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Biomedical subjects

J M Geiger

Publications and source records attributed to J M Geiger.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Ultrastructure of early pigmentary changes in Dowling-Degos' disease.

Dowling-Degos' anomaly is characterized by a reticular and spotted pigmentation of the skin folds; this pigmentary disturbance, occurring most often in women, is a dominant inherited genodermatosis which worsens progressively and may exhibit in the early phase rapid changes in severity after emotional stress. In a 9-year-old girl, an electonmicroscopic study of pigmented lesions showed a strong melanocytic activity with quantitative increase of the melanosomes; the average size of the melanosomes was not different when compared to normal Caucasoid skin, but in the keratinocytes they were distributed according to a dispersed pattern as in black skin. The pigmentary state of Dowling-Degos' disease is another example of melanocyte-keratinocyte interaction where the epidermal melanin pattern and the size of pigment granules are not in striking correlation. An accelerated rate of melanogenesis and pigmentation may be another factor determining a non-aggregated distribution of the melanosomes within the keratinocytes. The nature of the stimulus of pigmentation in these skin areas which are not sun-exposed is still unclear.

Child↗

[Proestral modification of plasma LH and FSH levels in rats exposed to FSH at the beginning of a 4-day cycle].

Four day cyclic female Rats were injected with dosages of FSH capable of causing superovulation and or superluteinization at the end of the cycle. A decrease in plasma LH and FSH was observed during the "critical period" on the afternoon of proestrus. The exogenous FSH was then supposed to increase the number of follicles sensitive to the ovulating and luteinizing action of LH.

Animals↗

[Chronologic and quantitative modalities of luteinization and ovulation in the female rat exposed to FSH action at the beginning of 4-day cycles].

Female Wistar rats were injected with two successive doses of 150 mug FSH on dioestrus I (5 p. m.) and dioestrus II (9 a.m.) of 4-day cycles. Superovulation and formation of an increased number of corpora lutea with included oocytes occurred in these animals. Meprobamate or pentobarbitone injections at 11.30 a.m. et 1.30 p.m. respectively completely blocked ovulation and luteinization phenomena in FSH-treated females. Ovulation normally occurred in FSH-treated females injected with meprobamate at 5.30 p.m. It was concluded that no modification of timing of the 'critical period' resulted from FSH treatment.

Animals↗

Efficacy of acitretin in severe psoriasis.

Acitretin (Soriatane, Roche Pharmaceuticals) is an aromatic retinoid, effective in the treatment of severe psoriasis. This study highlights data from two existing clinical trials to capture PASI 50 and PASI 75 responder rates which represent a common metric used in current psoriasis clinical trials. A review of pharmacokinetics, safety and a discussion of relapse rate establish acitretin as an efficacious, convenient, oral treatment for initial and maintenance therapy of severe psoriasis.

Acitretin↗

[HIV protease inhibitors: general review].

Protease inhibitors are a new class of drugs which has demonstrated activity for the treatment of HIV infection. The function of the HIV protease is to split a polyprotein to create smaller proteins which will be incorporated in the structure of the virus. The eight cleavage sites of the polyprotein constitute a template for the synthesis of potential inhibitors. Today, only inhibitors of the Phe-Pro cleavage have shown an antiproteinase activity specific for HIV. Clinical trials in HIV infection with saquinavir, indinavir, and ritonavir have demonstrated a decrease in viral load measured by plasma HIV-RNA PCR and an increase in CD4 lymphocyte counts. The use of protease inhibitors leads to a more or less rapid selection of mutant resistant viruses. However, these new drugs, either used alone or in combination, constitute a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of HIV disease.

Antiviral Agents↗