PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

N Balta

Publications and source records attributed to N Balta.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1978

Electroneurographic evidence of polyneuropathy in chronic liver disease.

An electroneurographic study performed on the peripheral nerves of 25 patients with severe cirrhosis following viral hepatitis showed slight slowing (P greater than 0.05) of motor conduction velocity (CV) and significant diminution (P less than 0.001) of sensory CV and mixed sensorimotor-evoked potentials, associated with a significant decrease in the amplitude of sensory evoked potentials. The slowing was about equal in the distal (digital) and in the proximal segments of the same nerve. A mixed axonal degeneration and segmental demyelination is presumed to explain these findings. The CV measurements proved helpful for an early diagnosis of hepatic polyneuropathy showing subjective symptoms in the subclinical stage.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Research on red cell membrane permeability in arterial hypertension.

Arterial hypertension, including the elucidation of hypertension pathogenic mechanisms involving elements in the composition of the blood, continues to represent a topical research area. Recent work, such as nuclear magnetic resonance studies looking into red cell permeability, illustrates the presence of modifications of red cell permeability to water (RCPW) related to the stage of arterial hypertension. The identification of a significant increase of RCPW compared to that present in the population with normal arterial pressure values can be useful both in early diagnosis and in warning about a possible predisposition for this condition. At the same time, the dynamic investigation of protonic relaxation time of both intra- and extra-erythrocytic water, the assessment of proton exchange time across the red cell and the calculation of permeability to water enable one not only to diagnose arterial hypertension but also to ascertain the evolution of the disease, its complications and the effectiveness of anti-hypertensive medication. Our studies have also proven the existence of a correlation between the values of systolic arterial pressure and red cell permeability to water. The curve describing the interdependence of the two values has the shape of a bell, in the case of males. The peak of the curve is reached for a systolic pressure of 160 mmHg and gets below the values of the control group in the case of systolic pressures above 200 mmHg. The RCPW test can also be considered a valuable indicator in evaluating the risk of stroke in hypertensive patients. In the chronic therapy of arterial hypertension with various types of anti-hypertensive drugs, one can note differences in the RCPW values related to the effectiveness of the respective medication, to the clinical form and stage of the disease, the sex of the patient as well as to the existence of cerebro-vascular complications.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Activity of Na+/K+-ATPase and of Ca++-ATPase under the action of adenosine triphosphate in experimental myocardial hypertrophy.

This paper presents the results of our research on the mechanisms involved in the modifications occurring in the activity of ionic pumps (Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca++-ATPase) at the level of the sarcolemma, the sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial membrane of the myocardial cell in experimental myocardial hypertrophy induced by isoproterenol. We also studied the effects of concomitant administration of adenosine triphosphate. Thus, we found the activity of the sarcolemmal Ca++-ATPase intensely increased under the action of isoproterenol, while Ca++-ATPase activity in the sarcoplasmic reticulum decreased significantly. At the same time, the Na+/K+-ATPase activity decreased both in the sarcolemma and in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Administration of adenosine triphosphate induces opposite effects, of lower intensity, upon the activity of the two ATPase, that tend to offset the the effects of isoproterenol. This was found in the group of rats given concomitantly both isoproterenol and adenosine triphosphate. A better understanding of the processes involved in those modifications of membrane ATPase activity allows us to consider their different behaviour to isoproterenol and adenosine triphosphate as the expression of intrinsic mechanisms by means of which the myocardial cell intervenes in maintaining a physiological concentration of calcium ions (Ca++) that is necessary both in order to avoid a failure of the contractile apparatus and in order to preserve the mitochondria role of ATP supplier. Our results demonstrate the antiadrenergic action of adenosine triphosphate that attenuates isoproterenol effects on cardiac myocytes.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Decreased SOD activity and increased nitrates level in rat heart with left ventricular hypertrophy induced by isoproterenol.

Left ventricular hypertrophy is considered a risk for cardiac failure. In an attempt to understand the molecular basis of antioxidant changes during ventricular hypertrophy, we have used isoproterenol treated rats. Our studies showed that administration of high doses of isoproterenol induced oxidative and nitrosative stress, expressed as decreased level of thiols (SH), decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and increased nitrates level in the rat heart. The results obtained are considered an outcome of oxidative stress conditions imposed by isoproterenol autooxidation.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Activity of glutathione-s-transferase, gammaglutamiltransferase and catalase in the erythrocytic membrane in arterial hypertension.

Our clinical-biological study has been performed in patients with various clinical forms of arterial hypertension (AHT), as well as with sequelae-type complications from stroke that had occurred during the evolution of the disease. We performed biological determinations of the activity of four erythrocytic enzymes: glutathione-s-transferase (GST), catalase, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The results point to the existence of individual values and also of important differences depending on the presence of arterial hypertension complications. We found a moderate but significant increase of erythrocytic GGT in hypertensive patients compared to healthy controls. Erythrocytic GST and LDH were decreased in patients vs controls. The results of the enzymatic, erythrocyitc activities of GST, GGT, catalase and LDH can also be correlated with the parameters of erythrocyitc membrane permeability and with the thiolic groups, fibrinogen and ionic calcium concentration. The data described in this paper suggest the possible involvement of the disturbances mentioned above in the etiopathogeny of AHT.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Research on some metabolic and enzymatic modifications in experimental hypertensive myocardium.

This paper presents our research on metabolic and enzymatic changes in the experimental, Isoproterenol-induced (ISO) hypertensive myocardium of rats. We analyze the effects produced by the simultaneous administration of adenosinetriphosphate (fosfobion) (FOS) and Isoproterenol on the changes in the body weight/heart weight ratio, and on the biochemical changes of cardiac metabolism. We studied the following parameters in the myocardium tissue and blood: plasmatic and tissular creatinin-phosphokinase, Na+K+ ATP-ase in the sarcolemma and the sarcoplasmic reticulum, Ca+2 ATP-ase in the mitochondrial membrane, sarcoplasmic reticulum and sarcolemma, as well as plasmatic and tissular lactate. Our data show an increase of heart weight to 939 mg, compared to 752 mg in the control group, while the heart weight/body weight ratio (mg/g), which was 3.8 in the control group, increased to 5.8 in the group to which Isoproterenol (ISO) was administered, and to 5.2 when fosfobion was associated. Investigation of myocardial metabolism has also shown the fact that under the influence of Isoproterenol, plasma creatinin-phosphokinase rises by 20%, while the association of fosfobion reduces it, in the myocardium tissue, down to 73%, in comparison with the values in the control group. Significant changes were found in the myocardium lactate that decreased by 26% under ISO influence, in comparison with normal values, and that decreased by 90% when FOS and ISO were administered together. This study produces arguments about metabolism-induced cardiac changes under the action of ISO and also contributes to the identification of ways that lead to cardiac hypertrophy. The experiment also demonstrates that the ATP-ases responsible for ion transportation across the membrane are actively involved in myocardium hypertrophy. The disturbances occurring in the investigated enzymatic systems are closed related with the myocardial metabolic ones. Fosfobion does not prevent the appearance and development of Isoproterenol-induced myocardial hypertrophy, but diminishes the increase of myocardial lactate produced by this synthesised catecholamine. At the same time, fosfobion significantly decreases the activity of Ca+2 ATP-ase in the plasmalemma and increases the activity of the Na+ - K+ ATP-ase both in the plasmalemma and in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, indirectly favouring the mechanical processes of cardiac myocytes relaxation. The study of the enzymatic activity of Na+K+ and Ca+2 ATP-ases in our experimental conditions contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms that produce myocardial and coronary disturbances in myocardial hypertrophy.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