Does MR enterography offer added value after a recent CT in the evaluation of abdominal pain in Crohn's disease patients?

Purpose: To determine if there is added value in performing MR enterography shortly after a contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis in patients with Crohn's disease presenting with acute abdominal pain.

Materials And Methods: A total of 45 consecutive patients who underwent MRE examination <7 days after a CT met our strict inclusion criteria. Independent and blinded review of both MRE and CT exams was performed by two abdominal radiologists.

Nitric oxide is involved in the response of the isolated intact and epithelium-denuded rat trachea to the β₂ adrenergic receptor agonist salbutamol.

Background: The involvement of the airway smooth muscle mediator nitric oxide (NO) in the actions of the β₂ agonist salbutamol (Sal), a well-known bronchodilator, is very poorly understood.

Objectives: To determine if endogenous NO release is a major factor in the Sal-induced relaxation of the carbachol- and electrical field-stimulated rat trachea and determine the role of the tracheal epithelium as the possible source of NO involved in these effects.

Methods: Isolated carbachol- or electric field-stimulated pre-contracted in vitro male Sprague Dawley rat tracheas (with epithelium intact or denuded) were relaxed with incremental or discrete concentrations of Sal in the presence and absence of the NO synthesis inhibitor L-NAME.

Hemodynamic alterations in the coronary circulation of cardiomyopathic hamsters: age and Ang II-dependent mechanisms.

Background: Coronary vasospasms have been reported in the early stages of cardiomyopathy in the Syrian cardiomyopathic hamster (CM; BIO-TO2 strain). It has been proposed these alterations could lead to ischemic heart disease and heart failure. However, the cause of these coronary abnormalities has not been established.

Toxicity and metal content of organic solvent extracts from airborne particulate matter in Puerto Rico.

The importance of airborne particulate matter (PM) in causing increases in morbidity and mortality in humans has been confirmed by numerous epidemiological and laboratory studies. It has been proposed that PM might deliver transition metals to the airways were they react and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus promoting the expression of inflammatory mediators, and cytotoxicity. In Puerto Rico (PR), the northern Guaynabo area is a US EPA non-attainment zone for PM10 (PM with a mass median aerodynamic diameter 10 microm), and a previous study found that organic PM10 extracts from this area were cytotoxic.

Exercise tolerance in a hot and humid climate in heat-acclimatized girls and women.

This study compared physiological responses associated with exercise tolerance in girls (G) and women (W) of similar fitness and heat acclimatization level during exercise in a hot and humid outdoor environment (33.4 degrees C and 55.1 % RH; WBGT = 29.

Effect of low temperature on tracheal smooth muscle contractile and relaxing responses evoked by electrical field stimulation.

Objective: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of low temperature (LT) on the contractile and relaxing responses of rat tracheas (RTs) after electrical field stimulation (EFS).

Methods: Voltage-dependent (10-60 V, 40 Hz) and frequency-dependent (0.1-60 Hz, 40 V) response curves were constructed at 37 and 18 degrees C after the activation of tracheal intramural nerves with a Grass S88 stimulator.

Effect of the airway epithelium on the contraction of rat isolated trachea under conditions of low temperature.

Background: The exposure of the airways to low temperature (LT) is a well-known trigger of bronchoconstriction and asthma. However, the mechanisms involved in this response are not well understood. In particular, the specific role of the airway epithelium in the response to LT has not been well established.

Chronic imipramine treatment induces downregulation of alpha-2 receptors in rat's locus coeruleus and A2 region of the tractus solitarius.

Imipramine is an effective antidepressant agent that blocks the reuptake of monoamines. In order to understand some of its basic mechanisms of action, we investigated the effects of chronic imipramine administration (10 mg/kg, i.p.

Differential antagonism by amiloride and pirenzepine of the muscarinic receptors of rat tracheal smooth muscle.

Amiloride (AM) is a well known potassium sparing diuretic. The effects of AM at the cellular level include blockade of Na+/H+ exchange in several tissues and inhibition of passive sodium flux in epithelial cells. In this study we have explored the interactions of amiloride with muscarinic receptors, using isolated rat tracheal rings and compared its effects to those of the muscarinic receptor subtype-selective antagonist pirenzepine (PZ).

Role of Na+ and Ca++ in guinea pig trachealis contraction induced by cooling.

The role of extracellular Na+ and Ca++ in cooling-induced contraction (CIC) was studied in guinea pig trachealis muscle. Tracheal preparations were tested in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate (KRB) solution and then in either: (1) a low Na+ sucrose KRB, (2) KRB plus amiloride, a sodium channel blocker, or (3) KRB plus nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker. When the trachealis muscle was cooled from 37 to 20 degrees C in KRB, the value of the isometric tension increased on average by 25% of the maximal tension induced by acetylcholine; however, when the tissue was tested in the low Na+ sucrose KRB or the KRB containing amiloride, CIC was totally prevented.

Effects of ethanol on calcium transport across the liver cell plasma membrane.

The effect of ethanol on calcium transport by the liver cell was studied by using a rat liver slice preparation. Ethanol was shown to decrease by about 30% the rate constant for 45Ca efflux from the intracellular compartment. This inhibitory effect of ethanol was not observed in the absence of Ca2+ or Na+ from the incubation medium.

Mixed actions of hemicholinium at autonomic receptor sites of the rat vas deferens.

1. The effects of hemicholinium (HC-3) on several autonomic agents in the isolated rat vas deferens were investigated. 2.

The Na+/Ca2+ exchange system of the liver cell.

The efflux of 45Ca (Caeff) from rat liver slices incubated in a Krebs Ringer bicarbonate buffer showed two components with first order rate constants (kCa) of 0.0625 min-1 and 0.0101 min-1 respectively.

The pulmonary ethanol metabolizing system (PET).

Rat lung slices incubated in a Krebs ringer bicarbonate buffer respired at a rate of 0.62 mumoles/g lung X min. Respiration was inhibited by cyanide and stimulated by dinitrophenol.