esophagus had evidence of duodenogastric reflux, a frequency not significantly different from either of the other groups. Gastroesophageal reflux of bile and pancreatic enzymes, in addition to gastric acid may contribute to the greater esophageal damage often seen in Barrett's esophagus. The presence of duodenogastric reflux in these patients may have important pathophysiologic and therapeutic implications.

Barrett Esophagus↗
PubMed1987

Morphometric analysis of the cerebellar Purkinje cell in the developing normal and hypothyroid chick.

A morphometric analysis of Purkinje cells in the developing cerebellar cortex of the chick was performed in normal animals and embryos made hypothyroid by one or two spaced injections of tetramethylthiourea. Profiles of 162 Purkinje cells, from Golgi-Cox treated sections were analysed. Soma area, perimeter and circularity index, cumulative length of the dendrites and number of dendritic bifurcations were studied. The results showed significant differences between control and hypothyroid animals. There were no important differences between birds rendered transiently hypothyroid with a single injection and those made chronically hypothyroid with dual injections. This confirms that the Purkinje cell is very dependent on thyroid hormone especially during the early phases of its morphogenesis. The development of the Purkinje cell was the most affected process of cerebellar cortex maturation in the thyroid-deficient chick. The dendritic arborization was particularly hypoplastic. Moreover, a dynamic balance appeared to exist between the development of the dendritic arborization and that of the perikaryon.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Con A-binding glycoproteins in the developing cerebellum of control and hypothyroid rats.

Concanavalin A (Con A)-binding glycoproteins were studied during the postnatal development of the cerebellum of control and hypothyroid rats. Only 4 glycoprotein bands have a transient behavior in control animals. They progressively increase until the 13th day and markedly decline between the 15th and the 18th postnatal day. In the cerebellum of hypothyroid rats, the level of these compounds is greatly reduced and the previous decrease observed in controls is not found again. This defect of Con A-binding glycoproteins mainly localized on the plasma membrane of parallel fibers might be related to the reduced synaptogenesis observed in the molecular layer of hypothyroid rats between parallel fibers and Purkinje cell dendritic spines.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Cochlear synaptogenesis in the hypothyroid rat.

The effects of congenital hypothyroidism on cochlear synaptogenesis were studied using transmission electron microscopy in 30 propylthiouracil-treated rat pups 1-35 days of age. No difference with controls was observed at the level of the inner hair cells which are known to mature essentially during the prenatal period. On the contrary, hypothyroidism resulted in numerous abnormalities in synaptogenesis at the level of the outer hair cells: abnormal persistence of numerous afferent dendrites and presynaptic specializations, incomplete development of efferent terminals and absence of formation of postsynaptic cisterns. It can be concluded that hypothyroidism results in severe retardation in the postnatal development of the innervation of outer hair cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Influence of altered thyroid and nutritional states on early histogenesis of the rat cerebellar cortex with special reference to synaptogenesis.

On day of birth, the synaptic density of the rat cerebellar cortex in experimental, as compared to control, rats was slightly reduced or increased, respectively, after propylthiouracil treatment of the dam or thyroxine injection of the fetus. The stimulation of synaptogenesis in thyroxine-treated neonates was particularly obvious at the level of the ganglionic layer containing Purkinje cell bodies and was accompanied at the same level by accelerated growth of the presynaptic endings and perisomatic processes of the Purkinje cells. Undernourishment of the dam from day 6 of gestation led to an unexpected stimulation of synaptogenesis in the cerebellar cortex of the neonates; synaptic density was significantly increased above the normal value and much more markedly than in the thyroxine-treated neonates, but there was no abnormal proliferation of the neuronal processes. Different mechanisms underlay the transient stimulation of synaptogenesis in these two conditions. These results have been related to the disturbances in the development of Bergmann glia previously found soon after birth in altered thyroid and nutritional states.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1982

[The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and the adrenergic system in normal pregnancy and hypertension induced by pregnancy].

Plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone (PA) and plasma catecholamines were measured in 3 groups of women with pregnancy of 20-38 weeks: group I of 16 normotensive controls, group II of 17 women with rest responding hypertension (RRH) and group III of 18 women with permanent hypertension (PH) (supine blood pressure greater than 140-90 mmHg after 8 days of rest, disappearing after delivery). Studies were realized on fasting ambulatory women on a normal salt diet. PRA (mean +/- SEM) was significantly higher in the RRH group than in the control and PH groups (15,8 +/- 2,3 ng/ml/h versus 6,7 +/- 0,5 and 8,9 +/- 0,9). PA was higher but not significantly in the RRH group (736 +/- 122 versus 533 +/- 52 and 502 +/- 103 pg/ml). Plasma epinephrine (PE) and norepinephrine (PNE) were significantly higher in the PH than in the control and RRH groups. 135 +/- 28 pg/nl versus 56 +/- 13 and 63 +/- 17 for PE and 387 +/- 91 versus 206 +/- 32 and 200 +/- 47 pg/ml). These data suggest that PH is linked with activation of the adrenergic system whereas RRH is linked with activation of the RAA system.

Aldosterone↗
PubMed1981

[Psychomotor disturbance after an endocular operation (author's transl)].

