Role of Common Antihypertensives in the Growth of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm at the Presurgical Stage.

Whether drug therapy slows the growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in the Japanese population remains unknown. In a multicenter prospective open-label study, patients with AAA at the presurgical stage (mean [±SD] AAA diameter 3.27±0.

Hepatectomy with simultaneous resection of the portal vein and hepatic artery for advanced perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: an audit of 50 consecutive cases.

Objective: To outline our experience with hepatectomy with simultaneous resection of the portal vein and hepatic artery for advanced perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, and to discuss the clinical significance of this challenging hepatectomy.

Summary Background Data: Only a few authors reported negative results for this surgery in a very limited number of patients.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 50 patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma who underwent hepatectomy (left trisectionectomy in 26, left hepatectomy in 23, and right hepatectomy in 1) with simultaneous resection and reconstruction of the portal vein and hepatic artery, focusing on surgical outcome and survival.

Serum procalcitonin (PCT) as a negative screening test for colonic ischemia after open abdominal aortic surgery.

Background And Aim: We assessed serum procalcitonin (PCT) as a screening test for early detection of ischemic colitis.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-three patients (81 men and 12 women) undergoing elective aortic surgery were enrolled in this study. Their mean age was 70.

Comparison of Doppler and oscillometric ankle blood pressure measurement in patients with angiographically documented lower extremity arterial occlusive disease.

To assess the reliability of the oscillometric method in patients with peripheral vascular disease, ankle blood pressure measurement by Doppler and oscillometry was compared. This study represents a prospective, non-blinded examination of pressure measurements in 168 patients. Twenty-two patients were included who had abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and 146 had peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).

Bi-phasic activation of eNOS in response to uni-axial cyclic stretch is mediated by differential mechanisms in BAECs.

We investigated the signaling mechanism of stretch-induced NO (Nitric oxide) production in bovine arterial endothelial cells (BAECs). BAECs cultured on an elastic silicone chamber coated with fibronectin were subjected to uni-axial cyclic stretch (1 Hz, 20% in length) and the amount of produced NO was measured by a cGMP assay. NO production increased in a bi-phasic manner and peaked at 5 min and 20 min after stretch onset.