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Biomedical subjects

W G Carlini

Publications and source records attributed to W G Carlini.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Neurologic complications following chiropractic manipulation: a survey of California neurologists.

To obtain an estimate of how often practicing neurologists in California encounter unexpected strokes, myelopathies, or radiculopathies following chiropractic manipulation, we surveyed each member of the American Academy of Neurology in California and inquired about the number of patients evaluated over the preceding 2 years who suffered a neurologic complication within 24 hours of chiropractic manipulation. Four hundred eighty-six neurologists were surveyed, 177 responded; 55 strokes, 16 myelopathies, and 30 radiculopathies were reported. Patients were between the ages of 21 and 60, and the majority experienced complications following cervical manipulation. Most of the patients continued to have persistent neurologic deficits 3 months after the onset, and about one-half had marked or severe deficits. Nearly all of the strokes involved the posterior circulation and almost one-half were angiographically proven. Patients, physicians, and chiropractors should be aware of the risk of neurologic complications associated with chiropractic manipulation.

Carotid Artery Injuries↗

Anoxia-induced changes in extracellular K+ and pH in mammalian central white matter.

In gray matter (GM), anoxia induces prominent extracellular ionic changes that are important in understanding the pathophysiology of this insult. White matter (WM) is also injured by anoxia but the accompanying changes in extracellular ions have not been studied. To provide such information, the time course and magnitude of anoxia-induced changes in extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) and extracellular pH (pHo) were measured in the isolated rat optic nerve, a representative central WM tract, using ion-selective microelectrodes. Anoxia produced less extreme changes in [K+]o and pHo in WM than are known to occur in GM; in WM during anoxia, the average maximum [K+]o was 14 +/- 2.9 mM (bath [K+]o = 3 mM) and the average maximum acid shift was 0.31 +/- 0.07 pH unit. The extracellular space volume rapidly decreased by approximately 20% during anoxia. Excitability of the rat optic nerve, monitored as the amplitude of the supramaximal compound action potential, was lost in close temporal association with the increase in [K+]o. Increasing the bath glucose concentration from 10 to 20 mM resulted in a much larger acid shift during anoxia (0.58 +/- 0.08 pH unit) and a smaller average increase in [K]o (9.2 +/- 2.6 mM). The increased extracellular glucose concentration presumably provided more substrate for anaerobic metabolism, resulting in more extracellular lactate accumulation (although not directly measured) and a greater acid shift. Enhanced anaerobic metabolism during anoxia would provide energy for operation of ion pumps, including the sodium pump, that would result in smaller changes in [K+]o. These effects were probably responsible for the observation that the optic nerve showed significantly less damage after 60 min of anoxia in the presence of 20 mM glucose compared to 10 mM glucose. Under normoxic conditions, increasing bath K+ concentration to 30 mM (i.e., well beyond the level shown to occur with anoxia) for 60 min caused abrupt loss of excitability during the period of application but minimal change in the amplitude of the compound action potential following the period of exposure. The anoxia-induced increase in [K+]o, therefore, was not itself directly responsible for irreversible loss of optic nerve function. These observations indicate that major qualitative differences exist between mammalian GM and WM with regard to anoxia-induced extracellular ionic changes.

Action Potentials↗

Carbonic anhydrase activity develops postnatally in the rat optic nerve.

We examined the appearance of carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity in rat optic nerves (RONs) 5-77 postnatal days of age and correlated the appearance of enzyme activity with structural and physiological alterations. CA activity was nearly absent before 10 days of age and appeared in this CNS white matter tract with a developmental time-course similar to that of oligodendrogliogenesis and myelinogenesis. When oligodendrocytes and myelin were depleted in the RON by treatment with a mitotic inhibitor, CA activity was markedly reduced. These observations support the hypothesis that CA is contained primarily in oligodendrocytes and myelin. Neural activity in the RON caused changes in extracellular pH (pHo) and the character of these pHo responses was very age dependent; older nerves exhibited much larger acid shifts than neonatal nerves. The development of CA activity may be a factor contributing to this physiological alteration.

Animals↗

Tip size of ion-exchanger based K+-selective microelectrodes. I. Effects on selectivity.

