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Biomedical subjects

T Roy

Publications and source records attributed to T Roy.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Four-week inhalation exposures of rats to aerosols of three lubricant base oils.

Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to aerosols of one of three base stocks used to formulate lubricating oils. These stocks were a solvent-refined oil (SRO), a hydrotreated and acid-washed white oil (WTO) and a severely hydrotreated and hydrocracked oil (HBO). Exposures were for 6 h per day, 5 days per week for ca. 4 weeks. There were four groups of rats for each study (10 per sex per group). Aerosol concentrations were ca. 0, 50, 210 and 1000 mg m-3 for each material; the mass median aerodynamic diameter was ca. 1 microns. Following the last exposure, all animals were sacrificed and necropsied. Samples were taken for serum chemistry, hematology, sperm morphology, weights of seven organs and histopathology on at least nine organs. Body weights and clinical signs were not affected by exposures. The only treatment-related changes were in the lung and associated lymph nodes. Both the wet weight of the lung and the dry/wet weight ratio increased in a concentration-related manner. Associated with the increased weight were accumulations of foamy alveolar macrophages, particularly in alveoli close to alveolar ducts. Mild infiltration by neutrophils was observed with WTO and SRO; thickened alveolar walls were noted with the highest concentration of HBO. These mild responses to exposures at very high concentrations indicate a low degree of toxicity for these aerosols.

Administration, Inhalation

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction: diagnosis and prognosis.

The symptoms of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction may be subtle and occur late in the course of diabetes. They include abnormal exercise-induced cardiovascular performance, postural hypotension, and cardiac denervation syndrome. Autonomic nervous system testing involves an evaluation of the responses of complex reflex pathways. Some of the most commonly used and validated cardiovascular autonomic tests are RR-variation, the Valsalva manoeuvre, and postural testing. Sinus arrhythmia during breathing is termed RR-variation. In diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy the magnitude of the RR-variation is decreased. Abnormal exercise-induced cardiovascular performance has been observed in diabetic subjects with abnormal RR-variation due to autonomic neuropathy. The Valsalva manoeuvre consists of forced expiration against a standardized resistance for a specified period of time. The reflex bradycardia that follows the Valsalva period in normal subjects is lacking in diabetic patients with clinical evidence of autonomic neuropathy. Postural hypotension in diabetics may be due to neuropathy or to a variety of secondary causes. An algorithm is presented to facilitate assessment of diabetic patients with postural symptoms. Treatment of postural hypotension should be directed primarily to the correction of secondary causes, in the absence of which the symptoms can be controlled by mechanical measures, plasma volume expansion, and vasoconstriction. Cardiac denervation syndrome may result in denervation supersensitivity and afferent (pain) nerve dysfunction. The RR-variation is a sensitive indicator of impairment of cardiac autonomic innervation and is a simple method for identifying asymptomatic patients at risk for painless ischaemia. Formal cardiovascular stress testing may be prudent before initiating an exercise programme in such individuals.

Autonomic Nervous System

Spinal cord compression in HbE-thalassaemia.

Two cases of spinal cord compression due to extramedullary haemopoiesis in haemoglobine E thalassaemia are described. Possible mechanisms and treatment modes are discussed.

Adolescent

Dot immunobinding assay versus sandwich ELISA in diagnosis of invasive amoebiasis.

Sera from 34 patients of amoebic liver abscess (ALA) and 11 patients with amoebic dysentery (AD) were examined for the presence of specific Entamoeba histolytica (EH) antibodies and amoebic antigen by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dot immunobinding assay (DIB). Both techniques were found to be equally sensitive for detecting antiamoebic antibodies (89.5 and 91.9% respectively) and highly specific (100%) in patients of ALA. ELISA was found to be more sensitive (94.4%) in detecting circulating amoebic antigen compared to DIB (68%) in patients of ALA. Specific antibodies, in significant levels, were detected in 3 and 5 patients of AD by ELISA and DIB assay, respectively. As DIB assay is easier to perform and less expensive, is recommended for detection of antibodies in patients with invasive amoebiasis.

Animals

Portal dose images. I: Quantitative treatment plan verification.

