Structural plasticity of axon initial segment in spinal cord neurons underlies inflammatory pain.

Physiological or pathology-mediated changes in neuronal activity trigger structural plasticity of the action potential generation site-the axon initial segment (AIS). These changes affect intrinsic neuronal excitability, thus tuning neuronal and overall network output. Using behavioral, immunohistochemical, electrophysiological, and computational approaches, we characterized inflammation-related AIS plasticity in rat's superficial (lamina II) spinal cord dorsal horn (SDH) neurons and established how AIS plasticity regulates the activity of SDH neurons, thus contributing to pain hypersensitivity.

Prevalence of use of cardiovascular drugs in 499 patients with suspected coronary artery disease at time of hospitalization for coronary angiography and in 357 patients with obstructive coronary artery disease documented by coronary angiography.

In a prospective study of 499 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) hospitalized for coronary angiography, the prevalence of use of cardiovascular drugs at hospital admission was 80% for antiplatelet drugs, 66% for beta blockers, 55% for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), 65% for lipid-lowering drugs, 24% for calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and 16% for nitrates. In 357 patients with obstructive CAD diagnosed by coronary angiography, the prevalence of use of these drugs at hospital discharge was 100% for antiplatelet drugs, 97% for beta blockers, 91% for ACE inhibitors or ARBs, 98% for lipid-lowering drugs, 17% for CCBs, and 27% for nitrates. Obstructive CAD was significantly more prevalent in men (P < 0.

Relation of moderate or severe reduction in glomerular filtration rate to number of coronary arteries narrowed >50% in patients undergoing coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease.

We investigated, in a prospective study of 1,007 patients who underwent coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), the association of obstructive CAD with severe or moderate decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) calculated from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Baseline characteristics were similar in patients with a moderate or severe GFR decrease (<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) and those with a mild or no GFR decrease except for diabetes being present in 112 of 259 patients (43%) with a moderate or severe GFR decrease and in 206 of 748 patients (28%) with a mild or no GFR decrease (p <0.