A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial of the preoperative use of ketamine for reducing inflammation and pain after thoracic surgery.

Purpose: We hypothesized that patients who received ketamine during thoracic surgery would benefit from suppression of the inflammatory cascade, represented by lower interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) plasma levels.

Methods: This study was a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial of ketamine in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. The setting was a single university teaching hospital.

A retrospective comparison of anesthetic management of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy versus radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Study Objective: To compare anesthetic management and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) and radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) with general anesthesia.

Design: Retrospective database study of RALP and RRP patients at Duke University Medical Center from 6/2003 to 6/2006.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Ethnicity and the distance to the epidural space in parturients.

Background And Objectives: In a pilot study, we previously demonstrated a higher average skin to lumbar epidural space distance (STLESD) in our obstetric population compared with the published literature. Furthermore, we demonstrated differences in STLESD based on ethnicity. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive analysis of the STLESD in our patient population by expanding the number of patients and ethnic groups included.

Regulation of collagenase-3 and osteocalcin gene expression by collagen and osteopontin in differentiating MC3T3-E1 cells.

Both collagenase-3 and osteocalcin mRNAs are expressed maximally during the later stages of osteoblast differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that collagenase-3 mRNA expression in differentiating MC3T3-E1 cells is dependent upon the presence of ascorbic acid, is inhibited in the presence of the collagen synthesis inhibitor, 3,4-dehydroproline, and is stimulated by growth on collagen in the absence of ascorbic acid. Transient transfection studies show that collagenase-3 promoter activity increases during cell differentiation and requires the presence of ascorbic acid.

Parathyroid hormone-dependent signaling pathways regulating genes in bone cells.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is an 84-amino-acid polypeptide hormone functioning as a major mediator of bone remodeling and as an essential regulator of calcium homeostasis. PTH and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) indirectly activate osteoclasts resulting in increased bone resorption. During this process, PTH changes the phenotype of the osteoblast from a cell involved in bone formation to one directing bone resorption.

Physical interaction of the activator protein-1 factors c-Fos and c-Jun with Cbfa1 for collagenase-3 promoter activation.

Previously, we determined that the activator protein-1 (AP-1)-binding site and the runt domain (RD)-binding site and their binding proteins, c-Fos.c-Jun and Cbfa, regulate the collagenase-3 promoter in parathyroid hormone-treated and differentiating osteoblasts. Here we show that Cbfa1 and c-Fos.