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Biomedical subjects

R Varma

Publications and source records attributed to R Varma.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Vitamin C in the human aqueous humor and cataracts.

Blood, aqueous humor and cataracts obtained from an Indian population were analyzed for ascorbic acid content. While the concentrations of ascorbic acid in the blood and cataracts were similar in patients with cortical and nuclear cataracts, the level of this nutrient was lower in the aqueous humor of patients with cortical cataracts. This suggests a sluggish transport of ascorbate from the blood to the aqueous humor in the latter group. It is possible that this lower level of ascorbate might be one of the factors participating in cataractogenesis. The lower aqueous ascorbate in the group with the cortical cataracts could not be accounted for by any dietary deficiency of this nutrient. Hence, it appears metabolically related.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Beta-glucuronidase in sera of patients with epileptic seizure activity, diabetes and some other disease states.

As compared to controls and epileptics with controlled seizures, serum beta-glucuronidase enzyme is elevated significantly in epileptics with uncontrolled seizures. The enzyme begins to rise just before the seizure, remains elevated during, and for some time after the seizure and then begins to decline, unless another seizure follows the first seizure. The enzyme is not elevated in controlled diabetes patients without any secondary complications. But the enzyme is also elevated in other pathological conditions which involve increased connective tissue catabolism. However, the enzyme is elevated constantly and all the time in these conditions, in contrast with its elevation in uncontrolled epilepsy only close to the seizures.

Brain↗
PubMed1983

Serum glycoconjugates in children with schizophrenia and conduct and adjustment disorders.

The serum glycoproteins represented by the individual protein-bound carbohydrate components and glycosaminoglycans represented by the hexuronic acid contents were determined in the sera of black and Caucasian normal children and children with diagnoses of schizophrenia, conduct disorder, and adjustment disorder. There were no race-related or sex-related differences in glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in the sera of normal children. Although the serum glycosaminogltents were determined in the sera of black and Caucasian normal children and children with diagnoses of schizophrenia, conduct disorder, and adjustment disorder. There were no race-related or sex-related differences in glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in the sera of normal children. Although the serum glycosaminogltents were determined in the sera of black and Caucasian normal children and children with diagnoses of schizophrenia, conduct disorder, and adjustment disorder. There were no race-related or sex-related differences in glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in the sera of normal children. Although the serum glycosaminoglycans were significantly elevated in children with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, the levels were in normal range in children with conduct and adjustment disorders. All of the protein-bound carbohydrates were elevated in schizophrenic children. However, only arabinose and galactosamine were significantly elevated in children with a diagnosis of conduct disorder, while only galactosamine was elevated in children with adjustment disorder. The presence of arabinose in serum glycoprotein was confirmed by chemical ionization-mass spectrometry. The possible causes of the differential elevation of the glycoconjugates in psychiatric disorders in relation to the effect of stress and environment are discussed.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1983

The protein-bound carbohydrates of seromucoid from normal human serum.

The neutral sugars and hexosamines in the seromucoid fraction of normal human serum were identified and determined simultaneously by gas-liquid chromatography of their aldononitrile acetates. Besides the sialic acid, normal seromucoid contained fucose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, galactose, glucosamine and galactosamine. The presence of arabinose and glucose, not previously reported in seromucoid, as well as the other known carbohydrate components determined by GLC were confirmed from their fragmentation patterns in the electron impact mass spectra and chemical ionization spectra.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Serum glycoproteins in schizophrenia.

A comparative investigation of the individual protein-bound carbohydrate components and the distribution of carbohydrates in the electrophoretic glycoprotein fractions was carried out in sera from 20 normal subjects and 30 schizophrenic patients matched for age and sex. The mean concentration of each of the protein-bound carbohydrate components was significantly elevated in schizophrenics. The electrophoretic patterns for serum glycoprotein showed increases in alpha-2 and beta globulins in schizophrenics. The serum glycoproteins contained glucose and L-arabinose, in addition to mannose, galactose, fucose, sialic acid, and a trace of xylose. The identity of glucose and arabinose was confirmed by g.l.c.-electron-impact mass spectrometry and by specific enzymic reactions. The contents of glucose and arabinose were higher in serum glycoproteins from schizophrenic patients. This elevation of serum glycoprotein paralleled serum glycosaminoglycan elevation previously reported by us, but was opposite to decrease of urinary glycoprotein in schizophrenics.

Carbohydrates↗
PubMed1980

Long-term lithium treatment and the kidney. Interim report on fifty patients.

This is a report on the first part of our study of the effects of long-term lithium treatment on the kidney. Creatinine clearance, maximum urinary osmolality and 24 hour urine volume have been tested in 50 affectively ill patients who have been on long-term lithium for more than one year. These findings have been compared with norms and with values of the same tests from screening prior to lithium, available for most of our patients. No evidence was found for any reduction of glomerular filtration during lithium treatment. Low clearance values found in several patients could be accounted for by their age and their pre-lithium values. Urinary concentration defect appeared frequent but the extent of the impairment is difficult to assess because of the uncertainty about the norms applicable to this group of patients. The concentration defect appeared reversible, at least in part. Polyuria above 3 litres/24 hours was found in 10% of patients. An attempt is made to draw practical conclusions from the preliminary findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Glycosaminoglycan levels in sera of patients with mental disorders.

