In situ saphenous vein bypass grafts: angiographic evaluation and interventional repair of complications

In situ saphenous vein grafts are being used with increasing frequency for bypass procedures involving the femoral and popliteal arteries. Complications of these procedures include anastomotic stenoses and persistent arteriovenous fistulae that may result in failure of the graft. Balloon angioplasty and embolotherapy with detachable balloons were employed successfully in three or four recent cases of patients with complications from in situ grafts. Tailored angiography is essential for evaluating in situ grafts, and interventional techniques are extremely useful for managing complications.     

Regional fat loss from the thigh in obese women after adrenergic modulation

Beta-adrenergic stimulation and alpha 2-adrenergic inhibition increase lipolysis from fat cells. Twenty-eight obese women were placed on a calorie-restricted diet and one of five treatments was applied to one thigh three to five times per week for four weeks: (1) isoproterenol injections; (2) cream containing colforsin (forskolin), aminophylline, and yohimbine; (3) yohimbine cream; (4) colforsin cream; or (5) aminophylline cream. The opposite thigh was treated with a placebo (injection or cream). The treated thighs lost significantly more girth after treatment, both by injection and by cream. No adverse reactions were attributable to either the cream or the injections. It is concluded that local fat reduction from the thigh can be safely accomplished.     

The effects of antioxidant supplementation during Percoll preparation on human sperm DNA integrity

The integrity of sperm DNA is crucial for the maintenance of genetic health. A major source of damage is reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation; therefore, antioxidants may afford protection to sperm DNA. The objectives of the study were, first, to measure the effects of antioxidant supplementation in vitro on endogenous DNA damage in spermatozoa using the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay and, second, to assess the effect of antioxidant supplementation given prior to X-ray irradiation on induced DNA damage. Spermatozoa from 150 patients were prepared by Percoll centrifugation in the presence of ascorbic acid (300, 600 microM), alpha tocopherol (30, 60 microM), urate (200, 400 microM), or acetyl cysteine (5, 10 microM). DNA damage was induced by 30 Gy X-irradiation. DNA strand breakage was measured using the comet assay. Sperm DNA was protected from DNA damage by ascorbic acid (600 microM), alpha tocopherol (30 and 60 microM) and urate (400 microM). These antioxidants provided protection from subsequent DNA damage by X-ray irradiation. In contrast, acetyl cysteine or ascorbate and alpha tocopherol together induced further DNA damage. Supplementation in vitro with the antioxidants ascorbate, urate and alpha tocopherol separately has beneficial effects for sperm DNA integrity.      

The effect of haemorrhage on venous return and regional blood flow in the anaesthetized cat

1. In cats under pentobarbitone anaesthesia, a venous long-circuit technique was used to measure the blood flows in the superior vena cava and the hepatic, renal and iliac segments of the inferior vena cava. The sum of these flows gave the venous return (minus coronary and bronchial flows).2. In these preparations, the mean venous return was 130 ml./kg. Of this 28% came from the superior vena cava and 37% from the hepatic, 23% from the renal and 12% from the iliac segments of the inferior vena cava.3. After haemorrhage, the flows from all the venae cavae segments decreased. The quantitative changes varied with the particular cat, the degree and duration of the haemorrhage and whether the animal had been subjected to a previous haemorrhage.4. The proportion of the reduced venous return draining from the superior vena cava and the hepatic segment increased, that draining from the renal and iliac segments decreased. Vasoconstriction occurred in all vascular beds, but was greatest in the kidney and hind limbs. Thus the blood flow through the head and liver was partially maintained at the expense of that through the kidneys and hind limbs.5. Autoregulation of blood flow in the kidneys was usually seen immediately after the first removal of blood but with the onset of renal vasoconstriction it was reduced or abolished for the remainder of the experiment.