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Biomedical subjects

C D Tseng

Publications and source records attributed to C D Tseng.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Holter monitoring in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: with special reference to intermittent pre-excitation.

To characterize the intermittency of pre-excitation in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (W-P-W), we studied the ambulatory electrocardiograms (ECGs) of 48 patients (32 men and 16 women with a mean age of 38.5 years) with W-P-W. As documentation, at least one ECG for each patient had been performed during the follow-up period at our clinics. All cardiovascular drugs were discontinued for at least two days before Holter ECG monitoring. Through a careful beat-to-beat analysis of the QRS complex morphology, we were able to classify these patients into three groups: persistent pre-excitation in 26 (54.2%); intermittent pre-excitation in 17 (35.4%); and no pre-excitation in five (10.4%). There was no significant difference in sex, frequency of arrhythmias or mean heart rate among the three groups. Among the 17 showing intermittent pre-excitation, type A W-P-W was more prevalent (12 cases), and the ratio of pre-excitation to normal beats tended to decrease with age. Conduction normalized gradually with an increase in heart rate in 12 patients and suddenly in five other cases. There were two patients who showed a period of 2:1 pre-excitation intermingled with 1:1 pre-excitation and 1:1 normalized beats. These changes occurred with equal frequency both during the daytime and at night. These findings suggest that intermittent pre-excitation is a rather frequent phenomenon in patients with W-P-W. It occurs more frequently in type A patients and in older patients. Therefore, it may be an intermediate phase between manifest and concealed W-P-W.

Adolescent↗

Peripheral and intracardiac concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide in patients with heart disease.

To study the relationship between the plasma concentration of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and heart function and to discern the secretion pathway of ANP, we determined the peripheral plasma concentration of ANP in 18 heart patients and the intracardiac concentration of ANP in six heart patients during cardiac catheterization. All plasma was extracted through a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge by acid alcohol. The concentration of ANP was determined by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay method. We found that the plasma ANP concentration (pg/mL) in heart patients (ranging from 12 to 139, mean = 36.1 +/- 28.9) was statistically higher than that in normal adults (ranging from 8 to 20, mean = 12.4 +/- 3.3, n = 16; p less than 0.05). The ANP level in heart patients was inversely correlated with the left ventricular ejection fraction (r = -0.53, p less than 0.05) evaluated by radionuclide angiocardiography. The intracardiac level of ANP was 88 +/- 58 at the superior vena cava, 77 +/- 55 at the inferior vena cava, 124 +/- 68 at the right atrium, 98 +/- 64 at the right ventricle, 107 +/- 58 at the pulmonary artery, 98 +/- 52 at the left ventricle, 109 +/- 73 at the aorta and greater than 351 at the coronary sinus. In conclusion, ANP is mainly secreted via the coronary sinus into the atrial cavity. The peripheral plasma ANP concentration is higher in heart patients. It increases as the left ventricular ejection fraction decreases. Therefore, plasma ANP concentration may be a useful indicator for the assessment of cardiac function.

Adolescent↗

Detection of enterovirus RNA in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy by polymerase chain reaction.

The pathogenic role of enterovirus in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy has been determined through a molecular biologic approach. Sensitivity in the detection of viral genomes in tissues varied between conventional nucleic acid hybridization and polymerase chain gene amplification. To improve diagnosis, we developed a strategy for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect viral RNA. We synthesized two sequence-specific oligonucleotides, primer 1 (5'dACCGACGAATACCACTGTTA3') and primer 2 (5'dCCTCCGGCCCCTGAATGCGGCTAAT3'), complementary to the 5' conserved viral genomic fragments. Viral RNA was amplified by double PCR with these two primers and hybridized with a 32-P labeled inter-primer probe (5'dATGAAACCCACAGGCACAAAG3'). Using this strategy, we detected as little as 10(-8) micrograms of coxsackievirus B3 RNA after amplification with RT-PCR, but detected none in the plasma of eight healthy adults. Among 15 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, viral RNA could be detected in one out of 12 plasmas (8%) and three out of four explanted heart tissues (75%). In contrast, no viral RNA could be detected in six samples of myocardial tissue from patients with other heart diseases. The only patient who had viral RNA in his plasma also had viral RNA in his myocardium. Thus, the high incidence of viral RNA in these patients suggests a possible etiologic link between them. Correct selection of specific PCR primers and the application of double PCR can improve chances of diagnosing enteroviral infection.

