Melricflash/CW_MedAbstractsAlt huggingface dataset:
Role of free radicals and platelet-activating factor in the genesis of intestinal motor disturbances induced by Escherichia coli endotoxins in rats. The effects of IV administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin on intestinal myoelectric activity was investigated in conscious fasted rats chronically implanted with nichrome electrodes in the duodenojejunum. These effects were compared with those of platelet-activating factor and were evaluated in animals pretreated with a specific platelet-activating factor antagonist, BN 52021, indomethacin, a selective prostaglandin E2 antagonist, SC 19220, and several free radical scavengers. Intravenous administration of endotoxin (E. coli S.O111:B4) at a dose of 50 micrograms/kg suppressed the migrating myoelectric complexes, which were replaced by continuous rhythmic clusters of rapidly propagated spike bursts for 114.7 +/- 19.9 minutes. Intraperitoneal platelet-activating factor (25 micrograms/kg) also inhibited the migrating myoelectric complex pattern for 146.1 +/- 24.1 minutes. Previous IV administration of BN 52021 (50 mg/kg-1) abolished the motor alterations induced by platelet-activating factor and significantly reduced to 43.1 +/- 12.2 minutes those induced by endotoxin (P less than 0.01). Indomethacin (10 mg/kg IP), injected before endotoxin or platelet-activating factor, also significantly reduced the duration of migrating myoelectric complex inhibition to 45.6 +/- 7.8 and 47.7 +/- 8.3 minutes, respectively (P less than 0.01). SC 19220 significantly reduced the effects of platelet-activating factor from 151.8 +/- 26.4 to 67.4 +/- 14.7 min (P less than 0.01). Superoxide dismutase (15,000 U/kg IV) injected before either endotoxin or platelet-activating factor shortened the migrating myoelectric complex inhibition to 45.7 +/- 9.9 and 72.9 +/- 10.4 minutes, respectively (P less than 0.01). Allopurinol and dimethylsulfoxide administered orally at 50 mg/kg 1 hour before endotoxin reduced the migrating myoelectric complex inhibition to 42.5 +/- 6.5 and 38.2 +/- 6.4 minutes, respectively (P less than 0.01). They also reduced platelet-activating factor-induced intestinal myoelectric alterations to 68.5 +/- 10.6 and 31.7 +/- 6.1 minutes, respectively (P less than 0.01). It is concluded that endogenous release of platelet-activating factor is partly responsible for the intestinal motor alterations induced by endotoxin, these effects being also mediated through the release of prostaglandins and free radicals. However, prostaglandins, as well as free radicals, appear to be partly involved in the platelet-activating factor-induced action of E. coli endotoxin on intestinal motility. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Effect of increased left atrial pressure on breathing frequency in anesthetized dog. Distension or loading of the isolated canine left heart caused reflex tachypnea in prior studies. The object of the present effort was to explore the possibility that this depended primarily on atrial distension. Cardiopulmonary bypass perfusion and ligation of pulmonary veins were used to isolate the left-heart chambers of anesthetized dogs. Simultaneous distension of the beating left atrium and fibrillating ventricle stimulated breathing frequency (f), whereas isolated ventricular distension did not. At other times, intervals of atrial fibrillation were imposed under two different conditions: 1) while the right heart and lungs were bypassed and systemic perfusion was provided by the left ventricle using blood returned to the left atrium by pump and 2) while the ventricles fibrillated and systemic perfusion was supplied directly by the pump. Atrial fibrillation increased left atrial pressure and stimulated f in condition 1. In condition 2, f increased only if fibrillation was associated with a rise in left atrial pressure. Vagal cooling blocked the effect of fibrillation. I conclude that left atrial distension may initiate reflex tachypnea. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Hypercalcemia with excess serum 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D in lymphomatoid granulomatosis/angiocentric lymphoma. Hypercalcemia has been described in a variety of granulomatous and lymphoproliferative disorders in association with elevated serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. In such cases, hypercalcemia appears to be the consequence of excessive production of 1,25(OH)2D by the lymphocyte/macrophage line. The authors report a patient with lymphomatoid granulomatosis/angiocentric lymphoma who developed hypercalcemia with extreme elevation in serum 1,25(OH)2D. Therapy with steroids reduced the serum calcium and 1,25(OH)2D levels to normal. Hypercalcemia has not previously been reported in lymphomatoid granulomatosis/angiocentric lymphoma. The distinctive features of this malignancy, and the derangement in the metabolism of 1,25(OH)2D in lymphoproliferative disorders in general, are discussed. 

