Contact between blood and synthetic surfaces of a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit results in platelet activation. Purpose: To compare the effects of FK633 (a peptide-mimetic GPIIb/IIIa antagonist), abciximab (Reopro Fab fragment of antibody), prostaglandin E1 (PCE1), and aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATA an inhibitor of GPIb in an in-vitro model circuit. Methods: The model circuit was composed of PVC tube, reservoir and a roller pump. The circuits were filled with heparinized blood 3U/ml) from healthy volunteers (n = 5). The blood was divided into several groups according to the antiaggregant treatment FK633 (100∼500nM), abciximab (2∼10μg/ml), PCE1 (50∼100ng/ml), ATA(200μg/ml). We measured platelet counts and detected platelet surface antigens by flow cytometric analysis. Results and conclusion: FK633 and abciximab, and PGE1 significantly prevented platelet loss and the increase in binding of PAC-1. They also significantly suppressed platelet activation markers such as expressions of P-selectin and annexin V, and microparticle formations. There was a robust inverse correlations between platelet number and platelet PAC-1 expression(r= −0.622, p < 0.0001). However, ATA had no effect on platelet activation during a simulated CPB circulation. These data suggest that the inhibition of fibrinogen binding GPIIb/IIIa is effective to protect the platelet activation in a heparinized CPB model circuit.
Using an atomic force microscope, we measured the forces between a Si 3 N 4 tip and monolayers with different polar functional groups ( –NH 2 , –COOH, –CONH 2 , and –OH) prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett method while varying the pH value of aqueous solutions. The obtained force vs distance curves were related to the surface charges of the tip and the dissociation of the functional groups from the pH dependency, and the charged state of functional groups could thus be discerned. In addition, the electrostatic origin of the force has been confirmed assuming constant potentials on both surfaces.
There has recently been an increase in medical accidents occurring in hospitals in which disinfectants have been mistaken for medications. One cause for this problem is considered to be the visibility of the medicine name on the bottle of disinfectants. We therefore examined whether or not the name displayed on the bottles of disinfectant were clearly displayed. We investigated the width of the medicine name currently displayed on bottles of commercial disinfectants and devised a new method to evaluate whether or not the name displayed on the bottle could be easily read from various angles. The evaluation of the width of the medicine name displayed on the bottles was performed by the central angle computed from the length of the arc of the medicine name displayed on the bottle. When 30 subjects viewed the medicine name from a horizontal direction, it became clear that the central angle with the most visible medicine name was from 68 degrees to 90 degrees. It was thus proven that the central angle, visual observation distance and the character font were clearly important factors regarding the visibility of the medicine name. From the results of the visibility examination of a medicine name displayed on the commercial disinfectants currently used in our hospital, it became clear that the visibility of half of disinfectants was high, while the visibility of the remaining half was low.
3-Arylamino-2-dialkylaminomethyl-4, 4-dimethyl-2-buten-4-olides and their aza analogs were synthesized from 5, 5-dimethyltetronic acid and tetramic acid, and tested analgesic and antimicrobial activities.
Renal dysfunction is recognized with increasing frequency among the non-infectious co-morbidities associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Recently, urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) was suggested to be a predictor of the progression of renal dysfunction in patients without HIV. However, little is known regarding the utility of urinary L-FABP as a predictor of renal dysfunction in patients with HIV. A retrospective, observational, single-centre study was conducted between July 2014 and December 2016. The primary outcome was renal dysfunction defined as decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate to less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 . To estimate the effect of urinary L-FABP, proteinuria category, and urinary β2 microglobulin (β2MG) on the time to the first event, a log-rank test was performed. Accuracy, determined by area under the curve and calculated from receiver operating characteristic curves, was also assessed. Thirty Japanese outpatients with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) were enrolled. The primary outcome occurred in five patients during the follow-up period. Urinary L-FABP level and proteinuria category were significantly associated with renal dysfunction (p = 0.045 and p = 0.037, respectively). In contrast, urinary β2MG level was not significantly associated with renal dysfunction (p = 0.141). Urinary L-FABP was the most accurate predictor of renal dysfunction among the three urinary parameters. In conclusion, urinary L-FABP levels in HIV patients receiving ART were more accurate for predicting renal dysfunction than proteinuria and urinary β2MG. In addition, urinary L-FABP helped to discriminate those patients with a higher risk for renal dysfunction.
