Our Distal Aortic Perfusion System in Descending Thoracic and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repairs

Abstract: We have used heparin-bonded partial cardio-pulmonary bypass to support distal aortic circulation during aortic cross-clamping. However, there were no cardiotomy reservoirs with fully reliable thromboresistance. To resolve this problem, a short-acting anticoagulant (nafamostat mesilate) was added into a cardiotomy reservoir. The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of our distal perfusion system. From May 1995 through the end of May 1996, 27 patients underwent descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs with this adjunct, 4 being excluded from the experiment. Twenty patients who had undergone conventional partial cardiopulmonary bypass were defined as the control group. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in the morbidity, mortality, gas transfer, or transfusion requirements despite the fact that more complicated surgical procedures (shown by a two-fold increase in the prevalence of reoperation) were required in the group that had received the current distal perfusion adjunct. the heparin-bonded group. In conclusion, our perfusion system is very effective for descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs.     

Protection of chlordecone-potentiated carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity and lethality by partial hepatectomy

Chlordecone (CD) pretreatment is known to markedly potentiate CCl₄ hepatotoxicity. Previous studies have shown that prior exposure to CD obtunds the increased hepatocellular regeneration and repair observed in non-treated rats challenged with a single, low dose of CCl₄. These observations allowed us to hypothesize that suppression of hepatic regeneration and tissue repair by CD + CCl₄ combination treatment might be involved in this interaction. To test this hypothesis, CCl₄ hepatotoxicity was evaluated in actively regenerating livers using CD-treated (10 ppm in the diet for 15 days), surgically partially hepatectomized (PH) male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats undergoing no surgical manipulation (CTRL) and sham operation (SH) were included as appropriate controls. Surgical manipulations were conducted on day 15 of the dietary protocol. Based on liver-to-body weight ratios (LW/BW), mitotic indices, hepatic cytochrome P-450 content, and hepatic glutathione (GSH and GSSG) levels, PH-induced hepatocellular regeneration was not affected by pretreatment with CD. Thus, the PH model was considered valid for assessing the effects of CD + CCl₄ combination treatment. CCl₄ (100 l/kg; i.p.) was administered 1, 2, 4 or 7 days after the surgical manipulations. Hepatotoxicity was assessed 24 h later by measuring LW/BW and serum enzymes (SGPT, SGOT and ICD) in all four groups. Hepatic histopathological, histomorphometric and lethal effects were assessed in animals receiving CCl₄ 1 or 7 days after the surgical manipulations. CCl₄-induced increases in LW/BW were observed in CD + PH rats receiving CCl₄ 4 or 7 days post-PH, but not in the 1 or 2 day post-PH groups in which the hepatocellular regeneration was maximal. CCl₄-induced serum enzyme elevations were significantly less in the CD + PH rats as compared to CD + SH. This decrease in the serum enzyme elevations was most prominent in the 1 day post-PH group, where the hepatocellular mitotic activity was most pronounced. CCl₄ lethality, assessed in the 1 day post-surgical manipulation group, was also decreased in the CD + PH rats in comparison to CD + SH rats. Such a protection was not observed in rats receiving CCl₄ 7 days post-PH. These data are consistent with and are supportive of the hypothesis that a suppression of otherwise normally stimulated hepatocellular regeneration following low-dose CCl₄ administration is involved in the marked amplification of CCl₄ toxicity by CD.Abbreviations CD chlordecone - GSH reduced glutathione - GSSG oxidized glutathione - PH partial hepatectomy - SH shamhepatectomy - CTRL control, not surgically manipulated - N normal diet - LW/BW liver weight-to-body weight ratio - SGPT serum glutamic; pyruvic transaminase - SGOT serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase - ICD isocitrate dehydrogenase These studies were made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency R-811072A preliminary report of these findings was presented at the 70th Annual Meetings of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology at St. Louis, MO (Fed Proc 45: 1051, 1986)A. N. Bell is a Predoctoral Toxicology Trainee and Robert A. Young is a Postdoctoral Trainee supported by Toxicology Training grant from National Institute of Environmental Health Science ES-07045     

