bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
‘Indolent’ plasmacytoma
Authors: Stewart David , Price Pat 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYA patient presented with lethargy, nausea and diarrhoea and had a 10‐year history of neurological symptoms in his legs. He was found to have renal failure. Investigations demonstrated a longstanding plasmacytoma of the sacrum and progression to myeloma. Such an indolent course for plasmacytoma is rare. A review of the clinical case and management of solid plasmacytomas is presented.
A safe percutaneous method to recanalize sharp venous occlusions that resist the passage of guidewires
Authors: Cameron David C 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYIt is occasionally necessary to cross a sharp venous occlusion (a thin web of tissue without a lumen) and sometimes it is not possible to cross the stricture with a wire, so puncturing it with a sheathed needle is then required to enable stenting. Other methods have been reviewed; however, we think this balloon technique makes it a safer procedure.
Treatment of iatrogenic femoral artery false aneurysms with ultrasound‐guided thrombin injection
Authors: Ramsay Duncan W , Marshall Martin 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYThe aim of this paper is to review our results of treating iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms of the femoral artery with ultrasound‐guided thrombin injection. A retrospective review was carried out of all patients referred for this procedure over a 1‐year period from December 1999 to December 2000. Forty‐five patients were referred and, of these, 44 were eligible for this treatment, with 300–2500 units of thrombin being injected directly into the false aneurysms under ultrasound guidance. The procedure was well tolerated with no patients requiring sedation or analgesia. There was a primary success rate of 95%, although in four of the patients, there was recurrence on repeat ultrasound performed 2–5 days post‐procedure and a second injection of thrombin was required for permanent thrombosis to be achieved. No complications relating to the procedure occurred. Our results confirm increasing evidence in the published research that thrombin injection of femoral artery false aneurysms is a safe and effective treatment.
Intensity‐modulated radiation therapy: First reported treatment in Australasia
Authors: Corry June , Hope Geoff , Cramb Jim , Smylie Jo , Joon Daryl Lim , Towns Sam , Archer Paul , Henkul Zoltan , Wills Julie 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYIntensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an exciting new advance in the practice of radiation oncology. It is the use of non‐uniform radiation beams to achieve conformal dose distributions. As a result of the high initial capital costs and the time and complexity of planning, IMRT is not yet a widely available clinical treatment option. We describe the process involved in applying this new technology to a case of locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer.
What happens after a lung scan? Management and outcome of patients in a regional hospital
Authors: Chan Wai‐Ling , McLean Richard , Carolan Martin G 
Published: March 2003

SummaryPulmonary embolism (PE) remains a common preventable cause of death in hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study is to examine the in‐hospital management, complications of treatment and clinical outcomes of inpatients undergoing lung scintigraphy for the diagnosis of PE in a regional hospital. Two hundred consecutive inpatients with suspected PE were enrolled. The results of lung scans, stratified according to the probability of pulmonary embolism, were correlated with anticoagulation status, discharge diagnosis, haemorrhagic complications and clinical outcome at 6 months. The use of complementary imaging investigations was also determined. Other imaging was performed infrequently (Doppler ultrasound in 18% of patients, CT pulmonary angiography (CT‐PA) in 0.5% and conventional pulmonary angiography in 4% of patients). Long‐term anticoagulation was initiated in 66 patients (33%), including 10 with intermediate probability lung scans (IPLS) who had no further investigations. Major haemorrhage occurred in 14% of all long‐term anticoagulated patients followed up. The recognized recurrence rate was very low (3%) and there was no documented mortality from PE. Most patients with suspected PE are treated on the basis of the lung scan result without further tests. However, other imaging (especially CT‐PA and conventional pulmonary angiography) should be performed prior to anticoagulation in patients with IPLS in whom the diagnosis is in doubt. Standard anticoagulation for 6 months appears to be effective for PE, and the recurrence rate is low. However, it has a significant risk of major haemorrhagic complications.
Mesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall in infants: Report of three cases and literature review
Authors: Lisle DA , Ault DJ , Earwaker JW 
Published: March 2003

SummaryMesenchymal hamartoma of the chest wall in infants is a rare abnormality. We present a report of three cases and a brief review of the literature, emphasizing the role of the radiologist in diagnosis and management.
Midgut volvulus in an adult
Authors: Puvaneswary M , Rajaratnam S 
Published: March 2003

