Differential effect of Pistacia vera extracts on experimental atherosclerosis in the rabbit animal model: an experimental study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lipid-enriched diets and oxidative stress are risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. The effects of the methanolic (ME) and cyclohexane (CHE) extracts of the <it>Pistacia vera </it>nut, often included in the Mediterranean diet, were studied in the rabbit model of atherosclerosis.</p> <p>Methods and results</p> <p>Twenty-four New Zealand White rabbits received atherogenic diet (Control Group), supplemented with ME (Group ME) or CHE (Group CHE) for 3 months. Previously, a GC-MS and a UHPLC LC-DAD-ESI(-)-HRMS/MS method were developed to investigate the extracts' chemical profiles. Blood samples at baseline and monthly determined lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and liver function. The aorta, myocardium and liver were examined histologically at 3 months.</p> <p>Groups ME and CHE had significantly higher HDL- and non-significantly lower LDL-cholesterol median % changes from baseline than the Control Group. Triacylglycerol was significantly higher in Group CHE vs. Control. MDA values were significantly lower in Group ME vs. Control and CHE. ALT and AST were significantly higher in Group CHE vs. Control. γ-GT was lower in Group ME vs. Control. Aortic intimal thickness was significantly less in Groups ME and CHE vs. Control; Group ME atherosclerotic lesions were significantly less extensive vs. Groups Control and CHE. Only Group CHE had significant liver fatty infiltration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>During short-term administration concomitantly with atherogenic diet, both <it>P. vera </it>extracts were beneficial on HDL-, LDL-cholesterol and aortic intimal thickness. The ME additionally presented an antioxidant effect and significant decrease of aortic surface lesions. These results indicate that <it>P. vera </it>dietary inclusion, in particular its ME, is potentially beneficial in atherosclerosis management.</p

Intimal aortic sarcoma mimicking ruptured thoracoabdominal type IV aneurysm. a rare case report and review of the literature

Primary intimal aortic sarcoma represents a very rare and highly lethal medical entity. Diagnosis is made either by embolic events caused by the tumor or by surrounding tissue symptoms such as pain. Herein we report an extremely rare case of a 51-year-old man previously operated for ascending aortic aneurysm, who presented with clinical and radiological findings suggestive of a ruptured thoracoabdominal type IV aneurysm. The patient underwent radical resection of the aorta and surrounding tissue with placement of a composite 4-branched graft. The diagnosis was made by frozen section and regular histopathologic examination of the specimen and the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. Nine months after surgery the patient is still alive and has no signs of recurrence. We review the literature and discuss the option of postoperative chemotherapy

Ultrasound-image-based texture variability along the carotid artery wall in asymptomatic subjects with low and high stenosis degrees: unveiling morphological phenomena of the vulnerable tissue

Valid identification of the vulnerable asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis remains a crucial clinical issue. In this study, texture differences were estimated along the atherosclerotic arterial wall, namely at the plaque, the wall adjacent to it and the plaque shoulder, i.e. the boundary between wall and plaque, in an attempt to reveal morphological phenomena, representative of the high stenosis (considered vulnerable) cases. A total of 25 arteries were interrogated, 11 with low (50-69%) and 14 with high (70-100%) degrees of stenosis. The two groups had similar ages. Texture features were estimated from B-mode ultrasound images, and included four second-order statistical parameters (contrast, correlation, energy and homogeneity), each calculated at four different image directions (0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 135 degrees), yielding a total of 16 features. Texture differences between (a) wall and plaque and (b) wall and plaque shoulder were quantified as the differences in texture feature values for each tissue area normalised by the texture feature value of the wall, which was considered as reference, as illustrated in the following equation: dTF(i) = (TFi,W - TFi,P/S)/TFi,W, where dTF(i) the estimated texture difference, TFi,W the texture of the wall, and TFi,P/S the texture of the plaque (P) or the shoulder (S). Significant differences in texture variability of wall vs. shoulder were observed between high and low stenosis cases for 3 features at diastole and 7 features at systole. No differences were observed for wall vs plaque, although wall texture was significantly different than plaque texture, in absolute values. These findings suggest that texture variability along the atherosclerotic wall, which is indicative of tissue discontinuities, and proneness to rupture, can be quantitatively described with texture indices and reveal valuable morphological phenomena of the vulnerable tissue. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Moyamoya Disease: Clinical and Radiological Characteristics in Adult Greek Patients

