Subacute fungal endocarditis due to Acremonium spp: a case study and review of the literature.

A 52 years old patient is hospitalized in June 2007 in the Cardiology Clinic of Cardiovascular Diseases Medical Institute in Iasi with suspected subacute infectious endocarditis. Echocardiography shows mobile vegetation on the pulmonary valve. Acremonium spp is isolated from blood cultures after 2 weeks of incubation. The patient was treated with fluconazole, but died after 3 months due to renal failure.

[The impact of oxidative stress on myocardial reperfusion: alternative evidence]. / Impactul stresului oxidativ asupra reperfuziei miocardice: dovezi alternative.

AIM: Our study aimed to investigate the impact of oxidative stress on myocardial reperfusion phenomenon. Since obtaining morphological evidence of oxidative stress is practically impossible in vivo, we used as "surrogate" evidence the primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 22 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation in the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases "Prof. Dr. George I. M. Georgescu" Iasi. Patients were evaluated by coronary angiography. To restore myocardial reperfusion we applied primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Evidence resume coronary flow by primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were assessed by: (1) Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow, Myocardial Blush Grade (MBG) and complications as no-reflow, distal emboli; (2) evolution of the electrocardiographic changes. RESULTS: Evaluation of myocardial blood flow resumption revealed, as final results, TIMI 3 flow with MBG 2-3 and without no-reflow in 21 cases. A single case has shown signs of irreversible no-reflow. Analysis of evolutionary electrocardiographic changes (ST segment elevation, depression) allowed assessment of the effectiveness of interventional reperfusion, dependent on the time of presentation and independent of the culprit artery patency. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of myocardial reperfusion by alternative evidence provides a range of information how to restore the functional integrity of myocardium, but without allowing an analysis of biochemical and morphological substrate of the evolution of lesions, in terms of oxidative stress intervention. Studies of the dynamics of oxidative stress-induced changes at the structural level impose, under the peculiarities of myocardium, the design of an experimental model.

[Myocardial injuries induced by oxidative stress in rat--experimental morphopathological study]. / Leziuni miocardice induse de catre stresul oxidativ la sobolan--studiu morfopatologic experimental.

UNLABELLED: Oxidative stress is a phenomenon significantly involved in several clinical conditions such as ischemic heart disease and myocardial reperfusion. PURPOSE: Creating an animal model of oxidative stress based on three methods: exertional (swimming), habitual (light exposure), and corticotropine injections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 40 Wistar adult rats, weighting between 210-315 g, were subjected to either none (control group), swimming, light exposure or corticotropine injections for six weeks, then the animals were sacrificed and a light and electronic microscopic examination of the myocardium and ascending aorta were performed. RESULTS: Histological features of myocardial reperfusion injury were obtained in all cases and not in the control group. CONCLUSION: All three methods consistently induce myocardial morphological injuries similar to that of the ischemia-reperfusion phenomenon, mainly the exposure to light and corticotropine injections, and mainly in the females.

[Effect of afobazole on brain-ischemia-induced anxiety in rats].

The ability of afobazole, a selective anxiolytic to prevent the brain local ischemia-induced anxiety has been studied in experiments on rats. It is established that middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is accompanied by the development of anxiety, the degree of which increases with the duration of occlusion. Afobazole in a doze of 1 mg/kg administrated during 6 days after MCAO prevents the development of anxiety. The effect is manifested by positive changes in the parameters describing the behavior of animals in elevated plus maze test. No tolerance to the drug is developed during continuous afobazole injection within 12 days after MCAO. The experimental data indicate that the well-known anxiolytic action of afobazole is also well pronounced under the conditions of a local cerebrtal ischemia.

[The first case of coronary artery by-pass grafting surgery (CABG) in a patient on maintenance dialysis in Iasi]. / Prima operatie de by-pass coronarian la un pacient dializat cronic în Iasi.

Coronary artery disease has a significantly higher prevalence in chronic dialysis patients compared to the general population, explained by a cluster of non-specific and specific (uremia-associated) cardiovascular risk factors, typical for these patients. Nephrologists and cardiovascular surgeons worldwide are rather reluctant to offer CABG to dialysis patients, because of concerns about higher risks associated with this procedure in this frail population. However, there is an increasing opinion supporting a more aggressive management of coronary artery disease in uremic individuals. To illustrate this "positive attitude", we report here the first dialysis patient ever treated by CABG in Iasi; his good outcome was both rewarding and encouraging for us all.

Cardiac leiomyosarcoma. Case report.

A case of primary cardiac leiomyosarcoma diagnosed at Iasi Cardiology Center is presented. The study was made on the surgical biopsy specimen, and the diagnosis by routine morphological techniques. The gross examination revealed a large intracavitary left atrial tumor attached by a small sessile base to the left posterior atrial wall, having a smooth, white-gray surface, and a dense consistency. On the cut surface, the tumor had a whirled white appearance, with focal brown areas. The microscopic examination revealed the presence of a spindle cell tumor, forming fascicles orientated at right angles. The study revealed the morphological aspect characteristic to leiomyosarcoma.

Epidemic investigation of diphtheria in the Republic of Armenia, 1990-1996.

While incidence rates of diphtheria steadily declined in Armenia after World War II, reemergence of the disease in 1990 brought about changes in public health practices and identified resource needs. The Armenian Ministry of Health (MOH) routinely collected diphtheria case reports, as a reportable health outcome. Diphtheria incidence rates increased from 0.02/100,000 in 1993 to 1/100,000 (36 cases) in 1994. The distribution of cases showed that the greatest number of illnesses and deaths occurred among persons 5-14 years old, yet incidence rates among persons 1-4 and 5-14 years old were similar (4. 4 cases/ and 4.3 cases/100,000, respectively). During 1990-1996, 9 (75%) of 12 cases who died and 18 (21%) of 84 cases who survived had not been vaccinated. The diphtheria epidemic in Armenia was an important, serious, and signal public health event. The Armenian MOH responded by revising immunization practices (1994), improving epidemic control measures (1995), and soliciting international resources (1992-1996).

