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Biomedical subjects

J Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to J Thomas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Pelvic colonization with Actinomyces in women using intrauterine contraceptive devices.

Recent reports suggest a relationship between intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) use and colonization or infection of the genital tract with Actinomyces species. This prospective, case-controlled study was designed to determine the incidence of colonization or infection with Actinomyces in IUD users. None of 50 control patients and four of 50 study patients (8%) had Actinomyces identified. None of the patients with positive results had symptomatic pelvic infection. Cervical cytology was effective in detecting each of the four study patients with positive results. It appears that the presence of any type of IUD is a major predisposing factor to colonization with Actinomyces.

Actinomycosis↗
PubMed1979

Mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation in liver homogenates and isolated hepatocytes from control and clofibrate-treated rats.

Mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation were compared in whole liver homogenates. Oxidation of 0.2 mM palmitoyl-CoA or oleate by mitochondria increased rapidly with increasing molar substrate:albumin ratios and became saturated at ratios below 3, while peroxisomal oxidation increased more slowly and continued to rise to reach maximal activity in the absence of albumin. Under the latter condition mitochondrial oxidation was severely depressed. In homogenates from normal liver peroxisomal oxidation was lower than mitochondrial oxidation at all ratios tested except when albumin was absent. In contrast with mitochondrial oxidation, peroxisomal oxidation did not produce ketones, was cyanide-insensitive, was not dependent on carnitine, and was not inhibited by (+)-octanoylcarnitine, malonyl-CoA and 4-pentenoate. Mitochondrial oxidation was inhibited by CoASH concentrations that were optimal for peroxisomal oxidation. In the presence of albumin, peroxisomal oxidation was stimulated by Triton X-100 but unaffected by freeze-thawing; both treatments suppressed mitochondrial oxidation. Clofibrate treatment increased mitochondrial and peroxisomal oxidation 2- and 6- to 8-fold, respectively. Peroxisomal oxidation remained unchanged in starvation and diabetes. Fatty acid oxidation was severely depressed by cyanide and (+)-octanoylcarnitine in hepatocytes from normal rats. Hepatocytes from clofibrate-treated rats, which displayed a 3- to 4-fold increase in fatty acid oxidation, were less inhibited by (+)-octanoylcarnitine. Hydrogen peroxide production was severalfold higher in hepatocytes from treated animals oxidizing fatty acids than in control hepatocytes. Assuming that all H2O2 produced during fatty acid oxidation was due to peroxisomal oxidation, it was calculated that the contribution of the peroxisomes to fatty acid oxidation was less than 10% both in cells from control and clofibrate-treated animals.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗
PubMed1979

[Experiences with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in ambulatory urologic practice].

The author reports about the treatment of 393 bacterial urinary tract infections with TMP/SMZ. It is shown that the success of treatment significantly depends on the constitution of the efferent urinary passages (obstructive and non-obstructive alterations, unchanged urinary passages) and the kind of organisms but only insignificantly on the duration of treatment. The germinal spectrum and the number of resistant strains of the individual kinds of organisms correspond with the results of other investigators. TMP/SMZ is a very potent antibiotic drug against the most pathogenic urinary organisms at a low rate of side effects.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1979

Effect of 239Pu on mouse hemopoietic stem cells in different types of bone marrow cavities.

Repopulative activity of hemopoietic stem cells of mice given i.v. 5 kBq 239Pu/mouse (166.5 kBq/kg) was followed. The activity retained was measured in the whole mouse, the skeleton and the liver. Simultaneously average cumulative skeletal dose was calculated. Quantitative parameters of the stem cell compartment and the marrow cellularity were studied in variously arranged bones (femur, pelvis, lumbar vertebra) using the exocolonizing test and cytological techniques. The effects of radiation were most marked in lumbar vertebra, less serious changes were found in pelvis and only a moderate response was present in femur. The bone marrow hemopoiesis is damaged in various bone sites to different degrees and the percentage of cells at risk appears higher in trabecular than in cortical bone.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Improved immunosuppression for cardiac transplantation: immune monitoring and individualized modulation of recipient immunity by in vitro testing.

These studies demonstrate that immune monitoring and individualized modulation of recipient immune reactivity using a quality-controlled preparation of rabbit antithymocyte globulin can improve results of cardiac transplantation. The most valuable assay in individualizing drug doses was the serial measurement of T-cell levels using a complete lymphocyte profile technique and monitoring with phytohemagglutinin to rule out false low T-cell levels. Using this system, the incidence and severity of early rejections were markedly reduced and no grafts were lost to rejection in the first month. The recent first-year graft survival has been about 60%, an improvement largely related to a reduction in early rejection and infection. This technique of immunosuppression appears quite promising for improving the results of future cardiac transplantations.

Antilymphocyte Serum↗
PubMed1979

Application of quantitative structure-activity relationships in the development of the antiallergic pyranenamines.

