Serial pulsed Doppler assessment of pulmonary artery pressure in very low birth-weight infants.

We assessed pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) during the early neonatal period in very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants using serial echocardiographic measurements of the ratio of the pulmonary artery acceleration time to the right ventricular ejection time corrected by heart rate [AT:RVET(c)]. Eighty-four VLBW infants weighing less than 1,500 g were examined using serial color Doppler echocardiography from 3 hours to day 7 after birth. The AT:RVET(c) of infants born after 30 weeks of gestation showed a rapid, significant increase during the early neonatal period, whereas those of the groups born at less than 30 weeks showed no significant increase before day 14.

Ca2+ dynamics at the frog motor nerve terminal.

Rises in free [Ca2+]i in response to various tetanic stimuli (Ca2+ transient) in frog motor nerve terminals were measured by recording fluorescence changes of Ca2+ indicators and analyzed in relation to short-term synaptic plasticity. Ca2+ transients reached a plateau after 10-20 impulses at 100 Hz and decayed in a three-exponential manner, in which the fast component was predominant. The plateau and fast component of the Ca2+ transient were elevated infralinearly with an increase in tetanus frequency.

Glycated apolipoprotein A-I assay by combination of affinity chromatography and latex immunoagglutination.

The degree of glycation of plasma apolipoprotein A-I was measured by a combination of gel filtration, boronate affinity chromatography and latex immunoagglutination. The plasma concentrations of apolipoprotein A-I determined by this combination method (y) correlated well with those determined by turbidimetric immunoassay (x) (y=1.12x + 1.

Repair of leaking postinfarction ventricular septal defect under circulatory arrest via left thoracotomy.

We treated a 60-year-old woman for postinfarction ventricular septal defect (VSD) and closed it by the infarction exclusion method. Postoperatively she was complicated by Candida sternal mediastinitis and residual shunt of VSD. After her sternal infection came under control we repaired the leaking VSD via left thoracotomy under hypothermic circulatory arrest.

[A case of Chinese herbs nephropathy in which the progression of renal dysfunction was slowed by steroid therapy].

The patients was a 43-year-old woman whose chief complaints were nausea and heaviness of the heads. There was a history of toxemia of pregnancy. The patient had previously taken Tenshin Tokishigyaku-ka-goshuyu-shokyo-to for two years because of cold sensitivity.

[Treatment by corticosteroid and plasma exchange in 5 cases of renal cholesterol embolic disease].

Cholesterol arterial embolization is a systemic disease resulting from cholesterol crystal embolization to multiple organs, including the kidney, skin, brain, eye, gastrointestinal tract and extremities. In general, it is associated with high morbidity and mortality, but no optimal treatment has yet been developed. In this paper, we report five patients with cholesterol atheroembolic renal failure.

A new concise synthesis of arcyriacyanin A and its unique inhibitory activity against a panel of human cancer cell line.

The nucleophilic addition reaction of N-tosyl-4-oxo-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindole (12) with the lithium salt of 1-methoxyindole (5), followed by dehydration with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) gave the derivative of 2,4'-bi-1H-indole (9) which provides a new concise synthetic method of an indole pigment of the slime mould, arcyriacyanin A. The compound was first demonstrated here to have unique inhibitory activity to a panel of human cancer cell lines and to inhibit protein kinase C and protein tyrosine kinase.

[In vitro antibacterial activities of carbapenems against clinical isolates].

Antibacterial activities of four carbapenems, imipenem, panipenem, meropenem, and biapenem, were determined using 353 strains belonging to 18 bacterial species which were isolated from clinical materials at Ehime University Hospital. The MIC values of these carbapenems against MRSA were widely distributed between 0.1 and 100 micrograms/ml, and MIC90 values of these 4 carbapenems were 25-50 micrograms/ml.

A complete deficiency of coagulation factor XIII A-subunit due to a novel compound heterozygote of Ser 413 Leu missense and an nt 389 (ins G) frameshift mutation.

Coagulation factor XIII consists of two A- and two B-subunits, and either gene mutation can cause a complete deficiency. In a newborn patient with persistent bleeding from the umbilical cord stump, the plasma A-subunit protein was not detectable. Direct PCR sequencing revealed an nt 389 (ins G) frameshift mutation in exon 4 resulting in a new stop codon and a Ser 413 Leu missense mutation in exon 10 in either allele.

Structure of mouse calpastatin isoforms: implications of species-common and species-specific alternative splicing.

Mouse calpastatin cDNAs were cloned by the method of RT-PCR using RNA isolated from myoblast C2C12 cells. Nucleotide sequencing of the isolated clones revealed an in-frame ATG codon upstream of the previously assigned translation initiation methionine. Except for the N-terminal segment, the new translatable region (domain XL) was similar to the sequence of bovine calpastatin in which domain XL was first identified.

