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Biomedical subjects

R Coulson

Publications and source records attributed to R Coulson.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Electromyographic evidence of a multiple motor system: implications for apraxia.

Geschwind (1975) postulated that a multiple motor system accounts for a discrepancy in apraxias in response to commands for truncal and limb movements. Kuypers (1968) provided experimental evidence of a multiple motor system in primates. We present evidence of this multiple motor system in the form of Fourier-transformed electromyographic data in humans of the predominantly short duration motor units for discrete control in hand musculature and the predominantly longer duration motor units in the truncal musculature. Furthermore, the right and left erector spinae muscles had different Fourier-transformed electromyographic data which, in our opinion, represent the medial motor system used by apraxias.

Adult

External cephalic version at term. A randomized controlled trial using tocolysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of external cephalic version (ECV) at term, using tocolysis. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial over a 12 month period. SETTING: Harare Maternity Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe. SUBJECTS: 208 women with breech presentation at term were recruited after satisfying eligibility criteria. There were 103 women in the study group and 105 in the control group. At the end of the study a further 104 women were recruited for ECV. INTERVENTION: ECV attempted after intravenous injection of 10 micrograms of hexaprenaline, using either forward or backward somersault over a maximum period of 5 min. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Success rate in terms of presentation during labour, need for caesarean section, and various variables related to fetal outcome. RESULTS: ECV reduced the frequency of breech presentation during labour from 83% to 17% and that of caesarean section from 33% to 13%. There were no troublesome complications from the procedure. CONCLUSION: In carefully selected women with breech presentation, ECV at term using tocolysis, safely reduced the rate of breech presentation in labour and also the caesarean section rate. Further research is needed to determine the role of ECV in early labour.

Adolescent

Adenosine stimulates phosphate and glucose transport in opossum kidney epithelial cells.

We have examined the effects of adenosine on sodium-coupled phosphate and glucose transport in cultured opossum kidney (OK) cells, a continuous cell line that resembles proximal tubule. Adenosine analogues R-(-)-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA) and 2',5'-dideoxy-adenosine (DDA) were employed as adenosine A1 receptor and P site-selective agonists, respectively. Sodium-dependent phosphate uptake activity (Na-Pi symport) increased by approximately 25% above both basal and parathyroid hormone (PTH)-inhibited levels in cells treated with PIA (0.1, 1 microM) but not in cells treated with DDA (100 microM). Adenosine (PIA) also stimulated sodium-coupled 3-O-methylglucose transport by approximately 40%. Intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) content was inversely related to Na-Pi symport activity in cells treated with PIA and PTH. However, changes in Na-Pi symport activity did not consistently relate to changes in intracellular cAMP. Protein kinase C was activated 15 s after treatment of OK cells with 1 microM PIA. Preincubation of cells with 3 microM staurosporine attenuated the effect of 1 microM PIA on phosphate uptake. These data suggest that Na-Pi and Na-glucose symport activities are stimulated by adenosine acting at a receptor coupled to more than one intracellular signal. It is likely that both protein kinases A and C are involved in these actions of adenosine.

Adenosine

Breech delivery of infants weighing more than 2000 grams: a case controlled retrospective analysis of 751 patients.

This is a case controlled study of 385 women with breech presentation and 357 with cephalic presentation. Unlike many recent studies, vaginal breech delivery was associated with a significantly worse outcome for the infant. The reasons for these are discussed particularly in relation to developing countries and a protocol for management of these women is suggested to attempt to reduce the unacceptably poor outcome. Selective external cephalic version is advocated.

Adolescent

Cyclosporin A and vehicle toxicity in primary cultures of rabbit renal proximal tubule cells.

The capability of cyclosporin to produce direct injury to primary proximal tubular renal cells was studied. These cells, when grown on Millicell inserts, retain the functional polarity of the proximal tubule, i.e., generate a transepithelial pH gradient (apical compartment acidic) that is reversibly blocked by amiloride addition only if it is added to the apical compartment. Administration of ouabain to the basal compartment also blocks the generation of the transepithelial pH gradient. Additionally, the cells were more responsive to parathyroid hormone (PTH), a proximal tubule characteristic, than to arginine vasopressin (AVP), a distal tubule characteristic. The following substances were tested for their effect on the capacity of these cells to generate a pH gradient: Sandimmune, the commercial form of cyclosporin A; the free form of the drug; Cremophor EL, the vehicle used in the commercial preparation; and ethanol, the vehicle used to dissolve the free form. Sandimmune, at 25-50 microM, inhibited the generation of the pH gradient within 24 h. Surprisingly, Cremophor also blocked the development of a pH gradient, although somewhat less effectively. In contrast, 10 microM cyclosporin, regardless of the form tested, had no effect for up to 96 h. These findings show that cyclosporin, in the form of Sandimmune, has a direct toxic effect on these cells; they also suggest that the vehicle, Cremophor, may contribute to the well-established nephrotoxicity of cyclosporin A.

