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Biomedical subjects

S Y Ho

Publications and source records attributed to S Y Ho.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Surgical significance of morphological variations in the atrial septum in atrioventricular septal defect for determination of the site of penetration of the atrioventricular conduction axis.

The morphological variation in the recognized landmarks for the atrioventricular conduction system was studied grossly in 94 hearts with atrioventricular septal defect, assessing 20 hearts with normal atrioventricular septation as a control. In all the hearts with intact atrioventricular septal structures, the tendon of Todaro demarcated the superior boundary of the triangle of Koch. In hearts with atrioventricular septal defect, however, the landmarks for the conduction axis made up a separate nodal triangle. The tendon of Todaro, along with a bridging tendon not found in the normal heart, were variably developed in hearts with atrioventricular septal defect and formed a further triangle unrelated to the axis for atrioventricular conduction. The opening of the coronary sinus was also variable in its location and size. It was the location of the inferior bridging leaflet as it crossed the ventricular septum that was the best surgical landmark to the site of penetration of the atrioventricular conduction axis.

Atrioventricular Node↗

Morphological study of defects of the atrial septum within the oval fossa: implications for transcatheter closure of left-to-right shunt.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the anatomical variability of the oval fossa in cases of atrial septal defect and to find out which factors might make such defects suitable or unsuitable for closure by umbrella or clamshell devices. DESIGN: 100 specimens with defects of the atrial septum within the oval fossa were studied, especially the position of the defects within the fossa; the area of the defect in relation to the total area of the oval fossa; the shape of the rims and flap valve of the oval fossa; and the anatomical variability in the eustachian and thebesian valves. RESULTS: The oval fossa was displaced to the mouth of the inferior caval vein in four cases; displaced to the mouth of superior caval vein in two cases; placed on the middle of the interatrial wall in 43; or placed slightly towards the inferior caval vein in 51. Because of their shape 29 of the hearts were considered to be unsuitable for transcatheter closure of the defect. This was because the defect was too large (16 hearts); the oval fossa was displaced to the mouth of the inferior caval vein (four hearts) or to the superior caval vein (two hearts); lacked its anterior rim (two hearts); lacked the posteroinferior rim (one heart); because a thick eustachian valve was displaced posteriorly forming a false posteroinferior rim (one heart); or because the strand of insertion of the floor of the oval fossa was too distant from the left atrial aspect (three hearts). CONCLUSION: 68 hearts appeared to be ideal candidates for transcatheter closure; 3 would probably have been suitable; but 29 were unsuitable. These morphological variations might explain why the procedure has been unsuccessful in so many cases. Patients should be screened before any attempt is made at transcatheter closure.

Adolescent↗

Abnormal laterality and congenital cardiac anomalies. Relations of visceral and cardiac morphologies in the iv/iv mouse.

BACKGROUND: In the management of hearts with deranged laterality, it is essential that the left and right atrial chambers are correctly identified. There are two major approaches, which are based on venous connections or on the morphology of the atrial appendages, and there is no consensus as to which is the most useful. We used the iv/iv mouse mutant, which is known to be pertinent to this problem, to evaluate the relations of cardiac defects with atrial, venous, and other visceral morphologies. METHODS AND RESULTS: The morphology of the heart and other organs was examined in 275 iv/iv mice using criteria based on abnormal laterality in humans. The arrangement of the atrial appendages was determined by morphological examination of the junction between the appendage and the venous component of the atrium. On this basis, 45.1% of cases were shown to have usual atrial arrangement, 50.2% had mirror imagery, 1.5% had right isomerism, and 3.3% had left isomerism. Every case of atrial isomerism had a cardiac lesion; the morphological types were similar to those seen in human cases. Of cases with either usual or mirror-image arrangement of the appendages, 33.2% had abnormal spleens, but only 3.1% had cardiac defects. Similarly, venous abnormalities were much more common (30.1%) than cardiac defects. CONCLUSIONS: Study results endorse the importance of the morphology of atrial appendages in predicting cardiac abnormalities and point to the marked inconsistency of the arrangement of other organs, including the spleen and the connections of the systemic veins.

Animals↗

Use of helper-free retroviral vector to direct a high expression of porcine growth hormone in mouse fibroblast cells.

