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Biomedical subjects

D K Cooper

Publications and source records attributed to D K Cooper.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Triiodothyronine as an inotropic agent after open heart surgery.

Two small, randomized, blind clinical trials comparing the administration of triiodothyronine with that of placebo have been carried out in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization. In patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of less than 30% (study I), triiodothyronine administration at the end of operation and during the initial 24 hours after operation was associated with a significantly reduced need for conventional inotropic agents (p less than 0.02) and diuretics (p less than 0.02). In patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of greater than 40% (study II), triiodothyronine administration resulted in significantly improved stroke volume (p less than 0.01) and cardiac output (p less than 0.02) and reduced systemic (p less than 0.01) and pulmonary (p less than 0.05) vascular resistances. There were no adverse reactions to triiodothyronine in the dosages that were used. Triiodothyronine appears to be beneficial to all patients undergoing open heart surgery.

Cardiac Output↗
PubMed1989

The pathophysiological effects of brain death on potential donor organs, with particular reference to the heart.

Major electrocardiographic, haemodynamic, and histopathological changes take place during the development of brain death; myocardial and pulmonary injury may result. Significant depletion of certain circulating hormones occurs, resulting in an inhibition of mitochondrial function, leading to reduced aerobic metabolic oxidative processes, affecting the body as a whole. Major organ energy stores are therefore diminished, leading to deterioration of function. Replacement of the depleted hormones, in particular triiodothyronine (T3), cortisol, and insulin, leads to rapid replacement of organ energy stores, associated with a return to normal function. T3 alone leads to reactivation of the mitochondria, stimulating aerobic metabolism. Hormonal therapy to brain-dead potential organ donors has been shown to lead to metabolic and haemodynamic stability, resulting in no wastage of organs, and in improved function after transplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the heart. A case report.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a recently recognised common sarcoma of late adult life which, rarely, may arise in the heart. Unlike the atrial myxoma, which it may mimic clinically, malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a far more aggressive tumour with a greater tendency for local recurrence and infiltration. A case of a primary intracardiac malignant fibrous histiocytoma is reported and relevant published reports reviewed.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

The effects of denervation and acute rejection on left ventricular volumes measured by radionuclide ventriculography following cardiac transplantation in the chacma baboon.

Seven baboons underwent autotransplantation of the heart or heart and both lungs (group A). Eleven allografts were performed (group B) (nine orthotopic heart transplants and two en bloc transplants of the heart and both lungs). Radionuclide ventriculography was performed both pretransplant and at intervals posttransplant in all animals, and provided measurements of ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular volumes (LVv) (end-diastolic volume [EDV], end-systolic volume [ESV], and stroke volume [SV]). In seven animals, a total of 20 endomyocardial biopsies were taken. Correlation was made between histopathological features of acute rejection seen on endomyocardial biopsy and changes in EF and LVv measured by radionuclide imaging. A significant increase of 12% in the EF (P less than 0.01) and significant falls in the LVv were observed in all animals (groups A and B) on the first posttransplant day, presumably a result of total cardiac denervation. EDV was reduced by 50% (P less than 0.005), ESV by 62% (P less than 0.0001), and SV by 43% (P less than 0.0001). In autografted baboons (group A) EF and LVv showed no further changes until reinnervation of the heart had occurred, when they reverted to pretransplant levels. In the allografted baboons (group B) further significant reductions in the LVv occurred as acute cardiac rejection progressed. From the first post-transplant day to the time of the final study before the animals' death, the EF decreased by 10% (P less than 0.01), the EDV by 38% (P less than 0.005), and SV by 73% (P less than 0.003): the decrease in ESV did not reach statistical significance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

The role of nuclear cardiology procedures in the evaluation of cardiac function following heart transplantation.

