Haptoglobin genotypes and refractory hypertension in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Background: It has been suggested that haptoglobin polymorphism may influence the pathogenesis of microvascular and macrovascular complications in diabetic patients.

Objective: This cross sectional study was carried out to investigate the existence or not of an association between haptoglobin genotypes and prevalence of ischemic cardiovascular events (stable angina, unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction), systemic arterial hypertension, refractory hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia in 120 type-2 diabetes mellitus patients followed up at Hospital de Clínicas da UNICAMP in Campinas, São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil.

Methods: Haptoglobin genotyping was performed by allele-specific polymerase chain reactions.

[Acute coronary syndrome as clinical presentation of cardiac paraganglioma].

We present the case of a 60-year-old woman with a non secretor cardiac paraganglioma diagnosed in the setting of an acute coronary syndrome. The tumor was supplied by a huge branch of the circumflex artery and we admit flow steal as the cause of myocardial ischemia. Complete resection was feasible under cardiopulmonary bypass and the patient was discharged on the 9th postoperative day.

Relationship between nitrogen content in grapes and volatiles, namely heavy sulphur compounds, in wines.

Ammonium salts were added to white grape musts, before alcoholic fermentation, in order to evaluate their influence on the heavy sulphur compound and aliphatic higher alcohol composition of resulting wines. Six grape musts were used (Trajadura, Pedernã, Loureiro, Azal Branco, Avesso and Alvarinho). Ammonium supplementation of Trajadura and Pedernã grape musts, with the highest nitrogen level, did not influence the content of heavy sulphur compounds and aliphatic higher alcohols in wines; however, the addition of ammonium salts to grape musts with low initial nitrogen content, such as Loureiro, Azal Branco and Avesso, led to a higher production of 1-propanol and a lower production of isoamyl alcohols and sulphur compounds, e.

Quantification of paraquat in postmortem samples by gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry and review of the literature.

Paraquat (PQ) is an herbicide implicated in numerous fatalities, mainly caused by voluntary ingestion. Several methods have been used to quantify PQ in plasma and urine samples of intoxicated humans as a predictor of clinical outcome. There is no validated method for the analysis of PQ in postmortem samples.

A rapid and simple procedure for the establishment of human normal and cancer renal primary cell cultures from surgical specimens.

The kidney is a target organ for the toxicity of several xenobiotics and is also highly susceptible to the development of malignant tumors. In both cases, in vitro studies provide insight to cellular damage, and represent adequate models to study either the mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of several nephrotoxicants or therapeutic approaches in renal cancer. The development of efficient methods for the establishment of human normal and tumor renal cell models is hence crucial.

Determination of the volatile profile of stoned table olives from different varieties by using HS-SPME and GC/IT-MS.

Background: The volatile composition of alcaparras stoned table olives produced from five of the most representative olive cultivars (cv. Cobrançosa, Madural, Negrinha de Freixo, Santulhana and Verdeal Transmontana) from the Trás-os-Montes region (north-east of Portugal) was analytically characterised using headspace-solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-ion trap-mass spectrometry.

Results: Overall, 42 volatile compounds were identified, belonging to distinct chemical classes: 15 aldehydes, seven esters, five alcohols, five sesquiterpenes, four norisoprenoids derivates, three monoterpenes, o ne ketone and two alkenes.

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery in an asymptomatic adult.

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare congenital anomaly with a mortality of 90% in the first year of life, if not surgically corrected. Adult presentation of the anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery syndrome is extremely rare but may occur if a well-developed collateral circulation from right coronary artery is present. We present the case of a 22-year-old asymptomatic female with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

[Hybrid treatment of an aortic arch aneurysm].

Traditional open repair of aortic arch aneurysms is a complex and demanding surgery that requires cardiopulmonary bypass, hypothermia and circulatory arrest, being associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Even with significant advances in pre-operative assessment and optimization, advanced anaesthetic techniques and intensive care, conventional aortic arch repairs remain amongst the highest risk of across all surgical specialties. Therefore, a hybrid approach with sequential transposition of the supra-aortic branches and endovascular stent-graft placement is a less invasive alternative treatment that opens the indication for repair to more critical patients.

Structural isomerization of synephrine influences its uptake and ensuing glutathione depletion in rat-isolated cardiomyocytes.

Synephrine is a natural compound, frequently added to ephedra-free dietary supplements for weight-loss, due to its effects as a nonspecific adrenergic agonist. Though only p-synephrine has been documented in plants, the presence of m-synephrine has also been reported in weight-loss products. The use of synephrine in dietary supplements was accompanied by reports of adverse effects, especially at the cardiovascular level.

[Supra-aortic trunks occlusive disease: three different treatment approaches].

Unlike carotid bifurcation atherosclerotic stenosis, supra-aortic trunks (SAT) occlusive disease is rare and its revascularization uncommon, accouting for less than 10% of the operations performed on the extracranial brain-irrigating arteries. There are three different treatment approaches: transthoracic, extra-anatomic cervical and endovascular. Endovascular repair is gaining popularity as first-line therapy for proximal lesions with favorable anatomy because of its low morbidity and rare mortality.

