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Biomedical subjects

M E Edwards

Publications and source records attributed to M E Edwards.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Relation between ventricular arrhythmias and psychological profile.

The association between psychological characteristics and ventricular arrhythmias was investigated in 150 men (50 with manifest IHD, 50 with risk indicators of IHD and 50 healthy men). Arrhythmias were recorded with 24-hour Holter monitoring. Psychological characteristics were assessed by the Emotions Profile Index and the Structured Interview for pattern A behaviour. A depressive emotional state was associated with prognostically severe ventricular arrhythmia in healthy men, but not in men with overt IHD or risk indicators of IHD. When clinical characteristics and age were taken into account, depressiveness was-among healthy men-the second most important factor after high age. The results suggest that-in absence of IHD or other cardiovascular disease-a depressive emotional state may participate in the formation of ventricular arrhythmia.

Adult↗

Pathogenesis of an unexpected sudden death: role of early cycle ventricular premature contractions.

A 61 year old man who had been studied extensively died unexpectedly ("instantaneously") outside the hospital while wearing an electrocardiographic recorder. Death was caused by ventricular fibrillation, which was initiated by an early cycle ventricular premature contraction occurring in the vulnerable period of repolarization. Such early cycle ventricular premature contraction had been noted in recordings 4 years previously but had never been observed to encroach on the T wave until 5 minutes before death. In the intervening period, the patient had shown increasing evidence of myocardial ischemia and hypertrophy and congestive heart failure, which had been partly obscured by his concealment or denial of symptoms and refusal to change his pattern of activities. Autopsy revealed two old myocardial infarcts and pronounced left ventricular hypertrophy. There was advanced occlusive arteriosclerosis of the major coronary vessels with a recent thrombus in the right coronary artery.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

A new program for hyperactive children.

The magnitude of the problem of hyperactivity among school-age children has attained nationwide attention. The author report on a unique interdisciplinary clinic-based program that was developed to treat this problem. Their article demonstrates that the social work model is an effective tool in treating hyperactivity.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Carbon Dioxide and Ethylene Control of Spore Germination in Onoclea sensibilis L.

Regulation of spore germination in the fern Onoclea sensibilis L. was investigated by applying CO(2) alone and in combination with ethylene. Sterile spores were sown aseptically on Knops solution in loosely capped culture tubes, enclosed individually in 2-liter chambers, and grown under continuous white light. When maintained in enclosed containers with the ethylene-absorbent mercuric perchlorate and with atmospheres enriched up to 2% CO(2) (v/v), spores germinated without any inhibition. Higher levels of applied CO(2) were progressively inhibitory. Inhibition by CO(2) was reversible. When CO(2) was permitted to escape and spores were exposed subsequently to ambient laboratory air, recovery from inhibition occurred within 48 hours. Also, inhibition by CO(2) was specific, since the same degree of inhibition resulted regardless of whether spores were treated with exogenous CO(2) for 48, 72, or 96 hours. The effect on germination of 1 mul/l added ethylene depended upon the amount of applied CO(2). When containers of KOH were enclosed and ambient CO(2) was absorbed, inhibition of germination by 1 mul/l exogenous ethylene was 90%. When CO(2) was applied in concentrations from 0.25 to 1.0% (v/v), CO(2) increasingly antagonized the inhibitory action of 1 mul/l added ethylene. Thus, photoinduced germination of spores was regulated by competitively interacting levels of CO(2) and ethylene.

Journal Article↗

Role of viscoelastic properties of differentiated SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells in cyclic shear stress injury.

Shear stress and strain lead to neurodegeneration in vivo during head injury, glaucoma, and certain repetitive motion disorders. In vitro, shear stress and strain have been shown to lead to cell injury in a number of models using neurons and neuron-like cells. In the present study we examined the relationship between shear stress, strain, and the extent of cell injury in a cyclic shear stress induced model of cell injury using differentiated SH-SY5Y (human neuroblastoma) cells. Shear stress led to cell strain that increased with increasing stress and diminished upon cessation of shear. Strain rate during cyclic application of shear stress increased by over an order of magnitude from the first to all subsequent cycles, suggesting that the cell and/or its polymer network became more elastic upon cyclic shear stress application. To support this conclusion we measured the degree of cytoskeletal polymerization before and after exposure of cells to cyclic shear stress and found that the fraction of polymerized tubulin in the cell relative to total tubulin decreased by a factor of 2 after six cycles of shear stress. The extent of injury, as indicated by the fraction of cells with fragmented DNA, was three times higher for cyclic shear stress than for steady shear stress and may be related to the change in strain rate and/or cytoskeletal reorganization associated with cyclic stress. These findings may aid in understanding the mechanism by which neurons and neuron-like cells respond to cyclic shear stress and strain and lead to new treatments for disease or injury arising from the exposure of neurons to abnormal cyclic or repetitive stress and strain.

Cell Differentiation↗

Conversion from cyclosporine to azathioprine following heart transplantation.

Eleven patients receiving cyclosporine were converted to azathioprine immunosuppression because of persistent creatinine elevation greater than 2 mg/dl 6 months or more following heart transplantation. During conversion, the maintenance steroid dose was doubled for 3 months then tapered to the preconversion dose. Pretransplant renal function in these converted patients was similar to that in a group of azathioprine patients and a group of nonconverted cyclosporine patients. One year following transplant, the nonconverted group had stable but impaired renal function (mean creatinine, 1.45 +/- 0.06 mg/dl; effective renal plasma flow, 407 +/- 39 ml/min; glomerular filtration rate, 68 +/- 8.8 ml/min). The converted patients had evidence of progressive renal dysfunction (mean creatinine, 2.65 +/- 0.19 mg/dl; effective renal plasma flow, 193 +/- 16 ml/min; glomerular filtration rate, 29 +/- 5.1 ml/min). Following conversion, renal function improved toward normal in all patients. There were three episodes of rejection that were successfully treated. An important number of infective and noninfective complications occurred following conversion during the period of steroid augmentation. There were two deaths during the follow-up period. Conversion can be undertaken with low risk of rejection, death, or both, but protocols that employ prolonged periods of steroid augmentation are associated with important morbidity.

Alabama↗