Characterization of CD4+ CD8alphaalpha+ and CD4-CD8alphaalpha+ intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes in rats.

Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (i-IEL) of aged rats comprise CD4+CD8alphaalpha+ and CD4-CD8alphaalpha+ T cells expressing TCR alphabeta. In the present study, we compared characteristics between CD4+CD8alphaalpha+ and CD4-CD8alphaalpha+ i-IEL, which were purified by a cell sorter from the i-IEL of 6-month-old Lewis rats. Most of the CD4+CD8alphaalpha+ i-IEL were of the CD44(hlgh) phenotype, while CD4-CD8alphabeta+ i-IEL were CD44(low).

[Study of rapidity and quality for the VITEK susceptibility cards with 45 wells].

VITEK 45 wells Card was evaluated. Recent clinical isolates of gram-positive cocci (107) and gram-negative bacilli (179) were antimicrobial susceptibility testing by VITEK system in comparison with MIC-2000 system. The antimicrobial susceptibility results were available within of 8 h for gram-positive cocci without a part of MRSA.

[Coronary artery bypass grafting in cases with poor left ventricular function].

From January 1987 through June 1992, 18 patients with poor left ventricular function (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] less than 0.3) underwent elective isolated primary coronary artery bypass surgery. The mean age was 56.

[A feature of hematological findings in myelodysplastic syndromes].

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis in one or more hematopoietic lines with abnormal morphology and peripheral blood cytopenia. Primary MDS are more common in elderly patients and rare in children and young adults. The diagnosis of MDS in patients with unexplained cytopenias requires careful morphologic evaluation of both the peripheral blood and bone marrow cells.

[Lipid peroxide and antioxidants in the elderly].

Aging is associated with changes in physical characteristics and decline of many physiological functions. The aging process have been described by various theories, in particular the free radical theory of aging has received widespread attention. It has been accepted that the oxidative stress or damage induced by free radicals is related to aging.

A case successfully treated by conservative management for mediastinitis and infected composite graft due to methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococcus.

A 72 year-old man underwent a Bentall procedure for aortic regurgitation secondary to annulo-aortic ectasia and ascending aortic aneurysm. On the 11th postoperative day, the C-reactive protein (CRP) level and white blood cell (WBC) count rose. Echocardiography and a computed tomographic scan showed the appearance of pericardial effusion.

Hemofiltration removes bradykinin generated in the priming blood in cardiopulmonary bypass during circulation.

After induction of hemofiltration for the hemic prime of a cardiopulmonary bypass, the initial drop in blood pressure disappears, and postoperative edema rarely occurs. We have suspected that bradykinin, a strong vasodilator generated through the activation of factor XII, prekallikrein, and high molecular weight kininogen was removed by ultrafiltration. We examined the changes in the activities of plasma-factor XII, prekallikrein, high molecular weight kininogen and in the levels of bradykinin in the priming blood using red cell concentrates before and after hemofiltration, and evaluated the effectiveness of hemofiltration.

Improved efficiency of energy transfer to external work in chronic cardiomyoplasty based on the pressure-volume relationship.

Objective: Cardiomyoplasty is a surgical procedure to support the failing heart, in which a burst-stimulated latissimus dorsi muscle flap is transposed and wrapped around the ventricles. The effect of dynamic cardiac compression, implemented as cardiomyoplasty, on left ventricular performance remains controversial; the mechanism by which clinical symptoms are improved remains unclear. To investigate the mechanism for improvement of patients' symptoms, it is important to evaluate the effects of cardiomyoplasty on left ventricular energetics and on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function.

Everting closure for interrupted aortic arch, ventricular septal defect, and severe subaortic stenosis.

Interrupted aortic arch with ventricular septal defect in the neonate is sometimes complicated by severe subaortic stenosis from posterior deviation of the infundibular septum. We have developed a novel approach to the treatment of this condition. The infundibular septum is penetrated from the right-ventricular side to the left-ventricular outflow tract.

Early experience of retrograde cerebral perfusion.

Since 1990, retrograde cerebral perfusion has been applied in aortic arch surgery in the Nagoya University group to protect the brain. This study reviews the group's early clinical results, and especially of neurological outcome in patients undergoing aortic arch surgery via mid sternotomy by using retrograde cerebral perfusion only via the superior vena cava. Seventy-three cases (47 men, 26 women; mean age 62.

[Successful emergency surgical management following cardiac massage in a patient with acute myocardial infarction due to total obstruction of the left main trunk].

The prognosis in patients manifesting shock following acute myocardial infarction due to total occlusion of the left main trunk (LMT) is usually very poor and so is the lifesaving rate. Accurate judgement and rapid response are key to the successful management of this disease. We experienced a successful case with emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on the 14 the day after initial attack.