Alterations in pulmonary structure by elastase administration in a model of emphysema in mice is associated with functional disturbances

Several experimental studies of pulmonary emphysema using animal models have been described in the literature. However, only a few of these studies have focused on the assessment of ergometric function as a non-invasive technique to validate the methodology used for induction of experimental emphysema. Additionally, functional assessments of emphysema are rarely correlated with morphological pulmonary abnormalities caused by induced emphysema. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of elastase administered by tracheal puncture on pulmonary parenchyma and their corresponding functional impairment. This was evaluated by measuring exercise capacity in C57Bl/6 mice in order to establish a reproducible and safe methodology of inducing experimental emphysema. Thirty six mice underwent ergometric tests before and 28 days after elastase administration. Pancreatic porcine elastase solution was administered by tracheal puncture, which resulted in a significantly decreased exercise capacity, shown by a shorter distance run (-30.5%) and a lower mean velocity (-15%), as well as in failure to increase the elimination of carbon dioxide. The mean linear intercept increased significantly by 50% in tracheal elastase administration. In conclusion, application of elastase by tracheal function in C57Bl/6 induces emphysema, as validated by morphometric analyses, and resulted in a significantly lower exercise capacity, while resulting in a low mortality rate. (C) 2011 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.

Rest left ventricular function and contractile reserve by dobutamine stress echocardiography in peripartum cardiomyopathy

Aims: To assess whether contractile reserve during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) can predict left ventricular functional recovery in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy and to assess myocardial fibrosis by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in these patients. Methods: Nine patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy were enrolled. All patients underwent DSE and were followed for six months, when a rest Doppler echocardiogram was repeated. MRI was also performed at the beginning of follow-up to identify myocardial fibrosis. Results: Mean age was 29 +/- 7.9 years and mean left ventricular ejection fraction at baseline was 39.4 +/- 8.6% (range 24-49%). Eight of the nine patients showed left ventricular functional recovery with mean ejection fraction at follow-up of 57.1 +/- 13.8%. The ejection fraction response to DSE did not predict recovery at follow-up. On the other hand, left ventricular ejection fraction at baseline correlated with ejection fraction at follow-up. Mild fibrosis was detected in only one patient. Conclusion: Left ventricular ejection fraction at baseline was a predictor of left ventricular functional recovery in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Dobutamine stress echocardiography at presentation of the disease did not predict recovery at follow-up. Myocardial fibrosis appeared to be uncommon in this cardiomyopathy. (C) 2011 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.

Tradução e validação da escala Knee Society Score: KSS para a Língua Portuguesa

OBJETIVO: Traduzir, adaptar culturalmente e validar o "Knee Society Score" (KSS) para a língua portuguesa e verificar suas propriedades de medida, reprodutibilidade e validade. MÉTODO: Avaliados 70 pacientes de ambos os sexos, em estudo clínico transversal, idade entre 55 e 85 anos, osteoartrose primária submetidos a artroplastia total de joelho, com o questionário KSS pelo avaliador 1 (inglês) e após 30 minutos pelo avaliador 2 (português) no pré- operatório e após três e seis meses de pós-operatório. RESULTADOS: O índice alfa de Cronbach e a diagramação de Bland-Altman não detectaram diferença entre as médias das duas avaliações no pré-operatório (p=1,000), com três meses (p=0,991) e seis meses de pós-operatório (p=0,985) na pontuação do joelho e na nota da função do joelho, p=1,000 nos três períodos. CONCLUSÃO: A versão brasileira do Knee Society Score, o Escore da Sociedade do Joelho, mostrou ser um instrumento de fácil compreensão e aplicação; válido e confiável para medir a pontuação e função do joelho de pacientes brasileiros submetidos a ATJ. Nível de Evidências: Estudos diagnósticos - Nivel de Evidência I, Teste de critérios diagnósticos desenvolvidos anteriormente em pacientes consecutivos (com padrão de referência "ouro" aplicado).