[Neural and hemodynamic mechanisms of neurogenic pulmonary edema].

Acute pulmonary edema has been reported in man and animals with intracranial disorders, head trauma or cerebral compression. In anesthetized rats, cerebral compression produced acute, fulminating and fatal lung injury. Intense activation of the sympathetic mechanism in the brain stem induced systemic hypertension and a series of hemodynamic changes.

The surgical results of the pubovaginal sling procedure using polypropylene mesh for stress urinary incontinence.

Objective: To investigate the surgical results after a pubovaginal sling procedure using polypropylene mesh in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Patients And Methods: Sixty-four women with different types of SUI underwent a pubovaginal sling procedure, using polypropylene mesh. The sling was placed at the level of the proximal half of the urethra and tied with adequate tension, but not obstructing the bladder outlet.

Extreme hypergastrinemia caused by atrophic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection--a case report.

We present a case with extremely high serum gastrin induced by atrophic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection. The patient, a 95-year-old male, was diagnosed with idiopathic chronic diarrhea. During diagnostic work-up, his fasting serum gastrin was up to 2078 pg/mL.

Role of motility in embryonic development I: Embryo movements and amnion contractions in the chick and the influence of illumination.

This study provides a quantitative analysis of the active movements of the chick embryo and of the contractions of the amnion over the entire developmental period of 21 days. Four types of embryo movements are distinguished. The motor activity of the embryo shows two characteristic peaks, with maximum contraction frequencies on the 12th and on the 16th day.

Clinical relevance of vascular endothelial growth factor for thyroid neoplasms.

Angiogenesis is of vital importance during the development and progression of solid tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major regulator of angiogenesis and could be produced by some cancer cells. To investigate the clinical relevance of VEGF in the tumorigenesis of human thyroid, an immunohistochemical study was performed on archival materials of follicular adenomas (n = 13), Hürthle cell adenomas (n = 6), papillary carcinomas (n = 76), follicular carcinomas (n = 12), Hürthle cell carcinomas (n = 2), and anaplastic carcinomas (n = 8).

Ethanol effects on nitric oxide production in cerebral pial cultures.

Background: Although alcohol abusers are known to have higher incidences of hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases, it is not known whether these changes are associated with ethanol (EtOH) action on nitric oxide (NO) production in the cerebrovascular cells. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of EtOH treatment on basal and cytokine-induced NO production in cortical pial cultures.

Methods: Cell cultures for this study included murine primary pial vascular cells, primary glial cells and cortical neurons.

Lidocaine-induced alterations in agonist-induced ion transport of cultured swine tracheal submucosal gland cells.

It has been documented that topical administration of lidocaine can cause airway complications, although it is the most used local anesthetic for laryngotracheal anesthesia. Thus, in this study we investigated the local actions of lidocaine on basal and autonomic secretagogue-induced ion transport in cultured swine tracheal submucosal gland cells. Ion transport plays an important role in maintaining effective mucociliary clearance and pulmonary defense mechanisms.

Nitric oxide modulates the development and surgical reversal of renovascular hypertension in rats.

Objective: To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the development and unclipping-induced reversal of blood pressure and bilateral renal function in two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) Goldblatt hypertensive rats.

Methods: Goldblatt hypertensive rats were prepared by clipping the left renal artery 4 weeks before unclipping experiments. NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was administered after clipping and during unclipping to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) synthesis.

Impact of pulse pressure on the respiratory-related arterial pressure variability and its autonomic control in the rat.

The autonomic control of respiratory-related arterial pressure variability (RAPV) remains uncharacterised. We set out to test the hypothesis that the autonomic nervous system may participate in RAPV via its effect on pulse pressure (PP). Experiments were performed on adult male Sprague-Dawley rats anaesthetised with ketamine and paralysed with pancuronium under positive-pressure ventilation.

Photodynamic therapy of rat bladder and urethra: evaluation of urinary and reproductive function after inducing protoporphyrin IX with 5-aminolaevulinic acid.

Objective: To assess the urinary and reproductive function of rats after inducing protoporphyrin IX with 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) and subsequent intraurethral photodynamic therapy (PDT). Materials and methods Twelve female Wistar rats were given ALA orally or intravesically (four each), followed by intraurethral PDT through a 10-mm cylindrical fibre at 100 mW for 500 s (argon laser, 632 nm). Urinary frequency, the number of gestations and histological changes were then evaluated and compared with a group of eight control rats.

Preeclamptic pregnancy is associated with increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic control of HR.

Previous work from our laboratory using heart rate variability (HRV) has demonstrated that women before menopause have a more dominant parasympathetic and less effective sympathetic regulations of heart rate compared with men. Because it is still not clear whether normal or preeclamptic pregnancy coincides with alternations in the autonomic functions, we evaluated the changes of HRV in 17 nonpregnant, 17 normotensive pregnant, and 11 preeclamptic women who were clinically diagnosed without history of diabetic neuropathy, cardiac arrhythmia, and other cardiovascular diseases. Frequency-domain analysis of short-term, stationary R-R intervals was performed to evaluate the total variance, low-frequency power (LF; 0.

Localization of sympathetic postganglionic neurons innervating mesenteric artery and vein in rats.

Physiological and histochemical studies have demonstrated the control and innervation of sympathetic nerves to the artery and vein vessels of splanchnic circulation. In our laboratory, we first used the technique of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase to identify the origin of sympathetic neurons innervating the mesenteric vein. In this study, double fluorescence staining technique was used for a simultaneous localization of the sympathetic postganglionic neurons supplying the mesenteric artery and vein in rats.

