Biomedical subjects

S Gentle

Publications and source records attributed to S Gentle.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Distribution and function of muscarinic receptor subtypes in the ovine submandibular gland.

The effects of muscarinic receptor antagonists on responses to electrical stimulation of the chorda-lingual nerve were determined in pentobarbitone-anesthetized sheep and correlated to the morphology of tissue specimens. Stimulation at 2 Hz continuously, or in bursts of 1 s at 20 Hz every 10 s, for 10 min induced similar submandibular fluid responses (19 +/- 3 vs. 21 +/- 3 microl x min(-1) x g gland(-1)), whereas vasodilatation was greater during stimulation in bursts (-52 +/- 4 vs. -43 +/- 5%; P < 0.01). Continuous stimulation at 8 Hz induced substantially greater responses (66 +/- 9 microl x min(-1) x g gland(-1) and -77 +/- 3%). While atropine (0.5 mg/kg iv) abolished the secretory response at 2 and 20 Hz (1:10 s), a small response persisted at 8 Hz (<5%). The "M1-selective" antagonist pirenzepine (40 microg/kg iv) reduced the fluid response at all frequencies tested (P < 0.05-0.01), most conspicuously at 2 Hz (reduced by 69%). Methoctramine ("M2/M4-selective"; 100 microg/kg iv; n = 5) had no effect on fluid or the vascular responses but increased the protein output at 2 (+90%, P < 0.05) and 8 Hz (+45%, P < 0.05). The immunoblotting showed distinct bands for muscarinic M1, M3, M4, and M5 receptors, and immunohistochemistry showed muscarinic M1 and M3 receptors to occur in the parenchyma. Thus muscarinic M1 receptors contribute to the secretory response to parasympathetic stimulation but have little effect on the vasodilatation in the ovine submandibular gland. Increased transmitter release caused by blockade of neuronal inhibitory receptors of the M4 subtype would explain the increase in protein output.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Transition from school to adult life for physically disabled young people.

The transition process for young physically disabled people (n = 87) was studied in three districts to determine how it varied between schools, and how it was perceived by the disabled and their carers. The experiences of the young people were compared with guidelines for good practice based on relevant legislation. Results showed that young disabled people experienced a poor handover to adult services if they had no "statement of special educational need" or if they went to further education college. Young people with cerebral palsy or complex multiple problems fared less well than those with spina bifida or juvenile chronic arthritis. There are several deficiencies in the legislation. Physically disabled young people should receive a transition review regardless of whether they have a "statement". The range of severity and type of disorders among the young physically disabled argues for a range of services--the category is too broad to be useful for research, service planning, and provision.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Deprivation and bronchiolitis.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that socioeconomic deprivation is associated with an increased risk of admission with clinically suspected bronchiolitis. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Children under 1 year living in Sheffield in 1989-90. SUBJECTS: 307 children resident in Sheffield admitted to Sheffield hospitals with clinically suspected bronchiolitis between 1 October 1989 and 28 February 1990. METHODS: Children admitted with clinically suspected bronchiolitis were ascertained from laboratory records of nasopharyngeal aspirates cultured for respiratory syncytial virus. Case notes were examined to determine whether these children had required medical intervention and postcode of residence was recorded. Controls were selected from the Sheffield child development study (SCDS) data. Postcodes were converted to electoral wards which were assigned Townsend deprivation index scores. Electoral wards were then categorised by Townsend score into five levels of deprivation. Data on family smoking for cases and controls were extracted from the SCDS. RESULTS: Of the 307 children admitted with suspected bronchiolitis during the study period, 127 required one or more medical intervention. The risk of admission with clinically suspected bronchiolitis and with bronchiolitis requiring medical intervention rose with increasing level of deprivation score of electoral ward of residence. Children living in electoral wards in the two more deprived groups were more than 1.5 times as likely to be admitted (odds ratio (OR) 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25 to 2.24) or admitted requiring a medical intervention (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.62) than children living in other parts of the city. Similar results were obtained after exclusion of children living in homes classified as smoky by the health visitor. CONCLUSION: Residence in an area of social and material deprivation increases the risk of admission with bronchiolitis even after taking account of parental smoking and when only more severe cases were considered.

Bronchiolitis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Rapid isolation of tissue-specific genes from rat kidney.

A systematic effort to isolate kidney-specific genes was performed using recently described PCR-select methodology. Using this technique, a kidney-specific mini-gene library was generated and a number of kidney-specific genes that share significant homology to previously characterized kidney genes from rats and other species were isolated. These included three renal-specific transporters (an ADH water channel, the anion transporters RST and ROAT1), a cell adhesion molecule (K-cadherin) and a kidney-specific protein upregulated in renal carcinoma (DD96). In addition, we isolated two novel genes from a rat kidney. One of the genes shares limited homology to rat profilin-1 while the other did not share any similarity to genes in the Genbank. Northern blot analysis revealed that the mRNA for each of these genes is expressed in a highly kidney-restricted fashion. Our results suggested that tissue-specific genes can be rapidly isolated and characterized using PCR-select techniques and this methodology may be generally applicable to isolate specific genes from a variety of tissues.

Animals↗