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Biomedical subjects

T Kaminski

Publications and source records attributed to T Kaminski.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Rapid absorption and local redistribution of progesterone after vaginal application in gilts.

Catheters were implanted in 6 anaesthetized gilts (3 animals in the follicular phase, 3 in the luteal phase) into a carotid artery and into the utero-ovarian vein and uterine artery on both sides. The uterine lumina were closed by a suture. Further, a catheter was inserted into the vagina after which the animals were allowed to recover. Tritiated progesterone was infused into vagina the following day during a 2 min period and simultaneous blood samples collected from the 5 catheters every 10 min for 2 h after which the animals were sacrificed. Tissue samples were obtained from the genital organs. The results showed a rapid absorption of progesterone from the vaginal lumen and a marked redistribution to the genital organs. The increased level of radioactivity in the plasma samples collected from the uterine arteries compared to the simultaneous samples from the carotid artery in 2 of the 3 animals in the luteal phase indicates the existence of a local redistribution system.

Absorption↗

Garlic (Allium sativum) in the treatment of experimental cryptococcosis.

An extract of garlic was studied for its efficacy in treatment experimental cryptococcosis in mice. The garlic, given by mouth, appeared to reduce brain cryptococcal populations, although the results obtained were generally inconsistent. Complete eradication of the cryptococci was not achieved and the early beneficial results observed diminished over time.

Animals↗

Joint control strategies and hand trajectories in multijoint pointing movements.

The role of timing in the control of multijoint pointing movements was evaluated. Eight subjects performed rapid pointing movements to a variety of target locations. The subject's right arm was strapped to a 2 degrees of freedom manupilandum that permitted shoulder and elbow motion in the horizontal plane. Initial and final position of the hand and magnitude of displacement was varied to determine effects on timing characteristics. Kinematics and kinetics of the shoulder, elbow, and hand were analyzed. The hand paths and velocity profiles observed were consistent with prior reports. Multiple regression analysis of kinematic variables disclosed that timing of joint movement onset was independent of initial and final positions of the hand, but was linearly related to joint displacement: the joint that moved farther started moving first. Using computer simulations to create joint movement onset, times that were different from the observed ones always resulted in hand paths with increased curvatures and loss of the smooth velocity profiles. Secondly, a very stable, linear relationship was observed between peak velocity and displacement at both the elbow and shoulder joints. This relationship was not affected by variations in movement space. We suggest that space-time transformation based on difference in joint displacement is used to regulated timing of joint movement onset. The simulations indicate that this transformation is set to produce smooth velocity profiles. The relationships between timing of movement onset and displacement and between peak velocity and displacement complement each other: by maintaining a linear relationship between velocity and displacement, a linear space time transformation can be used to control timing. Furthermore, these relationships are probably used to simplify coordination between the moving joints.

Journal Article↗

Staphylococcal infections in aging mice.

Aging (17 to 22 months old) and young (1 1/2 to 2 months old) mice were infected with 5 X 10(7) staphylococci. Twenty-eight-day mortality was 70% in senescent mice and 14.3% in young mice. Phagocytosis and intracellular killing of staphylococci by polymorphonuclear leukocytes and mononuclear cells and leukocyte mobilization were studied after intraperitoneal infection. Intracellular killing by polymorphonuclear leukocytes was slightly more effective in young mice but older mice mobilized about twice as many polymorphonuclear leukocytes in a 4-hour period. In older mice the lethality of intraperitoneally-administered staphylococcal toxins and salmonella endotoxin was markedly increased, the mortality rates in old and young mice being virtually identical to those found after intravenous infection with living staphylococci.

Aging↗

Autoregulation of 3, 3',5'-triiodothyronine production by rat liver microsomes.

Conversion of thyroxine (T4) to 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (rT3) was studied in rat liver microsomes. Addition of rT3 at a physiological concentration to the incubation medium inhibited the deiodination of thyroxine to rT3. With a concentration of rT3 greater than 37.6 nM no net rT3 production at pH 8.0 was observed. Further increases in rT3 concentration resulted only in degradation of added rT3 and no net synthesis of rT3 from T4 could be detected. The inhibitory effect of rT3 upon its own production from T4 was pH dependent, 5 fold lower amounts of hormone being required to inhibit completely rT3 production at pH 7.4 than at pH 8.0. With the same experimental conditions no significant effect of rT3 on the conversion of T4 to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) could be observed at pH 8.0 with all concentrations of added iodothyronine. A linear production of 3,3'-T2 from added rT3 was determined over the whole range of rT3 concentration, suggesting a lack of saturation of deiodinating enzyme. Binding of rT3 by anti-rT3 antibody added to the incubation mixture enhanced rT3 production from T4 by protecting rT3 from being degraded and/or diminishing the inhibitory effect of this iodothyronine on its own production. It was concluded that rT3 influenced its own production and that this effect may represent an important autoregulatory process in the iodothyronine metabolism.

Animals↗

Prospective evaluation of combinations of antimicrobial agents for endometritis after cesarean section.

Two hundred and thirty-six women were studied for the development of endometritis following cesarean section. Cultures were taken of the amniotic fluid and endocervix through the internal os during the operative procedure. Of the 236 patients, clinical evidence of endometritis developed in 105. Positive cultures of the amniotic fluid or the endocervix, or both, were not helpful in predicting significant clinical infection. The patients with endometritis were treated with a combination of either clindamycin and gentamicin or cefazolin and gentamicin. All of the 54 patients, receiving clindamycin and gentamicin improved, but eight of the 51 patients in the cefazolin group failed to respond but, subsequently, improved after the administration of clindamycin. No serious toxicity was observed in either group.

