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Biomedical subjects

S Madsen

Publications and source records attributed to S Madsen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Penicillin in clinical use--50 years].

Penicillin was first used to combat experimental infections in rats in August 1940. Towards the end of December the same year it was decided to treat seriously ill patients with penicillin. The first patient was given the new drug on the 12 February 1941, nearly 50 years ago. The patient improved considerably, but due to shortage of penicillin later succumbed to staphylococcal sepsis. Penicillins are still the most widely used and least toxic antibiotics. This article briefly reviews the history of penicillin from its discovery in 1928 to 1944, when the drug was first used on a larger scale in Norwegians.

History, 20th Century

[Poisoning with deadly agaric (Amanita virosa). Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment].

Amatoxin poisonings are uncommon in Norway. We describe a case where a young couple was poisoned after accidental ingestion of Amanita virosa (deadly agaric). After hospital treatment they recovered without serious damage to the liver. We briefly review the biological actions of amatoxins, discuss the symptoms and signs of amatoxin poisoning in detail, and outline current recommendations on therapy.

Adult

Immunocytochemical evidence suggests that taurine is colocalized with GABA in the Purkinje cell terminals, but that the stellate cell terminals predominantly contain GABA: a light- and electronmicroscopic study of the rat cerebellum.

The distributions of taurine-like and GABA-like immunoreactivities in the rat cerebellum were compared by analysis of consecutive semithin and ultrathin sections, postembedding labeled with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique or with an indirect immunogold procedure, respectively. Taurine-like immunoreactivity was selectively enriched in Purkinje cell bodies, dendrites and spines, and boutons in the cerebellar nuclei exhibiting ultrastructural features typical of Purkinje cell terminals. The stellate and basket cell bodies and terminals were very weakly labeled. A computer assisted quantitative assessment of the net immunogold labeling revealed that the mean gold particle density in the Purkinje cell terminals was about 70% higher than that in the Purkinje cell dendrites, and about 14 times higher than that in the stellate/basket cell terminals in the molecular layer. Stellate, basket and Purkinje cell terminals emerged as intensely immunoreactive in adjacent sections processed with an antiserum against conjugated GABA. These findings indicate, contrary to recent electrophysiological data, that GABA is a more likely transmitter candidate than taurine in the stellate cells. The apparent colocalization of GABA and taurine in the terminals of Purkinje cells raises the possibility that these terminals are capable of releasing two different inhibitory amino acids.

Animals

Evaluation of the immunocytochemical method for amino acids.

Free amino acids can be coupled to proteins by glutaraldehyde. Rabbits immunised with a bovine serum albumin-glutaraldehyde-amino acid conjugate form antibodies that recognise similar conjugates with brain proteins in glutaraldehyde-fixed tissue. Antisera raised against conjugated GABA (gamma-aminobutyrate), glutamate, aspartate, taurine, glutamine, or glycine were tested against a variety of small molecular compounds that had been fixed by glutaraldehyde to brain protein and immobilised on cellulose ester filters for processing together with the brain sections. This system permitted closely similar conditions for testing and immunocytochemistry. After removing antibodies against the carrier used for immunisation and against cross reacting amino acid conjugates the antisera showed a high specificity. The specific nature of the antisera was corroborated by solid phase adsorption to the homologous antigens and by inhibition experiments with free amino acids and amino acid-glutaraldehyde fixation complexes. After transection of the striatonigral pathway the ipsilateral substantia nigra was almost depleted of GABA-like immunoreactivity; this observation lends additional support to the selectivity of the GABA antiserum. A semiquantitative relation was established between the concentration of amino acid before fixation in a model system and the subsequent intensity of immunostaining. Similar model experiments suggested that the conjugation of an amino acid to brain protein with glutaraldehyde, and the immunoreactivity of the conjugates, may be significantly inhibited in the presence of high concentrations of other amino compounds.

Amino Acids

Taurine in the hippocampal formation of the Senegalese baboon, Papio papio: an immunocytochemical study with an antiserum against conjugated taurine.

An antiserum raised against taurine conjugated to bovine serum albumin by glutaraldehyde produced intense staining of hippocampal pyramidal neurons at the CA1/CA3 transition (including CA2) and of a small proportion of the granule cells. Strongly immunoreactive neurons were also found in a zone overlapping the second reflected blade in the hilus. Most glial cells were unlabeled.

Animals

Replacement estrogens and endometrial cancer.

