Pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells augment α-adrenergic receptor-mediated contraction of pulmonary artery and contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a multicellular and progressive disease with a high mortality rate. Among many cell types, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are incriminated in the pathogenesis of PH. However, our understanding of the mechanisms that increase HSCs in blood and lungs of hypertensive animals or patients and the role played by HSCs in the pathogenesis of PH remains elusive.

Use of diabetes data management software reports by health care providers, patients with diabetes, and caregivers improves accuracy and efficiency of data analysis and interpretation compared with traditional logbook data: first results of the Accu-Chek Connect Reports Utility and Efficiency Study (ACCRUES).

We assessed users' proficiency and efficiency in identifying and interpreting self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG), insulin, and carbohydrate intake data using data management software reports compared with standard logbooks. This prospective, self-controlled, randomized study enrolled insulin-treated patients with diabetes (PWDs) (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion [CSII] and multiple daily insulin injection [MDI] therapy), patient caregivers [CGVs]) and health care providers (HCPs) who were naïve to diabetes data management computer software. Six paired clinical cases (3 CSII, 3 MDI) and associated multiple-choice questions/answers were reviewed by diabetes specialists and presented to participants via a web portal in both software report (SR) and traditional logbook (TL) formats.

AIDS, emergency operations, and infection control.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may turn out to be the largest lethal epidemic of infection ever. The estimated global number of HIV-infected adults in 1993 was 13 million, with projections of up to 40 million by the year 2000. Human immunodeficiency virus infections and AIDS are relevant to surgeons with respect to the surgical management of AIDS patients in general, the treatment of the increasingly long list of surgical complications specific to AIDS patients in particular, and the risks of patient-to-surgeon and surgeon-to-patient HIV transmission.

In vivo observation with magnetic resonance imaging of middle ear effusion in response to experimental underpressures.

In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to define, in vivo, the effect of acute middle ear (ME) underpressures on vascular permeability and the development of effusion. The MEs of four cynomolgus monkeys were unilaterally inflated with oxygen and carbon dioxide on different occasions and followed for a period of approximately 4 hours by tympanometry and MRI scanning. Carbon dioxide inflations caused the rapid development of ME underpressures of less than -600 mm H2O by 10 minutes.

Premature rupture of membranes and bacterial vaginosis.

Objective: Critically review obstetric, epidemiologic, microbiologic, and pathophysiologic information regarding the possible casual associations of bacterial vaginosis with premature rupture of membranes.

Methods: Observational and experimental studies are reviewed and correlated with in vitro and clinical, microbiologic, and pathophysiologic experiments in an effort to define possibly casual relationships with bacterial vaginosis and premature rupture of membranes and its maternal and perinatal sequelae.

Results: Considerable information shows that bacterial vaginosis, a common vaginal microbe-associated condition of reproductive age women, can be strongly (risk ratios up to 7.

Phospholipase C activity in microorganisms associated with reproductive tract infection.

Phospholipase C (lecithinase or phosphatidylcholine phosphorylase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of lecithin into phosphorylcholine and 1,2-diglyceride. Bacterial production of phospholipase C may damage reproductive tract tissues by both direct and indirect mechanisms. Use of the synthetic substrate p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine phospholipase C activity was determined in 204 isolates representative of those found in female genital tract.

Local skin burn causes systemic (lung and kidney) endothelial cell injury reflected by increased circulating and decreased tissue factor VIII-related antigen.

Inasmuch as xanthine oxidase (XO)-derived O2* metabolites may contribute to vascular endothelial injury and Factor VIII antigen (F8Ag) is a component of endothelial cells, we hypothesized that XO-derived O2* might damage and cause distant organ endothelial cells to release F8Ag in rats subjected to skin burn. We found that serum F8Ag (ELISA) increased in the blood of rats subjected to skin burn (70 degrees C water to shaved dorsal skin for 30 seconds) but not in sham control rats (30 degrees C water). Coincidentally, F8Ag levels also decreased in lung and kidney tissue sections (immunofluorescent staining) of burned rats but not sham rats.