Analysis of the inflammatory response in endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the inflammatory response caused by endovascular stents in the treatment of aortic aneurysms. METHODS: Twenty-five patients underwent endovascular stent treatment from March through December 2005. The evolution of mediators (sedimentation velocity, C reactive protein, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, l-selectin), inflammatory cells (leukocytes, lymphocytes, platelets), serum creatinine and body temperature within preoperative period and in the following postoperative periods--1, 6, 24 and 48 h, 7 days, 1-3 months, was analyzed. In order to achieve statistic significance, Friedman test and Wilcoxon test were used, with index of significance of 5% (p<0.05). RESULTS: Peak values of sedimentation velocity, C reactive protein and interleukin-6 were observed at 7 days (p<0.0001), 48 h (p<0.0001) and 24h (p<0.0001), respectively. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-8 did not show statistically significant variability during the entire follow-up. In terms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and l-selectin, their expressive values were found in late phase of follow-up, although without statistical significance. Elevation of leukocytes count occurred in premature phase of follow-up (p<0.0001), while lymphocyte and platelet count occurred in a late phase of follow-up (p<0.0001). Serum levels of creatinine did not show significant variability during follow-up. The period between 24 and 48 h corresponded to major frequency for fever (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Individual mediators analysis and inflammatory cells demonstrated variability of their values during postoperative follow-up. This could help in the analysis of the inflammatory response evolution caused by endovascular stent treatment for aortic aneurysms in premature and late phases after implantation of the vascular prosthesis.     

American Society of Nuclear Cardiology review of the ACCF/ASNC appropriateness criteria for single-photon emission computed tomograph myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT MPI)

Conclusion  The ACCF/ASNC AC for SPECT MPI provides recommendations for the appropriate use of SPECT MPI. After the publication of the AC document in 2005, the AC has been used by nuclear cardiology practices with many clinical studies evaluating the list of indications in routine clinical practice. From these data. ASNC recommends minor but important changes to the indication list, suggesting the addition of 6 new indications and the modification of the definitions for “chest pain syndrome” and “CHD high risk.”. An objective review of existing indications focused on only those indications that had significant variability among the reviewers (n=20). These indications were reviewed in the presence of existing and new evidence-based data, and ASNC recommends that the grades for 6 indications be re-evaluated. The AC for SPECT MPI will require periodic review as new evidence becomes available or as clinical practice evolves. ASNC recognizes the importance of these criteria to improve the quality of patient care, and it will continue to play a key role in assembling the information for this ongoing review. From the current summary of evidence, ASNC consensus opinions, and ASNC recommendations in this document, ASNC strongly recommends that the AC guidelines be reviewed Prepared by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology Quality Assurance Subcommittee for Quality in Imaging Standards. Reviewed by members of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology Quality Assurance Committee. Approved by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology Board of Directors, September 6, 20.     

Cholecystokinin Excites Neostriatal Neurons in Rats via CCKA or CCKB Receptors

The effect of iontophoretically applied cholecystokinin (CCK) on neurons of the neostriatum was studied in rats anaesthetized with urethane. The most frequently observed effect of the sulphated octapeptide (CCK-8S) on striatal neurons was excitation. Spontaneously active neurons responded more often to CCK-8S than quiescent cells. Silent, primarily non-responsive neurons could often be stimulated with CCK-8S using glutamate to induce an ongoing discharge. Thus, 45.8% of the 177 neurons studied changed their discharge rate by more than 30%. Certain CCK receptor antagonists could prevent the effect of CCK-8S, fully or at least partly, in the majority of CCK-responsive neurons. The data suggest that cholecystokinin modulates the firing of active neostriatal neurons via the CCKA or the CCKB receptor type. Furthermore, we compared neuronal responses to glutamate with those recorded during concomitant administration of CCK-8S in order to study the interaction of both transmitters, which may be colocalized in striatal afferents. CCK-8S mainly enhanced the excitatory effect of glutamate on striatal neurons, but in several neurons the response to glutamate was reduced. The CCKB receptor antagonist could prevent CCK-8S from increasing the glutamate-induced activation.     

