Energy stores and metabolites in chronic reversibly and irreversibly dysfunctional myocardium in humans.

Objectives: Our goal was to study metabolic energy stores and lactate content in chronic reversibly and irreversibly dysfunctional myocardium.

Background: It is unknown whether metabolism is deranged in chronic reversibly and irreversibly dysfunctional myocardium in humans. Semiquantitative histological examinations have shown altered mitochondrial morphology and glycogen accumulation in dysfunctional regions.

Positron emission tomography and low-dose dobutamine echocardiography in the prediction of postrevascularization improvement in left ventricular function and exercise parameters.

Background: We studied the value of low-dose dobutamine echocardiography (LDDE) and positron emission tomography (PET) in predicting improvement of left ventricular function and exercise parameters after revascularization.

Methods: Forty-six consecutive patients with ischemic heart disease and an ejection fraction (EF) of 35% +/- 7% were included. Before revascularization, the patients underwent exercise testing and myocardial viability testing by LDDE and fluoride 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose PET.

The effect of dextromethorphan, alone or in combination with ibuprofen, on postoperative pain after minor gynaecological surgery.

Background: Experimental studies have demonstrated that peripheral tissue injury may lead to hyperexcitability of nociceptive neurones in the dorsal horn, in part mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor mechanisms. Sensitisation of dorsal horn neurones may be an important contributor to postoperative pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the NMDA-receptor antagonist dextromethorphan on pain after minor gynaecological surgery, and to evaluate a potential additive effect with ibuprofen.

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in adults with chronic cough compared with healthy blood donors.

In a small uncontrolled study, persistent cough has recently been found to be associated with serological evidence of acute Chlamydia pneumoniae infection. In order to assess whether C. pneumoniae plays a role in chronic cough, the prevalence of C.

Evaluation of novel assays in clinical chemistry: quantification of plasma total homocysteine.

Background: There is a need for systematic evaluation of methods before their release to the market. We addressed this problem in novel homocysteine assays as part of an European Demonstration Project involving six centers in four countries.

Methods: Two immunological methods for measurement of plasma total homocysteine (P-tHcy), the fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and the enzyme immunoassay (EIA), were compared with two comparison methods, HPLC and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Intravenously and topically applied magnesium in the prevention of arterial thrombosis.

Magnesium (Mg) has been shown to reduce platelet aggregation both in vitro and ex vivo, and this antiplatelet effect may be advantageous in the prevention of arterial thrombosis. Previous animal studies have shown an antithrombotic effect of Mg also in vivo, but mainly with higher Mg concentrations ( approximately 3.0-4.

Diabetic retinopathy in pregnancy during tight metabolic control.

Background: The relation between retinopathy and the parameters: 24-h blood pressure, glucose control, albuminuria, and outcome of pregnancy was studied before, during, and after pregnancy in women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus on tight metabolic control during pregnancy.

Methods: Prospective study of 112 pregnant women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus followed with fundus photography at the Department of Ophthalmology, Arhus University Hospital. Changes in retinopathy were related to 24-h blood pressure, blood glucose, albuminuria, and adverse perinatal outcome.

Short-term effects of growth hormone on myocardial glucose uptake in healthy humans.

Cardiac muscle is characterized by insulin resistance in specific heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure, but not in generalized disorders like diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension when cardiac manifestations are absent. To examine whether the insulin antagonistic effect of growth hormone (GH) acts upon the heart, we compared insulin-stimulated whole body and myocardial glucose uptake with and without GH administration during a 3.5-h euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp in eight healthy males.

Captopril-induced glutamate release at the start of reperfusion after cold cardioplegic storage of pig hearts.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the effects of captopril on glucose-related metabolism during hypothermic cardioplegic storage and subsequent reperfusion.

Methods: We compared hearts from control pigs with hearts from pigs treated with increasing oral doses of captopril for 3 weeks (12.5-150 mg daily), an intravenous bolus (25 mg) before operation, and captopril-containing cardioplegic solution (1 mg/L).

Effect of preoperative oral dextromethorphan on immediate and late postoperative pain and hyperalgesia after total abdominal hysterectomy.

Dextromethorphan is a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist known to inhibit wind-up and NMDA-mediated nociceptive responses of dorsal horn neurons. Experimental and clinical studies indicate that NMDA-receptor antagonists may potentiate the effect of analgesics such as morphine, local anesthetics and NSAIDs. Results from previous clinical studies of dextromethorphan in postoperative pain are conflicting, possibly related to administration of insufficient doses of the drug.

Plasma clearance of 99Tcm-MAG3: accuracy of five single-sample methods.

