Intravascular foreign bodies: percutaneous retrieval

Percutaneous retrieval of an intravascular foreign body was performed in 20 patients. There were 14 through-the-needle intravenous catheter fragments. In four patients the embolized foreign body was a broken diagnostic catheter. One patient had a ventriculovenous broken catheter and another patient had a bullet in the pulmonary circulation. Eight foreign bodies were located in the superior vena cava, six in the pulmonary artery, two in the right side of the heart, one in the subclavian vein, one in the thoracic aorta, and two in the aortoiliac segment. Percutaneous retrieval was successful in 95% of the attempts. In one case the procedure was performed to dislodge the foreign body into a better position for surgical retrieval.     

The influence of vitamin E quinone on platelet structure, function, and biochemistry

Although the effects of vitamin E on platelet function have been investigated in vivo and in vitro, vitamin E quinone, a natural metabolite of vitamin E, has been virtually overlooked. This oxidized form of vitamin E inhibits platelet aggregation and secretion induced by various aggregating agents more effectively than vitamin E by a magnitude of 5-10-fold. Vitamin E and vitamin E quinone do not alter platelet ultrastructure or cellular concentrations of serotonin and adenine nucleotides, including cAMP. Inhibition of aggregation by vitamin E quinone occurs in the absence of detectable reduction of vitamin E quinone or oxidation of vitamin E and is readily reversed by washing the platelet. Only vitamin E quinone prevents arachidonic acid release and slightly inhibits cyclooxygenase, whereas both agents partially prevent calcium release from a platelet subcellular organelle. Vitamin E quinone also inhibited synthesis of prostacyclin by endothelial cells with basal synthesis in the presence of external arachidonic acid being less affected than thrombin-stimulated PGI2 production. The greater potency of vitamin E quinone in suppressing platelet function compared to vitamin E suggests that this quinone metabolite may be the better antithrombotic agent and possibly responsible for in vivo effects previously attributed to vitamin E.     

Antimicrobial and antispasmodic activity of leaf extract and fractions of Stachytarpheta cayennensis

ObjectiveTo investigate the antimicrobial activity of the methanol leaf extract (ME), n-hexane fraction (HF), ethylacetate fraction (EF) and methanol fraction (MF), of Stachytarpheta cayennensis C. Rich (verbenaceae) as well as to ascertain the antispasmodic effects of the ME and the various fractions (HF, EF and MF) on acetylcholine (Ach) and histamine (H) induced contractions on isolated guinea pig ileum.MethodsThe in vitro agar well diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial studies while the isolated tissue method was employed for the antispasmodic test. Organisms used were all clinical isolates of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger.ResultsThe extract and fractions exhibited dose dependent inhibition against all the bacteria tested and also exhibited insignificant antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract and fractions (mg/mL) on Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella paratyphi respectively were ME 5.62, 14.12, 22.38, 2.11; EF 1.25, 6.30, 9.40, 9.40 and MF 3.98, 8.81, 39.80, 21.13. The n-hexane fraction exhibited MIC of 1.07 mg/mL against only Bacillus subtilis. The extract and fractions exhibited significant (P< 0.05) dose dependent attenuation of contractions induced by acetylcholine and histamine on isolated guinea pig ileum. Concentrations of the extract and fractions (μg/mL) which evoked 50% inhibition of maximal response exhibited by Ach were ME 0.64, HF 0.16, EF 0.08 and MF 0.15, while that of histamine included ME 5.12, HF 0.16, EF 0.04 and MF 0.64. Preliminary phytochemical studies on the extract and fractions indicated the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, steroids and terpenoids.ConclusionsThe extract and fractions of Stachytarpheta cayennensis possessed both antibacterial and antispasmodic effects confirming the claimed use in folkloric medicine for wound healing and gastrointestinal ulceration.     

A stable, nonsense mutation associated with a case of infantile onset polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1)

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common single gene disorder resulting in renal failure. It is generally an adult onset disease, but rarely, cases of severe childhood polycystic disease arise in ADPKD families. The clear clinical anticipation in these pedigrees has led to the suggestion that the mutation may be an unstable trinucleotide repeat. We have now identified a nonsense mutation, Tyr3818Stop, in one such family (P117) within the major ADPKD gene, polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1). The mutation is shown to be a de novo change in the father, and of grandpaternal origin. PKD1 manifests as typical adult onset disease in the father, but is seen as severe disease, detected as enlarged polycystic kidneys in utero, in one of a pair of dizygotic twins; the other twin has the mutation but no evidence of cysts, consistent with an adult onset disease course. The finding of the same stable mutation associated with very different disease severity in this family indicates that phenotypic variation in PKD1 is not due to a dynamic mutation. It seems most likely that a small number of modifying factors may radically affect the course of disease in PKD1; identification of such factors will have important prognostic implications in this disorder.      

Muscle fiber dysfunction contributes to weakness in inclusion body myositis

Atrophy and fatty infiltration are important causes of muscle weakness in inclusion body myositis (IBM). Muscle weakness can also be caused by reduced specific force; i.e. the amount of force generated per unit of residual muscle tissue. This study investigates in vivo specific force of the quadriceps and ex vivo specific force of single muscle fibers in patients with IBM. We included 8 participants with IBM and 12 healthy controls, who all underwent quantitative muscle testing, quantitative MRI of the quadriceps and paired muscle biopsies of the quadriceps and tibialis anterior. Single muscle fibers were isolated to measure muscle fiber specific force and contractile properties. Both in vivo quadriceps specific force and ex vivo muscle fiber specific force were reduced. Muscle fiber dysfunction was accompanied by reduced active stiffness, which reflects a decrease in the number of attached actin-myosin cross-bridges during activation. Myosin concentration was reduced in IBM fibers. Because reduced specific force contributes to muscle weakness in patients with IBM, therapeutic strategies that augment muscle fiber strength may provide benefit to patients with IBM.     

Coating of Polypropylene Non-Woven Fabric with Layered Double Hydroxides Bearing Antioxidant and Antibacterial Natural Compounds

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) containing immobilized rosmarinic acid or eugenol have been employed to functionalize polypropylene (PP) non-woven fabric (NWF), commonly used to manufacture protective clothing such as surgical masks. Rosmarinic acid and eugenol have recognized biological activities, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory capabilities, and they have been employed in this work both as synthetic, commercial compounds and as raw mixtures extracted from agri-food matrices. These encapsulated hybrid systems have been designed to gradually release the active molecules while protecting them from degradation processes caused by light and heat. Two different NWF modification strategies have been employed to increase the adhesion capacity of the hybrids: cold plasma treatment with oxygen and polydopamine coating. Both methodologies have increased the amount of hybrid deposited on the NWF surfaces, giving significant resistance to thermo-oxidation, the controlled migratory capacity of active molecules, and, in the case of the eugenol-containing system, significant bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus.