In 12 patients with bronchial asthma the effects of acupuncture (45 tests altogether) on airway resistance have been investigated. In 9 patients there was a significant decrease of airway resistance 10 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours after the end of acupuncture. The lowest level for airway resistance (70.1% of control value) was reached during the first hour after acupuncture. The possibility of a merely suggestive effect could be excluded, because "placebo-acupunctures" did not change airway resistance significantly. The comparison with a parasympatholytic acting drug as a metered aerosol (Atrovent) demonstrated that acupuncture had a somewhat weaker bronchospasmolytic effect. Three patients did not show any reaction after repeated acupunctures.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Attenuation of leukocyte sequestration by selective blockade of PECAM-1 or VCAM-1 in murine endotoxemia.

BACKGROUND: Molecular mechanisms regulating leukocyte sequestration into the tissue during endotoxemia and/or sepsis are still poorly understood. This in vivo study investigates the biological role of murine PECAM-1 and VCAM-1 for leukocyte sequestration into the lung, liver and striated skin muscle. METHODS: Male BALB/c mice were injected intravenously with murine PECAM-1 IgG chimera or monoclonal antibody (mAb) to VCAM-1 (3 mg/kg body weight); controls received equivalent doses of IgG2a (n = 6 per group). Fifteen minutes thereafter, 2 mg/kg body weight of Salmonella abortus equi endotoxin was injected intravenously. At 24 h after the endotoxin challenge, lungs, livers and striated muscle of skin were analyzed for their myeloperoxidase activity. To monitor intravital leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions, fluorescence videomicroscopy was performed in the skin fold chamber model of the BALB/c mouse at 3, 8 and 24 h after injection of endotoxin. RESULTS: Myeloperoxidase activity at 24 h after the endotoxin challenge in lungs (12,171 +/- 2,357 mU/g tissue), livers (2,204 +/- 238 mU/g) and striated muscle of the skin (1,161 +/- 110 mU/g) was significantly reduced in both treatment groups as compared to controls, with strongest attenuation in the PECAM-1 IgG treatment group. Arteriolar leukocyte sticking at 3 h after endotoxin (230 +/- 46 cells x mm(-2)) was significantly reduced in both treatment groups. Leukocyte sticking in postcapillary venules at 8 h after endotoxin (343 +/- 69 cells/mm2) was found reduced only in the VCAM-1-mAb-treated animals (215 +/- 53 cells/mm2), while it was enhanced in animals treated with PECAM-1 IgG (572 +/- 126 cells/mm2). CONCLUSION: These data show that both PECAM-1 and VCAM-1 are involved in endotoxin-induced leukocyte sequestration in the lung, liver and muscle, presumably through interference with arteriolar and/or venular leukocyte sticking.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Functional capillary density: an indicator of tissue perfusion?

Functional capillary density (FCD) is one of the parameters obtained by intravital microscopy using epi-illumination of the tissue surface or trans-illumination of thin tissue layers. FCD, defined as the length of red cell-perfused capillaries per observation area (cm-1), has been used as an indicator of the quality of tissue perfusion in various animal models. Quantitative analysis of FCD in randomly selected regions of the tissue is performed by means of a computer-assisted video analysis system which allows calculation of the length of RBC-perfused capillaries. Basically, two different mathematical approaches can be employed: the first approach is based on the addition of the distances between two neighboring points (pixels) on the video screen (Pythagorean principle). The second approach uses the superimposition of a grid system that allows estimation of the capillary length by counting the number of intersections between the capillaries and the grid lines (stereological approach). The immanent error has been calculated in our laboratory to be +/- 1% with the Pythagorean and +/- 5% with the stereological method. Beside these systematic errors of computerized measurement, the individual (user-dependent) errors occurring during recognition and redrawing of the capillaries on the video image with use of a digitizing tablet are in the range of +/- 10% (intraindividual) and +/- 70% (interindividual) for the recognition and +/- 3% (interindividual) for the redrawing procedure. Our studies indicate that the errors resulting from the use of a computer-assisted calculation (Pythagorean or stereological approach) or the user-assisted redrawing of the capillaries are negligible when compared to the errors made during recognition of the capillaries on the video screen. The methods are applied for assessment of FCD in two different microcirculation models of skin muscle and pancreas yielding highly reproducible, user-independent results under physiologic conditions and the pathophysiologic conditions of ischemia-reperfusion.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An improved intravital microscopy system.

The use of intravital microscopy as a tool for studying the microcirculation has increased greatly over the last several decades. Early microscopes provided the first pictures of the microcirculation, but were cumbersome to use and subjected the tissue to a high light intensity, a problem which has recently become the subject of much discussion. The goal of this project was therefore to build a more ergodynamic microscope which minimizes the light exposure to the tissue. The automation of the microscope controls provides a platform on which other options can be built into the microscope, such as an autofocus feature. Furthermore, the use of the Optimas software also opens the possibility for on-line data processing.

Arterioles↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Disorders of cough mechanism in patients with obstructive lung diseases].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Airway Resistance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tissue protection by anti-ischemic drugs.

Ischemia followed by reperfusion is associated with typical microvascular disturbances characterized by capillary perfusion break-down (no-reflow), accumulation and adhesion of leukocytes to the microvascular endothelium (reflow-paradox) and impairment of endothelial barrier function, indicating the onset of cellular and/or organ dysfunction. Therapeutic approaches aiming at the prevention of microvascular failure elicited by ischemia/reperfusion, have to be devided into measures interfering with 1) the insult induced during the ischemic period and its consequences from cellular energy depletion and 2) the microvascular disturbances induced during the reperfusion/reoxygenation period. Using various microcirculation models in hamster and/or mouse allowing for chronic visualization of the microcirculation in striated muscle and skin, different therapeutic strategies have been investigated in our laboratory to protect the tissue from the manifestation of postischemic microvascular disturbances. The results are discussed with respect to the potential mode of action of the various therapeutic strategies performed.

Animals↗