The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of five single-injection, single-sample methods for the assessment of plasma clearance of 99Tcm-MAG3 in adults. In 51 patients, a reference plasma clearance was determined on the basis of 16 blood samples. It ranged from 13 to 313 ml.

Alarm treatment: analyses of response and relapse.

With focus on relapse, this article reports the results of treating nocturnal enuresis (NE) with an alarm. The frequency of wet nights/week was used as an indicator for the patients' predisposition for alarm treatment and thus the efficiency of the alarm. This article concludes that patients with the highest frequency of NE will obtain the best results when treated with an alarm.

Fluid deprivation in enuresis--effect on urine output and plasma arginine vasopressin.

Desmopressin responders tend to have a large volume of urine production at night, in contrast to desmopressin refractory patients who often produce normal volumes of urine. Controls and adolescent/adult primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuretics were included in a study measuring urine volume and plasma vasopressin levels before and during a 24-hour water deprivation test. The results indicate a significantly higher urine production in desmopressin responders when compared with controls and non-responders.

Sleep studies based on electroencephalogram energy analysis.

Current sleep studies use the manual polysomnographic technique or frequency analysis when investigating the mechanisms behind the incomplete transition from sleep to consciousness. Ten control subjects and 11 primary monosymptomatic enuretics were studied in a sleep laboratory for three consecutive nights (23.00-07.

Definitions of subtypes of enuresis.

Enuresis is a disease of complex pathogenicity. Most monosymptomatic bedwetters have either normal bladder function and capacity and large urine production at night-time, or slightly increased micturition frequency during the day, normal circadian rhythm and small bladder capacity at night-time. In some studies, patients who failed to become dry when using alarm treatment had normal bladder function and capacity with large urine production at night.

Bordetella pertussis and chronic cough in adults.

To evaluate Bordetella pertussis as a cause of persistent cough in adults, we examined 201 patients who had a cough for 2-12 weeks and no pulmonary disease. We obtained the following at presentation: medical history, chest radiograph, respiratory function measurement, nasopharyngeal aspirate for polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nasopharyngeal swab specimen for culture, and a blood sample (acute serum). Four weeks later a second blood sample (convalescent serum) was obtained.

Measurement of myocardial glucose uptake in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy: application of a new quantitative method using regional tracer kinetic information.

Unlabelled: Quantification of myocardial glucose uptake (MGU) by 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) using PET may be inaccurate, because the correction factor that relates myocardial FDG uptake to MGU, the lumped constant (LC), is not a true constant. Recent studies have shown that analysis of FDG time-activity curves allows determination of individual LCs and that variable LCs yield accurate determination of MGU. We compared the magnitude of the LC in different regions of the heart in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

What an interventional cardiologist should know about the pathophysiology of acute myocardial infarction.

Basic knowledge of the sequence of cellular events that change the relative benign disease coronary atherosclerosis into a life-threatening acute coronary syndrome is of great importance for the interventional cardiologist in order to understand and choose the correct pharmacological and interventional management in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Plaque disruption, or fissuring, with superimposed thrombosis frequently complicates the course of coronary atherosclerosis. Small ruptures often remain clinically silent, whereas more extensive plaque rupture may lead to the development of unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death.

Birthweight in women with potential gestational diabetes mellitus--an effect of obesity rather than glucose intolerance?

Background: The purpose was to compare the influence of varying levels of glycemia on the perinatal outcome.

Methods: The data charts of 383 women screened for gestational diabetes mellitus with an oral glucose tolerance test during two birthyears were retrospectively evaluated. In 55 women gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed and treated with diet.

Isolation and characterization of proteoglycans from human follicular fluid.

Two proteoglycans differing in size and composition were isolated from human follicular fluid. The larger one of high density had a molecular mass of 3.0x10(6) Da, as determined by laser light-scattering, and was substituted with 15-20 chondroitin sulphate (CS) chains (Mr 60000-65000).

Musculo-skeletal pathology in patients with angina pectoris and normal coronary angiograms.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of the musculo-skeletal apparatus in patients with angina pectoris despite normal coronary angiograms.

Design: A survey of patients and controls investigated by blinded observers.

Setting: A tertiary cardiologic referral centre.

Effect of i.v. ketamine in combination with epidural bupivacaine or epidural morphine on postoperative pain and wound tenderness after renal surgery.

We studied 60 patients undergoing operation on the kidney with combined general and epidural anaesthesia, in a double-blind, randomized, controlled study. Patients were allocated to receive a preoperative bolus dose of ketamine 10 mg i.v.