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Biomedical subjects

S Beppu

Publications and source records attributed to S Beppu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Rapid reduction of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels during percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy in patients with mitral stenosis.

To clarify the direct contribution of the left atrial pressure to secretion of human atrial natriuretic peptide (hANP), we have attempted to study the relations between plasma hANP levels, neurohumoral factors, and hemodynamic changes in 13 patients with mitral stenosis undergoing percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC). After PTMC, the left atrial pressure fell from 14.7 +/- 1.9 (mean +/- SEM) to 6.5 +/- 0.7 mm Hg in all patients studied (p less than 0.0005), whereas there were no remarkable changes in either the right atrial pressure, mean arterial pressure, or heart rate. Plasma immunoreactive hANP levels obtained from the pulmonary artery decreased from 278 +/- 51 to 137 +/- 31 pg/ml after PTMC (p less than 0.0005). There was a significant correlation between the decrement of hANP levels and that of left atrial pressure (r = 0.72, p less than 0.005). Neither plasma renin activity nor norepinephrine levels changed. In contrast, plasma aldosterone concentrations significantly increased from 11.3 +/- 1.5 to 16.4 +/- 2.7 pg/ml after PTMC (p less than 0.01), although there was no casual relation between plasma concentrations of aldosterone and hANP. The present result with PTMC-induced rapid fall of the left atrial pressure with a concomitant reduction in hANP secretion strongly suggests the importance of the left atrial pressure on hANP secretion in humans.

Adult↗

Visualization of coronary blood flow by color Doppler imaging with a transesophageal approach.

To examine whether CBF can be imaged by color Doppler technique, we visualized CBF using a transesophageal color Doppler imaging system. In 36 of 39 patients with normal coronary arteriograms after heart surgery, the LMT and the proximal LAD were clearly imaged by 2-dimensional echocardiography. Among them, CBF was coded mainly in blue in 32 patients, showing that the flow runs from proximal to distal. In some cases, yellowish and/or reddish components were seen, suggesting the occurrence of aliasing associated with augmentation of flow velocity or flow turbulence. The fast Fourier transformation spectrogram of the pulsed Doppler sampled in the colored flow showed a typical flow velocity pattern of the LAD, which mainly consisted of a predominantly diastolic component. These results indicate that the transesophageal color Doppler technique is advantageous in noninvasively imaging CBF. It should be further sought whether flow abnormality due to coronary stenosis could be determined by this technique.

Adult↗

[Significance of disturbances of cardiac filling in constrictive pericarditis].

Using pulsed Doppler echocardiography, blood filling patterns of the right atrium and left and right ventricles in constrictive pericarditis were studied to evaluate the physiological role of the pericardium in the hemodynamics of this disease. Thirteen cases were examined including five cases with atrial fibrillation. The control subjects consisted of 16 healthy persons and six cases of lone atrial fibrillation. 1. Peak velocity of the atrial filling wave during ventricular systole was reduced, and the filling time was shortened, suggesting reduced compliance and restricted motion of the atrial wall, because of the thickening and adhesions of the pericardium. Duration of the atrial filling wave during ventricular diastole was also shortened, reflecting disturbance of the early diastolic filling of the right ventricle. 2. In healthy subjects, duration of the rapid filling wave was longer in the right ventricle than in the left ventricle, probably due to the greater compliance of the right ventricular wall as compared to that of the left ventricular wall. In constrictive pericarditis, the rapid filling time of the right ventricle is shortened, so that the difference in this time between the right and left ventricles is minimized, which may be related to a thinner right ventricular wall. Duration of the rapid filling wave of the right ventricle correlated with right ventricular end-diastolic pressure, indicating that the duration of the right ventricular rapid filling wave is proportional to the severity of constrictive pericarditis. In conclusion, constriction of the pericardium definitely influences the hemodynamics of the right side of the heart more than it does the left side in constrictive pericarditis. This difference appears to result from the difference in thickness of the myocardial layers of both ventricles.

