Does MR enterography offer added value after a recent CT in the evaluation of abdominal pain in Crohn's disease patients?

Purpose: To determine if there is added value in performing MR enterography shortly after a contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis in patients with Crohn's disease presenting with acute abdominal pain.

Materials And Methods: A total of 45 consecutive patients who underwent MRE examination <7 days after a CT met our strict inclusion criteria. Independent and blinded review of both MRE and CT exams was performed by two abdominal radiologists.

Nitric oxide is involved in the response of the isolated intact and epithelium-denuded rat trachea to the β₂ adrenergic receptor agonist salbutamol.

Background: The involvement of the airway smooth muscle mediator nitric oxide (NO) in the actions of the β₂ agonist salbutamol (Sal), a well-known bronchodilator, is very poorly understood.

Objectives: To determine if endogenous NO release is a major factor in the Sal-induced relaxation of the carbachol- and electrical field-stimulated rat trachea and determine the role of the tracheal epithelium as the possible source of NO involved in these effects.

Methods: Isolated carbachol- or electric field-stimulated pre-contracted in vitro male Sprague Dawley rat tracheas (with epithelium intact or denuded) were relaxed with incremental or discrete concentrations of Sal in the presence and absence of the NO synthesis inhibitor L-NAME.

Hemodynamic alterations in the coronary circulation of cardiomyopathic hamsters: age and Ang II-dependent mechanisms.

Background: Coronary vasospasms have been reported in the early stages of cardiomyopathy in the Syrian cardiomyopathic hamster (CM; BIO-TO2 strain). It has been proposed these alterations could lead to ischemic heart disease and heart failure. However, the cause of these coronary abnormalities has not been established.

Toxicity and metal content of organic solvent extracts from airborne particulate matter in Puerto Rico.

The importance of airborne particulate matter (PM) in causing increases in morbidity and mortality in humans has been confirmed by numerous epidemiological and laboratory studies. It has been proposed that PM might deliver transition metals to the airways were they react and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus promoting the expression of inflammatory mediators, and cytotoxicity. In Puerto Rico (PR), the northern Guaynabo area is a US EPA non-attainment zone for PM10 (PM with a mass median aerodynamic diameter 10 microm), and a previous study found that organic PM10 extracts from this area were cytotoxic.