Effectiveness of an antioxidant in preventing restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: the Probucol Angioplasty Restenosis Trial

OBJECTIVES: The Probucol Angioplasty Restenosis Trial was a prospective, randomized, controlled study that investigated the effectiveness of probucol therapy in reducing the rate of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). BACKGROUND: Antioxidants have an inhibitory effect on smooth muscle cell growth in experiments in vitro and in vivo, which suggests a possible pharmacologic effect on restenosis after PTCA. METHODS: One hundred one patients were randomly assigned to receive 1,000 mg/day of probucol or control (no lipid-lowering) therapy 4 weeks before PTCA. After 4 weeks of premedication, both groups underwent PTCA. Probucol was continued until follow-up angiography 24 weeks after PTCA. Angiographic results were analyzed at a core laboratory by quantitative coronary angiography. RESULTS: Dilation was successful in 46 of 50 patients in the probucol group and 45 of 51 in the control group. At follow-up angiography 24 weeks after angioplasty, angiographic restenosis occurred in 9 (23%) of 40 patients in the probucol group and 22 (58%) of 38 in the control group (p = 0.001). Minimal lumen diameter was 1.49 +/- 0.75 mm (mean +/- SD) in the probucol group and 1.13 +/- 0.65 mm in the control group (p = 0.02). Percent diameter stenosis at follow-up angiography in the probucol group was significantly lower than that in the control group (43.9% vs. 56.4%, p = 0.009). The late loss was 0.37 +/- 0.69 mm in the probucol group and 0.60 +/- 0.62 mm in the control group (p = 0.13). The loss/gain ratio was 0.32 +/- 0.74 in the probucol group and 0.56 +/- 0.81 in the control group (p = 0.059). Net gain was greater in the probucol group than in the control group (0.77 +/- 0.70 vs. 0.48 +/- 0.59 mm, p = 0.053). CONCLUSIONS: Probucol administered beginning 4 weeks before PTCA appears to reduce restenosis rates.     

100 Å-thick tunnel junction by double impurity doping liquid phase epitaxy for V-band TUNNETT oscillation

The tunnel injection transit time (TUNNETT) diodes with p⁺p⁺n⁺n⁻n⁺ structure were fabricated by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE). About 100 Å tunnel junction (p⁺n⁺) was successfully prepared by the double impurity diffusion of Ge and S during LPE growth. Continuous wave (CW) oscillation was realized at 51.520 GHz in the V-band cavity with the phase noise of −60 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz bandwidth.     

Paracrine effect of human chorionic gonadotropin ectopically produced from papillary thyroid cancer cells on growth and function of FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells

It is well known that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is sometimes secreted from nontrophoblastic neoplasms. To elucidate the role of ectopic hCG, we investigated the effect of hCG produced from a papillary thyroid cancer cell line (B-CPAP cells) on stimulation and growth promotion of FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells. Ectopic hCG contained in the culture medium of B-CPAP cells was purified using gel filtration and bioassayed for thyrotropic activity in FRTL-5 cells. Addition of ectopic hCG (up to 5.2 x 10(4) IU/L) increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation and 3H-thymidine incorporation in FRTL-5 cells dose dependently. These effects were almost as potent as the stimulation induced by standard hCG CR-127. After the absorption of the ectopic hCG by anti-hCG-beta monoclonal antibody, the cAMP accumulation was significantly decreased. Analysis of ectopic hCG isoforms with different isoelectric points indicated the predominance of the acidic hCG isoform with isoelectric point (pI) 3.8-3.2 that is the major isoform of standard hCG. Basic isoforms (pI 5.7-5.3) with higher thyrotropic potency were also detected. These results indicate that the ectopic hCG secreted from papillary thyroid cancer cells possess intrinsic thyroid-stimulating and growth-promoting activity. The ectopic hCG may act as an autocrine-paracrine factor in nontrophoblastic neoplasms.     

