Intracoronary compared with intravenous bolus abciximab application during primary percutaneous coronary intervention: design and rationale of the Abciximab Intracoronary versus intravenously Drug Application in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (AIDA STEMI) trial.

Background: Intravenous abciximab reduces major adverse cardiac events in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Intracoronary abciximab bolus application during PCI results in high local drug concentration, improved perfusion, reduction of infarct size, and less microvascular obstruction. The hypothesis of this trial is that abciximab bolus intracoronary in comparison to standard intravenous application will improve the outcome of patients undergoing primary PCI in STEMI.

Increased erythrocyte Na+ pump and NaK-ATPase activity during lithium therapy.

A significant mean increase of 18% in erythrocyte sodium pump activity (p less than 0.01, t test) was observed during lithium treatment, as compared with the activity before lithium treatment was started, in a group of 20 patients who were treated with lithium therapy for a variety of psychiatric conditions. The mean level of erythrocyte membrane ouabain-sensitive ATPase activity in a group of 35 subjects who were receiving lithium therapy was significantly higher than that of a different group of 38 subjects who were not receiving lithium therapy (p less than 0.