Adolescent↗

Exercise thallium-201 tomographic scintigraphy in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease: emphasis on the effect of exercise level.

Exercise thallium-201 imaging using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was evaluated in 154 patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease (CAD) and in 25 normal subjects. Of the 154 patients with CAD, 134 (87%) had abnormal thallium images. By contrast, only 77 (50%) patients had ischemic ST-segment depression (p < 0.001). Among 25 normal subjects, 20 had normal exercise SPECT images. The specificity of exercise SPECT imaging (80% or 20/25) in excluding patients with CAD was not significantly higher than that of exercise electrocardiography (76% or 19/25). For the detection of individual vessel involvement by analysis of territories of perfusion abnormalities, the sensitivity and specificity of exercise SPECT were 72% and 96% for the left anterior descending, 78% and 85% for the right coronary, and 47% and 98% for the left circumflex artery. Ninety (group 1) of the 154 patients with CAD achieved adequate exercise end points (ischemic ST-segment depression or > 85% of maximal predicted heart rate) and 64 (group 2) did not. Exercise SPECT showed significantly more perfusion abnormalities in group 1 than in group 2 (96% vs 75%, p < 0.001). We conclude that: (1) exercise SPECT thallium imaging is more sensitive than exercise electrocardiography for detecting patients with CAD; (2) the sensitivity of the test is affected by the level of exercise; and (3) it is valuable in the identification of individual vessel involvement.

Coronary Disease↗

Effects of linolenic acid on the canine heart.

Disturbances in lipid metabolism have been observed during the early phase of acute myocardial ischemia. Accumulation of fatty acids in and around the ischemic cardiac cells has been implicated to play a role in both contractile and electrophysiological abnormalities. Linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid and constitutes the phospholipid moiety of the cell membrane. The purpose of this work was to study the effects of linolenic acid on the heart using canine preparations. A direct left atrial injection was used as the route of administration because intravenous injections of linolenic acid inevitably cause pulmonary edema. A surface lead electrocardiogram (ECG), an epicardial electrogram, femoral arterial pressure, left ventricular pressure and its time derivative (dp/dt) were recorded before and after drug administration. Various dosages of linolenic acid (1 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 60 mg/kg) and a control buffer solution were tested. The results showed that linolenic acid has a potent dose-dependent bradycardic and myocardial depression effect starting from a dose of 5 mg/kg (delta HR = -20.1 +/- 4.0 bpm, delta dp/dt = 364.3 +/- 66.0 mmHg, sec-1, p less than 0.01 vs. control). At a high dose of 30 mg/kg, linolenic acid induced premature ventricular complexes. Furthermore, ventricular tachycardia was observed in 5 of the 8 dogs (62.5%) receiving the high dose of 60 mg/kg. We conclude that linolenic acid has profound effects on the canine heart; at a low dose, it causes bradycardia and myocardial depression, while at a high dose, it also produces ventricular irritability.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning of complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) for the rat atrial natriuretic peptide.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a cardiac hormone with an important role in fluid, electrolyte and hemodynamic homeostasis. Rat ANP cDNA was cloned from the cDNA library constructed using 1 microgram of atrial mRNA from the heart of Wistar rats. Eight positive clones were isolated with an ANP oligonucleotide probe. One of them with about a 0.8 kb insert was selected for further subcloning and sequencing analysis. The rat ANP cDNA had 813 base pairs with a concensus sequence for transcription initiation, termination and poly A tailing. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a potential glycosylation site and two putative protease cleavage sites. Northern blot analysis showed that the ANP gene was specifically transcribed in the rat atria rather than the ventricles. The results suggest that ANP gene expression is differentially and developmentally controlled.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The value of body surface potential maps in detecting abnormal ventricular wall motion.

