Gamma knife radiosurgery for simultaneous multiple metastatic brain tumors.

Object: The authors assessed the efficacy of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) in the treatment of patients with 10 or more simultaneous metastatic brain tumors.

Methods: Gamma knife radiosurgery was performed for the treatment of 10 or more simultaneous metastatic brain tumors in 24 patients. The performance status before and after GKS was expressed using the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS).

The effects of MgADP on cross-bridge kinetics: a laser flash photolysis study of guinea-pig smooth muscle.

1. The effects of MgADP on cross-bridge kinetics were investigated using laser flash photolysis of caged ATP (P3-1(2-nitrophenyl) ethyladenosine 5'-triphosphate), in guinea-pig portal vein smooth muscle permeabilized with Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin. Isometric tension and in-phase stiffness transitions from rigor state were monitored upon photolysis of caged ATP.

Mechanical and electrical properties of smooth muscle cells and their regulations by endothelium-derived factors in the guinea pig coronary artery.

Effects of high K+, acetylcholine (ACh), 9,11-epithio-11,12-methanothromboxane A2 (STA2), thrombin and endothelin were investigated on smooth muscles of the guinea pig coronary artery in intact and endothelium-denuded tissues. In intact tissues, ACh transiently inhibited but ATP produced maintained inhibition of the STA2-induced contraction. However, in the endothelium-denuded tissue, ACh produced contraction and ATP inhibited the STA2-induced contraction.

Roles of protein kinase C on the mechanical activity of vascular smooth muscles.

We investigated the role of protein kinase C in the mechanical responses evoked by high K or by acetylcholine (ACh) in intact vascular smooth muscle tissues, and by Ca in skinned vascular smooth muscle tissues. To activate protein kinase C, the phorbol ester 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a potent tumor promoter, or 1,2-diolein, plus phosphatidylserine (PS) was used. TPA enhanced or reduced the amplitude of the contraction evoked by increased concentrations of K below 39 mmol/L or over 90 mmol/L, respectively, but consistently enhanced the resting tension at any given concentration of high K.