Doppler Indexes of Pulmonary Venous Flow Predict Death after Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Restrictive left ventricular (LV) filling patterns after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) predict poor prognosis. Doppler indexes of LV inflow, especially peak velocity ratio of early versus late diastolic flow (E/A) and deceleration time, can predict heart failure or death. Doppler indexes of pulmonary venous flow are also used to diagnose restrictive LV filling, but their prognostic values after AMI are not known. METHODS: Doppler echocardiographic examination were performed in patients with AMI (n=122) between 7 to 10 days after attack, and followed for 30 months. Death group included 9 deaths (7.4%) during follow-up. 18 age-matched patients (control group) were selected from 70 patients without death, heart failure or readmission. Doppler echocardiographic indexes of peak systolic velocity (SV), peak diastolic velocity (DV), and peak reverse flow velocity associated with atrial contraction (AR) of pulmonary venous flow were measured by transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: Death group had lower SV (46.1+/-6.3 vs 57.0+/-14.7 cm/sec; p=0.059) and SV/DV ratio (1.26+/-0.50 vs 1.58+/-0.37; p=0.076). Death group had significantly more patients with SV/DV ratio less than 1.3 (67% vs 17%; p=0.026). AR was significantly different between death and control groups (29.7+/-7.8 vs 24.7+/-6.8 cm/sec; p=0.023). Death group had significantly more patients with AR greater than 25 (78% vs 33%; p=0.046). CONCLUSION: SV/DV ratio and AR of pulmonary venous flow predicted death after AMI.

The Inhibitory Effect of Amiloride on the Growth of Human Gastric Carcinoma Cells in Vitro / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: In the present study the effects of amiloride on the growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line, AGS cells were examined with or without the addition of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The growth of AGS cells was examined by counting number of cells on two and four days post-treatment with 50 micrometer, 100 micrometer, 200 micrometer, 400 micrometer, 800 micrometer, amiloride, and 0.1 microgram/ml, 0.3 microgram/ml 5-FU, after plating AGS cells into 6 well plates at a density of 10 x 10(4) cells/well. The reversibility of the effects of amiloride was examined on two to eight days post-treatment with 400 micrometer amiloride after seeding 2 x 10(4) cells/dish. Cell cycle analysis was performed after four day-treatment with 400 micrometer amiloride. RESULTS: Amiloride (50~800 micrometer) significantly inhibited the growth of AGS in a dose-dependent fashion (p<0.05). The inhibitory effect of amiloride on growth of AGS was reversible since removal of amiloride after 24 hours treatment led to resumption of rapid growth up to control levels. Amiloride combined with 5-FU markedly inhibited the growth of AGS in a dose-dependent fashion compared to that of amiloride or 5-FU alone (p<0.05). The fraction of S phase, G0-G1 phase and G2-M phase was 19.3%, 55.7%, 18.8%, in the amioride group (400 micrometer) and 43.9%, 37.4%, 25.1% in the control group, respectively, showing significantly higher G1 fraction in amiloride group compared to control. CONCLUSION: This is the first paper which reported that amiloride inhibited in vitro growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells and that its effect of growth inhibition may be synergistic with 5-FU. Amiloride given with or without 5-FU may be useful agent in the treatment of gastric carcinomas. The inhibitory effects of amiloride on the growth of AGS may be mediated in part by blocking G1-S transition of cell cycle.