Utilização do anel metálico unitary anastomotic device (UAD) e da técnica convencional de sutura para anastomose da artéria carótida experimentalmente em cães

The present study aimed to compare the technique of conventional closing-terminal anastomosis, with the use of the Unitary Anastomotic Device (UAD) metallic ring. The study was carried out with six mongrel dogs, young adult male dogs. The animals were submitted to experimental closing-terminal anastomosis of the carotid artery, by two surgical techniques. On one side, the conventional technique of continuous suture with polypropylene 5-0 was used with the union of three equally distant stitches and on the counter-lateral artery, the metallic ring was used bonding the vascular extremities with the same thread. The time of execution of the anastomosis, the presence of hemorrhage during the surgical procedure, the diameter of the vessels and the blood speed (PVS) through ultrasonography with a colored Doppler were all compared after the anastomosis. In the clinical evaluations, the methods used presented similar results. The time of execution was significantly shorter on the side of the metallic ring, in which no hemorrhage episode was observed. Vessel diameter on the side of metallic ring was statistical larger than the side of conventional suture which contributes for the lower PVS, although it does differ statistically (P >; 0.05). In conclusion, both methods are efficient, however, the metallic ring provides a significantly shorter time of execution which contributes for laborious surgery with many anastomosis, like organs transplants, where the time of organ ischemy can be crucial for patient survival.O presente estudo teve como objetivo comparar a técnica de anastomose término-terminal convencional com a utilização do anel metálico Unitary Anastomotic Device (UAD). Seis cães machos, sem raça definida, adultos jovens foram submetidos à anastomose término-terminal experimental da artéria carótida, por meio das duas técnicas operatórias. Em um lado utilizou-se a técnica convencional com sutura contínua, com polipropileno 5-0 unindo três pontos equidistantes e, na artéria contralateral, empregou-se o anel metálico unindo as extremidades vasculares com o mesmo fio. Foram avaliados o tempo de execução das anastomoses a presença de hemorragia durante o procedimento cirúrgico, o diâmetro dos vasos e o pico de velocidade sistólica (PSV) após as anastomoses. Os dados foram submetidos a estudo estatístico (teste t de Student, com nível de significância igual a 0,05%), levando-se em consideração a natureza das variáveis estudadas. O tempo de execução foi estatisticamente menor no lado do anel metálico (P < 0,05), no qual não se observou episódio de hemorragia. A sutura convencional apresentou pequena hemorragia em dois animais, as quais foram contidas com pontos adicionais. Houve aumento estatístico do diâmetro do vaso observado no lado pós-anastomose quando se utilizou a prótese (P < 0,05), o que contribuiu para um menor PVS no local quando comparado com o lado da sutura convencional, embora não tenham diferido estatisticamente (P > 0,05). Os resultados permitiram concluir que ambos os métodos são eficientes, porém o anel metálico propicia um tempo significativamente menor de execução, contribuindo principalmente para cirurgias laboriosas com múltiplas anastomoses, como os transplantes de órgãos, pois o tempo de isquemia do órgão pode ser determinante para a sobrevivência do paciente

In vitro antiplasmodial activity and identification, using tandem LC-MS, of alkaloids from Aspidosperma excelsum, a plant used to treat malaria in Amazonia.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Aspidosperma excelsum Benth. (Apocynaceae), a native tree in the Brazilian Amazonia, is traditionally used to treat various diseases, including malaria. Aim of study: To investigate the chemical constitution, antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity of samples obtained from A. excelsum trunk bark by different procedures aiming to evaluate their potential as an antimalarial phytomedicine. Materials and methods: A hydroethanolic extract and alkaloid extracts were prepared and assayed for antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (W2 strain) and HepG2 cells, respectively. Taking into account the known occurrence and antimalarial activity of Aspidosperma monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIA), acid-base extractions were carried out and the fractions were assayed for antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity. All the samples were analysed by hyphenated chromatographic techniques, such as UPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS and HRMS (HPLC-MS MicroTOF), comparing their chemical composition to the literature data. Results: The hydroethanolic extract disclosed a moderate in vitro activity against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (W2 strain) with IC50 23.68 ? 3.08 ?g/mL), low cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells (> 250 ?g/ mL) and good SI (> 10.56). A total of 20 known monoterpene indole alkaloids were identified, seven of which are here firstly described for A. excelsum. Known highly active alkaloids, namely demethylaspidospermine, aspidocarpine, and ochrolifuanine are present in active alkaloid fractions and might contribute to their observed antiplasmodial effect. An alkaloid fraction (Ae-Alk2), obtained directly from trunk bark by extraction with dil. aqueous HCl, pointed out for its activity (IC50 8.75 ? 2.26 ?g/mL, CC50 185.14 ? 1.97 ?g/mL, SI 21.16) and should be highlighted as the most promising out of the assayed samples. Conclusion: The present results represent a preliminary support to the alleged antimalarial use of A. excelsum trunk bark and allowed to highlight alkaloid fractions as promising phytomedicines

