Carvedilol prevents myocardial fibrosis in hamsters

The objective of the present study was to determine if carvedilol protects against myocardial degeneration and fibrotic change, and reduces mortality in TO2 hamsters. Carvedilol was administered intraperitoneally to 8 week-old TO2 hamsters for 21 weeks at a dose of 11 mg/kg/day. There were 15 TO2 hamsters in the carvedilol group (group C) and 10 in the untreated group (group N). The control group consisted of 11 Fb hamsters (group F). The mortality rate was determined from the number of surviving hamsters after 29 weeks. Myocardial fibrosis was evaluated by MRI and histopathological examination. EF and LVDd were determined by echocardiography at 8 and 29 weeks, while the MRI score was calculated at 29 weeks. Mortality, histopathological fibrosis, and MRI score were all lower in group C than in group N. Carvedilol had a protective effect against myocardial fibrosis and decreased the mortality rate in TO2 hamsters.     

Menopause is an independent factor augmenting the age-related increase in arterial stiffness in the early postmenopausal phase

The present study examined whether the menopause augments the age-related increase in brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (PWV). In total, 3149 women (ranging in age from 21 to 94 years) undergoing an annual health screening examination were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Conventional atherosclerotic risk factors were examined, and the brachial-ankle PWV of each subject was determined. The relationship between age and the brachial-ankle PWV assumed the form of a quadratic curve, and the slope of the curve was relatively steeper after the menopause (brachial-ankle PWV = 0.17 x age2 - 0.58 x age + 812) than before (brachial-ankle PWV = 0.23 x age2 - 8.92 x age + 1058). A logistic regression analysis conducted for subjects between the ages of 45 and 56 years (mean age of menopause +/- 2 standard deviations) demonstrated that women who had experienced the menopause at least 6 years previously demonstrated a significant risk of belonging to the highest PWV tertile {adjusted odds ratio: 2.08 (95% confidential interval: 1.04-4.17)}, independent of age and other atherosclerotic risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and smoking). Thus, this study suggested that the menopause augments the age-related increase in arterial stiffness during the early postmenopausal phase and that this augmentation is probably related, at least in part, to estrogen deficiency. The contribution of this menopause-related increase in arterial stiffness to the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women should be further evaluated.     

Imaging living mice using a 1-T compact MRI system

PURPOSE: To determine the feasibility of imaging living mice with a 1-T compact MRI system and investigate appropriate imaging techniques for use in routine animal experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An MRI system consisting of a 1-T permanent magnet and compact console was used. Images of the entire trunks of living mice were obtained on the system using a T1-weighted three-dimensional fast low-angle shot (3D FLASH) sequence, and image quality was evaluated in relation to imaging techniques. RESULTS: Restraint of respiratory motion improved the image quality. Decreasing the slice thickness reduced artificial inhomogeneity in signal intensity (SI). Substantial effects of TR and FA on image quality were also demonstrated. With the determined techniques, images covering the entire trunk with a voxel size of 0.26x0.26x0.52 mm were acquired in an acquisition time of five minutes 28 seconds and a total experiment time of <20 minutes, and various organs and subcutaneous tumors were clearly visualized. CONCLUSION: The compact MRI system provides images of living mice with acceptable quality in a reasonable time. Considering its convenience, it appears to be suitable for use in routine mouse experiments.     

Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: evaluation of long-term survivors under highly active antiretroviral therapy

Purpose  The aim of this study was to clarify the early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and to evaluate the relations of the clinical course and serial MRI findings in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related PML treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Materials and methods  The clinical course and serial MRI findings in five patients with AIDS-related PML who were treated with HAART are described. Results  Although all five patients were serologically naive to the therapy and alive at the end of the observation period, the lesions showed rapid extension on MRI for up to 3 months after the start of the therapy, and clinical symptoms progressed rapidly for a month after the start of the therapy. Newer margins in spreading lesions showed a diffuse pale hyperintensity and/or many discrete hyperintense dots on T2-weighted images Conclusion  Early PML lesions may show a characteristic appearance on T2-weighted images. We should be aware of the progression of AIDS-related PML even under serologically effective HAART.     

