Hyperoxia improves microvascular perfusion in a murine wound model

There is a need for a noninvasive method that measures wound angiogenesis. Hyperoxia is known to increase the appearance of new blood vessels in wounds, yet no study has confirmed increases in wound bed perfusion with periodic hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) exposure. This study investigates whether laser Doppler imaging is able to detect and quantify the enhancement of wound angiogenesis that is known to occur with intermittent HBO treatments. Full-thickness dorsal dermal wounds were created on mice randomized to hyperoxic (n = 14) and control (n = 15) groups. Hyperbaric oxygen was administered twice daily for 90 minutes each at 2.1 atmospheres for 7 days. Wound bed perfusion was measured by laser Doppler imaging on days 0, 7, and 10 postwounding. Wound blood flow increased significantly over baseline on day 7 and 10 in the hyperoxic group, but only on day 10 in the control group. Comparison between groups showed a 20% statistically significant increase in wound perfusion in HBO-treated animals compared to control on day 10 (p = 0.05). Laser Doppler imaging was able to detect and quantify the increase in wound bed perfusion resulting from intermittent HBO treatments and shows promise as a noninvasive measure of angiogenesis and wound healing.     

Effect of tourniquet on hemodynamic variables

The aim of this study is to identify the effect of time and pressure of tourniquet in blood pressure and pulse rate immediately after the releasing of tourniquet in the upper and lower extremity of the orthopedic surgeries. This retrospective study examined 206 consecutive patients. Comparisons of the systolic and diastolic pressure and heart rate were made before the induction of anesthesia and tourniquet inflation, and immediately after the deflation. In general, there was no significant difference in hemodynamic changes between the upper- and lower-limb with regard to the type of anesthesia. There was no significant correlation between systolic blood pressure and tourniquet pressure, while by increasing the tourniquet time significantly, the systolic blood pressure decreases immediately after the deflation. Interestingly, the considerable increase in age paralleled with a significant decrease in the systolic blood pressure. The effect of tourniquet time is more than the age. There was no significant correlation between the tourniquet pressure and tourniquet time with diastolic blood pressure. Simply the increase in age significantly paralleled with the mild decrease in diastolic blood pressure Orthopedic surgeons are recommended not to rely on the benefits of tourniquet to raise blood pressure due to hypotensive conditions after the deflation especially in the old.     

Role of Intralesional Bleomycin in the Treatment of Complicated Hemangiomas: Prospective Clinical Study

BACKGROUND: Hemangioma is the most common tumor of infancy. Although it has a basically benign nature and usually spontaneously regresses, a small percentage (5%) have complications that need treatment. Many different therapeutic modalities can be used in this tumor. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a new method of treatment (intralesional bleomycin injection) in complicated hemangiomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the Department of Radiation Oncology at Nemazee Hospital in Shiraz, Iran, from April 1992 to October 1998, 32 patients with complicated hemangioma were treated with four to six courses of direct injection of bleomycin into the lesion. RESULTS: After a minimum follow-up of 6 years, there was 70 to 100% regression in 18 patients, 50 to 70% in 7 cases, and less than 50% reduction in 7 patients. CONCLUSION: Intralesional injection of bleomycin is an easy, safe, and effective therapeutic modality in complicated cutaneous hemangiomas.     

Analgesic and antipyretic effects of Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Richard. Extract in rodents

The dried (elaterium) or fresh juice from Ecballium elaterium fruit is used in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions in popular medicine. In this study the elaterium is examined for its analgesic and antipyretic effects in several animal models. The elaterium exhibits both analgesic and antipyretic activities.     

A call for a gender specific approach to address the worldwide cardiovascular burden

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among non-communicable diseases are already a major public health challenge worldwide. A further increase in CVD is projected to occur over the next 25 years as a result of both adverse lifestyle changes and demographic shifts in the population age profile. The adverse impact of these health problems will affect women in particular, given the steady rise in the proportion of the aging population that will be women.The critical issue presently in the management of CVD is that we are not even adequately using the data that are available. Women still remain unaware that they are at risk, and information about women is not easily accessible to their physicians. This is a global issue and the need remains for worldwide initiatives with greater vigilance to identify these factors and make efforts to control them effectively.Currently, in scientific research, it is expected that the results of clinical research be analyzed for sex differences, sex- and gender-appropriateness, and sex- and gender-specific approaches for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and counseling. To address the care discrepancy, the global community needs to develop a conducive environment within a comprehensive policy and operational framework to achieve favorable lifestyles, and CVD risk factor reduction for both men and women.     

Resistance to recombinant human erythropoietin due to aluminium overload and its reversal by low dose desferrioxamine therapy.

Seventeen severely anaemic and transfusion-dependent haemodialysis patients with a haemoglobin less than 7 g/dl were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-Hu-EPO). Aluminium toxicity was diagnosed by a positive desferrioxamine (DFO) test and bone biopsy. Seven out of eight patients without aluminium toxicity responded to r-Hu-EPO therapy. Similarly all patients with aluminium toxicity (n = 4) but pre-treated with standard dose of DFO prior to r-Hu-EPO therapy responded but none of the patients with untreated aluminium toxicity (n = 5) responded to r-Hu-EPO therapy. In order to achieve adequate response in these patients, r-Hu-EPO and DFO had to be given in combination. The dose of desferrioxamine used to reverse r-Hu-EPO resistance was less and also used for a short time. We therefore confirm r-Hu-EPO resistance owing to aluminium overload and report its successful and safe reversal with low dose DFO therapy.     

Alpha-adrenoceptors in dog mesenteric vessels--subcellular distribution and number of [3H]prazosin and [3H]rauwolscine binding sites.

Binding of the alpha-adrenergic antagonists [3H]prazosin and [3H]rauwolscine to well-characterized subcellular membrane fractions isolated from dog mesenteric arteries and veins was studied. Binding of both ligands was saturable with Kd values of 0.5 +/- 0.1 nM for [3H]prazosin and 5.85 +/- 0.85 nM for [3H]rauwolscine in arteries, and 0.87 +/- 0.4 nM for [3H]prazosin and 6.6 +/- 1.5 nM for [3H]rauwolscine in veins. In veins, the maximum number of binding sites for [3H]rauwolscine was higher than that for [3H]prazosin, whereas in arteries the maximum number of binding sites for each ligand was similar. In microsomes from dog aorta, the maximum number of bindings sites for [3H]prazosin was higher than that for [3H]rauwolscine. Neuronal membrane contamination in these studies was minimized by dissection procedures and evaluated by the comparison of [3H]saxitoxin binding in various preparations. Only mesenteric veins responded functionally to agonists acting on alpha 2 adrenoceptors. This study thus identified two distinct populations of [3H]prazosin and [3H]rauwolscine binding sites in the plasma membranes of dog mesenteric vessels and suggests that a much higher density of alpha 2-compared to alpha 1-adrenoceptor binding sites is required for a contractile response.     

Compliance and its role in successful treatment of an advanced periodontal case: review of the literature and a case report.

Periodontal disease is a chronic disease that is perceived by many patients to be nonthreatening. Periodontal therapy has been shown to be less effective if a regular periodontal maintenance schedule is not followed after completion of active therapy. Periodontal maintenance is an integral part of successful periodontal therapy.