Heart transplantation is, today, an accepted and recommended modality in the management of selected patients suffering from terminal heart disease. However, acute rejection and infection remain the major complications of this operation. Serial endomyocardial biopsy (EB), considered as the standard for diagnosis of cardiac rejection, is an invasive and delicate operation, not free of complications, even when done by skilled personnel in specialized centers. The object of this study was to compare and correlate between radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) and the histologic findings of EB. Furthermore, to validate the use of nuclear cardiology techniques that allow noninvasive, reliable, and rapid quantitation of ventricular function and myocardial perfusion for the diagnosis and management of rejection in patients with heart transplants. Radionuclide studies of left ventricular function were performed in 3 heterotopic heart transplant patients (HHT) with long term survival and early after the operation in 5 patients with HHT, 12 orthotopic heart transplants (OHT) and in 2 heart and lung transplants (HLT). Simultaneous EBs were performed in the early posttransplant patients and a histologic score for acute rejection was obtained. First pass (FP) and multigated equilibrium blood pool ventriculography, using the in vivo 99mTc-labelling of RBCs was used to measure left ventricular volumes (LVV) such as stroke volume (SV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), and both global and regional ejection fraction (EF, REF). The histological grading of acute rejection was classified into four groups: (1) no rejection, (2) mild rejection, (3) moderate rejection, and (4) severe rejection. The median of each LVV parameter was calculated and correlated with the EB using a nonparametric one way analysis of variance. A percentage change of LVVs was used rather than the difference of the calculated LVVs. During moderate acute rejection, SV had the highest correlation in P less than 0.004, followed by the EDV (P less than 0.05), and finally ESV (P less than 0.02). During severe acute rejection the correlation was SV (P less than 0.0008), EDV (P less than 0.001), and ESV (P less than 0.006). Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy using 201T1 was performed in the HHT patients, although, at this stage we have not attempted a correlation with the histologic findings. In one patient with long term survival OHT, increased 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial uptake was evident during a rejection episode.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Inotropic effect of triiodothyronine following myocardial ischemia and cardiopulmonary bypass: an experimental study in pigs.

A significant reduction (p less than 0.0001) in plasma-free triiodothyronine (T3), which is known to have an inotropic effect, has been documented in patients undergoing open-heart procedures. To investigate the effect of this observation, 22 pigs underwent 2 hours (Group 1, r = 10) or 3 hours (Group 2, r = 12) of myocardial ischemia during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at 26 degrees C; the myocardium was protected by cardioplegic solution and cold saline solution at 30-minute intervals. After the pig was rewarmed to 37 degrees C, CPB was discontinued, and measurements of hemodynamic function were made 10 and 70 minutes later. Half of the pigs (Subgroup B) received 6 micrograms of T3 intravenously immediately after removal of the aortic cross-clamp; the remainder (Subgroup A) received no T3. After 2 hours of ischemia, untreated pigs showed significantly reduced myocardial function 10 minutes after discontinuation of CPB. By 70 minutes after the end of CPB, 2 of 5 untreated pigs (Subgroup A) had died of low cardiac output, but all 5 treated pigs (Subgroup B) survived. After 3 hours of ischemia, both groups showed some reduced function at 10 minutes, though the reduction was more marked in untreated animals. By 70 minutes, 4 of 6 untreated pigs had died of myocardial failure and all treated pigs remained alive (p less than 0.03). Surviving pigs in both groups still demonstrated some reduced function compared with values obtained before CPB. When all pigs are considered together, overall survival of those that did not receive T3 was significantly less than those that did (p less than 0.006).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Initial experimental experience with a "replaceable" cardiac valve prosthesis.

An easily "replaceable" cardiac valve prosthesis has been designed. It consists of two parts: (1) a sewing ring incorporating a circlip and (2) a functioning valve (either mechanical or tissue). The circlip is encased in a sewing ring, which is sutured into the natural valve annulus, and grips the functional part of the prosthesis, thereby preventing dislodgment. A simple instrument has been designed to open the circlip a few millimeters to allow easy removal or insertion of the functional element. This sewing ring/circlip with the functional element of a Björk-Shiley prosthesis was used in 10 baboons undergoing mitral valve replacement. Removal and replacement of the functional element was carried out at a second operation between 1 and 12 weeks later. There were no operative deaths. Baboons were electively killed one day to twelve months after the second operation. There were no complications related to the prosthesis; cardiac catheterization showed normal hemodynamics before and after the second operative procedure.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Change from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism after brain death, and reversal following triiodothyronine therapy.