Category: neoplasms
Percutaneous aspiration of brain tumor cysts via the Ommaya reservoir system. We performed percutaneous aspiration of 21 brain tumor cysts in 20 patients using the Ommaya reservoir system. Ages ranged from 3 to 70 years, median 48. Sixteen were primary tumors (12 anaplastic glioma, 2 craniopharyngioma, 1 oligodendroglioma, 1 brainstem glioma) and 4 were metastatic. Fourteen had the CT appearance of a true cyst and 7 a pseudocyst. We placed 18 catheters through twist drill holes via CT stereotactic guidance and 3 through burr holes via CT guidance and effectively aspirated 3 to 50 ml cyst fluid from 1 to 18 times in each patient. Postaspiration CT showed complete or significant reduction in cyst size in all patients in whom it was performed (18 after initial aspiration and 9 after subsequent aspirations). Asymptomatic intracyst hemorrhage occurred in 2 patients after cyst wall biopsy and catheter placement. There have been no other complications at follow-up of 4 to 114 weeks. In our experience, tumor cyst aspiration by the Ommaya reservoir system is as effective as percutaneous needle aspiration, but after catheter placement aspiration can be performed with minimal technical skill, avoiding repeated CT guidance required for needle aspiration of recurrent deep-seated cysts. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Semi-closed, ex-situ, non-reversed or reversed autogenous vein grafting. A technique for femoro-distal arterial bypass. A technique is described for femoro-distal grafting in which vein is removed through very small incisions using the Mayo vein stripper, valves are ablated with the vein "ex-situ", and the graft is inserted non-reversed or reversed according to arbitrary criteria as to its diameter, with the distal anastomosis performed under tourniquet control. Early experience with 35 consecutive vein grafts showed no serious technical problems, satisfactory results and excellent patient acceptance. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Hepatobiliary manifestations of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) frequently develop hepatic dysfunction. Although hepatic injury may indirectly result from malnutrition, hypotension, administered medications, sepsis, or other conditions, the hepatic injury is frequently due to opportunistic hepatic infection, directly related to AIDS. Infection with Mycobacterium avium intracellulare typically occurs in patients with advanced immunocompromise and with systemic symptoms due to widely disseminated infection. In contrast, hepatic tuberculosis often occurs with less advanced immunocompromise. Cytomegaloviral infection may produce a hepatitis. Cytomegaloviral and cryptosporidial infections have been implicated as causes of acalculous cholecystitis and of a secondary sclerosing cholangitis. About 10-20% of patients with AIDS have chronic hepatitis B infection. These patients tend to develop minimal hepatic inflammation and necrosis. The clinical findings in patients with hepatic cryptococcal infection are usually due to concomitant extrahepatic infection. Hepatic histoplasmosis usually develops as part of a widely disseminated infection with systemic symptoms. Hepatic involvement by Kaposi's sarcoma is rarely documented ante mortem because an unguided liver biopsy is an insensitive diagnostic procedure. Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the liver typically have lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, and systemic symptoms. As a pragmatic approach, patients with liver dysfunction and HIV-related disease should have a sonographic or computerized tomographic examination of the liver. Patients with dilated bile ducts should undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography because opportunistic infection may produce biliary obstruction. Patients with a focal hepatic lesion should be considered for a guided liver biopsy. Patients with a significantly elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level should be considered for a percutaneous liver biopsy. When performed for these indications, liver biopsy will demonstrate a significant disease involving the liver in about 50% of patients with AIDS and in about 25% of patients who are HIV seropositive but who are not known to have AIDS. The clinical impact of a diagnostic biopsy is blunted by a lack of efficacious therapy for many opportunistic infections. 

