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PubMed1991

Incidence and significance of inducible supraventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with chronic myocardial infarction.

In order to evaluate the incidence and significance of inducible supra-ventricular (SVTA) in patients with chronic myocardial infarction (MI), the results of systematic programmed atrial stimulation were compared in two groups of patients: 150 patients (group I) without MI or underlying heart disease, studied for syncope or conduction disturbances, 296 patients (group II) studied after an acute Mi (greater than 1 month). None of them had spontaneous SVTA, and 24-h Holter monitoring showed no SVTA. The atrial stimulation programme used one and two extra stimuli delivered during sinus rhythm and atrial pacing (600 ms and 10% less than the sinus cycle length). A sustained (S) (greater than 30 s) supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) (atrial flutter, fibrillation, tachycardia) was induced in 17 patients in group I (11%) and in 120 patients in group II (40.5%). In group II inducible SVTA could not be correlated with the occurrence of a SVT during acute MI, the location of MI, the value of LV ejection fraction (EF), the incidence of inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), or fibrillation (VF). However, inducible SVTA could be correlated with a significantly shorter effective atrial refractory period (197 +/- 23 ms vs 220 +/- 35 ms, P less than 0.001) and a shorter retrograde block cycle length (518 +/- 215 vs 585 +/- 215 ms, P less than 0.03). The patients in group II were followed-up for at least 6 months; 12 of them developed sustained episodes of supraventricular tachycardia; 11 of them had inducible SVTA (P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Prospects for Brazilian natural products.

Interest in natural products as a source of bioactive substances seems to be on the rise again. The pharmaceutical industry, the largest and most visible segment that develops and sells products based on active principles, is undergoing changes that will probably affect its way of doing business and conducting research. Recourse to what is often referred to as "alternative medicine" has stimulated a surge in the consumption of phytomedicines and dietary supplements, while a growing awareness that the Earth's biodiversity is a valuable resource has provided a strong impetus for conservation and/or sustainable development of important ecosystems. Prospects for countries like Brazil, that are rich in natural products, could be very favorable if an institutional framework capable of linking researchers in the area with world markets can be organized.

Brazil↗
PubMed2005

Intersectoral coordination in Aedes aegypti control. A pilot project in Havana City, Cuba.

UNLABELLED: Background The 55th World Health Assembly declared dengue prevention and control a priority and urged Member States to develop sustainable intersectoral strategies to this end. To provide evidence for the reorientation of the dengue prevention policy in Cuba, we launched an intervention study to document the effectiveness of a local-level intersectoral approach. METHODS: We used a quasi-experimental design. Social scientists introduced participatory methods to facilitate dialogue in the biweekly meetings of the intersectoral Health Council of the intervention area. This council subsequently developed an intersectoral plan for dengue prevention, of which the core objective was to design and implement activities for communication and social mobilization. In the control area, routine dengue control activities continued without additional input. Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of dengue, and entomological indices were compared inside and between the areas before and after the 1-year intervention period. RESULTS: In the intervention area the Health Council elaborated an intersectoral plan for dengue prevention focused on source reduction. The Aedes aegypti control methods consisted in eliminating useless containers in the houses and surroundings, covering tanks, and cleaning public and inhabited areas. It was implemented through communication and social mobilization. The Health Council in the control area occasionally discussed dengue issues but did not develop a coordinated action plan. Good knowledge about breeding sites and disease symptoms increased significantly (by 49.7% and 17.1% respectively) in the intervention area as well as the proportion of respondents eliminating containers in and around their houses (by 44%). No changes were observed in the control area. The House Index in the intervention area was 3.72% at baseline and decreased to 0.61% after 1 year. In the control area it remained stable throughout the study period (1.31% and 1.65% respectively). CONCLUSION: The introduction of a participatory approach by social scientists promotes changes in intersectoral management. This facilitates social mobilization which, in its turn, leads to significant changes in knowledge, attitudes and dengue-related practices in the population and eventually to more effective control of Ae. aegypti.