Management of coronary disease in patients with advanced kidney disease

BACKGROUND Clinical trials that have assessed the effect of revascularization in patients with stable coronary disease have routinely excluded those with advanced chronic kidney disease. METHODS We randomly assigned 777 patients with advanced kidney disease and moderate or severe ischemia on stress testing to be treated with an initial invasive strategy consisting of coronary angiography and revascularization (if appropriate) added to medical therapy or an initial conservative strategy consisting of medical therapy alone and angiography reserved for those in whom medical therapy had failed. The primary outcome was a composite of death or nonfatal myocardial infarction. A key secondary outcome was a composite of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure, or resuscitated cardiac arrest. RESULTS At a median follow-up of 2.2 years, a primary outcome event had occurred in 123 patients in the invasive-strategy group and in 129 patients in the conservative-strategy group (estimated 3-year event rate, 36.4% vs. 36.7%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79 to 1.29; P=0.95). Results for the key secondary outcome were similar (38.5% vs. 39.7%; hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.29). The invasive strategy was associated with a higher incidence of stroke than the conservative strategy (hazard ratio, 3.76; 95% CI, 1.52 to 9.32; P=0.004) and with a higher incidence of death or initiation of dialysis (hazard ratio, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.11; P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with stable coronary disease, advanced chronic kidney disease, and moderate or severe ischemia, we did not find evidence that an initial invasive strategy, as compared with an initial conservative strategy, reduced the risk of death or nonfatal myocardial infarction

Health status after invasive or conservative care in coronary and advanced kidney disease

BACKGROUND In the ISCHEMIA-CKD trial, the primary analysis showed no significant difference in the risk of death or myocardial infarction with initial angiography and revascularization plus guideline-based medical therapy (invasive strategy) as compared with guideline-based medical therapy alone (conservative strategy) in participants with stable ischemic heart disease, moderate or severe ischemia, and advanced chronic kidney disease (an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <30 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 or receipt of dialysis). A secondary objective of the trial was to assess angina-related health status. METHODS We assessed health status with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) before randomization and at 1.5, 3, and 6 months and every 6 months thereafter. The primary outcome of this analysis was the SAQ Summary score (ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating less frequent angina and better function and quality of life). Mixed-effects cumulative probability models within a Bayesian framework were used to estimate the treatment effect with the invasive strategy. RESULTS Health status was assessed in 705 of 777 participants. Nearly half the participants (49%) had had no angina during the month before randomization. At 3 months, the estimated mean difference between the invasive-strategy group and the conservative-strategy group in the SAQ Summary score was 2.1 points (95% credible interval, 120.4 to 4.6), a result that favored the invasive strategy. The mean difference in score at 3 months was largest among participants with daily or weekly angina at baseline (10.1 points; 95% credible interval, 0.0 to 19.9), smaller among those with monthly angina at baseline (2.2 points; 95% credible interval, 122.0 to 6.2), and nearly absent among those without angina at baseline (0.6 points; 95% credible interval, 121.9 to 3.3). By 6 months, the between-group difference in the overall trial population was attenuated (0.5 points; 95% credible interval, 122.2 to 3.4). CONCLUSIONS Participants with stable ischemic heart disease, moderate or severe ischemia, and advanced chronic kidney disease did not have substantial or sustained benefits with regard to angina-related health status with an initially invasive strategy as compared with a conservative strategy

