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Biomedical subjects

L García

Publications and source records attributed to L García.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Surgical treatment of uretero-vaginal fistulae caused by gynecologic surgery].

The present paper is a review of 71 cases of uretero-vaginal fistulae secondary to pelvic surgery which were treated in the Urology Unit of our hospital. Surgical management of these fistula intrinsically depends on their number, location and severity. The results obtained by the different techniques were analyzed, emphasizing their merit when using the Turner-Warwick technique (uretero-cystoneostomy on psoic bladder) and any urodynamic troubles this technique can bring about when used bilaterally in patients from radical gynaecological surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[The use of the determination of plasma theophylline concentrations in the hospital].

BACKGROUND: The evaluation of the determination of plasmatic concentrations of theophylline (PCT) in clinical practice is scarce. An observational study was carried out with the aim of discerning the reasons why PCT determinations are requested, the theophyllinemias obtained and the attitude of the medical staff in a hospital. METHODS: PCT determinations obtained in 113 patients over a period of 3 months were analyzed. Information concerning treatment and daily doses of theophylline, reasons for theophylline determination, apart from those included in the request for theophyllinemia determination, clinical history and treatment sheets were collected. RESULTS: Treatment with theophylline had been indicated in 78 patients (69%) with chronic bronchitis, and 30 (26%) with asthma. All the patients received medication in addition to theophylline. Daily dosage (SD) was 734 (260) mg and the daily doses as to body weight (SD) was 11 (4) mg/kg/day. 188 DNPT were performed, however 22 (12%) were inadequate; of the remaining 166 PCT determinations 117 (69%) had been requested with no indication of insufficient clinical response, suspicion of undesirable effects or modifying factors of the pharmacokinetics of theophylline. The mean plasmatic concentration (SD) was 11.3 (7) micrograms/ml. PCT was infratherapeutic in 74 PCT determinations (44%), therapeutic in 73 (44%) and toxic in 19 (11%). Therapeutic concentrations were obtained in only 16 (35%) of the 45 patients in whom a second PCT determination had been carried out. CONCLUSIONS: In this study scarce individualization in the indication of treatment and the doses of theophylline administered are observed. The reason for soliciting determination of theophyllinemia and dosage adjustment in terms of plasmatic concentrations are also commented upon.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1990

Rapid determination of beta-aminoisobutyric acid by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

For the determination of beta-aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA) in urine samples in which the beta-alanine concentrations are higher than those of BAIBA, the resolution between these two amino acids, separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography on an octadecylsilane column, was optimized. The chromatographic analysis included precolumn derivatization of amino acids with o-phthalaldehyde, followed by a 15-min isocratic elution and detection at 340 nm. Because of its simplicity, this method should be useful for monitoring urinary excretion of BAIBA.

Aminoisobutyric Acids↗
PubMed1990

A genetic model for the study of abnormal nerve-muscle interactions at the level of excitation-contraction coupling: the mutation muscular dysgenesis.

Excitation-contraction in muscle fibers are coupled through a complex mechanism involving multiproteic components located at a specialized cellular site, the triadic junction. Triads in normal muscle fiber result from the apposition of sarcoplasmic reticulum citernae and T-tubule and possess strikingly organized ultrastructural elements, bridging both types of membranes, the "junctional feet". Muscular dysgenesis in the mouse is characterized by total muscle inactivity in the developing skeletal muscles due to excitation-contraction uncoupling. Triads have been found to be disorganized with no "junctional feet" and dihydropyridine (DHP) binding sites are decreased with no slow Ca2+ currents, suggesting a basic defect in the excitation-contraction coupling machinery itself. We may hypothesize that muscular dysgenesis results in a marked defect in a functional protein involved in the morphogenesis of the triad and/or directly involved in Ca2+ release for contraction.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1990

Circannual rhythm of plasma growth hormone in girls (but not boys) with constitutional short stature.

