Functional recovery and neuroanatomical plasticity following middle cerebral artery occlusion and IN-1 antibody treatment in the adult rat.

Stroke is a prevalent and devastating disorder, and no treatment is currently available to restore lost neuronal function after stroke occurs. One unique therapy that may improve functional recovery after stroke is blockade of the neurite inhibitory protein Nogo-A with the monoclonal antibody IN-1, through enhancement of neuroanatomical plasticity from uninjured areas of the central nervous system. In the present study, we combined IN-1 treatment with an ischemic lesion (permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion) to determine the effect of Nogo-A neutralization on cortical plasticity and functional recovery.

Losartan inhibits the angiotensin II-induced modifications on fibrinolysis and matrix deposition by primary human vascular smooth muscle cells.

Disorders in the fibrinolytic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition are determinant factors in several pathologic manifestations of vascular and cardiac tissue. We used primary human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and studied the effects of losartan on angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated (a) DNA synthesis, (b) secretion of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), (c) secretion of matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) activity and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs), and (d) synthesis of glycosaminoglycans. VSMC cultures, established from human pulmonary arteries, were treated with Ang II (0.

Metallic conduction through engineered DNA: DNA nanoelectronic building blocks.

A novel way of engineering DNA molecules involves substituting the imino proton of each base pair with a metal ion to obtain M-DNA with altered electronic properties. We report the first direct evidence of metalliclike conduction through 15 microm long M-DNA. In contrast, measurements on B-DNA give evidence of semiconducting behavior with a few hundred meV band gap at room temperature.

Electronic transport in Y-junction carbon nanotubes.

Electronic transport measurements were performed on Y-junction carbon nanotubes. These novel junctions contain a large diameter tube branched into smaller ones. Independent measurements using good quality contacts on both individual Y junctions and many in parallel show intrinsic nonlinear transport and reproducible rectifying behavior at room temperature.

[Mercury pulmonary embolism. Two case reports].

Mercury pulmonary embolism following intentional or accidental injection of metallic mercury are uncommon. Generally, there are few clinical signs (acute pneumopathy in 50% of the cases). Chest x-ray shows multiple and bilateral point opacities with a metallic density.

Effect of the beta 1-blocker/beta 2-agonist celiprolol on atrial natriuretic peptide plasma levels in hypertensive patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of the selective beta 1-blocker/beta 2-agonist celiprolol on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in patients with moderate essential hypertension. The drug was given orally in a daily dose of 200 mg for 30 days. Plasma ANP levels increased by 187% despite the drop in blood pressure, while left atrial and ventricular diameters remained unchanged.

Clonidine and vasomotion physiology.

It is known that clonidine exerts a hyperpolarizing action and alpha 2-adrenergic activity. The experimental work investigates the conditions under which each action of clonidine is developed on vascular smooth muscle. Two parameters were studied in vitro on bovine aortic media, Ca2+ uptake and vascular tone.

Atrioventricular pacing does not increase infarct size in the in situ rabbit heart.

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that an altered left ventricular depolarization sequence may augment infarct size.

Methods: Twenty-one New Zealand male rabbits were anesthetized and ventilated. The chest was opened and two electrodes were placed on the right atrium and ventricle.

Multiple cycles of preconditioning cause loss of protection in open-chest rabbits.

Although single or multiple bursts of ischemic preconditioning have been shown to protect against myocardial necrosis, the frequency-dependency of the protection afforded by multiple stimuli has not yet been systematically studied in the anesthetized animal. The aim of the present study was to characterize the effect of increasing numbers of preconditioning stimuli (5 min ischemia plus 10 min reperfusion) in a collateral-deficient species in vivo. Rabbits were anesthetized and divided into groups (n = 5-7/group) which were subjected to 0, 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8 cycles of preconditioning (each comprising 5 min of regional ischemia plus 10 min reperfusion) followed by 45 min of regional ischemia and 2 h reperfusion.

ANP concentrations during interchanging DDD-VVI pacing modes in patients with retrograde ventriculoatrial conduction.

The main reason for the pacemaker syndrome during VVI pacing is the existence of ventriculoatrial conduction (V-AC). Twenty-five patients with a permanent DDD pacemaker and ventriculoatrial conduction were included in the study. IN those patients the hemodynamic changes were evaluated in relation to ANP plasma concentration changes during different modes of pacing.

