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Biomedical subjects

P R Kind

Publications and source records attributed to P R Kind.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Nonionic iodinated contrast media: potential renal damage assessed with enzymuria.

The potential of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) to enable study of the physiology of renal transplantation after a single intravenous injection of nonionic iodinated contrast material stimulated this investigation into the possible nephrotoxicity of the contrast material used. Levels of urinary enzyme activity, used as markers of renal damage, were measured before, immediately after, and up to 72 hours after intravenous injection of nonionic iodinated contrast material in two groups of patients undergoing DSA. Twenty-six patients had undergone renal transplantation and 10 control patients had normal renal function. Both groups showed a transient rise in the level of urinary enzyme activity that peaked within 24 hours and returned to levels obtained before DSA within 72 hours. In the transplantation group, the baseline levels of enzymes were higher, and the response after administration of contrast material was greater. Nevertheless, the duration of the response was the same as in the control group, and the enzyme levels of all patients returned to their pre-DSA baseline levels.

Acetylglucosaminidase

Clinical validation of St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution No. 2 (Plegisol).

Recently, the St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution No. 2 (Plegisol) has become available commercially in the UK. In a series of patients (n = 28) undergoing open heart surgery for a variety of lesions, a clinical validation was performed. Preservation of myocardial contractility was assessed biophysically by quantitative birefringence measurements of myocardial biopsy samples (full thickness apical left ventricle and right ventricle) taken (1) prior to ischaemia, (2) at the end of ischaemia and (3) 10-15 min after reperfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass. In addition, serum CK-MB values were measured in samples taken throughout the operation and for 4 days postoperatively. Postoperative ECG traces (taken every 6 h for 48 h and then daily up to 7 days) were analysed to identify the occurrence of perioperative infarction. There were no hospital deaths. Chronotropic support was required in 5 of 28 patients (18%) for transient heart block. Low cardiac output did not occur postoperatively. Birefringence measurements in biopsy samples taken at the end of the ischaemic period (immediately prior to reperfusion) indicated an apparent left ventricular deterioration in myocardial contractility in 12 of 28 patients (43%) when compared to biopsies sampled prior to the ischaemic period. However, after 10-15 min of aerobic reperfusion, measurements indicated that myocardial contractility recovered to almost pre-ischaemic levels in the majority of patients. Thus, in 22 of 28 patients (79%), left ventricular deterioration did not occur in post-ischaemic biopsy samples when compared to the pre-ischaemic biopsies. Similarly, 21 of 28 patients (75%) had no deterioration of birefringence values in right ventricular biopsies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bicarbonates

Rhodanese isozymes in three subjects with Leber's optic neuropathy.

Previous studies have reported an association between Leber's optic neuropathy and deficiency of rhodanese activity in liver and rectal mucosa. We have studied the rhodanese isozymes in liver biopsies from three subjects with Leber's optic neuropathy. The rhodanese isozyme patterns were indistinguishable from controls both in relative intensity and position on the isoelectric focusing pH gradient. No new rhodanese isozymes were observed and there was no evidence of deficiency in any of the cases.

Adult

Isoenzymes of urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) in patients with renal transplants.

Renal transplant recipients were divided into five categories according to their clinical course from transplantation to their discharge from hospital. Total N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity in urine was determined using a chromogenic substrate 2-methoxy-4-(2'-nitrovinyl)-phenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranoside. The isoenzyme composition of the urine of each patient was determined by semi-automated DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Although raised NAG activity was found in stable transplant patients compared to controls, the level of activity was constant and no change in the isoenzyme profile was found. In reversible rejection there was a marked increase in the intermediate forms, particularly I2 and a concomitant fall in the relative amount of the A-form present but the profile became normal when the patient stabilised. Much more complex patterns were observed in patients who did not respond to treatment. Both the B and I forms were elevated with a fall in the A-form and in one case excretion of the serum As form was observed. The intermediate forms were always increased in rejection.

Acetylglucosaminidase

Deficiency of thiosulphate sulphurtransferase (rhodanese) in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy is a rare cause of progressive visual failure. Its cause is unknown, but one hypothesis is that patients have a defect in the detoxication of cyanide. One of the enzymes used in this detoxication is thiosulphate sulphurtransferase (rhodanese). The activity of this enzyme was measured in the rectal mucosa of a group of subjects with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, and it was found to be considerably reduced compared with that in a group of controls (p less than 0.001). This finding supports the hypothesis of an inborn error of cyanide detoxication in this condition.

Adult

Evaluation of the biochemical effects of CHIP in normal and tumour-bearing C3H mice.

The biochemical effects of CHIP have been studied in C3H mice with and without transplanted mammary tumour. The maximum tolerated dose of CHIP was first determined by lethality and intestinal crypt assays to be 40 mg kg-1 and this dose was used to assay the time course of gastric distension and the pattern of drug distribution. A high level of CHIP uptake was found in liver as well as kidney. For this reason, tests for both kidney and liver damage were undertaken up to 60 days post-treatment using a dose of 10 mg kg-1 Neoplatin for comparison. Despite the high level of platinum drug uptake in liver, there was no biochemical evidence of hepatocellular or cholestatic damage. From the renal point of view, there was the expected rise in serum urea after Neoplatin but not after CHIP and there was also a rise in urinary NAG after Neoplatin in tumour bearing mice. There was, however, evidence of suppression of protein levels including enzymes, following treatment with both drugs. Tumour-bearing mice respond differently from normal mice following treatment with platinum drugs. The study confirms that CHIP is less toxic than Neoplatin.

Acetylglucosaminidase

The effect of C3H mouse mammary tumour on the levels of serum and urine analytes in vivo.

A study of C3H mice implanted with mammary tumours has shown that the levels of serum total protein, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase are all lower than those found in normal mice, while aspartate transaminase is higher. Serum urea values were similar to normal levels, but creatinine was lower in males and higher in females. In the male mice, urine protein and urine N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity were lower than in normal mice. Comparisons were made with age and sex matched controls which was found to be important for alkaline phosphatase, as this was shown to decrease with increasing age of the mice over the period from 10-30 weeks of age. The analyte values found in this study provide useful base-line data for assessing biochemical toxicity of cancer chemotherapy agents. It has been shown that some of these values can vary with age, or can be different if tumour-bearing mice are used instead of normal mice.

Acetylglucosaminidase

Observations on thyroid function tests in the elderly.

One hundred elderly men and women living in old people's homes and 95 in a long-stay geriatric hospital were investigated for thyroid function by measuring the serum thyroxine, T-3 uptake and calculating the free thyroxine index. The values obtained were found to be within the normal adult range in 97% of the subjects studied. No significant correlation was found between albumin and T-3 uptake, except in men in hospital.

Aged