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P Waite

Publications and source records attributed to P Waite.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

A vertebral dislocation model of spinal cord injury in rats.

A new model of spinal cord injury (SCI) has been developed in the rat, which produces axonal and vascular injury within the spinal cord through lateral displacement of the vertebral column. An electromechanical feedback-controlled device produces the injury by displacing the vertebral column to the left hand side. The speed and lateral displacement is controllable by the user, and the resulting injury ranges from no histologically evident injury, to total disruption of the vertebral column with associated widespread axonal and vascular damage. Histological and immunohistological techniques were employed to correlate mechanical parameters with the extent of pathological injury of spinal cord. Axonal injury was most severe in the left lateral white matter, and vascular injury was concentrated in the gray matter.

Animals↗

[Is there new knowledge on embryology and functional anatomy of human mimetic muscles and the upper lip? A contribution to point selection, skin incision and muscle reconstruction in primary lip-nose reconstruction of uni- and bilateral lip-jaw-palatal clefts].

BACKGROUND: The great variety of primary cheiloplastic procedures in CLP patients shows that there is disagreement regarding the embryological development of this part of the face, the point selection, skin incision philosophy, and the macroscopic and microscopic functional anatomy of the human muscles of facial expression. We suppose from findings in Asian and African populations that the real embryological development of the upper lip differs from current textbook descriptions. Our own anatomical and embryological investigations serve as a basis for a critical discussion of different techniques of muscle reconstruction, point selection, and skin incision and for a description of an embryologically, functionally, and anatomically oriented operation technique for different entities of CLP. METHODS: The findings of this study result from investigations of the embryonal and early fetal development from the 26th to the 112th i.u. day in REM pictures of the Anatomical Institute of the University of Göttingen (n = 8) and serial histological investigations of the Carnegie and Hooker-Humphrey Collections at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C. (n = 40). Furthermore, we carried out microsurgical dissections of the muscles of facial expression, the osseous and cartilaginous parts of the nose, and the midfacial sutures in two adult heads without congenital disorders and one newborn head with a primary unilateral complete cleft of the lip and alveolus. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The formation of the lower third of the upper lip is the result of contact of the maxillary bulges in the midline below the prolabium. According to this finding, the point selections and skin incisions have to be modified in the midline region in different types of uni- and bilateral CLP. Our technique of primary dissection, reorientation, and suturing of the muscles of facial expression is presented. The muscle reconstruction has to be performed independently from the skin preparation.

Cleft Lip↗

Fluororuby as a marker for detection of acute axonal injury in rat spinal cord.

Axonal damage is a common pathological consequence of spinal cord injury. Previous studies have detected axonal injury with silver stains for degeneration or immunohistochemistry for alterations in components such as beta-amyloid precursor protein, neurofilament or ubiquitin. Fluororuby has recently been introduced as a neuronal tracer in studies of spinal cord injury and regeneration. Our study was carried out to determine whether Fluororuby can be used to identify injured axons and monitor the time course of axonal damage. Adult rats underwent needle puncture injury to the white matter in the midline and lateral spinal cord at T11. At the same time, 0.05 microl of Fluororuby was injected into the cord at the same sites. After survival times ranging from 6 h to 3 weeks, spinal cords were cut into longitudinal frozen sections and examined with confocal microscopy. Fluororuby was found to label key features of axonal injury including axonal swelling, retraction balls and disrupted axons. Damaged axons close to the injury site were consistently labeled within 6 h, with indications of swollen and disconnected axons spreading further from the site during the first week. Fewer injured axons were labeled after 1 week survival, but the marker revealed longer distances of degenerating axons both distal and rostral to the injury site. Our findings indicate that Fluororuby is a quick, sensitive, reliable and technically simple fluorescent marker for early stages of acute axonal injury and degeneration.

Acute Disease↗

Advances in secondary spinal cord injury: role of apoptosis.

The outcome of spinal cord injury depends on the extent of secondary damage produced by a series of cellular and molecular events initiated by the primary trauma. This article reviews the evidence that secondary spinal cord injury involves the apoptotic as well as necrotic death of neurons and glial cells. Also discussed are the major factors that can contribute to cell death, such as glutamatergic excitotoxicity, free radical damage, cytokines, and inflammation. The development of innovative therapeutic strategies to reduce secondary spinal cord injury depends on an increased understanding of secondary injury mechanisms at the molecular and biochemical level. Such therapeutic interventions may include the use of antiapoptotic drugs, free radical scavengers, and anti-inflammatory agents. These could be targeted to block key reactions on cellular and molecular injury cascades, thus reducing secondary tissue damage, minimizing side effects, and improving functional recovery.

Animals↗

Advances in spinal cord regeneration.

Spinal cord injury continues to be a major cause of morbidity, particularly among young people involved in vehicle-related trauma, falls, and sports injuries. Although research advances are still a long way from clinical treatments, recent studies on animals have indicated new possibilities for recovery of function. In this review, these new findings on the use of neurotrophic factors, antibodies to inhibitory molecules, electrical stimulation, and transplantation of peripheral nerves and olfactory glial cells, and their success in achieving functional recovery after adult spinal cord lesions are discussed.

Adult↗

Use of digital radiography to demonstrate the potential of naproxen as an adjunct in the treatment of rapidly progressive periodontitis.

The effect of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, naproxen, in reducing periodontal disease activity was assessed in 15 patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis. All patients in this double-blind study were treated with scaling and root planing. Thereafter, 7 patients receiving 500 mg naproxen b.i.d. for 3 months, and 8 patients received placebo. Disease activity was assessed in three ways. First, alveolar bone height was determined using standardized radiography. Second, alterations in alveolar bone metabolism were assessed using 99m-Tc-methylene diphosphonate uptake prior to dosing and 3 months later. Finally, bone loss or gain was detected using digital subtraction radiography. In this study, conventional subtraction images were processed to isolate the area of change and superimpose the change on the original radiograph. This allowed determination of both the direction and location of osseous changes. There was significantly less bone loss as determined by analysis of bone height during the 3-month study in the naproxen-treated patients when compared to the placebo-treated patients (p less than 0.001). Radiopharmaceutical uptake was significantly reduced in the alveolar bone in patients receiving naproxen (p less than 0.03), whereas no significant change was observed in the placebo-treated patients. Furthermore, the subtraction radiographs showed a significant increase in the proportion of teeth demonstrating bone gain in the naproxen-treated group. These findings indicate that naproxen may be a useful adjunct to scaling and root planing in patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis.

Adolescent↗

Mitral valve prolapse in craniofacial skeletal deformities.

Mitral valve prolapse is a manifestation of a diffuse connective tissue disorder resulting from mesenchymal dysplasia, and it may have an increased association with orthognathic craniofacial deformities. Since craniofacial deformities also result from mesenchymal dysplasias, there may be a causal relationship between them and mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve prolapse is reviewed briefly in relation to the embryologic development of the facial skeleton. A slightly increased incidence of mitral valve prolapse has been noted but not statistically studied by the authors in their orthognathic patient population. It is hypothesized that patients with mitral valve prolapse have a typical facies that can be cephalometrically measured and identified.

Electrocardiography↗