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Pegylated Arginine Deiminase Downregulates Colitis In Murine Models, Helieh S. Oz, Jian Zhong, Willem J. S. De Villiers

Physiology Faculty Publications

Arginine deiminase (ADI), an arginine-metabolizing enzyme involved in cell signaling, is dysregulated in multiple inflammatory diseases and cancers. We hypothesized that pegylated ADI (ADI-PEG) provide protection against colitis.

METHODS: Dextran sodium sulfate colitis was induced in IL-10-deficient and BALB/c (WT) mice. ADI-PEG was administered i.p., and inflammatory mediators and pathology were evaluated.

RESULTS: Acute colitis in mice was manifested by increases in inflammatory biomarkers, such as serum amyloid A (SAA, P < 0.001), IL-12 p40, and disease index (3-Fold). In contrast, ADI-PEG significantly decreased clinical disease index, SAA levels, and inflammatory cytokines in blood as well as in colonic explants. Animals developed moderate (2.2 ± 0.3 WT) to severe (3.6 ± 0.5 IL-10 deficient) colonic pathology; and ADI-PEG treatment significantly improved the severity of colitis (P < 0.05). Marked infiltration of CD68+ macrophages and iNOS expression were detected in colonic submucosa in colitic animals but not detected in ADI-PEG-treated animals.

CONCLUSION: ADI-PEG attenuated inflammatory responses by suppression of macrophage infiltration and iNOS expression in colitic animals. ADI-PEG can serve as a potential therapeutic value in IBD.

Lymph Node Ratio Is An Important And Independent Prognostic Factor For Patients With Stage Iii Melanoma, Adam C. Berger, Michael Fierro, John C. Kairys, David Berd, Takami Sato, Jocelyn Andrel, Terry Hyslop, Michael J. Mastrangelo

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION:

The incidence of melanoma is dramatically increasing worldwide. We hypothesized that the ratio of metastatic to examined lymph node ratio (LNR) would be the most important prognostic factor for stage III patients.

METHODS:

We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database of melanoma patients and identified 168 patients who underwent lymph node dissection (LND) for stage III disease between 1993 and 2007. Patients were divided into three groups based on LNR (≤10%, n = 93; 10-≤25%, n = 45; and >25%, n = 30). Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS:

The median survival time of …

Asperger Syndrome And Blogging; Theory Of Mind And The Extreme Male Brain Theory In Self-Identified Women With Asperger Syndrome, Vanesa Morgan

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Rituximab Therapy In Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Improves Alveolar Macrophage Lipid Homeostasis., Anagha Malur, Mani Kavuru, Irene Marshall, Barbara P Barna, Isham Huizar, Reema Karnekar, Mary Jane Thomassen

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

RATIONALE: Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP) patients exhibit an acquired deficiency of biologically active granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) attributable to GM-CSF specific autoantibodies. PAP alveolar macrophages are foamy, lipid-filled cells with impaired surfactant clearance and markedly reduced expression of the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and the PPARγ-regulated ATP binding cassette (ABC) lipid transporter, ABCG1. An open label proof of concept Phase II clinical trial was conducted in PAP patients using rituximab, a chimeric murine-human monoclonal antibody directed against B lymphocyte specific antigen CD20. Rituximab treatment decreased anti-GM-CSF antibody levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and 7/9 patients …

Macrophage Imbalance (M1 Vs. M2) And Upregulation Of Mast Cells In Wall Of Ruptured Human Cerebral Aneurysms: Preliminary Results., David Hasan, Nohra Chalouhi, Pascal Jabbour, Tomoki Hashimoto

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: M1 and M2 cells are two major subsets of human macrophages that exert opposite effects on the inflammatory response. This study aims to investigate the role of macrophage M1/M2 imbalance and mast cells in the progression of human cerebral aneurysms to rupture.

