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Biomedical subjects

J Thorell

Publications and source records attributed to J Thorell.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Gut-type glucagon immunoreactivity in nerves of the rat brain.

Nerve fibers reacting with antisera demonstrating gut-type glucagon were numerous in certain areas of hypothalamus and thalamus but absent from neocortex and hippocampus. They did not react with glucagon antisera specific for pancreatic type glucagon. Immunoreactive cell bodies were not observed.

Animals

Variation in the disappearance of unlabeled insulin from plasma: studies with portal and peripheral infusions.

One hundred and thirty brief infusions of unlabeled insulin were given to 75 unanesthetized nondiabetic human beings. The patients were examined (1) by different doses of insulin (5--50 muU/kg), (2) by intraportal and peripheral infusion, (3) in the morning and in the afternoon, and (4) during normoglycemia and moderate, steady hyperglycemia. After intraportal infusion of insulin, the non-steady state plasma clearance rate (ml min(-1)kg(-1) was lower the larger the dose (decreased about 50% by a 10-fold increase in insulin dose) and lower at hyper- than at normoglycemia (decreased about 30% after small insulin doses). It was also lower the higher the relative body weight, but this correlation was weak. After peripheral insulin infusion, none of the above relationships was demonstrated. Regardless of the route of insulin infusion, plasma clearance rate did not vary with fasting plasma insulin concentration, time of day, insulin sensitivity, or glucose tolerance. We conclude that the liver modifies the distribution and removal of pancreatically released insulin in response to acute increases in insulin or glucose. Otherwise the plasma clearance rate of insulin showed a notable lack of relationship with common indexes of metabolism and with insulin action.

Blood Glucose

Variated serum gastrin concentration: trophic effects on the gastrointestinal tract of the rat.

Gastrin is thought to be a trophic agent for the digestive tract and the pancreas. This concept was studied on rats subjected to various operations designed to create hyper- or hypo-gastrinemia. Elevated serum gastrin concentration resulted from vagal denervation, antrum exclusion and fundectomy. Reduced serum gastrin concentration resulted from antrectomy. Antrum exclusion but not vagotomy increased the weight and height of the oxyntic mucosa; antrectomy had the opposite effects. There were no trophic changes in the small and large bowel or pancreas, attributable to the serum gastrin concentration. In the bypassed duodenum (following antrum exclusion or antrectomy B II) the villus height was greatly lowered suggesting that in this location the passage of food acts as a trophic stimulant. Our results show that endogenous gastrin exerts a trophic effect on the oxyntic mucosa; there was no evidence for a similar effect on the extragastric gut and pancreas.

Animals

Active and inactive thyroid hormone levels in elective and acute surgery.

The changes in the plasma or serum concentration of thyrotrophin (TSH), thyroxine (T4), 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3), 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (reverse T3, rT3) and cortisol were examined in patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy (n = 10) or acute laparotomy due to peritonitis (n = 11). TSH and T4 showed no essential changes in either group. T3 was reduced already during initiation of anaesthesia and continued to fall during and after surgery in both groups. In the peritonitis group, T3 was reduced already before medical intervention. rT3 displayed changes opposite to those of T3. An increase in cortisol peceded the changes in T3 and rT3 in both groups. T3 and rT3 returned towards normal levels when the patients recovered and resumed oral nutrition. It seems likely that both elective and acute uncomplicated surgery is accompanied by a transient reduction in the extrathyroidal production of the most active hormone, T3, and by a reciprocal increase in the levels of the virtually inactive rT3. The underlying mechanism behind this metabolic adaptation is unclear but may be related to adrenocortical activation and/or to changes in the mode of nutrition.

Aged

Myocardial scintigraphy with 99mTc-pyrophosphate in patients with unstable angina pectoris.

