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Biomedical subjects

A S Tang

Publications and source records attributed to A S Tang.

49 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Effect of continuous enhanced vagal tone on atrioventricular nodal and sinoatrial nodal function in humans.

A constant intravenous infusion of phenylephrine (0.74 +/- 0.41 micrograms/kg/min) was given to 10 patients to cause a continuous augmentation in reflex vagal tone. After the infusion, the diastolic blood pressure increased from 76 +/- 7 to 89 +/- 11 mm Hg (p less than 0.01). The sinus cycle length and atrial-His (AH) interval were measured, and incremental atrial pacing was performed before and during phenylephrine infusion until atrioventricular (AV) nodal block was achieved. For each patient, the AV nodal function curve (i.e., the AH interval plotted as a function of the atrial pacing cycle length) was compared during both the control state and phenylephrine infusion; the AH intervals during each condition at chosen short (AHS) and long (AHL) cycle lengths were compared. The sinus cycle length increased during phenylephrine infusion from 941 +/- 294 to 1,115 +/- 347 msec (p = 0.013). The AH interval during sinus rhythm was not significantly prolonged (77 versus 82 msec, p = NS). The shortest atrial pacing cycle length yielding 1:1 AV nodal conduction increased during phenylephrine infusion from 412 +/- 120 to 575 +/- 211 msec (p less than 0.01). Of note, the degree of sinus cycle length prolongation did not correlate with the degree of prolongation in the shortest atrial pacing cycle length yielding 1:1 AV nodal conduction. The AV nodal function curve was shifted markedly to the right and only slightly upward.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Strength-duration and probability of success curves for defibrillation with biphasic waveforms.

Certain biphasic waveforms require less energy to defibrillate than do monophasic pulses of equal duration, although the mechanisms of this increased effectiveness remain unclear. This study used strength-duration and percent success curves for defibrillation with monophasic and biphasic truncated exponential waveforms to explore these mechanisms. In part 1, defibrillation thresholds were determined for both high- and low-tilt waveforms. The monophasic pulses tested ranged in duration from 1.0 to 20.0 msec, and the biphasic waveforms had first phases of either 3.5 or 7.0 msec and second phases ranging from 1.0 to 20.0 msec. In part 2, defibrillation percent success curves were constructed for 6.0 msec/6.0 msec biphasic waveforms with a constant phase-one amplitude and with phase-two amplitudes of approximately 21%, 62%, 94%, and 141% of phase one. This study shows that if the first phase of a biphasic waveform is held constant and the second phase is increased in either duration or amplitude, defibrillation efficacy first improves, then declines, and then again improves. For pulse durations of at least 14 msec, the second-phase defibrillation threshold voltage of a high-tilt biphasic waveform is higher than that of a monophasic pulse equal in duration to the biphasic second phase (p less than 0.05), indicating that the previously proposed hypothesis of stimulation by the second phase is not the sole mechanism of biphasic defibrillation. These facts indicate the importance of the degree of tilt for the defibrillation efficacy of biphasic waveforms and suggest at least two mechanisms exist for defibrillation with these waveforms, one that is more effective for smaller second phases and another that becomes more effective as the second phase is increased.

Animals↗

Comparison of the internal defibrillation thresholds for monophasic and double and single capacitor biphasic waveforms.

Implantable cardiac defibrillators are now an accepted form of therapy for patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias that cannot be controlled by antiarrhythmic drugs. These devices could be made even more acceptable if they were smaller, had increased longevity and the surgical procedure for implantation was less invasive. Reducing the energy requirements for internal defibrillation with use of a nonthoracotomy system would make all of these goals achievable. Monophasic and double and single capacitor biphasic waveforms were compared in 14 anesthetized dogs (25.5 +/- 2.2 kg) with use of a nonthoracotomy lead system that has previously been shown to distribute the delivered voltage throughout the heart more equally. Cathodal catheter electrodes were placed in the right ventricular apex and outflow tract. The anodal electrode was a large cutaneous R2 patch placed over the left side of the chest. The mean energy requirement for defibrillation when a single capacitor biphasic waveform was used was significantly less (6.4 +/- 2.6 J) than that for either the double capacitor biphasic or the monophasic waveform (18.0 +/- 8.0 and 17.4 +/- 8.0 J, respectively) of the same duration. Unexpectedly, the leading edge voltage for the phase I of the single capacitor biphasic waveform was significantly less (266 +/- 51 V) than that for either the double capacitor biphasic or the monophasic waveform (336 +/- 76 and 427 +/- 117 V, respectively). In conclusion, in large dogs, defibrillation is possible at low energy levels with a single capacitor biphasic waveform.

Animals↗

Ventricular defibrillation using biphasic waveforms: the importance of phasic duration.