Adult↗

Visualization of isolated conus artery as a major collateral pathway in patients with total left anterior descending artery occlusion.

To examine the existence of isolated conus artery (ICA) as a source of collateral circulation, we selectively visualized the ICA in patients with left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion using a no. 5 French catheter. One hundred and fifty patients with a total LAD occlusion were selected from 639 consecutive patients who had diagnostic coronary angiography during an 18-month period; the ICA was found in 45 patients. Among these patients, 30 showed the ICA as a collateral vessel supplying the distal LAD. In nine of these patients, conventional left and right coronary angiography did not reveal any other significant collateral vessels, and the distal LAD was perfused mainly by the collaterals from the ICA. No serious complications such as ventricular fibrillation or myocardial infarction occurred during these procedures. These results indicate that the selective ICA visualization is clinically important when conventional left and right angiography does not demonstrate collaterals to the obstructed LAD.

Angiocardiography↗

Doppler echocardiographic approach to the blood flow of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Assessment of flow in the left anterior descending coronary artery by Doppler echocardiography appeared to be possible in some patients in which the coronary artery system might be wide and/or the displacement of the coronary artery might be reduced because of cardiac enlargement or of impaired cardiac function. A study of this possibility was carried out in 78 patients, 20 cases with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 10 with dilated cardiomyopathy, 20 with aortic valve disease, and 28 following valve replacement for aortic valve disease. The anterior interventricular sulcus was a helpful landmark to search for the left anterior descending artery. The characteristic feature of the coronary flow pattern, that the flow ran mainly during diastole, was also helpful in finding the coronary artery. Complementary roles of ultrasonic imaging and Doppler ultrasound evaluation should be emphasized for identifying a thin echo-free space in the sulcus as the coronary artery. The left anterior descending coronary artery was imaged in 26 of the 78 patients. The peak velocity ranged 24 cm/s to 75 cm/s in different patients. Because the present study was carried out in patients with some particular diseases, these results do not indicate that current techniques can be routinely used for assessing the coronary flow. The detection rate will be increased with improvements in image resolution and the Doppler sensitivity. Although the detection rate of the coronary artery was not satisfactory in the present stage, the effect of sublingual administration of nitroglycerin on coronary circulation was noninvasively assessed in some patients, where reduction of the flow velocity by about 27% was observed in real time.

Adolescent↗

Transient abnormal septal motion after non-surgical closure of the ductus arteriosus.

Abnormal septal motion on M mode echocardiography was seen in eight of 16 patients soon after non-surgical closure of the ductus arteriosus. Ten to twenty-nine months after the procedure the abnormal septal motion had disappeared spontaneously. The cross section of the left ventricular cavity was circular both when septal motion was abnormal and when it was normal. Cross sectional echocardiography showed that there was an exaggerated anterior swinging motion of the heart in systole in patients with abnormal septal motion on the M mode recordings. The left ventricular end diastolic diameter before closure was significantly larger, and its reduction after closure was more pronounced in those with abnormal septal motion than in those without. This suggested that the abnormal septal motion was associated with relief of long standing left ventricular volume overload. It is suggested that acute shrinkage of the heart caused temporary laxity of the pericardium, and consequently more movement of the heart within the thorax. The return of normal septal motion suggests that the pericardium gradually shrank to accommodate the smaller heart.

Adult↗

Abnormal blood pathways in left ventricular cavity in acute myocardial infarction. Experimental observations with special reference to regional wall motion abnormality and hemostasis.

