This study was performed to investigate the mechanism of the clozapine-induced seizures in partially restrained rats by concomitant treatment with drugs affecting monoaminergic systems. Partially restrained rats treated with acute single doses of 10mg/kg clozapine exhibited myoclonic jerks(MJs). Drugs affecting the monoaminergic systems, including 2mg/kg haloperidol, 5mg/kg propranolol, 2mg/kg ritanserin, 20mg/kg fluoxetine, and 20mg/kg imipramine, were concomitantly treated with clozapine to observe the effects of these drugs on the MJs. The drugs were given intraperitoneally either as acute single doses(haloperidol, propranolol, ritanserin, and fluoxetine) or as chronic doses for 21 days(haloperidol, imipramine, ritanserin, and fluoxetine). The effects of the concomitant treatment of other drugs on the clozapine-induced MJs were evaluated by comparison of the total numbers of the MJs between the clozapine-treated and concomitantly treated groups. The results were as follows. 1) Concomitant treatment with acute single doses of haloperidol, propranolol, and fluoxetine reduced the total numbers of the clozapine-induced MJs, while concomitant treatment with ritanserin did not. 2) Concomitant treatment with chronic doses of imipramine and ritanserin increased the total numbers of the MJs, while concomitant treatment with fluoxetine reduced them. Concomitant chronic treatment with haloperidol did not affect the numbers of the MJs. These results suggest that dopamine and serotonin, not noradrenalin may be involved in the clozapine-induced MJs in partially restrained rats. Future research needs to study the function of each subtype of monoaminergic receptors on the mechanism of the clozapine-induced seizure.
Animals ; Clozapine ; Dopamine ; Fluoxetine ; Haloperidol ; Imipramine ; Myoclonus* ; Propranolol ; Rats* ; Ritanserin ; Seizures ; Serotonin

BACKGROUND: The median effective concentration, EC(50), for the supraglottic airway (predicted plasma concentration equilibrated with the effect site at which supraglottic airway insertion is successful in 50% of patients) of propofol in children was not known. The aim of this study was to determine the EC(50) with a target-controlled infusion of propofol to insert a classic laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and laryngeal tube (LT) in pediatric patients. METHODS: Pediatric patients scheduled for urologic, orthopedic, or plastic surgery lasting less than 2 hr under general anesthesia were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into two groups in a randomized, double blind manner. After applying a standard cardiorespiratory monitor, anesthesia was carried out with a target-controlled infusion (TCI) using the stelpump program. The initial target concentration of propofol was 5microgram/ml, and in accordance with Dixon's up-and-down, the propofol concentration for consecutive patients in each group was varied with increments or decrements of 0.2microgram/ml based on the previous patient insertion result. RESULTS: The EC(50) of propofol required to insert a LMA and LT was 5.5+/-0.2microgram/ml and 5.6+/-0.2microgram/ml, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The EC50 of propofol is similar for LMA and LT.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Child* ; Humans ; Laryngeal Masks* ; Orthopedics ; Plasma ; Propofol* ; Surgery, Plastic

Anesthetic management for aortic arch aneurysm (AAA) surgery employing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in a Jehovah's Witness (JW) patient is a challenge to anesthesiologist due to its complexity of procedures and their refusal of allogeneic transfusion. Even in the strict application of intraoperative acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and intraopertive cell salvage (ICS) technique, prompt timing of re-administration of salvaged blood is essential for successful operation without allogeneic transfusion or ischemic complication of major organs. Cerebral oximetery (rSO2) monitoring using near infrared spectroscopy is a useful modality for detecting cerebral ischemia during the AAA surgery requiring direct interruption of cerebral flow. The present case showed that rSO2 can be used as a trigger facilitating to find a better timing for the re-administration of salvaged blood acquired during the AAA surgery for JW patient.
Aneurysm ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Brain Ischemia ; Circulatory Arrest, Deep Hypothermia Induced ; Disulfiram ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Oximetry ; Spectrum Analysis ; Wit and Humor as Topic