部分背根切断对备用背根节NT-3表达的影响

目的　探讨部分去背根后备用背根节 (L6 )各类细胞NT 3及其mRNA的含量变化。　方法　对成年雄性猫行单侧部分背根切断术 (切除一侧L1 ～L5,L7～S2 DRG ,保留L6 为备用根 )。取正常组一侧和术后 3d及 7d组手术侧的L6 DRG制作 2 0 μm厚冰冻切片 ,分别用NT 3抗体及NT 3cRNA探针行免疫组织化学及原位杂交染色。观察NT 3及其mRNA在DRG各类细胞的分布 ,测定NT 3及其mRNA在神经元和卫星细胞的光密度值 ,所得数据用q检验进行统计分析。　结果　部分去背根后 ,各时相备用背根节大神经元内NT 3的光密度值较正常者进行性减少 ,(P <0 0 5 ) ,而NT 3mRNA的光密度值术后 3d减少 ,7d回升至近正常者水平。比较之 ,小神经元和卫星细胞NT 3及其mRNA的光密度值进行性增多 (P <0 0 5 )。　结论　部分背根切断对备用背根节各类细胞NT 3表达的影响不同 ,其功能意义可能与NT 3参与脊髓Ⅱ板层可塑性有关     

Abnormality of chromosome 16 and its phenotypic expression

An abnormality of chromosome 16 in which there is extra genetic material present on the short arm (46, XY, 16p+) has been identified. This chromosomal aberration was associated with multiple congenital anomalies, including mid-facial hypoplasia, arthrogryposis, and mental retardation. On the basis of the cytogenetic appearance and the phenotype of the patient, this may represent a partial 16 trisomy. Unlike most abnormalities of chromosome 16, this syndrome was compatible with life.     

Changes of the beat amplitude power after partial left ventriculectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting

Partial left ventriculectomy (PLV) was originally introduced as a new surgical approach by patients with an end stage of cardiac disease. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a standard procedures used in cardiac surgery. Multichannel ECG (MECG) measurements and body surface mapping (BSM) were used to analyse the normalised beat amplitude power maps (BAM) that reflect an overall cardiac activity. The resulting BAMs show that the amplitude of cardiac signals decrease for approximately 30% after the PLV and stay in the same level during the postoperative monitoring interval while after CABG no significant changes in BAM have been observed. In addition the electrodes from the body surface area above the left ventricle, where surgery was performed, show significant changes in beat amplitudes.     

大鼠肝再生中糖代谢相关基因的表达变化

目的了解糖类代谢相关基因在大鼠肝再生中的表达变化。方法本研究用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得糖类代谢相关基因,用大鼠基因组230 2.0芯片检测它们在大鼠再生肝中的表达情况,用比较手术组和假手术组中基因表达的差异性确定肝再生相关基因。结果初步证实上述基因中118个基因与肝再生相关。肝再生早期[部分肝切除(PH)后0.5~4h]、前期(PH后4~12h)、中期(PH后16~66h)和后期(PH后72~168h)等4个阶段起始表达的基因数为33、6、68和7;基因的总表达次数为68、44、210和83。表明肝再生相关基因主要在肝再生启动阶段起始表达,在不同阶段发挥作用。它们共上调205次,下调200次,分为12种表达方式,表明肝再生中糖代谢活动多样和复杂。其中,单糖和糖原代谢、糖蛋白和糖脂(主要为神经节苷脂)合成相关基因几乎在整个肝再生中表达增强,寡糖和糖胺聚糖合成及糖蛋白和糖脂分解相关基因表达下调。结论肝再生与糖代谢密切相关。     