Biphasic waveforms can be used to defibrillate the heart with less energy than that used by monophasic waveforms. In 14 anesthetized open chest dogs with large contoured defibrillation electrodes, the effect on defibrillation efficacy of varying the duration of the two phases of biphasic waveforms was studied. All combinations of 0, 1, 3.5, 6 and 8.5 ms duration were used for both the first and the second phase except for the meaningless case in which both durations were 0 ms. The 3.5-2 waveform (3.5 ms first phase and 2 ms second phase) was also tested. All the hearts were defibrillated with less than or equal to 5 joules using any of the 25 waveforms. However, biphasic waveforms with the second phase shorter than or equal to the first had significantly lower defibrillation thresholds than did those with the second phase longer than the first or than did monophasic waveforms of approximately the same total duration. A plot of defibrillation threshold current strength versus second phase duration for all biphasic waveforms with a 3.5 ms first phase did not produce a hyperbolic strength-duration curve as seen with monophasic waveforms. To verify these findings, defibrillation dose-response curves were obtained for the 3.5-2, 6-6 and 3.5-8.5 biphasic waveforms in another six dogs. The 50 and 80% successful voltage doses of the 3.5-8.5 waveforms were significantly higher than those of the other two waveforms, which were not different from one another.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Stimulus-induced critical point. Mechanism for electrical initiation of reentry in normal canine myocardium.

The hypothesis was tested that the field of a premature (S2) stimulus, interacting with relatively refractory tissue, can create unidirectional block and reentry in the absence of nonuniform dispersion of recovery. Simultaneous recordings from a small region of normal right ventricular (RV) myocardium were made from 117 to 120 transmural or epicardial electrodes in 14 dogs. S1 pacing from a row of electrodes on one side of the mapped area generated parallel activation isochrones followed by uniform parallel isorecovery lines. Cathodal S2 shocks of 25 to 250 V lasting 3 ms were delivered from a mesh electrode along one side of the mapped area to scan the recovery period, creating isogradient electric field lines perpendicular to the isorecovery lines. Circus reentry was created following S2 stimulation; initial conduction was distant from the S2 site and spread towards more refractory tissue. Reentry was clockwise for right S1 (near the septum) with top S2 (near the pulmonary valve) and for left S1 with bottom S2; and counterclockwise for right S1 with bottom S2 and left S1 with top S2. The center of the reentrant circuit for all S2 voltages and coupling intervals occurred at potential gradients of 5.1 +/- 0.6 V/cm (mean +/- standard deviation) and at preshock intervals 1 +/- 3 ms longer than refractory periods determined locally for a 2 mA stimulus. Thus, when S2 field strengths and tissue refractoriness are uniformally dispersed at an angle to each other, circus reentry occurs around a "critical point" where an S2 field of approximately 5 V/cm intersects tissue approximately at the end of its refractory period.

Animals↗

Effects of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Lévl.) Hutch on male fertility.

Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Lévl.) Hutch (TH) is a perennial used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and various skin disorders. One study showed that daily oral doses of TH significantly reduced the fertility of male rats without apparent toxicity. The effects of daily oral doses of TH on the fertility of men taking it for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis were evaluated. Sperm concentration, motility and motility grade all were significantly reduced in the 13 men taking TH compared to 11 untreated controls. TH therapy did not affect testosterone, FSH, LH levels, and its antifertility effects appeared to be reversible.

Adult↗

Improved defibrillation thresholds with large contoured epicardial electrodes and biphasic waveforms.

A reduction in the shock strength required for defibrillation would allow use of a smaller automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and would reduce the possibility of myocardial damage by the shock. Most internal defibrillation electrodes require 5 to 25 J for successful defibrillation in human beings and in dogs. In an attempt to lower the shock strength needed for defibrillation, we designed two large titanium defibrillation patch electrodes that were contoured to fit over the right and left ventricles of the dog heart, covering areas of approximately 33 and 39 cm2, respectively. In six anesthetized open-chest dogs, the electrodes were secured directly to the epicardium and ventricular fibrillation was induced by 60 Hz alternating current. Truncated exponential monophasic and biphasic shocks were given 10 sec later and defibrillation thresholds (DFTs) were determined. The DFT was 159 +/- 48 V, 3.2 +/- 1.9 J (mean +/- SD) for 10 msec monophasic shocks and 106 +/- 22 V, 1.3 +/- 0.4 J, for biphasic shocks with both phase durations equal to 5 msec (5-5 msec). The experiment was repeated in another six dogs in which the electrodes were secured to the pericardium. The mean DFT was not significantly higher than that for the electrodes on the epicardium: 165 +/- 27 V, 3.1 +/- 1.2 J for 10 msec monophasic shocks and 116 +/- 19 V, 1.6 +/- 0.5 J for 5-5 msec biphasic shocks. Low DFTs were also obtained with biphasic shocks in which the duration of the first phase was longer than that of the second.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