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Biomedical subjects

S Constantinescu

Publications and source records attributed to S Constantinescu.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[The mechanisms of persistent measles virus infection in HEp-2 cells].

Persistent infection with Edmonston strain of measles virus was established in a highly susceptible clone of HEp-2 cells. The morphological and cytogenic aspects of persistent infection are presented. Carriage of measles virus in cells persistently infected is marked by important differences between standard Edmonston strain and virus stocks isolated from time to time from the carrier state. It is especially significant that cell fusion capacity decreased in amount concordant with the drop in the yield of infectious virus. Addition of UV inactivated Sendai virus, trypsin treatment or incubation at suboptimal temperatures precipitate the cytocidal effect of measles virus. Some clinical implications of reactivation of the lytic cycle in the carrier state are suggested.

Cell Line↗

Epidemiology of sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis infections in male patients.

868 male urethritis patients were studied for the presence of chlamydiae in the 1981-1986 period. 36% of NGU, 31.3% of gonococcal urethritis and 58.8% of PGU urethritis patients presented C. trachomatis infections as detected by cell culture inoculation. Chlamydial infection was recorded more often in the 21-30 years age group (30.8%), in unmarried patients (70.6%), as well as in people with low educational degree (46.6% of cases), 42.3% of the C. trachomatis cases were already confronted with one or more urethritis episodes. 24.7% of patients have been subjected to a previous antichlamydial treatment.

Age Factors↗

Q fever urban cases in Romania.

Q fever urban sporadic cases in Romania in the 1981-87 period are reviewed as concerns their incidence, seasonality and epidemiological data. Urban cases represented 76.8% as against 23.2% rural cases from the 134 Q fever sporadic cases detected in this period. Cases were distributed throughout all months with peaks during April (18.4% of cases) and June (19.4%). Infections were not related to contact with livestock or domestic birds or with raw milk drinking. Cases could not be identified as Q fever occupational ones. 36.7% of patients were working in nonalimentary industry and only 12.6% were involved in meat industry, veterinary or human medical practices. New studies concerning unusual sources of urban infection such as dogs, cats or urban street pigeons are emphasized.

Humans↗

Antiviral effect of lithium chloride.

Studies in human embryo fibroblasts infected with measles or herpes simplex virus showed a reduction in virus yield when cultures were pretreated with 1-10 mM lithium chloride doses. Maximum effect was obtained by a 1 h treatment with 10 mM lithium chloride, preceding viral infection by 19-24 hours. A specific antiviral effect against measles virus was manifest immediately after culture pretreatment. Intermittent treatment with 10 mM lithium chloride of cultures persistently infected with measles or herpes virus obtained from human myeloid K-562 cell line shows a reduction in the extracellular virus yield. In the K-562/herpes virus system, the culture treatment with lithium chloride and acyclovir (10 microM) has an additive inhibitory effect on virus production. The paper is focused on the mechanism of lithium chloride antiviral action and the expediency of lithium therapy in SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis).

Cell Line↗

The biology of the myocardium in chronic hypoxia. Note I. Myocardial lesions in experimental chronic heart failure.

The biology of the myocardium was studied in chronic heart failure, especially in the course of compensatory hypertrophy induced experimentally by partial stenosis of the aorta for 10 months and the administration of large isoproterenol doses for 7 months. In the stage of acute aggression, varied disseminated ultrastructural lesions are predominant, with the decrease of energy reserves, hydroelectrolytic and ECG perturbations. In the stage of ultrastructural compensatory hypertrophy, there is a prevalence of normal myocytes or others presenting regenerative aspects next to progressive fibrosis reflected biochemically by return to almost normal values, with certain oscillations due to the presence of some lesional foci, also recorded on the ECG tracings. The question of the pathogenesis and prognosis of these lesions is discussed.

Animals↗

[Role of the adrenal medulla in reaction of the body to stress (clinical and laboratory studies and experimental research)].

The authors have carried out a clinical study of acute medico-surgical complications occuring in patients hospitalized following psychical stress, myocardial infarction, operatory shock and after the earthquake. In patients with duodenal ulcers and hyperacidity due to vagal neurogenic origins it was noted the presence of a sympatico-adrenergic constitutional background in 38% of the cases. By applying chemical sclerosis of the adrenals medullary the role of the medullary was demonstrated in the production of acute digestive lesions due to stress, as a result of standard electrical stimulus and of their influence on the bioelectrical reactivity of the brain, on the active learning behaviour by conditioned reaction and on the number of the circulating eosinophils following injections of A.C.T.H.

Adrenal Medulla↗