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Biomedical subjects

J W Griffin

Publications and source records attributed to J W Griffin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Ophthalmic involvement in myo-neuro-gastrointestinal encephalopathy syndrome.

We studied the clinical, histopathologic, neuroradiologic, biochemical, and genetic profile of a patient with the myo-neuro-gastrointestinal encephalopathy syndrome, a recently described multisystem mitochondriopathy characterized by blepharoptosis and ophthalmoparesis. The patient had severe intestinal pseudo-obstruction and a mixed demyelinating and axonal neuropathy. Abnormal collections of mitochondria in nerve and muscle as well as diffuse white matter disease were present. Cytochrome oxidase activity in muscle mitochondria was reduced. No mitochondrial DNA deletions were detected.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Macrophage responses and myelin clearance during Wallerian degeneration: relevance to immune-mediated demyelination.

Macrophages are important effector cells in immune-mediated demyelination. Current concepts regarding their entry and activation focus on the effects of T-cell-derived cytokines. This presentation describes the responses of macrophages and microglia to a non-inflammatory, non-immune injury, Wallerian degeneration. During Wallerian degeneration in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), macrophages are promptly and abundantly recruited from the circulation, and myelin clearance is prompt. In the central nervous system (CNS), the appearance of macrophages is markedly slower, and entry from the circulation is modest or absent. Myelin clearance is similarly delayed. The nature of the factors promoting macrophage entry and activation in Wallerian degeneration, and the bases for the differences between PNS and CNS, are relevant to current issues in immune-mediated demyelination.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) is a newly described syndrome associated with use of L-tryptophan. A neuropathy with features of axonal degeneration has also been described in conjunction with EMS. Demyelinating polyneuropathy is not a well recognised association of the syndrome. The two patients with EMS reported presented with profound weakness and sensory loss and were found to have clinical, electrophysiological and pathological evidence of a chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy. The concurrence of this neuropathy with EMS, as well as several other features of their illness, is suggestive of an immune mediated mechanism in the pathophysiology of EMS.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Wallerian degeneration in peripheral nerve disease.

This article first reviews the different classes of nerve injury. The temporal evolution of electrophysiologic changes occurring during Wallerian degeneration in humans is then described, followed by a description of sequential structural changes and cellular responses that occur after nerve transection. The final section focuses on the basis for resurgent research interest in Wallerian degeneration and the different research approaches being taken to answer basic science and clinical questions.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Hereditary spinal muscular atrophy in Brittany Spaniels: clinical manifestations.

A progressive neurologic disease was identified in a family of closely related Britanny Spaniel dogs. The disease developed in dogs less than 1 year old and characteristically resulted in paraspinal and proximal pelvic limb muscular atrophy. Neurologic examination, electrodiagnostic testing, and histologic studies indicated that the disease results from motor horn cell degeneration. A colony of affected dogs was established, and breeding studies incriminated an inherited basis for the disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Hereditary canine spinal muscular atrophy.

Hereditary canine spinal muscular atrophy is a newly recognized motor neuron disease occurring in Brittany Spaniels. The clinical manifestations, pattern of inheritance, electrodiagnostic findings, and muscle biopsies have features in common with human spinal muscular atrophy. Neuropathological examination discloses some loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. Many of the surviving motor neurons have neurofibrillary swellings in proximal axons, an abnormality similar to that which occurs early in the course of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These axonal swellings are filled with maloriented skeins of neurofilaments. Since the proteins comprising neurofilaments are carried by slow axonal transport, their accumulation within axons suggest that the swellings may result from impaired slow transport, a hypothesis that can be tested in affected Brittany Spaniels. Hereditary canine spinal muscular atrophy is a new genetic, clinical, and pathological entity, and, at present, it appears to be the best currently available animal model of motor neuron disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Squamous cell carcinoma of the ascending colon.

A right-sided colon lesion appearing as a typical adenocarcinoma was biopsied and revealed squamous cell carcinoma. The etiologic possibilities include metastatic disease to the gastrointestinal tract (most likely from the lung in this case) and the very uncommon primary squamous cell carcinoma of the colon. The described features of both lesions are reviewed.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1978

Slow axonal transport of neurofilament proteins: impairment of beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile administration.

beta,beta'-Iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) administration prevented normal slow axonal transport of [35S]methionine- or [3H]leucine-labeled proteins in rat sciatic motor axons. Ultrastructural and electrophoretic studies showed that the neurofilament triplet proteins in particular were retained within the initial 5 millimeters of the axons, resulting in neurofilament-filled axonal swellings. Fast anterograde and retrograde axonal transport were not affected. The IDPN thus selectively impaired slow axonal transport. The neurofibrillary pathology in this model is the result of the defective slow transport of neurofilaments.

