Variations of the origin of the artery of the sinoatrial node in normal human hearts

Summary The artery of the sino-atrial node was studied in 100 normal human hearts after injection of each coronary artery with coloured gelatine containing a radiopaque substance. The hearts belonged to 69 males and 31 females, being 64 Caucasians and 36 non-Caucasians (Negroes and Mulattoes) whose age ranged from 7 to 80 years. Since the individuals had committed suicide or were victims of accidents, their hearts, after pathologists' evaluation, were considered normal. The sinoatrial node of the normal human heart is supplied by the right coronary artery more frequently (58%±4.9% of the cases) than by the left (42%±4.9). The right anterior medial atrial artery, originating from the right coronary at the level of the medial third of the right anterior quadrant of the atrial dome, is most frequently (50%±5) responsible for the blood supply of the sinoatrial node. Among the branches of the left coronary artery, the left anterior medial atrial artery, originating at the level of the medial third of the left. anterior quadrant of the atrial cupola, was the most frequent blood supplier (25%±4.3) of the sinoatrial node. The origin of the artery of the sinoatrial node from the proximal portion or trunk of the left coronary artery was less frequent (12%±3.2) than the origin from the circumflex artery (30%±4.5). Neither sex nor race influenced the variations of the origin of the sino-atrial node.

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Variations d'origine de l'artère du noeud sinu-atrial du coeur humain normal

Résumé L'a. du noeud sinu-atrial a été étudiée sur 100 coeurs humains normaux après injection de chaque a. coronaire à la gélatine colorée additionnée d'une substance radio-opaque. Les coeurs provenaient de 69 hommes et 31 femmes, 64 caucasiens et 36 non caucasiens (nègres et mulâtres) âgés de 7 à 80 ans. Ces sujets étant décédés par suicide ou des suites d'accidents, leurs coeurs ont été considérés comme normaux après examen anatomo-pathologique. Le noeud sinu-atrial du coeur humain est vascularisé par l'a. coronaire droite plus fréquemment (58 %±4,9) que par l'a. coronaire gauche (42 %±4). L'a. atriale antéro-médiale droite, issue de l'a. coronaire droite au niveau du tiers médial du quadrant antérieur droit du dôme atrial est l'artère la plus fréquemment en cause (50 %±5) dans la vascularisation du noeud sinuatrial. Parmi les branches de l'a. coronaire gauche, l'a. atriale antéro-médiale gauche, née au niveau du tiers médial du quadrant antérieur gauche du dôme atrial, était la branche la plus fréquemment en cause (25 %±4,3) dans la vascularisation du noeud sinu-atrial. La naissance de l'a. du noeud sinu-atrial à partir de la partie proximale ou du tronc de l'a. coronaire gauche était moins fréquente (12 %±3,2) que son origine à partir du rameau circonflexe (30 %±4,5). Les variations d'origine de l'a. du noeud sinu-atrial n'apparaissaient pas influencées par le sexe ou la race.

     

Potentiation of FMD vaccines with polycationic-nucleic acid complexes

Summary The effect of various polycations on the immune response potentiated with poly I:C was studied. It was found that low molecular weight polycations had no potentiating effect. Polylysine was ineffective whereas protamine was superior to lysozyme, poly-arginine, poly-histidine, DEAE-Dextran and histone.A foot-and-mouth disease trivalent vaccine composed of strains A₂₄ Cruzeiro, O₁ Caseros and C₂ Resende elicited no immune response in swine when adjuvanted with aluminium hydroxide but was effective when emulsified in oil. In general, the immune response was potentiated ten-fold when the emulsion contained poly I:C. The antibody production was in most cases further potentiated by a factor of ten when the nucleic acid double-strand was complexed with 1:10 (w/w) DEAE-Dextran. Protamine was as effective, or perhaps even more, than DEAE-Dextran to this effect.Guinea pigs vaccinated with a water-in-oil emulsion type monovalent C₃ vaccine showed an increase in antibody production when the vaccine contained poly I:C or poly I:C complexed with 1:10 (w/w) protamine.With 4 Figures     

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in association with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis: Views over hidden possibilities

Background  

CD4+ T lymphocyte (CD4) cell count testing is the standard method for determining eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART), but is not widely available in sub-Saharan Africa. Total lymphocyte counts (TLCs) have not proven sufficiently accurate in identifying subjects with low CD4 counts. We developed clinical algorithms using TLCs, hemoglobin (Hb), and body mass index (BMI) to identify patients who require ART.     

Analysis of human papillomavirus prevalence and TP53 polymorphism in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is a disease associated with tobacco and alcohol abuse. There is evidence that the oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) may also be a risk for upper aerodigestive tract cancers. High-risk HPVs encode two early proteins, E6 and E7, that can bind to p53 and pRb, respectively, and induce its degradation or inactivation. The TP53 gene has a single polymorphism at codon 72 of exon 4 that encodes either arginine (Arg) or proline (Pro). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of HPV infection and TP53 polymorphism in head and neck cancer. We analyzed 50 tumors, as well swabs of oral mucosa from 142 control individuals, with a polymerase chain reaction technique. The prevalence of HPV in controls was 10.6% and in cancer specimens 16%. The frequency distribution of genotypes in controls was 50% Arg/Arg, 43% Arg/Pro and 7% Pro/Pro; in tumors, it was 52% Arg/Arg, 32% Arg/Pro, and 16% Pro/Pro. Contrary to the results of some studies on cervical cancer, no association between any TP53 genotype or allele and the development of head and neck cancer was observed, regardless of HPV status, except for the Pro/Pro genotype, which is associated with the absence of HPV. The arginine allele appears to protect against head and neck cancers. Also, the data showed that HPV infection results in no increased risk of developing head and neck tumors.     