Aedes↗
PubMed1994

Halothane and enflurane constrict canine mesenteric arteries by releasing Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ stores.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that volatile anesthetics cause not only vasodilation but also vasoconstriction, depending on the experimental conditions. However, the mechanism of the constrictive effect of volatile anesthetics has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vasoconstrictor effects of halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Vascular rings of canine mesenteric arteries were mounted in organ baths, and isometric tension changes were recorded. Changes in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration of vascular smooth muscle were examined by using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura 2 and a dual-wavelength fluorometer. RESULTS: Halothane (0.75-2.3%) and enflurane (1.7-3.4%), but not isoflurane (1.2-3.5%), induced a concentration-dependent transient contraction, followed by a slight, sustained contraction. Halothane (1.5%)- and enflurane (3.4%)-induced contractions were reduced by endothelial denudation and enhanced by indomethacin (10(-5) M) treatment but were not affected by L-NG-nitroarginine (10(-5) M) or nifedipine (2 x 10(-7) M) treatment. Ryanodine (2 x 10(-5) M) treatment completely abolished the transient increases in tension and Ca2+ concentration. Even in ryanodine-treated arteries, however, both anesthetics induced a slowly developing sustained contraction, and the sustained contraction induced by enflurane (3.4%) was not accompanied by a significant increase in Ca2+ concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Halothane and enflurane, but not isoflurane, induce vasoconstriction by releasing Ca2+ from intracellular stores. Release of a vasodilating prostanoid and endothelium-derived constricting factor may also be involved in the vasoconstrictor effect. Furthermore, increased Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile machinery may be involved in the effect of enflurane.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Electrophysiological effects of MS-551, a new class III agent: comparison with dl-sotalol in dogs.

MS-551 is a newly synthesized, nonspecific K+ channel blocker. To elucidate its electrophysiological and potential proarrhythmic effects relative to those of dl-sotalol in vivo, serial changes in ECGs, endocardial and epicardial monophasic action potential durations, and left and right ventricular pressures were measured simultaneously in pentobarbital-anesthetized open-chest dogs. Complete heart block was produced by the injection of 37% formaldehyde into the atrioventricular node. Intravenous administration of MS-551 produced prolongation of action potential duration at 90% repolarization time (APD90) immediately after the beginning of infusion and reached plateau at 10 min. MS-551 (1 mg/kg) caused 73 +/- 8% increase in APD90 and 28 +/- 5% increase in QTc at basic cycle length of 700 msec. The maximal prolongation of APD90 induced by 1 mg/kg MS-551 was 39% greater than that by the same dose of sotalol (P < .01). The dose-response curve of prolongation of ventricular effective refractory period produced by MS-551 was shifted significantly to the left compared with that induced by sotalol. The EC50 was 0.5 +/- 0.1 mg/kg and 1.2 +/- 0.2 mg/kg for MS-551 and sotalol, respectively (P < .05). When 0.5 mg/kg MS-551 doses were used, no ventricular arrhythmia was induced by stimulation at 200-msec basic cycle length. When 1.5 mg/kg sotalol was administered, 5 of 15 developed torsade de pointes, 2 of 15 developed ventricular fibrillation and 5 of 15 developed sustained ventricular tachycardia. The idioventricular rates and left ventricular pressures were reduced significantly by sotalol, not by MS-551. In conclusion, MS-551 is a potent class III antiarrhythmic agent that selectively prolongs repolarization in the ventricular myocardium and appears to be devoid of autonomic effects. Dose for dose, it is more potent in prolonging the APD90 and the right ventricular effective refractory period possibly with a lower tendency for the development of proarrhythmia in a canine heart-block model.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2002

Heterogeneous loss of connexin43 protein in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy with ventricular tachycardia.

INTRODUCTION: Gap junction alterations recently have been implicated in chronic heart failure, but direct evidence between gap junction manifestation in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is lacking. The current study examines whether qualitative changes or altered distribution of gap junctional connexin43 (Cx43) are related to global ventricular function and ventricular arrhythmia in DCM. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated 31 DCM patients (52 +/- 15 years) and 5 control subjects (55 +/- 10 years). Expression of Cx43 proteins was qualitatively and quantitatively determined using immunoconfocal microscopy in right ventricular biopsy specimens from each patient. The expression level of Cx43 protein was defined as the proportion of tissue area occupied by Cx43 (percent tissue area) in each test area. Cx43 immunoreactive signal expressed as percent tissue area was not correlated with the change in left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.17). Of 31 DCM patients, 23% subsequently developed sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), which allowed retrospective division of the samples into two groups: non-VT and VT. Left ventricular ejection fraction was comparable in both groups, but the percent tissue area in the VT groups was significantly decreased compared with that of the non-VT groups (P = 0.03). Furthermore, Cx43 protein was distributed heterogeneously in the VT groups (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Heterogeneous reduction of Cx43 protein may result in development of malignant ventricular arrhythmia in DCM.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Ecological analysis and optimization design for agricultural landscape of coastal zone along Radial Submarine Sand Ridges in north Jiangsu].

