Complete thromboendarterectomy of the calcified ascending aorta and aortic arch.

Background: Arteriosclerotic plaques of the ascending aorta and transverse arch increase the operative risk of cardiac operations and are strong predictors for late cerebrovascular events.

Methods: Twenty-two patients, mean age 68 +/- 6 years (range, 55 to 77 years), with grade IV + V plaques of the ascending aorta and transverse arch underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 21) and aortic valve replacement (n = 8). Cerebrovascular emboli from unknown sources were found preoperatively in 8 patients (36%).

Unexpected effect of verapamil on oral bioavailability of the beta-blocker talinolol in humans.

Purpose: To quantitate the effect of verapamil administered orally, a calcium channel blocker and potent inhibitor of P-glycoprotein on oral pharmacokinetics of the beta1-adrenergic receptor antagonist talinolol, a substrate of P-glycoprotein.

Subjects And Methods: In a randomized, crossover placebo-controlled study, oral pharmacokinetics of talinolol (50 mg) after concomitant administration of single doses of R-verapamil (120 mg) or placebo were investigated in 9 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of talinolol, verapamil, and its main metabolite norverapamil were measured in serum with HPLC.

[Sedation and analgesia in childhood].

As a rule the indication for sedation should be broad. Any child who is, or could be, frightened by an intervention should have the benefit of sedation. Correspondingly, an analgesic should be chosen if the intervention is painful.

Metabolism of aromatic aldehydes as cosubstrates by the acetogen Clostridium formicoaceticum.

When the acetogen Clostridium formicoaceticum was cultivated on mixtures of aromatic compounds (e.g., 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde plus vanillate), the oxidation of aromatic aldehyde groups occurred more rapidly than did O-demethylation.

Effect of 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 on glomerulosclerosis in subtotally nephrectomized rats.

In the past, there has been considerable concern that treatment with active vitamin D might accelerate progression independent of hypercalcemia and hypercalcuria. Nevertheless, 1,25(OH)2D3 has known antiproliferative properties and has also been shown to inhibit renal growth. Since glomerular growth is a permissive factor for the development of glomerulosclerosis, we reasoned that 1,25(OH)2D3 might even attenuate progression.

Nephroprotection of an ET(A)-receptor blocker (LU 135252) in salt-loaded uninephrectomized stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The present study was designed to assess whether the orally active and highly specific endothelin A (ET(A)) receptor antagonist LU 135252 affects progressive renal dysfunction in a hypertensive rat model of renal damage, ie, the uninephrectomized (UNX) stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRsp). The animals were examined on a normal salt (0.25%) diet and, to sensitize the kidney to hypertensive injury, also on a high salt (3%) diet.

MAGE-11 protein is highly conserved in higher organisms and located predominantly in the nucleus.

The MAGE-11 gene belongs to a family whose products were identified first in tumor tissue. The MAGE-11 gene product has not been characterized in detail. We have isolated MAGE-11 cDNA from HeLa cells and confirmed the presence of MAGE-11 protein and of at least 2 other MAGE proteins (MAGE-1 and MAGE-3) in this cell line.

The renoprotective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in experimental chronic renal failure is not dependent on enhanced kinin activity.

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been shown to ameliorate the progression of glomerulosclerosis both in experimental models of uraemia and in patients with renal failure. It has not been documented, however, whether this is due to a decrease in angiotensin II generation or is a consequence of elevated local level of bradykinin.

Methods: Morphometric investigation of renal tissue was performed in 5/6 nephrectomized (SNx) rats, i.

Preparation of 211At-labeled humanized anti-Tac using 211At produced in disposable internal and external bismuth targets.

These studies describe the production and purification of 211At as well as the procedure for labeling humanized anti-Tac, the antibody to the alpha-chain of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R alpha), which has been shown to be a useful target for immunotherapy. The optimized protocol combines the advantages of the two-stage dry distillation procedure with the astatination of trialkylstannyl substances as labeling compounds for proteins. The 211At was produced by bombarding either an external or a recently developed disposable internal bismuth target with alpha-particles from a Cyclotron Corporation CS-30 cyclotron.