METHODS: Ten patients with cerebral aneurysms (five ruptured and five unruptured) underwent microsurgical clipping. During the procedure, a segment of the aneurysm dome was resected and immunostained with monoclonal antibodies for M1 cells (anti-HLA DR), M2 cells (anti-CD 163), and mast cells (anti-tryptase clone AA). A segment of the superficial temporal artery (STA) was also removed and …

Is There A Role For The Quantification Of Rrm1 And Ercc1 Expression In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma?, Matias E Valsecchi, Thomas Holdbrook, Benjamin E Leiby, Edward Pequignot, Susan J Littman, Charles Yeo, Jonathan Brody, Angieszka Witkiewicz

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: RRM1 and ERCC1 overexpression has been extensively investigated as potential predictive markers of tumor sensitivity to conventional chemotherapy agents, most thoroughly in lung cancer. However, data in pancreatic cancer are scarce.

METHODS: We investigated the mRNA and protein expression of ERCC1 and RRM1 by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDA) tissues. The primary outcome investigated was the association between RRM1 and ERCC1 expression and overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS: A total of 94 patients with resected PDA were included in this study. Most of them (87%) received gemcitabine based chemotherapy. Data …

Spina Bifida Subtypes And Sub-Phenotypes By Maternal Race/Ethnicity In The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, A J Agopian, Mark A Canfield, Richard S Olney, Philip J Lupo, Tunu Ramadhani, Laura E Mitchell, Gary M Shaw, Cynthia A Moore

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spina bifida refers to a collection of neural tube defects, including myelomeningocele, meningocele, and myelocele (SB(M) ), as well as lipomyelomeningocele and lipomeningocele (SB(L) ). Maternal race/ethnicity has been associated with an increased risk for spina bifida among offspring. to better understand this relationship, we evaluated different spina bifida subtypes (SB(M) vs. SB(L) ) and sub-phenotypes (anatomic level or presence of additional malformations) by maternal race/ethnicity using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. This study is a large, multisite, population-based study of nonsyndromic birth defects. Prevalence estimates were obtained using data from spina bifida cases (live births, fetal …

Unaltered Myocilin Expression In The Blood Of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Patients., Khaled K Abu-Amero, Taif Anwar Azad, George L Spaeth, Jonathan Myers, L Jay Katz, Marlene Moster, Thomas M Bosley

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To investigate the expression of the myocilin gene (MYOC) in the blood of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients to determine if altered systemic expression is playing a role.

METHODS: Patients (n=47) were eligible for inclusion if they met standard clinical criteria for POAG. Control subjects (n=27) were recruited who were free from glaucoma by examination. RNA was extracted from leukocytes of patients and controls and converted to cDNA by reverse transcriptase enzyme, and quantitative PCR was used to assess expression levels of MYOC and the house keeping gene β-globulin (HBB). The ratio of MYOC expression to HBB expression …

The Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitor Rolipram Reverses Aβ-Induced Cognitive Impairment And Neuroinflammatory And Apoptotic Responses In Rats, Chuang Wang, Xue-Mei Yang, Ye-Ye Zhuo, Heng Zhou, Huan-Bing Lin, Yu-Fang Cheng, Jiang-Ping Xu, Han-Ting Zhang

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Forty Years Of Increasing Suicide Mortality In Poland: Undercounting Amidst A Hanging Epidemic?, Peter Höfer, Ian R H Rockett, Peeter Värnik, Elmar Etzersdorfer, Nestor D Kapusta

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Problem Behaviours, Traditional Bullying And Cyberbullying Among Adolescents: Longitudinal Analyses, Leanne Lester, Donna Cross, Therese Shaw

Research outputs 2012

Problem Behaviour Theory suggests that young people's problem behaviours tend to cluster. This study examined the relationship between traditional bullying, cyberbullying and engagement in problem behaviours using longitudinal data from approximately 1500 students. Levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration at the beginning of secondary school (grade 8, age 12) predicted levels of engagement in problem behaviours at the end of grade 9 (age 14). Levels of victimisation and perpetration were found to moderate each other's associations with engagement in problem behaviours. Cyberbullying did not represent an independent risk factor over and above levels of traditional victimisation and perpetration for higher …

Effects Of Short-Term Training With Uncoupled Cranks In Trained Cyclists, Jack Burns, Jeremiah Peiffer, Chris Abbiss, Greig Watson, Angus Burnett, Paul Laursen

