Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0032285 (pneumonia)
 54,520 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Amiodarone (ADR), a new antiarrhythmic drug for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, causes pneumonitis or lung fibrosis in a sizeable minority of patients. The cause of lung damage is not known. We have shown that infusion of 10 mg amiodarone into the inflow circuit of ventilated and perfused rabbit lungs causes immediate increase in pulmonary artery pressure (mean +/- SEM) (from 13.6 +/- 1.2 to 40.6 +/- 9.5 mm Hg, p less than 0.01) and pulmonary edema with marked increase in the pulmonary generation of thromboxane and leukotrienes C4 and/or D4. Albumin (2 g%) in the perfusate prevents any increase in lung perfusion pressure or edema formation. When lung perfusion pressure increase is blocked with the combined cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibitor enolicam sodium (CG5391B, 35 microM in perfusate), significant lung edema still occurs after amiodarone, indicating that amiodarone causes increased alveolar-capillary membrane permeability. Addition of catalase (100 U/ml) or superoxide dismutase and catalase (100 U/ml each) to perfusate fails to protect from amiodarone lung injury. Immediate infusion of amiodarone (10 mg) into lungs ventilated with room air (ADR + RA) causes an increase in lung weight gain from baseline (delta W) of 5.7 +/- 1.5 g/min. Compared with ADR + RA, ventilation of lungs with 4% O2 (delta W = 0.7 +/- 0.3 g/min, p less than 0.05), pretreatment of rabbits for 3 days with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA, 100 mg/kg/day i.p., delta W = 0.05 +/- 0.02 g/min, p less than 0.01), pretreatment of rabbits for 3 days with vitamin E (Vit E, 300 U/day orally, delta W = 0.6 +/- 0.2 g/min, p less than 0.05), or addition of N-acetylcysteine to the lung perfusate (NAC, 5 mM, delta W = 0.1 +/- 0.08 g/min, p less than 0.01) all protect from lung edema formation after amiodarone. Amiodarone (100 mg) also caused a marked increase in luminol-enhanced lung chemiluminescence, lung production of superoxide anion (O2-), and tissue levels of lung glutathione disulfide. These results suggest that amiodarone causes lung injury by an oxidant mechanism.
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PMID:Amiodarone causes acute oxidant lung injury in ventilated and perfused rabbit lungs. 245 31

Plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BAL), and lung parenchyma were analyzed for vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentrations in three groups of patients routinely receiving oxygen therapy--two with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS and SARDS), a third with pneumonia (PNEU), as well as a fourth group of patients receiving little or no oxygen therapy (OTHER). Only plasma alpha- and gamma-tocopherols were significantly lower in patients receiving oxygen therapy compared to those not requiring oxygen. Among diagnosis groups, PNEU patients exhibited highest levels of alpha-tocopherol in BAL, though all groups on oxygen had greater amounts of alpha-tocopheryl quinone in BAL as compared to those of the OTHER group. No significant differences in BAL measures were observed between oxygen and non-oxygen groups, however. No statistical tests on lung measures could be performed between these groups because of insufficient sampling for the OTHER group. A highly significant relationship was observed (r = +0.73, p less than 0.004) between plasma vitamin E and lung vitamin E when expressed in terms of PUFA, whereas no significant relationship was observed if plasma vitamin E and lung vitamin E levels were compared directly. No relationship was obtained for BAL alpha-tocopherol (expressed per number of cells) and lung alpha-tocopherol. These findings support previous reports that in an appropriate setting plasma vitamin E:PUFA ratios along with smoking status may be used to evaluate lung vitamin E levels when also expressed in terms of PUFA.
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PMID:Comparison of vitamin E levels in plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage, and lung tissues of adult pulmonary patients. 276 Mar 52

The results of a survey of the major pathological conditions encountered in an established breeding colony of common cotton-eared marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) is presented. 265 home-bred and 70 imported wild-caught marmosets were examined. A Heinz body haemolytic anaemia and skeletal muscle myopathy were the most common pathological findings and were considered to be a result of a complex nutritional deficiency involving vitamin E, selenium and protein. Inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract was also a major feature. Chronic colitis was particularly common in older marmosets. Pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis and brain abscesses were important pathological findings in home-bred marmosets and were commonly associated with bacterial infections, particularly Bordetella bronchiseptica and Klebsiella species. Trichospirura leptostoma within pancreatic ducts of wild-caught marmosets was the only significant parasitic disease encountered. Mycotic infections of the upper alimentary tract with Candida species were occasional findings in debilitated animals. No pathological features suggesting viral diseases were found.
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PMID:A survey of the pathology of marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) derived from a marmoset breeding unit. 643 Nov 78