Catalase activity in cerebellum, hippocampus, frontal cortex and striatum after status epilepticus induced by pilocarpine in Wistar rats

The mechanism underlying the vulnerability of the brain to status epilepticus (SE) induced by pilocarpine remains unknown. Oxidative stress has been implicated in a variety of acute and chronic neurologic conditions, including SE. The present study was aimed at was investigating the changes in catalase activity after pilocarpine-induced seizures and SE. The Control group was treated with 0.9% saline (NaCl, subcutaneously (s.c.)) and sacrificed 1h after the treatment. Another group was treated with pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, s.c., Pilocarpine group) and sacrificed 1h after treatment. The catalase activity in the cerebellum, hippocampus, frontal cortex and striatum of Wistar rats was determined. The results have shown that pilocarpine administration and resulting SE produced a significant increase in the catalase activity in the hippocampus (36%), striatum (31%) and frontal cortex (15%) of treated adult rats. Nevertheless, in the adult rat cerebellum after SE induced by pilocarpine no change was observed in the catalase activity. Our results demonstrated a direct evidence of an increase in the activity of the scavenging enzyme (catalase) in different cerebral structures during seizure activity that could be responsible for eliminating oxygen free radicals and might be one of the compensatory mechanisms to avoid the development of oxidative stress during the establishment of SE induced by pilocarpine. Our reports also indicate clear regional differences in the catalase activity caused by pilocarpine-induced seizures and SE and the hippocampus might be the principal area affected and cerebellum does not modify for this parameter studied during epileptic activity.     

EFFICACY OF SUCRALFATE IN PREVENTING GASTROINTESTINAL SIDE EFFECTS OF NSAIDs

To find out the efficacy of sucralfate in preventing gastrointestinal side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) a prospective, randomised single blind study was conducted from 1989 to 1992. Patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other long standing painful conditions, who were expected to receive NSAIDs for over three months, were recruited into the study. All medicines were discontinued for a period of 10–15 days prior to initial endoscopic assessment. NSAID therapy was started and the patients were randomised to receive either placebo (group A) or sucralfate (group B) in addition. Patient were reassessed clinically every week and an endoscopic examination was repeated after 6–8 weeks of follow-up. A total of 176 patients were studied in group A (n=91) and group B (n=85). At the end of 8 weeks gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 30.6% and 26.4% patients of group A and B respectively. Endoscopic assessment showed superficial lesions in 36.5% and 18.7% while endoscopic ulcer in 2.4% and 1.1% patients of groups A and B respectively. Thus in patients receiving chronic NSAID therapy, simultaneous administration of sucralfate reduces the incidence of superficial gastric lesions but has no significant effect on symptoms or ulcer formation.KEY WORDS: Gastropathy, Sucralfate, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs     

Effects of continuous exposure to light on behavioral dopaminergic supersensitivity.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the effects of long-term continuous exposure to light on dopaminergic supersensitivity induced by repeated treatment with haloperidol in rats. METHODS: Spontaneous general activity in an open-field (SGA) and stereotyped behavior induced by apomorphine (SB-APO) or amphetamine (SB-AMP) were used as experimental parameters. Rats were allocated to four groups in each experiment: saline-treated animals kept under a 12-hour light/dark cycle (LD) or 24-hour light/light cycle (LL), and 2 mg/kg haloperidol-treated animals kept under the above cycles. Plasma corticosterone concentration was also measured by radioimmunoassay in saline-treated rats kept under a LD or LL cycle. RESULTS: All the behavioral parameters used showed the development of central dopaminergic supersensitivity in rats kept under both cycles. Continuous exposure to light enhanced SGA and SB-AMP in both saline- and haloperidol-treated rats, but did not modify SB-APO. Animals kept under the LL cycle presented an increased plasma corticosterone concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that continuous exposure to light leads to an increase in dopaminergic function in both normal and "supersensitive" rats. This effect seems to be mediated by a presynaptic mechanism possibly involving corticosterone actions.     

Recovery from Duret hemorrhage: a rare complication after craniotomy--case report

A 44-year-old female presented with Duret hemorrhage due to transtentorial herniation by extradural hematoma as a complication after craniotomy for treatment of spontaneous middle cranial fossa cerebrospinal fluid leakage through the oval window. Brain computed tomography revealed linear hemorrhage in the midbrain and the rostral pons. She awoke after 2 weeks in a coma, despite showing ocular bobbing and bilateral intranuclear ophthalmoplegia. She was discharged from the hospital with minimal neurological defects. Duret hemorrhage is usually fatal, but this case shows that early surgical decompression is the most important factor to avoid the worst sequelae.