Anesthetic management for aortic arch aneurysm (AAA) surgery employing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in a Jehovah's Witness (JW) patient is a challenge to anesthesiologist due to its complexity of procedures and their refusal of allogeneic transfusion. Even in the strict application of intraoperative acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and intraopertive cell salvage (ICS) technique, prompt timing of re-administration of salvaged blood is essential for successful operation without allogeneic transfusion or ischemic complication of major organs. Cerebral oximetery (rSO2) monitoring using near infrared spectroscopy is a useful modality for detecting cerebral ischemia during the AAA surgery requiring direct interruption of cerebral flow. The present case showed that rSO2 can be used as a trigger facilitating to find a better timing for the re-administration of salvaged blood acquired during the AAA surgery for JW patient.
Aneurysm ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Brain Ischemia ; Circulatory Arrest, Deep Hypothermia Induced ; Disulfiram ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Oximetry ; Spectrum Analysis ; Wit and Humor as Topic

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can provide real time information about anatomic and hemodynamic state and guide management in cardiac surgery.Despite greater technical advances, TEE has artifacts and pitfalls.This report describes a 68-year-old female patient underwent mitral valve replacement and Maze operation.After the procedures, TEE found right atrial mass which did not exist before cardiopulmonary bypass.After discussing with operator, right atrium was explored because it was thought to be a thrombus attached on pulmonary arterial catheter.However, it was revealed as folding of right atrium.The pitfalls of TEE resulted in misdiagnosis and unnecessary procedure.Therefore, authors reviewed echocardiographical artifacts and pitfalls in right atrium which could be misdiagnosed.
Aged ; Artifacts ; Diagnostic Errors ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Thrombosis

PURPOSE: To determine the usefulness of three-dimensional CT angiography using multidetector-row CT (MDCT) for delineating the arterial anatomy of the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatic arterial three-dimensional CT angiography was performed using MDCT (Lightspeed Qx/I; GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.A.) in 45 patients with HCC undergoing conventional angiography for transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization. The scanning parameters during the early arterial phase were 2.5 mm slice thickness, 7.5 mm rotation of table speed, and a pitch of 3. Images were obtained by one radiologist using maximum intensity projection from axial CT images obtained during the early arterial phase. Two radiologists blinded to the findings of conventional angiography independently evaluated the hepatic arterial anatomy and the quality of the images obtained. RESULTS: Compared with conventional angiography, reader A correctly evaluated the hepatic arterial anatomy depicted at three-dimensional CT angiography. Reader B's evaluation was correct in 40 of 45 patients. Interobserver agreement was good (kappa value, 0.73), and both readers assessed the quality of three-dimensional CT angiography as excellent. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional CT angiography using MDCT was accurate for delineating the arterial anatomy of the liver, and interobserver agreement was good. The modality may provide, prior to conventional angiography, valuable information regarding a patient's hepatic arterial anatomy.
Angiography* ; Hepatic Artery* ; Humans ; Liver

Intracardiac thrombus during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with full heparinization is very rare but fatal. A 60-year-old woman was scheduled for aortic and mitral valve repairs with a maze procedure for mixed aortic and mitral valvular heart disease with atrial fibrillation. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac computed tomography showed moderate aortic regurgitation and moderate mitral stenosis with regurgitation. There was no intracardiac thrombus. Aortic and mitral valve repairs with the maze procedure were successfully performed without unexpected events. During CPB weaning, a mobile hyper-echogenic mass in the left atrium was detected on transesophageal echocardiography. After cardiac arrest, it was surgically removed. On completion of the operation, weaning from CPB was accomplished uneventfully. The patient fully recovered and was discharged from the intensive care unit on her third postoperative day.
Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Atria ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Heparin ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Thrombosis ; Weaning