To elucidate the mechanism of regional hemostasis in the left ventricular (LV) cavity during myocardial infarction, the blood pathway in LV cavity was examined with contrast echocardiography injected from the left atrium before and after coronary ligation in nine canines. Before coronary ligation, contrast echoes spread over LV cavity with one rush. After ligation, smokelike echoes indicating hemostasis were observed at the apical middle of the LV cavity in five dogs with apical akinesis and at the apical area in four dogs with apical dyskinesis. The contrast echoes did not reach the apex within one diastolic period but turned upward to the outflow tract in the middle of the cavity in all dogs. In the cardiac beats that followed, some contrast echoes spread slowly toward the apex, forming a thin layer along the posterior wall in cases with akinesis but not in cases with dyskinesis. The area separated from the blood pathway developed where the smokelike echoes had been developed. Tachycardia exaggerated the abnormality of blood pathway and widened the contrast echo-free area. The abnormal pathway of the blood in apical myocardial infarction develops hemostasis in the apex. This should be one of the mechanisms of thrombus formation in myocardial infarction.

Animals↗

[Anterolateral papillary muscle motion before and after septal myotomy in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy].

The left ventricular outflow pressure gradient in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy results from systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM). This abnormal orientation of the valve was previously proposed to be caused by inappropriately hypertrophied papillary muscles which protrude to the interventricular septum (IVS). Septal myotomy can alter the orientation of the papillary muscles and resolve the pressure gradient, without myectomy. Recently, we have experienced two instructive cases to prove our previously advocated hypothesis. Case 1: This 54-year-old man complained of effort dyspnea, and his echocardiogram disclosed marked SAM, and a thickened IVS (28 mm) and left ventricular posterior wall (16 mm). The intraventricular pressure gradient was 134 mmHg, and there was mitral regurgitation of grade 2/4. A longitudinal incision via the aorta on the anterior portion of the IVS, toward the base of the anterolateral papillary muscle, resolved the pressure gradient and mitral regurgitation, and two-dimensional echocardiography demonstrated that the SAM resolved at the lateral aspect of the valve, but it remained on the medial side. Case 2: This 57-year-old man complained of dyspnea during effort. He had marked SAM. The intraventricular pressure gradient was 65 mmHg, and there was grade 3/4 mitral regurgitation. Longitudinal incisions on the anterior, medial and posterior parts of the IVS abolished the SAM and reduced mitral regurgitation to grade 1/4. In both cases, during systole, the anterolateral papillary muscle protruded into the left ventricular ontflow tract, causing SAM. After surgery, the direction of the muscle axis moved toward the mitral orifice during systole, resulting in alleviation of SAM on the same side of the location of septotomy. This further confirmed our concept that disoriented papillary muscles play essential roles in causing SAM. If the Venturi forces previously stressed by other investigators cause SAM, the latter should resolve on both the medial and lateral aspects, even by septotomy. Thus, the Venturi theory seems untenable.

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic↗

Mechanism of mitral regurgitation in patients with myocardial infarction: a study using real-time two-dimensional Doppler flow imaging and echocardiography.

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the mechanisms of mitral regurgitation accompanying myocardial infarction. Severity and site of mitral regurgitation was evaluated by the real-time two-dimensional Doppler flow imaging technique in 81 patients with old myocardial infarction. The incidence of mitral regurgitation did not depend on the region of infarction. There was, however, a close relationship between the site of regurgitation and the region of infarction. In patients with mitral regurgitation spurting from the posteromedial area of the valve, the inferior wall was involved in infarction without exception and in some of these patients, the posteromedial papillary muscle was also found to be affected by myocardial infarction; in those with regurgitation spurting from the anterolateral area, the anterior wall showed asynergy. On the other hand in patients with mitral regurgitation spurting from the central area, the region of infarction varied. In these patients, however, the larger the diameter of the mitral anulus, the more severe the grade of regurgitation. The extent of asynergy was another factor related to the severity of mitral regurgitation. Both longitudinally and transversely, broad infarction leads to the enlargement of the mitral anulus. However, even if the mitral anulus is not so dilated, severe involvement of either commissural area results in severe mitral regurgitation from the same commissural side. Thus, there are two major causative factors of mitral regurgitation: (1) asynergy of the papillary muscle or the ventricle that results in mitral regurgitation located in the commissural area of the same side as asynergy, and (2) enlargement of mitral anulus, which results in regurgitation from the central area of the orifice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[The physiological role of the pericardium: studies based on right heart inflow dynamics in cases of left-sided pericardial defect].

