Raloxifene therapy does not affect uterine blood flow in postmenopausal women: a transvaginal Doppler study

AZEVEDO, George Dantas de et al. Raloxifene therapy does not affect uterine blood flow in postmenopausal women: a transvaginal Doppler study. Maturitas, Amsterdam, v.47, n.3, p.195-200, 2004

Central moxonidine on salivary gland blood flow and cardiovascular responses to pilocarpine

Peripheral treatment with the cholinergic agonist pilocarpine induces intense salivation that is inhibited by central injections of the alpha(2)-adrenergic/imidazoline receptor agonist moxonidine. Salivary gland blood flow controlled by sympathetic and parasympathetic systems may affect salivation. We investigated the changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and in the vascular resistance in the submandibular/sublingual gland (SSG) artery, superior mesenteric (SM) artery and low abdominal aorta (hindlimb) in rats treated with intraperitoneal (i.p.) pilocarpine alone or combined with intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) moxonidine. Male Holtzman rats with stainless steel cannula. implanted into lateral ventricle (LV) and anesthetized with urethane were used. Pilocarpine (4 mumol/kg of body weight) i.p. reduced SSG vascular resistance (-50 +/- 13% vs. vehicle: 5 +/- 3%). Pilocarpine i.p. also increased mesenteric vascular resistance (15 +/- 5% vs. vehicle: 2 +/- 3%) and MAP (16 +/- 3 mmHg, vs. vehicle: 2 +/- 3 mmHg). Moxonidine (20 nmol) i.c.v. increased SSG vascular resistance (88 +/- 12% vs. vehicle: 7 +/- 4%). When injected 15 min following i.c.v. moxonidine, pilocarpine i.p. produced no change on SSG vascular resistance. Pilocarpine-induced pressor responses and increase in mesenteric vascular resistance were not modified by i.c.v. moxonidine. The treatments produced no change in heart rate (HR) and hindlimb vascular resistance. The results show that (1) i.p. pilocarpine increases mesenteric vascular resistance and MAP and reduces salivary gland vascular resistance and (2) central moxonidine increases salivary gland vascular resistance and impairs pilocarpine-induced salivary gland vasodilatation. Therefore, the increase in salivary gland vascular resistance may play a role in the anti-salivatory response to central moxonidine. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of blood viscosity to cerebral blood flow in older humans compared to young subjects

Objective: Since blood viscosity (BV) is one of the most important factors determining blood flow, this study aimed to investigate the possible correlation between increased blood viscosity and reduction of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in healthy ageing.Methods: Male subjects were distributed in two groups: "young", aged 20-30 (27 volunteers), or "elderly", aged 60-70 (50 volunteers). Whole blood viscosity was obtained with a Wells-Brookfield Cone/Plate Viscometer. Cerebral blood flow was analysed by means of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).Results: The mean BV values were 3.28 +/- 0.43 mPa in the group of young volunteers and 4.33 +/- 0.73 mPa in the group of elderly volunteers (t = -6.9, p < 0.0001). The elderly had a lower blood flow than the young in the following regions: bilateral parietal; temporal-parietal and temporal of the left hemisphere. Pearson's correlation between BV and rCBF showed a good inverse correlation when the BV was above 3.95 +/- 0.83 mPa.Conclusions: Our results point to a close relationship between the two parameters analysed, BV and rCBF. The impairment in rCBF observed in the elderly volunteers might be due to an increase in BV, among other factors.Significance: These findings suggest interesting possibilities for the treatment/prevention of brain ageing. (C) 2011 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DIAGNOSIS of REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW ABNORMALITIES USING SPECT: AGREEMENT BETWEEN INDIVIDUALIZED STATISTICAL PARAMETRIC MAPS and VISUAL INSPECTION BY NUCLEAR MEDICINE PHYSICIANS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS of EXPERTISE IN NUCLEAR NEUROLOGY

INTRODUCTION: Visual analysis is widely used to interpret regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) SPECT images in clinical practice despite its limitations. Automated methods are employed to investigate between-group rCBF differences in research Studies but have rarely been explored in individual analyses.OBJECTIVES: To compare visual inspection by nuclear physicians with the automated statistical parametric mapping program using a SPECT dataset of patients with neurological disorders and normal control images.METHODS: Using statistical parametric mapping, 14 SPECT images from patients with various neurological disorders were compared individually with a databank of 32 normal images using a statistical threshold of p<0.05 (corrected for multiple comparisons at the level of individual voxels or clusters). Statistical parametric mapping results were compared with Visual analyses by a nuclear physician highly experienced in neurology (A) as well as a nuclear physician with a general background of experience (B) who independently classified images as normal or altered, and determined the location of changes and the severity.RESULTS: of the 32 images of the normal databank, 4 generated maps showing rCBF abnormalities (p<0.05, corrected). Among the 14 images from patients with neurological disorders, 13 showed rCBF alterations. Statistical parametric mapping and physician A completely agreed on 84.37% and 64.28% of cases from the normal databank and neurological disorders, respectively. The agreement between statistical parametric mapping and ratings of physician B were lower (71.18% and 35.71%, respectively).CONCLUSION: Statistical parametric mapping replicated the findings described by the more experienced nuclear physician. This finding suggests that automated methods for individually analyzing rCBF SPECT images may be a valuable resource to complement visual inspection in clinical practice.