Health-status outcomes with invasive or conservative care in coronary disease

BACKGROUND In the ISCHEMIA trial, an invasive strategy with angiographic assessment and revascularization did not reduce clinical events among patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate or severe ischemia. A secondary objective of the trial was to assess angina-related health status among these patients. METHODS We assessed angina-related symptoms, function, and quality of life with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) at randomization, at months 1.5, 3, and 6, and every 6 months thereafter in participants who had been randomly assigned to an invasive treatment strategy (2295 participants) or a conservative strategy (2322). Mixed-effects cumulative probability models within a Bayesian framework were used to estimate differences between the treatment groups. The primary outcome of this health-status analysis was the SAQ summary score (scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status). All analyses were performed in the overall population and according to baseline angina frequency. RESULTS At baseline, 35% of patients reported having no angina in the previous month. SAQ summary scores increased in both treatment groups, with increases at 3, 12, and 36 months that were 4.1 points (95% credible interval, 3.2 to 5.0), 4.2 points (95% credible interval, 3.3 to 5.1), and 2.9 points (95% credible interval, 2.2 to 3.7) higher with the invasive strategy than with the conservative strategy. Differences were larger among participants who had more frequent angina at baseline (8.5 vs. 0.1 points at 3 months and 5.3 vs. 1.2 points at 36 months among participants with daily or weekly angina as compared with no angina). CONCLUSIONS In the overall trial population with moderate or severe ischemia, which included 35% of participants without angina at baseline, patients randomly assigned to the invasive strategy had greater improvement in angina-related health status than those assigned to the conservative strategy. The modest mean differences favoring the invasive strategy in the overall group reflected minimal differences among asymptomatic patients and larger differences among patients who had had angina at baseline

Initial invasive or conservative strategy for stable coronary disease

BACKGROUND Among patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, whether clinical outcomes are better in those who receive an invasive intervention plus medical therapy than in those who receive medical therapy alone is uncertain. METHODS We randomly assigned 5179 patients with moderate or severe ischemia to an initial invasive strategy (angiography and revascularization when feasible) and medical therapy or to an initial conservative strategy of medical therapy alone and angiography if medical therapy failed. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure, or resuscitated cardiac arrest. A key secondary outcome was death from cardiovascular causes or myocardial infarction. RESULTS Over a median of 3.2 years, 318 primary outcome events occurred in the invasive-strategy group and 352 occurred in the conservative-strategy group. At 6 months, the cumulative event rate was 5.3% in the invasive-strategy group and 3.4% in the conservative-strategy group (difference, 1.9 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8 to 3.0); at 5 years, the cumulative event rate was 16.4% and 18.2%, respectively (difference, 121.8 percentage points; 95% CI, 124.7 to 1.0). Results were similar with respect to the key secondary outcome. The incidence of the primary outcome was sensitive to the definition of myocardial infarction; a secondary analysis yielded more procedural myocardial infarctions of uncertain clinical importance. There were 145 deaths in the invasive-strategy group and 144 deaths in the conservative-strategy group (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.32). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, we did not find evidence that an initial invasive strategy, as compared with an initial conservative strategy, reduced the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events or death from any cause over a median of 3.2 years. The trial findings were sensitive to the definition of myocardial infarction that was used

Search for Higgs and ZZ Boson Decays to J/ψγJ/\psi\gamma and Υ(nS)γ\Upsilon(nS)\gamma with the ATLAS Detector

A search for the decays of the Higgs and $Z$ bosons to $J/\psi\gamma$ and $\Upsilon(nS)\gamma$ ($n=1,2,3$) is performed with $pp$ collision data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of up to $20.3\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected at $\sqrt{s}=8\mathrm{TeV}$ with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess of events is observed above expected backgrounds and 95% CL upper limits are placed on the branching fractions. In the $J/\psi\gamma$ final state the limits are $1.5\times10^{-3}$ and $2.6\times10^{-6}$ for the Higgs and $Z$ bosons, respectively, while in the $\Upsilon(1S,2S,3S)\,\gamma$ final states the limits are $(1.3,1.9,1.3)\times10^{-3}$ and $(3.4,6.5,5.4)\times10^{-6}$, respectively