Using pulsed Doppler echocardiography, the effects of postural change on the blood flow pattern in the superior vena cava and in the right ventricular inflow tract were investigated to evaluate the physiological role of the pericardium. Eight cases of left-sided pericardial defect and eight healthy subjects were examined. 1. Suppressed inflow into the right atrium during systole in left-sided pericardial defect was manifested as a reduction of the systolic wave (S) in the superior caval vein and impairment of the systolic shift of the tricuspid annulus. This suppression suggested unsatisfactory volume expansion in the right atrium due to the absence of negative intrapericardial pressure. 2. In left-sided pericardial defect, the right ventricular inflow pattern differed from the normal, most distinctly in the right lateral recumbent position, though the cardiac motion was nearly identical with that of the normal in this position. In this position, the ratio of the peak velocity of presystolic filling to that of rapid filling was increased, and the deceleration half time of rapid filling was prolonged. These findings indicated that the right ventricular rapid filling was retarded, and was compensated by the filling due to atrial contraction. It is assumed that right ventricular filling is influenced by hydrostatic pressure due to changes in posture in the absence of restriction by the pericardium. 3. It is concluded that the pericardium maintains negative intrapericardial pressure, so that each cardiac chamber is uniformly expanded for its filling, and that this function minimizes the influence of posture on cardiac hemodynamics.

Adult↗

[Optimum time for surgical intervention in pure mitral regurgitation: serial echocardiographic evaluations].

To determine the optimum time for surgical intervention in pure mitral regurgitation, 39 patients were studied by echocardiography before and after surgery. Pure mitral regurgitation included mitral valve prolapse with or without ruptured chordae tendineae. Twenty-two patients had mitral valve replacement and 17 had mitral valve reconstruction. Serial echocardiograms were obtained from all 39 patients (average follow-up: 40 months). Two of the 39 patients died suddenly at home on 26 and 62 months after surgery. One of the 39 patients now suffers from congestive heart failure. These three patients had preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions greater than 70 mm and left ventricular end-systolic dimension greater than 50 mm. Operation is recommended for patients with end-diastolic dimension less than 70 mm and end-systolic dimension less than 50 mm.

Echocardiography↗

[Papillary muscle infarction: echocardiographic features and genetic factors].

To study the pathogenesis of papillary muscle infarction, its echocardiographic features were examined in 60 patients with old inferior infarction. Sixty-three healthy elderly persons served as the controls. 1. The papillary muscles were echocardiographically classified as fingerlike and non-fingerlike in configuration whose frequencies were 43% and 57%, respectively. In healthy subjects, the papillary muscles were less echogenic than the left ventricular wall. 2. In five patients, the posteromedial papillary muscle exhibited enhanced echo intensity and no contraction. The papillary muscles in two of these five patients were histologically examined and the diagnosis of papillary muscle infarction was verified. In these five patients, the papillary muscles were echocardiographically classified as fingerlike, and left ventricular infarction was observed to involve the attachment of the posteromedial papillary muscle. All five patients had mitral valve prolapse; posterior in four and anterior in one. Inferior infarction extended to the region just beneath the mitral annulus in the former four patients, but not in the latter one. 3. The echocardiographic features of papillary muscle infarction consisted of enhanced echo intensity of the papillary muscle and mitral valve prolapse, especially that of the posterior leaflet at the posteromedial commissural side, and extension of the asynergy region to the attachment portion of the papillary muscle. The fingerlike morphology of the papillary muscle and involvement of the attachment within the infarcted region are predispositions to the development of papillary muscle infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