Amiloride

L-histidine augments the response to 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin in Brattleboro homozygous (di/di) rats.

Studies in vitro have shown that L-histidine increases the hydroosmotic response to vasopressin. We examined whether this phenomenon occurs also in vivo. Homozygous Brattleboro rats (di/di) were fed a regular diet (0.5% histidine) or a diet enriched with histidine and received 1 ng of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (dDAVP) daily. Addition of histidine (1% by weight) increased post-dDAVP urine osmolality to a level higher than that of control (502 +/- 62 vs. 316 +/- 36 mosmol/kg, P less than 0.05). Similar results were seen with 3.0% and 5.5% dietary histidine. There were significant increases in free-water reabsorption and in the ratio of free-water reabsorption to osmolar clearance, but no difference in osmolal clearance. No significant effect was found with supplemental histidine of 0.5% or less. The cause for these findings appears not to be the metabolism of histidine, since the nonmetabolizable D-histidine had a significant, albeit smaller, effect, and the isonitrogenous addition of albumin, alanine, arginine, or glutamine was ineffective. In part, histidine may operate by increasing cAMP since the renal cAMP content in response to vasopressin is increased in histidine-fed rats (13.1 +/- 0.9 vs. 9.8 +/- 0.8 nmol/g dry weight, P less than 0.01). The role of prostaglandins appears less clear. Histidine greatly decreased urinary PGE2 during baseline (1.5 +/- 0.3 vs. 7.0 +/- 2.3 micrograms/mg creatinine, P less than 0.001), but it profoundly augmented urinary prostaglandin excretion after dDAVP stimulation (40.0 +/- 4.2 vs. 7.0 +/- 2.0 micrograms/mg creatinine, P less than 0.001).

Animals

Xanthine effects on renal proximal tubular function and cyclic AMP metabolism.

We evaluated the renal effects of xanthines using two in vitro models: the isolated perfused rat kidney (IPRK) and cultured opossum kidney (OK) cells, a continuous cell line that resembles proximal tubule and responds to parathyroid hormone (PTH). 1,3-Diethyl-8-phenylxanthine (DPX) a potent adenosine receptor antagonist, increased urine volume, glomerular filtration rate, vascular resistance and the fractional excretions of Na, K, Ca and Pi in the IPRK. DPX lowered the Na-dependent uptake of Pi by OK cells. By comparison enprofylline, 3-propylxanthine (ENP), a weak adenosine receptor antagonist, produced a slight elevation in glomerular filtration rate but no changes in electrolyte excretion by IPRK or Pi uptake by OK cells. Both DPX and ENP produced negligible elevations in basal IPRK cAMP. A 1-nM bolus of PTH elevated urinary and perfusate cAMP 50- and 10-fold, respectively. PTH-elevated urinary and perfusate cAMP were augmented further 4- to 7-fold with DPX and 3- to 4-fold with ENP (All IPRK experiments used 50 microM xanthine). OK cells produced a 2-fold cAMP response to 10 nM PTH alone. OK cells treated with 50 microM DPX exhibited no increase in basal but a 13-fold increase in PTH-stimulated cell cAMP. The rank order of potency at 50 microM to augment OK cell cAMP with 10 nM PTH was DPX greater than 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPC) greater than 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine greater than theobromine greater than theophylline greater than caffeine greater than ENP = no effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine

Outcome of term breech presentation.

Three hundred and ninety five cases of breech presentation at Harare Maternity Hospital, Harare revealed that caesarean section either electively or in labour resulted in good fetal outcome. Vaginal breech delivery was associated with a perinatal mortality of 74 per 1,000. Fifty four (25%) out of 216 infants delivered vaginally required admission to the Neonatal Unit and thirteen of these had a five minute Apgar Score of 5 or less. Various reasons for this unacceptably high morbidity and mortality are discussed in order to develop a protocol for management of breech presentation in a developing country. The protocol includes the advocation of external cephalic version.

Breech Presentation

Gentamicin-induced increases in cytosolic calcium in pig kidney cells (LLC-PK1).