Background and purpose: The aim of our study is to present, for the first time, the clinical, radiological, and neurocognitive characteristics of Greek adult patients with Moyamoya disease (MMD). Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected data of 12 patients referred to our department from 2004 to 2019. All patients underwent a thorough diagnostic work up, including extensive clinical, neuroradiological, and neurocognitive assessment. Results: Our study population consisted of 7 females and the median age at the time of the diagnosis was 43.5 years. No patient had a positive family history of the disease and roughly 50% were hypertensives. Ten patients presented with transient or permanent cerebrovascular ischemia and two patients suffered from hemorrhagic complications. The median NIHSS was 7.5 (0–23) and clinical status remained stable during follow-up with conservative treatment in most of the patients. The majority (83.3%) had bilateral disease confirmed by DSA. All lesions exclusively affected the anterior circulation, with 50% of patients presenting with stenoocclusive changes. No aneurysm or AVM were revealed. The most common neurocognitive deficits were in the executive and language domains. Conclusions: Our MMD patients had a later onset of the disease and an absence of familial occurrence. The most common manifestation was ischemia, transient or permanent, and all lesions affected the anterior circulation, whereas no vascular malformations (AVM, aneurysms) were demonstrated in brain imaging. These findings in Greek patients imply a probable different, Mediterranean phenotype

Selective hepatic arterial infusion of In-111-DTPA-Phe(1)-octreotide in neuroendocrine liver metastases

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of In-111-DTPA-Phe(1)-octreotide infusions after selective catheterization of the hepatic artery in inoperable metastasised liver, sst(2) receptor-positive neuroendocrine tumours due to the effect of In-111 Auger electron emission, minimising in parallel the toxicity of non-target tissue. Methods The average dose per session administered monthly to each patient (17 cases in total) was 6.3 +/- 2.3 GBq. Repetitions did not exceed 12-fold, except in one case (15 sessions). Response assessment was classified according to the Response Evaluating Criteria in Solid Tumours. CT/MRI scans were performed as baseline before, during and after the end of treatment, and monthly ultrasound images for follow-up measurements. Toxicity (World Health Organization criteria) was measured using blood and urine tests of renal, hepatic and bone marrow function. Results Complete response was achieved in one (5.9%) patient and partial in eight (47.0%), and disease stabilization in 3 (17.7%) patients; five (29.4%) did not respond. A 32-month median survival time was estimated in 12 (70.5%). Nine of these 12 surviving had a mean target diameter shrinkage from 144 +/- 81 to 60 +/- 59 mm. Grade 1 erythro-, leuko- and thrombo-cytopenia occurred in three (17.6%) cases. Conclusion In unresectable metastatic liver lesions positive for somatostatin receptors repeated, transhepatic high doses of In-111-DTPA-Phe(1)-octreotide show an effective therapeutic outcome. Given the locoregional modality character of the administration technique plus the extremely short range of In-111 Auger and internal conversion electrons emission, no nephro-, liver- or myelo-toxicity has so far been observed

Neurocognitive Profiles of Caucasian Moyamoya Disease Patients in Greece: A Case Series

The impact of Moyamoya Disease (MMD) on cognition inadult Caucasian patients has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The current study is the first to present detailed neuropsychological data on a series of Greek patients with MMD. A group of eight patients was assessed with an extensive neuropsychological battery, including measures of episodic memory, working memory, executive functions, language, and social cognition. The results indicated that MMD may be characterized by a trichotomous neurocognitive profile, characterized by prominent impairment in working memory, executive functions, and social cognition. Overall, we stress the need for a thorough cognitive evaluation of MMD patients and further highlight the potential importance of social cognition in this particular disease. Possible associations between the three impaired cognitive domains in our group are also discussed