[The different vascular reactions of intact and ischemic brain to adrenergic exposures]. / Razlichnye reaktsii sosudov intaktnogo i ishemizirovannogo mozga na adrenergicheskie vozdeistviia.

Electrical stimulation of the cervical sympathetic ganglion and norepinephrine increase the tonus of the cerebral vessels in intact animals. This points to the significant role of adrenergic mechanisms in regulation of blood circulation in the brain. Local ischemic affection of the brain removes the vasoconstrictor effects of stimulation of the cervical sympathetic ganglion and norepinephrine. Analysis by means of dihydroergotamine suggests that ischemia of the brain disturbs the property of alpha-adrenoceptors of the cerebral vessels to increase the tonus of the latter in response to adrenergic effects.

[Dopamine enhancement of the cerebral microcirculation in a local ischemic lesion]. / Uvelichenie dofaminom mikrotsirkuliatsii mozga pri ego lokal'nom ishemicheskom porazhenii.

The effect of dopamine on the local cerebral blood flow in parietal brain cortex region of rats was studied in conditions of local ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Registration of the local cerebral blood flow was performed on a ALF-21 laser doppler flowmeter ("Transonic System Inc.", USA). Dopamine produces a pronounced effect on cerebral circulation in conditions of local brain ischemia thus causing a significant increase in blood flow both in ischemic and intact hemispheres. The effect is observed both in the acute stage of ischemic brain injury and in the remote period of brain ischemia.

[The effect of nimodipine on a local ischemic brain lesion]. / Vliianie nimodipina na lokal'noe ishemicheskoe porazhenie mozga.

A modified rat model of ischemic brain injury caused by ligation of the middle cerebral artery is proposed. The time course of morphological changes in brain tissues was studied and bilateral cerebral circulatory disorders, hypoxic cortical neurocytic damages followed by intracellular regeneration, as well as metabolic and structural changes not only in the cortical neurocytes, but in the conduction paths and synaptic terminals. Nimodipine had no effect on blood supply to the ischemic brain either early or late in ischemic brain injury after ligation of the middle cerebral artery.

[Local cerebral ischemia in rats induced by ligation of the middle cerebral artery]. / Lokal'naia ishemiia mozga krys, vyzvannaia pereviazkoi srednei mozgovoi arterii.

A model of local cerebral ischemia induced by ligation of the middle cerebral artery, which is a modification of the techniques proposed by A. Tamura and others, is suggested. It allows experiments to be conducted on conscious animals with appraisal of the morpho-functional state of the nervous system. Ligation of the middle cerebral artery caused a marked decrease (by 85 +/- 9%) in the blood flow in the temporal area of the cerebral cortex. The use of this method will promote a purposeful search for drugs for the treatment of patients with ischemic disorders of cerebral circulation.

[The central vascular and metabolic effects of pyroglutamic acid]. / Tsentral'nye sosudistye i metabolicheskie éffekty piroglutaminovoi kisloty.

The ability of pyroglutamic acid, a cyclic glutamic acid derivative, to increase cerebral blood flow, to decrease the resistance of brain vessels, and to relax the isolated grafts of cerebral arteries has been demonstrated. Pyroglutamic acid markedly stimulated brain metabolism: increased glucose uptake and utilization by cerebral tissues and decreased brain lactate dehydrogenase activity.

[The antihypoxic activity of endogenous cyclic derivatives of gamma-aminobutyric acid]. / Antigipoksicheskaia aktivnost' éndogennykh tsiklicheskikh proizvodnykh gamma-aminomaslianoi kisloty.

Pirrolidone-2, gamma-butyrolacton, succinic anhydride were found to possess pronounced antihypoxic activity that manifested itself in their ability to decrease the level of lactic acid accumulated during hypoxia. Pirrolidone-2 and succinic anhydride increase succinic dehydrogenase activity in vitro. At intraperitoneal administration the above mentioned compounds lead to lactate dehydrogenase activity inhibition under normal conditions while during circulatory hypoxia they stimulate lactate dehydrogenase reaction promoting the maintenance of energy balance of the cerebral tissue at the appropriate level.

[Effect of 2-pyrrolidone and gamma-butyrolactone on the rate of 14C-leucine incorporation into the proteins of different brain structures and of their arterial tissues]. / Vliianie pirrolidona-2 i gamma-butirolaktona na skorost' vkliucheniia 14C-leitsina v belki razlichnykh struktur golovnogo mozga i tkanei ego arterii.

The ability of cyclic GABA and GHBA derivatives--2-pyrrolidone and gamma-butyrolactone--to increase markedly the inclusion of 14C-leucine in the proteins of hypothalamus and cerebral arteries both normally and in condition of cerebral blood supply disturbances produced by unilateral 20 min ligation of a common carotid artery has been demonstrated.

[Effect of pyrrolidone-2 on the cerebral circulation]. / Vliianie pirrolidona-2 na mozgovoe krovoobrashchenie.

The ability of cyclic GABA derivative--pyrrolidone-2--to increase markedly cerebral blood flow both normally and in conditions of cerebral blood supply disturbances produced by unilateral 20-min ligation of a common carotid artery has been demonstrated. When pyrrolidone-2 administration accompanied bicuculline infusion (0.1 mg/kg) it did not provoke significant changes in the blood flow. Besides, bicuculline markedly weakened pyrrolidone-2 ability to relax the isolated grafts of cerebral arteries.