Variations in acute multifocal histoplasmic choroiditis in the primate.
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Experimental histoplasmic choroiditis was produced in primates by intracarotid injections of living H. capsulatum organisms. The severity of the choroiditis varied with inoculum size, as well as with site of injection (common carotid vs. internal carotid artery). A reproducible model of histoplasmic choroiditis in primates was produced with an internal carotid injection of 5,000 to 10,000 organisms/lb. The clinical and histopathological course of this acute choroiditis over the first 30 days is presented. (+info)
Influence of central antitussive drugs on the cough motor pattern.
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The present study was conducted to determine the effects of administration of centrally active antitussive drugs on the cough motor pattern. Electromyograms of diaphragm and rectus abdominis muscles were recorded in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing cats. Cough was produced by mechanical stimulation of the intrathoracic trachea. Centrally acting drugs administered included codeine, morphine, dextromethorphan, baclofen, CP-99,994, and SR-48,968. Intravertebral artery administration of all drugs reduced cough number (number of coughs per stimulus trial) and rectus abdominis burst amplitude in a dose-dependent manner. Codeine, dextromethorphan, CP-99,994, SR-48,968, and baclofen had no effect on cough cycle timing (CTtot) or diaphragm amplitude during cough, even at doses that inhibited cough number by 80-90%. Morphine lengthened CTtot and inhibited diaphragm amplitude during cough, but these effects were not dose dependent. Only CP-99,994 altered the eupneic respiratory pattern. Central antitussive drugs primarily suppress cough by inhibition of expiratory motor drive and cough number. CTtot and inspiratory motor drive are relatively insensitive to the effects of these drugs. CTtot can be controlled independently from cough number. (+info)
Effect of intracarotid prostaglandin E1 on regional cerebral blood flow in man.
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The effect of prostaglandin E1 on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied with the intra-arterial 133Xe method in ten awake patients under local anesthesia. Measurements were taken from 16 areas of a hemisphere in seven patients, from 35 areas of a hemisphere in two patients and from 256 areas of a hemisphere in one patient. The prostaglandin was dissolved from the crystalline state without the aid of alcohol. It was given intracarotidly as a constant infusion at a rate of 5 ng per kilogram per minute for five minutes before the measurement and continued during the measurement. In every patient a mild increase in blood flow during the prostaglandin infusion was seen. The flow increase took place in all parts of the hemisphere. It averaged 11.2% (p less than 0.01). During the infusion, the skin supplied by the internal carotid artery and the conjunctiva on the infused side became red and sometimes swollen. A slight pressure was noted by most patients, but none had pain. No side effects of the infusion were noted. (+info)
Suppression of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms by systemic treatment with a hydroxamate-based matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (RS 132908).
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BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are associated with chronic inflammation, disruption of medial elastin, and increased local production of elastolytic matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The purpose of this study was to investigate how treatment with a hydroxamate-based MMP antagonist (RS 132908) might affect the development of experimental AAAs. METHODS: Male Wistar rats underwent intraluminal perfusion of the abdominal aorta with 50 units of porcine pancreatic elastase followed by treatment for 14 days with RS 132908 (100 mg/kg/day subcutaneously; n = 8) or with vehicle alone (n = 6). The external aortic diameter (AD) was measured in millimeters before elastase perfusion and at death, with AAA defined as an increase in AD (DeltaAD) of at least 100%. Aortic wall elastin and collagen concentrations were measured with assays for desmosine and hydroxyproline, and fixed aortic tissues were examined by light microscopy. RESULTS: AAAs developed in all vehicle-treated rats, with a mean AD (+/- SE) that increased from 1.60 +/- 0.03 mm before perfusion to 5.98 +/- 1.02 mm on day 14 (DeltaAD = 276.4 +/- 67.7%). AAAs developed in only five of eight animals (62.5%) after MMP inhibition, with a mean AD that increased from 1.56 +/- 0.05 mm to 3.59 +/- 0.34 mm (DeltaAD = 128.1 +/- 18.7%; P <.05, vs vehicle). The overall inhibition of aortic dilatation attributable to RS 132908 was 53.6 +/- 6.8%. Aortic wall desmosine fell by 85.4% in the vehicle-treated rats (1210.6 +/- 87.8 pmol/sample to 176.7 +/- 33.4 pmol/sample; P <.05) but only by 65.6% in the animals treated with RS 312908 (416.2 +/- 120.5 pmol/sample). In contrast, hydroxyproline was not significantly affected by either elastase perfusion or drug treatment. Microscopic examination revealed the preservation of pericellular elastin and a greater degree of fibrocollagenous wall thickening after MMP inhibition, with no detectable difference in the extent of inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic MMP inhibition suppresses aneurysmal dilatation in the elastase-induced rodent model of AAA. Consistent with its direct inhibitory effect on various MMPs, RS 132908 promotes the preservation of aortic elastin and appears to enhance a profibrotic response within the aortic wall. Hydroxamate-based MMP antagonists may therefore be useful in the development of pharmacologic approaches to the suppression of AAAs. (+info)
P2 purinoceptor saturation by adenosine triphosphate impairs renal autoregulation in dogs.
