Morphological pattern of intrinsic nerve plexus distributed on the rabbit heart and interatrial septum

Although the rabbit is routinely used as the animal model of choice to investigate cardiac electrophysiology, the neuroanatomy of the rabbit heart is not well documented. The aim of this study was to examine the topography of the intrinsic nerve plexus located on the rabbit heart surface and interatrial septum stained histochemically for acetylcholinesterase using pressure‐distended whole hearts and whole‐mount preparations from 33 Californian rabbits. Mediastinal cardiac nerves entered the venous part of the heart along the root of the right cranial vein (superior caval vein) and at the bifurcation of the pulmonary trunk. The accessing nerves of the venous part of the heart passed into the nerve plexus of heart hilum at the heart base. Nerves approaching the heart extended epicardially and innervated the atria, interatrial septum and ventricles by five nerve subplexuses, i.e. left and middle dorsal, dorsal right atrial, ventral right and left atrial subplexuses. Numerous nerves accessed the arterial part of the arterial part of the heart hilum between the aorta and pulmonary trunk, and distributed onto ventricles by the left and right coronary subplexuses. Clusters of intrinsic cardiac neurons were concentrated at the heart base at the roots of pulmonary veins with some positioned on the infundibulum. The mean number of intrinsic neurons in the rabbit heart is not significantly affected by aging: 2200 ± 262 (range 1517–2788; aged) vs. 2118 ± 108 (range 1513–2822; juvenile). In conclusion, despite anatomic differences in the distribution of intrinsic cardiac neurons and the presence of well‐developed nerve plexus within the heart hilum, the topography of all seven subplexuses of the intrinsic nerve plexus in rabbit heart corresponds rather well to other mammalian species, including humans.     

Maternal exposure to low-level air pollution and pregnancy outcomes: a population-based study

Background  

Recent reports have shown that air pollution may increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes. We have evaluated the relationship between ambient air pollution and the occurrence of low birth weight and preterm delivery using routinely collected data in Lithuania.     

The impact of systemic sclerosis on arterial wall stiffness parameters and endothelial function

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by thickening and fibrosis of skin and internal organs that is associated with vascular damage. SSc may lead to arterial dysfunction and premature aging of the arteries. However, its relationship with parameters of arterial wall dysfunction has not been fully explored. To determine if carotid–radial pulse wave velocity (PWV), aortic augmentation index (AIx) and endothelial function are altered in SSc patients, 17 consecutive patients with SSc and 34 age- and gender-matched controls were included in our study. PWV and AIx were assessed non-invasively by applanation tonometry. The endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) test in a brachial artery was performed by the ultrasound system. The blood investigations included serum lipid profile, glucose, and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) measurements. As compared to controls, SSc patients had significantly higher medians of the AIx (p = 0.002) and the PWV (p = 0.04) and the median of the FMD was significantly lower (p = 0.001). Stepwise linear regression including comorbid factors showed that SSc was a significant independent predictor of all arterial wall parameters measures. SSc patients have increased AIx and PWV and lower FMD as compared to control subjects. The relationship between SSc and measures of arterial wall parameters still remains unclear. Though replication of the results presented here is required, we conclude that SSc has a great impact on large and conduit arteries damage.     

A High Prevalence of Intracranial Stenosis in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and the Diagnostic Value of Transcranial Duplex Sonography

Background: According to the data from the population-based Rotterdam study, intracranial carotid artery calcification detected by computed tomography is very common and contributed to 75% of all strokes. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of intracranial stenosis (IS) using noninvasive transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) in neurologically asymptomatic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Three hundred and eighty-nine patients with angiographically-confirmed, severe CAD were included prospectively. All of them were examined using extracranial and TCCS. Results: Out of 389 patients (age 66.7 ± 9.2, 39-88), 237 (61%) were diagnosed with 3 vessels disease and 152 patients (39%) with left stem disease with/without 3 vessels damage. Transcranial sonography revealed at least 1 IS in 63.6% of echo positive patients (220/346). IS was found in 127 (61.4%) patients with 3 vessels disease, 20 patients (58.8%) with isolated left stem disease, and 73 patients (69.5%) with 3 vessels and left stem disease (P?=?.305). In the case of significant (≥50%) extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis, intracranial stenosis were detected in 84.8% (50 of 59), in the case of mild (<50%) stenosis, in 59.2% (170 of 287), P < .001. Conclusions: It was found that two thirds of patients with advanced CAD have a silent IS. TCCS is a reliable method for the evaluation of intracranial atherosclerosis in such patients in order to gain useful information about cerebrovascular disease as a risk factor for stroke.     

Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis vaccination with purified chick embryo cell vaccine (PCECV) and purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV) in a four-site intradermal schedule (4-0-2-0-1-1): an immunogenic, cost-effective and practical regimen

Currently, two intradermal (ID) regimens for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are recommended by WHO and used in countries where approved by national authorities: the Thai Red Cross (TRC) two-site ID regimen and the eight-site ID regimen. Besides these WHO recommended schedules, a new economical four-site ID regimen was evaluated that reduces the cost of PEP by up to 80%, when compared with the standard intramuscular Essen regimen, reduces the number of visits required for the patients when compared with the TRC regimen, and is more convenient than the eight-site regimen. To determine the immunogenicity of the ID four-site PEP regimen (4-0-2-0-1-1), 180 healthy volunteers were randomized to receive 0.1 mL volumes of PCECV or PVRV administered ID over both left and right shoulders and both deltoid regions on day 0, both deltoid regions on day 7 and over one deltoid region on days 30 and 90. Regardless of the vaccine, every subject developed rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) titers above 0.5 IU/mL by day 14, as determined by rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) using a homologous test system. Two weeks after the last dose of vaccine, RVNA titers were all above 0.5 IU/mL (day 104). Geometric mean titers were similar throughout the study period. Both vaccines were well tolerated. These results demonstrate that a new four-site ID PEP regimen is a cost-effective and convenient alternative to IM (Essen or Zagreb) or ID (TRC or eight-site) regimens, especially using a 1 mL vial of vaccine (PCECV).     

CELLULAR INTERACTIONS IN THE PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSE OF HUMAN T AND B LYMPHOCYTES TO PHYTOMITOGENS AND ALLOGENEIC LYMPHOCYTES

In vitro studies were performed to determine the proliferative responsiveness of human peripheral blood thymus-dependent (T) and thymus-independent (B) lymphocytes to phytomitogens and allogeneic lymphocytes. Recombination of T and B cells, with selective inhibition of proliferation of one of the two populations, was used to identify cellular interactions which may contribute to cell proliferation. The distinctive feature of human T lymphocytes to form rosettes with unsensitized sheep erythrocytes was utilized to separate human peripheral blood lymphocytes into highly purified resetting (T) and non-rosetting (B) cells. The proliferative response of these separated lymphocyte subpopulations to various stimulants was assessed from the uptake of tritiated thymidine into DNA. Phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, and allogeneic lymphocytes stimulated separated T cells, whereas no proliferation was observed with the T-cell-depleted B-cell population. This suggests that it is the human T cell which is activated directly by these stimulants. In the presence of T cells (proliferating or nonproliferating), B cells were capable of proliferation following stimulation with phytomitogens, but not in response to histocompatibility antigens. Thus, T-cell-mediated B-cell proliferation contributes to the overall lymphocyte response in phytomitogen-stimulated T + B cell mixtures, but not in human mixed leukocyte cultures. T-cell activation by allogeneic cells required the presence of monocytes; in contrast, the three tested phytomitogens stimulated T cells in the absence of monocytes. This indicates that direct interaction of mitogens with lymphocyte membrane receptors is sufficient to trigger T cells into proliferative response. However, monocytes considerably enhanced the proliferative response of T cells in a dose-dependent fashion; this monocyte-dependent mechanism of T-cell activation was predominant at lower concentrations of phytomitogens, and contributed relatively less at higher mitogen doses. Both, the direct, monocyte-independent, and the indirect, monocyte-dependent T-lymphocyte activation contribute to the total in vitro response of lymphocyte preparations to phytomitogens.