A study of the relationship between metabolism using1H-MRS and function using several neuropsychological tests in temporal lobe epilepsy

AbstractSeveral investigators have reported on the relationship between metabolism, using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and function, using neuropsychological tests in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients , but the opinions regarding the results remain in contention. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between metabolism, using proton MRS (1H-MRS), and function using several neuropsychological tests in the temporal lobes of TLE patients. We studied 29 TLE patients at our hospital using1H-MRS and neuropsychological tests. We used a clinical 1.5 T MR unit. We conducted five neuropsychological tests to examine the function of the left or right temporal lobe. There were significant correlations between the N-acetylaspartate/creatine + phosphocreatine (NAA/Cr) ratios and the scores of almost all of the neuropsychological tests for the temporal lobe function ipsilateral to the spike focus. However, in two Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) subtests we found no significant correlation in the ipsilateral side. These findings suggest that the NAA/Cr ratios, which reflect neural metabolism, are closely related to function in the temporal lobes of TLE patients . The disparity between the results in two subtests of WMS-R show that several tests may be necessary in order to assess temporal lobe function

Logical design of oral glucose ingestion pattern minimizing blood glucose in humans

Excessive increase in blood glucose level after eating increases the risk of macroangiopathy, and a method for not increasing the postprandial blood glucose level is desired. However, a logical design method of the dietary ingestion pattern controlling the postprandial blood glucose level has not yet been established. We constructed a mathematical model of blood glucose control by oral glucose ingestion in three healthy human subjects, and predicted that intermittent ingestion 30 min apart was the optimal glucose ingestion patterns that minimized the peak value of blood glucose level. We confirmed with subjects that this intermittent pattern consistently decreased the peak value of blood glucose level. We also predicted insulin minimization pattern, and found that the intermittent ingestion 30 min apart was optimal, which is similar to that of glucose minimization pattern. Taken together, these results suggest that the glucose minimization is achieved by suppressing the peak value of insulin concentration, rather than by enhancing insulin concentration. This approach could be applied to design optimal dietary ingestion patterns

Slope in preload recruitable stroke work relationship predicts survival after left ventriculoplasty and mitral repair in patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy

AbstractBackgroundLeft ventriculoplasty (LVP) and mitral valve plasty (MVP) are sometimes effective for patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) who are not eligible for heart transplantation. Strict patient selection is warranted for these controversial procedures.Methods and resultsThe subjects were 18 patients with idiopathic DCM and mitral regurgitation who had not been indicated for heart transplantation due to either older age or patient refusal, and who underwent LVP and MVP. Their mean age was 57±14 years and 50% were dependent on catecholamine infusion. The preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW) relationship and its slope (Mw) were estimated by a single-beat technique using transthoracic echocardiography. There were one 30-day mortality and six (33%) hospital deaths due to heart failure. The one-year survival rate was 50%. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVDd) decreased from 77±11 to 68±11mm (p=0.001) whereas the ejection fraction did not change. Preoperative Mw was significantly higher in one-year survivors than that in non-survivors (54±17ergcm−3103 vs. 31±10ergcm−3103, p=0.005). Preoperative LVDd was not different between the groups. The cut-off value of 42ergcm−3103 for Mw predicted one-year survival with high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (77%).ConclusionsMw, the slope in the PRSW relationship, may predict survival after LVP and MVP in patients with idiopathic DCM

Pathobiological implications of mucin (MUC) expression in the outcome of small bowel cancer.

Mucins have been associated with survival in various cancer patients, but there have been no studies of mucins in small bowel carcinoma (SBC). In this study, we investigated the relationships between mucin expression and clinicopathologic factors in 60 SBC cases, in which expression profiles of MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC6 and MUC16 in cancer and normal tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry. MUC1, MUC5AC and MUC16 expression was increased in SBC lesions compared to the normal epithelium, and expression of these mucins was related to clinicopathologic factors, as follows: MUC1 [tumor location (p = 0.019), depth (p = 0.017) and curability (p = 0.007)], MUC5AC [tumor location (p = 0.063) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.059)], and MUC16 [venous invasion (p = 0.016) and curability (p = 0.016)]. Analysis of 58 cases with survival data revealed five factors associated with a poor prognosis: poorly-differentiated or neuroendocrine histological type (