Severe hyperglycemic shock associated with hepatic portal venous gas

We report a case of hyperglycemic shock associated with hepatic portal venous gas. A 79-year-old woman with post-stroke depression developed severe tachycardiac atrial fibrillation and hypotension due to hypovolemia caused by severe hyperglycemia, as well as showing disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Continuous intravenous infusion of insulin and volume loading with normal saline gradually achieved normalization of the serum glucose level and hemodynamic stability. However, the DIC did not resolve, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) in the left lobe of the liver. Surgery was thus considered mandatory. However, because severe hemodynamic lability occurred again immediately after the CT examination, and persisted, surgery could not be performed, and the patient died of septic shock due to bowel perforation. It was concluded that the underlying causes of DIC should be sought promptly, without delay.     

Primary synovial sarcoma of the left heart with large amount of necrotic tissue

We present a case of primary synovial sarcoma arising from the left heart, an extremely rare occurrence, with a large amount of necrotic tissue, which suggested a poor prognosis. After incomplete tumor resection, chemotherapy and radiation therapy were performed; however, PET/CT findings at 26 months after the operation revealed local recurrence. Although we performed two additional operations following chemotherapy, the patient died from local recurrence at 36 months after the initial operation. In this case of synovial sarcoma arising from the left heart, even though aggressive multimodality therapy was performed, the prognosis was still poor.     

Brachial -- ankle pulse wave velocity is a simple and independent predictor of prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Although a very simple method of measuring brachial -- ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) has become available in a clinical setting, whether baPWV can predict future cardiovascular events remains uncertain. We examined whether baPWV is a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS AND RESULTS: baPWV measurement was performed in 215 consecutive patients with ACS. During the follow-up period (26+/-10 months), 46 patients experienced post-hospitalization cardiovascular events (18 patients experienced a major event (eg, stroke, re-admission for heart failure or cardiac death), and 28 patients experienced coronary re-intervention). A receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated that the best cut-off point of a baPWV for predicting a post-hospitalization cardiovascular event was 17.00 m/s and that for predicting a major cardiovascular event was 18.00 m/s. After the adjustment for the conventional risk factors influencing the prognosis, a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that both cut-off points of baPWV had a significant hazard ratio for a post-hospitalization event: 5.47 (2.69-11.09) and for a major cardiovascular event: 9.22 (2.78-30.56). CONCLUSIONS: baPWV is a simple predictor of the prognosis of patients with ACS that is independent of conventional risk factors for ACS.     

Doxorubicin-heparin complex: reduction of cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin

We have compared the antitumor activity and cardiotoxicity of free doxorubicin (Dox) and doxorubicinheparin complex in vivo and in vitro. Dox and Dox-heparin complex equally inhibited the DNA synthesis of leukemic cells and showed a similar anticancer activity against tumor-bearing mice. Acute toxicity of Dox at the dose of 20 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg was significantly more profound than that of the Dox-heparin complex, which was demonstrated by survival rate (P<0.01). Chronic toxicities of Dox and the Dox-heparin complex were compared by giving the respective reagent (2 mg/kg) weekly for 20 weeks. The weight gains of the mice given Dox-heparin complex were greater than those of the mice given Dox alone (P<0.01). The pathological damage to the cardiac tissue in mice treated with Dox-heparin complex was significantly less severe than that of mice treated with Dox. Thus, the present study indicates that complexing with heparin diminished the acute and chronic toxicity of Dox without reducing its antitumor activity in mice, and suggests a possible clinical application of Dox-heparin complex in humans.Abbreviation Dox doxorubicin     

Serum n3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Are Depleted in Crohn's Disease

To determine fatty acid patterns in Crohn'sdisease, we measured various serum fatty acids by gaschromatography in 20 patients with the disease andcompared them with those in 18 healthy controls. All the patients had been free from any nutritionalsupplementation during preceding six months or had nohistory of intestinal resection. Eight of the patientswere affected in the small bowel only, three in the large bowel only, and the remaining ninein both the small and large bowel. Both serumconcentrations and percentages of C_20:4n6,C_20:5n3, C_22:0,C_22:6n3, total n3 polyunsaturated fattyacids, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids were lower in the patients than inthe controls. Both essential fatty acids(C_18:2n6, C_18:3n3) andC_20:3n9 levels were not different between thetwo groups. Among nine fatty acids that correlated with the Crohn's disease activity index,C_20:5n3 and total n3 polysaturated fattyacids showed the most significant negative correlations.These findings suggest that essential fatty aciddeficiency rarely occurs in Crohn's disease and alsothat n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be relevantto the activity of the disease.