The Radial Submarine Sand Ridges (RSSR) on the inner shelf of the Southwestern Yellow Sea is one of the largest of such system in the world. It was developed into great amount of land which is mainly used for agriculture. However, the coastal zone is facing many serious environmental and resources problems such as coastal erosion, ecological fragility and over- and abuse of coastal resources. Based on comprehensive field survey, this paper proposes optimization allocation and design of agri-landscape spatial structures targeting an integrated improvement in agricultural ecology, economy and amenity of the region as well as implementation of sustainable development strategy. As a case study, rectification approaches and conceptual optimization design for Rudong County are proposed and discussed.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2002

Growth and death in the developing mammalian kidney: signals, receptors and conversations.

Because the kidney (metanephros) starts to function before completing development, its patterning and morphogenesis need to be closely integrated with its growth. This is achieved by blast cells at the kidney periphery generating new nephrons that link up to the extending collecting-duct arborisation, while earlier-formed and more internal nephrons are maturing and beginning to filter serum. This pattern of development requires that cell division and apoptosis be co-ordinated in the various kidney compartments (collecting-ducts, blast cells, metanephric mesenchyme, nephrons and vascular system). The underlying regulatory networks for cell proliferation are beginning to be unravelled, mainly through expression studies, mutation analysis and experimentation in vitro. This article summarises current knowledge of kidney growth and apoptosis, and analyses some of the 80 or so ligand-receptor pairings that seem to sustain development and growth. It also points to some unanswered questions, the most intriguing being what role does apoptosis play during normal kidney development?

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Internally displaced persons.

There were estimated to be over 20 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the end of 1999, a number that surpasses global estimates of refugees. Displacement exposes IDPs to new hazards and accrued vulnerability. These dynamics result in greater risk for the development of illness and death. Often, access of IDPs to health care and humanitarian assistance is excluded deliberately by conflicting parties. Furthermore, the arrival of IDPs into another community or region strains local health systems, and the host population ends up sharing the sufferings of the internally displaced. Health outcomes are dismaying. From a health perspective, the best option is to avoid human displacement. WHO contributes to the prevention of displacement by working for sustainable development. Placing health high on the political agenda helps maintain stability, and thereby, reduce the likelihood for displacement. Primary responsibility for assisting IDPs, irrespective of the cause, rests with the national government. However, where the government is unwilling or unable to provide the necessary aid, the international humanitarian community must step in, with WHO playing a major role in the health sector. There is consensus among the partners of the World Health Organization (WHO) that, in emergencies, the WHO must: 1) take the lead in rapid health assessment, epidemiological and nutritional surveillance, epidemic preparedness, essential drugs management, control of communicable diseases, and physical and psychosocial rehabilitation; and 2) provide guidelines and advice on nutritional requirements and rehabilitation, immunisation, medical relief items, and reproductive health. If the vital health needs of IDPs--security, food, water, shelter, sanitation and household items--are not satisfied, the provision of health services alone cannot save lives. Community participation is essential, and community participation implies bolstering the assets and capacities of the beneficiaries.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Chronic proliferative hepatitis in A/JCr mice associated with persistent Helicobacter hepaticus infection: a model of helicobacter-induced carcinogenesis.