Acute toxicity oftrans-5-hydroxy-2-nonenal in fisher 344 rats

The potential toxicity oftrans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a product formedin vivo during lipid peroxidation, which is also present in foods, was investigated in Fisher 344 rats. Five groups of five male rats each were given by gavage 1000, 300, 100, 30 or 10 mg/kg body weight HNE dissolved in 0.5 mL corn oil. The sixth group, the control, received corn oil alone. Two rats died 6 and 8 hr after being treated with 1000 mg/kg HNE. These two rats showed extensive acute tubular necrosis of the kidney, but had very little liver damage. Diffuse liver cell necrosis was observed in a dose dependent manner in all the rats killed 14 days after treatment, whereas renal change was mild. Interestingly, body weight of the lowest dosage group was significantly higher than that of the control group at termination of the experiment. The results of this study show that HNE has almost the same toxicity as other enals, such astrans-2-heptenal, and that kidney and liver are the main organs affected by toxicity of HNE. Although animals may have efficient defense systems, such as glutathione, to detoxify low to moderate dosages of HNE, at high doses of HNE this defense system is overwhelmed, resulting in serious renal and hepatic damage.     

The accessory middle cerebral artery as a collateral blood supply

We describe two cases of acute embolic occlusion of the internal carotid artery and the middle cerebral artery in association with a patent accessory middle cerebral artery. Because of the presence of the accessory middle cerebral artery, the frontal lobe was salvaged to some extent, but it did not provide sufficient collateral blood supply to the middle cerebral artery territory to spare the rest of the frontal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the basal ganglia.     

Treatment results of intermittent and cyclic regimen with ATRA and chemotherapy in childhood acute promyelocytic leukemia. Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group

An intermittent and cyclic regimen with All-Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA) and intensive chemotherapy was conducted due to pharmacokinetic studies on ATRA for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in children. We have treated 17 children with APL using ATRA for remission induction followed by an intermittent schedule of ATRA plus intensive chemotherapy (APL-ATRA protocol). There were 10 males and 7 females. The median age was 9.0 years old. The median baseline white blood cell count was 12.1 x 10(3)/microliter, hemoglobin 7.8 g/dl, platelet 4.5 x 10(4) microliters at diagnosis. Sixteen patients showed t(15; 17) translocation. RT-PCR analysis was available in 15 patients and showed PML/RAR alpha rearrangement in all patients. Overall, 13 or 17 newly diagnosed patients (88%) achieved complete remission and EFS was 67%. Compared to the control (same chemotherapy without ATRA regimen), remission induction and EFS were significantly increased. The toxicity of ATRA consisted of retinoic acid syndrome in 1 and pseudotumor cerebli in another. Other toxicities included headache, chelitis, gastrointestinal trouble and bone pain. These results suggest that intermittent and cyclic regimen with ATRA and intensive chemotherapy (APL-ATRA protocol) is highly effective for APL patients.     

Photoluminescence studies on InGaAlP layers grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The optical properties for In_0.5(Ga_1-x Al _x )_0.5P (0 <x < 0.4) layers, grown by low-pressure Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition, have been studied with photolominescence (PL) measurement. The PL intensity decreases with the increase of the Al composition (0 <x < 0.4). This dependence could not be accounted for only by the electron overflow from theΓ band to the X band. And the PL intensity is directly proportional to the excitation power at low temperature, below 50 K. On the other hand, the PL intensity is proportional to the second power of the excitation power at a high temperature range (>200 K). These results indicate that non-radiative recombination centers bound to theΓ band in In_0.5(Ga_1-x Al _x )_0.5P play a very important role in the radiation mechanism. PL dependence also shows these non-radiative recombination centers are thought to have strong relation to the aluminum substitution for In_0.5(Ga_1-x Al _x )_0.5P.     