脂类代谢和运输涉及的基因与大鼠肝再生的相关性分析

目的在基因转录水平了解脂类代谢和运输相关基因在大鼠肝再生(LR)中的表达变化和模式。方法用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得参与脂类代谢和运输基因,用大鼠基因组230 2.0芯片检测它们在大鼠再生肝中的表达情况,用比较手术和假手术中基因表达的差异性确定肝再生相关基因。结果初步证实上述基因中193个基因与肝再生相关。肝再生早期[部分肝切除(PH)后0.5~4h]、前期(PH后6~12h)、中期(PH后12~66h)、后期(PH后72~168h)等4个阶段起始表达的基因数为113、20、66和1;基因的总表达次数为250、205、796和293。共上调852次,下调630次,分为27种表达方式。肝再生早期和前期胆汁酸代谢相关基因转录减弱;早期和后期糖皮质激素分解相关基因转录增强;前期和中期磷脂合成相关基因转录增强,磷脂分解相关基因转录减弱;中期脂肪酸、白三烯和鞘糖脂合成相关基因转录增强,甘油三酯和磷脂酰肌醇代谢相关基因转录增强,鞘糖脂分解相关基因转录减弱;中期和后期前列腺素合成和脂肪酸分解相关基因转录增强;几乎在整个肝再生中性激素、糖皮质激素和孕酮合成相关基因转录增强,鞘磷脂代谢相关基因转录增强,脂类运输相关基因转录增强,胆固醇代谢相关基因转录减弱。结论肝再生中脂类代谢和运输变化较大,与肝再生密切相关。     

Effect on EEG responses of removing ocular artefacts by proportional EOG subtraction

Work undertaken to investigate the effect on EEG responses of ocular artefact removal by proportional electro-oculogram subtraction using the least-squares method is reported. The ocular artefact model and the least-squares approach to estimation of the model parameters and hence of the EEG waveform, including the response, are described. Results are presented to show that the response shapes become modified if ocular artefact removal is implemented recursively. This happens because the response is incorrectly treated as part of the random background EEG. The solution is to incorporate a model of the response within the ocular artefact removal algorithm. The results of tests on simulated data confirm these conclusions. The results of the incorporation of response models in removing ocular artefacts from CNV recordings are presented. Even with modelling recursive ocular artefact removal is found to modify the shape of the CNV, and so reliable results can only be obtained if the removal is implemented nonrecursively. Evidence is given that it is advisable to remove DC levels from the recorded data.     

Nonhomogeneous Deformation in the Anterior Leaflet of the Mitral Valve

In the mitral valve, regional variations in structure and material properties combine to affect the biomechanics of the entire valve. Previous biaxial testing has shown that mitral valve leaflet tissue is highly extensible, and exhibits nonlinear, anisotropic material properties. In this study, experimental measurements of mitral valve leaflet deformation under quasi-static pressure loading were performed on isolated porcine hearts. Biplane video images of markers placed on the anterior leaflet surface were used to reconstruct the 3D position of the markers at several pressure levels over the physiological range. A least-squares finite-element method was used to fit parametric models to the markers and to calculate the deformation over the surface. The results showed that the leaflet deformations were anisotropic, exhibiting a large nonhomogeneous radial stretch and a small circumferential stretch. This information can be used to better understand how the valve deforms under physiological loading, and to help design treatments for valve problems, such as mitral regurgitation.     

Modern Mind-Brain Reading: Psychophysiology, Physiology, and Cognition

This paper reviews the actual and potential benefits of a marriage between cognitive psychology and psychophysiology. Psychophysiological measures, particularly those of the event-related brain potential, can be used as markers for psychological events and physiological events. Thus, they can serve as "windows" on the mind and as "windows" on the brain. These ideas are illustrated in the context of a series of studies utilizing the lateralized readiness potential, a measure of electrical brain activity that is related to preparation for movement. This measure has been used to illuminate presetting processes that prepare the motor system for action, to demonstrate the presence of the transmission of partial information in the cognitive system, and to identify processes responsible for the inhibition of responses. The lateralized readiness potential appears to reflect activity in motor areas of cortex. Thus, this measure, along with other psychophysiological measures, can be used to understand how the functions of the mind are implemented in the brain.