Pummerer Reaction of Sulfoxides in Acetic Anhydride Catalyzed by Al-MCM-41

The Pummerer reaction of acetic anhydride with both alkyl aryl sulfoxides and dialkyl sulfoxides was efficiently promoted by a mesoporous aluminosilicate Al-MCM-41 to afford the corresponding α-acetoxy sulfides in high yields. The catalyst was easily recovered by filtration and could be reused three times without a significant loss of catalytic activity

Feasibility and limitations of mitral valve repair, with or without left ventricular reconstruction in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Background: Although non-transplant surgical interventions for non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) are relatively effective, their feasibility and limitations have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to define the feasibility and limitations of mitral valve repair, with or without surgical ventricular reconstruction for patients with NIDCM in terms of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LOS). Methods: Twenty non-transplant candidates (aged 57 ± 13 years) with NIDCM and significant mitral regurgitation had undergone mitral valve repair combined with submitral procedures. Using a 72-mL plastic ellipsoidal sizer, left ventricular reconstruction was performed concomitantly in 14/20 (70%) patients with extremely large ventricles. Total stroke volume, deceleration time of early trans-mitral flow wave, and the slope (Mw) in the preload recruitable stroke-work relationship were assessed using transthoracic echocardiography. LOS was defined as in-hospital death due to heart failure or a cardiac index less than 2.2 L/min/m2 before discharge. Results: There were three in-hospital deaths and four patients with postoperative cardiac index less than 2.2 L/min/m2 [n = 7 (35%), LOS group]. Preoperative total stroke volume, deceleration time, and the Mw were significantly lower in the LOS group compared to those in the non-LOS group; the predicted cut-off values for LOS were 84 mL/beat (p = 0.008), 133 ms (p = 0.015), and 45 erg cm-3 × 10^3 (p = 0.036), respectively. Preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction and ventricular size could not predict postoperative LOS. The one-year survival rate was 0% in the LOS group and 84% in the non-LOS group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Mitral valve repair, with or without left ventricular reconstruction, could be contraindicated for NIDCM patients with low total stroke volume, deceleration time, and Mw in terms of high postoperative incidence of LOS. For high-risk patients, other therapeutic strategies might be necessary

The extent of papillary muscle approximation affects mortality and durability of mitral valve repair for ischemic mitral regurgitation

Background: Since reduction annuloplasty alone for ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) cannot prevent late recurrence of MR or improve survival for those with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and the surgical approach to this etiology is still controversial, we conducted a study to assess the efficacy of the additional papillary muscle approximation (PMA) procedure for ischemic MR by comparing the different subtypes of PMA. Methods: We studied 45 patients who underwent mitral annuloplasty and papillary muscle approximation (PMA) for ischemic MR between 2003 and 2012. Papillary muscles were approximated entirely (cPMA: complete PMA, n = 32) through an LV incision or partially from the tips to mid-parts (iPMA: incomplete PMA, n = 13) through the mitral and aortic valves. Twenty-three patients with cPMA also underwent LV plasty (LVP). We assessed the outcomes after PMA by comparing cPMA and iPMA. Results: The baseline MR grade, NYHA class, LV end-diastolic diameter, and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were 2.8 +/- 1.0, 3.2 +/- 0.6, 67 +/- 6 mm, and 30 +/- 10%, respectively. There were no significant differences in these parameters among those with iPMA, cPMA/LVP-, and cPMA/LVP+, though iPMA patients had better LVEF than others. Three patients died before discharge and 12 died during the follow-up. Recurrence of grade 2+ and 3+ MR occurred in 8 and 2 patients, respectively. Reoperation for recurrent MR was performed only for the 2 patients with recurrence of grade 3+ MR. The cPMA was associated with lower mortality (log-rank P = 0.020) and a lower rate of recurrence of MR >= 2+ (log-rank P = 0.005) than iPMA. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the mortality (log-rank P = 0.45) and rate of recurrence (log-rank P = 0.98) between those with cPMA/LVP- and cPMA/LVP+. The 4-year survival rate and rate of freedom from recurrence of MR >= 2+ were 83% and 85% for those with cPMA, repectively. In contrast, the rates were 48% and 48% for those with iPMA, respectively. Conclusions: Complete PMA could be associated with lower postoperative mortality and higher durability of mitral valve repair for ischemic MR