In order to study nutritional assessment and nutritional support therapy for elderly patients, we conducted energy supply therapy on 15 elderly (aged over 75) patients disabled with diseases such as cerebrovascular disease, pneumonia and heart failure. After recovery from acute phase, they were divided into 3 groups, and assigned to 3 different energy supply methods for 2 weeks: Six (3 males, 3 females) could take hospital diet, but only could absorb about 50% of the energy, amounting only 1,000 to 1,400 kcal/day. Additional 246 kcal was given by peripheral parental nutrition (PPN). Five (2 males, 3 females) were unable to take nutrition orally. Therefore, they were given high caloric nutrients by total parental nutrition (TPN), giving (1,222 kcal daily for a week), then 1,666 kcal for another week. Four (1 male, 3 females) also could not take meals orally, and had to be nourished by enteral nutrition (EN) with a nutrient preparation of 1,120 kcal for one week, then with 1,600 kcal for another week. In all 3 groups, the indices of rapid turnover proteins (pre-albumin, retinol binding protein and transferrin), choline esterase and vitamin A significantly elevated after 2 weeks of therapy, though the increase of pre-albumin and RBP in TPN group was slightly below the significant level. The increase in rapid turnover proteins and choline esterase was greater in the order of EN, TPN and PPN. Vitamin C, on the other hand, decreased significantly with treatment in all the groups, while vitamin E remained unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Nutritional assessment and nutritional support therapy in elderly patients]. 836 Oct 76

Data collected from 365 calves dead from stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome were analysed to determine the predictive value of thyroid gland weight as an indicator of abnormality of the thyroid gland, and to examine the relationships between abnormality of the thyroid gland and other findings in the calves and also the parity of the dam. There was a significant relationship (P < 0.001) between the thyroid gland weight and bodyweight for the calves with a histologically normal thyroid gland, but there was no such relationship for calves with an abnormal thyroid gland. Only 1.1 per cent of the histologically normal thyroid glands weighed more than 30 g, indicating that there is a very high probability that glands weighing more than 30 g are abnormal. However, 76.0 per cent of moderately to severely affected glands weighed less than 30 g. The following significant differences between calves with an abnormal and those with a normal thyroid gland were established. Abnormal thyroid glands were significantly heavier (P < 0.01), constituted a significantly greater percentage of the calf's bodyweight (P < 0.01) and had a significantly lower iodine concentration (P < 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of calves with an abnormal thyroid gland had uninflated lungs (P < 0.01), and a significantly higher proportion had pneumonia (P < 0.01). Abnormal thyroid glands were associated with a low selenium concentration in the kidneys. There were no associations between abnormalities of the thyroid gland and the parity of the dam, the presence of skeletal fractures, the weight or sex of the calf, infection with leptospira, Salmonella dublin, Bacillus species, Actinomyces pyogenes or Aspergillus species, the quantities of hepatic iron pigment, liver vitamin E concentration or serum cholesterol concentration.
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PMID:Stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome: a study of calves with an abnormal thyroid gland. 881 88

The present study was carried out in order to examine the efficiency of selenium/vitamin E on the health status in the first eight weeks of life in Se-deficient neonate calves. The experiments were done with 54 calves from two farms. Animals with low selenium level p.n. (< 40 micrograms/l) were randomly classified alternatively to be treated (gr. I) or to serve as control (gr. II). The calves of group I were treated with 0.2 mg selenium and 60 mg vitamin E per kg body weight subcutaneously on the first and third day p.n.; they got another treatment with half of the dosage in the fourth week of life. Group II received a placebo (0.9% sterile NaCl-solution). Clinical and haematological examination brought following results: Group I showed a lower infection rate and the duration of infection (especially in the case of pneumonia) was shorter than in the controls. During two days, after initial selenium substitution, the GSH-Px-activity was clearly higher in the animals of group I. The amount of antibiotics and special diets per calf was lower in group I. In conclusion it can be said, that the application of selenium and vitamin E seemed to improve the status of health in the Se-deficient calves, although the results could not be assured statistically.
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PMID:[Effects of a selenium/vitamin E substitution on the development of newborn calves on selenium-deficient farms]. 971 Sep 21