The comparison of a predicted portal dose image, calculated during treatment planning, with the measured image obtained during treatment is proposed as an approach to verify the correct implementation of a patient treatment plan. The comparison inherently verifies both the geometric alignment and the dose delivered. Feasibility studies were conducted with 60Co irradiation of a modular plastic phantom, an anthropomorphic phantom and a patient with lung cancer. Calculations were made with the 3-dimensional scatter ray-trace Delta Volume method. Calculated distributions and/or selected points of transmitted dose correction factors were compared with measurements made with TLD, scanning ionization chamber and film. For the two phantom studies, excellent agreement, usually to within 3%, was achieved when positioning of the phantoms were accurate. The patient study showed that selected point comparisons were inadequate in identifying the cause of errors when disagreement occurred. Simple subtraction of the calculated and measured images showed a 4 mm translational misalignment. The results are encouraging and demonstrate that portal dose images can be used to detect large geometric and dosimetric discrepancies between treatment plan calculations and measurements. The results also show that perfect verification is virtually impossible in the clinical situation. More work is required to use the verification information for improving the estimation of dose to the patient.

Cobalt Radioisotopes

Palliative radiation therapy for Kaposi's sarcoma in patients with AIDS.

Kaposi's sarcoma is a common manifestation of AIDS, particularly in young male homosexual patients. Between 1987 and 1988, eight patients with Epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma received palliative radiation therapy. The authors' experience indicates that radiation therapy can provide good to excellent palliation for skin and oropharyngeal lesions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Idiopathic constipation by colonic dysfunction. Relationship with personality and anxiety.

The personality of two groups of constipated women (by delayed colonic transit or by colonic inertia) was compared to that of two control groups of arthritic patients (rheumatoid or degenerative disease) with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). All subjects suffered from chronic pain. Constipated women were found to have significantly higher scores on the hypochondria, hysteria, control, and low back pain scales and a lower score on the masculinity-femininity scale. Discriminant analysis permitted us to sort out constipated from arthritic patients in 83% of the cases, on the basis of only the personality data. In women with constipation by delayed colonic transit, multiple regression analysis demonstrated a close link (r = 0.90; P less than 0.001) between transit time in the ascending colon and levels of anxiety. It is concluded that women with constipation of colonic origin have a different pattern of personality than arthritic women and that severe constipation may play the role of a defense mechanism, where psychophysiologic responses to life stresses replace normal emotional reactions.

Adolescent

Electron microscopy study of twin behavior in GdBa2Cu3Ox and YBa2Cu3Ox.

Twins are ubiquitous in the perovskite superconductors. They form during cooling from high temperatures through the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transformation. Their behavior has been studied by transmission electron microscopy using a liquid-nitrogen-cooled specimen holder. It is observed that extra twins sometimes form in coarse-twinned regions to give a "refined" twin structure; this is thought to be induced by thermal stresses from the electron beam. Prolonged electron irradiation (with little beam heating) results in transformation to tetragonal with a loss of the twin structure; this is probably due to disordering of the oxygen sublattice by knock-on displacement. The same transformations can be induced by deliberate electron beam heating. In both cases the twinned orthorhombic structure can be restored by re-ordering of the oxygen ions, in the first case by removing the beam and in the second case by allowing the specimen to cool.

Barium

Piroxicam inhibits the growth of an adenocarcinoma isograft in Fischer rats.

The effect of piroxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, on a transplantable adenocarcinoma in Fischer rats was studied. Forty male Fischer rats were injected with 1 X 10(6) DMH-F317 adenocarcinoma cells, and after 2 weeks were assigned to be treated with piroxicam or carrier solution. The groups were as follows: Group 1, control; Group 2, 4.0 mg/kg piroxicam; Group 3, 6.0 mg/kg piroxicam; and Group 4, 8.0 mg/kg piroxicam. Thirty-nine of forty rats developed measurable tumors during this study. At the conclusion, 60% (6/10) of the rats in Group 2 were tumor free compared to 0/10 controls, 0/10 Group 3 rats, and 1/8 Group 4 rats. (P less than 0.005, chi 2). Mean tumor volumes (mm3) were calculated for each group and converted to log10. At Week 6, the mean log10 tumor volume (+/- SEM) for Group 2 was 1.5 +/- 0.6 vs 4.1 +/- 0.1 for Group 1 (P less than 0.05). The mean log10 volume for Group 3 was 3.8 +/- 0.1 (P less than 0.05 vs Group 2). The mean log10 volume for Group 4 was 3.4 +/- 0.05 and was not significantly different from that for Group 2 (P greater than 0.05). Plasma PGE2 levels for each treatment group were determined at the conclusion of the study and no statistical difference between treatment groups was found. It is concluded that piroxicam inhibits tumor growth in this model, and may have a role as a biological response modifier in cancer therapy.

Adenocarcinoma

Intracoronary versus intravenous streptokinase in acute myocardial infarction.