The effect of trimetazidine on reperfusion arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction.

The study aims to evaluate the effect of trimetazidine in reducing reperfusion arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction after successful thrombolysis. A total of 169 patients were included in the study, 83 of whom received trimetazidine orally at an initial dose of 60 mg followed by 20 mg tid for 5 days. These patients formed the study group (group T) while the remaining 86, the control group (group C).

Protection from preconditioning can be reinstated at various reperfusion intervals.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the way in which short-term protection declines and is eventually lost in preconditioning and to determine the efficacy of a second preconditioning at various reperfusion intervals. Male rabbits were divided into six groups. Forty-five minutes (sustained) ischemia followed by 120 minutes reperfusion was applied 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 minutes after a 5 minute preconditioning (groups A, B, C, D, and E) and in a control group (F) after no preconditioning.

Role of cementoenamel junction on the radicular penetration of 30% hydrogen peroxide during intracoronal bleaching in vitro.

Intracoronal bleaching of nonvital, teeth with 30% hydrogen peroxide is occasionally associated with external cervical root resorption. The exact mechanism by which bleaching induced root resorption occurs is not yet fully understood. The relationship of cementum to the enamel at the cementoenamel junction may have clinical significance.

Alterations in circulating cyclic guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP) during short and long ischemia in preconditioning.

The aim of this study was to investigate if levels of circulating cyclic guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP) alter in preconditioning. Twenty-eight rabbits were divided into four groups. In vivo hearts were preconditioned, either with 5 min (group A, n = 8) or with 1 min (group B, n = 8) ischemia, followed by 10 min reperfusion, while groups C (n = 7) and D (n = 5) had no interventions.

Increased lung uptake during myocardial scintigraphy improves the detection and localization of coronary artery disease.

Increased lung uptake during exercise thallium 201 scanning denotes severe ventricular hypofunction. To assess whether there is any relationship between this finding and the stenosis of a single coronary artery, the authors studied 140 patients (age 57.5 +/- 12 years) with both exercise thallium and coronary angiography within three months.

Effects of a low-dose fish oil concentrate on angina, exercise tolerance time, serum triglycerides, and platelet function.

Fish oils have shown beneficial effects on various parameters in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the same effects can be demonstrated with a low dose of fish oil concentrate (FOC). Thirty-nine patients were studied and divided into two groups.

The re-introduction of ischemic preconditioning is able to protect myocardium after repeated long reperfusion intervals.

Classic ischemic preconditioning confers protection to the vulnerable myocardium following brief periods of ischemia with short intermittent periods of reperfusion. The aims of this study were: (i) to ascertain the protection from preconditioning using a relatively long reperfusion interval; (ii) to see whether this protection exists if preconditioning and long reperfusion is repeated and (iii) to evaluate the effect that an additional preconditioning stimulus has if it is given immediately before the sustained ischemia. Following anesthesia, in-vivo hearts were preconditioned with a 5 minute coronary ligation followed by 10 minutes reperfusion (Group A).

Computer controllability experiments on a cardiac action potential model.

Recent advances in single cell and single channel recording techniques have lead to the generation of more accurate descriptions of cardiac muscle cell ion channel kinetics and the development of a new mathematical model of its action potential, the Luo and Rudy model. In order to study the propagation, effects of drugs by spatial simulations, it is first necessary to develop a means to control some characteristics of action potential given by this model. Presented here are the results of computer implementation, validation, and controllability experiments of the Luo-Rudy model of cardiac action potential.

Felodipine and vasomotion physiology.

This study concerns the investigation of felodipine's influence on some parameters of vasomotion physiology. Felodipine is a new generation 1,4 dihydropyridine (1,4 DHP) Ca(2+)-entrance blocker with marked vascular selectivity. It was found that felodipine 1-10 microM presents a Ca2+ entrance-blocking activity when the bovine aortic smooth muscle is normal or stimulated by K+ 65.

Intravenous atenolol in elderly patients in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction.

The aim of this study was to assess the hemodynamic response to intravenous atenolol in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction. We studied 14 elderly men, aged 64-85 years, and 14 younger men, aged 29-48 years, in the early postfibrinolytic phase of acute myocardial infarction. All the patients were in Killip class I.