Diagnostic imaging and pacemaker implantation in a domestic goat with persistent left cranial vena cava.

Difficulty was encountered with the insertion of a right atrial pacing lead via the left jugular vein during lead and pacemaker implantation in a clinically normal goat as part of an ongoing rapid atrial pacing - induced atrial fibrillation research project. Fluoroscopic visualization of an abnormal lead advancement path prompted angiographic assessment which revealed a persistent left cranial vena cava (PLCVC) and prominent coronary sinus communicating with the right atrium. Angiography facilitated successful advancement and securing of the pacing lead into the right side of the interatrial septum.

Chronic atrial fibrillation causes left ventricular dysfunction in dogs but not goats: experience with dogs, goats, and pigs.

Structural remodeling in chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs over weeks to months. To study the electrophysiological, structural, and functional changes that occur in chronic AF, the selection of the best animal model is critical. AF was induced by rapid atrial pacing (50-Hz stimulation every other second) in pigs (n = 4), dogs (n = 8), and goats (n = 9).

Enzymatic recontouring of auricular cartilage in a rabbit model.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of contouring auricular cartilage in a rabbit model using biologically active enzymes injected subcutaneously.

Methods: The first phase determined the most effective volume and concentration required to affect the cartilage. To accomplish this task, we used ex vivo rabbit ears from a slaughterhouse.

Acute lung injury using oleic acid in the laboratory rat: establishment of a working model and evidence against free radicals in the acute phase.

Objective: To determine the optimal model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) using oleic acid in our laboratory and to measure the presence or absence of free radicals in this model.

Design: This protocol consisted of 2 phases. During the first phase, various conditions were tested, to include different doses (30 or 50 microliters) of oleic acid, different levels of support (with and without mechanical ventilation), and different injury time periods (sacrifice 4 or 8 hours after injection).

Towards common reference intervals in clinical chemistry. An attempt at harmonization between three hospital laboratories in Skåne, Sweden.

The population sample of the Kristianstad survey, a reference intervals survey in the county of Kristianstad, was used to establish new reference intervals in clinical chemistry at the laboratories of the Central Hospital in Kristianstad, the University Hospital in Lund and the University Hospital in Mälmo. Three-hundred and fifty nine subjects, male and female, aged 20-80+ years, were invited to participate in the study, with a participation rate of 70%. Up to 70 analyses were performed on each subject, general clinical chemistry parameters in all three laboratories, specialized analyses where available.

The increase of plasma homocysteine concentrations with age is partly due to the deterioration of renal function as determined by plasma cystatin C.

One of the main determinants of plasma homocysteine in healthy subjects is serum creatinine. In the present study, we therefore investigated the relation between plasma homocysteine concentration, serum creatinine and a new marker for glomerular filtration rate, plasma cystatin C concentration. Cystatin C reflects the glomerular filtration better than serum creatinine and is not related to the muscle mass and formation of creatinine.

A novel thrombomodulin gene mutation in a patient suffering from sagittal sinus thrombosis.

Thrombomodulin is an endothelial cell membrane glycoprotein that promotes protein C activation. It has been clearly demonstrated that the anticoagulant functions of the protein C system are important in the prevention of thromboembolic disease. Patients with protein C or protein S deficiency and/or resistance to activated protein C (APC resistance) are at higher risk for developing thromboembolic disease.

Reference intervals for the glomerular filtration rate and cell-proliferation markers: serum cystatin C and serum beta 2-microglobulin/cystatin C-ratio.

Recent studies have indicated that serum and plasma cystatin C are better markers for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than serum creatinine, ubiquitously used for this purpose. To fully exploit the value of serum and plasma cystatin C as GFR markers, reliable age and sex-correlated reference intervals are required. The present study comprised cystatin C determinations in plasma and sera from 259 individuals from a well-defined area in the southernmost part of Sweden.

Thrombomodulin gene variations and thromboembolic disease.

Thrombomodulin (TM) is the endothelial cell cofactor for protein C activation. Since deficiencies of other protein C system proteins are known to cause thrombotic disease, then defects in the gene coding for TM could be responsible for inherited thrombophilia. We have searched for mutations in the TM gene among healthy controls as well as patients with thrombophilia and identified eight patients heterozygous for TM mutations that are distributed throughout the TM gene.

A common thrombomodulin amino acid dimorphism is associated with myocardial infarction.

