Low incidence of serotonin-induced occlusive coronary artery spasm in patients with recent myocardial infarction.

Intracoronary infusion of serotonin has been reported to induce varying degrees of coronary vasoconstriction in different coronary syndromes, but it has never been studied in patients after myocardial infarction. In patients with recent myocardial infarction, we found a low incidence (11%) of serotonin-induced occlusive spasm only in the infarct-related artery (IRA), and a significantly higher vasoconstriction in the distal segment of the IRA than in the same segment of the non-IRA.

Differences in vasodilatory response to dipyridamole between patients with angina and normal coronary arteries and patients with successful coronary angioplasty.

Background: Previous studies reported a reduced coronary blood flow reserve, assessed by the intravenous administration of dipyridamole, in patients with angina and normal coronary arteries, and early after successful coronary angioplasty, which suggests the presence of small coronary vessel dysfunction. This study aimed to establish whether the mechanisms of small coronary vessel disease in these two groups of patients are similar.

Methods: The effects of the intracoronary infusion of adenosine and dipyridamole (maximum dose 2.

Characterization of a hair (wool) keratin intermediate filament gene domain.

In epithelial differentiation keratin intermediate filament genes are expressed in multifarious tissue-specific and stage-specific patterns. Pairs of type I and type II intermediate filament genes, belonging to multigene families, are coordinately regulated, and 4-5 genes of each type are expressed in the hair follicle. Accumulating chromosomal mapping data points to a major locus for each intermediate filament multigene family on separate chromosomes.

Site-specific transgene insertion: an approach.

Methods to improve the production of transgenic animals are being developed. Conventional transgenesis, involving microinjection of DNA into fertilized eggs, has a number of limitations. These result from the inability to control both the site of transgene insertion and the number of gene copies inserted.

The oac gene encoding a lipopolysaccharide O-antigen acetylase maps adjacent to the integrase-encoding gene on the genome of Shigella flexneri bacteriophage Sf6.

Lysogens of Shigella flexneri harbouring the temperate bacteriophage, Sf6, have been previously shown to undergo a serotype conversion due to O-acetylation of the O-antigen of the lipopolysaccharide. A partial physical map of the phage genome has been constructed. Analysis of the phage DNA suggests that the phage packages by a headful mechanism and that the mature DNA molecules are terminally redundant.

Results of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adult patients managed in a teaching hospital: clinical outcome and implications.

Objective: To assess the impact and clinical implications of therapeutic strategies for managing sudden cardiac arrest in a teaching hospital.

Method: A prospective audit of the results of out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Results: Compared with other studies, our results for resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were poor, only 5% of patients being discharged.

Comparative haemodynamic effects of lidocaine, mexiletine, and disopyramide.

The effect of intravenous boluses of lidocaine (5 mg/kg), mexiletine (3.5 mg/kg), and disopyramide (5 mg/kg) on mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), total peripheral resistance, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and peak rate of change of left ventricular pressure (peak LV dP/dt) were assessed in the conscious rabbit. Plasma levels for the three drugs corresponded to the human therapeutic range 3 min after administration.