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Biomedical subjects

L K Kothari

Publications and source records attributed to L K Kothari.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Effect of vitamin C deficiency and excess on the liver: a histopathological and biochemical study in guinea pigs fed normal or high cholesterol diet.

When guinea pigs were kept on a restricted vitamin C intake of only 0.5 mg daily, their serum ascorbic acid fell to 0.16 +/- 0.06 mg/d1 in 16 weeks as compared to 0.73 +/- 0.11 in control. This was associated with significant increase in liver cholesterol and triglycerides. When they were simultaneously challenged with a high cholesterol load, this fat accumulation was markedly exaggerated. The weight of the liver now increased by almost two-and-half times. Liver cholesterol rose to 12.90 +/- 2.63 mg/gm as compared to 3.23 +/- 0.56 mg/gm with low vitamin C alone. Histopathology showed marked distension and vacuolation of hepatocytes, focal necrosis and fibroplasia. Administration of excess vitamin C (100 mg daily) significantly countered these changes. The vitamin C-lipid relationship has important clinical bearings and liver could be an important site of vitamin C action.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Indian contribution to reproductive physiology: the last 2 decades.

The end of twentieth century is witnessing far-reaching changes in the reproductive behaviour of modern man. Population is doubling now in a record time of 30 years in some parts of the world like India. On the other hand, living-together without marriage and widespread use of contraceptives is making child bearing highly optional in the West. Technological advances in the realm of in-vitro fertilization and genetic manipulation have opened up enormous possibilities, bringing us almost on the verge of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. It is natural, therefore, that reproduction has become an attractive area of research for physiologists. We review here some of the significant contributions made by Indians to reproduction physiology during the last 20 years (1970-1990). Considerable pruning of available material has been necessary. The emphasis sometimes was on Physiologists although their contribution may not be exactly basic physiology, and sometimes on Physiology although the contributors were not exactly physiologists.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

A second look at Steinach's second procedure: testiculoepididymal occlusion in man and dog.

After advocating vas occlusion as a biological method for rejuvenating aging males, Steinach had suggested that the effect might be more pronounced if the obstruction were placed proximal to the epididymis. This Steinach II procedure has now been studied in 15 dogs and five men. Occlusion was performed at the level of the vasa efferentia, avoiding any vascular trauma. Radiological visualization confirmed a perfect block. There were no untoward reactions, such as orchitis or hydrocele. In dogs, widespread degeneration in the seminiferous tubules was evident, and the total Leydig cell volume showed an increase from 0.7 to 1.0 ml/testis. The changes, however, were not significantly different from conventional vasectomy. In men, there were considerable preexisting senile changes, and the total Leydig cell volume was already as high as 2.8 ml/testis. These changes obscured any possible effect of Steinach II operation.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Acute effect of ascorbic acid on fibrinolytic activity.

The acute effect of 1 g oral ascorbic acid on serum fibrinolytic activity was studied in 40 adult males. In Group I (healthy adults) administration of ascorbic acid raised the serum level by about 71%, while the fibrinolytic activity increased to a peak of 137% at 6 h. In patients with CAD (Group II) an essentially similar increase in FA was observed. In Group III, simultaneous administration of ascorbic acid with 100 g fat effectively prevented a fall in fibrinolytic activity and actually raised it by 64% above the fasting level.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Structural changes in the human vas deferens after tantalum clip occlusion and conventional vasectomy.

In 15 human subjects, the vasa deferentia were occluded by applying two tantalum clips on one side and by conventional vasectomy with silk ligatures on the other. After 2 weeks, the occluded segments were recovered for histopathologic examination of serial sections. Obstructing the seminal tract did not, as such, produce any significant change in the vas: the distal and proximal segments appeared to be essentially similar and normal. At the actual site of occlusion, however, tantalum clips produced marked flattening of the tube, complete loss of lining epithelium, distortion of the muscular lamellae, and areas of hemorrhage. The lumen was converted into a narrow slit. Under the ligatures, the damage was largely confined to denudation of the mucosal epithelium. The mucosa of the intersegment left unexcised between two clips showed hyalinization, invasion by macrophages, and degeneration of the epithelium. The changes under the clips suggest that, although clip occlusion may offer several advantages, sterility cannot be reversed merely by removing the clips. The mechanisms of these changes, different in the case of clips and ligatures, are discussed and some possible long-term consequences are considered.

Epididymis↗
PubMed1977

Vas occlusion by tantalum clips and its comparison with conventional vasectomy in man: reliability, reversibility, and complications.

