Dissection of a Giant Coronary Aneurysm.

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Common celiomesenteric-renal trunk - First description of a rare combined variation of abdominal visceral arteries.

Different variations and anomalies are known of the abdominal visceral branches of the aorta, whereas concomitant variations including both renal and inferior phrenic arteries are exceedingly rare. We report the case of a 28-year-old female, presenting with stomachache, nausea and emesis. Computer tomography revealed a large common trunk consisting of the celiac trunk, both inferior phrenic and renal arteries and the superior mesenteric artery.

Genetic Modification of Limbs Using Machine Perfusion.

Genetic engineering is a promising tool to repair genetic disorders, improve graft function, or reduce immune responses toward allografts. organ perfusion systems have the potential to mitigate ischemic-reperfusion injury, prolong preservation time, or even rescue organ function. We aim at combining both technologies to develop a modular platform allowing the genetic modification of vascularized composite (VC) allografts.

PEGylation of Guanidinium and Indole Bearing Poly(methacrylamide)s - Biocompatible Terpolymers for pDNA Delivery.

This study describes the first example for shielding of a high performing terpolymer that consists of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA), N-(3-guanidinopropyl)methacrylamide (GPMA), and N-(2-indolethyl)methacrylamide monomers (IEMA) by block copolymerization of a polyethylene glycol derivative - poly(nona(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate) (P(MEO MA)) via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The molecular weight of P(MEO MA) is varied from 3 to 40 kg mol while the comonomer content of HPMA, GPMA, and IEMA is kept comparable. The influence of P(MEO MA) block with various molecular weights is investigated over cytotoxicity, plasmid DNA (pDNA) binding, and transfection efficiency of the resulting polyplexes.

Indole, Phenyl, and Phenol Groups: The Role of the Comonomer on Gene Delivery in Guanidinium Containing Methacrylamide Terpolymers.

This report highlights the importance of hydrophobic groups mimicking the side chains of aromatic amino acids, which are tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine, in guanidinium bearing poly(methacrylamide)s for the design of non-viral gene delivery agents. Guanidinium containing methacrylamide terpolymers are prepared by aqueous reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (aRAFT) polymerization with different hydrophobic monomers, N-(2-indolethyl)methacrylamide (IEMA), N-phenethylmethacrylamide (PhEMA), or N-(4-hydroxyphenethyl)methacrylamide (PhOHEMA) by aiming similar contents. The well-defined polymers are obtained with a molar mass of ≈15 000 g mol and ≈1.

3D screen printing - An innovative technology for large-scale manufacturing of pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Three-dimensional (3D) screen printing was used to fabricate oral dosage forms of different geometry and size. The paste required as starting material for the 3D screen printing process was designed for delayed release and contained the model drug paracetamol (acetaminophen). A prototype screen printing unit was used to fabricate different tablets in a single production process.

Genetic Engineering of the Kidney to Permanently Silence MHC Transcripts During Organ Perfusion.

Organ gene therapy represents a promising tool to correct diseases or improve graft survival after transplantation. Polymorphic variation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens remains a major obstacle to long-term graft survival after transplantation. Previously, we demonstrated that MHC-silenced cells are protected against allogeneic immune responses.

Modulation of intrinsic in vitro resistance to carboplatin by edatrexate in the A549 human nonsmall cell lung cancer cell line.

Edatrexate (10-ethyl-deazaaminopterin) is a methotrexate analog that has been shown to have greater antitumor activity and improved therapeutic index compared to its parent compound in preclinical systems. We have evaluated the ability of edatrexate to modulate the intrinsic resistance of the lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line to carboplatin. Concentration effects, exposure time and schedule dependence were assessed.

Schedule-dependent synergism of edatrexate and cisplatin in combination in the A549 lung-cancer cell line as assessed by median-effect analysis.

The methotrexate analog edatrexate has been shown to have greater antitumor activity and an improved therapeutic index as compared with its parent compound in preclinical systems. These studies suggest that edatrexate may have a broad role in the treatment of solid tumors. Information regarding edatrexate in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents is limited.

Modulation of homeobox gene expression alters the phenotype of human hematopoietic cell lines.

We have previously reported that certain genes of the HOX2 cluster of homeobox genes on human chromosome 17 are specifically expressed in human leukemic cell lines with erythroid potential, suggesting that these genes are involved in hematopoietic differentiation. We now show that the expression of the HOX 2.2 gene decreases during erythropoietin-induced differentiation of the erythroid cell line MB02.

Lineage-restricted expression of homeobox-containing genes in human hematopoietic cell lines.

We investigated the role of homeobox-containing genes in human hematopoiesis because homeobox genes (i) control cell fate in the Drosophila embryo, (ii) are expressed in specific patterns in human embryos, and (iii) appear to function as transcription factors that control cell phenotype in other mammalian organs. Using four homeobox probes from the HOX2 locus and a previously undescribed homeobox cDNA (PL1), we screened mRNAs from 18 human leukemic cell lines representing erythroid, myeloid, and T- and B-cell lineages. Complex patterns of lineage-restricted expression are observed: some are restricted to a single lineage, while others are expressed in multiple lineages.

Expression of retinoic acid receptor alpha mRNA in human leukemia cells.

The expression of the newly described human retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR alpha) in six nonlymphoid and six lymphoid leukemia cell lines and nine freshly obtained samples of leukemia cells from patients with acute nonlymphoid leukemia was assessed by Northern blot analysis, using a full length cDNA clone of RAR alpha as probe. RAR alpha was expressed in all 12 cell lines and in all fresh leukemia samples as two major transcripts of 2.6 and 3.

Expression of homeobox genes in human erythroleukemia cells.

Because homeobox-containing genes play a major role in embryogenesis and tissue identity in Drosophila and because similar genes encode tissue-specific transcription factors in mammalian cells, we hypothesized that homeobox genes might plan a role in hematopoietic differentiation and lineage commitment. We therefore surveyed a number of human leukemic cell lines for expression of homeobox-containing genes by Northern gel analysis with probes from the Hox 2 cluster of homeobox genes on chromosome 17. We observed transcripts for Hox 2.

Effects of temperature and water immersion on plasma catecholamines and circulation.

The effects of environmental air temperature of 6 degrees C and 26 degrees C on catecholamines (CA) and circulation were studied in eight male subjects during rest and during bicycle exercise at WOBLA for 45 min each. We found that resting at 6 degrees C increased the norepinephrine (NE) levels to the same levels as endurance exercises at 6 degrees C. The increase of CA levels was 2.