Amniotic Fluid↗

Study on the usefulness of hypertonic culture media.

Specimens from 300 patients were studied using five to nine aerobic and anaerobic culture media, including five that were hypertonic, Groups studied included fever of unknown origin, suspected endocarditis, endocarditis during therapy, bacteremia during therapy, abscess and cellulitis, presumed infectious arthritis, renal transplantation during rejection, collagen disease, sarcoidosis, lymphoma, and colitis. Isolates in hypertonic media were reverted to parent form by agar passage. In only 5% of these selected cases were organisms found in hypertonic, but not conventional, media that appeared on the basis of repeated isolation and/or serological studies to come from the patient. Nine of the 16 appeared to be of major significance. The two groups in which use of highly enriched, hypertonic media seemed most helpful were suspected endocarditis and undefined meningitis with negative cultures using standard media. The most effective of the hypertonic media used was 0.3 M sucrose in brain heart infusion with 20% horse serum. In most instances, the organism grew only in the hypertonic sucrose, and in most cases it appeared in conventional rather than aberrant form. Hypertonic media, especially 0.3 M sucrose, are of substantial helpin a small number of carefully selected cases.

Adolescent↗

Activin-A, but not inhibin, regulates 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 activity and expression in cultured rat granulosa cells.

17beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17HSD type 1) catalyzes the reduction of estrone (E(1)) to biologically more active estradiol (E(2)). In the present study, the effect of activin, inhibin, and follistatin on 17HSD activity and 17HSD type 1 expression in cultured, unluteinized rat granulosa cells was examined. Furthermore, the effects of these hormones on 17HSD type 1 expression were compared with the expression of P450 aromatase (P450arom). Rat granulosa cells were pre-incubated in serum-free media for 3 days, followed by a 2-day treatment with activin, inhibin, follistatin and 8-Br-cAMP. Activin in increasing concentrations appeared to effect a dose-dependent increase in 17HSD activity. In addition, increasing concentrations of activin also increased 17HSD type 1 mRNA expression. Addition of 8-Br-cAMP at concentrations of 0.25 and 1.5 mmol/l together with activin significantly augmented the stimulatory effects of activin alone in the cultured cells. Neither inhibin, nor follistatin, either alone or in combination with 8-Br-cAMP, had any notable effects on 17HSD activity and 17HSD type 1 expression. Preincubation of activin with increasing concentrations of follistatin significantly diminished the stimulatory effect of activin. In the presence of follistatin, activin did not significantly increase the 8-Br-cAMP-induced 17HSD activity and 17HSD type 1 expression. The culturing of granulosa cells in the presence or the absence of inhibin or follistatin with or without 8-Br-cAMP did not alter the effect of these peptides on P450arom expression in rat granulosa cells as judged by Northern blot analysis of total RNA. However, cAMP-induced P450arom expression was enhanced by activin treatment, except when follistatin was present. This is in line with the suggested role of follistatin as an activin-binding protein, which limits the bioavailability of activin to its membrane receptors. Thus, the results support the notion of a paracrine/autocrine role of activin in follicular steroidogenesis of growing follicles.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

The physiological role of beta-endorphin in porcine ovarian follicles.

Beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-END-LI) was measured by radioimmunoassay in porcine ovarian follicular fluid (FF) from small, medium and large follicles throughout the oestrous cycle. The concentration of beta-END-LI in FF from small follicles collected on days 1-5 of the cycle was at least tenfold higher than in the fluid from any other follicles independently from their size and the period of the cycle. The level of beta-END-LI in small follicles on days 6-10 was drastically decreased. Subsequently, on days 11-16 its concentration was enhanced and reduced again in pre-ovulatory period of the cycle. Concentrations of beta-END-LI in FF from medium follicles were relatively equal throughout the cycle (days 6-21). No significant differences in beta-END-LI levels were found between small, medium and large follicles from days 17-21. However, beta-END-LI concentrations in medium follicles on days 11-13 and 14-16 were statistically lower than those in small follicles. Moreover, the effects of FSH, prolactin (PRL), progesterone (P4), testosterone (T) and 17 beta-oestradiol (E2) on beta-END-LI release by granulosa cells (GCs) from large follicles and, on the other hand, the effects of the opioid agonist FK 33-824 alone or in combination with FSH, PRL or naloxone (NAL) on follicular steroidogenesis were studied. FSH drastically increased beta-END-LI output in a dose-dependent fashion. This stimulatory effect of the gonadotrophin was inhibited by the highest dose of P4 (10(-5) M). The effect of PRL and the steroids added to the cultures on beta-END-LI release was negligible. FSH- or PRL-induced P4 secretion by GCs was essentially abolished by both FK 33-824 and NAL. However, androstenedione (A4) and testosterone output by the cells was greatly potentiated by FK 33-824. In the presence of NAL, FSH or PRL, A4 release stimulated by FK 33-824 was suppressed to the basal level. Secretion of E2 was completely free from the influence of FK 33-824 or NAL; only oestrone (E1) output was modulated by them in cultures where FSH or PRL was present. In conclusion, FSH appears to be the key regulator of beta-END-LI secretion by porcine granulosa cells. Moreover, steroidogenesis in pig granulosa cells is modulated by opioid peptides acting both alone and by way of interaction with FSH or PRL.

Animals↗