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Biomedical subjects

A F Carpentier

Publications and source records attributed to A F Carpentier.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Cardiac hemangiomas.

Cardiac hemangiomas are rare benign vascular tumors of the heart. To date, 23 cases have been reported. Symptoms are usually due to compression of cardiac structures or obstruction of outflow tracts. Echocardiography usually directs the diagnosis toward a cardiac mass. Enhanced-contrast computed tomographic scan or magnetic resonance imaging establishes the diagnosis of hypervascularized cardiac tumor. Coronary arteriography establishes the diagnosis by showing the characteristic tumor blush. Surgical resection is done using cardiopulmonary bypass. Long-term outcome is favorable.

Adult↗

Mitral valve repair in patients with endomyocardial fibrosis.

Between 1987 and 1990, 12 patients were operated on for endomyocardial fibrosis at our institution. Nine were treated by endocardectomy and mitral valve repair and constitute the material of this study. Ages ranged from 9 to 58 years (mean age, 32.5 years). Biventricular involvement was present in 3 cases, and 6 patients had predominantly left ventricular endomyocardial fibrosis. Six patients were in New York Heart Association class III/IV. Six patients had severe mitral insufficiency (3 to 4/4) and 3 patients had moderate mitral insufficiency (2/4). The operation consisted of left ventricular endocardectomy with complete detachment and mobilization of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve in all cases. An autologous pericardial patch was used to reconstruct posterior leaflet continuity in 4 patients. In 7 patients a prosthetic mitral ring was used. In 3 patients right ventricular endocardectomy and tricuspid valve repair were also performed. All patients survived and none required early reoperation. Follow-up was complete and ranged from 9 to 38 months. No late deaths occurred, and 1 patient required mitral valve replacement for recurrent mitral regurgitation. Doppler echocardiographic studies were performed in 7 patients and revealed no or mild mitral insufficiency. In conclusion, mitral valve repair is safe and offers good early and late results in patients with endomyocardial fibrosis.

Adolescent↗

Progressive latissimus dorsi muscle denervation for free-flap dynamic cardiomyoplasty.

BACKGROUND: The creation of free muscle grafts for surgical myoplasty is limited by the dependence of muscle on its original nerve supply. The aim of this study was to develop a model of gradual denervation of a large skeletal muscle (latissimus dorsi) and evaluate the possibility that atrophic degeneration and loss of function would be reduced using progressive nerve compression instead of surgical division of the nerve. The effects of chronic stimulation prior to, and after, denervation were also evaluated. METHODS: Electrodes connected to a myostimulator were implanted on 24 latissimus dorsi muscles of 12 goats. Denervation of these muscles was achieved either by sectioning of the nerve by progressive compression using ameroid rings placed around the nerve. Electrostimulation of the muscle started either 5 weeks before (prestimulation), or immediately after the denervation. RESULTS: The model of gradual nerve compression was successfully created and did have less atrophy and loss of function at mid-term when compared with nerve division. Chronic electrostimulation of the muscle after nerve division had a beneficial effect on function and on the atrophic process. Chronic electrostimulation in our model of gradual nerve compression did not mirror these beneficial results. Detrimental results were observed in groups in which chronic electrostimulation was applied prior to nerve division or constriction.

Animals↗

Retinoic acid modulates RAR alpha and RAR beta receptors in human glioma cell lines.

To identify retinoic acid (RA) signalling pathways involved in growth and differentiation in cells of the glial lineage, two human glioma ceh lines were studied. The three RA receptors (RARs) mRNAs were constitutively expressed, and of the three RXRs, RXR beta appeared predominant. Western blotting analysis confirmed the constitutive expression of RAR alpha and RAR beta. Treatment with all-trans-RA induced morphological changes in the two cell lines, which progressed from their normal pattern of randomly oriented spindle-shaped cells to fibroblast-like glial cells. RA up-regulated RAR alpha and RAR beta mRNAs in both cell lines. Interestingly, RA treatment up-regulated RAR beta proteins but not RAR alpha proteins, suggesting post-transcriptional regulations of RAR transcripts in glioma cells.

Brain Neoplasms↗