GH concentrations (in ng/ml) were determined by radioimmunoassay in plasma obtained at about 3-hour intervals during a 24-hr sampling span from 40 boys and 14 girls of short stature, 6-14 years of age, living on a diurnal waking (approximately 07:00 to approximately 22:00), nocturnal resting routine. Circadian rhythm parameters were first computed by the single and population mean cosinor fits of a 24-hour cosine curve. Circadian parameter comparisons revealed an intergroup difference between the genders in A (P = .012) and, perhaps, in M (P = .078), but not in 0 (P = .957). In the search for circannual variability, individual circadian Ms were fitted by LLS with a 1 year cosine curve. The LLS harmonic analysis shows a circannual rhythm for the girls (P = .037; M = 8.54; A = 5.38; 0 = -214 degrees from January 1), but not for the boys. Moreover, a 3.5 months prominent component was also found for both the individual circadian Ms (P = .010) and As (P = .012) when all subjects are considered for analysis irrespectively of gender. These infradian characteristics complement circadian differences in GH between boys and girls and must be taken into account in the development of any protocol for studies of GH responses to GH-releasing hormone in children with short stature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Similar circadian characteristics of serum glucose in boys and girls of short stature.

In the absence of any gastroenterologic complaint, circadian variations characterize serum GL in 22 boys and 7 girls of short stature, 6-14 years of age, living on a diurnal waking (approximately 07:00 to approximately 22:00), nocturnal resting routine, consuming the usual hospital diet. Blood was drawn at about 3-hour intervals during a 24-hour sampling span and serum stored frozen at -60 degrees C until radioimmunoassay for GL concentration (in mg/dl). Circadian rhythm parameters were computed by the single and population mean cosinor fits of a 24-hour cosine curve. A parameter-comparison of data from the two genders indicates similar circadian M, A and 0 for both groups. The Ps for a comparison of Ms, As, 0s and (A,0) pairs are .635, .183, .385 and .308, respectively. The larger differences between genders were found for the circadian A. In human beings, differences in the A of a rhythm are associated with differences in the probable development of several civilization diseases. In this sense, evaluation of risk by appropriately designed questionnaires should next complement blood sampling in groups of children differing in age, gender, health or ethnicity, with the purpose in mind of deriving prediction regions for assessment of health, risk or disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Infradian characteristics of plasma cortisol in children of short stature.

CT concentrations (in micrograms/dl) were determined by radioimmunoassay in plasma obtained at about 3-hour intervals during a 24-hour sampling span from 42 boys and 16 girls of short stature, 6-14 years of age, living on a diurnal waking (approximately 07:00 to approximately 22:00), nocturnal resting routine. Circadian rhythm parameters were first computed by the single and population mean cosinor fits of a 24-hour cosine curve. A parameter-comparison shows similar circadian rhythm parameters for both genders, the Ps for a comparison of Ms, As, 0s and (A,0) pairs being .69, .14, .73 and .32, respectively. In the search for infradian variability, individual circadian Ms were first fitted by LLS. The LLS harmonic analysis shows prominent components with periods of 8, 7, 4, 3 and 1 months, with ordering P-values of .031, .011, .009, .018 and .024, respectively. The rhythm parameters thus obtained were used as initial values for the NLLS method. This approach only detects the circaseptrigintan (7 months) component, with estimated period, M, A and 0 of 5023.96 hours, 10.32 micrograms/dl, 3.34 micrograms/dl and -273 degrees, respectively. These not anticipated infradian characteristics of the adrenal cortisol cycle may constitute quantitative parameters in dealing with risk in health and may serve to monitor any possible progression of a condition into a disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Reduced levels of uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase activity in fetal and neonatal human and guinea pig liver.

Uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase (UDPGPP) is the first enzyme in the bilirubin conjugation pathway. A study aiming to screen for red blood cell UDPGPP deficiency in newborns with hyperbilirubinemia was carried out. No individuals with severe UDPGPP deficiency were found, however, levels of UDPGPP in premature and at term newborns were lower than in adults. These findings led to the study of UDPGPP in human fetal, neonatal and adult liver, using guinea pig tissues as a parallel control. UDPGPP activities in fetal and neonatal samples were also significantly lower than in adult ones in both species. Therefore, it is postulated that the reduced levels of UDPGPP in fetal and neonatal liver could be a factor which contributes to the pathogenesis of the physiologic jaundice in human newborns.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Embolomycotic aneurysm of external iliac artery: producing ipsilateral hydronephrosis and venous insufficiency.