LLC-PK1 cells, an established epithelial cell line derived from pig kidney, were tested as a model system for assessing the role of calcium in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. Cell viability was evaluated by a vital dye exclusion procedure, and intracellular free calcium [Ca2+]i was measured employing Fura-2 fluorescence. Exposing cell suspensions (10(6)/ml) to concentrations of the drug, which had no apparent effect on viability, produced a rapid and prolonged increase in intracellular [Ca2+]. The perturbation of calcium homeostasis could be blocked by the addition of mepiperphenidol, an inhibitor of the organic cation transport system. We propose that LLC-PK1 cells are an appropriate model to study drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Gentamicin disrupts calcium homeostasis and causes plasma membrane alterations. Since mepiperphenidol blocked the gentamicin-induced Ca2+ increases, the data suggest that aminoglycosides enter the cell via the organic cation transporter.

Animals

Effects of papaverine and theophylline on renal adenosine transport.

We have studied the effects of papaverine and theophylline on the transport of adenosine by the isolated perfused rat kidney and by isolated renal luminal (L) and antiluminal (AL) membrane vesicles. In filtering isolated kidneys perfused with 0.1 mM adenosine, 1 mM papaverine inhibited adenosine removal from the perfusate by 40% and elevated the fractional excretion of adenosine from 0.4 +/- 0.1 to 0.7 +/- 0.0. Theophylline (10 mM) inhibited 0.1 mM adenosine removal in the filtering kidney by 18% and decreased the fractional excretion of adenosine to 0.2 +/- 0.1. In nonfiltering isolated kidneys perfused with 0.1 mM adenosine, 1 mM papaverine or 10 mM theophylline inhibited the rate of adenosine removal from the perfusate by 41 or 19%, respectively. Papaverine (50 or 100 microM) was a potent cis inhibitor of the initial (15 sec) rate of 1 microM [3H]adenosine influx into L and AL membrane vesicles. The influx of 1 microM [3H]adenosine was inhibited partially by 50 microM and inhibited completely by 100 microM papaverine. Papaverine at 10 microM trans stimulated the efflux of 50 microM [3H]adenosine preloaded into AL vesicles. However, theophylline (up to 100 microM) had no effect on the influx of 1 microM [3H]adenosine into L and AL vesicles. The data suggest that papaverine is a potent, direct inhibitor of adenosine transport across both L and AL membranes whereas it is likely that theophylline increases net adenosine influx across the L membrane and decreases adenosine influx across the AL membrane by indirect metabolic effects.

Adenosine

Effects of (Sp)- and (Rp)-adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphorothioates on electrolyte excretion by the isolated perfused rat kidney.

We studied the effects of the (Sp) and (Rp) diastereomers of the phosphorothioate analogue of cyclic AMP (cAMPS) on the excretion of electrolytes in the isolated perfused rat kidney. cAMPS is highly permeant across the peritubular cell membrane and is not metabolized by the rat kidney (Coulson et al., Life Sci. 32: 1489-1498, 1983). Addition of 10 microM cAMPS(Sp) to the perfusate resulted in a significant phosphaturia, bicarbonaturia, magnesuria and natriuresis and no change in renal vascular resistance or glomerular filtration rate. Fractional excretion of calcium was elevated by cAMPS(Sp) but proportionately less than the fractional excretion of sodium so that the ratio of calcium to sodium clearances was significantly lowered. cAMPS(Rp) 10 or 100 microM was without effect on renal electrolyte excretion. The parathyroid hormone-like effects of the (Sp) diastereomer are consistent with its known ability to activate protein kinase.

Animals

Renal metabolism of N6,O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate.

Metabolism of dibutyryl cyclic AMP was studied by including the 3H- or C-labeled nucleotide (0.1 mM, 5 mumol) in the recirculating perfusate of the isolated rat kidney. Kidneys were perfused with nucleotide for 60 min. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP was almost completely cleared from the perfusate, about one-quarter as urinary excretion principally by probenecid-sensitive secretion and about one-half as metabolism beyond 3'-phosphate bond cleavage. The principal metabolite, N6-monobutyryl adenosine, accounted for one-third of added dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The remaining metabolites were ATP, ADP AMP, and N6-monobutyryl AMP. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (0.1 or 1.0 mM) elevated renal ATP but did not alter uricogenesis. Both dibutyryl cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP at 0.2 mM produced similar activation and subcellular redistribution of renal protein kinase. N6-monobutyryl adenosine, unlike adenosine, had no effect on the renal activity of adenylate cyclase, low Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, and protein kinase. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP is like exogenous cyclic AMP in that it penetrates the rat kidney, activates protein kinase, and is metabolized to ATP (R. Coulson, J. Biol. Chem. 251: 4958-4967, 1976), but is unlike cyclic AMP in its extent of secretion and metabolism to ATP and urate and in its formation of the unique metabolites N6-monobutyryl AMP and N6-monobutyryl adenosine.