Ultrasound evaluation of common carotid artery blood flow in the Labrador retriever

Background: Doppler ultrasound (DUS) examination provides quantitative and qualitative information concerning the blood flow in veins and arteries, enabling their morphological evaluation and the collection of hemodynamic data. Dogs and cats as well as humans may display neurological signs of brain hypoperfusion secondary to common carotid alterations. Hence, DUS examination might aid in the differential diagnosis of neurological disorders of ischemic origin, among other causes. The objective of this study was to register normal values for systolic peak velocity, minimum diastolic velocity, diameter and resistance index of both common carotid arteries of 12 healthy Labrador retriever dogs between 2 and 5 years of age. By gathering these values, we might be able to improve the sensitivity of hemodynamic studies in clinically important brain disorders. Results: There were no statistical differences between the values for the right and left vessels: the systolic peak velocity was 75.8 ± 16 cm/s, minimum diastolic velocity was 12.2 ± 4 cm/s, common carotid diameter was 0.545 ± 0.063 cm, and resistance index was 0.83 ± 0.07. Conclusions: The results of this study might be used to establish normal parameters for Labrador retriever dogs and thus help in the diagnosis of neurological disorders associated with alterations of the carotid arteries. Similar studies must be performed to evaluate the same parameters in other dog breeds of different sizes and skull conformations. © 2013 Svicero et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

A Reproducible Venous Thrombosis Model in Horses Induced by the Combination of an Endothelial Lesion and Blood Flow Stasis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Correlations between ovarian follicular blood flow and superovulatory responses in ewes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Endovascular Treatment of Spontaneous Isolated Common and External Iliac Artery Dissections with Preservation of Pelvic Blood Flow

Spontaneous isolated dissection of iliac arteries is very rare, with few reports in the literature. Medical, surgical, and endovascular treatment modalities have all been used to manage iliac artery dissections. We report a case of symptomatic, isolated, spontaneous dissection of the common iliac and external iliac arteries. Both dissections were successfully treated by separate percutaneous stent-graft placement, preserving hypogastric artery flow. This technique is interesting because it provides adequate sealing of proximal and distal dissection sites while preserving hypogastric artery and pelvic flow.

Systemic blood flow relations in conscious South American rattlesnakes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Real-time characterization of the uterine blood flow in mares before and after artificial insemination

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Short-term low-intensity blood flow restricted interval training improves both aerobic fitness and muscle strength

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of age and endometrial degenerative changes on uterine blood flow during early gestation in mares

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Decompressive craniectomy and cerebral blood flow regulation in head injured patients: A case studied by perfusion CT

Previous studies have reported increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity after decompressive craniectomy in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. A 27-year-old man presented with clinical and tomographic signs of cerebral herniation secondary to TBI. Prior to decompressive craniectomy, hemodynamic study by perfusion computed tomography (CT) indicated diffuse cerebral hyperperfusion. Following surgical decompression, the patient recovered neurologically and perfusion CT disclosed a decrease in the intensity of cerebral perfusion. The patient's blood pressure levels were similar at both pre- and postoperative perfusion CT examinations. This finding provides indirect evidence that decompressive craniectomy may improve mechanisms of CBF regulation in TBI, providing pathophysiological insights in the cerebral hemodynamics of TBI patients. This is the first report analyzing the hemodynamic changes through perfusion CT (PCT) in a patient with decompressive craniotomy due to TBI. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Strength Training with Blood Flow Restriction Diminishes Myostatin Gene Expression

LAURENTINO, G. C., C. UGRINOWITSCH, H. ROSCHEL, M. S. AOKI, A. G. SOARES, M. NEVES JR, A. Y. AIHARA, A. DA ROCHA CORREA FERNANDES, and V. TRICOLI. Strength Training with Blood Flow Restriction Diminishes Myostatin Gene Expression. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 406-412, 2012. Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine whether the similar muscle strength and hypertrophy responses observed after either low-intensity resistance exercise associated with moderate blood flow restriction or high-intensity resistance exercise are associated with similar changes in messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of selected genes involved in myostatin (MSTN) signaling. Methods: Twenty-nine physically active male subjects were divided into three groups: low-intensity (20% one-repetition maximum (1RM)) resistance training (LI) (n = 10), low-intensity resistance exercise associated with moderate blood flow restriction (LIR) (n = 10), and high-intensity (80% 1RM) resistance exercise (HI) (n = 9). All of the groups underwent an 8-wk training program. Maximal dynamic knee extension strength (1RM), quadriceps cross-sectional area (CSA), MSTN, follistatin-like related genes (follistatin (FLST), follistatin-like 3 (FLST-3)), activin IIb, growth and differentiation factor-associated serum protein 1 (GASP-1), and MAD-related protein (SMAD-7) mRNA gene expression were assessed before and after training. Results: Knee extension 1RM significantly increased in all groups (LI = 20.7%, LIR = 40.1%, and HI = 36.2%). CSA increased in both the LIR and HI groups (6.3% and 6.1%, respectively). MSTN mRNA expression decreased in the LIR and HI groups (45% and 41%, respectively). There were no significant changes in activin IIb (P > 0.05). FLST and FLST-3 mRNA expression increased in all groups from pre- to posttest (P < 0.001). FLST-3 expression was significantly greater in the HI when compared with the LIR and LI groups at posttest (P = 0.024 and P = 0.018, respectively). GASP-1 and SMAD-7 gene expression significantly increased in both the LIR and HI groups. Conclusions: We concluded that LIR was able to induce gains in 1RM and quadriceps CSA similar to those observed after traditional HI. These responses may be related to the concomitant decrease in MSTN and increase in FLST isoforms, GASP-1, and SMAD-7 mRNA gene expression.