This study aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of substance P (SP) in an animal model of neuropathic pain. An experimental model of neuropathic pain, the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model, was established using ICR mice. An intravenous (i.v.) injection of SP (1 nmole/kg) was administered to the mice to examine the analgesic effects of systemic SP on neuropathic pain. Behavioral testing and immunostaining was performed following treatment of the CCI model with SP. SP attenuated mechanical allodynia in a time-dependent manner, beginning at 1 h following administration, peaking at 1 day post-injection, and decaying by 3 days post-injection. The second injection of SP also increased the threshold of mechanical allodynia, with the effects peaking on day 1 and decaying by day 3. A reduction in phospho-ERK and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) accompanied the attenuation of mechanical allodynia. We have shown for the first time that i.v. administration of substance P attenuated mechanical allodynia in the maintenance phase of neuropathic pain using von Frey’s test, and simultaneously reduced levels of phospho-ERK and GFAP, which are representative biochemical markers of neuropathic pain. Importantly, glial cells in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (L4–L5) of SP-treated CCI mice, expressed the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, which was not seen in vehicle saline-treated mice. Thus, i.v. administration of substance P may be beneficial for improving the treatment of patients with neuropathic pain, since it decreases the activity of nociceptive factors and increases the expression of anti-nociceptive factors.
Administration, Intravenous* ; Animals ; Behavior Rating Scale ; Biomarkers ; Constriction ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia* ; Interleukin-10 ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical ; Neuralgia ; Neuroglia ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn ; Substance P*

A simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantification of epsilon-acetamidocaproic acid (AACA), the primary metabolite of zinc acexamate (ZAC), in rat plasma by using normetanephrine as an internal standard. Sample preparation involved protein precipitation using methanol. Separation was achieved on a Gemini-NX C18 column (150 mm x 2.0 mm, i.d., 3 microm particle size) using a mixture of 0.1% formic acid-water : acetonitrile (80 : 20, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 200 microl/min. Quantification was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer employing electrospray ionization and operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and positive ion mode. The total chromatographic run time was 4.0 min, and the calibration curves of AACA were linear over the concentration range of 20~5000 ng/ml in rat plasma. The coefficient of variation and relative error at four QC levels were ranged from 1.0% to 5.8% and from -8.4% to 6.6%, respectively. The present method was successfully applied for estimating the pharmacokinetic parameters of AACA following intravenous or oral administration of ZAC to rats.
6-Aminocaproic Acid ; Acetonitriles ; Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Calibration ; Mass Spectrometry* ; Methanol ; Normetanephrine ; Pharmacokinetics ; Plasma* ; Rats* ; Zinc

We report a case using cerebral oxygen saturation (rCbO2) for off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery in a patient with co-existing Moyamoya disease. The rCbO2 with the routine monitoring for OPCAB surgery were monitored intraoperatively. In spite of infusing nimodipine (0.2 microgram/kg/min) and maintaining the end-tidal CO2 tension at 35-40 mmHg, a sudden reduction in the right-side rCbO2 from the base line value of 70-80%/78-83% (Left/Right) to 70-72%/65-70% was developed during the harvesting of the vascular graft. We increased the rate of phenylephrine infusion to increase systemic and cerebral perfusion pressure, and both rCbO2 values were elevated to 80%/70% within 3 minutes. However, the preferential reduction in the right-side rCbO2 compared with the left-side value was not corrected. While suspecting cerebral ischemia due to cerebral vascular spasm, we administered nimodipine 2 mg bolus and increased infusion rate to 0.5 microgram/kg/min. Finally, the preferential rCbO2 reduction in the right-side was corrected and both rCbO2 reached 84%/91%. We concluded rCbO2 monitoring is useful for detecting an intraoperative episode of cerebral ischemia and maintaining the optimal cerebral perfusion during OPCAB surgery with Moyamoya disease.
Brain Ischemia ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; Humans ; Moyamoya Disease ; Nimodipine ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Phenylephrine ; Spasm ; Transplants