Comparison of Conventional versus Steerable-Catheter Guided Coronary Sinus Lead Positioning in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Device Implantation

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare conventional versus steerable catheter guided coronary sinus (CS) cannulation in patients with advanced heart failure undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Background

Steerable catheter guided coronary sinus cannulation could reduce fluoroscopy time and contrast medium use during CRT implantation.

Methods

176 consecutive patients with ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure undergoing CRT implantation from January 2008 to December 2012 at the University Hospital of Cologne were identified. During the study period two concurrent CS cannulation techniques were used: standard CS cannulation technique (standard-group, n = 113) and CS cannulation using a steerable electrophysiology (EP) catheter (EPCath-group, n = 63). Propensity-score matched pairs of conventional and EP-catheter guided CS cannulation made up the study population (n = 59 pairs). Primary endpoints were total fluoroscopy time and contrast medium amount used during procedure.

Results

The total fluoroscopy time was 30.9 min (interquartile range (IQR), 19.9–44.0 min) in the standard-group and 23.4 min (IQR, 14.2-34-2 min) in the EPCath-group (p = 0.011). More contrast medium was used in the standard-group (60.0 ml, IQR, 30.0–100 ml) compared to 25.0 ml (IQR, 20.0–50.0 ml) in the EPCath-group (P<0.001).

Conclusions

Use of steerable EP catheter was associated with significant reduction of fluoroscopy time and contrast medium use in patients undergoing CRT implantation.     

Elevated serum levels of kynurenine pathway metabolites in patients with Behçet disease

Amino Acids - Behçet disease (BD) is an inflammatory, multisystemic vasculitis of unknown etiopathogenesis. However, innate and adaptive immune system involvement and immune-mediated networks...     

Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of dioxacarb by human peripheral blood lymphocytes CAs and Allium test

Dioxacarb (Elecron, Famid) is a phenyl methylcarbamate insecticide and in vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of this pesticide on human peripheral blood lymphocytes and Allium root meristematic cells were investigated by chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and Allium test. Human lymphocytes were treated with 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 ppm doses of dioxacarb for CAs. CA/cell, abnormal cell % and mitotic index % (MI %) data were obtained from these concentrations in 24 and 48 h treatment periods. Dioxacarb did not increase the CA/cell frequency significantly, so this insecticide was not identified as genotoxic. But it was found cytotoxic especially at 250 and 500 ppm concentrations because of the reduced the MI % and increased the abnormal cell %. In Allium test, 25 ppm (EC50/2), 50 ppm (EC50) and 100 ppm (EC50 × 2) concentrations were used for root growth inhibition (EC50 determination) and Allium mitotic index (MI) determination tests. The used concentrations of dioxacarb induced dose-dependent inhibition of MI and root growth on root meristems. Mitotic inhibition of dioxacarb was found significantly higher than for the positive control. These Allium results indicated the high cytotoxicity of dioxacarb. The present study is the first research on cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of dioxacarb by human lymphocyte CAs and Allium test.     

Effect of circulation on wastewater treatment by Lemna gibba and Lemna minor (floating aquatic macrophytes)

In this study, laboratory tests were performed in order to examine growth characteristics of floating aquatic macrophytes (Lemna gibba and Lemna minor) in the presence of wastewater with circulation. The results showed that circulation of the waste water enhanced the kinetics of the process, as compared to the control systems. However, prolonged application of high circulation level had a different effect. In the presence of circulation with aquatic plants, there was additional 85.3-88.2% for BODs and 59.6-66.8% for COD decreases in the water quality indicators. In this study, the effectiveness of L. gibba and L. minor with circulation addition for the removal of four heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Mn, and Cu) from waste water was also investigated. Results from analysis confirmed the accumulation of different metals within the plant and a corresponding decrease of metals in the waste water. At the end of the study of circulation, L. gibba provided the metal removal for Cu, Pb, Ni, and Mn in the waste water as the ratio of 57%, 60%, 60%, and 62%, respectively. In this context, the best results were obtained when the action of L. gibba and L. minor plants, was combined with that of circulation. It is shown that in the presence of L. gibba and L. minor plants that are supplemented with circulation, the national standards of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) 27-33 mgL(-1) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) 62-78 mgL(-1) for L. minor and L. gibba, respectively, were reached after treatment. The new results can be used for design calculations regarding expected removal of pollutants by aquatic floating plants.     

Brain mast cells and therapeutic potential of vasoactive intestinal peptide in a Parkinson's disease model in rats: brain microdialysis, behavior, and microscopy

In the present study, the effect of systemically administered vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) (25 ng/kg i.p.) was investigated on drug-induced rotational behavior, extra-cellular dopamine levels and histology of corpus striatum in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced rat model of Parkinson's disease. After 15 days of 6-OHDA lesion, apomorphine-induced (0.05 mg/kg s.c.) rotational behavior of the animals significantly increased and extra-cellular dopamine levels of corpus striatum were significantly reduced. VIP reversed the rotational deficits but did not alter the decrease in striatal dopamine levels. On the other hand, histological data indicate that VIP significantly reduced neuronal death and demyelination. Electron microscopic appearance of mast cells showed ultra-structural variety between VIP-treated and 6-OHDA lesioned groups. VIP activates mast cells without any evidence of typical exocytosis, and possibly mast cells could participate in neuroprotection. Our results suggest that systemically administered VIP can attenuate the motor response changes, neuronal cell death, and myelin sheet loss characteristically associated with 12 microg 6-OHDA administration into the rat striatum. Brain mast cells seem to participate in neuronal protection. Possibly, protective cues could be produced by brain mast cells.     