Helicobacter hepaticus causes hepatitis in selected strains of mice and in A/JCr mice is linked to liver cancer. To analyze whether H. hepaticus persists in specified ecological niches, to determine whether biomarkers of infection exist, and to analyze the influence of H. hepaticus on hepatocyte proliferation, a longitudinal study of H. hepaticus-infected A/JCr mice was undertaken. A/JCr mice were serially euthanatized from 3 through 18 months and surveyed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; bacterial culture of liver, colon, and cecum; histology; electron microscopy; hepatocyte proliferation indices determined by using 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine; and measurement of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase. In infected animals throughout the 18-month study, H. hepaticus was consistently isolated from the lower bowel but only sporadically from the liver. By electron microscopy, H. hepaticus was noted infrequently and only in bile canaliculi. Infected mice, particularly males, showed chronic inflammation; oval cell, Kupffer cell, and Ito cell hyperplasia; hepatocytomegaly; and bile duct proliferation. The inflammatory and necrotizing lesion was progressive and involved the hepatic parenchyma, portal triads, and intralobular venules. Hepatic adenomas were noted only in male mice, whereas 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine proliferation indices were markedly increased in both sexes, but especially in males, compared to control A/J mice. Infected mice also developed sustained anti-H. hepaticus serum immunoglobulin G antibody responses and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels. H. hepaticus, which persists in the lower bowels and livers of A/JCr mice, is associated with a chronic proliferative hepatitis, and hepatomas in selected male mice indicate that this novel bacterium may cause an increased risk of hepatic cancer induction in susceptible strains of mice. This murine model should prove useful in dissecting the molecular events operable in the development of neoplasms induced by bacteria belonging to this expanding genera of pathogenic Helicobacter species.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2003

[Several research hotspots in river ecology].

River ecology is a vital field in limnological research, and several new theories and methods have been developed and used in the study of lotic systems. In this article, a summary of these new theories was introduced, which includes river continuum concept, ecological water consumption of river ecosystem, services and health of river ecosystem, ecosystem management, and watershed ecology. The authors suggested that the research of river ecology should be carried out on the scale of watershed, and that the combination of ecosystem health and ecosystem services could be the key point in the sustainable development management of river ecosystem. Seeing that there are few studies in this area in China, relevant research should be conducted as soon as possible.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed1990

A perspective on ventricular arrhythmias: patient assessment for therapy and outcome.

Clinical management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias continues to evolve. It is generally accepted that patients with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia [VT] or fibrillation) require treatment. It is also generally accepted that patients with frequent or complex ventricular ectopy or nonsustained VT, in the absence of underlying heart disease, do not require treatment unless relief of symptoms is warranted. Whether patients with frequent or complex ventricular ectopy or nonsustained VT require treatment in the presence of underlying organic heart disease remains uncertain. The concern is that these ventricular arrhythmias may be a precursor for sustained, potentially life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Available data suggest that patients with underlying heart disease, particularly coronary artery disease and a previous myocardial infarction, who manifest frequent or complex ventricular ectopy or nonsustained VT are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death. However, no studies have shown that treatment of these arrhythmias will affect outcome. Data are accumulating to suggest that use of the principles of risk stratification permits identification of patients at very high risk for developing sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Carefully designed clinical trials are required before one can provide firm guidelines for the management of these patients. Nevertheless, when several risk factors for sudden cardiac death (e.g., abnormal ejection fraction, a late potential on a signal-averaged electrocardiogram, and frequent or complex ventricular ectopy or nonsustained VT) are present in a patient, especially after a recent myocardial infarction, invasive electrophysiologic testing may help identify those who need treatment (sustained VT is inducible) and those who do not (no sustained VT is inducible).

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed2003

Lignins and lignocellulosics: a better control of synthesis for new and improved uses.

The composition and structure of lignified walls has a dramatic impact on the technological value of raw materials. The chemical flexibility of the secondary cell wall has been demonstrated and it is now possible to develop strategies to optimize its composition through genetic engineering. Thanks to functional genomics, new target genes of both plant and microbial origin are rapidly becoming available for this purpose and their use will open new avenues for producing tailor-made plant products with improved properties. Moreover, the major proportion of terrestrial plant biomass comprises lignified cell walls and this reservoir of carbon should be increasingly exploited for the production of chemicals and energy within the context of sustainable development. For example, the design of plants suitable for downstream conversion processes, such as the production of bioethanol, and the exploitation of microorganisms and microbial enzymes for biomass pretreatments or for the production of novel chemicals.

Biomass↗
PubMed2006

Glomerular hyperfiltration predicts the development of microalbuminuria in stage 1 hypertension: the HARVEST.

