Search results for "dilation"
showing 10 items of 304 documents
Subtotal esophageal resection in motility disorders of the esophagus.
2005
<i>Background:</i> Esophagectomy for motility disorders is performed infrequently. It is indicated after failed medical therapy, pneumatic dilation, non-resecting surgical and redo procedures. Patient selection in this group is challenging and the operative risk has to be weighted carefully against the poor quality of life with persistent or recurrent dysphagia. <i>Patients and Methods:</i> Between September 1985 and April 2004, subtotal esophageal resections for advanced esophageal motility disorders of the esophagus not responding to previous therapy were carried out in 8 patients (6 females, 2 males). The median age of these patients was 59.5 (43–78) years. Six pa…
Facilitated neurogenic inflammation in unaffected limbs of patients with complex regional pain syndrome.
2003
Pain, edema, increased skin temperature, reddening and trophic changes characterize complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Recently, we have been able to show facilitated neurogenic inflammation on the affected limb. In the current study unaffected limbs were examined after resolution of the CRPS symptoms to assess possible generalized changes predisposing to CRPS. In 12 patients and in 12 healthy volunteers dermal microdialysis in combination with electrical C-fiber stimulation was employed to induce neuropeptide release. Dialysate protein concentration and axon reflex vasodilation were measured. Neither in patients nor in controls did electrical stimulation lead to protein extravasation, …
Nitric oxide production and endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation ameliorated by N1-methylnicotinamide in human blood vessels.
2012
N 1 -methylnicotinamide (MNA + ) has until recently been thought to be a biologically inactive product of nicotinamide metabolism in the pyridine nucleotides pathway. However, the latest observations imply that MNA + may exert antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects through direct action on the endothelium. We examined both in vivo and in vitro whether the compound might induce vasorelaxation in human blood vessels through the improvement of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and a reduction of oxidative stress mediated by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) function. MNA + treatment (100 mg/m 2 orally) in healthy normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic subjects increased the l-argini…
Foetal erythrocytes exhibit an increased ability to scavenge for nitric oxide
1998
The presence of adult human whole blood inhibited in vitro relaxations of rat aortic rings by the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP). Incubation with foetal blood containing the same concentration of haemoglobin produced a shift to the right of the relaxation curve. SNAP-induced vasorelaxations were more inhibited by dialysed solutions of haemoglobin than by the presence of erythrocytes in the organ bath, but there were no differences between the effect of adult or foetal haemoglobins. The presence of plasma from adult or foetal blood did not modify the effects of SNAP. Relaxations induced by endogenous, endothelium-derived, NO were more inhibited by foetal t…
Aortic root dilation in associated with the reduction in capillary density observed at nailfold capillaroscopy in SSc patients
2020
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by endothelial dysfunction and fibroblasts activation. Microvascular disease may be easily observed by means of nailfold capillaroscopy. Recent evidences emphasized also the involvement of large-medium arteries in SSc, mainly in terms of increased stiffness of the vessel wall. The study aims to measure aortic root diameter in a cohort of SSc patients and to correlate echocardiographic findings with the capillaroscopic pictures. We analyzed the clinical records of 125 consecutive SSc patients (M/F 14/111, mean age 55 ± 12.7 years, median disease duration 11 years) referring in 3 second-level rheumatology centers. All subjects un…
Relaxation of human isolated mesenteric arteries by vasopressin and desmopressin.
1994
1. The effects of vasopressin and deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP, desmopressin) were studied in artery rings (0.8-1 mm in external diameter) obtained from portions of human omentum during the course of abdominal operations (27 patients). 2. In arterial rings under resting tension, vasopressin produced concentration-dependent, endothelium-independent contractions with an EC50 of 0.59 +/- 0.12 nM. The V1 antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (1 microM) and the mixed V1-V2 antagonist desGly-d(CH2)5D-Tyr(Et)ValAVP (0.01 microM) displaced the control curve to vasopressin to the right in a parallel manner without differences in the maximal responses. In the presence of indomethacin (1 microM) the…
Fuzzy Relational Mathematical Morphology: Erosion and Dilation
2020
In the recent years, the subject if fuzzy mathematical morphology entered the field of interest of many researchers. In our recent paper [23], we have developed the basis of the (unstructured) L-fuzzy relation mathematical morphology where L is a quantale. In this paper we extend it to the structured case. We introduce structured L-fuzzy relational erosion and dilation operators, study their basic properties, show that under some conditions these operators are dual and form an adjunction pair. Basing on the topological interpretation of these operators, we introduce the category of L-fuzzy relational morphological spaces and their continuous transformations.
Coffee and endothelial function: a battle between caffeine and antioxidants ?
2010
Although coffee is largely consumed by adults in Western countries, controversy exists about its impact on the cardiovascular system. We recently demonstrated that caffeinated and decaffeinated espresso coffee have different acute effects on endothelial function in healthy subjects, measured using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery. In this study, we measured the anti-oxidant capacity of two coffee substances in terms of free stable radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl 50% inhibition (I(50) DPPH). The caffeinated coffee had a slightly higher anti-oxidant capacity than decaffeinated espresso coffee (I(50) DPPH: 1.13±0.02 vs 1.30±0.03 μl; P0.001). We suggest that the unfavo…
Changes in Adrenoceptors and G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 in <smlcap>L</smlcap>-NAME-Induced Hypertension Compared to Spontaneous …
2014
This work compares the expression of adrenoceptors (ARs) and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) 2 (RT-PCR and immunoblotting) and functional responses in conductance (aorta) and resistance vessels (mesenteric resistance arteries; MRA) in two different models of rat hypertension: hypertension induced by chronic treatment with <smlcap>L</smlcap>-NAME (N<sup>G</sup>-nitro-<smlcap>L</smlcap>-arginine methyl-ester) (<smlcap>L</smlcap>-NAME-treated rats; LNHR), and genetically induced hypertension (spontaneously hypertensive rats; SHR). Changes found in the aorta, but not in the MRA, were: (1) a loss of contractile capacity, more evidently in α…
Beta-blockers: Historical Perspective and Mechanisms of Action
2019
Beta-blockers are widely used molecules that are able to antagonize β-adrenergic receptors (ARs), which belong to the G protein-coupled receptor family and receive their stimulus from endogenous catecholamines. Upon β-AR stimulation, numerous intracellular cascades are activated, ultimately leading to cardiac contraction or vascular dilation, depending on the relevant subtype and their location. Three subtypes have been described that are differentially expressed in the body (β1-, β2- and β3-ARs), β1 being the most abundant subtype in the heart. Since their discovery, β-ARs have become an important target to fight cardiovascular disease. In fact, since their discovery by James Black in the …