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Recent studies have suggested a role for P2 purinoceptors on vascular smooth muscle cells in the mechanism of renal autoregulation. Experiments were performed in anesthetized dogs (n = 9) to examine renal blood flow (RBF) autoregulatory efficiency before and after saturation of P2 purinoceptors with acute intra-arterial administration of ATP (1 mg/kg per min). Dogs were pretreated with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine (NLA) (50 microg/kg per min), to avoid endothelial P2 receptor-mediated effects on nitric oxide release caused by the intra-arterial ATP infusions. NLA treatment decreased RBF (5.3+/-0.3 to 3.6+/-0.2 ml/min per g) and sodium excretion (3.6+/-0.4 to 0.9+/-0.2 ml/min per g) without producing significant changes in GFR (0.92+/-0.04 to 0.90+/-0.06 ml/min per g) or RBF autoregulatory efficiency. ATP administration to NLA-treated dogs resulted in further decreases in RBF (2.8+/-0.2 ml/min per g), GFR (0.58+/-0.05 ml/min per g), and sodium excretion (0.6+/-0.2 micromol/min per g). In addition, there was marked impairment of RBF autoregulatory efficiency during ATP infusion. The slopes of the arterial pressure-blood flow relationships at renal arterial pressures of >75 mmHg were significantly altered, from 0.003+/-0.001 to 0.2+/-0.002 ml/min per g per mmHg. Discontinuation of ATP infusion restored RBF autoregulatory efficiency. Norepinephrine (5 microg/kg per min) administration in these NLA-treated dogs decreased RBF (2.5+/-0.3 ml/min per g; n = 4) to a similar extent, compared with ATP, but did not impair RBF autoregulation. These results support the hypothesis that P2 purinoceptors may be involved in mediating autoregulatory adjustments in renal vascular resistance. (+info)
Abnormal flow-mediated epicardial vasomotion in human coronary arteries is improved by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition: a potential role of bradykinin.
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OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to determine whether angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition improves endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilation in patients with atherosclerosis or its risk factors and whether this is mediated by enhanced bradykinin activity. BACKGROUND: Abnormal coronary vasomotion due to endothelial dysfunction contributes to myocardial ischemia in patients with atherosclerosis, and its reversal may have an antiischemic action. Previous studies have shown that ACE inhibition improves coronary endothelial responses to acetylcholine, but whether this is accompanied by improved responses to shear stress remains unknown. METHODS: In 19 patients with mild atherosclerosis, metabolic vasodilation was assessed during cardiac pacing. Pacing was repeated during separate intracoronary infusions of low-dose bradykinin (BK) and enalaprilat. Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation was estimated with intracoronary BK and sodium nitroprusside respectively. RESULTS: Enalaprilat did not alter either resting coronary vascular tone or dilation with sodium nitroprusside, but potentiated BK-mediated dilation. Epicardial segments that constricted abnormally with pacing (-5+/-1%) dilated (3+/-2%) with pacing in the presence of enalaprilat (p = 0.002). Similarly, BK at a concentration (62.5 ng/min) that did not alter resting diameter in the constricting segments also improved the abnormal response to a 6+/-1% dilation (p < 0.001). Cardiac pacing-induced reduction in coronary vascular resistance of 27+/-4% (p < 0.001) remained unchanged after enalaprilat. CONCLUSIONS: Thus ACE inhibition: A) selectively improved endothelium-dependent but not-independent dilation, and B) abolished abnormal flow-mediated epicardial vasomotion in patients with endothelial dysfunction, in part, by increasing endogenous BK activity. (+info)
In vivo targeting of acoustically reflective liposomes for intravascular and transvascular ultrasonic enhancement.
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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to target acoustically reflective liposomes to atherosclerotic plaques in vivo for ultrasound image enhancement. BACKGROUND: We have previously demonstrated the development of acoustically reflective liposomes that can be conjugated for site-specific acoustic enhancement. This study evaluates the ability of liposomes coupled to antibodies specific for different components of atherosclerotic plaques and thrombi to target and enhance ultrasonic images in vivo. METHODS: Liposomes were prepared with phospholipids and cholesterol using a dehydration/ rehydration method. Antibodies were thiolated for liposome conjugation with N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate resulting in a thioether linkage between the protein and the phospholipid. Liposomes were conjugated to antifibrinogen or anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (anti-ICAM-1). In a Yucatan miniswine model, atherosclerosis was developed by crush injury of one carotid and one femoral artery and ingestion of a hypercholesterolemic diet. After full plaque development the arteries were imaged (20-MHz intravascular ultrasound catheter and 7.5-MHz transvascular linear probe) after injection of saline, unconjugated liposomes and antibody conjugated liposomes. RESULTS: Conjugated liposomes retained their acoustically reflective properties and provided ultrasonic image enhancement of their targeted structures. Liposomes conjugated to antifibrinogen attached to thrombi and fibrous portions of the atheroma, whereas liposomes conjugated to anti-ICAM-1 attached to early atheroma. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that this novel acoustic agent can provide varying targeting with different antibodies with retention of intravascular and transvascular acoustic properties. (+info)
Rat sarcoma model supports both "soil seed" and "mechanical" theories of metastatic spread.
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Following injection into the portal venous or vena caval systems, tumour cells are held up almost exclusively in the liver or lung respectively, and subsequent outgrowth of tumour only occurs in these organs. Following systemic arterial injection, cells are distributed, and subsequently grow, in a variety of organs. However, the adrenal gland supports tumour growth from much fewer cells than the lung, and this is partly due to the fact the rate of tumour cell loss in the initial 48 h is very high in the latter compared to the former organ. (+info)