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At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Real-time measurement of microcirculation of skin by reflectance spectrophotometry.

A reflectance spectrophotometric measurement was developed to analyze the microcirculation of the skin in real time. The relative absorption (RA) spectra were obtained from skin tissue 10 times per second using a spectro-multi-channel-photodetector system. In this system, white light was projected onto the skin of the back of the anesthetized rat and the spectrum of the reflected light between 450 and 643 nm was analyzed. Two absorption peaks at wavelengths of about 540 and 577 nm were observed, corresponding to the absorption peaks in the oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) spectrum. Either phlebotomy or the i.v. injection of norepinephrine (NE) reduced the RA spectrum. Peaks of the reduction in spectrum [(RA spectrum before the treatment) - (RA spectrum after the treatment)] were observed at about 540 and 577 nm. Injection of NE (0.75-48 ng/100 g B.W., i.v.) reduced the RA value at 577 nm dose-dependently, suggesting a decrease in the skin blood flow due to vasoconstriction. In addition, the content of HbO2 and capillary permeation were measured at the same time after the i.v. injection of Evans blue (EB) dye. As indices of HbO2 content and capillary permeation, RA changes at 540 and 610 nm (the latter is an absorption peak in the EB spectrum) were measured in real time, respectively. Both RA values increased dose-dependently after the intradermal injection of histamine (0.3-100 micrograms/site), suggesting the presence of vasodilation and an increase in permeability. The time at which the RA value for HbO2 reached a maximum was shorter than that for EB. These observations suggest that the method described here can detect changes in the HbO2 content and permeation of skin microcirculation at the same time, and in real time.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Did some 18th and 19th century treatments for mental disorders act on the brain?

Review of 18th and 19th century psychiatric therapies raises the possibility that several may have altered the activity of vasopressin or Na-K-ATPase. Bleeding, whirling, nausea created by medicines, and vagus nerve stimulation by application of electricity through the skin all perturb the hypothalamic hormone, arginine vasopressin, while helleborus and digitalis inhibit the sodium pump enzyme, Na-K-ATPase. These approaches were used with reported benefit many years ago, acting on the brain in ways ongoing research suggests may play a role in affective disorders. Study of long-abandoned treatments may clarify their mechanisms of action and the characteristics of responsive patients.

Bloodletting↗
PubMed2004

[Association of hereditary hemochromatosis and pernicious anaemia].

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary hemochromatosis is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. It is characterized by increased absorption of dietary iron. The association between pernicious anaemia and hereditary hemochromatosis has never been described. EXEGESIS: We report a case of paradoxical association of hereditary hemochromatosis and pernicious anaemia. CONCLUSION: It seems that pernicious anaemia may prevent manifestations of hemochromatosis. We suppose that this protective role is due to atrophic body gastritis with iron malabsorption.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Acute scleritis in porphyria cutanea tarda.

We examined three patients who had dermatologic and biochemical manifestations of porphyria cutanea tarda and localized thinning or excavation in the sun-exposed interpalpebral sclera, adjacent to the cornea. All three patients had signs of acute scleritis. The acute scleritis responded to oral indomethacin in one patient, but systemic corticosteroids were required to control the inflammation in the other two patients. Phlebotomy, protection from sunlight, and refraining from alcohol played an important part in the treatment of the patients.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Controlling the medicinal leech.

A simple method is presented for applying a medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) to the precise area in which the clinician desires the leeching to take place.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Porphyria cutanea tarda, or the uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase deficiency diseases.

The term "porphyria cutanea tarda" originally described the dermatological manifestations of various chronic porphyrias. Its usage now is usually restricted to disorders associated with a deficiency of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD), for which the term "UROD-deficiency" may be more appropriate. Four etiologic agents have been implicated in this condition: alcohol, oral estrogens, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, and iron. An inherited deficiency of UROD is also recognized, with increased susceptibility to these agents. Certain halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons can cause UROD-deficiency in animals and synergism with iron is demonstrable in this model. Neither ethanol nor estrogen has been shown to cause UROD-deficiency in animals. Treatment by venesection to reduce total body iron is safe and effective. The 4-aminoquinoline antimalarial drugs also provide effective treatment, possibly by lysis of affected liver cells. Unlike venesection, they may not reverse the biochemical lesion which causes porphyrins to accumulate. The mechanism of acquired UROD-deficiency is not clear but animal studies suggest a role for the hepatic mixed function oxygenases which initiate iron-dependent inactivation of UROD. Diagnosis is simple, often requiring only appropriate clinical data and testing of a random urine sample. Although not common, the disorder is the most frequently diagnosed disturbance of porphyrin metabolism in many countries, and further insight into its unusual pathogenesis may clarify the hepatotoxic effects of the 4 etiologic agents.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Secondary hypogonadism in hemochromatosis.

