Biomedical subjects

D Ly

Publications and source records attributed to D Ly.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

TIPS versus paracentesis for cirrhotic patients with refractory ascites.

BACKGROUND: Ten per cent of cirrhotic patients develop refractory ascites, which carries substantial morbidity and has a one-year survival of less than 50 per cent. Patients with refractory ascites may benefit from transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunts (TIPS). OBJECTIVES: To compare TIPS versus paracentesis standard treatment in patients with refractory ascites due to cirrhosis with regard to overall short- and long-term mortality, treatment efficacy, and complications. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register (July 2003), The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials on The Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2003), MEDLINE (1966 to July 2003), EMBASE (1980 to July 2003), and CINAHL (1982 to July 2003). We supplemented the searches with reading through scientific citations, review of citations in relevant primary articles, and hand-searched abstracts from national meetings. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised clinical trials comparing TIPS and paracentesis with or without volume expanders for cirrhotic patients with refractory ascites. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We evaluated the methodological quality of the randomised clinical trials by the generation of the allocation section, allocation concealment, and follow-up. Two independent observers extracted data from each trial. We contacted trial authors for additional information. Dichotomous outcomes were reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). MAIN RESULTS: Four randomised clinical trials, including 264 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was moderate. Thirty-day mortality (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.10 to 10.06, P = 1.0) and 24-month mortality (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.52 to 2.66, P = 0.70) did not differ significantly between TIPS and paracentesis treatment. TIPS significantly reduced ascites re-accumulation at three months (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.18, P < 0.00001) and at 12 months follow-up (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.28, P < 0.00001). Hepatic encephalopathy occurred significantly more often in the TIPS group (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.66, P = 0.008). Gastrointestinal bleeding (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.84, P = 0.63), acute renal failure (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.15 to 2.72, P = 0.55), septicemia/infection (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.22 to 4.94, P = 0.96), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.84, P = 0.63) did not differ significantly between groups. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: TIPS removed ascites more effectively than paracentesis. After 12 months, the beneficial effects of TIPS on ascites was still present. Mortality, gastrointestinal bleeding, septicemia/infection, acute renal failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation did not differ significantly between the two groups. Hepatic encephalopathy occurred significantly more often in the TIPS group.

Ascites↗

PubMed2004

Regulation of DNaseY activity by actinin-alpha4 during apoptosis.

DNaseY, a Ca(2+)- and Mg(2+)-dependent endonuclease, has been implicated in apoptotic DNA degradation; however, the molecular mechanisms controlling its involvement in this process have not been fully elucidated. We have obtained evidence from yeast two-hybrid screening and coimmunoprecipitation experiments that DNaseY interacted physically with actinin-alpha4 and this interaction significantly enhanced its endonuclease activity. Accordingly, simultaneous overexpression of both proteins in PC12 cells dramatically increased the rate of apoptosis in response to teniposide' VM26. However, overexpression of DNaseY alone neither triggered apoptosis nor facilitated cell death in response to VM26 or serum deprivation. Instead, the overexpression of DNaseY increased the production of single-strand DNA breaks and evoked a profound upregulation of DNA repair pathways. Taken together, our results point to a novel regulatory mechanism of DNaseY activity and offer an explanation for why cells must first cleave key DNA repair and replication proteins before the successful execution of apoptosis.

Actinin↗

PubMed1998

Hairpin-forming peptide nucleic acid oligomers.

A series of partially self-complementary peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers was prepared. Examination of their melting behavior, circular dichroism spectra, and fluorescence properties reveals that these PNA oligomers exist as stem-loop ("hairpin") structures. Fluorescence is readily observed in hairpins containing a covalently linked, emissive acridine derivative which is, at least partially, intercalated in the duplex region of the PNA hairpin. The acridine fluorescence is quenched when an anthraquinone derivative is covalently attached to the PNA so that it is bound near the acridine in the hairpin structure. Acridine fluorescence is restored in hairpins containing both the anthraquinone and the acridine by increasing the temperature and melting the structure to its linear form or by opening the hairpin through formation of a hybrid duplex with complementary DNA. The latter process may form the basis for development of selective and sensitive DNA assays.

Aminacrine↗

PubMed1998

Attachment of gelatin films to tissue using argon beam coagulator.

Cross-linked gelatin films were bonded to heart muscle and to lung pleura and parenchyma using the electrical discharge of an argon beam radiofrequency coagulator. The bonds were stable in warm saline buffer for minutes to hours. Bonding was thought to partly occur through a mechanical interlock of film and tissue elements. The interdigitation of tissue and film arose during exposure to the argon beam, which denatured protein constituents of both, and created a fluidized state that rapidly coalesced.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Peptide nucleic acid-DNA duplexes: long range hole migration from an internally linked anthraquinone.

The discovery that peptide nucleic acids (PNA) mimic DNA and RNA by forming complementary duplex structures following Watson-Crick base pairing rules opens fields in biochemistry, diagnostics, and medicine for exploration. Progress requires the development of modified PNA duplexes having unique and well defined properties. We find that anthraquinone groups bound to internal positions of a PNA oligomer intercalate in the PNA-DNA hybrid. Their irradiation with near-UV light leads to electron transfer and oxidative damage at remote GG doublets on the complementary DNA strand. This behavior mimics that observed in related DNA duplexes and provides the first evidence for long range electron (hole) transport in PNA-DNA hybrid. Analysis of the mechanism for electron transport supports hole hopping.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Structural modification changes the DNA binding mode of cation-substituted anthraquinone photonucleases: association by intercalation or minor groove binding determines the DNA cleavage efficiency.

The mode of binding anthraquinone derivatives, bearing positively charged ammonium side chains, to duplex DNA was investigated by optical and NMR spectroscopy. Absorption, circular dichroism, emission, and one- and two-dimensional homonuclear NMR spectroscopy show that mono- and dication-substituted quinones, AQS and 27AQS, bind primarily by intercalation. In contrast, these experiments indicate that the tetracationic anthraquinone 27AQS2 is bound nonintercalatively to duplex DNA. In particular, analysis of the NMR spectrum of 27AQS2 bound to a specially designed synthetic self-complementary dodecanucleotide (5'-CGCGAATTCGCG-3') shows it to be associated primarily with the minor groove of the central AATT sequence. The change in the DNA binding mode greatly affects the photophysical and photochemical properties of these photonucleases with DNA.

Anthraquinones↗