Development and validation of a gas chromatography/ion trap-mass spectrometry method for simultaneous quantification of cocaine and its metabolites benzoylecgonine and norcocaine: application to the study of cocaine metabolism in human primary cultured renal cells.

Acute renal failure is a common finding in cocaine abusers. While cocaine metabolism may contribute to its nephrotoxic mechanisms, its pharmacokinetics in kidney cells is hitherto to be clarified. Primary cultures of human proximal tubular cells (HPTCs) provide a well-characterized in vitro model, phenotypically representative of HPTCs in vivo.

Improving the knowledge on Piper betle: targeted metabolite analysis and effect on acetylcholinesterase.

Piper betle is a species growing in South East Asia, where its leaves are economically and medicinally important. To screen the highest possible number of volatile and semivolatile components, the leaves were subjected to headspace solid-phase microextraction, hydrodistillation and Soxhlet extraction, prior to analysis by GC/MS. Fifty compounds (identified by comparison with standard compounds or tentatively by National Institute of Standards and Technology database) were determined, 23 being described for the first time in this matrix.

Spontaneous closure of a left ventricle pseudoaneurysm following apical venting.

Cardiac surgery is the second most frequent aetiology of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVP). Left ventricular apical venting is a recognized cause of LVP. Prompt surgical treatment is usually needed since there is a high risk of rupture and spontaneous closure is very rare.

Massive right atrial myxoma presenting as syncope and exertional dyspnea: case report.

Primary heart neoplasms are rare occurring with an estimated incidence of 0.0017-0.19%.

Development and validation of a GC/IT-MS method for simultaneous quantitation of para and meta-synephrine in biological samples.

After the FDA's ban of ephedrine-containing supplements, Citrus aurantium appeared as an alternative to ephedra in herbal weight loss products. Synephrine, the most abundant active component of C. aurantium, exists in three different structural or positional isomeric forms (ortho-o-, meta-m-, and para-p-).

Early diagnosis of nonaneurysmal infectious thoracic aortitis using transesophageal echocardiogram in a patient with purulent meningitis.

Infectious thoracic aortitis is a rare entity in the antibiotic era and usually appears in patients with prior aortic disease and/or associated infective endocarditis. Infected nonaneurysmal aorta will likely progress to mycotic aneurysm if left untreated. In most of the reports, infectious thoracic aortitis presents with a mycotic aneurysm.

Metabolic interactions between ethanol and MDMA in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy), a drug of abuse commonly consumed at rave parties, is often taken in a polydrug abuse scenario, ethanol being one of the most associated drugs. Both MDMA and ethanol are mainly metabolized in the liver with formation of toxic metabolites. Our working hypothesis is that ethanol can modify the metabolism of MDMA through the cytochrome P450 system, and that this effect may be further potentiated by hyperthermia, a well-known consequence of MDMA abuse.

Gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous measurement of MDMA (ecstasy) and its metabolites, MDA, HMA, and HMMA in plasma and urine.

The investigation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) abuse requires very robust methods with high sensitivity and wide linearity ranges for the quantification of this drug of abuse and its main metabolites in body fluids. An optimized gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT/MS) methodology with electron impact ionization addressing these issues is presented. The sample preparation involves an enzymatic hydrolysis of urine and plasma for conjugate cleavage, a SPE extraction, and a derivatization process.

Correlation between plasma levels of apelin and myocardial hypertrophy in rats and humans: possible target for treatment?

Objective: To investigate the effects of left ventricular (LV) pressure overload and diabetes on the apelinergic system.

Research Design/methods: Pressure overload was established in rats by supra-renal aortic-banding. Six weeks later, diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (65 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), resulting in four groups: sham, banded (BA), diabetic (DM) and diabetic-banded (DM-BA).

Postmortem analyses unveil the poor efficacy of decontamination, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapies in paraquat human intoxications.

Background: Fatalities resulting from paraquat (PQ) self-poisonings represent a major burden of this herbicide. Specific therapeutic approaches have been followed to interrupt its toxic pathway, namely decontamination measures to prevent PQ absorption and to increase its excretion from organism, as well as the administration of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. Until now, none of the postmortem studies resulting from human PQ poisonings have assessed the relationship of these therapeutic measures with PQ toxicokinetics and related histopathological lesions, these being the aims of the present study.

Infectious thoracic aortitis: a literature review.

Infectious thoracic aortitis (IA) remains a rare disease, especially after the appearance of antibiotics. However, if left untreated it is always lethal. It usually affects patients with atherosclerotic aortic disease and/or infective endocarditis.

Volatile composition of Brassica oleracea L. var. costata DC leaves using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry.

Volatile and semi-volatile components of internal and external leaves of Brassica oleracea L. var. costata DC, grown under different fertilization regimens, were determined by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/ITMS).

Open lung biopsy in patients on mechanical ventilation with suspected diffuse lung disease.

Background: While open lung biopsy (OLB) performed in patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) with diffuse lung diseases (DLD) can be extremely important in establishing the diagnosis, the associated risk of this procedure should be taken into account.

Aim: To determine the diagnostic yield, therapeutic changes, complications and mortality in patients with DLD on MV submitted to OLB.

Methods: Retrospective study of 19 patients admitted to S.