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Biomedical subjects

L Rochette

Publications and source records attributed to L Rochette.

157 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of spontaneous hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy on the severity of ischemic arrhythmias in the rat.

Cardiac hypertrophy (CH) and hypertension (HT) are major determinants of sudden cardiac death in patients with coronary artery disease. To investigate the hypothesis that CH and HT increase the incidence of severe ventricular arrhythmias in an animal model, we performed a 30-min period of coronary artery ligation in anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and Wistar (W) rats. The incidence and duration of ventricular fibrillation resulting from coronary artery occlusion were significantly (p less than 0.01) increased in hypertensive rats compared to normotensive animals. The calcium entry blocker nicardipine was administered orally to SHR either chronically for 8 weeks (20 mg.kg-1 twice daily) or acutely as a single dose of 20 mg.kg-1. After long-term treatment with nicardipine, left ventricular hypertrophy index and systolic blood pressure were significantly (p less than 0.001) reduced when compared to vehicle-treated SHR, whereas a single administration of nicardipine only decreased blood pressure without affecting cardiac mass. In the long-term nicardipine-treated SHR group, acute coronary artery ligation induced significantly less ventricular fibrillation (p less than 0.05) and mortality (p less than 0.001) than in acutely nicardipine-treated or untreated SHR groups. In conclusion, the data suggest that the severity and incidence of lethal ventricular arrhythmias are more elevated in hypertensive than in normotensive rats and this may be related to the myocardial hypertrophic state.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Lack of conviction about vaccination in certain Quebec vaccinators].

A questionnaire was mailed to all vaccinators in Quebec in 1998. The objective of this survey was to document vaccinators' attitudes, knowledge, and practices related to vaccination. Vaccinators generally believe in the security, efficacy and usefulness of vaccines given to young children. However, 41% of nurses do not fully agree with these opinions. More than 94% of pediatricians completely disagree that "certain practices (homeopathy, good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle) can eliminate the need for vaccination", compared with 85% of general practitioners and only 60% of nurses. Less than 25% of doctors recall children who are late in getting their immunizations; approximately 45% of vaccinators are in complete agreement with simultaneous injections of two vaccines; many circumstances are incorrectly seen as contra indications for vaccination. Public health authorities should target systematic interventions towards vaccinators to improve this situation and to increase nurses' conviction regarding the benefits of vaccination.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of the effects of valproate, ethosuximide, phenytoin, and pentobarbital on cerebral energy metabolism in the rat.

The acute effects of valproate (200 and 400 mg/kg), ethosuximide (200 and 400 mg/kg), phenytoin (25 and 50 mg/kg), and pentobarbital (30 and 60 mg/kg) on cerebral energy metabolism of rats were studied by measuring the cerebral content of energy metabolites and by evaluating the rate of metabolite utilization following decapitation. The treatments did not affect the levels of phosphocreatine (PCr), ATP, ADP, and AMP, but did enhance the glycogen or glucose stores. Pentobarbital induced a decrease in lactate, whereas valproate led to a decrease in pyruvate and an increase in lactate. Calculation of the metabolite fluxes after decapitation showed that all treatments delayed the rate of ATP utilization. The response was dose-dependent except with valproate. In addition, pentobarbital led to reductions in glucose utilization and lactate production, but the other drugs had no significant effect on glycolysis rate. The sparing effect on ATP utilization may be related to a membrane-stabilizing effect and may provide brain protection in case of excessive neuronal activation.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMedDate not supplied

5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid in cerebrospinal fluid of children with febrile convulsions.

5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from febrile children subdivided according to the presence or absence of convulsions. Lumbar puncture was made either early (mean time 2 h) or late (3-6 days) after the febrile convulsion. The level of 5-HIAA was significantly decreased in children early and late after the febrile convulsion as compared with the convulsion-free group, but the HVA level was reduced only early after the febrile convulsion. These results support the hypothesis that a decrease in CSF 5-HIAA may be a biologic marker of susceptibility to convulsions and indicate that the transient decrease in HVA is a secondary phenomenon related to occurrence of convulsions.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A treatment with rosuvastatin induced a reduction of arterial pressure and a decrease of oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats].

