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Biomedical subjects

R P Allen

Publications and source records attributed to R P Allen.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Hypersomnia with simultaneous waking and sleep patterns in the electroencephalogram. A case report with neurotransmitter studies.

A mildly dyslexic boy of 11 years, with no neurological deficit or history of epileptic seizures, had marked hypersomnia for 2 years, which was most pronounced in the morning hours. Repeated EEG studies and power spectral analysis revealed simultaneous posterior alpha rhythm and sleep patterns (spindles, vertex waves, K complexes) over vertex and frontocentral regions, while the patient was behaviorally awake. Bilateral synchronous anterior spikes were frequently noted in association with sleep patterns. A polysomnogram over 24 h confirmed excessive sleep, night and day (especially morning hours) and there was evidence of a large REM sleep percentage (on EMG and EOG basis) while the EEG had predominantly non-REM sleep patterns. Special neurotransmitter studies were performed in view of a presumed disturbance affecting the neurobiochemical sleep regulation. These studies were based on CSF metabolite levels and provided evidence for a high serotonin metabolite (5HIAA) level. It is tempting to hypothesize that the biochemical disturbance has led to encroachment of non-REM sleep patterns on both wakefulness and REM sleep. Further discussion deals with the bilateral-synchronous spike activity and its relationship to arousal patterns in sleep.

Child↗
PubMed1979

The role of coronary artery injury and perfusion in the development of cardiac contusion secondary to nonpenetrating chest trauma.

Myocardial contusion secondary to nonpenetrating chest trauma can occur in the absence of any identifiable large vessel coronary artery occlusion or injury. It has also been reported in association with coronary artery atheromata, thrombosis, rupture, and fistula formation. After reviewing the clinical and experimental research literature, we conclude that myocardial contusion necrosis results from changes in perfusion of small vessels and the coronary microvasculature. Coronary arteriography and emergency coronary artery bypass surgery do not appear promising as therapeutic modalities to reduce myocardial necrosis in this condition. More appropriate therapeutic emphasis may result from research efforts to develop pharmacologic interventions to preserve contused myocardium similar to those currently being evaluated in the management of patients with ischemic myocardium secondary to coronary artery disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Recurrent pulmonary emboli secondary to right atrial thrombus around a permanent pacing catheter: a case report and review of the literature.

This report describes the management of a woman with multiple pulmonary emboli secondary to a large right atrial clot which had formed around her permanent transvenous pacemaker. She continued to have pulmonary emboli despite adequate anticoagulation. Removal of the catheter and pacing required right atriotomy under cover of cardiopulmonary bypass. Additionally, eight English language case reports of symptomatic pericatheter thromboses are reviewed. In these cases, pericatheter clot resulted either in right-sided inlet obstruction or pulmonary emboli. The mortality rate was 75%. Although the cause for our patent's thromboembolic events is uncertain, congestive heart failure was a predisposing factor in 75% of the other reported cases. We suggest that pacemaker patients in congestive heart failure might benefit greatly from chronic anticoagulation.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

Residual effects of ethanol and chlordiazepoxide treatments for alcohol withdrawal.

Eighteen male alcoholics were randomly assigned to one of two alcohol detoxification treatments. One group received a low dose ethanol treatment while the other group received a chlordiazepoxide treatment. This study compares recovery of sleep EEG and clinical symptomatology following these two detoxification treatments. Sleep EEG and clinical measures were obtained for the final medication day and during a 6-day postmedication "recovery" period. The chlordiazepoxide treatment produced suppression of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep lasting for about 4 days and virtually eliminated delta sleep (stages III and IV) during the recovery period. The low dose ethanol treatment regimen produced less disruption of REM and delta sleep during the recovery period. These findings suggest that under some circumstances an ethanol treatment regimen may prove more beneficial to the healthy alcoholic patient than current regimens which employ other psychoactive medication. In particular, the long lasting suppression of delta sleep during the recovery period in subjects treated with chlordiazepoxide suggests a vulnerability of the slow wave sleep mechanisms during early alcohol abstinence and raises the possibility that this regimen prolongs functional tolerance to alcohol effects. Continued clinical evaluation of low dose ethanol detoxification treatment is suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

EEG measures of functional tolerance to alcohol.

