Different effects of pravastatin and cerivastatin on the media of the carotid arteries as assessed by integrated backscatter ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are various types of statins used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a lipophilic statin (cerivastatin) with those of a hydrophilic statin (pravastatin) on the carotid arterial media using integrated backscatter (IB) ultrasound. Cerivastatin (C) has a strong anti-proliferative effect (APE) on smooth muscle cells (SMCs), whereas pravastatin (P) has a weak effect. METHODS AND RESULTS: The IB values in the media of 72 segments of carotid arteries were measured in 36 patients with hyperlipidemia before and after statin therapy or diet for 6 months (C, n=13: P, n=12: diet, n=11). In addition, IB values of 34 segments of carotid arteries were measured in 34 patients without coronary risk factors. Intima - media thickness (IMT) and arterial stiffness (stiffness beta) were measured by conventional echo at the same time. IB values did not significantly change in the P group (12.8+/-3.5 vs 12.7+/-2.7 dB), but decreased in the C group (12.1 +/-2.9 vs 10.0+/-2.7 dB, p<0.01). Also, stiffness beta did not significantly change in the P group (8.3+/-3.1 vs 7.6+/-2.5), but decreased in the C group (10.1+/-4.3 vs 7.9+/-3.3, p<0.05). IB values correlated with age (r=0.70, p<0.01) and stiffness beta (r=0.67, p<0.01) in the 34 patients without coronary risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Statin therapy with cerivastatin, but not pravastatin, decreased the IB values of the carotid media and arterial stiffness. The difference between these 2 statins may be related to their effective dose range.     

Pitavastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, exerts eNOS-independent protective actions against angiotensin II induced cardiovascular remodeling and renal insufficiency

Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular remodeling leading to hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Pitavastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inihibitor, is known to have pleiotropic actions against the development of cardiovascular remodeling. The objectives of this study were to clarify the beneficial effects as well as the mechanism of action of pitavastatin against Ang II-induced organ damage. C57BL6/J mice at 10 weeks of age were infused with Ang II for 2 weeks and were simultaneously administered pitavastatin or a vehicle. Pitavastatin treatment improved Ang II-induced left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction and attenuated enhancement of cardiac fibrosis, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, coronary perivascular fibrosis, and medial thickening. Ang II-induced oxidative stress, cardiac TGFbeta-1 expression, and Smad 2/3 phosphorylation were all attenuated by pitavastatin treatment. Pitavastatin also reduced Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling and diastolic dysfunction in eNOS-/- mice as in wild-type mice. In eNOS-/- mice, the Ang II-induced cardiac oxidative stress and TGF-beta-Smad 2/3 signaling pathway were enhanced, and pitavastatin treatment attenuated the enhanced oxidative stress and the signaling pathway. Moreover, pitavastatin treatment reduced the high mortality rate and improved renal insufficiency in Ang II-treated eNOS-/- mice, with suppression of glomerular oxidative stress and TGF-beta-Smad 2/3 signaling pathway. In conclusion, pitavastatin exerts eNOS-independent protective actions against Ang II-induced cardiovascular remodeling and renal insufficiency through inhibition of the TGF-beta-Smad 2/3 signaling pathway by suppression of oxidative stress.     

Segmental pulmonary vein antrum isolation using the "large-size" lasso catheter in patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The limited efficacy and complications of segmental ostial pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) have been discussed so, in the present study the feasibility and efficiency of performing segmental pulmonary vein (PV) antrum isolation to treat AF were assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 187 patients with drug-refractory AF (paroxysmal 120, persistent 67) underwent segmental PVI guided by circumferential 20-electrode catheters (Lasso). Radiofrequency (RF) current was delivered either at the ostium using a regular Lasso (15-20 mm in diameter, 70 patients: Group 1) or at the antrum using a larger Lasso (25-30 mm in diameter, 117 patients: Group 2). A significantly wider region had to be ablated, with a longer RF application time, to isolate all 4 PVs in Group 2 patients than in Group 1 patients. Although the rate of recurrence of AF after the initial session was equal in both groups, a significantly greater number of patients were free from AF after a mean of 1.4 procedures in Group 2 than in Group 1 (93% vs 76% for paroxysmal AF, 78% vs 48% for persistent AF). CONCLUSIONS: Segmental antral PVI using large-sized Lasso catheters was found to be more effective and safer than ostial PVI for the treatment of AF.     

