The effect of the sulfur amino acid, taurine, was examined on histological and biochemical changes induced by a toxic dose of isoprenaline in chick hearts. Isoprenaline treatment (80 or 240 mg/kg id twice daily for 4 days) caused a dose-dependent increase in heart weight and decrease in myocardial ATP. Isoprenaline administration (240 mg/kg id twice daily) produced necrotic changes in hearts, such as eosinophilic degeneration, myolysis, interstitial oedema, fibrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Substantial accumulation of calcium was also observed. Taurine content of the heart was not significantly decreased. Parenteral administration of taurine (200 mg/day for 7 days) partially protected against these necrotic changes induced by isoprenaline. It is suggested that the protective effect of taurine against isoprenaline-induced myocardial injury might be due in part to the prevention of the massive overloading with calcium which is thought to cause myocardial cell necrosis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Beneficial effect of coenzyme Q on myocardial slow action potentials in hearts subjected to decreased perfusion pressure-hypoxia-substrate-free perfusion.

Coenzyme Q, an important component of the electron transfer system in mitochondria, plays a central role in energy production aerobically. The effect of pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 (Co Q) on myocardial slow action potentials (APs) and accompanying contractions and on myocardial high energy phosphate content was studied in perfused hearts subjected to decreased perfusion pressure-hypoxia-substrate-free. Post-hatched chicks were treated i.p. with 10 mg/kg of Co Q daily for 5 days. To study the slow APs exclusively, the fast Na+ channels were voltage-inactivated by elevated K+ (25 mM) Tyrode solution. The Ca++-dependent slow APs were induced by elevating [Ca]o to 5.4 mM; hearts were paced at a rate of 40 per min. Hearts which had been pretreated with Co Q were protected against the deleterious effect of decreased perfusion pressure - hypoxia - substrate-free perfusion on mechanical performance accompanying the slow Ca++-Na+ APs. The slow APs in hearts pretreated with Co Q were also less affected than were non-treated hearts. However, the myocardial ATP and total adenine nucleotides were not affected by exogenous Co Q. It was suggested that exogenous Co Q could protect against the decline of cardiac contractions via improved availability of slow APs during decreased perfusion pressure - hypoxia - substrate-free, independently of the cellular high energy phosphate level.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Interstitial fluid pressure in the facial nerve: relationship between facial nerve pressure and cerebrospinal fluid pressure.

The possibility of measuring interstitial pressure in the facial nerve using a servo-nulling system was investigated. As a pilot study, interstitial fluid pressure in the extirpated medulla oblongata was measured using this system, and was found to be proportional to the pressure applied to the surrounding tissue block. Interstitial fluid pressure of the facial nerve in guinea pigs was also measurable with this system. The pressure in the facial nerve fluctuated with respiration and/or heart beat, as did CSF pressure. Respiratory fluctuations in facial nerve and CSF pressures ceased when the respirator was stopped. Facial nerve pressure appeared to be closely related to CSF pressure; the injection of saline into the CSF space resulted in an increase in facial nerve pressure. Measurement of facial nerve pressure by a servo-nulling system should be useful in evaluating the pathogenesis underlying facial palsy.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

VIPergic innervation of diabetic pancreas in rats.

Morphological, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical studies of nerves containing vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are described in diabetic pancreas of rats after streptozotocin treatment. The observations covered 48 hours and 6 months following streptozotocin treatment. At the ultrastructural level, degenerative changes were already observed in axons of nerve ganglia in the pancreas 48 hours (early stage) after streptozotocin treatment. These changes were hardly detected at the light microscopic level and VIP-like immunoreactivities were seen in nerves and fibers in such pancreas. The nerve ganglia were almost absent in the diabetic pancreas 6 months after streptozotocin treatment (late stage). Associated with the absence of nerve ganglia, nerves and fibers containing VIP-like immunoreactivities were also absent at this late stage. The findings indicated that the changes in the diabetic pancreas were neuropathic caused by metabolic disturbance after long standing diabetes and resulting absence of VIP-like immunoreactive nerves occurred. It was suggested from the present study that the changes in nerve ganglia began as damage at the ultrastructural level due to acute toxicity of the chemical at an early stage and then developed destruction and absence at a late stage.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Protective effect of taurine against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in perfused chick hearts.