QSAR techniques played a major role in development of the antiallergic pyranenamines (I). Graphical analysis of data resulting from an unsuccessful Topliss approach suggested that increased substituent hydrophilicity might enhance potency. The 3-NHAc-4-OH derivative which first resulted was an order of magnitude more potent than any preceding series member, and its deacylated congenar is clinical candidate SK&F 78729 (R1 = -NH2, R2 - OH, R3 = H). Further pursuit of hydrophilicity and other strategies suggested by multiple regression yielded 98 pyranenamines, the most active [R1 = R3 = NHCO(CHOH)2H, R2 = H] being 1000 times more potent than any original series member.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗
PubMed1979

Monkeys show an oblique effect.

Monkeys aligned a cursor bar with high-contrast square-wave gratings presented in a variety of orientations. Alignment time increased with increasing spatial frequency from 6 to 24 cycles deg-1 regardless of the orientation of the grating. At higher spatial frequencies, alignment tasks took longer for obliquely oriented gratings than for horizontal and vertical ones. Reducing grating contrast by blurring the image of the 24 cycle deg-1 grating also produced longer alignment times for the obliques. These data indicate that monkeys have an oblique effect similar to that found in humans, implying that the monkey is a useful animal model for investigating the development of meridional anisotropies.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Growth of cultured human epidermal cells into multiple epithelia suitable for grafting.

Owing to several recent developments, the cultivability of epidermal keratinocytes, particularly those of the human, has been greatly improved. Under the conditions used, single cultured cells generate stratified colonies that ultimately fuse and form an epithelium that is reasonable approximation of the epidermis. It will be shown here that large amounts of cultured epithelium can be generated from a small piece of epidermis in a short time. We wish to bring to the attention of surgeons and cell biologists the possibility of using culture-grown epithelium derived from the same individual to restore defects in the epidermis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

Strabismic amblyopia in infants.

Monocular acuities, in two infants with nonaccommodative comitant esotropia, were measured before and during occlusion therapy. The results indicate that strabismic amblyopia is present within the first year of life and that the infant visual system is remarkably sensitive to short periods of monocular occlusion during this time period.

Amblyopia↗
PubMed1979

Antral mucosal diaphragms in adults.

A group of 53 patients with the diagnosis of antral mucosal diaphragm is reported. In over 50% of the cases the diaphragm was considered an asymptomatic lesion. In addition, an autopsy study in 29 unselected cases is reported with demonstration of five antral mucosal diaphragms in different forms. On the basis of these findings, it is evident that the antral mucosal diaphragm in the adult is not an acquired lesion secondary to peptic ulcer disease, but may be congenital. In addition, techniques of radiologic evaluation of the diaphragm for significant narrowing of the central aperture using the compressed barium tablet, and for significant gastric outlet obstruction using the "barium burger" examination, are described.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Macrophage-related suppressor cells in human renal transplant recipients.

In this study 66 renal transplant recipients were studied by in vitro immunologic monitoring assays in an attempt to delineate some immune reactivity parameters which migh explain the successful long-term survival of HLA incompatible allografts. Ninety percent of the recipients were found to be responsive to their specific donors in one-way mixed lymphocyte culture assays, indicating the presence of antigen reactive proliferating T cells. In contrast, studies of the in vitro generation of cytotoxic T cells showed that 73% of the long-term recipients demonstrated a marked hyporesponsiveness to the donor in cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) assays. Longitudinal studies indicated that specific CML hyporesponsiveness to the donor developed after transplantion. In the majority of recipients, CML hyporesponsiveness could be related to a suppressor cell phenomenon, since recipient mononuculear cells specifically suppressed the CML reactivity of third-party cells to the donor. Recipient CML hyporesponsiveness to the donor could be abrogated by removal of recipient adherent cells, most of which were monocytes or macrophages. The suppressor cell effect on CML is postulated to be related to macrophages which are either acting independently or under the regulation of suppressor T cells. These studies are among the first to suggest that suppressor cell regulation of relevant effector T cell activity may be important in the facilitation of successful human renal transplantation.

Cell Adhesion↗
PubMed1979

Abdominal crisis due to metastasizing lung carcinoma to the small bowel.

A rare case of small-bowel perforation due to metastasizing primary bronchogenic carcinoma is reported. A 64-year-old man presented with acute abdominal crisis from perforation of a metastatic focus in the wall of the small intestine. A 13-cm segment of small bowel, containing a firm mass which surrounded a 1.0 X 2.0-cm perforation, was resected. Because of widespread metastases, the patient received only palliative treatment. He died 27 days after admission. Perforation of a metastatic focus in the small bowel is considered a late complication of carcinoma and indicates a very poor prognosis. This is only the eighth reported case of such a complication of metastasizing lung carcinoma.

Abdomen, Acute↗