Comparative study for the identification of myocardial ischemia by contrast ventriculography under the effect of isosorbide mononitrate and by perfusional myocardial scintigraphy in patients with ischemic heart disease

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the usefulness of cineventriculographies, before and after nitrate use, to technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy for the identification of myocardial ischemia. METHODS: Twenty-six patients were studied at basal conditions and 5 minutes after intravenous administration of isosorbide mononitrate (0.3mg/kg), to evaluate the performance and regional wall motion of the left ventricle (LV). The results were compared to those obtained with technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy. RESULTS: Before nitrate, contrast ventriculography identified 30 normal segments, 62 hypokinetic segments, 28 dyskinetic segments, and 14 akinetic segments. After drug administration, 99 segments were normal, 11 hypokinetic, 11 dyskinetic, and 13 akinetic. Myocardial scintigraphy revealed 110 ischemic segments and 18 fibrotic segments (p<0.005). After drug administration, the ventriculography showed increase in the velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (p=0.0142), the ejection fraction (p=0.0462), decrease in the end-systolic volume (p=0.0031) and no change in end-diastolic volume. CONCLUSION: Contrast ventriculography using nitrate proved to be similar to perfusional myocardial scintigraphy in the identification of myocardial ischemia.

Myocardial perfusion by contrast echocardiography. Establishment of normal pattern of intracoronary injection and safety in humans

OBJECTIVE: To establish the normal pattern and safety of echocardiographic contrast in patients with no significant obstruction of epicardial coronary arteries. METHODS: 67 patients with normal coronary arteries or obstructions < 50% were selected from 277 patients who underwent coronary angiography (CA). Mean age was 56 ± 11years and 36 were males. At the end CA, echocardiographic contrast was selectively injected into each coronary artery. The parasternal short axis of the left ventricle (LV) was divided into six segments: anterior (A), antero-lateral (AL), postero-lateral (PL), posterior (P), infero-septal (IS) and antero-septal (AS). Anterolateral (ALPM) and posteromedial papillary muscles (PMPM) were also considered. The pattern and intensity of the appearance of the myocardial contrast was visually analyzed. RESULTS: The right coronary artery (RCA) was dominant in 60 patients. Contrast appearance was sudden and simultaneous in the 3 muscle layers. All segments could be contrasted after the injection in both coronary arteries. 100% of the AS, A and AL segments, 97% of the PL and 98% of the ALPM were perfused by the left coronary artery (LCA). P and IS segments were perfused by the RCA in 85% and 82%, respectively, and by a dominant LCA in 71% of the cases. The PMPM was perfused by a dominant RCA in 77% and by a dominant LCA in 86%. There were no symptoms. CONCLUSION: Intracoronary injection of the sonicated solution is a safe procedure that allows for an excellent opacification of the myocardium and can potentially be used during routine CA.

Study of Coronary Flow Reserve with Intravenous Use of Microbubbles (Contrast Echocardiography) and Adenosine: Protocol for Clinical Application in Patients Suspected of Having Coronary Heart Disease

OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility, safety and accuracy of the adenosine protocol in the study of myocardial perfusion with microbubbles contrast echocardiography. METHODS: 81 pts (64 male, 60+11 years) were submitted to contrast echocardiography with PESDA (sonicated solution of albumin 20%-1ml, dextrose 5%-12ml and deca-fluorobutane gas-8ml) to study the myocardial perfusion at rest and after bolus injection of adenosine (6 to 18mg) and to coronary angiography within 1 month each other. For each patient 3 left ventricle perfusion beds were considered (total of 243 territories). 208 territories were analyzed and 35 territories were excluded. PESDA was continuously infused (1-2ml/min), titrated for best myocardial contrast. Triggered (1:1) second harmonic imaging was used. RESULTS: Coronary angiography showed 70 flow limiting (> 75%) lesions and 138 no flow limiting lesions. At rest an obvious myocardium contrast enhancement was seen in at least 1 segment of a territory in all patients. After adenosine injection an unquestionable further increase in myocardial contrast was observed in 136 territories (99%) related to no flow limiting lesions, lasting < 10 s, and a myocardial perfusion defect was detected in 68 territories (97%) related to flow limiting lesions. It was observed only 4 false results. There were no serious complications. CONCLUSION: Myocardial perfusion study with PESDA and adenosine protocol is a practical, safe and accurate method to analyze the coronary flow reserve.