In an effort to enlarge the clinical application of body surface potential maps (BSPMs), the authors studied the relationship between abnormal ventricular wall motion and BSPMs in 98 consecutive patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD). Forty-nine of the patients (50%) had wall motion abnormalities as seen on single-plane left cine ventriculograms. During early ventricular depolarization, normal BSPMs have a potential maximum that is greater than the absolute value of the potential minimum; this reverses in late depolarization such that the absolute value of the potential minimum is the greater. The patients showed a significantly early reversal (p less than 0.001), and 55 (56.1%) had abnormal "early reversal" BSPMs. This abnormal "early reversal" is closely related to abnormal ventricular wall motion. Using it as an indicator of abnormal wall motion, the authors obtained the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the following conditions: LAD lesions, LCX, RCA, LAD and RCA lesions, LAD and LCX, and three-vessel disease, and for all patients. A relatively high sensitivity (85%) and specificity (80%) was found in patients with LAD lesions only or multivessel lesions in addition to LAD lesions.

Adult↗

Reappraisals of atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia: lessons learned from surgical treatment.

The exact site of reentrant circuit involved in the atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia was questioned. Seven patients (6 females and 1 male), aged 21 to 64 years (mean = 40 +/- 17 years), with refractory nodal reentry, underwent surgical treatment. The associated cardiac diseases included rheumatic valvar disease in two and an atrial septal defect. Electrophysiologic studies before surgery showed dual nodal pathways in 4 patients. Right atrial endocardial mapping was performed and the earliest retrograde atrial activation during tachycardia was mapped to the apex of the triangle of Koch in 6 patients and near the orifice of coronary sinus in one. Perinodal dissection was performed according to the location of earliest retrograde atrial activity. Care was taken to preserve as much of the atrioventricular node and its arterial supply as was possible. Immediately after surgery, conduction in an antegrade direction recovered and the tachycardia could no longer be reproduced. There was no surgical mortality or morbidity. At 10 to 26 months of follow-up, all patients remain free of tachycardia without antiarrhythmic drugs. Four patients underwent repeated electrophysiologic studies at 2 weeks to 6 months after surgery. Dual nodal pathways were no longer demonstrated. It is concluded that the perinodal atrial tissue plays a part in the atrioventricular nodal reentry, and that surgical dissection is a simple and effective treatment for patients with refractory atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia.

Adult↗

Comparison of the electrophysiological effect of amiodarone, lidocaine and quinidine on rat ventricular cells.

The effects of 20 microM each of amiodarone, lidocaine and quinidine on action potential and membrane currents were studied in rat ventricular cells. At a stimulation frequency of 0.1 Hz, quinidine prolonged the action potential duration (APD50) from 120 +/- 26 to 660 +/- 8 msec and increased the time to peak (Tp) amplitude from 7 +/- 1 msec to 32 +/- 6 msec. Lidocaine shortened APD50 from 123 +/- 15 to 83 +/- 6 msec without altering Tp. Amiodarone changed neither APD50 nor Tp. Voltage clamp study revealed that quinidine inhibited sodium inward current (INa) even when this current was elicited by depolarizing pulses at 0.1 Hz from a holding potential of -90 mV. For amiodarone and lidocaine, the inhibition was observed when INa was elicited from a holding potential of -70 mV. A frequency-dependent inhibition of INa by amiodarone and lidocaine was observed at frequencies higher than 1 Hz. Quinidine showed this inhibition even at 1 Hz. In correlation with the stronger frequency dependent inhibition of INa, a greater delay of the recovery and increase of the non-recovery fraction of INa was induced by quinidine. For lidocaine and amiodarone, only the recovery time constant was delayed. In cells treated with sea anemone toxin (ATX, 0.2 microM), APD50 was prolonged to 4-5 sec in 5 min. Quinidine, but not amiodarone, completely reversed the effect of ATX. Quinidine showed use-dependent inhibition of INa in these ATX-treated cells. Amiodarone, however, did not show this inhibition. It is likely that amiodarone suppresses INa by delaying the recovery of INa instead of blocking the open-state Na(+)-channels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗

The value of body surface potential maps in assessment of experimental myocardial infarction.

