Cat-301 immunoreactivity in the lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex of the strabismic amblyopic cat

Purpose: It was investigated whether alterations in neuronal structure and function occasioned by strabismic amblyopia also may be reflected in alterations in the expression on Y type neurons of a Cat-301 antibody sensitive antigen in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and cortex of our cat model of strabismic amblyopia. Methods/Results: The percentage of positively labelled cells was reduced in LGN laminae that received input from the deviated eye in strabismic amblyopic cats compared with normal cats. In the strabismic cortex, the density of immunopositive neurons was significantly reduced compared with normal, the effect being most pronounced in layer IV Conclusions: Despite previous physiological recordings indicating a decrease in X-cell associated acuity in strabismic amblyopia, the present findings imply that the changes in the early visual experience occasioned by strabismus also produce specific molecular changes in theY neuronal class.     

Aortopulmonary window with patent ductus arteriosus and interrupted aortic arch: A case report

Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery -     

Parallel angioplasty dilatation catheter and guide wire: A new technique for the dilatation of calcified coronary arteries

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of heavily calcified rigid coronary arteries has decreased success and increased complication rates. Three cases are presented describing a new technique for the dilatation of severely calcified coronary arteries that were not dilatable by conventional angioplasty methods. This technique involves the use of a balloon dilatation catheter system parallel to a guide wire. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Patent foramen ovale: a nonfunctional embryological remnant or a potential cause of significant pathology?

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is an embryological remnant found in 27% of adults. It is a potential right-to-left intracardiac shunt. Shunting may be the result of reversal in the interatrial pressure gradient or abnormal streaming of blood in the right atrium. The pathologic consequences of right-to-left shunting include hypoxemia and paradoxical embolism. PFO may exacerbate preexisting hypoxemia or be its primary cause. Paradoxical embolism through a PFO is well documented. Its role in cryptogenic stroke remains controversial. A PFO may be detected by both invasive and noninvasive techniques. Contrast transesophageal echocardiography with provocative maneuvers is the diagnostic method of choice allowing visualization of the shunt. Patients with cryptogenic stroke should be screened for a PFO. If detected, noninvasive studies for deep vein thrombosis are recommended. Treatment must be tailored to the presentation. Surgical or transcatheter closure is recommended for hypoxemia. Prevention of venous embolism (air or thrombus) with or without closure of the PFO is recommended for paradoxical embolism.     

Intestinal and metabolic responses to an α-glucosidase inhibitor in normal volunteers

Postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients can be modified by delaying the digestion and/or absorption of dietary carbohydrates. We have studied an orally active α-glucosidase inhibitor, Bay 1099, in normal volunteers to determine whether these inhibitors can decrease postprandial rises in serum glucose without causing gastrointestinal symptoms or significant fecal caloric wastage. Six subjects were given 25, 50, or 100 mg of Bay 1099 or placebo before meals for 1 week, each with a 1-week washout period. Fasting and postprandial concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon, enteroglucagon, and gastrointestinal inhibitory peptide (GIP) were measured after the first and last dose of Bay 1099, and the fecal excretions of protein, fat, fiber, and total calories were measured on the last three days of each diet. The passage of unabsorbed carbohydrate into the colon was determined by breath hydrogen analysis three times during each study week. Increasing doses of Bay 1099 were found to decrease the postprandial rise in serum glucose concentration, delay the time to peak insulin concentration, and decrease the output of GIP after the meal. No adaptation was apparent after 1 week of therapy. A dose of inhibitor (50 mg tid), which greatly improves postprandial glucose and hormone output in diabetes, was associated with minimal symptoms and no excess fecal caloric losses. Thus, glucosidase inhibitors such as Bay 1099 may be useful in the management of patients with carbohydrate intolerance.     

Peribursal fat plane of the shoulder: anatomic study and clinical experience

A comprehensive anatomic and radiographic analysis of the peribursal fat plane in 12 cadavers confirmed that the fat plane seen on radiographs represents extrasynovial fat lining the subacromial bursa and documented the anatomic relations of the bursa. A three-part retrospective clinical evaluation of rotator cuff tears, calcific tendinitis, and rheumatoid arthritis was performed. Two osteoradiologists blindly graded the appearance of the peribursal fat plane with the shoulder in external versus internal rotation in 21 patients with arthrographically intact rotator cuffs and 21 patients with disrupted rotator cuffs. The peribursal fat plane was seen better with disrupted rotator cuffs. The peribursal fat plane was seen better with the shoulder in internal rotation and was seen in 60% of control subjects but only 21% of patients with rotator cuff tears. Partial or complete obliteration of this fat plane is a sensitive (79%) but less specific (60%) indicator of rotator cuff tears. Obliteration of the peribursal fat plane by inflammatory processes in adjacent tissues, including calcific tendinitis and rheumatoid arthritis, occurred with a high frequency.