To assess the relative efficacy of coronary thrombolysis using intracoronary versus intravenous streptokinase, 32 patients with acute myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to receive intracoronary (n = 17) and intravenous streptokinase (n = 15). All patients underwent selective coronary arteriography before and after administration of streptokinase by either route within 4 hours of the onset of symptoms. Intravenous streptokinase was given as 750,000 units over 30 minutes, while a mean dose of 180,000 units was required for thrombolysis in the group having intracoronary delivery. Recanalization occurred in 71.4% (10 of 14) of patients receiving streptokinase, by the intracoronary group in contrast to only 25% of patients (3 of 12) who received the drug intravenously (P less than 0.05). Spontaneous thrombolysis was seen in 17.6% and 20% of the patients in the groups having intracoronary and intravenous delivery, respectively. Bleeding complications were few in both groups. Thus, when baseline coronary arteriography is performed, recanalization with intracoronary streptokinase is more effective in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction than intravenous streptokinase.

Adult

Tc-99m-DTPA--a new test substance for detoxification devices.

Tc99m labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Tc-99m-DTPA) is an appropriate in vivo test solute for all extracorporeal detoxification procedures. The molecular weight of the Tc-99m-DTPA complex is within the biologically relevant middle molecular range of 400 to 700 daltons. Tc-99m-DTPA is distributed in the extracellular space in the same way as inulin. Regarding its localization in the gel filtration spectra and plasma clearance, Tc-99m-DTPA corresponds to middle molecule peak 2. The evaluation of elimination rate and plasma clearance CP of Tc-99m-DTPA is possible by measuring the pulse rates before and after the detoxification device. Taking into account the corrections for Ht and UFR, the Tc-99m-DTPA plasma clearances were calculated for different dialyzers, high flux dialyzers, hemofilters and a hemoperfusion device. The continuous measurement of pulse rates and the use of a UFR-controller (A2008) allow an exact tracking of CP vs. time, the estimation of CP (QB), CP(UFR) and of the sieving coefficient. Examples are given for these cases. It was shown that an increase in plasma clearance to more than about 100 ml/min does not greatly increase the Tc-99m-DTPA elimination rate.

Humans

Volumetrically controlled ultrafiltration. Current experiences and future prospects.

Exact control of ultrafiltration (UF) is a prerequisite for high flux dialysis and hemodiafiltration. Volumetric dialysate balancing is the best current method for the use of dialyzers with high water permeabilities. The precision of UF control by volumetric dialysate balancing is in agreement with all medical requirements. A positive influence of volumetric UF control on patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis can be shown by the frequencies of dialysis side effects. Volumetric UF control is only a first step towards an intelligent UF module to correlate water removal, solute removal and sodium balance.

Body Water

Lymphatic absorption of shellfish sterols and their effects on cholesterol absorption.

Studies have been conducted on the absorbability of individual sterols from a mixture of oyster sterols when administered intragastrically to rats with indwelling catheters in the left thoracic duct. In addition, the effect of oyster sterols on cholesterol absorption has been assessed using [4-14C] cholesterol in the mixture, and comparison against absorption of cholesterol alone. The order of absorbability (percentage absorption) of individual sterols from the mixture of oyster sterols was: cholesterol greater than or equal to 26-carbon sterols greater than or equal to dehydrocholesterol greater than 24-methylene cholesterol greater than brassicasterol greater than plant sterols. The absorption of noncholesterol sterols was 8.2 +/- 0.8% of the fed dose, or less than half of that for an equivalent level of cholesterol alone. The presence of these sterols in mixtures containing cholesterol reduced lymphatic absorption of cholesterol by 25 to 40% compared to absorption of the same amount of cholesterol administered alone, or to an amount of cholesterol equal to the total oyster sterols, respectively. These studies suggest that shellfish sterols are poorly absorbed, and, like plant sterols, effectively reduce dietary and/or endogenous cholesterol absorption from the intestine.

Absorption

Continuous measurement of DTPA-clearance in extracorporeal detoxification circuits.

A new method for investigating clearances is described. DTPA labelled with technetium 99m (MW: 496 daltons) is used as an agent to be measured. Continuous determination of the DTPA-clearance is possible in extracorporeal detoxification circuits including dialyzers, hemofilters and hemoperfusion columns. As an example, DTPA-clearances are given for two different dialyzers. In comparison to clearance measurements of peak 7, DTPA-clearance was very similar to that obtained for peak 7.

Autoanalysis