Brain-dead organ donors are depleted of circulating triiodothyronine (T3) and show features suggestive generally of anaerobic metabolism at the tissue level, accompanied by deteriorating hemodynamic function. The principle of single-bolus kinetics with labeled carbon compounds (14C-R), with subsequent measurement of both plasma activity and of exhaled 14C O2 has therefore been used to study glucose, pyruvate, and palmitate utilization under conditions of (1) sedation, (2) brain death, and (3) brain death with T3 therapy in the baboon. Serum lactate and plasma-free fatty acid concentrations were also measured. There was a major change in metabolic oxidative processes following brain death. The rate of glucose, pyruvate, and palmitate utilization was markedly reduced, and there was an accumulation of lactate and free fatty acids in the plasma, indicating a general change from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. The administration of T3 to the brain-dead baboon resulted in a dramatic increase in the rate of metabolite utilization, and a reduction in the plasma concentrations of plasma lactate and free fatty acids, indicating an apparent reversal from tissue anaerobic to aerobic metabolism. We suggest that T3 should be administered to all brain-dead potential organ donors to correct and maintain a more physiologic metabolic status and thus to improve organ function.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1988

Injury of myocardial conduction tissue and coronary artery smooth muscle following brain death in the baboon.

Experimental brain death was induced in 36 chacma baboons. In group A (n = 17), brain death was induced with no pharmacologic or surgical manipulation. Group B (n = 7) underwent bilateral vagotomy, unilateral left cardiac sympathectomy, or bilateral adrenalectomy before induction of brain death. Group C (n = 7) underwent total cardiac sympathectomy. Group D (n = 5) was pretreated with verapamil hydrochloride. Following induction of brain death, group A animals were maintained on a ventilator for a mean of 12 hr and 6 hr for the remaining groups. At the end of the experiment, the heart was excised, and tissue blocks were examined with light microscopy at (A) the atriaventricular node-bundle of His; (B) the major coronary arteries; and (C) myocardial tissue from the ventricular septum or left ventricular wall. In group A, 41% of the hearts showed histologic features of injury to the conduction tissue, 70% presented contraction band necrosis of the smooth muscle of the coronary arteries, and an incidence of 100% of the groups showed myocyte injury, more evident in the subendocardial area. In group B animals, conduction tissue injury was seen in 6 animals; the coronary arteries were not examined in this group; the incidence of myocyte injury was seen in 80% of the animals. Animals in groups C and D show no histopathologic injury in the conduction tissue (group A vs. C P less than 0.04), nor in the coronary arteries (group A vs. C P less than 0.002; group A vs. D P less than 0.01), preserving the myocytes (P less than 0.001). The catecholamine storm associated to acute increment of the endocranial pressure at the time of induction of brain death induces major histopathologic changes in the myocardium, as a result of endogenous catecholamines released inducing calcium overflow injury, affecting the conduction tissue, the smooth muscle of the coronary arteries, and the contractile myocardium. This can be prevented by calcium blockers or cardiac denervation.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Initial experience with heart and lung transplantation.

Between February 1983 and July 1987, twelve patients underwent heart-lung transplantation at the University of Cape Town and the University of Munich. The patients included eight men and four women, whose ages ranged from 15 to 49 years (mean, 27 years). The underlying pathologic condition was idiopathic primary pulmonary hypertension in five cases, Eisenmenger's syndrome in four cases, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in one case, diffuse fibrosing alveolitis in one case, and chronic emphysema in one case. The immunosuppressive regimen consisted of cyclosporine A, azathioprine, and rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG) during the first 2 postoperative weeks; RATG was subsequently replaced by methylprednisolone. Pulmonary rejection frequently occurred in the absence of cardiac rejection; in one case, however, this situation was reversed. Two patients required retransplantation, which was undertaken for caseating pulmonary tuberculosis with obliterative bronchiolitis after 1 year in one case and for early pulmonary insufficiency after 2 days in the other case. There were no operative deaths, but three early deaths occurred, owing to respiratory insufficiency of unknown origin (10 days postoperatively), multiorgan failure (10 days postoperatively), and acute liver dystrophy (11 days postoperatively). Five weeks after operation, a fourth patient died of multi-organ failure. There were five late deaths, all of which resulted from infectious complications. Three patients, including one who underwent retransplantation, remain alive and well, 10 to 36 months postoperatively.

Journal Article↗