High-resolution computed tomography patterns and immunopathogenetic findings in drug-induced pneumonitis

We tried to determine whether high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) patterns correlate with the immunopathogenetic findings and whether they could provide helpful information for predicting the outcomes in non-neoplastic drug-induced pneumonitis. The HRCT images were classified as most suggestive of pneumonitis, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), non-specific interstitial pneumonia, organizing pneumonia (OP), hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) in 34 patients with non-neoplastic drug-induced pneumonitis. The patients were analyzed for the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell findings and for the circulating levels of interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), which were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The cumulative dose of corticosteroids received by the patients and the day when they required supplemental oxygen were calculated as outcome markers. There were no differences in the circulating chemokine levels and the BAL cell profiles except for the eosinophil percentages among the HRCT patterns. Most of the cases with pulmonary eosinophilia belonged to the OP and AEP groups, and the circulating MDC levels correlated with BAL eosinophil percentages. We could not find any relationship between the BAL cell profiles or the chemokine levels and the outcome markers. In contrast, the HRCT patterns rather predicted the outcomes because larger cumulative dose of steroids and longer oxygen supply were required for the patients in the DAD and OP groups. In contrast, all patients with AEP recovered without steroid administration. The present study suggests that HRCT does not predict cellular pathophysiology but it may predict the corticosteroid use in non-neoplastic drug-induced pneumonitis.     

Antimicrobial and microbicidal activities of tea and catechins against Mycoplasma]

We examined tea extracts, (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) and theaflavin digallate (TF3) for their antimicrobial and microbicidal activities against Mycoplasma. Green tea and black tea showed antimicrobial activities against M. pneumoniae. At a concentration of 0.2% green tea and black tea showed microbicidal activities against M. pneumoniae and M. orale but not against M. salivarium. Extracts of pu-erh tea showed a slight microbicidal activity against M. pneumoniae and M. orale. EGCg purified from green tea and TF3 from black tea markedly showed microbicidal activities against M. pneumoniae. M. orale and M. salivarium. These results suggest that tea and catechins can be used as prophylactic agents against Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.     

Interferon increases serum thrombopoietin in patients with chronic hepatitis C

We measured serum thrombopoietin (TPO) in chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon (IFN). The platelet count before the therapy was 161.9 ×10⁹ ± 64.1 × 10⁹/l, which decreased to 116.3 × 10⁹ ±  48.4 × 10⁹/l 1 week after IFN therapy ( P  <0.01). On the other hand, serum TPO increased from 1.96 ± 0.60 fmol/ml to 2.68 ± 0.69 fmol/ml ( P  < 0.02). Contrary to a recent report that serum TPO was not altered in liver cirrhosis, these data indicate that serum TPO was increased in chronic hepatitis C in response to thrombocytopenia by IFN therapy.     

New Reconstructive Procedure After Intestinal Resection for Crohn’s Disease: Modified Side-to-Side Isoperistaltic Anastomosis With Double Heineke-Mikulicz Procedure

Although side-to-side isoperistaltic anastomosis is a useful strictureplasty technique when long segments of intestinal stenosis complicate Crohns disease, concerns have been raised regarding disease recurrence adjacent to the anastomosis. We performed side-to-side isoperistaltic anastomosis without spatulated intestinal ends as a method of reconstruction after intestinal resection for Crohns disease; both intestinal ends were transversely closed like a Heineke-Mikulicz-type strictureplasty. With this procedure, the luminal diameter proximal and distal to the anastomosis became wider than the original diameter of the intestine. This new procedure, which we refer to as the modified side-to-side isoperistaltic anastomosis with double Heineke-Mikulicz procedure could become an alternative operation after intestinal resection in persons with Crohns disease, although long-term outcome analysis is necessary.     

Triglyceride Deposit Cardiomyovasculopathy with Massive Myocardial Triglyceride which Was Proven Using Proton-magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The patient was a 73-year-old man with a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, rheumatoid arthritis, repeated percutaneous coronary intervention and percutaneous peripheral intervention procedures. He was frequently admitted to our hospital for congestive heart failure with orthopnea. The myocardial washout rate of iodine-123-β-methyl iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid was defective on scintigraphy. He was diagnosed with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy (TGCV). Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) indicated the level of myocardial triglyceride (TG) content to be extremely high (4.92%). This is the first report to confirm a massive accumulation of TG in the myocardium of a patient with TGCV using ¹H-MRS noninvasively.