Late enhancement and myocardial perfusion in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (comparison betw een groups)

CONCLUSION: The thickest ventricular segments are the septal ones. The hypertrophic regions are associated to a greater extension of late enhancement. There was a positive correlation between the areas of ventricular hypertrophy and altered myocardial perfusion and these findings were more evident in the obstructive group. (Source: Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia) Go to Source… Continue reading

Pharmacogenetics of Asthma Therapy.

Authors: Duan QL, Tantisira KG
Asthma is a chronic disorder causing inflammation and reversible airway obstruction that affects approximately 300 million individuals worldwide. The incidence of asthma has nearly doubled in the past three decades resulting in higher rates of morbidity, mortality and health care costs. Despite the availability of several classes of asthma medications such as beta-agonists, leukotriene modifiers and corticosteroids, up to 50% of asthmatics do not benefit from one or more of these drugs. Studies have shown that asthma and drug response phenotypes such as forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) are heritable traits, indicating a… Continue reading

The Retrograde Aortic Arch in the Hybrid Approach to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome [ORIGINAL ARTICLES: PEDIATRIC CARDIAC]

Conclusions
Clinically important RAAO occurred in 24% of the hypoplastic left heart syndrome patients in this series. If RAAO is detected at birth or early interstage, a Norwood operation is now favored. Palliative interventional catheterization remains very important mid and late interstage for continuing the hybrid strategy toward comprehensive stage 2. (Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery) Go to Source… Continue reading

Early and Intermediate Outcome After Anatomic Repair of Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries [ORIGINAL ARTICLES: PEDIATRIC CARDIAC]

Conclusions
Senning/arterial switch operations can be performed with excellent intermediate-term outcomes in patients with lesions previously thought to confer higher risk. Candidates for Senning/Rastelli procedures may be at increased risk for postoperative morbidity and mortality. More data are necessary to determine factors influencing outcome after anatomic repair. (Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery) Go to Source… Continue reading

Association of Interleukin-8 Gene Polymorphism With Cachexia From Patients With Gastric Cancer

Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research , Vol. 0, No. 0: 1-10. (Source: Journal of Interferon) Go to Source… Continue reading

Importance of membrane-bound catechol-O-methyltransferase in L-DOPA metabolism: a pharmacokinetic study in two types of Comt gene modified mice

Conclusions and implications: In S-COMT-deficient mice, MB-COMT in the liver and the duodenum is able to O-methylate about one-half of exogenous L-DOPA. Sexual dimorphism and activity of the two COMT isoforms seems to be tissue specific and more prominent in peripheral tissues than in the brain. (Source: British Journal of Pharmacology) Go to Source… Continue reading

New gastric cancer drug approved

A drug to treat the seventh most common cancer in Europe has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) (Source: Pharmacy Europe) Go to Source… Continue reading

Gastric outlet obstruction

Gastric outlet obstruction(GOO) is a medical condition manifested by obstruction at the level of the pylorus, which is the outlet of the stomach.

Causes of Gastric outlet obstruction

The causes are divided into Benign or malignant.

Benign Peptic ulcer disease, Bouveret’s syndrome is a rare cause of GOO is obstruction due to large gallstone . Pyloric stenosis is a cause of GOO in neonates. Infections, such as tuberculosis; and infiltrative diseases, such as amyloidosis.

Malignant Tumours of the stomach, including adenocarcinoma (and its linitis plastica variant), lymphoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumours.
In a peptic ulcer it is believed… Continue reading

Vagus nerve stimulation-induced bradyarrhythmias in rats

Abstract: The autonomic consequences of seizures can be severe. Death can follow from autonomic overactivity that causes a parasympathetically mediated bradyarrhythmia. We studied the cardiovascular consequences of unilateral and bilateral stimulation of the distal segments of transected vagus nerve in rats anesthetized with urethane. The range of stimulation rates tested is comparable to the firing rates observed in vagus nerve during seizures. There was a consistent inverse relation between stimulus rate and heart rate with nodal block appearing at 5–10Hz and minimum HR levels (cardiac standstill) occurring at 50Hz. Cardiac standstill could last many seconds. Blood pressure during VNS was… Continue reading

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor regulates proliferation of gastric cancer cells via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

CONCLUSION: Macrophage MIF increases the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, induces the expression of cyclin D1 at the transcriptional level and inhibits the expression of p27(Kip1) at the post-transcriptional level via the PI3K/Akt pathway.
PMID: 19938192 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG) Go to Source… Continue reading