The literature suggests that alcohol ingestion produces characteristic alterations of sleep physiology and evoked response in alcoholics. Studies of alcohol withdrawal indicate that for some alcoholics residual functional tolerance remains apparent for an indefinite period. Low amounts of slow wave sleep (SWS) appear to be one of the physiological concomitants of the residual tolerance. Visual evoked responses were recorded from two small groups of inpatient alcoholics identified as normal or low SWS during a sober period. Alcohol ingestion produced no significant changes of evoked response parameters. Alcohol withdrawal produced significant augmentation of early component amplitude for the low SWS group only. These data suggest that low SWS and augmented primary component amplitude may be physiological correlates of functional tolerance to alcohol.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Isolation and characterization of alpha-fetoprotein from the mouse hepatoma BW7756.

Purification of alpha-fetoprotein from mouse hepatoma BW7756 extracts was performed using ammonium sulfate precipitations, gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and isoelectric focusing. These procedures produced a 5.6% yield of alpha-fetoprotein with 96% purity. Polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis, extended agarose electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated that mouse hepatoma alpha-fetoprotein migrated at pH 8.6 as a rapid alpha1, or postalbumin globulin. Crossed antibody electrophoresis of the agarose zone containing alpha-fetoprotein failed to demonstrate microheterogeneity. Molecular weight analysis of the mouse hepatoma alpha-fetoprotein on a calibrated Sephadex G-200 column yielded a value of 72 000-73 000 for the native protein. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis subsequently demonstrated a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 72 000. Amino acid analysis showed the alpha-fetoprotein to be an acidic protein dominated by hydrophobic residues. The total carbohydrate content was 5.5%, and 3 mol of sialic acid were detected per mol of alpha-fetoprotein. Although neutral sugars were the principal class present, galactosamine was the most abundant single sugar detected.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

Assessing the alcoholic's disposition to drink.

Reliable and valid techniques for assessing the alcoholic's disposition to drink would allow researchers to address many issues of clinical significance. This paper reviews some basic issues in behavioral assessment techniques, proposes several criteria for a reasonably general technique for assessing disposition to drink, and presents evidence relevant to the validity of one behavioral measure of disposition to drink. A study is presented which focuses on distinguishing good from poor treatment outcome subjects on the basis of their response patterns for alcohol during a simulated drinking binge. Alcoholic subjects were assigned to one of two treatment outcome groups based on treatment success evaluated at follow-up two months after hospital discharge. An analysis of the alcoholic's response patterns for alcohol during a simulated drinking binge revealed that good outcome subjects showed decreases in disposition to drink as their blood alcohol levels (BAL) rose, while poor outcome subjects showed increases in disposition to drink as their BAL increased. These results indicate that individual differences in behavioral response to alcoholization and withdrawal can index the alcoholic's potential for readdiction and relapse subsequent to hospital treatment and illustrate the role which behavioral assessment techniques can play in developing and refining models of human alcohol abuse.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Slow wave sleep changes: alcohol tolerance and treatment implications.

Slow wave sleep abnormalities characterize the sleep of alcoholics. In this report, two questions are addressed: (1) Does the slow wave sleep loss in alcohol withdrawal relate to withdrawal treatment? (2) Do the slow wave sleep changes on and off alcohol relate to the clinical course of alcoholism? The first question was addressed by comparing recovery in sleep EEG and clinical measures following two types of alcohol withdrawal treatment. Eighteen subjects were randomly assigned to either a low dose ethanol or chlordiazepoxide treatment for alcohol withdrawal. The results indicate that chlordiazepoxide produces a marked synergism with alcohol withdrawal suppression of slow wave sleep. The second question was addressed by an experimental alcoholization study involving 9 subjects who drank for 5 consecutive days, with 18 ounces of 95 proof ethanol consumed daily. Changes in slow wave sleep from baseline (abstinent) values to those on alcohol showed faster rate of tolerance development for the low slow wave sleep subjects. The rate of tolerance development was significantly related to treatment outcome, with faster tolerance development associated with poorer treatment outcome. In this regard it is noted that the use of chlordiazepoxide in alcohol withdrawl needs to be reviewed for potentially prolonging tolerance ""carryover" and thereby being counterproductive for treatment outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

The influence of antisera specific for alpha-fetoprotein and mouse serum albumin on the viability and protein synthesis of cultured mouse hepatoma cells.