A nonspecific increase in serum glycosaminoglycans was observed in mental conditions associated with psychosis, brain trauma and mania but not in depression. Significant elevations also occurred in alcoholics and epileptics. The role of glycosaminoglycans in relation to the blood-brain barrier and mental illness has been discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Simple gas-chromatographic measurement of valproic acid in psychiatric patients: effect on levels of other simultaneously administered anticonvulsants.

A simple, rapid and precise gas-chromatographic procedure which involves one-step extraction and on-column methylation for routine clinical monitoring of plasma valproic acid levels is described. Six other commonly, simultaneously administered anticonvulsants can also be determined by substituting methylene chloride for chloroform for extraction and changing the column temperature. Also, described is the effect of valproic acid on blood levels of other simultaneously administered anticonvulsants.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Serum and mucopolysaccharide (glycosaminoglycans) levels in psychiatric patients.

Serum acid glycosaminoglycans (GAG) levels were measured in 50 normals and 177 samples from different types of psychiatric patients. Mean levels were significantly higher in paranoid type schizophrenia, organic brain syndrome associated psychosis and manic type manic-depressive psychosis. The levels returned to slightly above the normal range upon partial remission in paranoid schizophrenics. In catatonic and hebephrenic schizophrenias the values were in the upper part of normal range. The levels were either in upper normal range or slightly higher in non-psychotic organic brain syndrome. In depressed type manic depressive psychosis levels were either lower than normal or in the lower part of normal range.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Therapeutic monitoring of anticonvulsant drugs in psychiatric patients: rapid, simultaneous gas-chromatographic determination of six commonly used anticonvulsants without interference from other drugs.

A simple, sensitive and precise gas-chromatographic method for simultaneous extraction, derivatization and determination of methsuximide, ethosuximide, diphenylhydantoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and primidone in the presence of other drugs has been described. The method is especially useful for drug monitoring in patients on multiple anticonvulsant therapy while also on combination therapy with psychotropic drugs. It overcomes the analytical interferences between mephenytoin and phenobarbital; methsuximide and primidone; kemadrin and primidone; cholesterol and primidone; prolixin, haldol and other drugs; encountered in other methods using underivatized, trimethylsilylated or methylated drugs. As little as 0.5 microgram/ml of a drug can be determined and if needed the method can be scaled down to 0.3 ml plasma. The method yielded recoveries of 97-103% with standard deviations of 0.7-1.8. For a constant check of the precision, an internal quality control using daily analysis of a sample from a frozen plasma pool supplemented with known concentrations of the anticonvulsants was used. The method is suitable for use in routine clinical laboratory.

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMed1978

Improved assay of urinary total 17-hydroxycorticosteroids.

A reliable method for the quantitative determination of "total 17-hydroxycorticosteroids has been described. Urine is subjected to reduction with sodium borohydride which reduces the 17-hydroxy-20-keto-21-deoxy steroids to 17,20-dihydroxy-21-deoxy steroids and 17-ketosteroids to C19 17-hydroxysteroids. Subsequent oxidation with sodium bismuthate oxidizes all the C21 17-hydroxysteroids to the corresponding 17-ketosteroids, which are extracted with CHCl3 : Bu-OH using ammonium sulfate as the salting out agent and finally the color reaction is performed with m-dinitrobenzene and the absorbance is measured. The 17-ketosteroids originally present in the urine do not interfere, since NaBH4 reduces them to C19 17-hydroxysteroids which cannot be oxidized with sodium bismuthate and do not respond to the color reaction with m-dinitrobenzene.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗
PubMed1977

A simple procedure for combined gas chromatographic analysis of neutral sugars, hexosamines and alditols. Determination of degree of polymerization of oligo- and polysaccharides and chain weights of glycosaminoglycans.

A reliable and reproducible method that allows the combined, simultaneous gas chromatographic (GC) determination of neutral sugars, hexosamines, alditols, identification and quantitation of the reducing aldose end-group in oligo and polysaccharides and glycosaminoglycans has been described. It involves the following steps: release of the reducing end-group from its protein linkage in glycosaminoglycans and reduction of this reducing end-group into alditol, release of the components of the reduced polymer by resin-catalysed hydrolysis, nitrous acid deamination of the resin-bound hexosamines in this hydrolysate into anhydroaldoses and a combined derivatization and GC determination of the neutral sugars as aldononitrile acetates, anhydroaldoses as peracetylated oximes and alditols as alditol acetates. Application of the method to determination of degree of polymerization of oligo-and polysaccharides and chain weights of proteoglycans has been described. This method has several advantages over the previous methods.

Animals↗