Brachial plexus root injection in a human cadaver model: injectate distribution and effects on the neuraxis.

Background: The potential for injection into the brachial plexus root at cervical levels must be considered during interscalene block or chronic pain interventions in the neck, but this phenomenon has not been well studied. In this investigation, we performed injections into the brachial plexus roots of unembalmed cadavers, with real-time ultrasound guidance, to evaluate the proximal and distal spread of the injected fluids, the potential of the injectate to reach the neuraxis, and whether the injectate could migrate into the actual substance of the spinal cord itself.

Methods: A solution of particulate dye mixed with local anesthetic was injected into 8 brachial plexus roots at a lower cervical level, in unembalmed cadaver specimens, utilizing an automated pump and pressure monitor.

Guidance of block needle insertion by electrical nerve stimulation: a pilot study of the resulting distribution of injected solution in dogs.

Background: Little is known regarding the final needle tip location when various intensities of nerve stimulation are used to guide block needle insertion. Therefore, in control and hyperglycemic dogs, the authors examined whether lower-intensity stimulation results in injection closer to the sciatic nerve than higher-threshold stimulation.

Methods: During anesthesia, the sciatic nerve was approached with an insulated nerve block needle emitting either 1 mA (high-current group, n = 9) or 0.

Contribution of calcium channel subtypes to the intracellular calcium signal in sensory neurons: the effect of injury.

Background: Although the activation-induced intracellular Ca signal is disrupted by sensory neuron injury, the contribution of specific Ca channel subtypes is unknown.

Methods: Transients in dissociated rat dorsal root ganglion neurons were recorded using fura-2 microfluorometry. Neurons from control rats and from neuropathic animals after spinal nerve ligation were activated either by elevated bath K or by field stimulation.

Hormonemate, a new cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing compound from the endophytic fungus Hormonema dematioides. I. Identification of the producing strain, and isolation and biological properties of hormonemate.

In a search for new fungal compounds inducing apoptosis of the colon cancer derived cell line COLO-320, hormonemate (1) was purified from fermentations of an endophytic fungus isolated from living needles of a Pinus species. The producing strain was identified as Hormonema dematioides by microscopy and ITS rDNA sequence analysis. The structure of hormonemate was determined by spectroscopic methods.

5-(2'-oxoheptadecyl)-resorcinol and 5-(2'-oxononadecyl)-resorcinol, cytotoxic metabolites from a wood-inhabiting basidiomycete.

5-(2'-oxoheptadecyl)-resorcinol [structure: see text] and 5-(2'-oxononadecyl)-resorcinol [structure: see text] were isolated from fermentations of an imperfect basidiomycete. The structures of the compounds were determined by spectroscopic techniques. Both compounds exhibit cytotoxic effects against the human colon tumor cell lines COLO-320, DLD-1 and HT-29 and the human promyeloid leukemia cell line HL-60, the human leukemia T cell JURKAT, the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HEP-G2 as well as the J774 mouse macrophage cell line.