Research outputs 2012

Purpose: Manufacturers of uncoupled cycling cranks claim that their use will increase economy of motion and gross efficiency. Purportedly, this occurs by altering the muscle-recruitment patterns contributing to the resistive forces occurring during the recovery phase of the pedal stroke. Uncoupled cranks use an independentclutch design by which each leg cycles independently of the other (ie, the cranks are not fixed together). However, research examining the efficacy of training with uncoupled cranks is equivocal. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of short-term training with uncoupled cranks on the performance-related variables economy of motion, gross efficiency, maximal …

Two Maximal Isometric Contractions Attenuate The Magnitude Of Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Hsin-Lian Chen, Kazunori Nosaka, Alan Pearce, Trevor C Chen

Research outputs 2012

This study investigated whether maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVC-ISO) would attenuate the magnitude of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Young untrained men were placed into one of the two experimental groups or one control group (n = 13 per group). Subjects in the experimental groups performed either two or 10 MVC-ISO of the elbow flexors at a long muscle length (20° flexion) 2 days prior to 30 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors. Subjects in the control group performed the eccentric contractions without MVC-ISO. No significant changes in maximal voluntary concentric contraction peak torque, peak torque angle, range of …

Lower Extremity Kinematics And Kinetics When Landing From Unloaded And Loaded Jumps, Ina Janssen, Jeremy Sheppard, Andrew Dingley, Dale Chapman, Wayne Spratford

Research outputs 2012

Countermovement jumps loaded with a weighted vest are often used for the training of lower body power to improve jump performance. However, it is currently unknown how this added load affects the lower extremity kinematics and kinetics, in particular whether this results in an increased injury risk. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to determine how lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during landing are affected by loaded jumps as demonstrated in a volleyball block jump landing. Ten elite male volleyball players performed block jump landings in an unloaded and loaded (9.89 kg) condition. Kinematic and kinetic landing data from …

Anxiety, Depression, And Comorbid Anxiety And Depression: Risk Factors And Outcome Over Two Years, O P Almeida, B Draper, J Pirkis, J Snowdon, N T Lautenschlager, G Byrne, Moira Sim, N Stocks, N Kerse, L Flicker, J J Pfaff

Research outputs 2012

Background: This study aimed to determine: (1) the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and depression associated with anxiety (DA); (2) the risk factor profile of depression, anxiety, and DA; (3) the course of depression, anxiety, and DA over 24 months. Methods: Two-year longitudinal study of 20,036 adults aged 60+ years. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety subscale to establish the presence of depression and anxiety, and standard procedures to collect demographic, lifestyle, psychosocial, and clinical data. Results: The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and DA was 4.7%, 1.4%, and 1.8%. About 57% of depression …

Age And Premorbid Intelligence Suppress Complaint-Performance Congruency In Raw Score Measures Of Memory, Matthew Merema, Craig Speelman, Elizabeth Kaczmarek, Jonathan Foster

Research outputs 2012

Background: We aimed to examine the role of age and premorbid intelligence (IQ) in suppressing the relationship between subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and raw score memory performance. Methods: We used a community sample of older adults aged 66"90 years (N = 121) to test whether the inclusion of age and a premorbid IQ measure in multiple regression analyses increased semipartial correlations of raw score memory performance in predicting SMCs. Rank contrast correlations were also carried out to observe how age and premorbid IQ are related to complaint"performance congruency. Measures utilized in the study included the Memory Functioning Questionnaire (for SMCs), …

Predictors Of Rapid Cognitive Decline In Alzheimer's Disease: Results From The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle (Aibl) Study Of Ageing, A Sona, P Zhang, D Ames, A I Bush, N T Lautenschlager, Ralph Martins, C L Masters, C C Rowe, C Szoeke, Kevin Taddei, Kathryn A Ellis

Research outputs 2012

Background: The AIBL study, which commenced in November 2006, is a two-center prospective study of a cohort of 1112 volunteers aged 60+. The cohort includes 211 patients meeting NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) (180 probable and 31 possible). We aimed to identify factors associated with rapid cognitive decline over 18 months in this cohort of AD patients.

Methods: We defined rapid cognitive decline as a drop of 6 points or more on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) between baseline and 18-month follow-up. Analyses were also conducted with a threshold of 4, 5, 7 and 8 points, as well as …

Can Exercise Ameliorate Treatment Toxicity During The Initial Phase Of Testosterone Deprivation In Prostate Cancer Patients? Is This More Effective Than Delayed Rehabilitation?, Robert Newton, Dennis Taaffe, Nigel Spry, Prue Cormie, Suzanne Chambers, Robert Gardiner, David Shum, David Joseph, Daniel Galvao

Research outputs 2012

Background: There has been substantial increase in use of androgen deprivation therapy as adjuvant management of prostate cancer. However, this leads to a range of musculoskeletal toxicities including reduced bone mass and increased skeletal fractures compounded with rapid metabolic alterations, including increased body fat, reduced lean mass, insulin resistance and negative lipoprotein profile, increased incidence of cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity, greater distress and reduced quality of life. Numerous research studies have demonstrated certain exercise prescriptions to be effective at preventing or even reversing these treatment toxicities. However, all interventions to date have been of rehabilitative intent being implemented after a …

A Randomised Trial Of Robotic And Open Prostatectomy In Men With Localised Prostate Cancer, Robert Gardiner, J Yaxley, G Coughlin, N Dunglison, S Occhipinti, S Younie, R Carter, S Williams, R J Medcraft, Bennett Nigel, M F Lavin, Suzanne Chambers

Research outputs 2012

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the Western world however there is ongoing debate about the optimal treatment strategy for localised disease. While surgery remains the most commonly received treatment for localised disease in Australia more recently a robotic approach has emerged as an alternative to open and laparoscopic surgery. However, high level data is not yet available to support this as a superior approach or to guide treatment decision making between the alternatives. This paper presents the design of a randomised trial of Robotic and Open Prostatectomy for men newly diagnosed with localised prostate cancer …

Multigene Interactions And The Prediction Of Depression In The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, N S Roetker, J A Yonker, C. Lee, V Chang, J J Basson, C L Roan, T S Hauser, R M Hauser, Craig Atwood

Research outputs 2012

Objectives: Single genetic loci offer little predictive power for the identification of depression. This study examined whether an analysis of gene-gene (G x G) interactions of 78 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes associated with depression and agerelated diseases would identify significant interactions with increased predictive power for depression. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: A survey of participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Participants: A total of 4811 persons (2464 women and 2347 men) who provided saliva for genotyping; the group comes from a randomly selected sample of Wisconsin high school graduates from the class of 1957 as well …

The Genetic Associations And Epistatic Effects Of The Ccr5 Promoter And Ccr2-V64i Polymorphisms On Susceptibility To Hiv-1 Infection In A Northern Han Chinese Population, Jiapeng Lu, Aijuan Sheng, Youxin Wang, Ling Zhang, Jingjing Wu, Manchu Song, Yan He, Xinwei Yu, Feifei Zhao, Yezhou Liu, Shuang Shao, Jie Lan, Hao Wu, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2012

The outcome of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection and course to AIDS are variable among individuals. Both chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and CCR2 gene polymorphisms play essential roles in the susceptibility of HIV-1 infection. To investigate the main and epistatic effects of the CCR5 promoter and CCR2-V64I polymorphisms on HIV-1 infection in the Northern Han Chinese, subjects of 91 HIV-1-infected patients and 91 health controls were recruited. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CCR5 promoter region and CCR2-V64I variants were genotyped. In the single-locus analysis, CCR5 58755-G and CCR5 59653-T alleles were significantly associated with HIV-1 infection (odds ratio [OR]=0.529, 95% …

Changes In Dairy Food And Nutrient Intakes In Australian Adolescents, Carole Parker, Wendy Vivian, Wendy H. Oddy, Lawrie J Beilin, Trevor A. Mori, Therese O'Sullivan