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases

Metabolism and excretion of exogenous adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate. Studies in the isolated perfused rat kidney and in the intact rat.

Isolated rat kidneys were perfused with a recirculating medium containing exogenous adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) or guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) at an initial concentration of 0.1 mM. Both cyclic nucleotides were rapidly removed from the perfusate. Urinary excretion accounted for about 20% and 40% of the respective cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP lost from the perfusate. The metabolism of the cyclic nucleotides was studied by 14C-labeled cyclic nucleotides in the perfusate. During 60 min, 30% of added cyclic [14C]AMP was metabolized to renal [14C]adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP, and AMP) and 30% to perfusate [14C]uric acid. Similarly, 20% of cyclic[14C]GMP was metabolized to renal [14C]guanine nucleotides (GTP, GDP, and GMP) and 30% to perfusate [14C]uric acid. Urine contained principally unchanged 14C-labeled cyclic nucleotide. Addition of 0.1 mM cyclic AMP to the perfusate elevated the renal ATP and ADP contents 2-fold. Addition of 0.1 mM of either cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP to the perfusate also elevated the renal production of uric acid 2- to 3-fold. The production and distribution of metabolites of exogenous cyclic nucleotides were also studied in the intact rat. Within 60 min after injection, 3.3 mumol of either 14C-labeled cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP was cleared from the plasma. Kidney cortex and liver were the principal tissues for 14C accumulation. Urinary excretion accounted for about 20 and 45% of the cyclic [14C]AMP and cyclic [14C]GMP lost from the plasma, respectively. The 14C found in the kidney and liver was present almost entirely as the respective purine mono-, di-, and trinucleotides. The other principal metabolite was [14C]allantoin, found in the urine and, to a lesser extent, the liver. The urine contained mostly unchanged 14C-labeled cyclic nucleotide. Unlike the findings with the perfused kidney, [14C]uric acid was not a significant metabolite of the 14C-labeled cyclic nucleotides in these in vivo experiments.

Adenine Nucleotides

Renal responses to PTH in patients with hormone-resistant (pseudo) hypoparathyroidism.

Five patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism were compared to normal subjects and patients with hypoparathyroidism in their ability to respond to the infusion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) by altering excretion of calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphate and bicarbonate. In patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism, impairment in renal responses to PTH was more generalized than has been recognized. The patterns of response varied from patient to patient. The most commonly observed abnormality, aside from lack of increase in urinary cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) was failure to decrease the calcium to sodium clearance ratio, and indication of impaired renal calcium reabsorption. The responses which most closely approximated normal, including a normal decrease in the calcium to sodium clearance ratio, occurred in a patient (Case 1) who had the largest, although impaired, response in cyclic AMP excretion. Conversely, the most abnormal responses occurred in three patients (Cases 2, 4 and 5) who had the smallest increases in cyclic AMP excretion after the administration of PTH. The impaired renal reabsorption of calcium after the administration of PTH (lack of decrease in calcium to sodium clearance ratio) may, when present, be in part responsible for hypocalcemia.

Absorption

Effect of chlorpropamide on renal response to parathyroid hormone in normal subjects and in patients with hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism.

Chlorpropamide inhibited by 35 to 65% the increase in the urinary excretion of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) following a large dose (250 U) of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in normal subjects and patients with hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism. By contrast, in normal subjects, the response of urinary cyclic AMP excretion to smaller amounts of PTH (15 and 30 U) was not decreased by chlorpropamide. Chlorpropamide did not decrease the phosphaturic response to any dose of PTH. The probable explanation for the discrepant effects of chlorpropamide on urinary cyclic AMP and phosphate excretions is that phosphaturia results from a minimal elevation of cyclic AMP and that chlorpropamide does not decrease cyclic AMP production to such a low level. Chlorpropamide decreased the accumulation of renal cyclic AMP in response to PTH in the parathyroidectomized rat, suggesting that this may be the mechanism of action for this drug in decreasing the urinary excretion of cyclic AMP in response to PTH in man. Tolazamide, another sulfonylurea, did not inhibit the elevation of urinary cyclic AMP excretion after PTH. Therefore, the sulfonylurea part of the molecule is probably not involved in the inhibition produced by chlorpropamide.

Adult