Cloning and sequencing of the Sphingomonas (Pseudomonas) paucimobilis gene essential for the O demethylation of vanillate and syringate

A growing body of evidence supports the existence of a tissue-based renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the vasculature, but the functional capacity of vascular RAS was not investigated in humans. In 28 normotensive healthy control subjects, the metabolism of angiotensins through vascular tissue was investigated in normal, low, and high sodium diets by the measurement of arterial-venous gradient of endogenous angiotensin (Ang) I and Ang II in two different vascular beds (forearm and leg), combined with the study of 125I-Ang I and 125I-Ang II kinetics. In normal sodium diet subjects, forearm vascular tissue extracted 36+/-6% of 125I-Ang I and 30+/-5% of 125I-Ang II and added 14.9+/-5.1 fmol x 100 mL(-1) x min(-1) of de novo formed Ang I and 6.2+/-2.8 fmol x 100 mL(-1) x min(-1) of Ang II to antecubital venous blood. Fractional conversion of 125I-Ang I through forearm vascular tissue was about 12%. Low sodium diet increased (P<.01) plasma renin activity, whereas de novo Ang I and Ang II formation by forearm vascular tissue became undetectable. Angiotensin degradation (33+/-7% for Ang I and 30+/-7% for Ang II) was unchanged, and vascular fractional conversion of 125I-Ang I decreased from 12% to 6% (P<.01). In high sodium diet subjects, plasma renin activity decreased, and de novo Ang I and Ang II formation by forearm vascular tissue increased to 22 and 14 fmol x 100 mL(-1) x min(-1), respectively (P<.01). Angiotensin degradation did not significantly change, whereas fractional conversion of 125I-Ang I increased from 12% to 20% (P<.01). Leg vascular tissue functional activities of RAS paralleled those of forearm vascular tissue both at baseline and during different sodium intake. These results provide consistent evidence for the existence of a functional tissue-based RAS in vascular tissue of humans. The opposite changes of plasma renin activity and vascular angiotensin formation indicate that vascular RAS is independent from but related to circulating RAS.     

Stepwise analysis of cerebral blood flow SPECT imaging on standard brain atlas in patients with dementia of Alzheimer''s type

In 1994 the first human parvovirus B19 (B19) epidemic to be documented in Denmark was recorded from February 2 to September 30. In total, 10,333 serum samples were tested for specific B19 IgM and IgG antibodies, using IDEIA Parvovirus B19 IgM and IgG kits. The prevalence of B19 IgM positivity was 11% for the whole period and 29% at the peak of the epidemic in week 14, declining from week 39 and onwards to 1-3%. The prevalence of B19 IgG (IgM-negative samples) was 60%, indicating an earlier infection, and the same for men and women. The gender distribution of tested patients was the same at the beginning of the epidemic as at the end of the epidemic and a year after its peak, i.e. 86% of samples were from women and only 14% from men. Age distribution for women was the same for the three periods (median age 34 years). For men the median age was 32 years, 39 years and 31 years, respectively. Only a few samples from children were tested. No change in test pattern was observed during the three periods. Approximately 75% of all samples tested were from women of childbearing age (18-45 years old), suggesting a fear of fetal complications in an actual or future pregnancy, rather than a serological verification of clinical symptoms. From the sparse clinical information that accompanied the serum sample we were not able to demonstrate that women were more likely than men to have a symptomatic B19 infection. With reservations we estimate that 14% of adverse pregnancy outcome is correlated with a B19 infection.     

Steep Impulse Voltage Characteristics of Suspension Insulators

Transmission and distribution lines are sometimes struck by lightning and there is some risk of electrical puncture of suspension insulators due to high and steep lightning surge voltage. When the insulators suffer from steep lightning surge voltages, the solid insulating body of the insulators sometimes is punctured before external flashover in the air occurs. These characteristics were investigated on the insulators in the laboratory by using different steep impulse voltages. From the investigation results, both V-t characteristics of external flashover and internal puncture were obtained on the insulators. It was found that the puncture of the insulators is a matter of probability, depending on the dimensions of the insulators, steep impulse voltages and number of impulse voltage applications. Especially, the effect of number of voltage applications on puncture probability was clarified and partial damage by a small number of voltage applications was verified before complete puncture occurred. Based on the study results, an empirical equation relating to probability of puncture (P), impulse voltage (V) and number of voltage applications (N) was established.