Occlusion of the vas deferens has been carried out by applying tantalum clips in 60 men. Another 50 men were vasectomized conventionally and served as controls. Vasography showed that two clips were required on each vas to bring about perfect and firm occlusion. The incidence of postoperative infection and other complications was much lower in the clip-occluded cases. Under a long-term follow-up, 10% of the conventionally vasectomized men were dissatisfied with the operation as compared with 2% of the clip-occluded group. Both groups became azoospermic within 3 months and the failure rate was zero. Removal of the clips not only was difficult but left the vas compressed and leaking. The method cannot, therefore, be considered reversible by itself. However, recanalization could easily be achieved by end-to-end anastomosis after excision of the small clipped segment or by side-to-side anastomosis without any excision. This, damage to the neuromuscular apparatus of the vas may be minimized. Male sterilization by clip occlusion has the advantages of minimal surgical intervention, shorter operative time, safety from postoperative infection, and easier recanalization if desired.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1977

Seminal fructose and acid phosphatase in vasectomised men.

Seminal fructose and acid phosphatase levels have been determined in 30 vasectomised and 30 nonvasectomised healthy adults, both the groups being closely matched for age (32 to 45 years). The fructose and acid phosphatase values in the vasectomised men, 3 to 6 months after the operation, were 316 +/- 36 mg% and 2,098 +/- 112 K.A. units/ml, respectively, while in the control group they were 251 +/- 28 mg% and 1,932 +/- 92 K.A. units/ml. The differences are statistically significant (P less than 0.001) and the possible implications of the post-vasectomy rise in these androgen dependent seminal constituents are discussed.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1977

Effect of vitamin C administration on blood cholesterol level in man.

Vitamin C (1.0 g/day) was administered orally to 20 healthy males for 1 month under controlled conditions. The blood ascorbic acid level rose from 0.76 +/- 0.21 mg% to 1.24 +/- 0.19 mg% in young subjects (20-30 years), and from 0.74 +/- 0.29 mg% to 1.22 +/- 0.22 mg% in middle-aged ones (31-50 years). Simultaneously, the serum cholesterol levels decreased from 204 +/- 16 mg% to 177 +/- 21 mg% in the young and from 256 +/- 11 mg% to 225 +/- 36 mg% in the middle-aged, a statistically significant fall of 10-15%, on the average (P less than 0.01). The effect in normo-cholesteraemic subjects, in particular, supports the cholesterol-lowering action of vitamin C.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Surgical sterilization by vasectomy and its effects on the structure and function of the testis in man.

The early and late effects of vasectomy have been investigated in 40 men. Besides histopathological examination, the volume of the testis and its total content of testosterone-screting Leydig cells have been measured. The volume of the testis showed a wide normal variation (5-3-23-3 ml) but was not significantly changed by vasectomy. One month after vasectomy widespread degeneration of the germinal epithelium, thickening of the basement membrane and some intertubular fibrosis were observed. Spermatogenesis had ceased. However, cases examined 2-31/2 years later showed an essentially normal structure with active spermatogenesis. This indicates that regeneration does occur spontaneously, even without recanalization. Whether the sperms formed are functionally normal remains uncertain. The normal total Leydig cell volume was 2-2 plus or minus 0-4 ml/testis in young adults and showed a modest increase after vasectomy, rising to 2-5 plus or minus 0-5 ml after 1 month and 2-6 plus or minus 0-5 ml after 2-31/2 years. The findings have been discussed in the light of Steinach's (1927) original hypothesis that vasectomy can rejuvenate ageing males by improving the endocrine function of the testis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The protective action of essential oils of onion and garlic in cholesterol-fed rabbits.

The effects of the essential oils of onion and garlic have been investigated in cholesterol-fed rabbits and have been compared with the effects of clofibrate. The marked rise in serum cholesterol and blood coagulability that followed 3 months of cholesterol feeding (0.2 g/kg/day) was significantly reduced by the essential oils of both onion and garlic. Fibrinolytic activity was actually increased even above the normal control levels. The essential oils of onion and garlic (equivalent to 1 g/kg/day of raw bulbs) proved more effective than clofibrate in the usual clinical dose of 33 mg/kg/day. Garlic was even more effective than onion. Cholesterol feeding increased the average lipid content of aorta from 5.95 to 13.75 mg/100 mg dry weight. With addition of clofibrate, onion or garlic the values were 7.79, 6.23 and 5.28 mg/100 ml, respectively. Thus it can be seen that the essential oils effectively prevent lipid acculation in the rabbit oarta.

Animals↗