Clinical predictors of gangrenous appendicitis: elevated total bilirubin level and computed tomography scan findings.

Aim: Patients with gangrenous appendicitis usually require emergency surgery. Preoperative diagnosis of gangrenous appendicitis is clinically important but not always straightforward. We undertook this study to identify preoperative predictors of gangrenous appendicitis.

Inhibitory Effect of Serotonin Antagonist on Leukocyte-Endothelial Interactions In Vivo and In Vitro.

Background: Although 5-HT2A serotonergic antagonists have been used to treat vascular disease in patients with diabetes mellitus or obesity, their effects on leukocyte-endothelial interactions have not been fully investigated. In this study, we assessed the effects of sarpogrelate hydrochloride (SRPO), a 5-HT2A receptor inverse agonist, on leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions in obesity both in vivo and in vitro.

Methods And Findings: In the in vivo experiment, C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat high-fructose diet (HFFD), comprising 20% fat and 30% fructose, with or without intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg/day SRPO for 4 weeks.