A total of 400 patients, aged 25-82 years, admitted to the Coronary Care Unit due to clinical suspicion of acute myocardial infarction, were examined with 10 mCi 99mTc labelled to pyrophosphate. The examinations were carried out 4-120 hours post onset of symptoms, with a mobile gamma camera. Scintigrams were evaluated with regard to presence, localization and intensity of an uptake. Among 249 patients with a verified acute myocardial infarction, uptake was found in 237. Sixty-two of 85 patients with unstable angina showed a diffuse uptake with low intensity. Scintigraphy could not be used as a prognostic index of which patients would later develop an infarct. However, the scintigraphic pattern was useful as an aid in the differential diagnosis between acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina.

Adult

Ultrasound and human-placental-lactogen screening early detection of twin pregnancies.

In the past five years gradual introduction of ultrasonic screening of pregnant women increased the ante-partum detection of multiple pregnancy from 60% in 1971 to 95% in the first half of 1975. At the same time the average gestational age for dection of multiple pregnancies diminished from thirty-three to twenty-five weeks. The corresponding figures for 1963 were 32% and thirty-six weeks. Plasma human-placental-lactogen concentrations were assessed for their value in selecting a smaller target group for subsequent ultrasonic screening. All but 2 of 39 twin pregnancies examined by single H.P.L. determinations had H.P.L. values more than 1 S.D. above the mean of the normal distribution. The use of plasma-H.P.L. screening might lower the proportion of patients requiring ultrasonography for antepartum diagnosis of multiple pregnancies to 16% of the total pregnant population.

Evaluation Studies as Topic

Pituitary hormone levels in plasma of the human fetus after administration of LRH.

The concentrations of hFSH, hLH/hCG, hGH, and hTSH1 were measured in maternal and fetal blood during the second trimester of pregnancy before and after the administration of 10 mug LRH to 9 fetuses. A comparison was performed with 9 control fetuses not receiving LRH. The initial value of hFSH was significantly higher in female than in male fetuses (P less than 0.01) and in both sexes exceeded the low maternal hFSH level. A similar fetomaternal difference existed also for plasma hGH, in contrast to plasma hLH/hCG, which concentration was higher in maternal than in fetal blood LRH did not cause any change of circulating hFSH, hLH/hCG, and hTSH levels in the fetus 10 min after its administration. A rise of fetal hGH levels occurred during the observation time irrespective of LRH administration. In amniotic fluid, the hFSH concentration accorded with that in fetal blood, and the hLH/hCG concentration with that in maternal blood. The fetal plasma levels of these pituitary hormones suggest selective release mechanisms for the various peptides. The causes of the absent response of blood gonadotropin levels to LRH in the fetus are discussed.

Chorionic Gonadotropin

Plasma myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin measured by radioimmunoassay: relations to neutrophil kinetics.

In 31 patients, covering a wide range of blood neutrophil counts and turnover rates, the plasma concentrations of myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin have been measured with radioimmunoassays and compared to neutrophil kinetic parameters, measured with DF32P-labeled neutrophils. It was found that the plasma concentrations of both proteins correlated significantly with the total number of neutrophils in the blood (TBGP=total blood granulocyte pool) as well as with the neutrophil turnover rate (GTR=granulocyte turnover rate), which is evidence that neutrophilic granulocytes are the main suppliers of myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin to the plasma. In contrast to the previously demonstrated better relationship between the GTR and plasma lysozyme, a protein also originating in neutrophil granules, both myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin correlated better with the TBGP. These differences may reflect differences in the mode of release of intragranular proteins from neutrophils to the plasma. The correlation of the plasma lactoferrin concentration with the TBGP was so good as to suggest its use in the clinical assessment of the TBGP.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid

Influence on fetal carbohydrate and fat metabolism and on acid-base balance of glucose administration to the mother during labour.

Parturients during normal labour were given glucose. The maternal-fetal difference of glucose increased with increasing maternal glucose level. Glucose load caused a rapid early response of maternal insulin release. A parallel rise in plasma lactate and pyruvate occurred in both fetus and mother. The basal maternal hydroxybutyrate and glycerol concentrations decreased significantly during glucose load. The study demonstrated that at term, components of lipid metabolism in fetal and maternal plasma-in contrast to glucose -vary independently. No major disturbances of the fetal acid-base balance were found.

Acid-Base Equilibrium