The ability of taurine to protect the isolated heart against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity was examined. Chick hearts perfused for 20 min with medium containing 17 microM doxorubicin exhibited a decrease in contractility, an increase in resting tension and a dramatic depletion in tissue high energy phosphate content. Addition of 20 mM taurine to the perfusate attenuated the increase in resting tension and the decrease in myocardial adenosine triphosphate content induced by doxorubicin. The present study confirms our previous in vivo observations that taurine partially prevents doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dye-injection method for placement of an infusion catheter in regional hepatic chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of a dye-injection method in the placement of an infusion catheter and port via proximal branches of the axillary artery for hepatic infusion chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with surgically unresectable hepatic cancer underwent transfemoral hepatic arteriography. Then a 3-F coaxial catheter was inserted into a proximal branch of the left axillary artery. Dye injected through the coaxial catheter during the surgical procedure improved the visualization of the target branch. The coaxial catheter was also used as a guide for retrograde insertion through the target branch of an infusion catheter into the descending aorta. RESULTS: In 13 of 16 patients (81%), catheterization was successful without exposure of the axillary artery. In these patients, the acromial-deltoid branch of the thoracoacromial artery was chosen as the target. CONCLUSION: Injection of dye simplifies the surgical procedure for placement of a hepatic infusion catheter via proximal branches of the axillary artery. The depth and extent of incisions, as well as the risk of nerve injury, are reduced.

Acromion↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis in association with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

This study reports on the clinical and light microscopic features of a nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome with the complication of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of such an association, which is possibly due to immune dysregulation. Moreover, the patient experienced remission of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis after removal of the jaw cyst. One possible explanation for the remission is that a long-lasting TH, type inflammatory response as a result of the bone defect produces effective cytokines such as interferon-gamma.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Identification of a recombinational signal sequence-specific DNA-binding protein(s) of Mr 115,000 in the nuclear extracts from immature lymphoid cell lines.

Rearrangements of immunoglobulin genes are mediated by highly conserved heptamer and nonamer recombinational signal sequence. Using a protein-blotting procedure, a heptamer and nonamer recombinational signal sequence-specific DNA-binding protein(s) was examined in the nuclear extracts from lymphoid and nonlymphoid cell lines. Nuclear extracts were subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and transferred by electroblotting to nitrocellulose filters. Then the filters were hybridized to 32P-labelled synthetic double-stranded heptamer-23bp-nonamer or nonamer-12bp-heptamer recombinational signal sequence probes. A relatively large amount of a DNA-binding protein(s) of Mr 115,000 for both probes was detected in the nuclear extracts from immature B and immature T cell lines. No DNA-binding proteins were detected in a myeloma cell line. Interestingly, this DNA-binding protein(s) might be able to recognize both heptamer and nonamer. Recombinational signal sequence-specific DNA-binding activity of the protein(s) and the presence of the protein(s) in a stage-specific manner strongly suggest that the protein(s) of Mr 115,000 detected here may play an important role in the recombination of Ig and TCR genes.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrasonic Doppler assessment of hemodynamics in gradual carotid ligation.

Hemodynamic changes were examined with an ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter and with a sound-spectrograph in 5 patients with internal carotid giant aneurysms or with recurrent laryngeal cancer undergoing gradual carotid occlusion. The ultrasonic Doppler technique was useful for preoperative assessment of intracranial cross-filling and as a practical guide for the graded reduction of blood flow in the carotid artery. The degree of flow increase in the contralateral carotid artery when the ipsilateral carotid artery was totally occluded was greater in postoperative gradual occlusion than in intraoperative rapid occlusion. In one patient with bilateral internal carotid artery giant aneurysms, whose left internal carotid artery had already been ligated at its origin, gradual occlusion of the right internal carotid artery was performed after the bilateral superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomoses. Flow in the donor artery of the right STA-MCA anastomosis developed with increasing occlusion of the right internal carotid artery.

Adult↗