Functional CCK-A and Y2 receptors in guinea pig esophagus.

Effects of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8), peptide YY (PPY), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and their analogs on muscle contractions of esophageal strips were investigated. CCK-8 induced a tetrodotoxin and atropine-sensitive contraction. The relative potencies for CCK related peptides to induce contractions were CCK-8 > desulfated CCK-8 > gastrin-17-I.

Altered frequency characteristic of central vasomotor control in SHR.

Previous work from our laboratory has demonstrated that the very low-frequency (VLF: 0-0.25 Hz) and low-frequency (LF: 0.25-0.

Algorithmic complexity as an index of cortical function in awake and pentobarbital-anesthetized rats.

This study introduces algorithmic complexity to measure characteristics of brain functions. The EEG of the rat was recorded with implanted electrodes. The normalized complexity value was relatively independent of data length, and it showed a simpler and easier calculation characteristic than other non-linear indexes.

Rapid determination of trace nitrophenolic organics in water by combining solid-phase extraction with surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A rapid technique for the screening of trace compounds in water by combining solid-phase extraction (SPE) with activated carbon surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization (SALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry is demonstrated. Activated carbon is used both as the sorbent in SPE and as the solid in the SALDI matrix system. This eliminates the need for an SPE elution process.

Strategies for evaluation of antiviral agents against epstein-barr virus in culture.

Evaluation of antiviral agents against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been hampered by the lack of a permissive cell system for the replication of this virus. The extent of EBV replication detected in producer cell lines (P3HR-1 and B95-8) is limited: only a small fraction (<10%) of the cell population spontaneously produces virus at any given time. Attempts to increase the virus yield by manipulation of the culture conditions, such as temperature shifts, exposure to halogenated pyrimidines, such as BUdR and IUdR, and X-ray, have not been very successful.

Effect of aging on gender differences in neural control of heart rate.

To clarify the influence of gender on sympathetic and parasympathetic control of heart rate in middle-aged subjects and on the subsequent aging process, heart rate variability (HRV) was studied in normal populations of women (n = 598) and men (n = 472) ranging in age from 40 to 79 yr. These groups were divided into eight age strata at 5-yr intervals and were clinically diagnosed as having no hypertension, hypotension, diabetic neuropathy, or cardiac arrhythmia. Frequency-domain analysis of short-term, stationary R-R intervals was performed, which reveals very-low-frequency power (VLF; 0.

Biological responses of dog prostate and adjacent structures after meso-tetra-(m-hydroxyphenyl) chlorin and aluminum disulfonated phthalocyanine based photodynamic therapy.

Further to our work on the feasibility of application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) to the canine prostate, this study evaluates the biological responses of the prostate and adjacent vital structures with meso-tetra-(m-hydroxylphenyl) chlorin (mTHPC) or aluminum disulfonated phthalocyanine (AlS2Pc) based PDT as a preparatory step for clinical trials. Skin photosensitivity was not particularly problematic if light protection could be implemented properly for 2 weeks following sensitization. Prostate PDT was well tolerated by the experimental animals with only minor physical distress.

Comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of an automatic ligase chain reaction assay system with a one-step polymerase chain reaction assay in the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and ligase chain reaction (LCR) are two nucleic acid amplification-based molecular methods. The former has been used widely in the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis).

Simultaneous determination of trace benzodiazepines from drinks by using direct electrospray probe/mass spectrometry (DEP/MS).

This study presents a novel means of rapidly determining benzodiazepines in various drinks. Electrospray mass spectrometry with a direct probe design is used as the analytical instrument. Samples are treated only by a simple liquid-liquid extraction prior to direct electrospray probe/mass spectrometry (DEP/MS) analysis.

Prevalence of TT virus DNA in eastern Taiwan aborigines.

We studied the prevalence of TT virus (TTV) DNA in the general population of the eastern Taiwan aborigine villages, about 11% (34 of 317). There is no association between the presence of HBsAg and TTV DNA or between the presence of HCV RNA and TTV DNA. Therefore, the infection of HBV or HCV and the presence of TTV DNA appear to be independent from each other.

Laparoscopic loop ligatures for bladder repair during laparoscopic surgery.

In this paper, we report a case where a bladder perforation occurred during a laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy and was repaired by laparoscopic loop ligatures. This is the first case report of using the laparoscopic loop ligatures to close the bladder perforations. The loop ligature is an easy and quick procedure, which can be performed by most surgeons who take the time to learn the endoscopic suturing techniques.

Psychosocial risk factors of teenage pregnancy in eastern Taiwan.

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a growing worldwide problem, associated with adolescents' social and health problems and poor perinatal outcome. This study was conducted to investigate psychosocial factors predisposing to the high teenage pregnancy rate in Hualien, eastern Taiwan.

Methods: A regional hospital-based study was conducted with a retrospective analysis of hospital records and questionnaires to collect personal and family data regarding the perinatal outcome of 100 pregnant teenagers and 100 pregnant adults, who had normal deliveries at the Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital between 1994 and 1995.

Evaluation of the antioxidant activities of Erycibe obtusifolia.

Free radicals may be involved in various pathogenesis processes. Tissue damage and cellular toxicity of some chemicals mediated by oxygen free radicals can be monitored by studying the levels of lipid peroxidation in the tissues. The study reported here is to investigate the MDA concentrations in different tissues after various doses of Erycibe obtusifolia (EO) treatments.