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Biomedical subjects

T Slagle

Publications and source records attributed to T Slagle.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Tear potassium contributes to maintenance of corneal thickness.

Isolated rabbit corneas were bathed on their endothelial surfaces with normal Krebs bicarbonate Ringer solution, while the epithelial surfaces were bathed in a basic tear solution containing sodium and potassium. When bathed in basic tear solution alone, corneal swelling occurred at an average of 12 microns/h over a 3-hour period. Corneal swelling occurred at a rate of about 21 microns/h when the epithelial solution was switched from normal basic tear solution to an iso-osmotic K(+)-free basic tear solution. Corneal swelling then slowed, and in the final hour of a 3-hour exposure to K(+)-free tear solution, the corneas deswelled at about 10 microns/h. The data indicate that potassium is a necessary solute for the maintenance of normal corneal thickness. The results suggest that a lacrimal dysfunction that would cause a decrease in the potassium content of tears may influence corneal thickness and also suggest that the inclusion of potassium in artificial tears is important.

Animals

The effects of intraocular gases on rabbit blood-retinal barrier permeability.

The effects of intravitreal expansile gases, sulfur hexafluoride and octafluoropropane, as well as air and needle insertion alone were assessed by iris fluorescein angiography and blood-retinal barrier permeability determination. Iris angiography, at 3 days after injection, indicated no differences between experimental and paired control eyes. Vitreous fluorophotometry on day 1, day 4 and day 7 after gas or sham injection also showed no differences between paired control and experimental eyes regardless of which experimental condition was employed. The results indicate that these gases are non-toxic to the blood-retinal barrier over a 7 day time course.

Animals

Marijuana-derived material-induced changes in monkey ciliary processes differ from those in rabbit ciliary processes.

The morphologic changes in ciliary processes and the associated intraocular pressure (IOP) were observed in owl and squirrel monkeys after intravitreal (IVT) and intravenous (IV) injections of water soluble marijuana-derived material (MDM). The response in monkeys differed from that reported in rabbits wherein IV injection induced severe ciliary swelling and a significant decrease in IOP. Only moderate swelling occurs in monkey processes after IV injection of relatively high dose of MDM, and this change, which includes disruption of the basal lamina of the pigment epithelium, is not associated with a change in IOP. Severe swelling occurs in the crests of monkey ciliary processes after IVT injection, which is accompanied by a fall in IOP. The difference in the response in monkey versus rabbit ciliary processes after IV injection of MDM may be due to a more compact stroma in the monkey processes.

Animals

Relationship between plasma and tear fluoride levels in rabbit and man.

Tear fluoride concentrations were determined in rabbits and man. Tear fluoride levels in reflex tears were higher in rabbits (2-10 mumol/l) than in man (1.4-4 mumol/l), while plasma levels were quite similar in both species (1.5-4 mumol/l). Chronic fluoride ingestion in rabbits over 29 days of 1, 5, 10, 25 or 50 (2.65 mmol/l) ppm fluoride in drinking water caused a dose-related increase in plasma, but not tear, levels of fluoride. The plasma:tear ratio went from 0.5 at baseline (1 ppm) to 1.8 after drinking water that contained 50 ppm F. Acute fluoride ingestion in man led to an increase in both plasma and tear fluoride levels that changed such that the plasma:tear ratio remained constant despite a 2-fold increase in plasma fluoride.

Animals

Effects of mifepristone on rabbit intraocular pressure in the presence and absence of dexamethasone.

Topical dexamethasone was used to elevate rabbit intraocular pressure in order to study the interaction with a steroid antagonist, mifepristone. Dexamethasone did not cause a consistently significant increase in intraocular pressure. Animals treated with mifepristone followed by dexamethasone showed no apparent increase in intraocular pressure after dexamethasone, indeed mifepristone caused a lower intraocular pressure than seen in other groups whether in the presence or absence of dexamethasone. Reductions of intraocular pressure when mifepristone was given after 14 days of dexamethasone administration were not found. No conclusion can be reached regarding any dexamethasone antagonism by mifepristone, except that intraocular pressure tended to be lower even in the presence of dexamethasone.

Administration, Topical

Ocular blood flow and vascular permeability in endotoxin-induced inflammation.

Blood flow was measured in several tissues of the rabbit eye following intravitreal injection of a dose of endotoxin that induces an inflammatory response. In separate experiments, the vascular permeability of the inflamed eye was estimated by iris fluorescein angiography and by measuring protein influx into the aqueous humor. The effect of topical corticosteroid treatment upon blood flow and vascular permeability was also measured. Following intravitreal endotoxin injection, minor changes in blood flow occurred in retina and optic nerve head. Marked changes were observed in blood flow in iris, ciliary processes, and choroid. Steroid treatment had no effect upon the increased blood flow 24 h after the endotoxin injection, although from a clinical standpoint the steroid-treated eyes appeared less inflamed. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated a massive increase in iris vessel permeability 6 and 24 h following endotoxin injection. Topical steroid treatment reduced fluorescein entry into the anterior chamber at both time periods. On the other hand, the increase in protein influx into the aqueous humor in the endotoxin-inflamed eye was not inhibited by steroid pretreatment. It is suggested that corticosteroids have a selective effect upon the permeability of different components of the blood-aqueous barrier, namely the ciliary processes and the iris vasculature.

Animals

The cardiopulmonary effects of calcium infusion in infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

Low blood ionized calcium levels have been reported previously in association with alkalosis in infants undergoing hyperventilation for persistent pulmonary hypertension. We investigated the effect of acute calcium infusions on the cardiopulmonary status of 10 hypocalcemic, hyperventilated infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension. Acid-base status, arterial partial pressure of oxygen, vital signs, and echocardiographically determined right and left systolic time interval ratios and left ventricular shortening fractions were obtained before and after rapid infusions of calcium gluconate or saline. At 5 and 15 min after calcium infusion, but not after saline infusion, there were significant decreases in both right and left ventricular systolic time interval ratios, and an increase in transcutaneous PO2 and PaO2 that coincided with peak levels of ionized calcium. These findings provide evidence that high levels of ionized calcium in newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension transiently improve myocardial performance and oxygenation.

Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous

Interaction between progesterone and mifepristone on intraocular pressure in rabbits.

The interaction between a topically administered progesterone, medrysone, and a steroid antagonist, mifepristone, on rabbit intraocular pressure (IOP) has been determined. Medrysone alone increased IOP significantly above parallel controls over the first three weeks; this increase was not sustained. When medrysone and mifepristone were given simultaneously the IOP increased initially, but then fell after two weeks to control levels. When mifepristone was added 14 days after medrysone, the IOP was again reduced to, or below, control levels by mifepristone. The use of mifepristone alone reduced IOP relative to controls and the further addition of medrysone at 14 days had no effect on IOP. It appears that mifepristone is an effective antagonist against progesterone effects on IOP.

Animals

Aqueous humor flow rate and intraocular pressure during and after pregnancy.

Intraocular pressure and aqueous humor formation rate have been determined from the first trimester of pregnancy through term, with further determinations 3 months postpartum, in 7 patients. The intraocular pressure showed a consistent, statistically significant fall during pregnancy, returning to values seen in early pregnancy after delivery. Aqueous humor formation rate showed no change during pregnancy. The data indicate that the sustained elevated hormonal levels during pregnancy, either directly or indirectly, cause an increase in fluid outflow conductance from the eye without altering the rate of fluid entry.

Adult