Body surface potential maps (BSPMs) and the pathology of 32 dogs with coronary artery ligations were analyzed to research the application of BSPMs to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The group consisted of 18 dogs with left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligations, 8 with right coronary artery (RCA) ligations and 6 with left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) ligations. The abnormal distribution of negative potential and minimal potential were observed in all of the dogs. In dogs with RCA ligations, the abnormal negative potential displayed on the right-superior, right-inferior or right portion of the anterior thorax. In those with LAD ligations, the abnormal potential appeared on the left-superior, left-inferior, middle-superior or middle portion of the anterior thorax. In those with LCX ligations, the abnormal potential showed on the left-superior or left-middle portion of the thorax. A good correlation was observed between the area of myocardial lesion and the extent of abnormal negative potential distribution (r = 0.82, p less than 0.001). A close correlation was also found between the area of myocardial lesion and the duration of abnormal negative potential (r = 0.61, p less than 0.05). This study suggests that BSPMs are useful in the assessment of AMI in terms of diagnosis, location and extent of myocardial infarct.

Animals↗

Hemodynamic significance of vectorcardiographic pattern in patients with mitral stenosis.

Vectorcardiographic (VCG) studies were conducted in 71 patients with pure mitral stenosis (MS) documented by clinical findings, echocardiograms and cardiac catheterization. Among them, 31 were males and 40 females, with ages ranging from 20 to 58 (mean age 36.3) years. The Frank lead system was adopted for the VCG study. By VCG, 67 patients (94.4%) showed right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), among whom 15 (21.2%) were type A, 30 (42.3%) type B and 22 (31.0%) type C. Forty-five patients (63.4%) were in sinus rhythm (NSR), while the remaining 26 (36.6%) were in atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with type A RVH had a significantly higher pulmonary wedge (PAW) and main pulmonary arterial (MPA) pressures than those with type B or C. Patients with type C had a higher mean MPA pressure (39.0 +/- 11.3 mmHg) than those with type B (32.3 +/- 10.1 mmHg) (p less than 0.05). Among the 3 types of RVH, the mean right atrial (RA) pressures were similar (p greater than 0.05). Patients with AF had a lower mean MPA pressure, but a higher RA pressure than those with NSR (p less than 0.05). The maximal anterior force and maximal rightward force at the horizontal plane were significantly correlated with the mean MPA pressure (r = 0.54 and 0.49, respectively, both p less than 0.01), but they did not correlated well with the PAW and RA pressures (p greater than 0.05). We conclude that in patients with MS, as pulmonary hypertension progresses, VCG seems to begin with type B RVH, then emerges into type C and finally becomes type A.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Ruptured aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva in Oriental patients.

Between 1964 and 1987, a total of 57 cases of ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva underwent surgical correction at the National Taiwan University Hospital. This represents 0.96% of all cardiac operations. The origin of ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva was the right coronary sinus in 46, the noncoronary sinus in nine, and the left coronary sinus in two. The aneurysms ruptured into the right ventricle in 44, into the right atrium in 11, into the left ventricle in one, and into both the right ventricle and right atrium in one. Associated congenital cardiac anomalies included ventricular septal defect in 30 patients, aortic regurgitation in 20, and infundibular pulmonic stenosis and coarctation of the aorta in one each. Operative death occurred in two patients (3.5%) and one patient had a successful reoperation. The remainder did well following surgery. To compare the differences between Oriental and Western countries in ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva, 361 cases (195 Oriental patients versus 166 Western) were collected from the literature. Analyses of these cases revealed that ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva in Oriental patients compared with Western series is characterized by a higher incidence (5 times), more aneurysms originating from the right coronary sinus (87.9% versus 63.6%), more aneurysm rupturing into the right ventricle (84.2% versus 56.6%), a higher incidence of association with ventricular septal defect (mainly supracristal) (59.0% versus 34.6%), less incidence of association with other congenital cardiac abnormalities (4.1% versus 21.5%), very few instances of rupturing into cardiac chambers other than the right ventricle and right atrium, and less incidence of occurrence in the extremities of ages (the youngest was 7 years in Oriental patients versus 11 months in the Western series). In other words, ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva in Oriental patients is more or less a simple and uniform disease entity in contrast to the more diverse and protean pathologic profiles encountered in Western series. However, both Oriental patient and Western patient series have similar incidences of combination with aortic regurgitation (24.6% versus 20.0%), with 40.4% of Oriental patients and 60.6% of Western patients presenting with intact ventricular septum. Therefore the pathogenetic mechanisms of ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva may at the same time contribute to the development of aortic regurgitation.