Axonal Transport↗
PubMed1977

Significance of changes in blood pressure and pulse rate after percutaneous liver biopsy.

Blood-pressure and pulse-rate changes were evaluated prospectively in 50 patients undergoing uncomplicated liver biopsies and retrospectively in 4 patients who, since 1973, had recognized postbiopsy hemorrhage requiring transfusion. In uncomplicated biopsies a wide range of variations in vital signs was encountered between "baseline" and "before" controls and between controls and postbiopsy measurements. To place the changes in perspective, percentile scales were developed for percent maximum deviation from control for systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate. Analysis of changes in patients with significant hemorrhage revealed; (1) marked changes in vital signs in the early (2-hr) postbiopsy period; (2) the association of early hypertensive changes with pain followed by later evidence of hemorrhage in two of the four patients; (3) the lesser helpfulness of pulse change (1 of 4 bleeders) as compared to blood pressure change (4 of 4 patients).

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1977

Adrenomyeloneuropathy: a probable variant of adrenoleukodystrophy. I. Clinical and endocrinologic aspects.

We have studied four unrelated males with a heritable disorder that we term adrenomyeloneuropathy; limited clinical information is available on a fifth case. All had adrenal insufficiency beginning in childhood and developed progressive spastic paraparesis in the third decade. Hypogonadism of variable severity was present in all four cases appropriately examined. Neurologic features included peripheral neuropathy, impotence, and sphincter disturbances. Late manifestations were cerebellar dysfunction in one case and dementia and hemiparesis in another. A family history of adrenal disease or spastic paraparesis was present in two cases and absent in one; in the other two, no family history was available. Although males are predominantly affected, the mode of inheritance is uncertain. Adrenomyeloneuropathy probably represents a clinically and genetically distinct variant of childhood adrenoleukodystrophy.

Addison Disease↗
PubMed1977

Adrenomyeloneuropathy: a probable variant of adrenoleukodystrophy. II. General pathologic, neuropathologic, and biochemical aspects.

Histopathologic features were studied in postmortem examination of two men with adrenomyeloneuropathy, and biochemical studies were performed on one of these individuals. The histopathologic picture of one case included dying-back features in the nervous system and lamellar cytoplasmic inclusions in the brain, adrenal gland, and testis similar to those in adrenoleukodystrophy. Biochemical studies of the cerebral white matter of this individual revealed increased amounts of long-chain saturated fatty acids in cholesterol esters, an abnormality characteristic of adrenoleukodystrophy. Despite differences in clinical presentation and neuropathology, adrenomyeloneuropathy probably represents a distinct variant of adrenoleukodystrophy.

Addison Disease↗
PubMed1976

Fast axonal transport in motor nerve regeneration.

This report describes the fast transport of [3H]-leucine-labeled proteins in regenerating rat sciatic motor nerves. A normal rate of fast transport (383 +/- 33 mm/day) was present in the regenerating sprouts, as well as in the central stumps. The rapidly transported proteins passed the level of axotomy without impediment, and accumulated in the endings of the regenerating sprouts, as shown by electron microscope autoradiography. In addition, transported proteins accumulated in terminal neuromas. The relative amount of protein-incorporated radioactivity in the crest of transport in the regenerating nerves was increased compared to control nerves. These results are interpreted to suggest that the mechanism of fast transport is the same in regenerating nerves was increased compared to control nerves. These results are interpreted to suggest that the mechanism of fast transport is the same in regenerating sprouts as in normal axons; during regeneration fast transport appears to add newly synthesized materials to the growing tip.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Glycine-specific synapses in rat spinal cord. Identification by electron microscope autoradiography.

Glycine, an inhibitory transmitter in spinal cord, is taken up into specific nerve terminals by means of a unique high-affinity uptake system. In this study, [3H]glycine was directly microinjected into rat ventral horn in vivo and electron microscope autoradiography used to localize the label in various anatomic compartments. Quantiative analysis showed that [3H]glycine labeled a high proportion of axosomatic and axodendritic synapses which presumably act to inhibit spinal motor neurons.

Animals↗