Surgical management of penetrating cardiac injuries using a fibrin glue sheet.

A penetrating cardiac injury is among the most lethal of all injuries. We present a case of penetrating cardiac injuries to both ventricles. A laceration on the right ventricle was repaired using buttressed sutures, while an injury to the left ventricle was repaired using a collagen mesh dressing covered by fibrin glue (TachoComb patch) without employing cardiopulmonary bypass.

Relationship between hemostatic markers and platelet indices in patients with aortic aneurysm.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether platelet indices [platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) and platelet distribution width (PDW)] could serve as diagnostic tools to evaluate the potential significance of platelet heterogeneity on thrombus formation in patients with aortic aneurysm (AA). Blood samples were obtained from 54 patients with AA (mean age 73 years; 40 males and 14 females), and from 120 age-matched controls (AC; mean age 74 years; 61 males and 59 females). Blood platelet indices were measured using an automated counter for all AC (n = 120) and AA (n = 54).

The "eaves" technique for distal anastomosis in aortic arch replacement.

We describe the "eaves" technique, a new method for distal anastomosis in aortic arch replacement. The 1-cm wide eaves were created at the site 3 to 4 cm distal to the graft end. The graft was bound with vessel tape from the eaves to the site proximal to the origin of the first branch to make a working space above the eaves and to facilitate graft handling.

[Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) associated with relapsing multiple sclerosis].

We report a 47-year-old man with multiple sclerosis (MS) with previous history of recurrent sensorimotor disturbance and visual deficit. The patient developed bilateral motor weakness in the upper limbs, and systemic malaise. An administration of 20 mg/day of prednisolone was ineffective for his symptoms and he complained dyspnea a week later.

Impact of ostial stenosis on the Doppler flow profiles in internal thoracic artery graft.

As ostial stenoses of internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts rarely occur after coronary artery bypass grafting, little is known about their Doppler flow profile. This report describes changes in the Doppler flow of ITA grafts with ostial stenosis after surgical repair of the stenosis. A 54-year-old male underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in which the left ITA was anastomosed to the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Effect of lactate and bicarbonate on human peritoneal mesothelial cells, fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells, and the role of basic fibroblast growth factor.

Background: In patients on long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), peritoneal dysfunction may occur due to loss of peritoneal mesothelial cells, peritoneal fibrosis and neovascularization. Lactate, long used as a buffer in peritoneal dialysates, has been substituted by bicarbonate in recent years. However, their effects on the peritoneum of CAPD patients are unknown.

[Paclitaxel plus carboplatin in ovarian cancer-comparison of adverse effects between monthly and weekly administration].

Adverse effects of first-line combination chemotherapy performed with paclitaxel (PTX) and carboplatin (CBDCA) (TJ regimen) on 15 ovarian cancer patients who had had no prior chemotherapy with cisplatin (CDDP) were reviewed retrospectively according to National Cancer Institute common toxicity criteria. The M group (M) consisted of 7 patients treated with a total of 45 courses of the M-TJ regimen. Every 3-4 weeks, PTX was administered as a 3-hour infusion at the average dose level of 175 mg/m2/course on day 1 and CBDCA (targeted AUC = 6) was also administered on day 1.

Serotonin increases glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor release in rat C6 glioblastoma cells.

Antidepressants, which increase monoamine levels, induce glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) release in C6 cells. Thus, we examined whether monoamines affect on GDNF release in C6 cells. We found that serotonin (5-HT) specifically increased GDNF mRNA expression and GDNF release in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

Viability of, and basic fibroblast growth factor secretion by, human peritoneal mesothelial cells cultured with various components of peritoneal dialysis fluid.

In patients on long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), peritoneal dysfunction is considered to be due to the loss of peritoneal mesothelial cells and to subsequent peritoneal fibrosis and neovascularization. Our aim in the present study was to clarify the role of various components of peritoneal dialysis fluid in the occurrence of peritoneal dysfunction in CAPD patients. We used a cell counting assay and ELISA to study the viability of human peritoneal mesothelial cells and their secretion of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)--which induces peritoneal fibrosis and neovascularization--by cells cultured with various components of peritoneal dialysis fluid.

De novo distal posterior cerebral artery aneurysm.

Background: De novo aneurysms in the posterior circulation are very rare. The authors describe a first case of ruptured de novo posterior cerebral artery (PCA) aneurysm in the P3 portion.

Case Description: A 52-year-old woman with ruptured de novo P3 aneurysm was treated by early endovascular obliteration using Guglielmi Detachable Coils (GDC).

Application of tyramide signal amplification for detection of N-glycolylneuraminic acid in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: N-Acetylneuraminic acid and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) are the most common sialic acids in mammals, and NeuGc has attracted attention as a tumor-associated antigen.

Methods: In frozen liver sections from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, glycolipid-type NeuGc was detected on the surface of liver cancer cells in 9 of 17 samples (52.9%) by immunostaining, using two chicken monoclonal antibodies against NeuGc and the tyramide signal amplification method.

[An analysis on blood transfusion for hepatic resection].

Background: Hepatic resection is prone to significant blood loss. Adverse effects of blood loss and transfusion mandate improvements in surgical techniques to reduce blood loss and transfusion.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the present status of intraoperative blood transfusion practice of 42 hepatic resections in National Kure Medical Center for the year of 2000.

Cryopreserved autologous nipple-areola complex transfer to the reconstructed breast.

If a patient's nipple-areola complex is available for grafting after mastectomy, it is the best material to use for nipple-areola reconstruction. The authors performed delayed autologous nipple-areola complex transfer to reconstructed breasts in 10 patients (mean age, 47 years; range, 40 to 53 years). The nipple-areola complex was cryopreserved with a programmed freezer after mastectomy.

Antidepressant drug treatments induce glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) synthesis and release in rat C6 glioblastoma cells.

Modulation of neurotrophic factors to protect neurons from damage is proposed as a novel mechanism for the action of antidepressants. However, the effect of antidepressants on modulation of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which has potent and widespread effects, remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that long-term use of antidepressant treatment significantly increased GDNF mRNA expression and GDNF release in time- and concentration-dependent manners in rat C6 glioblastoma cells.

Enhanced formation of azoxymethane-induced colorectal adenocarcinoma in gammadelta T lymphocyte-deficient mice.

T cell receptor (TCR) gammadelta-positive T lymphocytes, which are localized mostly within the intraepithelial space of intestinal epithelium, have been suggested to play a role in maintaining the normal configuration of intestinal epithelium. However, the role of TCRgammadelta-positive T lymphocytes in the formation and progression of colorectal adenocarcinoma that originates from colorectal epithelial cells remains to be elucidated. In this study, TCRalphabeta and TCRgammadelta-positive T lymphocyte-deficient mice (homozygous TCRa and TCRd-gene knockout mice) and the background wild-type mice were administered azoxymethane, and the formation of macroscopic tumors and microscopic aberrant crypt foci in colorectal mucosa were compared among the three types of mice.