SummaryWe report a case of duodenal malrotation that presented in adulthood as midgut volvulus. On colour Doppler ultrasound, findings of a clockwise rotation of the superior mesenteric vein around the superior mesenteric artery (whirlpool sign) and a distinctive ‘whirl’‐like pattern resulting from an encircling of loops of the bowel around the SMA on CT is diagnostic of midgut volvulus.
METABOLIC AND FUNCTIONAL EFFECTS OF CARBACHOL AND ISCHAEMIC PRECONDITIONING IN RAT ISOLATED HEART
Authors: Pisarenko Oleg I , Shulzhenko Valentine S , Studneva Irina M 
Published: March 2003

1. Metabolic and functional effects of ischaemic preconditioning (IP), pretreatment with carbachol (Ch) and combined interventions were studied in rat isolated working hearts subjected to 20 min global ischaemia (37°C) and 40 min reperfusion. Prior to the ischaemic period, hearts were either perfused according to Langendorff (control group), ischaemically preconditioned by 5 min global ischaemia and 5 min reperfusion (IP group), perfused with 0.1 μmol/L Ch for 5 min and then with Ch‐free Krebs’–Henseleit buffer for 5 min (Ch group) or perfused with 0.1 μmol/L Ch for 5 min and then subjected to IP (Ch + IP group).2. Although Ch exerted slight negative chronotropic and inotropic effects during pre‐ischaemic Langendorff perfusion, it did not affect myocardial contents of ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) prior to sustained ischaemia. At the end of final reperfusion, the IP and Ch groups showed similar recovery of aortic output (67.5±5.0 and 56.8±5.4%, respectively), cardiac output (65.4±5.4 and 63.5±5.7%, respectively) and stroke volume (73.4±7.5 and 67.0±6.7%, respectively) expressed as a percentage of steady state values. These indices were higher than those in the control group (42.8±4.7, 53.8±4.3 and 56.1±5.6%, respectively; P < 0.05). The Ch + IP group exhibited complete recovery of all indices of pump function, including cardiac work, expressed as the cardiac output–mean aortic pressure (CO‐MAP) product.3. There were no differences in ATP recovery between the groups after reperfusion: the ATP content was, on average, 73.1±3.5% of the initial ATP content. However, all treated groups had enhanced PCr recovery and better preservation of total creatine (ΣCr = PCr + Cr), an index of cell membrane integrity, than control. Metabolic efficacy of the pre‐ischaemic interventions can be ranked as follows: IP ≤ Ch < Ch + IP. In all groups, myocardial content of ΣCr was positively correlated with percentage recovery of the CO‐MAP product at the end of reperfusion (r = 0.79, P < 0.05).4. The results demonstrate that Ch treatment combined with IP provides significantly greater postischaemic myocardial salvage. The similarity of the metabolic and functional effects of Ch treatment and IP strongly suggests muscarinic M2 acetylcholine receptor involvement in acute adaptation of rat heart to ischaemia/reperfusion stress.
OESTROGEN AND TRANSPLANT VASCULAR DISEASE
Authors: Saito Satoshi , Foegh Marie L , Lou Hong , Aras Rohit , Ramwell Peter W 
Published: March 2003

1. The aetiology of chronic rejection is clearly multifactorial and relates to both immunological and non‐immunological factors.2. Our studies suggest that the insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐I ligand and receptor genes are rate limiting in smooth muscle proliferation in the development of transplant arteriosclerosis.3. Suppressing growth factor ligand or receptor expression could be effective strategies for the prevention or treatment of transplant arteriosclerosis.4. We consistently find chronic oestradiol treatment of transplant recipients inhibits arteriosclerosis by attenuating both IGF‐I expression and the immune response, particularly major histocompatibility complex class II expression.5. Thus, a cell‐ or tissue‐specific oestrogen with minimal feminizing properties may be an ideal drug for prevention of one of the major causes of loss of transplant function.
EFFECTS OF BDF 9148 ON THE ACTION POTENTIALS AND CONTRACTIONS OF LEFT VENTRICLES FROM NORMO‐ AND HYPERTENSIVE RATS
Authors: Nand Vinita , Doggrell Sheila A 
Published: March 2003

1. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that responses to BDF 9148, which prolongs the opening of sodium channels, are reduced in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) left ventricle in the presence of hypertrophy and failure.2. We studied the effects of BDF 9148 on the action potentials and contractions of left ventricles from 5‐week‐old prehypertensive, 14‐week‐old hypertensive, 6‐ and 12‐month‐old hypertension‐associated hypertrophy and 18‐month‐old hypertension‐induced heart failure SHR and age‐matched Wistar‐Kyoto normotensive (WKY) rats.3. Action potentials and left ventricular contractions did not alter in the early stages of hypertension (14‐week‐old SHR). The diastolic membrane potential did not change with hypertension‐associated hypertrophy, but there was a reduction in amplitude and a prolongation of action potentials in the left ventricles of 6–18‐month‐old SHR. Cardiac stimulation responses and maximum contractions to 10−6 mol/L isoprenaline were reduced at 6 months, whereas the maximum contractions to 10−2 mol/L CaCl2 were only reduced in left ventricles of 18‐month‐old SHR.4. At concentrations ranging from 10−7 to 3 × 10−6 mol/L, BDF 9148 increased the amplitude and prolonged the duration of action potentials and augmented the force in WKY rat left ventricles. The augmenting effects of BDF 9148 at 3 × 10−6 mol/L were smaller than at 10−6 mol/L, possibly because the high concentration of BDF 9148 was also blocking calcium channels. Similar effects were observed with BDF 9148 in the early stages of hypertension (14‐week‐old SHR).5. In the presence of persistent hypertension‐associated hypertrophy of the SHR left ventricle at ≥ 6 months, the effects of BDF 9148 on action potentials and contractions were significantly reduced to a small extent. This impairment of the response to BDF 9148 may reflect the reduced contractility of the SHR left ventricle and/or it may indicate that the response to the opening of sodium channels is altered from 6 months of age.6. In summary, most of the response to BDF 9148 is maintained in the presence of hypertrophy and failure. Thus, BDF 9148 may have some potential for the treatment of heart failure.
EFFECTS OF APOLIPOPROTEIN A GENE POLYMORPHISMS ON LIPOPROTEIN (a) CONCENTRATIONS IN JAPANESE
Authors: Park Hyun‐Young , Nabika Toru , Notsu Yoshitomo , Kobayashi Shotai , Masuda Junichi 
Published: March 2003

1. Elevated plasma lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) concentrations have been correlated with an increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease. The plasma Lp(a) concentration is quantitatively heritable and the apolipoprotein (Apo) A gene is known as a major locus‐determining Lp(a) concentration.2. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic effect of polymorphisms in the 5′‐untranslated region (UTR) of the ApoA gene on plasma concentrations of Lp(a).3. We analysed two sequence variations in the 5′‐UTR, a pentanucleotide repeat (PNR) polymorphism and haplotypes composed of three single base substitutions, in 325 Japanese subjects. The ApoA size polymorphism was also analysed by western blotting.4. The plasma Lp(a) concentration was inversely correlated with the size of the ApoA molecule. Both PNR and the haplotype polymorphisms had significant effects on serum Lp(a) concentrations (P = 0.001 and 0.004, respectively) when the effects were evaluated by ANCOVA using the ApoA size polymorphism as a covariate.5. When a stratified subpopulation with a larger ApoA size was analysed, both variations influenced or tended to influence the serum Lp(a) concentration, confirming the results of the ANCOVA.6. Pentanucleotide repeat showed a tight linkage disequilibrium with the haplotypes. This disequilibrium may account for the apparent effects of PNR on Lp(a) concentrations.
EFFECTS OF NALOXONE, GLYCYRRHIZIC ACID, DEXAMETHASONE AND DEOXYCORTICOSTERONE IN REPETITIVE STRESS
Authors: Ainsah O , Nabishah Bm , Osman Cb , Khalid Bak 
Published: March 2003

1. The present study examined the effect of naloxone (NAL), glycyrrhizic acid (GCA), deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and dexamethasone (DEX) on daily repeated 2 h chronic restrained stress (RS) on the locomotor activity (LA) of rats tested in the open field arena to elucidate the possible roles of opioids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids in response to stress.2. Intact and adrenalectomized (ADX) rats were either injected with 0.1 mL of NAL (0.32 μg/100 g BW), 2.4 mg/kg DOC or 120 μg/kg DEX or had 1.0 mg/mL GCA dissolved in their drinking water or normal saline (for the ADX group) dissolved in their drinking water.3. In intact groups, treatment with NAL completely blocked the stress response and treatment with GCA, DOC and DEX partially prevented the stress response. Adaptation occurred on either days 4, 5, 6 or 7 for intact rats treated with DEX, DOC, GCA or control rats, respectively. All ADX control rats died following the first 2 h RS. Adrenalectomized rats treated with DEX or DOC adapted later compared with intact rats, while rats given either GCA or NAL were unable to block or adapt to chronic RS.4. These findings demonstrate that the stress response is primarily mediated by endogenous opioids, in that it is blocked by NAL. Both mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, which can act centrally to inhibit endorphins, partially blocked the stress response. The effect of GCA in intact rats was similar to that of both DEX and DOC in intact rats. Adrenalectomized rats treated with GCA (despite their lack of endogenous corticosterone) showed a stress response that was significantly different from the other ADX groups, implying that GCA had effects independent of endogenous corticosterone.
EVOLUTION OF HAEMOGLOBIN FUNCTION: MOLECULAR ADAPTATIONS TO ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Wells Rufus Mg 
Published: March 2003

