Two-dimensional echocardiography with a wide angle (60 degrees) sector scanner

A wide angle (60 degrees) sector scanner producing a real-time two-dimensional echocardiogram has been used to examine healthy infants, children, and adults. Its method of use is described and findings from longitudinal and transverse scans are presented. The points of difference between the various types of electronic and mechanical two-dimensional scanning systems are discussed. This equipment minimises problems of chest contact and rib and lung interference and, by providing echocardiograms of high line density from a wide angle, is a suitable real-time two-dimensional scanning system for examining patients of all ages.     

Complete occlusion of all three main coronary arteries, with survival dependent on two septal arteries

A 68-year-old Asian gentleman presented with limiting angina pectoris following myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography demonstrated complete occlusion of the left anterior descending artery after the first septal, the proximal right coronary artery and also the proximal part of the circumflex. The myocardial blood supply was wholly dependent on two septal arteries.     

Volkmann's ischemic contracture of the upper extremity

Upper extremity deformity of ischemic contracture usually includes elbow flexion, forearm pronation, wrist flexion, thumb flexion and adduction, digital metacarpophalangeal joint extension, and interphalangeal joint flexion. Treatment of mild contractures consists of either nonoperative management with a comprehensive rehabilitation program (to increase range of motion and strenght) or operative management consisting of infarct excision or tendon lengthening. Treatment of moderate-to-severe contractures consists of release of secondary nerve compression, treatment of contractures (with tendon lengthening or recession), tendon or free-tissue transfers to restore lost function, and/or salvage procedures for the severely contracted or neglected extremity.     

Cytotoxicity-associated effects of reactive oxygen species on endothelin-1 secretion by pulmonary endothelial cells

In this study bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAEC) were used as a model system to investigate the effects of the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase (HXXO) oxygen radical donor system on ET-1 secretion into pulmonary vasculature. Incubation of BPAEC with HXXO for 4 h caused a significant reduction in ET-1 secretion, which was significantly offset by allopurinol or catalase, but not by Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD). ET-1 secretion was also reduced by H2O2, and this effect was again significantly offset by catalase. XO alone also reduced ET-1 secretion, but to a significantly lesser degree than did HXXO, and this effect was not offset by allopurinol, catalase, or SOD. None of the oxidant treatments were associated with a loss of immunoreactive ET-1 from endothelial cell medium containing synthetic peptide. The HXXO- and H2O2-mediated reductions in ET-1 secretion were accompanied by evidence of reduced cell viability. This loss of viability was absent when cells were treated with HXXO + catalase, allopurinol, or mercaptopropionyl glycine, but not when SOD was present. We conclude that under conditions of oxidative stress, the pulmonary vascular endothelium responds by secreting less ET-1. This may be relevant to its vasodilator functions in the pulmonary vasculature, which would therefore be compromised when the endothelium is exposed to oxidant stress.     

Conjugating plasmids are preferred targets for Tn7

Most transposons display target site selectivity, inserting preferentially into sites that contain particular features. The bacterial transposon Tn7 possesses the unusual ability to recognize two different classes of target sites. Tn7 inserts into these classes of target sites through two transposition pathways mediated by different combinations of the five Tn7-encoded transposition proteins. In one transposition pathway, Tn7 inserts into a unique site in the bacterial chromosome, attTn7, through specific recognition of sequences in attTn7; the other transposition pathway ignores the attTn7 target. Here we examine targets of the non-attTn7 pathway and find that Tn7 preferentially inserts into bacterial plasmids that can conjugate between cells. Furthermore, Tn7 appears to recognize preferred targets through the conjugation process, as we show that Tn7 inserts poorly into plasmids containing mutations that block plasmid transfer. We propose that Tn7 recognizes preferred targets through features of the conjugation process, a distinctive target specificity that offers Tn7 the ability to spread efficiently through bacterial populations.     

Late results of local transrectal hyperthermia in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and its complications

LTH on Yakhta-4M unit was used in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate was heated transrectally by directional radiation. The course of treatment comprised 5 sessions for 60 min twice a week. The efficacy of the treatment was assessed 3 years later in 78 patients which were divided into 4 groups: 31 patients with BPH, 30 patients with BPH in combination with chronic prostatitis, 9 patients with acute urine retention and 8 patients with cystostomy fistula. 5 patients underwent surgery. LTH is safe in relation to side effects, may be used both at early stage of the disease and in risk of operative intervention.     

Protease inhibitors induce specific changes in protein tyrosine phosphorylation that correlate with inhibition of apoptosis in myeloid cells

To investigate early signaling events responsible for regulation of programmed cell death or apoptosis, we studied campothecin (a topoisomerase I inhibitor)-mediated apoptosis in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL60. We demonstrate a tight correlation between protection of HL60 cells from apoptosis-associated internucleosomal DNA fragmentation by specific protease inhibitors or protein phosphatase inhibitors, with early tyrosine phosphorylation of a single protein substrate with a molecular weight of approximately 42,000. Exposure to protease inhibitors that did not protect HL60 cells from DNA fragmentation did not result in phosphorylation of this substrate. Likewise, a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor that did not interfere with specific phosphorylation did not prevent DNA fragmentation. Taken together, these results suggest that phosphorylation of a Mr 42,000 substrate constitutes an important signaling event that may participate in regulation of the apoptotic response.     

Ocular chrysiasis correlated with gold concentrations in the crystalline lens during chrysotherapy

The eyes of 11 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received extended chrysotherapy (mean cumulative dose greater than 7 grams during a mean 6-year period) were examined biomicroscopically. Minute reddish-purple particles were seen in the cornea (corneal chrysiasis) in 5 and in the lens (lens chrysiasis) in 4 patients. Particulate deposits were absent in 11 other RA patients who had not received gold treatment. Seven crystalline lenses from 5 gold-treated patients were removed surgically because of incidental cataract formation and analyzed for gold content using neutron activation analysis. Although the mean lens gold concentration was higher in these patients than in non-gold-treated controls without RA (0.0073 microgram/grams versus 0.001 microgram/grams), the absolute gold level was markedly lower than that found in 25 diverse tissue analyzed previously. This finding is compatible with the absence of clinical gold-related lens disease or visual impairment.