Partial Left Ventriculectomy and Limited Heart Transplantation Availability

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Partial left ventriculectomy, a novel cardiac volume reduction operation, is applied in countries without a developed heart transplantation program. We sought to determine its impact in our population of patients. METHODS: Partial left ventriculectomy was performed in 38 patients during the last 4 years. Basic inclusion criteria were nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and poor response to medical therapy for heart failure. Hemodynamic evaluation was carried out before and after operation. A modified surgical technique of mitral valve repair and ventricle suturing was applied. RESULTS: Thirty-day, 6-month, and 2-year survival rates were 82% +/- 7%, 65% +/- 8%, and 61% +/- 9%, respectively. Duration of heart failure symptoms was the only predictor of survival (p = 0.042). A high proportion of noncardiac causes of death was noted. Functional capacity in surviving patients improved at every successive measurement up to 1 year postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of partial left ventriculectomy in a country with limited heart transplantation availability had a great impact on the management of end-stage heart failure and may represent the only surgical option for some patients. The average cost per patient was substantially lower when compared to heart transplantation.     

Mutant androgen receptors in prostatic tumors distinguish between amino-acid-sequence requirements for transactivation and ligand binding

Mutant androgen receptors are thought to contribute to hormone resistance in prostate carcinoma. The part they play in this process, however, is ill-defined. Here we report on transactivation by 2 mutant androgen receptors from prostatic tumors with single amino-acid exchanges in their hormone-binding domains. These exchanges enhance the transactivation property of the receptors, particularly to androsterone and androstanediol, 2 metabolized derivatives of testosterone present in the prostate. Additionally, they enhance the transactivation potential of the mutant receptors to hydroxyflutamide, an anti-androgen frequently used in hormone ablation therapy. The increased transactivation by the mutant receptors did not result from altered affinity of the receptors to the inducing ligands nor from measurable changes in conformation of the liganded receptors. Thus the single amino-acid exchanges identify differences in amino-acid-sequence requirements for transactivation and ligand binding in the hormone-binding domain of the androgen receptor. These results provide new insights into ligand-dependent transactivation, and form a framework for the search for effective antagonists to be used in prostate-cancer therapy.     

Does the cerebellum contribute to specific aspects of attention?

We present data on attentional and neuropsychological functions of 16 patients with focal cerebellar lesions (13 tumours, 3 haematomas) compared to normative test data, and to 11 control subjects matched for age, gender, and years of education. Patients showed distinct deficits in qualitative aspects of a divided attention task, and in a working memory task. Performance in selective attention was unimpaired. The results support the concept that the cerebellum plays a role not only in motor, but also in higher cognitive functions. They are discussed on the basis of the idea that prediction and preparation are fundamental functions of the cerebellum. Therefore, the results confirm the idea that cerebellar lesions lead to reduced performance in specific attention tasks.     

Factors influencing the outcome after the operative treatment of cerebral aneurysms of anterior circulation

BACKGROUND: The influence of various factors on the outcome after the operative occlusion of the cerebral aneurysm was to be defined through the retrospective study on 111 surgically treated patients with aneurysm of anterior cerebral circulation. METHODS: Preoperative clinical condition was graded from 0 to V, according to Hunt & Hess. Postoperative outcome, defined as good or bad according to modified Glasgow Outcome Scale, was correlated in homogenous experimental groups with the following factors: gender, age, aneurysmal size, preoperative interval, nimodipine therapy, experience of surgical team and existence of chronic vascular diseases. RESULTS: Surgical outcome was good in 74.4% of males and 71.4% of females (p > 0.05); in 83.3% of patients with and 41.2% of patients without chronic diseases (p < 0.01); in 71.4% of patients underwent early, 83.3% of ones underwent postponed and 85% of those underwent late surgery (p > 0.05); in 81.5% of patients treated by nimodipine and in 41.7% of those untreated by the same drug (p < 0.01); in 78.9% of patients operated by the experienced surgical team and in 40% of those operated by less experienced surgical team (p < 0.01). In patients with both good and bad outcome, the mean age was 50.6 and 47.6 years (p > 0.05), and the mean aneurysmal size was 12.3 mm and 13.3 mm, respectively (p > 0.05). Before rupture, the mean size for aneurysms on the bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery was 14.3 mm, and for posterior communicating artery aneurysms only 9.7 mm (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Surgical outcome was significantly influenced by the existence of chronic diseases, nimodipine therapy and experience of surgical team, whereas gender, age, timing for surgery and aneurysmal size were not of significant influence.     

Enalapril versus captopril: a double-blind multicentre comparison in essential hypertension

A collective, multicentre (Ljubljana, Split, Zagreb) comparison of the antihypertensive effects between two angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) captopril and enalapril was made in 69 hypertensives of both sexes, having a diastolic blood pressure (DBP), following two weeks on a placebo, of between 110 and 130 mm Hg (14.7 and 17.3 kPa). There were 35 patients on enalapril (20-40 mg), and 34 on captopril (50-100 mg). Both drugs under study decreased significantly the mean DBP already after the first week of ACEI treatment (p less than 0.001). By the end of the trial (9th week) captopril had decreased the DBP in the supine position from the initial 180.3 +/- 15.3/117.7 +/- 6.4 mm Hg to 151.6 +/- 11.1/96.8 +/- 7.2 mm Hg. Enalapril had lowered the DBP more efficiently: from 182.7 +/- 16.7/118.7 +/- 7.7 to 145.6 +/- 12.8/92.2 +/- 6.4 mm Hg (p less than 0.05). The average reduction in mean DBP was 16.9% on captopril, and 20.9% on enalapril. Low dose ACEI monotherapy (i.e. 50 mg and 20 mg) achieved DBP normalization in 11.8% on captopril and in 26.4% on enalapril (p less than 0.01). There were no significant heart rate changes. The laboratory results did not change appreciably and there were no relevant side-effects, although particular attention was paid to the expected adverse reactions, such as cough, ageusia or proteinuria. It is concluded that the ACEIs under study showed comparable effectiveness within the used dose range, enalapril being more potent, longer acting, and possibly safer.