We examined the incidence of endometrial cancer in a large prepaid group practice in the Seattle area. From July, 1975, to July, 1977, there was a sharp downward trend in the incidence of endometrial cancer that paralleled a substantial reduction in prescriptions for replacement estrogens. Incidence rates were estimated for estrogen users and nonusers among women 50 to 64 years of age with intact uteri; current long-term users had an annual risk for endometrial cancer between 1 and 3 per cent, whereas nonusers had a risk less than 1/10th as great. These incidence rates remained fairly constant over time among users and nonusers; the drop in overall incidence soon after estrogen use declined suggests that the increased risk associated with estrogens falls quickly after discontinuation. The reduction in incidence of endometrial cancer in this group practice was part of a general decline in the United States after 1975.

Estrogens

1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 treatment of therapy-resistant symptomatic hypocalcemia in a hypoparathyroid patient with intestinal malabsorption.

The case history of a hypoparathyroid female with short bowel syndrome and long-standing therapy-resistant symptomatic hypocalcemia is reported. During treatment with massive doses of the potent vitamin D analog, 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3(1 alpha(OH)D3), normocalcemia was re-established and clinical symptoms of hypocalcemia were relieved. Furthermore, significant improvement of t of intestinal calcium absorption and bone mineral content was observed after three months of treatment with 1 alpha(OH)D3. The data suggest that 1 alpha(OH)D3 may be of therapeutical value in patients with hypoparathyroidism and intestinal malabsorption.

Aged

Scintigraphic skeletal changes in non-dialyzed patients with advanced renal failure.

Technetium-99m-polyphosphate (Tc-PP) bone scintigraphy was performed in 51 patients with advanced renal failure in order to evaluate the applicability of this method in detection of metabolic bone changes in these patients. The creatinine clearance varied from 2 to 40 ml/min and none of the patients had previously been on dialysis treatment. The scintigrams were graded according to the focal and the generalized abnormal uptake of the tracer in the skeleton. 34 patients showed generalized scintigraphic changes and among these the changes in 18 patients were classified as severe. An inverse correlation was found between the kidney function and the generalized scintigraphic classification. Focal bone changes were found in 11 patients. In order to evaluate the influence of the lack of kidney function on the scintigraphic results, 3 patients with acute oliguric renal failure were examined. All had normal scintigrams. It is concluded that Tc-PP bone scintigraphy is a sensitive method in revealing renal osteodystrophy in non-dialyzed patients with advanced renal failure in agreement with previous reports on patients on chronic hemodialysis and after kidney transplantation.

Adolescent

Has vitamin D a direct renal effect on the tubular reabsorption of phosphate? A study in parathyroidectomized (PTX) and non-PTX man.

The effect of 1-alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (1alpha-OH-D3) on the renal handling of phosphate and the immunoreactive parathyroid hormone in serum (i-PTH) has been studied in 10 patients with a wide range of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), maximal tubular reabsorption of phosphate (TmP) and i-PTH. The patients were treated with 2 microgram 1alpha-OH-D3 per day for approximately 80 days. Before and after this period of treatment, the TmP, i-PTH, 51Cr EDTA clearance, extracellular volume, standard bicarbonate, and serum calcium were measured in each patient. The TmP/GFR ratio was used as an index of the renal handling of phosphate. The index increased significantly (mean 26.5%, p less than 0.01) during the treatment, while i-PTH decreased significantly (mean 37.0%, p less than 0.01). A significant inverse correlation was demonstrated between the TmP/GFR index and i-PTH both before (r = -0.87; p less than 0.001) and after (r = -0.79; p less than 0.01) the administration of 1alpha-OH-D3, while none of the other factors investigated were correlated to the index. This may suggest that the stimulating effect of biologically active vitamin D on the tubular reabsorption of phosphate is mediated via the parallel suppression of PTH, but does not exclude that biologically active vitamin D exerts a direct effect on the human renal tubule. Therefore, the effect of 1alpha-OH-D3 was studied in 5 totally parathyroidectomized patients, in whom concomitant suppression of PTH would not occur. Estimation of TmP/GFR was performed 1) when the patients were vitamin D depleted and hypocalcemic, and 2) after 14-27 days of treatment with 1alpha-OH-D3 to obtain stable normocalcemia. In patients with absent parathyroid function, no increasing effect of 1alpha-OH-D3 on TmP/GFR could be demonstrated. It is therefore concluded 1) that 1alpha-OH-D3 exhibits no antiphosphaturic effect in the absence of PTH and 2) that the previously demonstrated antiphosphaturic effect of 1alpha-OH-D3 in man is mediated via a concomitant suppression of PTH.

Absorption