Desarrollo de una técnica de detección rápida y precisa de preñez en cerdos. Segunda etapa: Purificación de factor precoz de preñez y desarrollo de un radioinmunoensayo

Una de las principales causas de pérdida reproductiva en condiciones normales, es la mortalidad embrionaria basal. Por lo tanto, estaría ampliamente justificado el diseño de experiencias que nos permitan encontrar las causas de las pérdidas y detectar la preñez tan precozmente, como fuere posible. Las causas de las pérdidas embrionarias en muchos casos se relacionan con fallas en las señales del embrión dirigidas a la madre con el fin de establecer inmunotolerancia, fenómeno imprescindible para la sobrevida del embrión porque modifica la respuesta inmune de modo favorable para éste. La inmunomodulación es ejercida por sustancias de naturaleza proteica detectadas durante la gestación. Entre estas se encuentra el Factor Precoz de Preñez (EPF). Durante la preñez, el EPF tiene dos fuentes de producción: una materna y otra embrionaria. El EPF materno, también llamado temprano, se produce durante los períodos pre y periimplantacional y persiste hasta el último tercio de la preñez. Hasta el presente, la única técnica desarrollada para la detección del EPF, es un ensayo in vitro propuesto por Morton que mide de manera indirecta la actividad del factor. Dicha técnica se basa en la capacidad que tiene el EPF de potenciar la acción de un suero antilinfocitario (SAL), para inhibir la formación de rosetas entre linfocitos T y eritrocitos heterólogos en presencia de complemento. Esta técnica es efectiva pero muy compleja para realizarse rutinariamente en el laboratorio. De todo lo expuesto surge claramente la necesidad del aislamiento y purificación del EPF, lo que permitiría desarrollar metodologías inmunológicas aplicables para el diagnóstico de rutina de detección de preñez en cerdos y un notable adelanto en el estudio de alguno de los factores que afectan los sucesos de concepción y el curso de preñez, momentos claves en la fisiología reproductiva. Objetivos Generales - Desarrollar una técnica de detección rápida y precisa del Factor Precoz de Preñez (EPF) en cerdos. Objetivos Específicos - Aislar, purificar y caracterizar al Factor Precoz de Preñez (EPF) a partir de suero y placenta de cerdas gestantes. - Obtener y valorar un antisuero policlonal anti-EPF en conejos a partir de la fracción purificada con mayor índice de actividad EPF.

Microwave imaging of high-contrast objects

Imaging microwave reconstruction dielectric contrast regularization iterative multiport cavity measurement

Chromatic responses in human visual cortex : effects of color, velocity and contrast

fMRI, color, colour, velocity, speed, contrast, cone contrast, V1, V4, hV4, MT, MT+, V3A, BOLD, Retinotopic Mapping, Contrast Response Function

Jacob - an activity regulated morphogenetic factor for synapto-dendritic cytoarchitecture

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2008

Cross-talk of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) with the transcription factor NFAT and the Src kinase Fyn in T lymphocytes

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2010

Modulation of [My]-opioid receptor signal transduction and endocytosis by ADP-ribosylation factor proteins

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2010

Konstruktion einer nicht-IGF-bindenden Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-2-Variante und Untersuchung ihrer Wirkung auf das Tumorzellwachstum

Magdeburg, Univ., Medizin. Fakultät, Diss., 2008

Regulation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-[kappa]B) by protein Kinase C theta (PKC-[theta]) and cylindromatosis (CYLD) in murine listeriosis and toxoplasmosis

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2013

Visual analysis, clustering, and classification of contrast-enhanced tumor perfusion MRI data

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Inf., Diss., 2014

Width-weight relationship and condition factor of Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ucididae) at tropical mangroves of Northeast Brazil

The present contribution aims at evaluating the carapace width vs. humid weight relationship and the condition factor of Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763), in the mangrove forests of the Ariquindá and Mamucabas rivers, state of Pernambuco, Brazil. These two close areas present similar characteristics of vegetation and substrate, but exhibit different degrees of environmental conservation: the Ariquindá River is the preserved area, considered one of the last non-polluted of Pernambuco, while the Mamucabas River suffers impacts from damming, deforestation and deposition of waste. A total of 1,298 individuals of U. cordatus were collected. Males were larger and heavier than females, what is commonly observed in Brachyura. Ucides cordatus showed allometric negative growth (p < 0.05), which is probably related to the dilatation that this species develops in the lateral of the carapace, which stores six pairs of gills. The values of b were within the limit established for aquatic organisms. Despite of the condition factor being considered an important feature to confirm the reproductive period, since it varies with cyclic activities, in the present study it was not correlated to the abundance of ovigerous females. However, it was considered a good parameter to evaluate environmental impacts, being significantly lower at the impacted area.

Condition factor of Goniopsis cruentata (Crustacea, Brachyura, Grapsidae) from Mundaú/Manguaba estuarine complex, Alagoas, Brazil

The condition factor is a parameter which acts as a general indicator of the "well-being" of a species, and it can be obtained through the analysis of width vs. weight relationships. The present work aims to investigate size vs. weight relationship and the condition factor of the crab Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803). The study area was the Mundaú/Manguaba estuarine complex, Maceió, state of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil. Samplings were monthly accomplished from August 2007 to July 2008. A total of 626 individuals were analyzed, being 309 males and 317 females. Males were larger and heavier than females, what is expected in many brachyuran. The growth was positive allometric to both males (b = 3.42) and females (b = 3.30), not obeying the "cube law". The condition factor of female was higher than that of male crabs, probably due to the gonad weight of females. It also varied seasonally for both sexes, being higher in the autumn and winter in males, and in the autumn and spring in females, and related to the molt and period of spawning intensification.