Category: neoplasms
Achievement of life goals by adult survivors of modern treatment for childhood cancer. To assess the impact of the diagnosis and modern treatment of childhood cancer on achievement of adult goals, the authors evaluated employment, health and life insurance coverage, marriage, divorce, and reproduction in 227 former pediatric cancer patients. Each area was evaluated in relation to a common set of disease and demographic factors that included age at follow-up, age at diagnosis, gender, marital status, history of disease recurrence, and diagnosis. Patients were younger than 20 years of age at diagnosis, and their diagnoses were made between January 1, 1960, and December 31, 1984. The median age at diagnosis was 11.4 years, and the median age at follow-up was 26.6 years. The percentage of unemployed male respondents did not differ from population norms. The percentage of unemployed female respondents, however, was slightly higher than that of the United States population. Approximately 11% of the survivors reported some form of employment-related discrimination, a level significantly lower than that of prior reports. Company-offered health insurance was provided to 92.4% of full-time and 90.0% of part-time employed respondents. Life insurance was purchased by 60% of full-time employed men and 55% of women. These percentages were lower than those reported for the United States population. Twenty-four percent of those with life insurance had difficulty obtaining it. Fifty-eight percent of the subjects were married or lived as married. The percentages of married men and women were significantly lower than United States norms. Twenty percent of those who were married or lived as married have divorced or separated or no longer live as married. Women aged 20 to 24 years were less likely to marry, and women aged 35 to 44 years had a significantly higher frequency of divorce than similarly aged United States women. In general, the history of childhood cancer did not influence the decision to marry or live as married but was occasionally (20%) important in the decision to dissolve a marital relationship. Many former patients indicated that their diagnosis and treatment for childhood cancer influenced their decision to have children. The current study suggests that most former pediatric cancer patients achieve adult life goals. Additional research is necessary to define those populations at greatest risk of failure to achieve these goals. 

Category: neoplasms
Can concomitant restriction be detected in adult men with airflow obstruction? A reduction in lung volume is used to diagnose physiologic restriction in the pulmonary function tests of patients with lung disease. Airflow obstruction is commonly associated with hyperinflation of static lung volume. Because restriction and obstruction exert opposite effects on lung volumes, we questioned whether the lack of hyperinflation of static lung volumes could indicate the presence of concomitant restriction in patients with airflow obstructive ventilatory defects. To assess this, we evaluated by pulmonary function tests and chest roentgenograms of 58 patients with airflow obstruction (group 1), 18 of whom then sustained various types of resection for lung cancer (group 2) as a type of superimposed restriction. We selected 80 percent of predicted as the lower limit of "normal" frequently used by clinical pulmonary function laboratories. Despite a statistically significant decrease in total lung capacity (p less than 0.05) for the postpneumonectomy patients, when the static lung volume measurements of the patients with resection were evaluated, no one lung volume showed a consistent reduction sufficient to detect the superimposed restriction in all these patients. Using 80 percent of predicted as "normal," 61 percent of our patients with airflow obstruction and superimposed restriction would have been missed. We conclude that it is clinically difficult, based on only static lung volume measurements alone, to detect restriction superimposed on the hyperinflation of airflow obstruction unless these lung volumes are reduced to below accepted "normal" limits. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Improved survival after Hemopump insertion in patients experiencing postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock during cardiopulmonary bypass. Immediate placement of a Hemopump (HP) ventricular assist device was undertaken in nine patients (seven men, two women) after other attempts at weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) after coronary bypass surgery had failed. All nine patients (100%) were successfully weaned from CPB, and six (63.3%) gradually improved enough to permit removal of HP support. Five (83.3%) of the six who were weaned from CPB survived beyond hospital discharge. HP support was evaluated in terms of vital organ function, incidence of complications, and clinical outcome. In both survivors (S) and nonsurvivors (NS), serial hemodynamic measurements were taken. Although there were few differences in hemodynamic parameters between groups at 4 hr, by 24 hr the S group had markedly improved cardiac index, Glasgow Coma Scale, urinary output, and pulse pressure and required far less inotropic support than did the NS group. All four patients who required high dose inotropic agents to maintain acceptable end-organ perfusion on HP support died; three were unable to tolerate weaning from the HP, and all died within 72 hr of surgery because of ineffective myocardial recovery. None of the survivors required additional early inotropic augmentation. Renal perfusion appeared to be well maintained, even with mean arterial pressures below 60 mmHg during HP support. There were no episodes of hemolysis, infection, or limb ischemia in either group. Thus, the Hemopump provided excellent circulatory support for those patients who could not be weaned from CPB by traditional methods. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Cumulative load as a risk factor for back pain. The association between cumulative load (biomechanic load and exposure time integral over the entire work experience) and back pain was investigated in a group of institutional aides with physically stressful jobs. A questionnaire/interview was conducted with 161 of these institutional aides. The point prevalence of back pain in this sample was 62%. Men had worked a mean duration of 14.3 years and women 11.6 years at the time of the onset of the first pain episode. Every job performed was analyzed by the use of a two-dimensional static mathematical model. The compression and shear at the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral discs were computed by the use of a biomechanic model. Cumulative compression and shear were significantly higher in institutional aides with pain compared with those without pain (P less than 0.05-0.01). The pain group was similar to the no-pain group in age, weight, and height. 