测量大脑

事物的本质人类的智力是虚幻的,是难以受到约束的。甚至难以给它一个定义。智力可以用能力来解释吗?和记忆力有关吗?它和语言有关吗?还是数学?还是和上面的都有关系呢?只要你说你只是不能衡量智力,许多人会离去。为了使一个人     

Serotonergic receptors in the brain of in utero undernourished rats

In this study, we report that 5-HT(1A) receptors are already present in fractions of axonal growth cones, from the normal rat fetal brain (E-17). Also, in utero undernourished (UN) rat pups at birth show a noteworthy enhancement in the B(max) of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and [3H]8-hydroxy-(2-N,N-dipropilamin)-tetralin (([3H])8-OH-DPAT), in the brainstem and cerebral cortex up to the second week after birth. Afterwards, there is a significant decrease in the binding of these ligands. [125I]Cyanopindolo binding in the cerebral cortex only showed a decrease in the same period. An elevation of brain serotonin in both regions was also present. These findings together, suggest that the mechanisms of regulation of serotonergic receptors' expression during the period studied, may not depend on the amount of neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft, because in the early UN brain it would be expected only a lower receptor's density due to the chronic serotonin increase. On this basis, we propose that developmental activation of brain serotonin biosynthesis observed in early UN animals may disrupt the mechanism regulating the expression of 5-HT receptors during development.     

Biphasic Shocks Compared with Monophasic Damped Sine Wave Shocks for Direct Ventricular Defibrillation during Open Heart Surgery

Background: Biphasic waveform shocks are more effective than monophasic shocks for transchest ventricular defibrillation, atrial cardioversion, and defibrillation with implantable defibrillators but have not been studied for open chest, intraoperative defibrillation. This prospective, blinded, randomized clinical study compares biphasic and monophasic shock effectiveness and establishes intraoperative energy dose-response curves.

Methods: Patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery with bypass cardioplegia were randomly assigned to the monophasic or biphasic shock group. Ventricular fibrillation occurring after aortic clamp removal was treated with escalating energies of 2, 5, 7, 10, and 20 J until defibrillation occurred. If ventricular fibrillation persisted, a 20-J crossover shock of the other waveform was used.

Results: Cumulative defibrillation success at 5 J, the primary end point of the study, was higher in the biphasic group than in the monophasic group (25 of 50 vs. 9 of 41 defibrillated;P = 0.011). In addition, the biphasic group required lower threshold energy (6.8 vs. 11.0 J;P = 0.003), less cumulative energy (12.6 vs. 23.4 J;P = 0.002), and fewer shocks (2.5 vs. 3.5;P = 0.002). Crossover-shock effectiveness did not differ between groups. Dose-response curves show biphasic shocks to have higher cumulative success rates at all energies tested.     

Effects on Behaviour and EEG of Single Chain Phospholipases A2 from Snake and Bee Venoms Injected into Rat Brain: Search for a Functional Antagonism

Abstract: Three phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂s), OS₁ and OS₁ purified from the taipan snake venom Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus and bee venom PLA₂ were injected to rats by the intracerebroventricular route. OS₁ showed no sign of neurotoxicity at doses at which OS₂ and bee venom PLA₂ produced multiform dose-dependent behavioural effects including motor disturbances (stereotyped movements), compulsive scratching, convulsions and breathing difficulties. EEG recordings showed at the very time when the animal was motionless the induction of several episodes of a low frequency hippocampal theta rhythm, index of long-term changes in synaptic neuroplasticity. Spike-wave discharges were also produced but the occurrence was not systematic. These seizures were often accompanied with behavioural convulsions. Blockers of NMDA receptors and drugs modifying the GABAergic transmission could not abolish the neurotoxic effects of PLA₂s except for diazepam (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) that prevented only OS₂-induced disturbances. Blockers of L-type Ca²⁺ channels and K⁺ channel openers were also without effect. The toxicity of OS₂ and bee venom PLA₂ is probably due to their initial specific binding to their neuronal receptor sites.