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Biomedical subjects

N Than

Publications and source records attributed to N Than.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Effect of peritoneal fluid on whole body and segmental multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance in patients on peritoneal dialysis.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the ability of whole body and segmental multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance (MFBIA) to detect peritoneal fluid in peritoneal dialysis patients. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Teaching hospital renal unit. SUBJECTS: Patients on regular peritoneal dialysis. INTERVENTIONS: Whole body and segmental MFBIA measurements before and after drainage of peritoneal fluid. RESULTS: Changes estimated by MFBIA in total body water (-0.4 (0.8) litres) and extracellular water (-0.3 (0.3) litres) were much lower than the actual changes (2.0 (0.4) litres), P<0.0001. Derived resistances Recf and Ricf increased significantly for the trunk but not for total body measurements and changes did not correlate with volumes of fluid drained. CONCLUSIONS: MFBIA is limited in its ability to detect intraperitoneal fluid, using both whole body and segmental techniques.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Sarcoidosis.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Antimalarials↗
PubMed1994

Effects of acidosis and hypoxia on the response of isolated ferret cardiac muscle to inotropic agents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study the effects of acidosis and hypoxia on the response of cardiac muscle to inotropic agents which (a) act predominantly by increasing intracellular [Ca2+] (raising extracellular [Ca2+], noradrenaline, isoprenaline) and (b) act partly (phenylephrine) or predominantly (EMD 57033) by increasing myofilament calcium sensitivity. METHODS: The experiments were performed on isometrically contracting, isolated ferret papillary muscles (n = 45). For each intervention dose-response curves were performed in control solution (pH 7.35), in hypercapnic acidosis (pH 6.85), and in hypoxia (produced by replacing O2 with N2 in the superfusing solution). In some experiments, the photoprotein aequorin was microinjected into superficial cells of the preparation in order to measure intracellular [Ca2+] as well as force. RESULTS: The results were broadly similar for both classes of inotropic agent. Acidosis caused a shift of the pCa-tension curve to the right (desensitisation of the myofilaments to calcium), but had no significant effect on maximum force. A sufficient inotropic stimulus supplied by either class of inotropic agent could completely reverse the negative inotropic effects of acidosis. The main difference between the two inotropic mechanisms was that the enhanced force produced by calcium sensitisers was associated with a reduction in calcium transient amplitude, while the other inotropes increased the amplitude. The main effect of hypoxia was to decrease maximum force. All the inotropes tested were relatively ineffective in reversing the force depression due to hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS: The negative inotropic effects of acidosis can be reversed by a sufficiently large inotropic stimulus. Since calcium transient amplitude is already increased in acidosis, the results suggest that calcium sensitisers are likely to be less arrhythmogenic in this situation. The relative ineffectiveness of the inotropes in hypoxia indicates that the main mechanisms causing reduced force in this situation lie downstream of the mechanisms of action of the inotropic agents tested.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1994

The role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in the response of isolated ferret cardiac muscle to beta-adrenergic stimulation.

beta-Adrenergic stimulation of cardiac muscle leads to an increase in the strength of contraction and an abbreviation of its time course. We have investigated the role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in these changes by monitoring force and cytoplasmic [Ca2+] in ferret papillary muscles, and the Ca2+ current in isolated ferret myocytes, during the application of isoprenaline in the absence and presence of the sarcoplasmic reticulum inhibitor ryanodine (10(-6) mol/l). Isoprenaline (10(-6) mol/l) led to a marked increase in the size of both the twitch and Ca2+ transient, and a decrease in their duration. In the presence of ryanodine, application of isoprenaline had no significant effect on either the size or the time course of the twitch. However, the increase in the Ca2+ current in response to isoprenaline was the same in the absence and presence of ryanodine. Increasing bathing [Ca2+] led to a prolongation of both the twitch and the Ca2+ transient. In the presence of ryanodine, increasing bathing [Ca2+] still increased the size, but decreased the duration, of the twitch. These data provide direct evidence that both the inotropic and lusitropic effects of isoprenaline are mediated via the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The effect of acidosis on beta-adrenergic receptors in ferret cardiac muscle.

Acidosis decreases the force of contraction of cardiac muscle in response to noradrenaline. The role of beta-adrenergic receptors in this response to acidosis was investigated. Radioligand techniques were used to determine beta-adrenergic receptor number and the degree of G-protein coupling, and to see whether these were altered in tissues subject to acidosis. The effect of pH on agonist and antagonist binding to these receptors was also investigated. Tissue pre-exposure to acidic conditions had no effect on numbers of beta-adrenergic receptors and no effect on the affinity of [125I]iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) for the receptors. Agonist competition experiments indicated that there was no change in the affinity of isoprenaline for these receptors, and there was no change in the relative proportions of high and low affinity binding sites. When radioligand experiments were performed under acidic conditions, however, the total number of beta-adrenergic receptors increased, and the affinity of these receptors for isoprenaline increased. This increase in agonist affinity might, therefore, minimize the shift to the right seen in the dose-response curve to noradrenaline during acidosis.

Acidosis↗