Factors related to the development of microalbuminuria in hypertension are not well known. We did a prospective study to investigate whether glomerular hyperfiltration precedes the development of microalbuminuria in hypertension. We assessed 502 never-treated subjects screened for stage 1 hypertension without microalbuminuria at baseline and followed up for 7.8 years. Creatinine clearance was measured at entry. Urinary albumin and ambulatory blood pressure were measured at entry and during the follow-up until subjects developed sustained hypertension needing antihypertensive treatment. Subjects with hyperfiltration (creatinine clearance >150 ml/min/1.73 m2, top quintile of the distribution) were younger and heavier than the rest of the group and had a greater follow-up increase in urinary albumin than subjects with normal filtration (P<0.001). In multivariable linear regression, creatinine clearance adjusted for confounders was a strong independent predictor of final urinary albumin (P<0.001). In multivariable Cox regression, patients with hyperfiltration had an adjusted hazard ratio for the development of microalbuminuria based on at least one positive measurement of 4.0 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.1-7.4, P<0.001) and an adjusted hazard ratio for the development of microalbuminuria based on two consecutive positive measurements of 4.4 (95% CI, 2.1-9.2, P<0.001), as compared with patients with normal filtration. Age, female gender, and 24 h systolic blood pressure were other significant predictors of microalbuminuria. In conclusion, stage 1 hypertensive subjects with glomerular hyperfiltration are at increased risk of developing microalbuminuria. Early intervention with medical therapy may be beneficial in these subjects even if their blood pressure falls below normal limits during follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Inhibition of nitric oxide generation affects the induction of diabetes by streptozocin in mice.

The experiments reported here indicate that nitric oxide may play an important role in vivo in chemically-induced diabetes mellitus in mice. CBA mice treated with repeated low doses of streptozocin developed sustained hyperglycemia. This was significantly reduced by injections of L-NG-monomethyl-arginine (L-NMMA), a specific inhibitor of the synthesis of nitric oxide, but not affected by the inactive enantiomer, D-NMMA. Histologically the pancreata of animals treated with streptozocin and injected with L-NMMA showed little or no cellular infiltration and significantly lower degrees of islet cell destruction compared to mice treated with streptozocin alone, suggesting that nitric oxide may also be involved in the development of insulitis.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The Human Genome Project: view from the Department of Energy.

The Human Genome Project (HGP), a research effort initiated by the Department of Energy (DOE) and jointly managed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the DOE, will determine a representative (but complete) sequence of the DNA from a typical human cell. This information and the associated resources will help us understand the critical differences that make us individuals and lead to insights into many areas of medicine, biology, and biotechnology. The HGP was conceived because DOE and its predecessor agencies had a longstanding interest in developing more sensitive methods to detect genetic changes induced by ionizing radiation and to understand the related health effects. Additionally, the unique capabilities and resources of the DOE national laboratory system, including a multidisciplinary research environment, high-skill engineering and high-performance computing centers fostered the ideal conditions for the success of such an ambitious undertaking. Knowing the human genome will revolutionize the practice of biology in the next century with far-reaching implications to health care and sustainable development. In a novel departure from previous science programs, the Human Genome Project includes a subprogram devoted to the ethical, legal, and societal implications (ELSI) of human genome research.

Government Agencies↗
PubMed1994

The control of tropical diseases and socioeconomic development (with special reference to malaria and its control).

Malaria, as the most important and widespread of the tropical diseases, is taken as representative of the approaches to their control and the perception of their influence in socioeconomic development. An analysis is presented of the evolution of the main policy orientations for malaria control, since the discovery of mosquito transmission, identifying a quasi cyclical alternance between expectations to interrupt transmission and eliminate the parasite, and more modest approaches to minimize the effects of the infection, which cannot be eradicated, except under rather special circumstances. These apparent cycles have nevertheless yielded a wealth of experience which the current global strategy of malaria control tries to assimilate, recognizing the interdependence of socioeconomic sustainable development and malaria control.

Environment↗
PubMed1992

Ventricular arrhythmias in perspective: a current view.

While clinical management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias continues to evolve, some basic principles are generally accepted. First, patients with sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) require treatment. Second, patients with frequent ventricular ectopy or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in the absence of underlying structural heart disease do not require treatment except when relief of symptoms is warranted. However, the indication for treatment of patients with frequent ventricular ectopy or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in the presence of underlying structural heart disease remains uncertain. The concern is that these ventricular arrhythmias may be a precursor for sustained, potentially life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Available data suggest that patients with underlying structural heart disease, particularly coronary artery disease and a previous myocardial infarction, who manifest frequent ventricular ectopy or more particularly nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death. However, no studies have demonstrated to date that treatment of these arrhythmias will favorably affect outcome. Data are accumulating to suggest that use of the principles of risk stratification permits identification of patients at very high risk for developing sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Carefully designed clinical trials are required before firm guidelines for the management of these patients can be defined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