A retroviral vector has been employed to express the cDNA coding for porcine growth hormone (pGH) in the mouse fibroblast cell NIH 3T3 in large quantity. In this study, a single gene vector which contained no selectable marker was used. We have coinfected NIH 3T3 cells with pGH retrovirus and Neo(r) retrovirus to obtain a stable, high-expression clone. Using a superinfection strategy, we further increased the copy number of proviral DNA in the host chromosome, thus increasing the pGH secretion from 22 to 55 micrograms/10(6) cells/24 h. The recombinant pGH produced from mouse fibroblast cells was heterogeneous at the N-terminus, which mimicked the situation with bovine growth hormone either from natural sources or from recombinant products derived from mouse fibroblasts. This technology is useful for many biologically important genes to be stably transduced by retroviral vector into mammalian cells and highly expressed.

3T3 Cells↗

Aortic atresia with aortopulmonary window and interruption of the aortic arch.

The cross-sectional echocardiographic and postmortem appearances of the heart from a patient with the rare association of aortic valve atresia, aortopulmonary window, and interrupted aortic arch are described. Differentiation of this anomaly from truncus arteriosus with interrupted aortic arch is important.

Aorta, Thoracic↗

Fibrous skeleton and ventricular outflow tracts in double-outlet right ventricle.

Twenty-four hearts in which both great arteries arose from the right ventricle were studied to establish variations present within the fibrous skeleton and infundibular morphologies. Variations were also noted in the location of the ventricular septal defect and measurements were obtained of the outlet septum and the circumferences of the arterial valves. Completely muscular subarterial infundibulums were present in only 9 (37.5%) of the hearts, with varying degrees of fibrous continuity between the leaflets of the arterial and atrioventricular valves in the remainder. The aorta was rightward and posterior in 12 (50%) of the hearts, and subaortic and subpulmonary ventricular septal defects were present in equal numbers in this group. No subaortic defects were present when the aorta was side-by-side and right-sided. No subpulmonary defects were present in hearts with a posterior aorta. The mean ratio of 0.91 +/- 0.36 for the subpulmonary to subaortic length of the outlet septum was significantly less than the value of 1.54 +/- 0.41 noted previously in hearts with tetralogy of Fallot (p less than 0.001).

Aortic Valve↗

The myth of the aortic annulus: the anatomy of the subaortic outflow tract.

Surgical repair of the small aortic root is limited in part by the very structure of the outflow tract from the left ventricle. The root is not constructed on the basis of a ringlike annulus supporting the leaflets of the aortic valve. The only truly circular structure within the outflow tract is the junction of the aortic wall with the underlying ventricular structures, themselves partly muscular and partly fibrous. This circular ventriculoarterial junction is crossed by the semilunar attachments of the leaflets of the aortic valve, producing an interlinking arrangement between the expanded aortic sinuses and three triangles of fibrous tissue placed beneath the apexes of the commissures between the valve leaflets. The triangles form extensions of the left ventricle that are related, in part, to the pericardial cavity surrounding the heart. The arrangements of the attachment of the leaflets in malformed valves with two (or only one) effective leaflets are highly abnormal, although these valves are usually produced on the template of three aortic sinuses. The valve with two leaflets rarely gives problems during childhood. In valves producing "critical stenosis", there is usually only one effective leaflet, a condition due to incomplete liberation of two of the anticipated three commissures. Detailed study shows that, in these malformed hearts, the attachment of the leaflets is much more annular than in normal valves, with inadequate formation of the fibrous triangles.

Aortic Valve↗

Ventricular septal defects in a family of Yucatan miniature pigs.

We have studied the hearts from a colony of Yucatan miniature pigs with spontaneously occurring congenital defects. Ventricular septal defect was encountered in 57 of 81 neonates from 15 consecutive litters. Of 73 hearts preserved for morphological assessment, 52 were found to have defects within the ventricular septum remarkably similar to those observed in humans with deficient ventricular septum. The defects, including 3 which had closed spontaneously, were perimembranous in 34, muscular in 12 and doubly committed and juxtaarterial in 6 hearts. Atrial septal defects were found in 12 of the 52 hearts with deficient ventricular septation; only 1 atrial septal defect was seen among 21 hearts with an intact ventricular septum. Anomalies of the aortic arch were associated with ventricular septal defect in 2 cases; 1 with a solitary arterial trunk and one with hypoplasia of the aorta and patent arterial duct. All these findings are replicated in human hearts. This strain of pig provides an ideal large animal model for morphologic and genetic investigations concerning the details of ventricular septation, including potential mechanisms of late spontaneous closure.

Animals↗

Lipid-coated uniform microbubbles for earlier sonographic detection of brain tumors.

