tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Mithramycin inhibits myointimal proliferation after balloon injury of the rat carotid artery in vivo.
Authors: S J Chen, Y F Chen, D M Miller, H Li, S Oparil
Journal: Circulation (1994)

Smooth muscle proliferation and extracellular matrix formation in the subintimal region of blood vessels that have been subjected to intimal injury are responsible for restenosis following balloon angioplasty of the coronary arteries and for accelerated atherosclerosis in a variety of other pathophysiological states. The immediate early-response gene c-myc is overexpressed in proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro, and c-myc antisense oligomers have been shown to reduce c-myc expression and to inhibit proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in culture. Mithramycin is a commercially available G-C-specific DNA binding drug that selectively inhibits transcription of genes, such as c-myc, that have G-C-rich promoter sequences. This study tested the hypothesis that mithramycin inhibits transcription of the c-myc proto-oncogene and prevents myointimal proliferation after balloon injury of the rat carotid artery in vivo.Ten-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats received mithramycin (150 micrograms/kg IP) or distilled H2O 1 hour before and 1 hour after balloon injury of the right common carotid artery. After 2 weeks, the rats were killed by overdose of pentobarbital, and the injured right and uninjured control left arteries were pressure-fixed and subjected to morphological analysis for evaluation of the degree of myointimal thickening. Separate groups of rats were killed at 2 and 6 hours after vascular injury, and total RNA from injured and control vessels of mithramycin- and vehicle-treated rats was subjected to Northern analysis for assessment of steady-state c-myc mRNA levels. The areas of neointima and the ratios of neointimal to medial area were significantly less in mithramycin-treated than in control rats (0.6 +/- 0.1 versus 1.2 +/- 0.1 mm2, P < .01 and 95 +/- 16% versus 190 +/- 14%, P < .01). Lumen size was significantly greater in mithramycin-treated than in control rats (1.5 +/- 0.1 versus 0.8 +/- 0.1 mm2, P < .01). Steady-state c-myc mRNA levels were increased 10-fold and 2-fold (compared with undamaged carotid arteries) at 2 and 6 hours after balloon injury, respectively; mithramycin treatment reduced c-myc mRNA levels at 2 and 6 hours by 66% and 53%, respectively.These results support the hypothesis that systemic administration of mithramycin immediately (1 hour before and after intervention effectively inhibits transcription of the c-myc proto-oncogene and prevents myointimal proliferation after balloon injury of the rat carotid artery in vivo. Because mithramycin has been shown to be well tolerated by humans and to effectively inhibit transcription of c-myc in proliferating human cells, this agent may be useful in the prevention of coronary restenosis.
Should measles be eradicated?
Authors: F T Cutts, R Steinglass
Journal: BMJ (1998)

Before measles vaccine was introduced, around 5.7 million people worldwide died each year of measles; by 1995 this total had fallen by 88%.1 In Latin America, measles incidence and mortality fell by 99% after vaccination was introduced. As a result, an international meeting in July 1996 recommended a global programme of measles eradication by a target date between 2005 and 2010.2 We discuss whether such a goal is feasible and appropriate.

Reducing mortality due to measles is a public health priority in developing countries. Measles eradication—defined as the interruption in the transmission of measles globally so that vaccination can be stopped—is possible theoretically because no animal reservoir is known to exist and measles vaccine is highly effective. 2 3 Eradication of the measles virus would obviate the need for the continuous monitoring of changes in measles epidemiology (and responses to this) induced by measles vaccination. 4 5 These epidemiological changes include a shift in the age distribution of measles towards older children and adults 6 7; the occurrence of “post honeymoon” outbreaks, when numbers of susceptible people grow over years of moderate vaccination coverage until their total surpasses the epidemic threshold 5 6 8; and the fact that babies born to mothers whose immunity is not natural but induced by vaccine have a shorter period of passive protection. 5 9

The World Health Organisation recommends that countries aiming to eliminate measles adopt the strategy used in Latin America of an initial catch-up campaign, with high coverage of routine infant vaccination, intensive surveillance, and periodic follow up campaigns. 2 10 However, questions remain on which age range to vaccinate in campaigns, maintaining safe injection practices, and the feasibility and cost of achieving high enough coverage in the poorest countries. Cost-benefit analyses need to compare programmes that aim …
RE: Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2009, Featuring the Burden and Trends in Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Associated Cancers and HPV Vaccination Coverage Levels and RE: Inequalities in Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Associated Cancers: Implications for the Success of HPV Vaccination
Authors: D. M. Harper, J. A. Groner, R. S. Griffith, W. H. Harper
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2013)
CURRENT STATUS OF PATIENTS WITH A BIVENTRICULAR CIRCULATION FOLLOWING FETAL AORTIC VALVULOPLASTY FOR EVOLVING HYPOPLASTIC LEFT HEART SYNDROME
Authors: Lindsay R. Freud, Doff B. McElhinney, Audrey C. Marshall, Gerald R. Marx, Pedro J. del Nido, Emile A. Bacha, Carol B. Benson, Louise E. Wilkins-Haug, James E. Lock, Wayne Tworetzky
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2010)
Acute Epiglottitis A Surgical Emergency
Authors: James W. Bass
Journal: JAMA (1974)