Research outputs 2012

Dairy nutrients, such as calcium, are particularly important in adolescence, a critical time for growth and development. There are limited Australian data following individuals through adolescence, evaluating changes in dairy nutrient and dairy product consumption. We used a validated food frequency questionnaire to investigate consumption in adolescents participating in both the 14 and 17 year follow-ups of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Most adolescents did not reach age and gender specific recommended daily intakes for calcium or magnesium at 14 years, and this decreased as they aged to 17 years (from 33.0% to 29.2% meeting for calcium, P < 0.05, and from 33.6% to 20.5% meeting for magnesium, P < 0.01). Mean intakes of calcium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin A also decreased with age (P < 0.01). Mean dairy intake decreased from 536 ± 343 g/day to 464 ± 339 g/day (P < 0.01), due mostly to a decrease in regular milk, although flavoured milk consumption increased in boys. Cheese and butter were the only products to show a significantly increased consumption over the period. Girls decreased from 2.2 to 1.9 serves/day of dairy, while boys remained relatively steady at 2.9 to 2.8 serves/day. Our findings suggest that dairy product consumption decreases over adolescence. This may have implications for bone mass, development and later health.

Olfactory Discrimination Predicts Cognitive Decline Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Hamid Sohrabi, Kristyn Bates, Mg Weinborn, A N Johnston, A Bahramian, Kevin Taddei, Simon Laws, Mark Rodrigues, Michael Morici, Matthew Howard, Georgia Martins, A Mackay-Sim, Se Gandy, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2012

The presence of olfactory dysfunction in individuals at higher risk of Alzheimer's disease has significant diagnostic and screening implications for preventive and ameliorative drug trials. Olfactory threshold, discrimination and identification can be reliably recorded in the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases. The current study has examined the ability of various olfactory functions in predicting cognitive decline in a community-dwelling sample. A group of 308 participants, aged 46-86 years old, were recruited for this study. After 3 years of follow-up, participants were divided into cognitively declined and non-declined groups based on their performance on a neuropsychological battery. Assessment of olfactory functions …

An Attentional Control Task Reduces Intrusive Thoughts About Smoking., Jon May, Jackie Andrade, Kimberley Willoughby, Chris Brown

School of Psychology

INTRODUCTION: Attentional control tasks such as body scanning and following isometric exercise instructions have been shown to reduce smoking cravings, apparently by reducing stress (Ussher, M., Cropley, M., Playle, S., Mohidin, R., & West, R. [2009]. Effect of isometric exercise and body scanning on cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Addiction, 104, 1251-1257. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02605.x). Related work based upon elaborated intrusion theory (Kavanagh, D. J., Andrade, J., & May, J. [2005]. Imaginary relish and exquisite torture: The elaborated intrusion theory of desire. Psychological Review, 112, 446-467. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.112.2.446) has shown that similar tasks can reduce hungry participants' involuntary food-related thoughts (May, J., Andrade, …

Temporal Changes In Innate Immune Signals In A Rat Model Of Alcohol Withdrawal In Emotional And Cardiorespiratory Homeostatic Nuclei., Kate Freeman, Anthony Brureau, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Mary M Staehle, Melanie M Brureau, Gregory E Gonye, Jan B Hoek, D Craig Hooper, James S Schwaber

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Chronic alcohol use changes the brain's inflammatory state. However, there is little work examining the progression of the cytokine response during alcohol withdrawal, a period of profound autonomic and emotional upset. This study examines the inflammatory response in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and dorsal vagal complex (DVC), brain regions neuroanatomically associated with affective and cardiorespiratory regulation in an in vivo rat model of withdrawal following a single chronic exposure.

METHODS: For qRT-PCR studies, we measured the expression of TNF-α, NOS-2, Ccl2 (MCP-1), MHC II invariant chain CD74, and the TNF receptor Tnfrsf1a in CeA and DVC …

A Pilot Online Survey Assessing Risk Factors For Hiv Acquisition In The Navy And Marine Corps, 2005-2010, Shilpa Hakre, Adam W. Armstrong, Robert J. O'Connell, Nelson L. Michael, Paul T. Scott, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The Department of Defense policy Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) ended in September, 2011. The Navy Bloodborne Infection Management Center conducted a post-DADT pilot survey of HIV seroconverters identified when the DADT policy was in effect. Sailors and Marines newly diagnosed as HIV positive from 2005 to 2010 were invited to participate in an online survey. A structured questionnaire elicited risk information about the 3-year period before HIV diagnosis. Respondents reported engaging commonly in same sex sexual activity, having concurrent partners, and poor condom use for anal sex. In this first post-DADT repeal report of self-reported behaviors, male-to-male sexual contact …

