Cytotoxicity of stimulated equine neutrophils on equine endothelial cells in culture.

We studied the interactions of isolated equine neutrophils with endothelial cells in culture, mimicking a situation of acute inflammation. Our main purpose was to demonstrate that the supernatant of activated neutrophils was sufficient to damage endothelial cells. Equine endothelial cells (from carotid arteries) were covered either with increased numbers of equine neutrophils stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate, or with the supernatant collected after an in vitro stimulation of the neutrophils.

Auditory processing in the vegetative state.

H(2)(15)O-PET was used to investigate changes in regional cerebral blood flow in response to auditory stimulation in patients in the vegetative state. Five patients in a vegetative state of hypoxic origin were compared with 18 age-matched controls. In addition, the cerebral metabolism of these patients and 53 age-matched controls was studied using [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose.

HREM of CoSi2/SiC heterophase interface: facts and artifacts in the interface distance profile measurements.

When studying heterophase interfaces, one of the ultimate goals is to determine the local distortions and to extract a chemical profile. In this respect, HREM is a powerful tool. Nevertheless, the non-linearity of the image formation leads to artifacts both in the images and in the distance profiles extracted from the images.

[Oral dryness in geriatric patients].

Dry mouth is usual in geriatrics. It doesn't seem a age related change of salivary gland tissues, but as often as not, it results from the use of some drugs. Seventy percents of institutionalised elderly population consummate these medications with buccal significance.

[Epidemiology of various oral-dental problems in aging patients].

Demographic projections show an important increase of the elderly population. The percentage of complete edentulous elderly patients is decreasing but their total number will remain constant. The prevalence of caries (essentially root caries) and of periodontal disease is, actually, very important.

Restoration of thalamocortical connectivity after recovery from persistent vegetative state.

By use of H2(15)O positron emission tomography we have shown that functional connectivity between intralaminar thalamic nuclei and prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices was altered during vegetative state but not after recovery of consciousness.

Neural mechanisms of antinociceptive effects of hypnosis.

Background: The neural mechanisms underlying the modulation of pain perception by hypnosis remain obscure. In this study, we used positron emission tomography in 11 healthy volunteers to identify the brain areas in which hypnosis modulates cerebral responses to a noxious stimulus.

Methods: The protocol used a factorial design with two factors: state (hypnotic state, resting state, mental imagery) and stimulation (warm non-noxious vs.

Randomized trial of diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin solution as an alternative to blood transfusion after cardiac surgery. The DCLHb Cardiac Surgery Trial Collaborative Group.

Background: Risks associated with transfusion of allogeneic blood have prompted development of methods to avoid or reduce blood transfusions. New oxygen-carrying compounds such as diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin (DCLHb) could enable more patients to avoid allogeneic blood transfusion.

Methods: The efficacy, safety, hemodynamic effects, and plasma persistence of DCLHb were investigated in a randomized, active-control, single-blind, multicenter study in post-cardiac bypass surgery patients.

Red blood cell substitutes: fluorocarbon emulsions and haemoglobin solutions.

The problems posed by transfusion of homologous blood have led to the development of substances able to replace the gas transporting properties of blood. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) emulsions and modified haemoglobin (Hb) solutions have been developed for this goal and are now tested in clinical assays. PFCs are synthetic fluorinated hydrocarbons, capable of dissolving large quantities of oxygen (O2; without binding) at high inspired concentrations of O2, and of delivering this O2 to the tissues.

Evaluation of acute normovolemic hemodilution for surgical repair of craniosynostosis.

This clinical report investigated the potential benefit of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) as a blood-saving technique in the surgical repair of craniosynostosis. Over a 4-year period, 34 healthy children undergoing surgical repair of scaphocephaly or pachycephaly were randomly assigned to two groups of 17 patients each. Patients of the first group (ANH group) were submitted to ANH (target Ht: 25%) immediately before surgery and patients of the second group (Control group) were not.

High concentrations of histamine stimulate equine polymorphonuclear neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species.

Objective And Design: Because high concentrations of histamine are locally released in inflammation, we investigated the effects of supraphysiological doses of histamine on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by neutrophils.

Materials And Methods: Isolated equine neutrophils were activated by 10(-4) to 5 x 10(-3) M histamine. The production of ROS and free radicals was estimated by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) with spin trapping technique.

Oxidation sensitivity may be a useful tool for the detection of the hematotoxic potential of newly developed molecules: application to antipsychotic drugs.

Some antipsychotic agents have been found to produce agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia. The oxidation phenomena and/or the formation of free radicals has been suggested to be causally related to various hematological disorders, e.g.

[General anesthesia vs perimedullary anesthesia].