1. Nearly 1000 mutations have been described for human haemoglobin (Hb), many of which result in subtle changes to the oxygen transport system. Similar changes have occurred over the course of animal evolution resulting in a diversity of functional attributes which appear to correlate the availability of oxygen in the environment with metabolic demand.2. At an early stage in evolution, worm‐like animals had large, polymeric aggregations of Hb subunits circulating through primitive circulatory systems and some possessed monomeric Hb in blood cells functioning as an oxygen store.3. The circulating vertebrate red blood cell provides an environment allowing haem units to interact among themselves and with various organic phosphates to allow a responsive and highly regulated system of gas transport. During metazoan evolution the burden of physiological regulation has shifted from the cells to organ systems, as endothermy and aerial breathing permit a relatively constant environment.4. An understanding of the adaptive possibilities of Hb has helped us to understand the ontogeny of oxygen transport and to interpret recently described functional properties of human embryonic haemoglobins.
HYPERLIPIDAEMIA AND THE PROGRESSION OF NEPHROPATHY IN OLETF RATS: EFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN‐CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITOR, ENALAPRIL
Authors: Sugimoto Koh‐ichi , Tsuruoka Shuichi , Fujimura Akio 
Published: March 2003

1. The influence of angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor is investigated in enalapril on renal function in Otsuka Long‐Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, an animal model of spontaneously non‐insulin‐dependent diabetes (NIDDM).2. Enalapril (5 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered once daily by gastric gavage to 22‐week‐old male OLETF rats for 32 weeks. Blood pressure, albuminuria, creatinine clearance, plasma glucose, serum insulin and lipids were determined before and during the treatment. Renal haemodynamics was examined at the end of the treatment.3. Enalapril lowered blood pressure mildly but significantly. In the vehicle‐treated rats, urinary albumin excretion increased from 0.75±0.16 mg/mg creatinine (Cr) to 8.65±0.78 mg/mg Cr. Enalapril significantly blunted the development of albuminuria from 0.66±0.12 mg/mg Cr to 5.19±0.67 mg/mg Cr (P < 0.008) without significant influence on creatinine clearances. Enalapril also significantly blunted the rise in serum cholesterol and triglyceride prior to the development of massive albuminuria. Enalapril did not affect bodyweight, plasma glucose or insulin levels. Renal haemodynamics assessed by inulin and p‐aminohippuric acid clearances were similar in both groups at the end of the treatment.4. These results reconfirmed that the ACE inhibitor has protective effects on nephropathy in NIDDM. Massive albuminuria was preceded by increase in serum lipids in OLETF rats, which supports the view that hyperlipidaemia exacerbates glomerular injury in chronic renal disease. Enalapril attenuated the rise in serum lipids, suggesting that the beneficial effects of the compound on renal injury in OLETF rats might also be mediated through the action of affecting serum lipids.
CHARACTERIZATION OF NITRIC OXIDE‐ AND PROSTAGLANDIN‐INDEPENDENT RELAXATION IN RESPONSE TO ACETYLCHOLINE IN RABBIT RENAL ARTERY
Authors: Kagota SATOMI , Yamaguchi YU , Nakamura KAZUKI , Kunitomo MASARU 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARY1. We investigated the characterization of acetylcholine (ACh)‐induced NG‐nitro‐
L‐arginine methyl ester (
L‐NAME)‐ and indomethacin (IND)‐resistant relaxations, which can be mediated by endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), in rabbit renal arterial rings.2. The relaxations were inhibited by SKF 525A, a cytochrome P450 inhibitor, but were not affected by other inhibitors, namely clotrimazole, 17‐octadecynoic acid and α‐naphthoflavone. Furthermore, 11,12‐epoxyeicosatrienoic acid, a cytochrome P450 metabolite, did not relax arterial rings.3. Arterial relaxations were significantly attenuated by charybdotoxin and iberiotoxin, but not by apamin, all K+ channel blockers.4. In a sandwich bioassay experiment, ACh‐induced L‐NAME‐ and IND‐resistant relaxations were not transferred to the detector site.5. Relaxations were also significantly attenuated by 1‐heptanol and 18α‐glycyrrhetinic acid, gap junctional coupling inhibitors.6. These results indicate that, in the rabbit renal artery, L‐NAME‐ and IND‐resistant relaxations are mediated by factors other than cytochrome P450‐derived arachidonic acid metabolites, which may be able to diffuse into the lumen but be partly transferred via myoendothelial gap junctions to adjacent vascular smooth muscle cells and relax muscles by opening high‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channels.
