(J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2012;144:243-9)”
“Morphine derived from Papaver somniferum

is commonly used as an analgesic compound for pain relief. It is now accepted that endogenous morphine, structurally identical to vegetal morphine-alkaloid, is synthesized by mammalian cells from dopamine. Morphine binds mu opioid receptor and induces antinociceptive effects. However, the exact role of these compounds is a matter of debate although different links with infection, sepsis, inflammation, as well as major neurological pathologies (Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia) have been proposed. The present review describes endogenous morphine and morphine derivative discovery, synthesis, localization and potential implications in physiological Selleckchem AZD6738 and pathological processes. (c) 2012 IBRO. Published by

Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: To determine the role of the p-nitrobenzylthioinosine-sensitive equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (es-ENT1) in postmyocardial infarction reperfusion injury-mediated ventricular fibrillation and regional dysfunction. We used erythro-9 (2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)-adenine and p-nitrobenzylthioinosine to inhibit both adenosine deamination and transport in a canine model of off pump acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: Anesthetized adult dogs (n = 37), instrumented to monitor https://www.selleckchem.com/products/17-DMAG,Hydrochloride-Salt.html the percentage of systolic segmental shortening and wall thickening using sonomicrometry, underwent 90 minutes of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 120 minutes of reperfusion. Myocardial coronary blood flow, adenosine

triphosphate pool, infarct size, and the incident of ventricular fibrillation and cardioversion were also measured. The dogs received an intravenous infusion of the vehicle (control) or 100 mu M of erythro-9 (2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)-adenine and 25 mu M p-nitrobenzylthioinosine before ischemia (preconditioning group) or just before reperfusion (postconditioning selleck kinase inhibitor group).

Results: In the control group, adenosine triphosphate depletion was associated with the accumulation of more inosine than adenosine during ischemia and washed out during reperfusion. Myocardial adenosine and inosine were the major nucleosides in the pre- and postconditioning groups during ischemia and remained detectable during reperfusion. In both groups, recovery of systolic segmental shortening and wall thickening and a reduction in the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (P < .05 vs the control group) coincided with retention of myocardial nucleosides. The infarct size in the 3 groups was not significantly different, independent of myocardial blood flow during ischemia.

Patients treated with all three treatment modalities had longer survival than did patients treated with a single modality (P = .013). Patients treated with chemotherapy had a more favorable survival than did those without chemotherapy (P = .048).

Conclusions: Primary angiosarcoma of the heart and great vessels is rare but is a harbinger

of poor SRT2104 clinical trial prognosis. Pathologic examination is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Combined therapy with surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy offers patients the best survival. (J Vasc Surg 2013;57:756-64.)”
“Objective: To describe our experience with the treatment of renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) and renal arteriovenous fistulas (RAVFs) by transcatheter techniques with special consideration given to indications, technical options, and complications.

Methods: Over the last 7 years (2004-2011), endovascular treatment of nine RAAs and six RAVFs in 15 patients (11 women; mean [standard deviation] age, 42 [15] years; range, 18-75 years) was retrospectively reviewed.

Seven aneurysms and six arteriovenous fistulas were treated with coil embolization. One aneurysm was treated with the stent graft, and the other aneurysm was treated with coil embolization combined with stent graft. Electronic medical charts were reviewed, and demographic, clinical, procedural, and follow-up data were analyzed.

Results: The lesion was asymptomatic SGC-CBP30 order in seven patients and symptomatic in eight patients, including ruptures in two patients. The most common comorbidity and associated risk factor was hypertension (n = 8). The technical success rate was 100%. There was no periprocedural mortality or major complications. The only complication was postembolization syndrome in nine patients. Mean clinical follow-up was 24.7 months, mafosfamide and mean imaging follow-up was 16.3 months. During the imaging follow-up, partial renal infarcts were detected in six patients, with no evidence of renal insufficiency. No recurrence was observed.

Conclusions: At our institution, endovascular therapy represents the first-line treatment

of RAAs and RAVFs. Postembolization syndrome and segmental renal infarcts are common events but were not found to be clinically significant. (J Vasc Surg 2013;57:765-70.)”
“Accidental nuclear scenarios lead to environmental contamination of unknown level. Immediate radiation-induced biological responses that trigger processes leading to adverse health effects decades later are not well understood. A comprehensive proteomic analysis provides a promising means to identify and quantify the initial damage after radiation exposure. Early changes in the cardiac tissue of C57BL/6 mice exposed to total body irradiation were studied, using a dose relevant to both intentional and accidental exposure (3 Gy gamma ray). Heart tissue protein lysates were analyzed 5 and 24 h after the exposure using isotope-coded protein labeling (ICPL) and 2-dimensional difference-in-gel-electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) proteomics approaches.