Taurine-mediated cardioprotection is greater when administered upon reperfusion than prior to ischemia.

Unlabelled: Taurine (TA) administered exogenously before the induction of myocardial ischemia decreases lactic acid production and increases pyruvic acid production during ischemia. It also preserves the activity of GOT, GPT, LDH and CPK during ischemia and enhances recovery of CKMB synthesis as early as 5 minutes after onset of reperfusion. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal conditions for administering TA in order to reduce myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Taurine at early reperfusion significantly reduces myocardial damage and preserves cardiac function in the isolated rat heart.

Objective: The Myocardial protective effects of taurine (TA) are well known. We investigated the optimal phase of giving taurine to reduce myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in isolated rat hearts.

Methods: Isolated rat hearts were subjected to 20 min of global ischaemia followed by 60 min of reperfusion under three different conditions: global ischaemia alone (control group; n=8); pre-ischaemic administration of taurine (pre-TA group; n=8), perfusion with 10 mmol/L taurine for 10 min just before ischaemia; post-ischaemic administration of taurine (post-TA group; n=8), perfusion with 10 mmol/L taurine for the first 10 min of reperfusion.

Pathological analyses of long-term intracoronary Palmaz-Schatz stenting; Is its efficacy permanent?

Background: Angiographic regression of luminal narrowing occurs 6 months to 3 years poststenting. However, after 4 years lesions progressed gradually and late restenosis was observed in 28% of 179 Palmaz-Schatz-stented lesions during the past 10 years. Elucidating its pathogenesis is pivotal to developing preventive strategies.

Up to 8-year follow-up of valve replacement with carbomedics valve.

Background: The aim of this study was to report midterm valve replacement (VR) results with the Carbo-Medics valve (Sulzer Carbomedics, Austin, TX).

Methods: From 1991 to 1999, 468 patients aged 13 to 76 years (mean 56 years) underwent VR with CarboMedics valve: 239 aortic (A), 167 mitral (M), and 62 A+M or double valve replacement (DVR). Mean follow-up time was 4.

Objective assessment of CNS function within 6 hours of spinal cord ischemia in rabbits.

Purpose: To develop a neurologic scoring (NS) system to objectively assess CNS function shortly after spinal cord ischemia.

Methods: Spinal cord ischemia was induced by temporarily clamping the infrarenal aorta in 27 rabbits anesthetized with isoflurane/NO/O without muscle relaxants. Animals were divided ito group I, normothermic ischemia [I-a, 11 min (n=8); I-b, 12 min (n=8)], and group II, 60 min hypothermic ischemia targeted to II-a, 29.