Differential diagnosis between pre- and postganglionic adult traumatic brachial plexus lesions by ultrasonography.

The goal of this study was to prospectively investigate the feasibility of preoperative ultrasonography evaluation in the differentiation between pre- and postganglionic traumatic brachial plexus lesions. Two expert radiologists employed ultrasonography to observe the morphology of the brachial plexus in 23 patients with suspected traumatic brachial plexus lesions and 40 healthy volunteers. The detection rate was 100% (126/126) for the C5 through C7 nerve roots and upper and middle trunks and three fascicles, 84% (106/126) for the C8 roots and the lower trunks and 64% (81/126) for T1 roots in all subjects.

[Inhibitory effects of rosiglitazone against endothelin-1-induced proliferation of rat cardiac myocytes: the role of PKC-c-fos pathway].

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of rosiglitazone (RSG, the activator of peroxisome proliferators activated receptor lambda) for inhibiting endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced neonatal rat cardiac myocyte hypertrophy and the role of protein kinase C (PKC) and c-fos.

Methods: In vitro cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes were treated with ET-1, phorbol ester (PMA, the PKC activator), ET-1+RSG, ET-1+chelerythrine (che, the PKC inhibitor), PMA+RSG, or without treatment (control), respectively. The effects of RSG on the protein content, (3)H-leucine incorporation, PKC activity and C-fos protein expression were observed in the cardiac myocytes stimulated with ET-1 or PMA.

[Prognostic value of ventricular longitudinal systolic velocities and maximal oxygen consumption in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy].

Objective: To compare the prognostic value of regional longitudinal ventricular systolic velocities with that of maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2max)) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Methods: VO(2max) derived from cardiopulmonary exercise tests and regional longitudinal ventricular systolic velocities obtained from tissue Doppler imaging were compared in 18 DCM patients with cardiac events (death, cardiac transplantation, hospitalization, group A) and 24 patients without cardiac events (group B). Peak velocities during isovolumic contraction (is) and ejection (ez) were interrogated at the mitral or tricuspid annulus (site 1), at the mid parts of the walls (site 3, at the level of papillary muscle), and at the midpoints (site 2) between sites 1 and 3 of interventricular septum (S), lateral wall of LV (L) and of RV (R) in apical 4 chambers view.

[Relationship between cardiomyocyte protein synthesis and cell viability].

Objective: To observe the relationship between protein sythesis and cardiomyocyte viability in neonatal rats.

Methods: The protein sythesis in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes was measured according to Brandford's method, the absorbance at 490 nm (A(490 nm)) of the cells was measured with MTT assay and the cell viability evaluated by the ratio of A(490 nm) to the total cell number.

Results: ET-1 increased cardiomyocyte protein synthesis dose-dependently, and this effect was attenuated by the application of lacidipine and tetramethylpyrazines Higher doses of ET-1 resulted in lower A(490 nm)/total cell number ratio, which was further lowered by larcidipine and tetramethylpyrazine.