Of 97 patients with acute epiglottitis, 83 were reviewed retrospectively and 14 were studied prospectively to clarify some of the common misconceptions regarding the onset, clinical course, and management of this disorder. It is a relatively rare, life-threatening infection of infants and preschool-age children, but it also occurs in adults. It is frequently referred to as "<i>Haemophilus influenzae</i>croup epiglottitis," which is misleading, as croup is usually not present, and though<i>H influenzae</i>is the most common causative organism, other pathogens have been implicated. The course of acute epiglottitis is radically different from that of the more common viral croup syndrome in that the patients often have rapidly progressive and frequently abrupt airway obstruction. An assured airway is mandatory in treatment. Nasotracheal intubation should not be attempted without provisions for immediate surgical intervention. Acute epiglottitis should always be considered a surgical emergency. (<i>JAMA</i>229:671-675, 1974)
Prevention of diet-induced fatty liver in experimental animals by the oral administration of a fatty acid bile acid conjugate (FABAC)
Authors: Tuvia Gilat, Alicia Leikin-Frenkel, Ilana Goldiner, Christine Juhel, Huguette Lafont, Diana Gobbi, Fred M. Konikoff
Journal: Hepatology (2003)

Fatty acid bile acid conjugates (FABACs) are a new family of synthetic molecules designed to solubilize biliary cholesterol. They were shown to prevent and dissolve cholesterol gallstones in inbred C57L/J mice fed a lithogenic, high-fat diet (HFD). In these mice, fatty liver was observed in the controls but not in the FABAC-treated ones. The present study was designed to study the effect of FABAC (arachidyl-amido-cholanoic acid) on diet-induced fatty liver in rats, hamsters, and mice. The fatty liver score (on a scale of 0-4 by light microscopy) was 4.0 in control hamsters and 0.3 in the FABAC-fed hamsters (P <.001). In mice it was 1.5 and 0.4, respectively (P <.01). The lipid/protein ratio in the liver was 1.3 +/- 0.44 (mg lipid/mg protein) in control rats and 0.66 +/- 0.04 in the FABAC group (P =.001) after 14 days. In hamsters it was 1.41 +/- 0.27 and 1.11 +/- 0.20, respectively (P =.03), after 21 days. In Imperial Charles River (ICR) mice the ratio was 0.34 +/- 0.10 and 0.17 +/- 0.07 (P =.03), respectively, after 24 days. Liver fat concentration, measured as mg lipid/g liver tissue, decreased similarly by FABAC feeding. The decrease in liver fat affected mainly the triglyceride levels. FABAC-fed animals gained weight similarly to the controls. Triglyceride absorption was unaffected by FABAC supplementation. In conclusion, oral FABAC therapy prevents/reduces the development of fatty liver in animals consuming a HFD.
INTERLEUKIN FAMILY MEMBER ST2 AND MORTALITY IN ACUTE DYSPNEA
Authors: Thenral Socrates, Christopher DeFilippi, Tobias Reichlin, Raphael Twerenbold, Tobias Breidhardt, Markus Noveanu, Mihael Potocki, Robert Christenson, Christian Mueller
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2010)
Identifying Costs of Medical Care
Authors: Rex B. Conn
Journal: JAMA (1985)

Financial constraints are imposing an urgent requirement on American medicine to control the increasing costs of medical care. Valid data on "true" costs are required to make optimum trade-offs between quality-availability and cost of medical services; unfortunately, these data are generally lacking. Standard accounting procedures provide information on expenditures for items such as utilities, pharmaceuticals, and payroll; however, these procedures cannot identify personnel costs related to a specific medical service. The Laboratory Workload Recording Method developed by the College of American Pathologists offers a proved method for calculating personnel costs in performing each type of procedure in the clinical laboratory as well as projected costs of alternative management actions. Similar principles could be applied in other areas of health care.
Radiocolloid Redistribution and Multiple Splenic Infarcts in Myelofibrosis
Authors: JAMES P. POLGA, GEORGE HOLSTEN, RICHARD P. SPENCER
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (1983)

