Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in the region of the aortic bifurcation. The two-balloon technique with results and long-term follow-up study

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of lesions located at the bifurcation of vessels, especially the aortic bifurcation, has been considered contraindicated because of possible occlusion or embolization of the contralateral vessel. With the evolution of angioplasty techniques and the development of new balloon catheters, these lesions can now be successfully treated with the kissing balloon technique. This technique was used to dilate 61 atherosclerotic vascular lesions in 32 patients with vascular insufficiency. The procedure was successful in 58 atherosclerotic stenoses in 30 patients. Because of the high blood flow and large size of these vessels, beneficial clinical results can be anticipated following successful dilatation. Follow-up study, extending for as long as 53 months, suggests the durability of the procedure and that the kissing balloon technique should be considered as a viable alternative to surgery in dilatable lesions of the aortic bifurcation.     

Difficult mammographic needle localizations: use of alternate orthogonal projections

Lesions deep within the breast are occasionally visible on only one standard mammographic projection and are therefore difficult to localize preoperatively. Such abnormalities can often be visualized on two orthogonal 45 degrees oblique views. In these cases, needle localizations may be performed in a routine manner without computed tomography or stereotactic methods.     

人尿中卡鲁睾酮的代谢产物研究

使用GC/MS方法对人尿中卡鲁睾酮(calusterone)的代谢情况进行了研究。尿样经XAD-2树脂柱吸附、酶水解、乙醚萃取及三甲基硅烷衍生化处理后,使用毛细管柱进行GC/MS分析,鉴定了7种代谢物,从而推导出卡鲁睾酮在人体中的代谢模式。     

Localization of motor-related proteins and associated complexes to active, but not inactive, centromeres

Multicentric chromosomes are often found in tumor cells and certain cell lines. How they are generated is not fully understood, though their stability suggests that they are non-functional during chromosome segregation. Growing evidence has implicated microtubule motor proteins in attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle and in chromosome movement. To better understand the molecular basis for the inactivity of centromeres associated with secondary constrictions, we have tested these structures by immunofluorescence microscopy for the presence of motor complexes and associated proteins. We find strong immunoreactivity at the active, but not inactive, centromeres of prometaphase multicentric chromosomes using antibodies to the cytoplasmic dynein intermediate chains, three components of the dynactin complex (dynamitin, Arp1 and p150 Glued ), the kinesin-related proteins CENP-E and MCAK and the proposed structural and checkpoint proteins HZW10, CENP-F and Mad2p. These results offer new insight into the assembly and composition of both primary and secondary constrictions and provide a molecular basis for the apparent inactivity of the latter during chromosome segregation.      

Turcot syndrome: a report of 2 cases

The authors describe two patients with the association of polyposis-coli and central nervous system tumor (Turcot's syndrome). Clinical, genetic and therapeutic aspects are discussed.     

Anxiolytic effect in the elevated plus-maze of the NMDA receptor antagonist AP7 microinjected into the dorsal periaqueductal grey

In order to localise the often reported anxiolytic action of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (AP7) was injected into the dorsal periaqueductal grey (DPAG) of rats exposed to the elevated plus-maze model of anxiety. Doses of 0.2, 2 and 20 nmol AP7 caused a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of open arm entries, the effect of the last two doses being significantly different from control. A non-significant tendency to increase the percentage of time spent on the open arms of the maze was also noticed. In contrast, the total number of entries into either the open or enclosed arms was not affected. Injections of AP7 localized outside the DPAG were ineffective. Therefore, microinjection of AP7 into the DPAG caused a selective anxiolytic effect in the elevated plusmaze. It may be suggested that the DPAG is a site of the anxiolytic action of NMDA antagonists reported following systemic administration.     

Residual mediastinal masses in Hodgkin disease: prediction of size with MR imaging

Eighteen patients with mediastinal involvement of Hodgkin disease were examined with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and during therapy to find out if size of residual masses could be predicted from the MR characteristics of the tumor at diagnosis. After the first treatment, a significant decrease in T2 values and signal intensity ratios of tumor to fat and tumor to muscle was found in all patients. There was no significant change in T1 values. The relative decrease in tumor size correlated well with signal intensity ratios and poorly with T2 values of the original tumor. No correlation with T1 values was found. The authors conclude that size of the residual mass can be predicted from the initial size of the tumor and the signal intensity ratios at diagnosis. Since the degree of low signal intensity in the tumor before treatment probably reflects the amount of fibrotic tissue, these results support the hypothesis that residual masses after treatment are remnants of the fibrotic stroma of the original tumor.     

Renal artery thrombosis occurring in an adult with the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome: results of local treatment with streptokinase

A 55 year old male with the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (minimal glomerular lesions by light microscopy and negative immunofluorescent stainings) presented righ renal artery thrombosis as evidenced by clinical and arteriographic findings. Local Streptokinase infusion by means of a renal artery catheter resulted in revascularization of the arterial tree, although recovery of renal function was only partial.