Responses of MT and MST neurons to one and two moving objects in the receptive field.

To test the effects of complex visual motion stimuli on the responses of single neurons in the middle temporal visual area (MT) and the medial superior temporal area (MST) of the macaque monkey, we compared the response elicited by one object in motion through the receptive field with the response of two simultaneously presented objects moving in different directions through the receptive field. There was an increased response to a stimulus moving in a direction other than the best direction when it was paired with a stimulus moving in the best direction. This increase was significant for all directions of motion of the non-best stimulus and the magnitude of the difference increased as the difference in the directions of the two stimuli increased.

UNICEF/WHO baby-friendly hospital initiative: does the use of bottles and pacifiers in the neonatal nursery prevent successful breastfeeding? Neonatal Study Group.

Unlabelled: To promote breastfeeding, UNICEF/WHO have launched the "baby-friendly hospital initiative" focusing on hospital care routines during delivery and the first days of life. In industrialised countries, two aspects of the initiative have raised controversy: how do restriction of supplemental feedings and ban of bottles and pacifiers affect long-term breastfeeding performance? From ten centres 602 healthy newborns were randomly assigned either to a UNICEF group with restrictive fluid supplements and avoidance of bottles and pacifiers during the first 5 days of life, or to a standard group with conventional feeding practice. Breastfeeding was encouraged in both groups.

Rats with moderate renal failure show capillary deficit in heart but not skeletal muscle.

In previous studies on experimental renal failure, hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes, diminished capillarization, and increased intercapillary distances had been observed, abnormalities that will expose the heart to reduced ischemia tolerance. It has not been established, however, whether such structural alterations are unique for the heart (eg, as a consequence of left ventricular hypertrophy) or are demonstrable in other tissues as well. Clarification of this point is important to test hypotheses on some potential mechanisms for cardiac undercapillarization.

The role of posterior parietal cortex in visually guided reaching movements in humans.

Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to identify the brain areas involved in visually guided reaching by measuring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in six normal volunteers while they were fixating centrally and reaching with the left or right arm to targets presented in either the right or the left visual field. The PET images were registered with magnetic resonance images from each subject so that increases in rCBF could be localized with anatomical precision in individual subjects. Increased neural activity was examined in relation to the hand used to reach, irrespective of field of reach (hand effect), and the effects of target field of reach, irrespective of hand used (field effect).

Aortic changes in experimental renal failure: hyperplasia or hypertrophy of smooth muscle cells?

Cardiovascular complications are a well-known feature of chronic renal failure. Increased wall thickness of intramyocardial arterioles and elastic (aorta) and peripheral (mesenteric) arteries is seen even after normalization of blood pressure. It is currently unknown whether such increases result from hyperplasia of vascular smooth muscle cells, hypertrophy, or a combination of both or from an increase in aortic extracellular matrix.

[Permissive effect of PTH on vascular wall hypertrophy of intramyocardial arteries in experimental renal failure].

Background: Abnormalities in cardiovascular structure e.g. LV hypertrophy and thickening of vessels (elastic and peripheral arteries, veins) are hallmarks of renal failure.

[Use of drugs by women in the federal Saxony district based on survey data].

This study examines sex-specific differences in drug use of the Saxon population and compares them with relevant studies in the old Federal States. This study is based on data of the Drug Survey East (1992) which were secondary analyzed for Saxony. The sample population was representative for Saxon inhabitants aged 18-79 years and encompassed 765 participants interviewed by physicians about their drug use in the last 7 days.

Botulinum toxin in writer's cramp: objective response evaluation in 31 patients.

Objectives: To quantify the treatment effect of local botulinum toxin injections in writer's cramp a newly developed rating scale of writing performance and a computer assisted analysis of writing speed were used in 31 patients undergoing botulinum toxin therapy.

Methods: Baseline data of the writer's cramp rating scale (WCRS, see appendix) and computer based writing speed analysis were compared with those obtained at the time of subjective best response as recorded during follow up visits.

Results: The mean dose injected per session was 133.