Double-barreled ion-exchanger based K+-selective microelectrodes (K+ ISMs) of a variety of tip diameters were used to study the dependency of ion selectivity upon tip size. The selectivity of K+ ISMs depended on tip size and barrel configuration. Within the range of tip diameters tested (approximately 0.5-6 micron) all K+ ISMs constructed of two barrels glued side by side ("figure-eight glass") exhibited sensitivity to K+ and NH4+. Figure-eight K+ ISMs with tip diameters less than 1.5 micron were not sensitive to tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, or choline, whereas K+ ISMs with tip diameters greater than or equal to 1.5 micron sensed all of the quaternary amines. Tip size dependent selectivity was not present in K+ ISMs made from thick septum theta glass. The explanation for tip size dependent changes in ion selectivity is unknown but a discussion of theoretical possibilities is given.

Amines↗

Tip size of ion-exchanger based K+-selective microelectrodes. II. Effects on measurement of evoked [K+]0 transients.

Double-barreled ion-exchanger based K+-selective microelectrodes (K+ ISMs) of a variety of tip diameters were used to provide an experimental test of predictions that microelectrode tip induced tissue damage influences the magnitude of measured [K+]0 increases. The measured magnitude of stimulation induced [K+]0 rises in the rat optic nerve depended on the tip diameter of the measuring K+ ISM; smaller tipped K+ ISMs tended to measure larger rises of [K+]0 than bigger tipped K+ ISMs. When stimulated [K+]0 increases were simultaneously recorded with 2 K+ ISMs of different tip size, the smaller tipped K+ ISM recorded [K+]0 increases that were, on average, 14% larger than the increases measured by the bigger tipped K+ ISM. In view of these results, and those presented in the previous paper, investigators should standardize the tip sizes of the ISMs used in their experiments.

Action Potentials↗

Ion-sensitive microelectrode measurements of free intracellular chloride and potassium concentrations in hyperthermia-treated neuroblastoma cells.

Murine NG108-15 neuroblastoma cells were heated for times of 5-40 min at 45.5 degrees C, and survival ranged from 0.7-0.0015, respectively. Ion-sensitive microelectrodes (ISM) were used to measure the free intracellular concentrations of Cl- and K+ immediately after heating and up to 30 hr later. The free intracellular Cl- and K+ concentrations, [Cl-]i and [K+]i respectively, of the heated cells remained identical to those of the controls for the first 10 hr after heating. At later times, some cells had increased [Cl-]i values and decreased [K+]i values identical to those of the extracellular medium. These cells had a mottled morphology, no longer excluded the vital stain trypan blue, and had no membrane potential. The number of these dye-including, physiologically dead cells increased with time, and was always greater following longer heating times. No changes in mean cellular volume were observed until 25 hr after heating. All trypan-blue-excluding, physiologically live cells had the same [Cl-]i and [K+]i as the control cells, even when the majority of them were destined for clonogenic death.

Animals↗

Brain extracellular space: developmental studies in rat optic nerve.

Analysis of neural activity-dependent fluctuations in K+, H+, and ECS dimensions in the developing RON has revealed major changes during the first two to three postnatal weeks. The emergence of the adult ceiling level for evoked extracellular K+ (10 to 12 mM) and significant ECS shrinkage are roughly correlated in time with the proliferation and maturation of glial cells in this structure. This observation and others have led to the hypothesis that ECS shrinkage depends upon electrolyte and water transport into glial cells with subsequent swelling. Development of the adult K+ ceiling level may also depend upon glial cells, but it is likely that other factors contribute to this homeostatic mechanism. Marked alterations in activity-dependent pHo shifts were seen with development and may be related to changes in the activity of carbonic anhydrase in this structure. The technological means are at hand to pursue these questions vigorously in an effort to provide further insight into the mechanisms of ionic and fluid homeostasis of brain ECS, and the developing RON appears to be a useful model system in this regard.

Aging↗

A simple method for making ion-selective microelectrodes suitable for intracellular recording in vertebrate cells.

A simple procedure for manufacturing Cl-, K+, and pH liquid membrane ion-sensitive microelectrodes is presented in detail. Electrodes suitable for recording from the specimen of interest are back-filled with a small amount of silane solution and heated for 5 min on a hot plate at a temperature between 400 and 500 degrees C, after which they are injected with the ion-sensitive resin. The procedure is adaptable to many different glass stocks, e.g., single-barreled, double-barreled, or theta glass, and can be used to produce electrodes having a wide range of tip sizes for recording either extracellular or intracellular ion activities. Another advantage of the method is speed; up to 10 electrodes can be prepared simultaneously, permitting over 40 functional electrodes to be made per hour.

Animals↗