Longevity of the placebo effect in the therapeutic angiogenesis and laser myocardial revascularization trials in patients with coronary heart disease.

The long-term beneficial effects of placebo therapy were evaluated in angiogenesis and laser myocardial revascularization trials in patients who had end-stage coronary heart disease. Improvements in mean angina class, exercise treadmill time, and quality of life were mostly maintained at 30 +/- 6 months of follow-up. Persistence of effect cannot be used as evidence of efficacy, and double-blinded trials are essential in this patient population.

A unified biochemical and continuum mechanical red blood cell membrane bilayer--couple model.

We study the shapes and biochemical characteristics of human red blood cells using a unified biochemical and continuum mechanical model. In particular, we model the crenated, echinocytic shapes and show how they may shift due to changes in the pH and various amphipaths affecting the osmotic pressure by also utilizing pressure as an independent variable. In contrast to earlier works which advocate that biochemical factors may be attributable to mechanical control parameters, cytoskeletal elastic constants and effective relaxed bilayer area difference of outer plasma membrane and inner protein-based membrane skeleton, our unified model agrees well with Band 3 diffusion experimental root mean square distance data.

Effect of diabetes mellitus and its treatment on ventricular arrhythmias complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Aims: To evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus and its treatment on the risk of arrhythmias among early survivors of acute myocardial infarction.

Research Design And Method: The Onset Study was conducted in 64 US medical centres. Between August 1989 and September 1996, 3882 patients were interviewed after having an acute myocardial infarction.

Metabolic syndrome and risk of restenosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: Patients with metabolic syndrome have increased risk of cardiovascular events. The number of patients with metabolic syndrome is rapidly increasing, and these patients often need revascularization. However, only limited data are available on the effect of metabolic syndrome on restenosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

-455G/A polymorphism and preprocedural plasma levels of fibrinogen show no association with the risk of clinical restenosis in patients with coronary stent placement.

The effect of preprocedural fibrinogen levels on in-stent restenosis is largely unknown. The -455G/A polymorphism of the fibrinogen beta-gene is associated with baseline plasma level or acute phase increase of fibrinogen. Therefore, we hypothesized that there is a relationship between this polymorphism and preprocedural fibrinogen level and clinical restenosis at follow-up among patients with coronary stent placement.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

Objective: Inflammation plays a key role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Increasing evidence points toward a role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. We wanted to determine the relation of COPD and asthma with the development of type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and the risk of death after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: In the general population, obesity is associated with an increased risk of all-cause death. However, the importance of obesity in patients with established coronary heart disease is less well defined.

Methods: As part of the Determinants of Myocardial Infarction Onset Study, we performed a prospective cohort study of 1898 patients hospitalized with confirmed acute myocardial infarction between 1989 and 1994, with a median follow-up of 3.

Intravenous iron optimizes the response to recombinant human erythropoietin in cancer patients with chemotherapy-related anemia: a multicenter, open-label, randomized trial.

Purpose: Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is the standard of care for patients with chemotherapy-related anemia. Intravenous (IV) iron improves hemoglobin (Hb) response and decreases dosage requirements in patients with anemia of kidney disease, but its effect has not been studied in randomized trials in cancer patients.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized trial enrolled 157 patients with chemotherapy-related anemia (Hb View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cardiomyocytes overexpressing TNF-alpha attract migration of embryonic stem cells via activation of p38 and c-Jun amino-terminal kinase.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction. Stem cells are able to regenerate infarcted myocardium. This study investigated whether TNF-alpha was able to induce migration of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in vitro.

Circadian variation in the onset of myocardial infarction: effect of duration of diabetes.

There are conflicting reports regarding circadian variation in the onset of acute myocardial infarction (MI) among patients with diabetes. We therefore, studied the circadian pattern of the incidence of acute MI in patients (n = 3,882) who were enrolled in the Onset Study stratified by the presence, type, and duration of diabetes. The Onset Study was conducted at 64 U.

VEGF enhances functional improvement of postinfarcted hearts by transplantation of ESC-differentiated cells.

Despite considerable advances in medicine, the incidence of heart failure remains high in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). This study investigated the effects of engrafted early-differentiated cells (EDCs) from mouse embryonic stem cells, with or without transfection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) cDNA (phVEGF(165)), on cardiac function in postinfarcted mice. EDCs were transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cDNA and transplanted into infarcted myocardium.

Bioactivity of alkamides isolated from Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench.

Alkamides from the roots of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench were examined for anti-inflammatory activity in an in vitro model system. Cyclooxygenase-I (COX-I) and cyclooxygenase-II (COX-II) inhibitory activities were assessed at pH 7 for alkamides isolated from E.

Separation, identification, quantification, and method validation of anthocyanins in botanical supplement raw materials by HPLC and HPLC-MS.

A method has been established and validated for identification and quantification of individual, as well as total, anthocyanins by HPLC and LC/ES-MS in botanical raw materials used in the herbal supplement industry. The anthocyanins were separated and identified on the basis of their respective M(+) (cation) using LC/ES-MS. Separated anthocyanins were individually calculated against one commercially available anthocyanin external standard (cyanidin-3-glucoside chloride) and expressed as its equivalents.

Development of differential tolerance to the sedative and anti-stress effects of benzodiazepines.

Differential degree of tolerance has been reported to develop for anticonvulsant, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant effects of benzodiazepines (BZDs). Acute treatment with BZDs reportedly reduces the formation of gastric stress ulcers and attenuates stress-induced immunosuppression. The present study investigates whether tolerance develops to these antistress effects of BZDs by using diazepam and chlordiazepoxide as representative drugs.

Intrauterine growth restriction: a perspective for Pakistan.

Background: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is the second leading contributor to the prevailing perinatal mortality and morbidity. It affects 23.8% of newborns around the world and 75% of these affected infants are born in Asia.

Development of trigeminal nucleus principalis in the rat: effects of target removal at birth.

Little is known about how neurons develop in the trigeminal nucleus principalis (PrV) despite their acknowledged role in establishing whisker-related patterns in the thalamus and cortex. Golgi-impregnated PrV cells were studied in newborn, 4-day-old and adult rats. Adult neurons typically had short dendrites that were confined to a hemisphere around the soma.

Clinico-pathological studies on the effect of different anti-neoplastic chemotherapy regimens on transmissible venereal tumours in dogs.

Thirty-two dogs affected with transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) were divided into three treatment groups. In group I vincristine sulphate at 0.025 mg/kg body weight, in group II vinblastine sulphate at 0.

Adverse perinatal outcome in patients with an abnormal umbilical coiling index.

Objective: To evaluate perinatal outcome in neonates with hypocoiled and hypercoiled cords.

Methods: From February 18 through June 13, 1994, 635 placentas from deliveries of at least 24 weeks' gestation were examined for umbilical coiling. The umbilical coiling index was calculated by dividing the total number of coils by the length of the cord.

Neuromuscular blocking drug pharmacodynamics after chronic exposure to H2- antagonists.

This study tested the hypothesis that chronic exposure to H2-antagonists may affect neuromuscular function. Cimetidine or ranitidine was administered to rats for twenty one days as subcutaneously implanted biodegradable pellets. Control rats received placebo pellets.