Category: general pathological conditions
99mTc HM-PAO SPECT in pediatric migraine. 99mTC HM-PAO SPECT brain imaging was performed during the headache-free period in 19 young migraineurs, affected by common migraine (CM, 10 cases), classic migraine (CLM, 6 cases) and hemiplegic migraine (HM, 3 cases). SPECT findings were negative in all 10 patients with CM, in 3 cases of CLM and in 2 cases of HM. Positive findings in the remaining 4 patients (3 cases of CLM and 1 of HM) showed a decreased tracer distribution in the temporo-occipital regions (2 cases) and parietal regions (2 cases): the two with decreased temporo-occipital perfusion reported prodromal symptoms exclusively contralateral to the areas of hypoperfusion. An impaired regional cerebral vascular autoregulation may exist even during headache-free intervals in patients suffering from classic and hemiplegic migraine. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Modulation of coronary vasomotor tone in humans. Progressive endothelial dysfunction with different early stages of coronary atherosclerosis. The endothelium plays a critical role in the control of vasomotor tone by the release of vasoactive substances. Because endothelial injury or dysfunction is considered important very early in atherogenesis, we hypothesized that abnormal endothelial function precedes the angiographic detection of coronary atherosclerosis in the human coronary circulation. The coronary vasomotor responses to three different endothelium-mediated stimuli (intracoronary infusion of acetylcholine 10(-8) to 10(-6) M, increase in blood flow to induce flow-dependent dilation, and sympathetic stimulation by cold pressor testing) were assessed by quantitative angiography and subselective intracoronary Doppler flow velocity measurements within the left anterior descending coronary artery in 38 patients. All three stimuli elicited epicardial artery dilation in all 11 patients with smooth coronary arteries and absence of risk factors for coronary artery disease (group 1). All nine patients with smooth coronary arteries but with hypercholesterolemia (group 2) demonstrated a selective impairment in endothelial function with vasoconstriction (35 +/- 12.7% decrease in mean luminal area) in response to acetylcholine but showed a preserved flow-dependent dilation (15.5 +/- 4.4% increase in mean luminal area) and vasodilation in response to cold pressor testing (14.2 +/- 4.6% increase in mean luminal area). In all nine patients with an angiographically defined smooth coronary artery segment but with evidence of atherosclerosis elsewhere in the coronary system (group 3), both acetylcholine and cold pressor testing induced vasoconstriction (26.2 +/- 8.7% and 18.7 +/- 7.9% decrease in mean luminal area, respectively), whereas flow-dependent dilation was preserved (20.4 +/- 8.7% increase in mean luminal area). In the nine patients with angiographic evidence of wall irregularities (group 4), flow-dependent dilation was also abolished and vasoconstriction occurred in response to acetylcholine and cold pressor testing (34.5 +/- 10.7% and 19.9 +/- 6.3% decrease in mean luminal area, respectively). All coronary artery segments dilated in response to nitroglycerin, suggesting preserved function of vascular smooth muscle. Despite similar reductions in coronary vascular resistance in response to the smooth muscle relaxant papaverin, patients with hypercholesterolemia demonstrated a selective impairment of vasodilation of the resistance vasculature in response to acetylcholine (p less than 0.05 versus groups 1, 3, and 4). Thus, there is a progressive impairment of endothelial vasoactive functioning in coronary arteries of patients with different early stages of atherosclerosis, beginning with a selective endothelial dysfunction in angiographically defined normal arteries in patients with hypercholesterolemia and progressively worsening to a complete loss of endothelium-mediated vasodilation in angiographically defined atherosclerotic coronary arteries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS). 