Hemochromatosis is a rare disorder of iron storage. This report illustrates a case of hypogonadotropic-hypogonadism in a female with biopsy-proven hemochromatosis. Dynamic pituitary and gonadal testing revealed subnormal gonadotropin responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) but normal ovarian reserve, as shown by normal follicular stimulation with hMG. Thus, abnormalities of ovulation and menstruation in patients with hemochromatosis are most likely because of inadequate pituitary responsiveness to GnRH.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in hereditary hemochromatosis: relation to iron status.

Under normal conditions, vitamin D absorbed from the diet or synthesized in the skin is transported to the liver where it undergoes hydroxylation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether excess hepatic iron affects this process and the subsequent production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-[OH]2D) in the kidney. Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentrations in untreated hereditary hemochromatosis were 13 +/- 6 (SD) in 9 patients with cirrhosis, 13 +/- 6 in 5 patients with hepatic fibrosis, and 22 +/- 6 in 10 patients with normal hepatic architecture aside from siderosis and were significantly lower than the levels found in 24 controls matched for age, sex, and season, p less than 0.05. The mean serum 25-OHD levels in the two groups with hemochromatosis and hepatic damage were significantly lower than the value in the group with normal hepatic architecture, p less than 0.05. Serum 25-OHD levels in individual patients were inversely related to the size of body iron stores as measured by exchangeable body iron, r = -0.64, or serum ferritin, r = -0.47, p less than 0.05. In 15 patients removal of excess body iron by venesection therapy produced a significant increase in the mean serum 25-OHD from 20 ng/ml to 30 ng/ml, p less than 0.05. In contrast, mean serum 1,25-[OH]2D levels were similar in iron-loaded and control subjects, indicating that the regulation of this metabolite was intact in patients with hemochromatosis. The results reveal that the low serum 25-OHD concentration in patients with hemochromatosis is directly related to the extent of iron loading and it is improved by venesection therapy.

Aspartate Aminotransferases↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of blood cultures with corresponding venipuncture site cultures of specimens from hospitalized premature neonates.

We compared the presence and identities of isolates from blood culture samples obtained by percutaneous venipuncture with those of commensal skin organisms cultured from respective venipuncture sites after skin cleansing; 677 blood and skin site culture pairs from 488 infants were compared. Organisms grew in 58 blood cultures; nine of these cultures had corresponding venipuncture site cultures that also grew organisms. Forty-two blood culture isolates were coagulase-negative staphylococci; five of these were associated with similar venipuncture site cultures. According to restriction-endonuclease fingerprinting of chromosomal DNA and plasmid analysis, three pairs of blood and venipuncture site cultures were identical and two pairs were different. Thus only 7% (3/42) of coagulase-negative staphylococcal blood isolates were associated with identical contamination at the venipuncture site. We conclude that, if the venipuncture site has been carefully cleansed, the growth of coagulase-negative staphylococci in blood cultures of specimens from premature neonates indicates bacteremia rather than skin contamination in the vast majority of cases.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed1991

Management of infants at risk for occult bacteremia: a decision analysis.

Because febrile infants with no obvious source of bacterial infection may have bacteremia, and because bacteremia is difficult to diagnose on clinical grounds, we used decision analysis to evaluate whether such infants should be treated with antibiotics, tested further, or sent home. Using a simple decision tree, we found that the decision to give empiric antibiotic treatment is the decision of choice. The difference in quality-adjusted life expectancy between the "best" and "worst" decisions was only 11 days. However, this difference translated to prevention of death or permanent disability in 60 cases per 100,000 febrile children. Further, empiric treatment remained the best management alternative unless the probability of bacteremia was less than 1.4% (less than any published prevalence), or the efficacy of treatment was less than 21%. Our analysis demonstrated that a test with far greater sensitivity than leukocyte count or other tests currently in use is needed to justify testing rather than treating empirically. Further, an enormous patient population would be needed to find a difference of both clinical and statistical significance between treated and untreated patients in a controlled trial. In the absence of such trials, we recommend blood culture and empiric antibiotic treatment of all infants at risk for occult bacteremia.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