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Biomedical subjects

O Penttilä

Publications and source records attributed to O Penttilä.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Studies of auricular catecholamines by fluorescence histochemistry in various heart diseases of man.

A comparative histochemical and clinical study concerning the state of the intrinsic adrenergic innervation of the human atrial myocardium was carried out, using the glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence histochemical method. Specimens from the right auricular appendage were obtained during open-heart surgery from patients suffering from 1. ischaemic heart disease (IHD), 2. atrial septal defect of the secundum type (ASD), and 3. left-sided univalvular or multivalvular heart disease (VHD) with or without congestive heart failure (CHF) experienced prior to surgery. In the IHD group the densities of both the perivascular and the "free" myocardial adrenergic nerve net were greater than in the ASD group and especially in the VHD/CHF group. Secondly, the intensity of fluorescence of the adrenergic structures was generally higher in the IHD group than that in the VDH/CHF group. Further, the average size of the varicosities, the number of varicosities per given length of axon, and the proportional share of the large varicosities were greater in the IHD group than in the ASD and VHD/CHF groups. The difference between the IHD and ASD groups was not great but was obvious in any case. In some patients with VHD/CHF fluorescing axons were observed only occasionally, and the tiny varicosities exhibited a hardly discernible fluorescence. Thus the amount of noradrenaline (NA) in the adrenergic fibres in the IHD group seems to be higher than in the ASD and especially VHD/CHF groups. The level of NA in the IHD group is assumed to constitute a contributory factor in both intracellular metabolic changes and the systemic changes typical of myocardial ischaemia and infarction. In one patient with IHD and in six patients with VHD/CHF with significantly higher heart volume (mean+/-SD) compared with the rest of the patients (P less than 0.001), huge local axonal accumulations of NA in the form of "droplet fibres" were found. These enlarged, bulging adrenergic axons are assumed to be a consequence of mechanical trauma with stretching or disruption of the axons due to myodegenerative processes. It is further assumed that these "droplet fibres" are relatively common in those patients with diseased myocardium. They may constitute an extra contributory factor to the tendency to arrhythmiility of non-atuomatic tissue.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Auricular catecholamine content in ischaemic heart disease.

The noradrenaline (NA) content (mean +/- S.D.) of tissue samples from the right atrial appendage in 19 patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was 2.81 +/- 0.94 microng/g and in 7 patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) 2.79 +/- 1.12 microng/g. In 10 patients with uncomplicated atrial septal defect (ASD) the NA content was 1.64 +/- 0.32 microng/g and in 11 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) 0.75 +/- 0.41 microng/g. The difference in NA content between the IHD group and the ASD and CHF groups is significant (p is less than 0.001). Small amounts of adrenaline and dopamine were found in all groups. There was no significant correlation between auricular NA content and either systemic diastolic blood pressure. The relatively high level of NA in the IHD group is assumed to be a contributory factor in the intracellular metabolic as well as in the systemic changes typical of ischaemia and infarction.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Paneth cells in experimental amyloidosis.

The effect of experimental amyloidosis on the morphology of the Paneth cells of the mouse was investigated by using light and fluorescence microscopy. Amyloidosis was induced by daily subcutaneous casein injections for 4 weeks. It was found that the number of secretory granules of the Paneth cells increased in the jejunum, but remained normal in the duodenum. Small morphological alterations took place in the Paneth cells during the induction of amyloidosis, and occasionally the Paneth cells were totally lost. These changes suggest that the function of the Paneth cells of the jejunum may be partly inhibited during experimental amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1977

Rectal mucosal adrenergic innervation and enterochromaffin cells in ulcerative colitis and irritable colon.

Rectal mucosal biopsies of 13 patients suffering from ulcerative colitis, 7 patients presenting symptomatology typical of irritable colon, and 7 control persons were studied by the recently introduced glyoxylic-acid-induced fluorescence histochemical method. In ulcerative colitis, compared to control specimens: 1) the density of the adrenergic nerve network was significantly pronounced; 2) the mean diameter of the varicosities and the proportional share of large varicosities were increased, as well as the number of varicosities per a given length of an axon; 3) the intensity of the fluorescence of varicosities of comparable size was significantly increased; 4) the number of enterochromaffin cells was significantly decreased. In irritable colon, compared to control specimens, the number of enterochromaffin cells was significantly increased. These findings suggest that biogenic amines are somehow involved in both ulcerative colitis and irritable colon. The fluorescence histochemical method used was found sensitive, specific, and suitable for comparative studies on human clinical material.