Perimedullary anesthetic techniques (epidural or spinal anesthesia), by themselves or combined with general anesthesia offer several advantages in the postoperative period when compared with general anesthesia alone. The incidence of postoperative respiratory and cardiovascular complications is decreased. The physiologic stress reaction, with its associated hypercoagulable state and immune depression, is attenuated.

Effect of epidural bupivacaine on the relationship between the bispectral index and end-expiratory concentrations of desflurane.

We compared the relationship between the bispectral index and end-tidal desflurane concentrations in 20 patients undergoing elective surgery. Patients received epidurally either 10 ml saline (group S) or 10 ml bupivacaine 0.125% with epinephrine 1/800 000 (group B) before induction of anaesthesia with sufentanil (0.

Oral status and nutrition in the institutionalized elderly.

Objectives: To evaluate, in an elderly population, whether poor oral status might be a contributing factor to the development of undernutrition and might be associated with less eating pleasure, more subjective eating difficulty and increased mashed food consumption.

Methods: An oral examination and an evaluation of masticatory capacity were performed on 120 institutionalized elderly subjects. The nutritional assessment included serum albumin concentration, the Mini Nutritional Assessment and a questionnaire on eating habits.

Plasma myeloperoxidase level and polymorphonuclear leukocyte activation in horses suffering from large intestinal obstruction requiring surgery: preliminary results.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a specific enzyme of neutrophil azurophilic granules with a strong oxidative activity. Thanks to a radioimmunoassay of equine myeloperoxidase, the authors have observed a significantly higher plasma level of MPO in horses operated for strangulation obstruction of the large intestine (n = 6) than in horses suffering from a non-strangulating displacement of the large intestine (n = 9). For the 2 groups, 3 phases were distinguished: reception (P1), intensive care (P2) and terminal phase (P3).

Influence of induction of anaesthesia on intubating conditions one minute after rocuronium administration: comparison of ketamine and thiopentone.

We compared the effect of thiopentone and ketamine on intubating conditions after rocuronium 0.6 mg.kg-1 in two groups of patients (n = 16 each), aged 21-44 years, undergoing elective surgery.

Peroxynitrite reacts with biological nitrogen-containing cyclic molecules by a radical pathway, as demonstrated by ultraweak luminescence coupled with ESR technique.

Ultraweak luminescence (uwCL) was coupled with electron spin resonance to study the reactions of 3 heterocyclic compounds (tryptophan, serotonin and imidazole) with peroxynitrite at pH 8.7. Tryptophan and serotonin reacted with emission of a flash peak of light (5 s) followed by a long-living light emission of +/- 80 s.

Effects of two calculated plasma sufentanil concentrations on the hemodynamic and bispectral index responses to Mayfield head holder application.

The effects of two calculated plasma sufentanil (SUF) concentrations on the hemodynamic and bispectral index (BIS) responses to Mayfield head holder (MH) application were studied in 20 patients scheduled for intracranial surgery. Premedication consisted of hydroxyzine, alprazolam, and atropine given orally 1 hour before surgery. Anesthesia was provided with propofol (PPF) and SUF using a target-controlled infusion device.

[Red cell substitutes: perfluorocarbon emulsions and hemoglobin solutions].

Objective: To review the current data on perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions and haemoglobin (Hb) solutions.

Data Sources: For this paper we analysed the literature using Medline search along with major review articles.

Data Selection And Extraction: The collected articles were reviewed and selected according to their quality and originality.

Endotoxaemia, production of tumour necrosis factor alpha and polymorphonuclear neutrophil activation following strenuous exercise in humans.

To examine whether endotoxaemia accompanying long-term, strenuous physical exercise is involved in exercise-induced increase in plasma tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) concentration and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) activation, 14 male recreational athletes [mean age 28 (SEM 1) years] were studied. Exercise consisted of a 1.5-km river swim, a 40-km bicycle race, and a 10-km road race.

Effects of training on exercise-induced muscle damage and interleukin 6 production.

To address the question of whether the increased plasma concentration of interleukin 6 (IL-6) following strenuous muscular work could be related to exercise-induced muscle damage, 5 moderately active male volunteers underwent two isokinetic exercise sessions in the eccentric mode, separated by a period of 3 weeks during which the subjects underwent five training sessions. Before training, exercise was followed by severe muscle pain (delayed-onset muscle soreness; DOMS), and by significant increases in plasma IL-6 level and serum myoglobin concentration (SMb) (P < 0.001).

Functional neuroanatomy of hypnotic state.

Background: The aim of the present study was to describe the distribution of regional cerebral blood flow during the hypnotic state (HS) in humans, using positron-emission tomography (PET) and statistical parametric mapping.

Methods: The hypnotic state relied on revivification of pleasant autobiographical memories and was compared to imaging autobiographical material in "normal alertness." A group of 9 subjects under polygraphic monitoring received six H215O infusions and was scanned in the following order: alert-HS-HS-HS with color hallucination-HS with color hallucination-alert.