Synthesis and potent antimicrobial activity of some novel methyl or ethyl 1H-benzimidazole-5-carboxylates derivatives carrying amide or amidine groups

A series of benzimidazole-5-carboxylic acid alkyl ester derivatives carrying amide or amidine substituted methyl or phenyl groups at the position C-2 were synthesised and evaluated for antibacterial and antifungal activities against S. aureus, methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), S. faecalis, methicillin resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE), E. coli and C. albicans. The results showed that while all simple acetamides are essentially inactive, aromatic amides and amidines have potent antibacterial activities. Aromatic amidine derivatives 13 f-h exhibited the best inhibitory activity with 1.56-0.39 microg/mL MIC values against MRSA and MRSE.     

Evaluation of the effects of cadmium on rat liver

Abstact Cadmium is one of the most toxic pollutants in environment. Cadmium accumulation in blood affects the renal cortex and causes renal failure. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of cadmium on rat liver tissue. Eighteen male albino rats aged ten weeks old were used in the study. 15 ppm of cadmium was administered to rats via consumption water daily. At the end of the 30th study day, the animals were killed under ether anesthesia. After the liver tissue samples were taken, histopathological and biochemical examinations were performed. Histopathologic changes have included vacuolar and granular degenerations in hepatocytes, heterochromatic nucleuses and sinusoidal and portal widenings. Central vein diameters were normal in cadmium exposed group. Whereas, there was statistically significant difference between two groups by means of sinusoidal (p< 0.001) and portal triad diameters (p< 0.01). Malondialdehyde (MDA) is an indicator of lipid peroxidation. In this study, MDA was used as a marker of oxidative stress-induced liver impairment in cadmium exposed rats. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were also measured to evaluate the changes in antioxidative system in liver tissues. Current findings showed that MDA levels were increased and SOD and CAT activities were decreased in cadmium exposed group compared to control group. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (pvalues: MDA,p< 0.01; CAT,p< 0.01 and SOD,p< 0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggest the role of oxidative mechanisms in cadmium-induced liver tissue damage     

Human DNA helicase B (HDHB) binds to replication protein A and facilitates cellular recovery from replication stress

Maintenance of genomic stability in proliferating cells depends on a network of proteins that coordinate chromosomal replication with DNA damage responses. Human DNA helicase B (HELB or HDHB) has been implicated in chromosomal replication, but its role in this coordinated network remains undefined. Here we report that cellular exposure to UV irradiation, camptothecin, or hydroxyurea induces accumulation of HDHB on chromatin in a dose- and time-dependent manner, preferentially in S phase cells. Replication stress-induced recruitment of HDHB to chromatin is independent of checkpoint signaling but correlates with the level of replication protein A (RPA) recruited to chromatin. We show using purified proteins that HDHB physically interacts with the N-terminal domain of the RPA 70-kDa subunit (RPA70N). NMR spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis reveal that HDHB docks on the same RPA70N surface that recruits S phase checkpoint signaling proteins to chromatin. Consistent with this pattern of recruitment, cells depleted of HDHB display reduced recovery from replication stress.     

Amelioration of rotenone-induced dopaminergic cell death in the striatum by oxytocin treatment

Oxytocin (OT) is essentially associated with uterine contraction during parturition and milk ejection reflex. Although several studies implicate the role of OT in anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic pathways, there is a lack of data with regard to the protective effects of oxytocin in neurodegenerative models such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study was undertaken to investigate the neuroprotective effects of oxytocin (OT) on rotenone-induced PD in rats. Twenty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with rotenone (3 μg/μl in DMSO) or vehicle (1 μl DMSO) into the left substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) under stereotaxic surgery, and PD model was assessed by rotational test ten days after drug infusion. The valid PD rats were randomly divided into two groups; Group 1 (n = 7) and Group 2 (n = 7) were administered saline (1 ml/kg/day, i.p.) and oxytocin (160 μg/kg/day, i.p.) through 20 days, respectively. The effects of OT treatment were evaluated by behavioral, histological and immunohistochemical parameters. Apomorphine-induced stereotypic rotations in PD rats were significantly inhibited by OT treatment (p < 0.05). In addition, immunohistochemical studies clearly demonstrated the suppression of Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8 and elevation of Bcl-2 and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoexpression in OT-treated rats compared to saline group. Our findings suggest that oxytocin may have cytoprotective and restorative effects on dopaminergic neurons against rotenone-induced injury. The underlying mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of apoptotic pathways.