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Biomedical subjects

R L Miller

Publications and source records attributed to R L Miller.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

Prevention and therapy of serous otitis media by oral decongestant: a double-blind study in pediatric practice.

We studied the efficacy of (1) preventing the development of serous otitis media (SOM) by using an oral decongestant in children with acute otitis media and (2) treating SOM with an oral decongestant. In a randomized double-blind study, 190 children were treated for acute otitis media with antibiotics and either pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (Sudafed) or placebo. They were evaluated two weeks later by tympanometry and (independently) by clinical evaluation and pneumotoscopy. There were no significant differences between the two groups, except that males developed SOM significantly more often than did females. Use of decongestant and placebo was continued in 78 patients with SOM for up to four more weeks. Again, there were no siginificant differences between the treatment groups except that patients with an allergic history did significantly worse using a decongestant. Overall there was no benefit from pseudoephedrine in either the prevention or treatment of SOM.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1978

Human lingual tuberculosis. An ultrastructural study.

According to morphological criteria, the predominant cells from human oral tuberculosis granulomas are classified as monocytes, epithelioid cells, and multinucleated giant cells. The morphology of each cell type is related to its speculated function. It is theorized that macrophages and epithelioid cells represent an in vivo line of differentiation from undifferentiated monocytes and that giant cells form from a coalescence or syncytium of macrophages. The role of these phagocytic cells and other participating inflammatory cells in granulomatous inflammation is discussed.

Cytoplasm↗
PubMed1978

Noncompliance and drug toxicity in black, poor, and aged patients.

Drug toxicity is a common medical problem. Continued increases in drug toxicity are related to the extensive, indiscriminate use of drugs. This is a national health problem which is caused partly by gaps in pharmacology as a basic and clinical science and partly by the rapid proliferation of drugs (the drug explosion) in the past 30 years. Socioeconomically disadvantaged (black, poor, and aged) patients are particularly vulnerable to compliance problems and drug toxicity. In this presentation we discuss the basis for this increased vulnerability and suggest strategies that practicing physicians can use to minimize both compliance problems and drug toxicity.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1977

Chemotactic behavior of the sperm of chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora).

Observations of sperm behavior in the vicinity of gradients of egg-water or alcohol extracts of whole freshly-spawned eggs of several chitons reveal what appear to be directed movements of sperm up the gradient, resulting in the aggregation of motile sperm at the gradient source. Plots of the tracks of the sperm approaching the gradient source show that the cells increase the time during which they move toward the source and decrease the time spent moving away. Although this resembles the kinesis behavior shown by bacteria in a gradient, the path directions are markedly non-random. The reorientation behavior of thigmotactic sperm involves enlargement of the normal circular path diameter in the direction of the source and an alternation of tight loops and wide circular arcs, with the latter made in the direction of the source. The form of the path of attracted chiton sperm is like that observed during chemotaxis of the sperm of the hydroid Tubularia and the tunicate Ciona and resembles the behavior of Ciona sperm in that there is no increase in velocity as the cells move up the gradient. However, unlike the cnidarian and urochordate cases, the attracting substances extracted from chiton eggs do not act species-specifically.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

A fast-screening procedure for testing the effects of pollutants in mammals.

A compartmental analysis of r the radiorespirometric study of the metabolism of [14C]glucose is described. The model is applied to the study of the effects of CH3HgCl on this metabolism. Implications of the agreement between experiment and the mathematical model for the development of fast-screening experiments for detecting in vivo effects of pollutants and toxins are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Varicella-zoster virus-induced DNA polymerase.

Nuclear extracts of varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-infected human embryo lung (HEL) cells were found to contain DNA polymerase activity not present in uninfected HEL cells. This enzyme was designated the VZV-induced DNA polymerase. The VZV-induced polymerase was partially separated from the cellular alpha- and beta-polymerases by fractionation of the cells and by phosphocellulose chromatography. The separated enzymes were examined for the effect of added (NH4)2SO4, activity with synthetic templates, optimal pH, and the effect of phosphonoacetic acid. The VZV-induced DNA polymerase was distinct from cellular enzymes and had the properties of a typical herpesvirus-induced DNA polymerase.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1977

The ultrastructure of oral neuromas in multiple mucosal neuromas, pheochromocytoma, medullary thyroid carcinoma syndrome.

The ultrastructure of oral neuromas from 2 patients with multiple mucosal neuromas, pheochromocytoma, medullary thyroid carcinoma syndrome reveals numerous hypertrophic unmyelinated and myelinated axons, hyperplastic neurilemmal cells and associated collagen fiber formation. These tumors are described and compared ultrastructurally with neurilemmomas and neurofibromas as described by other authors. On the basis of this comparison, these tumors are not considered to be of neurilemmal origin. On the basis of light and electron microscopic histology it is postulated that these tumors represent hypertrophy of axons similar to that noted in amputation neuromas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Differential effect of arabinofuranosylthymine of the replication of human herpesviruses.

