Sex-Linked Differences in Cardiac Atrophy After Heterotopic Heart Transplantation: No Direct Relation to the Actions of Sex Steroid Hormones.

An important complication of prolonged support of the left ventricle with an assist device when implanted in patients with heart failure is unloading-induced cardiac atrophy. Our recent study suggested that sex-linked differences in the development of atrophy induced by heterotopic heart transplantation (HTX) do exist, however, the role of the environmental conditions dependent on plasma concentrations of sex hormones remains elusive. We aimed to compare the course of HTX-induced cardiac atrophy in male and female rats after gonadectomy with substitution of steroid hormones of the opposite sex.

Sex-Linked Differences in Cardiac Atrophy After Mechanical Unloading Induced by Heterotopic Heart Transplantation.

No information is available about sex-related differences in unloading-induced cardiac atrophy. We aimed to compare the course of unloading-induced cardiac atrophy in intact (without gonadectomy) male and female rats, and in animals after gonadectomy, to obtain insight into the influence of sex hormones on this process. Heterotopic heart transplantation (HT((x)) was used as a model for heart unloading.

Interposition of right internal iliac artery free-graft for left coronary artery reimplantation in adults with anomalous left coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery: case series and long-term results.

Anomalous left coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is an infrequent congenital anomaly. Presentation of this syndrome is rare in adults. Nevertheless, adult patients are at risk of ischaemia, arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death and always require surgical intervention.

New trends in advanced parkinson disease stage therapy.

The aim of the study was to point out the contribution of new invasive therapeutic procedures in the treatment of advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) in comparison with classical oral pharmacotherapy. Data originated from a group of 43 patients with PD, 39% (17) with classic treatment, 23% (10) with intestinal gel of methyl ester levodopa (Duodopa), 19% (8) of patients were using subcutaneous delivery of apomorphine (APO) and the same quantity of patients had undergone deep brain stimulation (DBS). Majority of patients had advanced stages of PD, stage 4, by standards of Hoehn and Yahr scale (Hoehn and Yahr, 1967).

Heterotopic Ossifications after Fractures of the Anterior Pelvic Segment: Overview of Morphology and Clinical Correlations.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY In certain patients after treated pelvic fractures, heterotopic ossifications can be observed in the area of the pubic bone, which protrude ventrally, and often also laterally and distally into surrounding soft tissues of the groin or even medially into the proximal thigh. These ossifications are shaped like sharp spikes of various lengths, which is why the authors refer to them as "spicules". In some patients, these ossifications are also associated with pain.

Distribution pattern of dorsal root ganglion neurons synthesizing nitric oxide synthase in different animal species.

The main aim of the present review is to provide at first a short survey of the basic anatomical description of sensory ganglion neurons in relation to cell size, conduction velocity, thickness of myelin sheath, and functional classification of their processes. In addition, we have focused on discussing current knowledge about the distribution pattern of neuronal nitric oxide synthase containing sensory neurons especially in the dorsal root ganglia in different animal species; hence, there is a large controversy in relation to interpretation of the results dealing with this interesting field of research.

Nitrergic neurons during early postnatal development of the prefrontal cortex in the rat: histochemical study.

The presence of nitrergic cells in the prefrontal cortex has been confirmed, however little is known about the postnatal development of these cells. Nitrergic neurons were studied histochemically by using NADPH-diaphorase staining in the prefrontal cortex of male Wistar rats from postnatal day 7-21 (P7-21). Neuronal NADPH-diaphorase is a nitric oxide synthase that provides a specific histochemical marker for neurons producing nitric oxide (NO).

Region-specific sensitivity of the spinal cord to ischemia/reperfusion: the dynamic of changes in catalytic NOS activity.

This study was designed in order to consider whether the release of neuronally derived nitric oxide (NO) in the lumbosacral spinal cord during ischemia/reperfusion is region-specific and whether changes in Ca(2+)-dependent NO synthase (cNOS) activity paralell with functional outcome. The cNOS activity was measured in the spinal cord regions after 13-, 15- and 17-min ischemia alone and that followed by 24 h of reperfusion. In addition, the Tarlov's criteria were applied to define the neurological consequences of ischemia/reperfusion in experimental animals.

Spinal cord transection significantly influences nNOS-IR in neuronal circuitry that underlies the tail-flick reflex activity.

Aim: Spinal cord transection interrupts supraspinal input and leads to the development of prominent spasticity. In this study, we investigated the effect of rat spinal cord transection performed at low thoracic level on changes in (i) neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity (nNOS-IR), and (ii) the level of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) protein in the neuronal circuitry that underlies tail-flick reflex.

Methods: nNOS-IR was detected by immunohistochemistry and the level of nNOS protein was determined by the Western blot analysis.

The effect of N-nitro-L-arginine and aminoguanidine treatment on changes in constitutive and inducible nitric oxide synthases in the spinal cord after sciatic nerve transection.

Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, and neuronal and inducible NOS immunoreactivity (nNOS-IR and iNOS-IR), were investigated in the rabbit lower lumbar spinal cord after i) sciatic nerve transection and survival of experimental animals for 2 weeks, ii) treatment of animals with N-nitro-L-arginine (NNLA), an inhibitor of nNOS dosed at 20 mg/b.w. for 12 days, and iii) after treatment of animals with the inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor, aminoguanidine, dosed at 100 mg/b.

Expression of c-Fos in the parabrachial nucleus following peripheral nerve injury in rats.

Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats evokes c-Fos expression at spinal cord level. Using immunohistochemical methods we studied changes in c-Fos expression in the brain stem area, which is suggested as one of the major targets of projection neurons in the superficial dorsal horn laminae, i.e.

The distribution of primary nitric oxide synthase- and parvalbumin- immunoreactive afferents in the dorsal funiculus of the lumbosacral spinal cord in a dog.

1. The aim of the present study was to examine the distribution of unmyelinated, small-diameter myelinated neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactive (nNOS-IR) axons and large-diameter myelinated neuronal nitric oxide synthase and parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PV-IR) axons in the dorsal funiculus (DF) of sacral (S1-S3) and lumbar (L1-L7) segments of the dog.2.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunopositivity in motoneurons of the rabbit's spinal cord after transient ischemia/reperfusion injury.

1. Motoneurons in the spinal cord are especially vulnerable to ischemic injury and selectively destroyed after transient ischemia. To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathophysiology of the spinal cord ischemia, the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the motoneurons of the lumbosacral spinal cord was examined in the rabbit model of transient abdominal aorta occlusion.

Spatiotemporal alterations of the NO/NOS neuronal pools following transient abdominal aorta occlusion: morphological and biochemical studies in the rabbit.

1. Brief interruption of spinal cord blood flow resulting from transient abdominal aortic occlusion may lead to degeneration of specific spinal cord neurons and to irreversible loss of neurological function. The alteration of nitric oxide/nitric oxide synthase (NO/NOS) pool occurring after ischemic insult may play a protective or destructive role in neuronal survival of affected spinal cord segments.

The effect of a spinal cord hemisection on changes in nitric oxide synthase pools in the site of injury and in regions located far away from the injured site.

1. The present study was designed to examine the nitric oxide synthase activities (constitutive and inducible) in the site of injury in response to Th10-Th11 spinal cord hemisection and, to determine whether unilateral disconnection of the spinal cord influences the NOS pools on the contra- and ipsilateral sides in segments located far away from the epicentre of injury. 2.

Moderately different NADPH-diaphorase positivity in the selected peripheral nerves after ischemia/ reperfusion injury of the spinal cord in rabbit.

1. To vicariously investigate the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) production after spinal cord injury, NADPH-d histochemistry was performed on the selected peripheral nerves of adult rabbits 7 days after ischemia. The effect of transient spinal cord ischemia (15 min) on possible degenerative changes in the motor and mixed peripheral nerves of Chinchilla rabbits was evaluated.

Distribution of NADPH diaphorase-exhibiting primary afferent neurons in the trigeminal ganglion and mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus of the rabbit.

1. Nitric oxide (NO) is highly reactive gaseous molecule to which many physiological and pathological functions have been attributed in the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous system. The present investigation was undertaken to map the distribution pattern of the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of NO, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and especially its neuronal isoform (nNOS) in the population of primary afferent neurons of the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) of the rabbit.

Nitrergic proprioceptive afferents originating from quadriceps femoris muscle are related to monosynaptic Ia-motoneuron stretch reflex circuit in the dog.

1. The aim of the present study was to examine the occurrence of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in the stretch reflex circuit pertaining to the quadriceps femoris muscle in the dog. 2.

Effect of ischemia in vivo and oxygen-glucose deprivation in vitro on NOS pools in the spinal cord: comparative study.

1. This study was performed to compare both the Ca(2+)-dependent nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and the neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity (nNOS-IR) in the rabbit lumbosacral spinal cord after 15 min abdominal aorta occlusion (ischemia in vivo) and oxygen-glucose deprivation of the spinal cord slices for 45 and 60 min (ischemia in vitro). All ischemic periods were followed by 15, 30 and 60 min reoxygenation in vitro.

Immunohistochemical, histochemical and radioassay analysis of nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in the lumbar and sacral dorsal root ganglia of the dog.

In this study, immunohistochemistry for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (bNOS-IR), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase histochemistry (NADPHd) and nitric oxide synthase radioassay were used to study the occurrence, number and distribution pattern of nitric oxide synthesizing neurons in the lumbar (L1-L7) and sacral (S1-S3) dorsal root ganglia of the dog. Nitric oxide synthase immunolabelling was present in a large number of small- (area <1,000 microm(2)) and medium-sized (area 1,000-2,000 microm(2)) as well as in a limited number of large-sized (area >2000 microm(2)) neurons. Although neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunolabelling and histochemical staining provided intense staining of multiple small- and medium-sized neurons in all lumbar and sacral dorsal root ganglia, immuno-labelled or histochemically stained somata exhibited little topographic distribution in individual dorsal root ganglia.

Clinical and laboratory findings in Metation EK-50.

Authors present some of their results from an epidemiological study on the effect of fenitrothion (Metation EK-50) on the organism of occupationally exposed workers in the production of this preparation and in female workers in the packing room during a 5-year period. The results of clinical examinations pointed to parasympathetic stimulation and disposition to hypotonia. Neurological and psychiatric findings revealed a low-grade pseudoneurasthenic syndrome in 33% of females and in 15% of males.

Toxicological classification of pesticides.

The authors put forth their proposition for pesticide classification from the points of view of acute toxicity, skin irritation, skin toxicity 'resorption), cummulation coefficient and chronic effect--anticipated chronic risk. The proposition of this kind may be considered a priority in Czechoslovakia. It is confronted with the criteria for pesticide classification recommended by the WHO which it suitably completes.