Rapid technological improvements have fostered the continued clinical development of intraoperative neurosonology, despite the fact that no suitable contrast media have been available for ultrasound studies. Because they can be made of uniform size (99% are less than 4.5 mum in diameter) and are thought to cross disruptions in the tumor vessels, artificial lipid-coated microbubbles can fill this gap. Furthermore, these microbubbles are stable in vitro for at least 6 months, with an in vivo halflife of 20 hours or more. This study demonstrated that lipid-coated microbubbles injected intravascularly can intensify echoes from rat brain gliomas. Specifically, when this standardized microbubble contrast agent was injected intravenously daily in rats, the time to visual ultrasonic detection of developing brain tumors (C-6 gliomas) was 4.09 days (n = 11) after tumor inoculation, versus 6.67 days (n = 9) to detection without microbubble injection (Z = -3.71, p = 0.0004).

Air↗

Cerebrospinal fluid eicosanoid levels: endogenous PGD2 and LTC4 synthesis by antigen-presenting cells that migrate to the central nervous system.

We analyzed CSF from patients with multiple sclerosis, patients with other neurologic diseases, and healthy controls for the presence of prostaglandin (PG) E2, F2 alpha, D2, I, A, and leukotriene (LT) C4. Control CSF had little measurable PGs or LTs. CSF eicosanoids from patients with progressive MS were increased. We found PGD2 only in MS CSF. CSF monocytes from patients in active disease produced significantly increased PGD, PGE, and LTC4 than paired peripheral blood monocytes and monocytes from healthy controls. We saw no significant difference in LTC4 production between MS and control peripheral blood monocytes.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗

[Effect of adenosine on carotid chemoreceptor activity in the rabbit].

The response of single carotid chemoreceptor afferent fibers upon adenosine acting on the carotid body (CB) was examined in 39 urethan-anesthetized rabbits. Totally 73 units with spontaneous discharge were recorded in our experiment. The results were as follows: (1) Of 55 units, 51 showed an increase in discharge frequency from 0.76 +/- 0.10 to 1.53 +/- 0.23 imp/s. A few new units were recruited concomitantly in response to intracarotid injection of adenosine (10 micrograms/kg). (2) Adding adenosine in the doses of 0.5, 1.5, 10, 50 and 100 micrograms/kg to the perfusate passing through the isolated carotid sinus led to dose-dependent increase in the discharge from 0.51 +/- 0.06 to 0.58 +/- 0.07, 0.78 +/- 0.13, 0.96 +/- 0.15, 1.11 +/- 0.17, 1.34 +/- 0.21 and 1.38 +/- 0.18 imp/s, respectively (P less than 0.001, n = 9 units). (3) In other 9 units with spontaneous discharge rate of 1.30 +/- 0.40 imp/s, the activity was decreased to 0.56 +/- 0.19 imp/s (P less than 0.01) by intracarotid injection of dopamine (50 micrograms/kg). Intracarotid injection of adenosine to the CB pretreated with dopamine still activated the units with an increase in firing rate to 1.07 +/- 0.28 imp/s (P less than 0.01). However, the increment was less prominent as compared with that of adenosine administration before dopamine injection (P less than 0.001). From the results obtained, it is hypothesized that the exciting effect of adenosine on the CB chemoreceptor may be attributed to its action on the presynaptic component of the chemoreceptor complex in attenuating the release of inhibitory transmitter dopamine, and its direct stimulating action on the chemosensory nerve endings.

Adenosine↗

[Effects of left atrial stretch and carotid occlusion on the single unit activity of anterior and posterior hypothalamus in cat].

The effects of left atrial stretch (AS) and carotid occlusion (CO) on the single unit activity of anterior and posterior hypothalamus (AH and PH) were investigated in 40 urethan-chloralose-anesthetized cats. A total of 185 units with spontaneous discharge were recorded. 46.3% (44/95) of the neurons in AH and 23.3% (21/90) of those in PH were responsive to AS. Majority of the neurons affected by AS exhibited a decrease in firing rate. A few units only showed transient response during the onset and release of AS (on-off response). Out of the 185 units, 85 units were tested by both AS and CO, and 15 units (17.6%) were responsive to both interventions. Among them 11 (73.7%) were inhibited by AS and excited by CO. From the results mentioned above, it is suggested that: (1) AS may exert an inhibitory effect on the activity of neurons in AH. (2) The activity of neurons in PH may be also affected by AS. (3) The inputs from the atrial volume receptor and carotid baroreceptor converge on the same neuron of the hypothalamus.

Animals↗

Atrial morphologic features in tricuspid atresia.