Cell Count↗
PubMed1977

Effect of cessation of propranolol treatment on myocardial noradrenaline and acetylcholine content in the rat.

Cessation of long-term treatment of rats with propranolol 10 mg/kg/day subcutaneously produced no alteration in the myocardial noradrenaline content estimated 12, 24, 48 and 96 hours after the last propranolol injection; nor did the myocardial acetylcholine content change. These results do not support the idea that the withdrawal-rebound phenomenon caused by abrupt cessation of propranolol therapy is associated with an accumulation of the autonomic neurotransmitters in myocardial tissue.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1976

Fluorescence histochemical and electron-microscopical observations on the innervation of the atrial myocardium of the adult human heart.

The existence of both adrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the atrial myocardium of the adult human heart was demonstrated by means of fluorescence induced by formaldehyde or glyoxylic acid and by electron microscopy. The adrenergic fluorescing axons (1) followed the course of blood vessels as typical perivascular nerve plexuses, and (2) formed a three-dimensional fairly dense nerve net obviously not related to the blood vessels. The varicosities frequently came into close apposition on myocardial cells. Several types of nerve terminals were differentiated at electron microscopy: (1) an "adrenergic" type containing small (diameter 450-700 A) dense-cored vesicles and usually (in various proportions) small "empty" and/or large (900-1500 A) dense-cored vesicles, (2) a "cholinergic" type containing small (ca. 500 A) "empty" vesicles and occasionally also some large (mean diameter ca. 1200 A) dense-cored vesicles, (3) a "pale" type containing only a few or no vesicles, (4) a "disintegrated" type containing degenerated mitochondria, autophagic vacuoles, and occasional normal-looking mitochondria, (5) nerve terminals containing a large number of mitochondria in addition to varying vesicle populations, and (6) a (possibly baroreceptive type of) nerve terminal containing myelinlike lamellated structures. The "disintegrated" and the "pale" types of nerve terminals possibly represent different stages of axonal degeneration, or may correspond to diminution in the transmitter substance concentration under certain pathophysiologic conditions, respectively. Nerve terminals crowded with mitochondria may be sensory and involved in mechano-or chemoreceptive functions. In preliminary experiments convincing evidence was obtained that the glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence histochemical method will be suitable for comparative studies on (human) clinical specimens, e.g., for analyzing the degree of the functional activity of the intrinsic adrenergic innervation of the myocardium under various pathophysiologic conditions. The modification which appeared most appropriate for such studies is described in detail, and is proposed for use as a standard method in other similar or related studies on human clinical series. The essential criteria for analyzing the specimens at fluorescence microscopy are suggested as well.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Histochemically demonstrable monoamine oxidase activity in the adult human heart in various cardiac diseases.

The present work was undertaken in order to study the role of monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme in the genesis of altered cardiac noradrenalin level in the human heart in various underlying pathologic conditions. The histochemical localization and the activity of MAO were studied in the right atrial appendage of man in ischemic heart disease, in valvular heart disease without or with congestive myocardial failure, and in hearts with an uncomplicated atrial septal defect. MAO was found to be localized mainly extraneuronally in the muscle cells, a little activity was detected in the connective tissue spaces, and nerves reacting positively were tentatively identified. There were no significant differences in MAO activity measured photometrically between the various heart disease groups. It seems that MAO activity measured photometrically between the various heart disease groups. It seems that MAO enzyme plays only a small or no role in the genesis of the latered noradrenalin level in the human heart observed in ischemic heart disease or congestive cardiac failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Effect of long-term alcohol consumption on the half-life of tetracycline and doxycycline in man.

Elimination of the bacteriostatics tetracycline and doxycycline was compared in patients on long-term alcohol consumption to that in healthy controls. The half-life of doxycycline but not that of tetracycline was significantly shorter in alcoholics than in controls and in some patients the serum concentration of doxycycline decreased below the generally accepted minimum therapeutic concentration when dosed once daily. So, the dosing twice daily might be indicated especially if additional inducing drugs are used.

Doxycycline↗
PubMed1976

Enterochromaffin cells in macrophages in ulcerative colitis and irritable colon.

Rectal biopsies from 6 patients with ulcerative colitis, 6 patients with irritable colon and 9 control patients were studied by formaldehyde-induced fluorescence after freeze-drying and Epon embedding. The mean number of enterochromaffin cells per crypt was higher in the patients with irritable colon whereas the patients with ulcerative colitis had fewer enterochromaffin cells than the controls. There was an abundance of enterochromaffin cells in 5 of the 6 cases of irritable colon. Various types of autofluorescent granules were visible in the cytoplasm of the macrophages.