We report a case of embolomycotic aneurysm of the right iliac artery secondary to bacterial endocarditis. The patient, a 33-year-old woman, presented with unilateral hydronephrosis and lower extremity edema caused by aneurysmal compression of the ipsilateral ureter and the external iliac vein. She was treated with ligation and an extraperitoneal left-external-iliac-artery to right-femoral-artery bypass using a knitted Dacron prosthesis. Since her surgery, our patient has been well except for persistence of moderate leg edema. To the best of our knowledge, we are reporting the 1st case of embolomycotic external-iliac-artery aneurysm secondary to bacterial endocarditis and resulting in hydronephrosis and venous insufficiency.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1988

Sperm shape abnormality and urine mutagenicity in mice treated with niclosamide.

Niclosamide, a widely used anthelmintic drug in underdeveloped countries, is known to be mutagenic in the Salmonella typhimurium microsomal test system. The urine obtained from mice treated with niclosamide is mutagenic in the TA98 and TA1538 strains. Its effects on mouse-sperm morphology were evaluated in CD1 and (BALB/cJ x DBA/2J) F1 mice after 5 daily oral niclosamide doses of either 60, 80, 100 or 120 mg/kg. A statistically significant increase in abnormal sperm morphology was detected in both CD1 and (BALB/cJ x DBA/2J) F1 mice. No drug-related effects on testis weight nor on sperm count were observed in either genotype. Urine samples obtained from niclosamide-treated F1 mice were assayed with the Salmonella typhimurium strain TA1538 both in the absence and presence of beta-glucuronidase. In the absence of glucuronidase, urine mutagenicity increased with increasing dose and the highest doses were toxic. In the presence of glucuronidase, urine mutagenicity and toxicity also increased. Only at the highest dose (120 mg/kg), however, was there a positive correlation between the urine mutagenic activity and an increase in the number of abnormal sperm. The results of this study suggest that the increase in abnormal sperm depends on the systemic presence of non-conjugated niclosamide metabolites.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Persistence of elevated levels of galactosyl-alpha(1-3)galactose antibodies in sera from patients cured of visceral leishmaniasis.

Using rabbit erythrocyte-derived neutral glycosphingolipids enriched for a ceramide pentasaccharide as the antigen, we detected elevated anti-galactosyl-alpha(1-3)galactose (anti-G alpha G) antibody levels in 76% of children with active visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar [KA]) and in 42% of clinically cured patients with KA who had been treated about 5 years previously with meglumine antimonate (30 mg/kg in a series of 15 daily injections). The long-term persistence of elevated G alpha G antibodies was also found in 56% of children living in the same geographic zone who, at the time of the initial clinical examination, had fever and evident splenomegaly with hyperglobulinemia but a negative bone marrow aspirate for leishmanial bodies. Five years after antimonate treatment, these clinically cured children with presumptive KA were studied serologically. Their mean G alpha G antibody values were slightly lower than those in patients with active KA but were still abnormal. Using different biochemical and immunological approaches, we found that elevated G alpha G antibodies present in patients with KA bound specifically to glycoconjugates with an alpha(1-3)-terminal galactose residue. G alpha G antibodies were mainly distributed between immunoglobulin classes G and M in patients with active KA and in antimonate-treated patients with clinically cured KA. The possibility of the existence of remnant living parasites or the persistence of inserted G alpha G epitopes in parasitized macrophages was proposed as a mechanism to explain the long-term persistence of abnormal G alpha G antibodies in patients apparently cured of KA.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Psychogenic pain and psychological variables: a psychometric study.

A sample of 41 women suffering from psychogenic pain according to DSM-III diagnostic criteria were psychometrically studied, in order to ascertain if they showed specific psychological traits or mechanisms. Type A behavior, extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism and dissimulation and hostility-aggressivity traits were the psychological variables studied both in the pain sample and in a matched control group. Psychogenic pain patients were significantly more neurotic and suspicious and less physically aggressive than healthy subjects and also scored significantly higher in dissimulation, which suggests a tendency to use defense mechanisms of denial.

Adult↗