After an endocular operation, a mental derangement may happen in the next hours or next days; it's characterized by psychomotor disturbance, excitement, confusion in the time and the space, auditory and visual hallucinations. The consequence may be serious on general and ocular field. This syndrome is produced by the stress of the intervention with predisposed patients (artériosclerosis, old people, alcoholic patients, patients in a low strate). The change of the rythm of usual life, the temporary privation of the sensorial function favouring its appearance. To avoid it, it's advisable to reassure the future patient, to put him in a climate trust, and to avoid isolation during his stay in hospital. Post operational antialgics might be useful. During the confused state, the patient must not be living isolated. The sight must be recovered as soon as possible. One can add neurosedatives, but with precautions, and if it's electrolytic troubles, to fight it by an adequate reanimation.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Analysis of the mechanisms underlying increased histogenetic cell death in developing cerebellum of the hypothyroid rat: determination of the time required for granule cell death.

The connection between the date of formation of granule cells and their final position in the internal granular layer of the cerebellum has been described previously. In rats made hypothyroid since the end of gestation, the distribution of the pyknotic cells in the internal granular layer of the cerebellar cortex was also previously found to be age-related. In 14-day-old hypothyroid rats, it was compared with that of the granule cells which were labeled after a pulse of [3H]thymidine at various stages of development. It appeared that the localization of the dying cells corresponded roughly to that of granule cells labeled on day 9. Therefore the maximum time required for granule cell death was about 5 days. Since the migratory phase through the molecular layer lasted about two days, the granule cells died after a maximum time of 3 days following their deposition in the internal granular layer. Information concerning the time of survival of the dying granule cells was important for subsequent investigation of the mechanisms underlying increased granule cell death in the hypothyroid cerebellum and the corrective effects of thyroid hormone.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1980

Effects of thyroid state on the formation and early morphological development of Bergmann glia in the developing rat cerebellum.

The formation and morphological maturation of Bergmann glia cells, which might play an important role in the histogenesis of the cerebellar cortex, was studied by histological and electron microscopic techniques in the cerebellum of normal young rats and animals made hypothyroid since the 18th day of gestation or hyperthyroid since birth. In comparison with controls, an acceleration in the morphological development of Bergmann glia cells was observed in the hyperthyroid animals; on the contrary, in the thyroid-deficient rats, the formation and morphological maturation of these cells were retarded and their final number was increased.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

[Moebius syndrome : one case (author's transl)].

The Moebius syndrome is a congenital anomaly characterized by paralysis of the sixth and seventh nerves. In some instances, there may be weakness of the adductors. The other muscles are normal. Visual acuity is not affected. Other congenital defects may be associated: polydactyly, defects of the ear and of the tongue. Etiology is probably an embryonal egression, cause of aplasia of the facial and abducens nucleï. The impossibility to move the eyes laterally in either direction, points to supranucleus involvement by defective development of the medial longitudinal fasciculus. Some people suggest that a myogen disturbance should be the principal and unique etiology. No evolution. No treatment.

Abducens Nerve↗
PubMed1979

Sequential effects of thyroxine on the developing cerebellum of rats made hypothyroid by propylthiouracil.

Young rats made hypothyroid by propylthiouracil (PTU) received a daily physiological dose of thyroxine (T4) from day 0, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 or 13 and their cerebella were studied on day 14. With the very low doses of T4 used and when the treatment was started at birth, cerebellar development was nearly normal in terms of the parameters studied (cell formation, migration, maturation and death). The effect of T4 on cell formation appeared after two days. With the same latency, T4 induced migration of the newly-formed granule cells. The effects on those processes requiring cell movements over long distances, e.g. the number of cells in the internal granular layer or the thickness of the molecular layer, were longer to appear. The most rapidly affected parameter was the pyknotic index in the internal granular layer. This index was half. The increased cell death in the cerebellum of hypothyroid rats is probably related to the decreased synaptogenetic competence of Purkinje cells. The rapidity of the effect of T4 on the pyknotic index may be related to an important effect of this hormone on the formation of synapses and, more generally, on the mechanisms of neuronal maturation.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Uptake and metabolism of exogenous and endogenous thyroxine in the brain of young rats.

The uptake of labelled exogenous thyroxine by the brain was determined in 10- and 30-day-old rats. It was three times higher and thyroxine was more deiodinated on day 10 than on day 30. On the other hand, the endogenous hormonal iodine content was estimated in both the brain and the isolated cortical neurones in the young rats of the same ages equilibrated with 125I. On day 10, brain and neurones contained five times more thyroid hormones than on day 30. These results are discussed in the context of the relations previously discovered between development of thyroid function and brain maturation.

Aging↗
PubMed1979

Effect of thyroid deficiency on the growth of the hippocampus in the rat. A combined biochemical and morphological study.

The growth of the hippocampus was studied in normal and hypothyroid rats using both biochemical and morphological techniques, and the results were compared with observations on the whole forebrain or on the cerebral cortex. The longitudinal growth, area and the volume of the hippocampus was severely reduced in thyroid deficiency. In the cerebral cortex the longitudinal growth and some of the parameters of transverse development were significantly decreased at the rostral but not at the caudal level. On rehabilitation from day 35 to 160 the longitudinal growth remained decreased in both the brain parts while the transverse growth was restored to normal in the cerebral cortex but not in the hippocampus. In the normal hippocampus about 60% of the cells were formed during the first 3 postnatal weeks. This developmental increase was significantly depressed in hypothyroid rats; the final deficit in cell number was about 13%. The rate of cell acquisition was calculated from the slopes of the logistic curves fitted to the data of DNA content. At the age of maximal cell acquisition (at day 2-3) the daily deposition was 0.44x106 cells in controls and 0.34x106 cells in the hypothyroid rats. In controls the concentration of DNA decreased in the hippocampus during maturation. Thyroid deficiency did not influence this developmental trend. In contrast, a severe reduction was observed in the cellular composition of RNA and protein.

Animals↗