The aim of this study was to appreciate consequences of rosuvastatin administration on hemodynamic function, vascular oxidative stress and ischemia/reperfusion disorders in normotensive and hypertensive rats. At 10 weeks of age, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR, n=20) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto male rats (WKY, n=20) were divided into four groups and given, either vehicle or 10 mg/kg/day of rosuvastatin by gavage for 3 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was assessed every week. At the end of these treatments, vascular NADPH oxidase activity was evaluated by chemiluminescence (lucigenin 0.5 microM). Hearts were isolated and perfused according to the Langendorff method and were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during reperfusion were quantified by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy using a spin probe (CP-H, 1 mM). After one week of treatment, rosuvastatin reduced the arterial pressure in SHR rats (180.3 +/- 2.1, SHR vs 169.7 +/- 2.3 mmHg, SHR+rosuvastatin; p < 0.01), without lowering plasma cholesterol levels; these effects were not observed in WKY. NADPH activity was 25% higher in control SHR rat aortas compared to control WKY, and was reduced by rosuvastatin in SHR rats. In isolated rat hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion sequences, there was a deterioration in functional parameters in control SHR compared to control WKY hearts. Rosuvastatin decreased post-ischemic contracture in WKY hearts by 50% (41.5 +/- 7.5, WKY control vs 18.4 +/- 4.6 mmHg, WKY+rosuvastatin; p < 0.01) and increased left ventricular developed pressure. This beneficial effect was accompanied by a decrease in ROS detected by ESR during reperfusion (312.5 +/- 45.3, WKY control; vs 219.3 +/- 22.9 AUC/mL, WKY+rosuvastatin; p < 0.05). In conclusion, these results are in accordance with the hypothesis that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, and demonstrate the beneficial effects of rosuvastatin.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis: clinical use of the animal and therapeutic prospects of hirudin].

Blood sucking leech, Hirudo medicinalis, used in Medicine for very long, knew an intensive employment during early 18e century but its excess was responsible of the temporary disparition of the animal from the therapeutics. Leech has currently recovered a clinical use, especially in microsurgery. On the other hand, hirudin, main active compound isolated from leech extract and also known and used for long, offers interesting outlooks by its anticoagulant and antithrombic properties. This explains the great interest of hirudin preparation by molecular genetics.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of acute and chronic treatment with an adrenergic alpha receptor agonist, LE S3341, on the rate of catecholamine turnover in various peripheral organs and brain structures in the rat].

The turnover of catecholamines (CA) in some peripheral tissues and various areas of the rat brain was estimated by measuring the amine depletion after inhibition of their biosynthesis by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (alpha-MPT). Acute or chronic treatment with S3341 (3mg/kg i.p.) reduced NA turnover in submaxillary glands, brain stem and rest of the brain but had no effect on NA turnover in the hypothalamus. The dopamine (DA) levels were unaltered following chronic S3341 treatment but the alpha-MPT induced disappearance of DA was significantly retarded in the striatum and rest of the brain. The results of the present study demonstrate that no tolerance to the effect of S3341 on brain CA turnover develops during chronic drug administration. The central biochemical effects of S3341 appear different from those of other agonists of central alpha 2-adrenoceptors such as clonidine.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mortality attributable to tobacco smoking in Quebec].

In industrialized countries, tobacco smoking is the main cause of preventable morbidity and premature deaths. Although mortality attributable to smoking has already been estimated for the population of the province of Québec, it has never been studied on a regional basis. We calculated the mortality attributable to smoking by socio-sanitary regions of the province of Québec for 10 fatal diseases positively associated with smoking. The calculations were made for the years 1984 through 1993 taking into account Canadian Census data (demographic variables), the Santé-Québec survey (prevalence of smoking), the death registry of the "Bureau de la statistique du Québec" (mortalitry data), and the American cohort of the "Cancer Prevention Study II" (relative risks). For the diseases investigated, 24,637 and 62,711 deaths were attributable to smoking for women and men respectively during the period studied, thus representing 29.4% and 51.2% of attributable percentages. There is no statistical difference between the regions, which indicates a general problem for all the province. These data again confirm the incredible impact of smoking on public health. The struggle against smoking should be a primary area for action for the benefit of all Quebecers.

Adult↗