Suture Retention Strength of Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) Graft

Our meticulous investigation of ePTFE graft breakage when a wire placed at the edge of an ePTFE graft was pulled, revealed that, depending on the breakage pattern, a break starts much earlier than the peak suture retention strength, which is the current international indicator for anastomotic-site break strength. Furthermore, the breakage patterns differ based on the thickness of the wire and the fiber direction of the ePTFE graft. Based on these findings, we advocate measuring the peak suture retention strength using 0.10-mm sutures and a standardized wire thickness in order to assess the anastomotic retention strength of ePTFE grafts.</p

Alanine with the Precipitate of Tomato Juice Administered to Rats Enhances the Reduction in Blood Ethanol Levels

Delay in gastric emptying (GE) lowers the blood ethanol concentration (BEC) after alcohol administration. We previously demonstrated that water-insoluble fractions, mainly comprising dietary fiber derived from many types of botanical foods, possessed the ability to absorb ethanol-containing aqueous solutions. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between the absorption of ethanol and lowering of BEC because of delay in GE. Here we identified dietary nutrients that synergize with the water-insoluble fraction of tomatoes to lower BEC in rats. Consequently, unlike tomato juice without alanine, tomato juice with 5.0% alanine decreased BEC depending on the delay in GE and mediated the ethanol-induced decrease in the spontaneous motor activity (an indicator of drunkenness). Our findings indicate that the synergism between tomato juice and alanine to reduce the absorption of ethanol was attributable to the effect of alanine on precipitates such as the water-insoluble fraction of tomatoes

Retinol Supplements Antiviral Action of Interferon in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C: A Prospective Pilot Study

Sustained virologic response with peg-interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for 48 weeks is still inadequate. Our study examined whether short-term administration of retinol clinically influences the anti-viral activity of interferon early during interferon and ribavirin combination therapy. The control group received 6 MIU of interferon α-2b every day for two weeks and then 3 times a week for 22 weeks intramuscularly plus 600 mg or 800 mg per day of ribavirin orally for 24 weeks. The retinol group, in addition to above treatment, received retinol 30,000 units per day orally for 3 weeks from one week before the start of interferon α-2b plus ribavirin combination therapy. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA negativity rate at 1 week after the end of interferon α-2b and ribavirin combination therapy was 46.7% (28/60) for the retinol group and 31.7% (19/60) for the control group, which was significantly higher for the retinol group. The level of serum HCV RNA in the retinol group was significantly lower at 1 week after beginning treatment as compared to the control group (p<0.01). Furthermore, serum 2,5'AS protein at 1 week after beginning treatment was significantly higher in the retinol group (p = 0.0002). The results suggest that retinol supplement increases the antiviral effect of interferon α-2b plus ribavirin only during the administration of IFN α-2b, ribavirin and retinol in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Long-term follow-up after vitrectomy to treat idiopathic full-thickness macular holes: visual acuity and macular complications.

To assess time-course changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) up to 5 years after vitrectomy to treat idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (MHs) and identify the relationship of the changes to postoperative complications.Twenty-three consecutive patients with an idiopathic MH underwent vitrectomy without adjuvant treatment. BCVA and complications were assessed postoperatively.Twenty-two of 23 (95.7%) MHs closed after the first surgery, with a final anatomic success rate of 100%. The time course of the BCVA was analyzed in 20 cases in which data were obtained for over 5 years. The BCVA improved by 0.43 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) unit 6 months postoperatively (P < 0.001) and continuously improved by 0.05, 0.06, and 0.07 logMAR units between 6 months and 1 year, 1 year and 3 years (by 0.11 logMAR unit between 6 months and 3 years; P = 0.049), and 3 years and 5 years (P = 0.018) postoperatively, respectively. Macular complications developed in seven (35%) of the 20 cases; the mean BCVA at 5 years in these cases was significantly (P < 0.001) worse than in cases without complications.The BCVA might improve gradually for 5 years after vitrectomy to treat MHs. However, the macular complications that can develop postoperatively could limit that possibility

Effects of Regular Low-Level Alcohol Consumption in Healthy Individuals: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study

The effects of alcohol consumption on health are suggested to depend on the amount of alcohol consumed. We investigated the objective and subjective health effects of the daily consumption of a small amount of alcohol in healthy individuals using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Accordingly, 15 male and 27 female Japanese adults with average or lower general well-being schedule (GWBS) scores were asked to consume a beverage with 0.5% (v/v) alcohol (~4 g of alcohol a day; test beverage) and a placebo beverage two times daily for 4 weeks each. Regular low-level alcohol consumption significantly decreased the serum liver function indexes (aspartic aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase) before and after consumption (p = 0.034, 0.033, and 0.013, respectively). The small amount of alcohol did not affect the participants&rsquo; GWBS scores; however, a stratified analysis with poor subjective well-being revealed that these changes differed significantly between low-level alcohol consumption and placebo-treated subjects (16.0 vs. 11.5, p = 0.041). In addition, changes in serum testosterone levels demonstrated a higher trend in the group that received the test beverage compared with the group that received the placebo beverage (p = 0.051). Daily low-level alcohol consumption may have positive effects on liver function and subjective well-being

Combined Supplementation with Glycine and Tryptophan Reduces Purine-Induced Serum Uric Acid Elevation by Accelerating Urinary Uric Acid Excretion: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study

The authors previously confirmed the serum uric acid-lowering effects of the combination of glycine and tryptophan in subjects with mild hyperuricemia. This study examined whether combined supplementation with glycine and tryptophan suppressed the elevation in serum uric acid levels caused by purine ingestion and accelerated urinary uric acid excretion in subjects with lower urate excretion using a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial design. Healthy Japanese adult males with lower urate excretion ingested water containing purines in addition to dextrin (placebo), tryptophan, glycine, or a glycine and tryptophan mixture. The combined supplementation with glycine and tryptophan significantly reduced the elevated serum uric acid levels after purine ingestion. Glycine alone and in combination with tryptophan significantly increased urinary uric acid excretion and urate clearance compared with the effects of the placebo. Urinary pH increased by the ingestion of the mixture. These results suggested that the improved water solubility of uric acid due to increased urinary pH contributed to the increase of urinary uric acid excretion