Adolescent↗

Electrophysiologic manifestations of the excitable gap of orthodromic atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia demonstrated by single extrastimulation.

To assess the electrophysiologic characteristics of the excitable gap, 12 patients with orthodromic atrioventricular (AV) reciprocating tachycardia were studied. During tachycardia, 8 patients used a left-sided and 4 patients a right-sided anomalous bypass tract for retrograde conduction. QRS complex-synchronized single extrastimuli were delivered from high right atrium, right ventricular apex and coronary sinus, respectively, scanning the whole cycle length of tachycardia. An excitable gap was determined to be present if tachycardia resetting or tachycardia termination occurred. The duration of the excitable gap varied among different pacing sites and occupied 0 to 48% (mean 17 +/- 16) of basic tachycardia cycle length (240 to 480 ms, mean 327 +/- 70). Three patterns of tachycardia resetting were observed: the sum of coupling interval and return cycle being (1) less than a fully compensatory pause in 12 of 12 patients, (2) more than a fully compensatory pause in 5 of 12 patients and (3) equal to a fully compensatory pause in 2 of 12 patients, depending on extent of AV nodal conduction delay exhibited in return cycle. Tachycardia termination was possible when extrastimuli were delivered from right ventricular apex and coronary sinus but not from high right atrium, and only when basic tachycardia cycle length was greater than or equal to 290 ms in 7 of 12 patients. Tachycardia termination was accounted for by development of orthodromic conduction block in AV node in 7 of 7 patients and in bypass tract in 2 of 7 patients. Therefore, site of extra-stimulation and basic tachycardia cycle length affect electrophysiologic manifestations of excitable gap. Further, functional properties of the AV node influence patterns of tachycardia resetting and are primarily responsible for tachycardia termination during programmed single extrastimulation.

Adult↗

Vectorcardiograms in normal adult rats: with special reference to its pattern different from man.

To understand the vectorcardiographic (VCG) patterns in rats, we studied 50 adult male Long-Evans rats weighing 250-350g. Under anesthesia with pentothal, the rat was fixed to woodplate in a supine position with extremities extended. Surface electrocardiograms (ECG) and VCG of Frank lead system were then recorded in all rats. All variables of ECG and VCG were measured and compared with those of humans to determine the main difference. We found that rats have prominent anterior force of QRS complex and large ST vector in both ECG and VCG as compared to those of humans. The prominent anterior force of QRS complex may be due to different body shape between rat and human chests, and the large ST vector is probably related to early ventricular repolarization in rats. These findings should be considered in any experimental condition involving the ECG and VCG in rats.

Animals↗

Vectorcardiographic criteria for acute right ventricular infarction.

Based on serial vectorcardiographic and cardiac scintigraphic studies of 62 patients with acute myocardial infarction, we propose vectorcardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of acute right ventricular infarction. These criteria are: (1) the direction of the maximal spatial ST vector points either to the right-anterior-inferior or to the right-posterior-inferior octant, and (2) the magnitude of the projection of the maximal spatial ST vector is greater than or equal to 0.15 mV in the horizontal plane. By using these criteria correlated with scintigraphic results, 92% sensitivity was achieved together with 98% specificity; the Kappa statistic was 0.90. In patients with acute inferior and right ventricular infarction, the serial maximal spatial ST vector swung to-and-fro like a 'tug of war' between right-anterior-inferior and right-posterior-inferior octants during the acute stage. In patients with acute inferior-posterior and right ventricular infarction, the serial maximal spatial ST vector pointed to the right-posterior-inferior octant during the whole course of the acute stage. Failure to recognize this electrical phenomenon may make the clinician inaccurate when judging the clinical course of acute right ventricular infarction or over-estimate the result of therapeutic intervention.

Adult↗