Percutaneous endoluminal grafts for AAA repair in the catheterization laboratory

Background Percutaneous abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA) repair has been previously described using the "preclose"technique and general endotrachial anesthesia (GA).     

Porphyrin dimers as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy

Porphyrin dimers 9 with either linkages and possible isomers bis[1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-2- vinylporphin-4-yl]ethyl] ether (10) bis[1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-4- vinylporphin-2-yl]ethyl] ether (11), and 1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-2-vinylporph in- 4-yl]ethyl 1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-4-vinylporph in- 2-yl]ethyl ether (12) were synthesized from the corresponding (1-hydroxyethyl)vinyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl esters (Hvd). The pure Hvd isomers 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-4-vinyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (7) and 4-(1-hydroxyethyl)-2-vinyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (8) were obtained from 2-acetyl-4-(1-hydroxyethyl) deuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (3) and 4-acetyl-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)deuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (4). Porphyrins 3 and 4 were prepared either by partial reduction of 2,4-diacetyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (2) or by oxidation of hematoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (1) by using tetra-n-propylammonium perruthenate (Prn4N)(RuO4) with N-methylmorpholine N-oxide as an oxidizing agent. The in vivo photosensitizing ability and therapeutic ratios of dimers 9-12 were compared with that of Photofrin II in the SMT-F tumor growing subcutaneously in DBA/2 Ha mice. These dimers were found to have better tumoricidal activity than Photofrin II with reduced skin phototoxicity.     

Further evidence of dopamine transporter dysregulation in ADHD: a controlled PET imaging study using altropane.

BACKGROUND: The dopamine transporter (DAT) is known to be a key regulator of dopamine, and recent studies of genetics, treatment, and imaging have highlighted the role of DAT in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The findings of in vivo neuroimaging of DAT in ADHD have been somewhat discrepant, however. METHOD: Dopamine transporter binding was measured using a highly selective ligand (C-11 altropane) and positron emission tomography (PET). The sample consisted of 47 well-characterized, treatment-na?ve, nonsmoking, non-comorbid adults with and without ADHD. Additionally, control subjects had few symptoms of ADHD. RESULTS: Results showed significantly increased DAT binding in the right caudate in adults with ADHD compared with matched control subjects without this disorder. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm abnormal DAT binding in the striatum of adults with ADHD and provide further support that dysregulation of DAT may be an important component of the pathophysiology of ADHD.     

The effect of currently available contact lens disinfection systems on Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga

Contact lens disinfection systems were evaluated for their effectiveness in killing Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites and cysts. Amoebae were inoculated into commercially available contact lens cleaning and soaking solutions. At intervals varying from 30 minutes to 24 hours, solutions were filtered. The filters were removed and cultured for Acanthamoeba organisms. Striking differences were observed in the abilities of the different disinfecting solutions to kill the organisms. Solutions containing chlorhexidine were effective at very short exposure times. Solutions containing benzalkonium chloride required slightly longer exposure times but were faster than solutions containing only thimerosal. Solutions containing sorbate, polyaminopropyl biguanide, or polyquaternium-1 were not effective at killing Acanthamoeba organisms in the time allotted for the experiment. Solutions containing hydrogen peroxide were quite effective if the agent was not prematurely catalyzed. A. polyphaga generally required longer exposure to disinfectants than did A. castellanii for complete inhibition to occur.     

INVOLVEMENT OF NON-NMDA AND NMDA RECEPTORS IN GLUTAMATE-INDUCED PRESSOR OR DEPRESSOR RESPONSES OF THE PONS AND MEDULLA

1. Fifty-five intact and six baroreceptor denervated and vagotomized cats of either sex were anaesthetized intraperito-neally with urethane (400 mg/kg) and a-chloralose (40 mg/kg). Responses of the systemic arterial pressure (SAP), mean SAP (MSAP) and sympathetic vertebral nerve (VNA) and renal nerve activities (RNA) were recorded. 2. In intact animals, monosodium L-glutamate (Glu, 0.1 mol/L, 50 nL) was microinjected into pressor areas of the locus coeruleus (LC), gigantocellular tegmental field (GTF), rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and dorsomedial medulla (DM), and the depressor areas of caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM). The induced actions were compared before and after microinjection of either glutamate antagonists, glutamate diethylester (GDEE, 0.5 mol/L, 50–100nL), a competitive AMPA receptor blocker, or 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (D-AP5, 0.025 mol/L, 50–100 nL), a competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker. GDEE completely blocked the increases of SAP and VNA elicited from all pressor areas. D-AP5 only partially blocked the pressor but slightly blocked VNA and RNA responses from LC, GTF and DM, particularly those from RVLM. Neither GDEE nor D-AP5 blocked the depressor responses of SAP and two nerve activities elicited from CVLM. 3. In baroreceptor denervated animals, NMDA (2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) and AMPA (0.2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) were micro-injected into the same pressor areas of GTF, RVLM and DM and the depressor area of CVLM responsive to Glu activation (0.1 mol/L, 30 nL). In RVLM, DM and CVLM, the results of either NMDA or AMPA were similar to those induced by Glu. However, in GTF, microinjection of either NMDA or AMPA did not induce similar responses to Glu. This suggests that the nature of GTF may differ from RVLM and DM. 4. The above results suggest that the Glu-induced pressor responses from LC, GTF, DM and especially RVLM, are primarily mediated through AMPA receptors. The Glu-induced depressor responses from CVLM may not be predominantly mediated by either AMPA or NMDA receptors. 5. In both baroreceptor-intact and -denervated cats stimulation of the pressor areas often produced an increase of VNA and a decrease of RNA, while in the depressor CVLM decreased both VNA and RNA. The VNA, but not RNA were positively correlated with the pressor responses, while both VNA and RNA were positively correlated with the depressor responses. This may suggest that neurons of the sympathetic vertebral and renal nerves are topographically organized in the brain.