Effect of lapatinib on hepatic parenchymal enhancement on gadoxetate disodium (EOB)-enhanced MRI scans of the rat liver.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lapatinib treatment on hepatic parenchymal enhancement on Gd-EOB-MRI scans in rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional animal review board approval was received prior to the commencement of all studies. Five rats received a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg/day lapatinib for 7 consecutive days. The controls (n = 5) were given 0.5 % (w/v) aqueous hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose containing 0.1 % (v/v) Tween 80 for 7 days. After the acquisition of gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MR images using 0.025 mmol gadolinium/kg, their livers were subjected to pathologic study to determine the expression level of organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1 (oatp1) and multi-drug resistance-associated protein 2 (mrp2). RESULTS: Relative enhancement of the liver was similar in both groups. At the hepatobiliary phase, which in rats occurs 3 min after the injection of Gd-EOB, it was 0.90 ± 0.06 in lapatinib-treated rats and 0.84 ± 0.08 in the controls (p = 0.30). There was also no difference in the expression level of oatp1 and mrp2. CONCLUSION: In rats, the administration of lapatinib for 7 days had no effect on hepatic parenchymal enhancement on Gd-EOB-MRI scans.

Direct vasodilation by transdermal administration of nitroglycerin: preliminary, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of nitroglycerin skin spray for premedication before artery puncture.

PURPOSE: Transdermal administration of nitroglycerin (NTG) before arterial puncture may improve puncture success. The objective of this study was to evaluate the vasodilation effect of NTG skin spray on brachial arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 10 healthy volunteers. On different days and in random order we sprayed their skin above the right or left brachial artery with a solution containing 0.3 mg NTG or above the right brachial artery with physiological saline. A radiologist ultrasonographically measured the cross-sectional area of right brachial artery before and at 5-min intervals for up to 25 min after spraying and calculated the rate of increase of the area. RESULTS: The average vasodilation rate after spraying with NTG above the right brachial arteries of 10 volunteers was 16.4% at 5 min, 23.6% at 10 min, 19.6% at 15 min, and 16.5% at 20 min; spraying with NTG above the left brachial artery or with physiological saline alone elicited few changes. The vasodilation rate 10 min after spraying with NTG above the right brachial artery was significantly higher than for control groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Transdermal application of NTG spray dilated the targeted brachial artery. This technique may be a good premedication before artery puncture.

Migration to the pulmonary artery of nine metallic coils placed in the internal iliac vein for treatment of giant rectal varices.

Transcatheter venous embolization with metallic coils is a safe and reliable method for the treatment of pelvic congestion syndrome and pelvic varicocele. While rare, coil migration to the pulmonary arteries is potentially fatal. We report the migration to the pulmonary artery of a cluster of nine metallic microcoils placed in the internal iliac vein to obliterate giant rectal varices. Our patient suffered no severe sequelae. To avoid coil migration to the pulmonary arteries, the coils chosen for placement must take into consideration the characteristics of the target vessels, particularly of larger veins.

Recanalization after successful occlusion by transcatheter arterial embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate for traumatic splenic artery injury.

A 70-year-old male with advanced pancreatic cancer went into shock after sustaining a traumatic abdominal injury. Computed tomography (CT) showed a hematoma with extravasation around the pancreas and hemorrhagic ascites. After direct catheterization failed due to angiospasm, the ruptured splenic artery was successfully occluded by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) using an N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA)-lipiodol mixture and the patient recovered from shock without complications. A follow-up CT obtained 20 days later showed a recurrent splenic artery pseudoaneurysm without extravasation. A repeat angiogram demonstrated recanalization of the splenic artery and pseudoaneurysm via antegrade. We embolized the recanalized pseudoaneurysm using metallic coils for isolation. Our experience indicates that adequate concentration and volume of the NBCA-lipiodol mixture should be considered depending on the vascular spasm in a patient with hypovolemic shock.

Effect of sample preparation and bacterial concentration on Salmonella enterica detection in poultry meat using culture methods and PCR assaying of preenrichment broths.

We evaluated the sensitivity of a PCR assay in the detection of Salmonella enterica at the broth preenrichment step of poultry meat. A total of 162 retail poultry meat samples, which were prepared by manual massaging, stomacher or no homogenization were compared for Salmonella recovery. Using these homogenization methods, the PCR assay at the broth preenrichment step detected Salmonella in, respectively, 48.9%, 62.2% and 50.0% of meat and giblet samples detected as Salmonella-positive using the culture method. In ground chicken, however, Salmonella was detected in 21.7% of samples treated by stomacher homogenization, compared to 40.7% and 48% of untreated and hand-massaged samples, respectively. These results suggest that stomaching of ground chicken causes excessive effusion of food constituents, which affects PCR results. Using the most probable number (MPN) technique, Salmonella was detected at under 1.0 CFU/g in 12 ground chicken samples and under 10(3)CFU/ml of broth in seven of the 12 broth-enriched samples, which considered the minimum concentration detectable by PCR assay. These results show that Salmonella detection using routine PCR assays is difficult in poultry meat, and in particular ground chicken, due to low amounts of Salmonella and the presence of inhibitors.