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Factors predictive of results of direct ablative operations for drug-refractory ventricular tachycardia. Analysis of 80 patients. During a 9-year period 80 patients with drug-resistant sustained ventricular tachycardia underwent direct surgical ablation of arrhythmogenic myocardium. Sixty-nine were male (86%) and 11 female (14%), with 1.9 +/- 1.1 (standard deviation) ventricular tachycardia morphologies per patient. The mean number of drugs failed was 3.7 +/- 1.6 per patient. The preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction was 36.4% +/- 14.4%. Complete preoperative endocardial mapping data (greater than 4 endocardial sites in each ventricular tachycardia) were available for 60 of the 80 patients (75%) and intraoperative endocardial data in the clinical ventricular tachycardia was obtained in 37 (46.3%) of the patients. In 17 patients mapped intraoperatively by computer-assisted techniques, complete epicardial and endocardial data in the clinical ventricular tachycardia were obtained in 14 patients (82.4%). Overall, 73 of 80 (91.3%) had some mapping data available. Hospital mortality occurred in 10 patients (12.5%) at a mean interval of 13.5 days, range 0 to 62 days. Postoperatively the clinical ventricular tachycardia has not recurred in 65 of 70 surviving patients (92.9%). Nonclinical ventricular tachycardia occurred in another four patients. All nine patients with postoperative ventricular tachycardia responded to drugs. The major factors predictive of hospital mortality were prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (greater than 150 minutes), preoperative ejection fraction less than 31%, and incomplete preoperative mapping. Hospital mortality in patients with an ejection fraction below 31% was significantly associated with a history of amiodarone usage. At 3 years of follow-up, freedom from sudden cardiac death was 95.7%, and 86.7% of patients were free of ventricular tachycardia on no antiarrhythmic drugs. These results suggest that direct ventricular tachycardia operations are an effective form of therapy for patients with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Postnatal epilepsy after EEG-confirmed neonatal seizures. We examined infants whose neonatal seizures were confirmed by randomly recorded ictal EEG tracings to determine the types and frequency of postnatal epilepsy (PNE)--unprovoked, recurring postnatal seizures. Perinatal and postnatal clinical and EEG variables were also examined for their relevance to PNE. Forty infants with EEG-documented neonatal seizures of diverse etiologies were studied. The 27 survivors were followed for a mean of 31 months. PNE developed in 56% (15 of 27) of the cohort. The first seizure appeared at a mean-corrected age of 12.7 months and occurred despite ongoing antiepileptic medication in 60% (9 of 15) of the group. Seizures were classified as infantile spasms or minor motor (7 patients), complex partial (4 patients), or generalized tonic-clonic (4 patients). Perinatal variables that significantly correlated with PNE included the presence of coma but not the age at seizure onset, the estimated gestational age, or Apgar scores. PNE occurred in 68% (13 of 19) of patients with moderately or markedly abnormal EEG backgrounds but in only 25% (2 of 8) without (p = 0.035). There was a strong trend for PNE to develop in patients with greater than 10 electrographic seizures per hour but in only 45% (9 of 20) of infants with fewer seizures (p = 0.058). Several postnatal variables were significantly related to PNE--the presence of cerebral palsy (CP), mental retardation (MR), CP with MR, and follow-up EEGs. PNE occurred in only 27% (3 of 11) of patients without spikes or sharp waves on postnatal EEGs performed at age 3 months but in 100% (3 of 3) of patients with spikes or sharp waves (p = 0.022). 

Category: nervous system diseases