The cytotoxic potential of heterologous rabbit antibody directed against mouse serum albumin (MSA) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was investigated in vitro with a cell line (Hepa) derived from the mouse hepatoma BW7756. Anti-AFP in the presence of complement could kill Hepa cells at concentrations of anti-MSA that were virtually nontoxic. The specificity of the anti-AFP was defined by demonstrating that Hepa cell toxicity was dependent upon and paralleled the secretion of AFP in synchronized cultures. Furthermore, neither antiserum could be shown to be significantly toxic to mouse neuroblastoma cells (Neuro-2A). Immunoglobulin purified from pools of antisera was also highly effective in producing cytotoxicity even in a complement-free system. This reaction proceeded more slowly, requiring nearly 48 hr to reach maximum effect in comparison to the 12 hr for complement-mediated toxicity. MSA and AFP are secreted during different phases of the cell cycle. In cultures arrested by isoleucine starvation, labeled AFP appears in the medium 10 hr after release of the blockade in association with S phase. The appearance of labeled MSA is delayed until the first mitosis. Cytotoxic effects of anti-AFP parallel the secretion of AFP in synchronous cultures. Both antisera could be inhibitory to the secretion and synthesis of the proteins of their antigenic specificity. MSA synthesis was more susceptible to this inhibition than was AFP synthesis. The significance of this phenomenon and its association with the differential cytotoxicity of the antiserum are discussed.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1976

A motivational environment for behaviorally deviant junior high school students.

A contingency management program was established in a junior high school to better manage and educate students having histories of severe misconduct. School administration selected 46 eighth-graders having multiple suspensions for misbehavior. Students (N = 32) in two of the schools remained in traditional programs, serving as controls, whereas students (N = 14) in the third school participated in a token reinforcement program. Reinforcers provided in the afternoon were contingent upon achievement and discipline during morning academic periods. Home-based reinforcers were established to support school behavior. Compared with the control group, significant reductions in negative school behavior as well as greater increases in academic achievement were obtained for the treatment group, thus supporting the efficacy of contingency management for adolescents school misbehavior.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1975

Do sleep patterns relate to the desire for alcohol?

A measure of disposition to drink in alcoholics was developed using a progressive ratio schedule for reduction of delay in receiving a drink of two ounces of 95 proof ethanol. This measure showed increased disposition to drink during early abstinence compared to lab abstinence (more than seven days) during experimental intoxication compared to lab abstinence and shortly after a low dose drink during late abstinence. A multiple regression analysis of this measure for four subjects after alcohol withdrawal, showed significant effects for days abstinent and EEG sleep variables, particularly stage REM%. Low REM% was associated with high values for the disposition to drink. REM sleep deprivation, however, failed to significantly alter the measure of disposition to drink. Results are interpreted as supporting the hypotheses that sleep disturbances relate indirectly to the disposition to drink.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1975

Alpha fetoprotein: effect of heterologous antiserum on hepatoma cells in vitro.

Hepatoma cells derived from The Jackson Laboratory mouse hepatoma BW7756 synthesized alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in vitro. The AFP was immunologically identical to that circulating in the sera of hepatoma-bearing mice. An in vitro cytotoxic effect of rabbit antiserum to AFP was studied in hepatoma cells obtained both from fresh cell suspensions and short-term cell culture. The use of intact and/or inactivated anti-AFP serum inhibited the growth of the AFP-producing cells. The cytotoxic effects of the antiserum depended on exposure time and serum concentration. The cytotoxicity was complement independent, as demonstrated by studies with heat-deactivated serum devoid of extrinsic complement. The control target cells included fresh cell suspensions of normal mouse liver and mouse muscle fibroblasts grown in short-term culture. Specificity of the antisera for the target cells was demonstrated by absorption with purified mouse AFP. The results could be explained by the presence of AFP on the hepatoma cell surface.

Animals↗