We studied the atrial morphology in 110 hearts removed at autopsy from patients with tricuspid atresia. Ten of the patients had had a Fontan operation. We compared the findings in these hearts with those in 30 normal hearts. Prominent eustachian valves were common (40%). The tricuspid "dimple," present in 33 of 100 specimens, denoted the membranous atrioventricular septum and was never related to the right ventricle. Most interatrial communications (85/100) were nonobstructive. A minority of patients with obstructive interatrial communications (13/100 = small, 2/100 = severely obstructive) would be expected to benefit from balloon atrial septostomy early in life. Right atrial hypertrophy was greatest in specimens with restrictive interatrial communications (severely obstructive = 3.2 +/- 0.3 mm, small = 2.1 +/- 0.6 mm) and in those that had been subjected to a Fontan operation (3.2 +/- 0.7 mm), but thickness was also increased in hearts with nonobstructive interatrial communications (1.6 +/- 0.5 mm) compared with normal hearts (1.1 +/- 0.2 mm; p less than 0.001 versus all groups). Of the patients in the series, 11 of 100 had left juxtaposition of the atrial appendages, which may have important implications for the Fontan operation.

Adolescent↗

[The facilitating effect of atrial natriuretic factor on the carotid sinus baroreflex function].

Effects of atriopeptin II (APII) on the carotid sinus baroreflex in anesthetized rats and on the sinus nerve afferent activity in the anesthetized rabbits were investigated. The results were as follows: (1) By perfusing the isolated left carotid sinus with APII (1 microgram/ml) in anesthetized rats (n = 10), the threshold pressure (TP) of the carotid baroreflex did not show any change, while the equilibrium pressure (EP), the saturation pressure (SP) and the operating range (OR) were decreased from 101 +/- 2.8 to 95 +/- 2.0 mmHg (P less than 0.05), 202 +/- 5.2 to 168 +/- 6.1 mmHg (P less than 0.001) and 128 +/- 5.5 to 93 +/- 6.3 mmHg (P less than 0.001), respectively. The function curve of the baroreflex was shifted to the left and downward with a peak slope (PS) increased during perfusing with APII. In contrast, by perfusing the carotid sinus with sodium nitroprusside (NP, 0.5 micrograms/ml), TP and EP remained unchanged, whereas SP and OR were increased from 188 +/- 6.4 to 218 +/- 6.0 mmHg (n = 6, P less than 0.01) and from 107 +/- 6.9 to 132 +/- 7.6 mmHg (P less than 0.05), respectively. The function curve of the baroreflex and its PS were not affected by NP. The sinus nerve afferent activity was quite stable with the perfusion of carotid sinus at constant intrasinus pressure (ISP) in the rabbits (n = 6) and increased during the elevation of ISP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Afferent Pathways↗

[Central cardiovascular and renal effects of atrial natriuretic peptide].

In 54 anesthetized rats, the changes in arterial blood pressure, heart rate and/or urine volume, urinary sodium excretion were observed following intracarotid, intrathecal and intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). The effects of ANP on the central actions of angiotensin II (AG II) were also examined. The results were as follows: (1) In the cross-circulation preparation of rat head, MAP of the recipient was unchanged and that of the donor was decreased in response to the administration of alpha-hANP (15 micrograms/kg) into the carotid artery of the recipient. (2) By injecting AP III (5 micrograms/kg) intrathecally, MAP, HR and urine volume (V) of the rats (n = 7) showed no change. (3) The ICV injection of AP III (20 micrograms/kg) did not result in changes in MAP, HR, and urinary sodium excretion (UNaV), but there was a transient and significant increase in V. (4) ICV injection of AG II (1 microgram/kg) resulted in an increase of MAP by 1.3 +/- 0.17 kPa (10 +/- 1.3 mmHg, n = 10, P less than 0.001), V by 106% (n = 6, P less than 0.01) and UNaV by 642% (P less than 0.01). (5) ICV injection of AP III 2 min prior to the injection of AG II by the same route, the central hypertensive effect induced by AG II was not affected, while the increments in V and UNaV were decreased significantly (P less than 0.05). The results indicate that (1) ANP is incapable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier owing to its large molecular size and therefore, the central mechanism is not involved in the hypotensive effect induced by intravenous injection of ANF and (2) the central diuretic and natriuretic actions of AG II may be markedly inhibited by ICV injection of ANP, thus indicating the existence of some central antagonistic interactions between AG II and ANP.

Angiotensin II↗