Cell Count↗
PubMed1975

Effect of zinc sulphate on the absorption of tetracycline and doxycycline in man.

A possible interaction between zinc sulphate and tetracycline or doxycycline was examined in a cross-over study in seven volunteers. A single dose of zinc sulphate (45 mg Zn++) was given simultaneously with tetracycline hydrochloride (500 mg) or doxycyline chloride (200 mg). The serum concentration of tetracycline, the area under the serum tetracycline concentration-time curve and the excretion of tetracycline in urine were reduced by about 30% (p less than 0.05) from the respective control values. The absorption of doxycycline was not influenced significantly by zinc sulphate. The clinical significance of the zinc-tetracycline interaction seems to be of limited importance.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Effect of antiepileptic drugs on the elimination of various tetracycline derivatives.

Elimination of the bacteriostatics tetracycline, doxycycline, methacycline, oxytetracycline, demethylchlortetracycline and chlortetracycline was studied in healthy control persons and in patients on long-term antiepileptic therapy. The half-life of doxycycline was significantly shorter in patients than in the controls. The half-lives of other tetracycline derivatives and their excretion in urine were not significantly different between the two groups. Accordingly, in order to maintain an adequate serum level of doxycycline it should be given twice daily to patients on long-term therapy with barbiturates, diphenylhydantoin or carbamazepine. The classical tetracycline derivatives studied may be administered according to conventional principles.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Anicteric liver damage during nitrofurantoin medication.

Four patients are described in whom anicteric hepatitis appeared to be related to the use of nitrofurantoin. All the patients had increased serum transaminase levels, hypergammaglobulinaemia, and liver biopsies suggestive of chronic active hepatitis. Three patients showed cirrhotic features in the biopsy and two had circulating albumin-IgG-complexes ('tailing-albumin'). The serum transaminases became normal within weeks after withdrawal of the drug whereas the hypergammaglobulinaemia and the liver biopsy findings persisted essentially unchanged during two to six months of observation. One patient was re-challenged with nitrofurantoin, which resulted in recurrence of elevated serum transaminases after nine weeks medication.

Aged↗
PubMed1975

Studies of rectal mucosal catecholamines in ulcerative colitis.

Rectal mucosal biopsies from six patients suffering from ulcerative colitis were studied by estimating the catecholamine (CA) content and by fluorescence microscopy. Adrenergic nerve fibres were relatively scanty both in diseased and control patients. The adrenergic structures seem well preserved in the affected areas of the colon, although the nonspecific collagenous autofluorescence makes interpretation difficult. There was a significant rise in the noradrenaline (NA) content compared with the seven control patients (p smaller than 0.01). This may be a compensatory phenomenon to inhibit increased intestinal motility. The increased NA level may be due to the intense perivascular adrenergic plexus typical for ulcerative colitis. In both groups there were varying amounts of fluorescing enterochromaffin cells probably without relation to the diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Studies of catecholamines in amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis was induced in 21 mice by daily injections of casein solution for four weeks. Thioflavine T staining showed that the induction of amyloidosis took place in all mice. The catecholamine (CA) content was estimated in the spleen, proximal colon and kidney. In spleen the noradrenaline (NA) content per wet weight of tissue in casein-induced amyloidosis was significantly (p less than 0.01) lower than in the controls but this reduction was not apparent because of the huge increase in the weight of amyloid spleens. In the proximal colon and kidney the NA content did not differ from the control values. By fluorescence histochemistry the adrenergic fibres appeared to be well maintained in the spleen, duodenum and proximal colon in casein-induced amyloidosis. The CA content of rectal mucosal biopsies from five patients suffering from amyloidosis was compared with that from seven control persons. There was no significant difference in NA content. The present results suggest that in amyloid disease detectable alterations in the CA content or such morphological changes in adrenergic nerve fibres, which can be detected by fluorescence histochemistry take place only in the most advanced disease, if at all.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1974

Interaction between doxycycline and barbiturates.

In a cross-over study of five hospitalized patients the half life of doxycycline was significantly shortened after 10 days' treatment with phenobarbitone. In five patients on continuous barbiturate therapy the half life of doxycycline was even shorter. Barbiturates or other agents inducing drug metabolism should be used cautiously in combination with doxycycline, since this might result in therapeutically inadequate serum concentrations of the antibiotic.

Adult↗