Endothelial dysfunction and haemostatic imbalance are believed to be important aetiological factors in the development of acute coronary syndromes. Thrombomodulin (TM) is an integral membrane protein crucial for normal endothelial function and activation of the protein C anticoagulant pathway. We have investigated the importance of a common C/T dimorphism in the TM gene (nucleotide 1418) for development of premature myocardial infarction (MI).

Evidence for co-transport of sodium, potassium and chloride in mouse pancreatic islets.

1. The presence of a loop diuretic-sensitive co-transport system for Na+, K+ and Cl- was tested in isolated pancreatic islets. 2.

Morphometry of Rambourg-positive and Rambourg-negative beta-cell granules after culture with low and high glucose concentrations.

Dispersed islet cells from noninbred ob/ob mice were cultured for 3 days with 3 or 20 mM D-glucose and silver stained according to Rambourg et al. Two tinctorial subsets of dark and light intracellular granules were analyzed by morphometry at the ultrastructural level. The two types of granules were similar in size and shape.

Morphogenetic effects of glucose on mouse islet-cell re-aggregation in culture.

The re-aggregation of dispersed islet cells from non-inbred ob/ob-mice was studied by light and electron microscopy. After 3 days of culture, spontaneously formed aggregates with more than 95% beta-cells were up to 0.5 mm in diameter and exhibited a high degree of viability on dye exclusion tests.

Potassium and chloride fluxes are involved in volume regulation in mouse pancreatic islet cells.

Potassium and chloride transport were measured in beta-cell-rich islets from ob/ob-mice using 36Cl- and 86Rb+ (K+-analogue). Reduction of the osmolarity from the normal 317 mosm l-1 to 180 mosm l-1 reduced the apparent content of K+ and Cl-. Hypo-osmolarity had no effect on the ouabain-sensitive portion of the Rb+ influx (Na+/K+ pump), but reduced the ouabain-resistant portion of the influx.

Glucose reduces both Rb+ influx and efflux in pancreatic islet cells.

Microdissected, beta-cell-rich pancreatic islets from ob/ob mice were used in studies of 86Rb+ transport. D-Glucose (20 mM) induced a biphasic reduction in 86Rb+ efflux. The reduction stabilized within 10 min at 34% of the efflux rate at zero glucose.

A technique for the isolation of highly viable pancreatic B-cells from ob/ob mice.

A method has been developed to prepare free islet cells in suspension from adult ob/ob-mice. About 200 collagenase-isolated pancreatic islets were pooled in 4 ml of calcium-free Krebs-Ringer-HEPES buffer supplemented with 1 mM EGTA and 10 micrograms/ml DNAase. The islets were gently shaken in a water-bath for 10 min at 30 degrees C.

Diethyldithiocarbamate, but not disulfiram, inhibits alloxan-induced dye accumulation of isolated mouse islet beta-cells.

The diabetogenic action of alloxan on pancreatic beta-cells is thought to be mediated by hydroxyl radicals. The initial attack of the radicals is probably at the plasma membrane level. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) and its dimer disulfiram (Antabuse) have recently been shown to protect against damage by free radical generating agents.

Effects of glibenclamide and tetracaine on 86Rb+ fluxes in mouse pancreatic beta-cells.

Potassium transport was measured in beta-cell-rich islets from ob/ob-mice using the K+-analogue 86Rb+. Both tetracaine (0.1 mM) and glibenclamide (0.

Effect of tetracaine and glibenclamide on 45Ca2+ handling by isolated pancreatic islets.

The 45Ca2+ uptake in beta-cell-rich ob/ob-islets was measured using the La3+ wash technique. Tetracaine (1 mM) markedly enhanced the 45Ca2+ net uptake (120 min) in the presence of 3 mM glucose, and at 7 and 20 mM glucose there were clear tendencies to dose-dependent increases with 0.1 to 1 mM tetracaine.

Effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine on rubidium ion fluxes and insulin release in cultured pancreatic islets.

We have incubated pancreatic islets isolated from noninbred ob/ob mice and NMRI mice for 3 days with or without 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the medium and tested the effect of such long term treatment on subsequent insulin release and 86Rb+ accumulation and efflux. Two tenths millimolars of 5-HT abolished insulin release in response to 20 mM glucose. Two tenths millimolars of 5-HT also diminished the ability of islets to accumulate 86Rb+ and the effect of 10 mM glucose on 86Rb+ efflux.