Epidemiology Of Contemporary Seroincident Hiv Infection In The Navy And Marine Corps, David Brett-Major, Shilpa Hakre, Neal A. Naito, Adam Armstrong, Eric A. Bower, Nelson L. Michael, Paul T. Scott

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection continues at a steady rate among U.S. Sailors and Marines. This study provides the first service-specific description of HIV infection demographics. All Sailors and Marines identified as HIV infected between January 2005 and August 2010 were included. The project compared personnel and epidemiologic data, and tested reposed sera in the Department of Defense Serum Repository. This group comprised 410 Sailors and 86 Marines, predominantly men. HIV infected Marines were more likely to be foreign born than their Navy counterparts, 42% versus 10%, p < 0.001. Approximately half of the patients had deployed including to the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. Nearly half of each group was infected by the age of 25. Similar to the U.S. epidemic, Black race was over-represented. Unlike national rates, Hispanic Sailors and Marines were not over-represented. Demographics were distinct for those of specific occupational specialties. Certain ship classes carried lower incidences. Clustering of HIV infection risk occurred around deployment. The Navy and Marine Corps have different patterns of HIV infection, which may merit distinct approaches to prevention. The Navy may have unique targets for prevention efforts to include pipeline training and first assignment as well as particular occupational environments.

Methamphetamine Administration Targets Multiple Immune Subsets And Induces Phenotypic Alterations Suggestive Of Immunosuppression., Robert Z. Harms, Brenda M. Morsey, Craig W. Boyer, Howard S. Fox, Nora E. Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a widely abused stimulant and its users are at increased risk for multiple infectious diseases. To determine the impact of meth on the immune system, we utilized a murine model that simulates the process of meth consumption in a typical addict. Our phenotypic analysis of leukocytes from this dose escalation model revealed that meth affected key immune subsets. Meth administration led to a decrease in abundance of natural killer (NK) cells and the remaining NK cells possessed a phenotype suggesting reduced responsiveness. Dendritic cells (DCs) and Gr-1(high) monocytes/macrophages were also decreased in abundance while Gr-1(low) monocytes/macrophages appear …

Culprit-Vessel Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Followed By Contralateral Angiography Versus Complete Angiography In Patients With St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Chadi Dib, Elias B Hanna, Muhammad A Chaudhry, Thomas A Hennebry, Stavros Stavrakis, Mazen S Abu-Fadel

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

In patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, delay in door-to-balloon time strongly increases mortality rates. To our knowledge, no randomized studies to date have focused on reducing delays within the catheterization laboratory.

We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction at our institution from July 2006 through June 2010, looking primarily at time differences between percutaneous coronary intervention in the culprit vessel on the basis of ECG criteria, followed by contralateral angiography (Group 1), versus complete coronary angiography followed by culprit-vessel percutaneous intervention (Group 2).

There were 49 patients in Group 1 and 57 patients …

Cellular Retrograde Cardiomyoplasty And Relaxin Therapy For Postischemic Myocardial Repair In A Rat Model, Gabriella Di Lascio, Guy Harmelin, Mattia Targetti, Cristina Nanni, Giacomo Bianchi, Tommaso Gasbarri, Sandro Gelsomino, Daniele Bani, Sandra Zecchi Orlandini, Massimo Bonacchi

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We sought to determine whether skeletal myoblasts, wild-type or engineered to express relaxin, might improve myocardial viability and performance in a rat model of chronic myocardial infarction. Our purpose was to investigate a potential new therapy for heart failure.

From October 2005 through September 2009, we surgically induced acute myocardial infarction in 80 male Wistar rats. Thirty days after surgery, the rats underwent reoperation for the retrograde coronary venous infusion of skeletal myoblasts, relaxin, or both. The animals were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups: R1 (the control group, which underwent saline-solution infusion), R2 (systemic relaxin therapy), R3 (myoblast infusion), …