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Biomedical subjects

J Pennington

Publications and source records attributed to J Pennington.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

The effect of dietary yeast on the activity of stable chronic Crohn's disease.

The effect of dietary yeast on the activity of stable Crohn's disease was assessed in 19 patients. During the 1st month patients continued their usual diet (base-line period), but during the next 2 months dietary yeast was excluded except that during 1 month patients took baker's yeast capsules while for the other month they took placebo capsules. The patients' mean Pettit Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) while taking baker's yeast (mean, 107.9; SE, 6.1) was significantly greater than during yeast exclusion (mean, 102.1; SE, 5.7; p less than 0.05). The mean of each patient's maximum CDAI during yeast exclusion (mean, 107.1; SE, 5.7) was significantly lower than those during the base-line (mean, 115.2; SE, 6.1; p less than 0.05) and baker's yeast inclusion periods (mean, 113.9; SE, 6.7; p less than 0.05). Patients with elevated yeast antibodies tended to develop a higher CDAI while receiving baker's yeast (13 of 15). These results suggest that dietary yeast may affect the activity of Crohn's disease.

Adult

Cellular pharmacology of 5-fluorouracil in a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line selected for thymidine kinase deficiency.

A human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (GC3TK-) was selected for thymidine kinase (TK) deficiency from cloned parental cells (GC3C1) by exposure to 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd). The cellular pharmacology of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) and the influence of physiological concentrations of thymidine (dThd; 0.1 to 1 microM) on FUra cytotoxicity during brief exposure in both cell lines were examined. The uptake of FUra during a 1-hr drug exposure, its metabolism to ribo- and deoxyribonucleotides, incorporation into RNA, and inhibition of thymidylate synthase were similar in GC3C1 and GC3TK- cells as were the IC50 values for FUra (26 and 23 microM respectively). TK deficiency did not reduce the intracellular concentrations of FdUMP generated from FUra. In GC3C1, at FUra concentrations up to 100 microM, cytotoxicity was prevented by co-administration of dThd (0.1 to 20 microM). The relationship between cell survival and thymidylate synthase inhibition was close under these conditions. At higher drug concentrations, less dThd protection was observed, and none was detected in GC3TK- cells. Thus, the metabolism of FUra did not appear to be altered substantially in GC3C1 cells selected for TK deficiency. Also in these cells, at concentrations of FUra less than 100 microM, FUra cytotoxicity appeared to be mediated via the inhibition of thymidylate synthase.

Adenocarcinoma

Primary fallopian canal glomus tumors.

Primary fallopian canal glomus tumor has been reported only once previously, although the occurrence of glomus body tissue in the fallopian canal was documented many years ago. Facial paresis as a presenting symptom of glomus tumors is well known, as is facial nerve invasion by glomus tumors. However, a primary fallopian canal glomus tumor that extends extratemporally to the pes anserinus is unusual. Although facial nerve grafting may be necessary for removal of some glomus jugulare tumors, the need for facial nerve grafting appears to be uniform in the patients with primary fallopian canal glomus tumors. The primary fallopian canal glomus tumors that we report did not involve the jugular fossa or the Jacobson's branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve. Both tumors did extend to the middle ear and mastoid and followed the facial nerve extratemporally. The latter features appear to typify primary fallopian canal glomus tumors.

Adult

Sulfur-dioxide-induced bronchitis in dogs. Effects on airway responsiveness to inhaled and intravenously administered methacholine.

Chronic bronchitis was induced in 7 dogs of mixed breed by chronic exposure to SO2 gas. Within the first 2 to 4 wk of exposure, the dogs developed cough and mucous hypersecretion, chronic airway obstruction (increased pulmonary resistance), and persistent lung inflammation as demonstrated by an increase in the number of neutrophils recovered in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Airway responsiveness to methacholine aerosol decreased 2- to 3-fold within 8 wk of SO2 exposure. In contrast, airway responsiveness to intravenous administration of methacholine did not change. The data suggest that the decreased airway responsiveness observed during persistent pulmonary inflammation in SO2-exposed dogs is not due to an altered state of airway contractile elements but likely reflects expression of an inhibitory influence of the mucoepithelial barrier.

Airway Resistance

A vision care module within a prototype HMO.

The Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) concept is dedicated to the prevention of disease and disability. Organizations incorporating this concept must include vision care if complete service is to be offered. Described in this paper is one such HMO, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, with details of the successful integration of optometric vision care into this medically oriented, multidisciplinary setting.

Health Maintenance Organizations