A 66-year-old man had myelofibrosis with radiocolloid demonstrated splenomegaly and shift of activity to the spleen. Four months later, he experienced sudden left-sided pain. A repeat radiocolloid study showed a marked change. The spleen was represented by only a few functional areas with several photopenic regions. Radioactivity was now principally present in the liver, with considerable uptake in the vertebral marrow and lungs. The splenic lesions were multiple acute infarcts. Sudden loss of the spleen's ability to extract radiocolloid was likely, followed by utilization of reticuloendothelial cells in the liver, bone marrow and lungs.
High-Dose Heparin Decreases Nitric Oxide Production by Cultured Bovine Endothelial Cells
Authors: Gilbert R. Upchurch, George N. Welch, Jane E. Freedman, Attila J. Fabian, Alessio Pigazzi, Anne M. Scribner, Caroline S. Alpert, John F. Keaney, Joseph Loscalzo
Journal: Circulation (1997)

Background Abrupt cessation of heparin therapy can lead to a recrudescence of thrombosis and acute ischemia. Endothelial NO is an important endogenous inhibitor of platelet-mediated thrombosis, yet biochemical studies examining the effect of heparin on NO production by the endothelium have heretofore been lacking. Methods and Results In an attempt to address the effect of heparin on endothelial cell production of NO, confluent bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) on microcarrier beads were incubated in the presence or absence of heparin. Results indicate that BAECs incubated with heparin were less able to inhibit platelet aggregation than control cells ( P &lt;.005 by ANOVA) and that this effect correlated with a decrease in NO production (36% decrease for heparin compared with control, P &lt;.05). Dextran sulfate evoked the same response (67% decrease, P &lt;.0001 compared with control), suggesting that the decrease in NO after heparin treatment is secondary to its negative charge rather than to a specific polysaccharide sequence. The decrease in NO production by heparin was accompanied by a 72% decrease in steady-state Nos 3 mRNA as well as a 49% decrease in immunodetectable endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein. Conclusions These data show that high-dose heparin at concentrations achieved in some acute cardiovascular settings increases in vitro platelet aggregation in media conditioned by endothelial cells by decreasing endothelial NO production through a mechanism that involves a decrease in steady-state Nos 3 mRNA and eNOS protein. These observations suggest a possible mechanism by which to explain in part the prothrombotic effects of heparin.
New Method of Starting an Intravenous Catheter
Authors: P. J. MULLANNEY
Journal: JAMA (1969)

<h3>To the Editor:—</h3> The most important intravenous infusion in most emergency cases is the one started in the emergency room. I have adopted a variation of starting the intravenous catheter, in this instance the intracath. The instructions contained inthe manufacturer's package are selfexplanatory. However, I have modified their tenth step which is concerned with the securing of the catheter and the infusion set to the patient, in order to prevent removal of the catheter from the vein. All of the suggested steps are followed according to the directions in the package except for the tenth step. After the needle cover is placed over the needle point (Figure,<i>part 1</i>), I secure the needle and remaining apparatus to a tongue depressor blade with small strips of quarter-inch adhesive as depicted (Figure,<i>part 2</i>). At this point, the intravenous fluid is running; and there is adequate time to continue with the remaining
Role of Vitamin D Glucosiduronate in Calcium Homeostasis
Authors: Sreeramulu Nagubandi, Rajiv Kumar, James M. Londowski, R. A. Corradino, Pamela S. Tietz
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1980)

Evidence has been presented suggesting the presence of vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 glucosiduronate in rat bile. To evaluate the role of vitamin D glucosiduronates in calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, we synthesized vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate and tested its biological activity in calcium- and vitamin D-deficient rats. After the intravenous administration of vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate to rats maintained on a low calcium diet, there was an increase in duodenal calcium transport and an increase in serum calcium. Vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate, however, was less active than equimolar amounts of vitamin D3. At doses of less than 0.65-1 nmol per rat, the conjugate exhibited no activity. When vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate was administered to vitamin D-deficient rats, 25-hydroxyvitamin D was detected in the serum; the increase in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels was less than that observed after the administration of an equimolar amount of vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate showed no detectable activity in the induction of calcium binding protein in chick embryonic duodena, a system in which no endogenous steroid β-glucuronidase activity is detectable. These data demonstrate that vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate is biologically active in vivo and that the observed activity is due to hydrolysis of the conjugate to vitamin D3. As vitamin D3 3β-glucosiduronate is excreted in the bile of rats, it is possible that this conjugate is reutilized in vivo after hydrolysis to free vitamin D3. These results suggest the existence of a mechanism for reutilization of the biliary products of vitamin D3.
Interaction of Splenectomy and Perioperative Blood Transfusions on Prognosis of Patients With Proximal Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer
Authors: Jürgen Weitz, Michael D’Angelica, Mithat Gonen, David Klimstra, Daniel G. Coit, Murray F. Brennan, Martin S. Karpeh
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2003)