MYOCARDIAL PROTECTION DURING CARDIAC SURGERY FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF CORONARY ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION
Authors: He GUO‐WEI 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARY1. During cardiac surgery, the heart is arrested and subject to ischaemia–reperfusion injury.2. To protect the heart, cardioplegia is usually used to initially stop and then maintain the still condition of the heart, which not only facilitates the precise operation but, more importantly, minimizes the energy consumption of the heart during this period.3. The ischaemia–reperfusion injury may involve both myocytes and coronary endothelium–smooth muscle and, therefore, the protection of the heart should also involve these two aspects.4. Injury to the heart involves: (i) ischaemia–reperfusion injury to the myocytes and coronary circulation; and (ii) possible injury to the coronary circulation by cardioplegia due to its hyperkalaemic components.5. Injury to the coronary circulation may involve both endothelium‐derived nitric oxide (EDNO) and endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) mechanisms. The EDNO mechanism is susceptible to ischaemia–reperfusion, whereas the EDHF mechanism may be altered by hyperkalaemic cardioplegia.6. To further protect the heart, supplemental therapy for EDNO and optimizing the components of cardioplegia to restore the EDHF mechanism may be important.
HETEROGENEITY OF VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE α‐ADRENOCEPTORS IN CANINE BLOOD VESSELS
Authors: Kwan DAVID CHIU‐YIN 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARY1. For the past decade, using radioligand binding, contractility and immunohistochemical techniques, we have been characterizing vascular smooth muscle (VSM) adrenoceptors in four functionally different canine blood vessels, namely the dog aorta (DAO), dog mesenteric artery (DMA), dog mesenteric vein (DMV) and dog saphenous vein (DSV).2. This communication briefly reviews our findings (with a special emphasis on α‐adrenoceptor subtypes), which showed that none of the four canine vessels showed the same complement of α‐adrenoceptor subtypes.3. All four vessels elicited α1‐adrenoceptor contractile responses (antagonized by prazosin), but α2‐adrenoceptor responses (sensitive to rauwolscine), were found only in DMV and DSV.4. Pharmacological characterization using α1‐adrenoceptor subtype‐selective antagonists showed that DAO contains mainly α1B‐adrenoceptors (some α1D‐adrenoceptors) and DMA has primarily α1A/1L‐adrenoceptors. α1‐Adrenoceptors in DMV are primarily of the α1D subtype, but either a new or unusual α1‐adrenoceptor subtype was revealed in the DSV.
PRO‐ AND ANTI‐ARRHYTHMIC EFFECTS OF A κ OPIOID RECEPTOR AGONIST: A MODEL FOR THE BIPHASIC ACTION OF A LOCAL HORMONE IN THE HEART
Authors: Yu XIAOCHUN , Zhang WEIMIN , Bian JINSONG , Wong TAK MING 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARY1. The effects of κ opioid receptor stimulation on cardiac rhythm and the underlying signal pathways were investigated in the rat.2. Stimulation of κ opioid receptors with 40–50 μmol/L U50 488H, a selective κ opioid receptor agonist, induced dysrhythmias and increased inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3) production in rat isolated, perfused heart. The pro‐arrhythmic effects of U50 488H were abolished by 5 μmol/L nor‐ binaltorphimine (nor‐BNI), a specific κ opioid receptor antagonist.3. The effect of U50 488H on cardiac dysrhythmia and IP3 production were abolished by 1 mmol/L neomycin and streptomycin, phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors.4. At 1 μmol/L, U50 488H, which itself has no effect on cardiac rhythm and IP3 production, significantly attenuated the potentiating effect of 1 μmol/L noradrenaline (NA) on dysrhythmias, which were induced by low flow in the isolated heart. The effects of U50 488H were abolished by 1 μmol/L nor‐BNI. Cytosolic cAMP production was augmented by 1 μmol/L NA and this was significantly attenuated by 1 μmol/L U50 488H.5. At 1 μmol/L, U50 488H also reduced [Ca2+]i oscillations induced by 0.5 μmol/L NA and 0.5 μmol/L forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase (AC).6. In conclusion, U50 488H exerted pro‐ and anti‐arrhythmic actions at high and lower concentrations, respectively. The former effect was mediated via the PLC/IP3 pathway, while the latter was mediated via the AC/cAMP pathway.