The thymidine analog 1-beta-arabinofuranosylthymine (ara-T) has previously been found to selectively inhibit herpes simplex virus replication. At a relatively nontoxic conentration (50 microgram/ml), ara-T reduced herpes simplex virus yields by 4 to 5 log10. Ara-T was also effective in inhibiting the replication of varicellazoster virus (VZV) in vitro in human embryo fibroblasts, completely preventing VZV-specific cytopathic effects. The inhibition of VZV was reversible upon drug removal at 48 h after addition but was not reversible after 5 days of treatment. ara-T also reduced cell-free virus infectivity and the plaque-forming cell yield of VZV. Compared with the untreated controls, which demonstrated a 1-log10 increase over input plaque-forming cells at 24 h after infection, 50 microgram of ara-T per ml resulted in a 1-log10 decrease. In contrast to herpes simplex virus and VZV, cytomegalovirus replication was relatively resistant to ara-T. Neither cytopathic effects nor the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into acid-insoluble material in cytomegalovirus-infected cells was markedly affected. Analysis of the newly synthesized labeled DNA by CsCl buoyant density determinations indicated that the same relative proportions of cell and virus DNA were synthesized with or without added drug. Interpretation of these results with regard to virus-induced deoxypyrimidine kinase is discussed.

Arabinonucleosides↗
PubMed1977

Changes in airway mast cells and histamine caused by antigen aerosol in allergic dogs.

We studied the effect of inhaled specific antigen on airflow resistance, histamine concentration, and mast cell numbers in airway tissues in allergic dogs. In each of six allergic dogs with open chests, inhalation of specific antigen aerosol (Ascaris suum) increased airflow resistance from 0.30+/-0.40 (mean+/-SE) to 2.8+/-0.41 cmH2O/1 per s (P less than 0.05); decreased mast cell number from 38.6+/-3.2 to 24.3+/-4.5 mast cells/mm2 (P less than 0.05); decreased histamine (per mg airway tissue) from 5.3+/-0.4 to 3.5+/-0.2 ng (P less than 0.05) in lobar bronchi 5-7 mm in diam; and released histamine into the blood perfusing the lung, control arterial plasma histamine; 2.8+/-0.64 ng/ml; antigen: 154+/-1.7 ng/ml (P less than 0.005). Specific antigen caused no significant changes in mast cells or histamine in bronchi 1-2 mm in diam. Control aerosols of nonspecific antigen or methacholine did not change levels of mast cells or histamine in airway tissues. These results suggest that experimental canine asthma involves local airway reactions with degranulation of mast cells and histamine release, as well as vagally mediated reflex bronchoconstriction.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1977

Anticoccidial activity of salinomycin in battery raised broiler chickens.

Infections with single species of Eimeria acervulina, E. mivati, E. maxima, E. tenella, E. necatrix, and E. brunetti, and the six species mixed, were utilized in three separate battery experiments to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of various levels of salinomycin (AHR-3096), a fermentation product of a strain of Streptomyces albus. At the 60 to 100 p.p.m. treatment levels, this compound showed significant anticoccidial activity for all parameters studied (mortality, weight gain, feed conversion, dropping scores, and lesion scores). The mortality due to coccidiosis was reduced to 0.1% in the medicated infected birds. Some activity, as measured by weight gain, was seen in the lower levels of salinomycin medication (12.5 to 50 p.p.m.), but other parameters, including mortality and lesion scores, indicated less activity than that seen with the higher treatment levels. At 100 p.p.m., there was no apparent effect on the compound on bird performance in uninfected control birds. Salinomycin at the 100 p.p.m. treatment level was statistically as effective as 121 p.p.m. monensin (reference anticoccidial) in controlling coccidiosis.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1977

Histochemical and ultrastructural studies in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (myositis ossificans progressiva).

By light microscopy the subdermal nodule of a patient with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) had a fibromatoid histologic appearance. The cytoplasm of the cells stained strongly for mannose-rich glycoprotein with the concanavalin A-horseradish peroxidase (con A-HRP) method. The tumors also exhibited abundant hyaluronidase-digestible mucopolysaccharide in the interstitium with various basic staining reagents. This material appeared to consist principally of hyaluronic acid or chondroitin sulfate with few or mainly masked sulfate esters. At the ultrastructural level, cells interpreted as the tumor cells in the subdermal nodule from the patient displayed extremely hyperplastic granular reticulum and well-developed Golgi elements and appeared very active in synthesis and secretion of protein. The material in the dilated cisternae of the granular reticulum stained for glycoprotein with the con-A-HRP method. Macrophages which comprised the other main cell type in the nodules commonly contacted the tumor cells and occasionally evidenced engulfment of these cells. The intercellular matrix of the nonossified subdermal nodule exhibited greatly increased mucosubstance and, by electron microscopy, showed an unusual network of dialyzed iron-reactive acid muco-substance in the interstitium.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1977

Studies on alkaline phosphatase activity cultured cells from a patient with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

The cytoplasm of tumor cells from a subdermal nodule in a patient with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) exhibited intense enzymatic activity in cryostat sections processed for demonstration of alkaline phosphatase. Nuclear heterochromatin and nucleoli, particularly in the area of the dense component, also showed strong reactivity. Finely minced blocks from the lesion of the patient with FOP revealed lighter reactivity which, in the tumor cells, avoided membrane limited spaces and appeared to be confined to hyaloplasm. Extracellular spaces disclosed very little or no reactivity and specimens from the patient's uninvolved skin lacked staining. The tumor cells from the subdermal nodule did not exhibit increased acid phosphatase activity. Cells (L-FOP) derived from a subdermal nodule and grown by tissue culture techniques also synthesized large amounts of prostaglandin E-like material and alkaline phosphatase. The amounts of prostaglandin E-like material synthesized by these L-FOP cells was reduced by more than 31 per cent by the antiinflammatory drugs indomethacin and sodium meclofenmate. Also, the production of alkaline phosphatase by these L-FOP cells was reduced by more than 40 per cent by ethane-1-hydroxyl-1,1-diphosphonate. Addition of prostaglandin E to nonlesion cells did not result in increased alkaline phosphatase activity.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