In newborn infants, group B streptococci (GBS) often cause pneumonia, with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) migrating into the lungs. Because surfactant therapy may be needed in such patients, we evaluated the interaction between GBS or GBS-stimulated PMN and a surfactant preparation (Curosurf) in vitro. The superoxide production of GBS strains or GBS-activated PMN was measured, using the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test and the subsequent lipid peroxidation (LPO) as the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxyalkenals (4-HNE). The growth of GBS in surfactant was determined and related to the LPO. Finally, the effect of LPO on surfactant activity, caused by GBS-stimulated PMN, was assessed by measuring dynamic surface tension in a pulsating bubble surfactometer. Curosurf diminished the NBT reduction by both live GBS and GBS-stimulated PMN. Surfactant was peroxidized by reactive oxygen species (ROS) from both GBS and GBS-stimulated PMN in a time-dependent manner. Vitamin E significantly reduced the peroxidation level of surfactant in both cases. Surfactant peroxidation was associated with a reduction in the number of live bacteria. The biophysical activity of Curosurf was impaired by GBS-stimulated PMN, as reflected by increased minimum surface tension during cyclic compression. These findings indicate that Curosurf undergoes LPO by ROS produced by GBS and/or PMN. We speculate that exogenous surfactant preparations should be supplemented with vitamin E or another antioxidant, when given to infants with GBS pneumonia.
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PMID:Direct and phagocyte-mediated lipid peroxidation of lung surfactant by group B streptococci. 1114 15

Autopsy reports by pathologists in geriatric hospitals reveal that the leading direct cause of death in the elderly over 65 years of age are infectious diseases such as pneumonia and urinary tract infection, neither cancer nor vascular diseases in the brain and heart. This indicates that severe impairment of immune functions is developing in the elderly people. The impairment of immune functions does not occur abruptly in the elderly people. The immune function starts to decline as early as at the 2nd decades, showing approximately 50 and 90% decline at the 5th and 8th decades, respectively. Thus, immunological restoration is acutely needed for the improvement of their general health condition of the elderly. This report communicates several methods of immunological restoration using animal models and suggests possibilities of human application. Methods presented are: (1) a low dose of cyclophosphamide; (2) vitamin E; (3) Japanese herbal medicines; (4) caloric restriction and exercise; (5) vaccine; (6) oral administration of antigens; (7) grafting of cells and tissues, including a future program. Discussion will be made on the possibilities of these methods for human application.
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PMID:Animal models and possible human application of immunological restoration in the elderly. 1204 55

The age-related decline in immune function may predispose individuals to increased infection risk. Nutrition is an important determinant of immunocompetence, but vitamin supplementation in relation to infection has not been evaluated extensively in well-nourished populations. We evaluated the associations between intakes of antioxidants and B vitamins and risk of community-acquired pneumonia in well-nourished, middle-aged and older men. This was a prospective study conducted between 1990 and 2000 among 38,378 male, U.S. health professionals, aged 44 to 79 y in 1990. Participants answered a detailed 131-item FFQ to assess diet and also provided information on vitamin supplement use. We included those who at the onset had no history of pneumonia, myocardial infarction, stroke, other heart disease, arterial surgery, cancer or asthma, and also had complete dietary data. There were 446 new cases of nonfatal community-acquired pneumonia during 145,878 person-years of follow-up. After adjustment for age, smoking, BMI, alcohol use, physical activity, diabetes and total energy intake, there were no associations between total intakes of antioxidants or B vitamins and pneumonia risk. After excluding men who took vitamin E supplements, vitamin E intake from food sources only was inversely associated with pneumonia risk (multivariate relative risk comparing extreme quintiles = 0.58, 95% CI, 0.39-0.86, P-value test for trend = 0.01). Vitamin supplements are unlikely to reduce pneumonia risk in well-nourished, middle-aged and older men.
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PMID:Vitamin intake is not associated with community-acquired pneumonia in U.S. men. 1474 86

Group B streptococcal (GBS) pneumonia, with neutrophilic granulocytes immigrating into the lungs, may occur in neonates. The incidence is particularly high among preterm infants, who often are treated with exogenous surfactant. We have previously demonstrated in vitro that neutrophils stimulated by GBS cause lipid peroxidation (LPO) and functional impairment of lung surfactant. The present study aimed at evaluating LPO of exogenous lung surfactant (Curosurf) and the protective effect of the natural antioxidant, vitamin E in immature ventilated newborn rabbits with experimental neonatal GBS pneumonia. There was a prominent proliferation of GBS in the lungs of animals treated with surfactant and ventilated for 5 h. GBS-infected rabbits had a higher LPO of lung lavage fluid than non-infected ones. The LPO could be diminished using vitamin E, which, however, did not affect bacterial proliferation. During the 5-h incubation period, mean lung-thorax compliance values were significantly lower in GBS-infected than in noninfected animals. We speculate that addition of vitamin E to exogenous surfactant preparations may improve their resistance to LPO and make them more suitable for treatment of neonates with pneumonia.
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PMID:Lipid peroxidation of lung surfactant in experimental neonatal group B streptococcal pneumonia. 1513 80


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