To assess the interaction of splenectomy and perioperative allogeneic blood transfusions on the prognosis of patients undergoing a potentially curative resection of proximal gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, because reports from the transplantation literature demonstrated that the immunosuppressive effects of transfusions are dependent on the presence of an intact spleen.Between July 1, 1985, and July 30, 2001, 240 patients underwent complete resection (R0) of a proximal gastric or GEJ cancer (Siewert type II or III). Clinical and pathologic factors were collected in a prospective database. The survival data were modeled using the method of Kaplan and Meier and analyzed by the log-rank test and Cox regression.The median follow-up of the patients was 25 months (40 months for survivors). The median relapse-free survival was 30 months, and the median disease-specific survival was 45 months. Univariate analysis suggested an interaction of splenectomy and perioperative transfusion in their effect on relapse-free survival. Patients who received a perioperative transfusion but did not undergo splenectomy demonstrated the worst prognosis on multivariate analysis independent of other prognostic factors. In patients who underwent splenectomy, perioperative transfusion had no effect on relapse-free survival on multivariate analysis.Our study suggests an interaction of blood transfusion and splenectomy in their effect on survival paralleling the findings in the transplantation literature. The adverse effect of allogeneic blood transfusion on prognosis in patients with gastric cancer seems to be associated with the presence of an intact spleen and is abrogated by its absence.
Maternal age of menarche is not associated with asthma or atopy in prepubertal children
Authors: A Maitra, AM Sherriff, Kate Northstone, D Strachan, A J W Henderson
Journal: Thorax (2005)

Maternal sex hormones in pregnancy can theoretically influence the developing fetal immune system and modulate the subsequent development of atopic disorders. Early onset of menarche has been linked to increased oestrogen levels in adult women. A study was undertaken to examine the association between early onset menarche in pregnant women and asthma and atopic status of their children at 7 years of age.The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a longitudinal birth cohort study in which pregnant women, resident in Avon (UK), were recruited on the basis of an expected date of delivery between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992. Maternal age at menarche was assessed from prenatal questionnaires administered to the women. Clinical outcomes in the children were based on mothers' responses to self-completion questionnaires and included asthma, eczema, and hay fever. The atopic status of the child was objectively assessed by skin prick tests to a panel of common aeroallergens at the age of 7 years. Analyses used multivariable logistic regression with a diverse range of possible confounders.Complete data were available on 5765 woman and child pairs. The prevalence of ever reported asthma to 7 years was 20.4%, eczema 58.6%, hay fever 12.1%, and atopy (defined as any positive (>2 mm weal) response) was present in 20.6%. There were no significant differences in mean age of menarche between mothers of children with and without each of the primary outcomes. Adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) for the latest age of menarche (16+ years) compared with the lowest (<12 years) reference group were 1.41 (1.00 to 1.99) for asthma, 0.98 (0.73 to 1.91) for eczema, 0.95 (0.62 to 1.44) for hay fever, and 0.98 (0.68 to 1.42) for atopy.No consistent association was found between maternal age at menarche and asthma, eczema, hay fever or atopy in their children during early childhood.
Endothelial-Dependent Vasodilation and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in a Population of Healthy Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Rosario Rossi, Elena Cioni, Annachiara Nuzzo, Giorgia Origliani, Maria Grazia Modena
Journal: Diabetes Care (2005)

OBJECTIVE—Both postmenopausal state and diabetes are associated with endothelial dysfunction and are well-known risk factors for atherosclerosis. However, the relationship of endothelium-dependent vasodilation and diabetes has never been prospectively evaluated. This study provided the opportunity to assess the association between endothelial vasodilation function and the incidence of diabetes in a cohort of apparently healthy postmenopausal women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We conducted a prospective cohort study that began in 1997 with 840 apparently healthy, nonobese, postmenopausal women, aged 53 ± 6 years, initially with normal glucose tolerance at the oral glucose tolerance test. All participants were followed up for a mean period of 3.9 ± 0.7 years (range 0.5–6.9). Endothelial function was measured as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, using high-resolution ultrasound. RESULTS—There were no significant differences in demographic, blood pressure, and biochemical profiles among each tertile group at baseline or at follow-up review. During follow-up, 102 women developed type 2 diabetes. The adjusted relative risk (RR) for women with FMD ≤4.3 (lowest tertile) was 5.87 (95% CI 4.34–8.10) versus women with FMD ≥5.6 (highest tertile reference). Each 1-unit decrease of FMD was associated with a significant 32% (22–48%) increase in the multiple-adjusted RR of incident diabetes. CONCLUSIONS—These prospective data indicate a significant increase in the RR of diabetes with each unit decrease of FMD. This could suggest that an impaired endothelial function may play a fundamental role in diabetogenesis in postmenopausal women.