Biomedical subjects

K Helling

Publications and source records attributed to K Helling.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Alcoholism and carcinoma change the intracellular pH and activate platelet Na+/H+-exchange in men.

The occurrence of carcinoma in chronic alcoholics exceeds that of the general population. Cytoplasmic alkalinization, due to the influence of different factors on the transmembrane Na+/H+ exchange (NHE), has been put forward as a triggering event in cell growth and division. In accordance with these findings, the carcinogenic potential of NHE deficient cell types is reported to be diminished. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the intracellular pH and the NHE activity is altered in chronic alcoholics. Seventy-two Caucasian males were assigned to one of four groups: non-alcoholics without carcinoma, chronic alcoholics without carcinoma, non-alcoholics with carcinoma and chronic alcoholics with carcinoma. Alcoholism was diagnosed according to DSM-III-R. The groups did not differ in relation to basic patient characteristics, such as age and blood pressure. Intracellular calcium, pH and NHE in platelets were determined by spectrofluorometry before and after thrombin stimulation. In chronic alcoholics with carcinoma, the intracellular pH was significantly more alkaline and the NHE activity was elevated. In contrast, a decrease in intracellular pH associated with an increased activity of NHE and a more acidic set point was found in chronic alcoholics without carcinoma. Basal and thrombin stimulated intracellular Ca2+ did not differ between groups except in chronic alcoholics with carcinoma in whom a thrombin-induced increase of Ca2+ due to liberation of Ca2+ from intracellular stores was demonstrated. In chronic alcoholics with carcinoma, cytoplasmic alkalinization was observed and this may be an indication of an increase in cell proliferation. The possibility that the increased incidence of carcinomas in chronic alcoholics is related to the increased activity of NHE and whether this may be prevented by NHE inhibitors requires further investigation.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

[Manifestation of tuberous sclerosis in the ENT area].

Tuberous sclerosis (Bourneville-Pringle's disease) is a rare, largely autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disease. The disease can also result from spontaneous mutations. Although strongly variable in its manifestation, manifestations are typically characterized by involvement of the central nervous system (early childhood seizures), skin (facial angiofibromas) and kidneys (angiomyolipomas). In the case described, a 67-year-old female patient complained exclusively of obstructed nasal breathing that was found to be due to angiofibromas in the nasal vestibule. Oral fibromas were asymptomatic, while fibromas in the facial region resulted in some cosmetic changes. This exclusively ENT manifestation of a patient with tuberous sclerosis has not been described previously. As treatment, the fibromas were ablated by an Nd:YAG laser under local anesthesia. Other therapeutic options are described. Additional clarification of all organ manifestations is advisable in view of numerous possible pathologies present. Genetic consultation is also recommended, particularly for patients with an oligosymptomatic variant.

Aged↗

PubMed1995

[Primary pleomorphic adenoma of the principal paranasal sinus].

The pleomorphic adenoma is the most frequent benign tumor occurring in the salivary glands. These tumors are very uncommon in the nasal fossae and paranasal sinuses. We report a case of pleomorphic adenoma in the nasal fossa and review the currently available literature. Different tumor localizations and therapeutic concepts are discussed.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗

PubMed1994

[Experimental studies of motion sickness on board of a research ship].

To date the incidence and treatment of motion sickness have not been satisfactorily elucidated. Discrepancies among individuals in tolerating strong velocities and accelerations are well-known. To prevent motion sickness evaluations of individual predispositions are important. There are several current theories on the nature of motion sickness. These include the mismatching of sensory inputs, a Coriolis force, non-physiological stimuli and modulation of vestibuloocular reflexes (VOR). The main influence of the vestibular organ in generating kinetosis is obvious. Analysis of the chief movements of a ship demonstrates that linear acceleration is the principle factor in stimulating the vestibular organ. The moving gravity vector causes an intense otolith stimulation. By this means VOR is temporarily shut down. This effect can also be used for documenting motion sickness. A battery of vestibular tests was performed on the military research ship "Planet" during a 2-week autumny voyage on the Atlantic Ocean. Spontaneous nystagmus, bithermal bilateral responses and rotatory testing (slow harmonic acceleration) results were recorded by electronystagmography. Findings before starting and during the voyage were compared. A group of 3 unexperienced volunteers and 9 professional seamen were investigated. All unexperienced volunteers suffered from sea sickness, while none of the professionals showed any symptoms. At the beginning of the voyage the gain in nystagmus in harmonic acceleration testing was significantly lower in the professionals than in the unexperienced volunteers. During the voyage all professionals showed nearly constant gain values. All unexperienced individuals showed a decrease in gain only during the time of acute symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acceleration↗