Is Chronic Atrial Stimulation a Reliable Method for Single Chamber Pacing in Sick Sinus Syndrome?

To evaluate the feasibility of chronic atrial pacing (AAI) in sick sinus syndrome (SSS), 22 patients (pts) with bradytachycardia syndrome (BTS) and 17 patients with only bradyarrhythmias (BA) were studied on the incidence of supraventricular tachycardias (SVT) and occurring AV block. A scoring system based on symptoms of SVT was developed (grade 0–5). All patients had proven normal AV conduction before PM implantation. In the BTS-group, nine patients (41%) had symptomatic SVT at the end of follow-up (mean 53 months), despite drug therapy. These patients had a high SVT score on entry (mean 3.2). High degree AV block occurred in three patients. Although in the BA-group SVT arose in six patients (35%), there was only one symptomatic patient at the end of follow-up (mean 36 months). In this group, only one patient developed high degree AV block. Atrial stimulation should be considered as a reliable therapy in patients with SSS and low SVT score before PM implantation when normal AV conduction is present.     

Changes in work performances in obstructive sleep apnea patients after dental appliance therapy

Abstract The effects of dental appliances on work performances of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is not well examined. This study evaluated the polysomnographic and psychological findings before and after therapy. Nine patients were diagnosed OSAS by nocturnal polysomnography. The psychological battery was performed from 13:00 to 14:00, which consisted of Uchida-Kraepelin psychodiagnostic test (U-K's test) and Bourdon's cancellation test (Bourdon's test). Approximately 3 months after the treatment, the examinations were performed. Apnea and desaturation index decreased significantly after the therapy. In addition, sleep architecture improved after the therapy compared with that before the therapy. Dysfunction of task performances, such as mean level of work amounts in U-K's test, mean error, mean performance time and mean deviation in Bourdon's test improved after therapy. We conclude that dental appliances therapy is effective not only to apnea but also to work performance in OSAS.     

In ''undifferentiated'' PC12 cells, GERL is not segregated from the Golgi apparatus

Summary The present study examines the endocytosis of conjugates of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with ricin and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) in rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 line) cultured in the absence of nerve growth factor (NGF). In these cells acid phosphatase (ACPase) activity is not confined to a single cisterna and vesicles at the transaspect (mature face) of the Golgi apparatus which correspond to GERL of cultured neurons, neuroblastoma and other cell types. But ACPase is found in several cisternae of the Golgi apparatus as well as in lysosomes. On the other hand, thiamine pyrophosphatase activity, is found in a typical location within two or three cisternae of the Golgi apparatus near its transaspect. Following adsorptive endocytosis of HRP-labelled lectins (ricin-HRP or WGA-HRP) into PC12 cells, a reaction product is seen in dense bodies as well as in small vesicles and tubules throughout the cytoplasm, at the periphery of large vacuoles, in smooth and coated vesicles and tubules near the Golgi apparatus and in anastomosing tubules. The cisternae of the Golgi apparatus are not involved in the endocytosis of lectin-HRP. We concluded that in PC12 cells grown without NGF, unlike the case of cultured neurons and neuroblastoma cells, GERL is not segregated from the Golgi apparatus by either ACPase cytochemistry, or by the functional criterion of endocytosis of lectin-HRP conjugates.     

Intrahepatic bile duct and portal vein anatomy revisited

Seventeen normal cadaver livers were studied to assess the anatomic relationship of bile ducts to portal veins. The common bile duct, main portal vein, and hepatic artery were cannulated and injected with air, dilute contrast medium, and mineral oil, respectively. The livers were placed in anatomic position and examined with computed tomography. In the lateral segment of the left hepatic lobe, the bile ducts were anterior to the portal vein in seven cases, posterior in seven, and tortuous (ie, both anterior and posterior) in three. In the medial segment of the left lobe, the bile ducts were anterior in four cases, posterior in four, tortuous in three, and not seen in six. In the right lobe, the bile ducts were anterior in nine cases, posterior in five, tortuous in one, and not seen in two. In the porta hepatis, the bile ducts were anterior in ten cases, posterior in one, tortuous in five, and not seen in one. Histologic findings confirmed the anterior and posterior location of the bile ducts relative to the portal veins. These findings contradict the commonly held view of intrahepatic bile ducts being anterior to the portal vein and are clinically significant for techniques such as bile duct drainage.