Int J Med Sci
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To determine the effect of atorvastatin on rat heart failure after myocardial infarction and to investigate the underlying mechanism of atorvastatin-mediated myocardium protection. ⋯ By down-regulating GRP78, caspase-12 and CHOP expressions in myocardial cells in rat heart failure after myocardial infarction, atorvastatin treatment decreased the apoptosis of myocardial cells, suggesting the possible mechanism by which atorvastatin functions in protecting against heart failure.
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Chronic pulmonary disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and fibrosing lung diseases, and atrial fibrillation (AF), are prevalent in elderly people. The impact of cardiac co-morbidities in the elderly, where pulmonary function is impaired, cannot be ignored as they influence mortality. The relationship between the prevalence of AF and pulmonary function is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate this relationship in participants in a health check. ⋯ Impaired pulmonary function is an independent risk factor for AF in the Japanese general population.
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The sonographic umbilical cord coiling in late second trimester of gestation and perinatal outcomes.
This study was conducted to determine whether or not the umbilical cord coiling index (UCI) during the late second trimester of gestation is associated with perinatal outcomes. ⋯ The hyporcoiling of the umbilical cord during the late second trimester of pregnancy suggest that the risk for preterm delivery is high, consequently the delivery of low birthweight neonates is high, and the admission to the neonatal intensive care unit is increased.
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Adverse event reports (AERs) submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were reviewed to confirm platinum agent-associated adverse events, and to clarify the rank-order of these drugs in terms of susceptibility. ⋯ The results obtained herein were consistent with clinical observations, suggesting the usefulness of the FDA's adverse event reporting system, AERS, and the data mining method used herein.
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Various therapeutic protocols were used for the management of sepsis including hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. It has been shown that ozone therapy (OT) reduced inflammation in several entities and exhibits some similarity with HBO in regard to mechanisms of action. We designed a study to evaluate the efficacy of OT in an experimental rat model of sepsis to compare with HBO. ⋯ The current study demonstrated that the administration of OT as well as HBO as adjuvant therapy may support antibiotherapy in protecting the lung against septic injury. HBO and OT reduced tissue oxidative stress, regulated the systemic inflammatory response, and abated cellular infiltration to the lung demonstrated by findings of MPO activity and histopathologic examination. These findings indicated that OT tended to be more effective than HBO, in particular regarding serum IL-1β, lung GSH-Px and histologic outcome.