No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Pulmonary Artery*

No abstract available.
Femur* ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary* ; Tibia*

No abstract available.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic*

PURPOSE: Isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium(INVM) can present as heart failure or arrhythmias in a child. It is a rare disorder, characterized by prominent trabecular meshwork and deep intertrabecular recesses. We still know little about the diagnosis, symptoms, and clinical outcomes of INVM. METHODS: We included in our study 6 patients who showed ventricular noncompaction on echocardiography. Patients were diagnosed as INVM were excessively prominent trabeculations with deep intertrabecular recesses were found on echocardiography. Patients who had other complex heart lesions such as pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum in addition to ventricular noncompaction, were excluded. RESULTS: Age at presentation ranged from 1 day 7 years, with follow up being as long as 6 years. Symptoms at initial presentation were heart murmur, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, cyanosis, feeding intolerance, ventricular tachycardia, and cardiomegaly at fetal screening. Prominent trabeculations and intertrabecular recesses were observed at left ventricular apex in all six patients. All patients were alive at last follow-up. One patient showed WPW syndrome on electrocardiography. Echocardiography revealed decreased systolic function in 4 patients, and decreased systolic and diastolic function in 1 patient. One patient is currently asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Six patients were diagnosed with INVM with various symptoms at initial presentation. Echocardiography is the most important tool in the diagnosis of INVM due to its morphological characteristics. INVM can rarely be the cause of long term systolic dysfunction, and early detection by echocardiographic screening may be beneficial.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomegaly ; Child ; Cyanosis ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Heart Murmurs ; Humans ; Isolated Noncompaction of the Ventricular Myocardium* ; Mass Screening ; Pulmonary Atresia ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Trabecular Meshwork ; Ventricular Septum ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Blood glucose homeostasis is well maintained by coordinated control of various hormones including insulin and glucagon as well as cytokines under normal conditions. However, chronic exposure to diabetic environment with high fat/high sugar diets and physical/mental stress can cause hyperglycemia, one of main characteristics of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Hyperglycemia impairs organogenesis and induces organ abnormalities such as cardiac defect in utero. It is a risk factor for the development of metabolic diseases in adults. Resulting glucotoxicity affects peripheral tissues and vessels, causing pathological complications including diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, vessel damage, and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, chronic exposure to hyperglycemia can deteriorate cognitive function and other aspects of mental health. Recent reports have demonstrated that hyperglycemia is closely related to the development of cognitive impairment and dementia, suggesting that there may be a cause-effect relationship between hyperglycemia and dementia. With increasing interests in aging-related diseases and mental health, diabetes-related cognitive impairment is attracting great attention. It has been speculated that glucotoxicity can result in structural damage and functional impairment of brain cells and nerves, hemorrhage of cerebral blood vessel, and increased accumulation of amyloid beta. These are potential mechanisms underlying diabetes-related dementia. Nutrients and natural food components have been investigated as preventive and/or intervention strategy. Among candidate components, resveratrol, curcumin, and their analogues might be beneficial for the prevention of diabetes-related cognitive impairment. The purposes of this review are to discuss recent experimental evidence regarding diabetes and cognitive impairment and to suggest potential nutritional intervention strategies for the prevention and/or treatment of diabetes-related dementia.
Adult ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Amyloid ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Vessels ; Brain ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; Curcumin ; Cytokines ; Dementia ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Diet ; Glucagon ; Hemorrhage ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Mental Health ; Metabolic Diseases ; Organogenesis ; Risk Factors

Late-onset focal dermal elastosis is a recently described disorder afflicting elderly patients with yellow papules on the neck and flexural areas. Although there are similar clinical findings to pseudoxanthoma elasticum, no stigmata of pseudoxanthoma elastimum are not evident. Histologically the papules are characterized by increased elastic fibers of normal appearance in the mid and deep dermis and no evidence of solar elastosis. Late-onset focal dermal elastosis may be caused by focal accumulation of normal appearing elastic tissue due to loss of age related homeostatic growth regulating gene control mechanism. We report a case of pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like late-onset focal dermal elastosis and suggest that this condition may be more common than has been reported.
Aged ; Christianity ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Humans ; Neck ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum

PURPOSE: Developmental processes of atria in embryos or fetuses of the iv/iv mouse were studied to find the differences between right and left atrial chambers and to identify the characteristics of atrial isomerism in the abnormal laterality syndrome. METHODS: Seventy-three embryos from SI/Col iv/iv mice (Jackson's laboratory, USA) or fetuses at the 10th-13th day were used. They were examined using stereomicroscope, scanning electronmicroscope, serial section, and thick slicing in the agar block. RESULTS: Thirty-three cases (45%) had usual arrangement but 40 cases (55%) had abnormal laterality, which included 29 cases of mirror-imaged appendages, seven with left isomerism, two with right isomerism and two with undeterminate appendages. Embryonic right atrium was initially composed of a large conspicuous appendage, which was a thin walled diverticulum and small venous component. As development progressed, venous valves and septum spurium became prominent. The embryonic left atrium was composed of the less conspicuous appendage but the major part of embryonic left atrium was the primitive atrium merging into the atrioventricular canal. The atrial chamber in the right isomerism had a bilateral big appendage and small venous component and the atrioventricular orifice was located in the center of the atrial outlet. Atrial chambers in the left isomerism had a bilateral small appendage and the central venous component was wide. CONCLUSION: The atrial morphology is the best marker in the determination of the atrial laterality. The appendages in hearts with isomerism had bilateral symmetrical arrangement of the appendages.
Agar ; Animals ; Atrial Appendage ; Diverticulum ; Embryonic Structures ; Fetus ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Isomerism ; Mice* ; Venous Valves

PURPOSE: Developmental processes of atria in embryos or fetuses of the iv/iv mouse were studied to find the differences between right and left atrial chambers and to identify the characteristics of atrial isomerism in the abnormal laterality syndrome. METHODS: Seventy-three embryos from SI/Col iv/iv mice (Jackson's laboratory, USA) or fetuses at the 10th-13th day were used. They were examined using stereomicroscope, scanning electronmicroscope, serial section, and thick slicing in the agar block. RESULTS: Thirty-three cases (45%) had usual arrangement but 40 cases (55%) had abnormal laterality, which included 29 cases of mirror-imaged appendages, seven with left isomerism, two with right isomerism and two with undeterminate appendages. Embryonic right atrium was initially composed of a large conspicuous appendage, which was a thin walled diverticulum and small venous component. As development progressed, venous valves and septum spurium became prominent. The embryonic left atrium was composed of the less conspicuous appendage but the major part of embryonic left atrium was the primitive atrium merging into the atrioventricular canal. The atrial chamber in the right isomerism had a bilateral big appendage and small venous component and the atrioventricular orifice was located in the center of the atrial outlet. Atrial chambers in the left isomerism had a bilateral small appendage and the central venous component was wide. CONCLUSION: The atrial morphology is the best marker in the determination of the atrial laterality. The appendages in hearts with isomerism had bilateral symmetrical arrangement of the appendages.
Agar ; Animals ; Atrial Appendage ; Diverticulum ; Embryonic Structures ; Fetus ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Isomerism ; Mice* ; Venous Valves

Voltage dependent calcium channels mediate wide variety of physiological functions including neurotransmitter release, neurite outgrowth, and gene expression in neurons. omega-Conotoxin-sensitive N-type calcium channels are exclusively expressed in nervous system and involved in the control of neurotransmitter release from neurons. In this experiment, I have investigated human chromosomal location and rat neuronal distribution of N-type voltage dependent calcium channel alpha1, subunit [alpha1B]. I have localized human alpha1B subunit gene to the long arm of chromosome 9[9q34] by fluorescent in situ hybridization. The distribution of rat alphaB1 subunit mRNA has been examined in the rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry and high level of alpha1B subunit mRNA has been observed in olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory nucleus, cerebral cortex, piriform cortex, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, parabrachial nucleus, and cerebellum and low level of expression was also found in other areas of rat brain.
Animals ; Arm ; Brain* ; Calcium Channels* ; Calcium Channels, N-Type ; Calcium* ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Cortex ; Dentate Gyrus ; Gene Expression ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Nervous System ; Neurites ; Neurons ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Olfactory Bulb ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger