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Biomedical subjects

J Safi

Publications and source records attributed to J Safi.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Adenovirus-mediated acidic fibroblast growth factor gene transfer induces angiogenesis in the nonischemic rabbit heart.

Most patients with severe coronary artery disease have normal baseline myocardial blood flow. Therefore, interventions aimed at inducing therapeutic angiogenesis in these patients should cause new blood vessel growth in the heart in the absence of chronic ischemia. It was examined whether adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of recombinant, secreted acidic fibroblast growth factor (sp+aFGF(1-154)), next to a major epicardial artery, may induce neovascularization and reduce the risk region for myocardial infarction upon coronary ligation near the injection site. Fifteen days prior to coronary artery occlusion, rabbits were treated with intramyocardial injections of AdCMV.sp+aFGF(1-154), the control vector AdCMV.NLSbetagal (1 x 10(9) plaque-forming units), or saline. Messenger RNA transcripts for aFGF(1-154) were present up to 12 days after injection in the tissues exposed to AdCMV.aFGF(1-154). Following coronary artery occlusion rabbits treated with AdCMV. sp+aFGF(1-154) showed a 50% reduction of the risk region for myocardial infarction (P < 0.01 vs control). Histologic analysis showed a twofold increase in length density of intramural coronary arterioles (P < 0.01 vs control) and a 17% increase in length density of the capillary network (P < 0.001) in the myocardium exposed to AdCMV.sp+aFGF(1-154). Thus, gene therapy with AdCMV. sp+aFGF(1-154) can induce angiogenesis in the absence of chronic ischemia. The newly formed collateral blood vessels provide an anatomical basis for the reduction in the risk region for myocardial infarction upon subsequent occlusion of the coronary artery in proximity of the site where angiogenesis was induced.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1999

Cryptogenic mycotic aneurysm of the right coronary artery.

A 61-year-old man with chest pain and fever was referred to our hospital. The physical examination and electrocardiogram were unrevealing. Laboratory tests showed leukocytosis, and echocardiography showed mild pericardial effusion. The patient died soon after hospital admission. Necropsy revealed ruptured mycotic aneurysm of the right coronary artery in the absence of infective endocarditis. Thus, mycotic aneurysm of the coronary artery may occur without infective endocarditis and may be clinically manifested as pericarditis and leukocytosis.

Aneurysm, Infected↗
PubMed1997

Pesticide use, exposure, and risk: A joint Israeli-Palestinian perspective.

The major predictors of health risk from pesticide exposure are quantity and toxicity of pesticides reaching end-users, field workers, and persons (including children) with casual and indirect exposures to field and food residues, drift, and contaminated groundwater. Past work in Israel and the Palestinian National Authority has documented risks for acute poisoning, daily illness, transient neurotoxic effects, and potential cancer hazards in workers, populations exposed to pesticide drift, and the general population. Risk assessment predicts that reduction in use of agents with high toxicity and pesticide substitution are desired strategies for achieving the largest reductions in risk, but successful implementation and program sustainability depend on maintaining crop yield and increasing farmer earnings. A joint pilot Israeli-Palestinian-NGO program aims to determine whether crop yields and profits can be sustained while reducing pesticide use, promoting integrated pest management, and restricting ecosystem damage. The project involves six components: (1) assessments of health risk and crop yield in relation to pesticide use and exposure; (2) training health-agricultural teams to introduce and evaluate crop growth and managements with reduced pesticide use; (3) tracing and stopping import and trade in banned or restricted pesticides; (4) restricting child labor; (5) promoting information delivery and worker and community right-to-know and right-to-act; and (6) establishing a uniform regional standard for protection of workers and the general public. Preliminary evidence (organochlorines and breast cancer, organophosphates and illness in field workers) indicates that (1) a reduction of use is the foremost determinant of a reduction in health risk; (2) cotton yield can be increased despite a reduction in pesticide use (organophosphates); and (3) a reduction in pesticide use (organophosphates and organochlorines) has to be part of a crop rotation program for food crops timed to seasonal fluctuations in supply, demand, and crop price.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
PubMed1997

Gene therapy for collateral vessel development.

Transfer of the cDNA coding for angiogenic factors represents a novel and promising approach to induce therapeutic angiogenesis and enhance blood flow to ischemic tissues which cannot be revascularized otherwise. This review will focus on therapeutic angiogenesis based on gene transfer techniques for the treatment of myocardial and limb ischemia. The experimental studies demonstrating the angiogenic effect of recombinant growth factors in animal models and in humans, as well as the most promising methods for gene transfer, will be described. Further, gene transfer studies to induce therapeutic angiogenesis will be reviewed to identify critical questions that still need to be answered before gene therapy with angiogenic factors may be considered for routine clinical application.

Collateral Circulation↗
PubMed1996

Regression of ST segment elevation after thrombolysis in acute aortic dissection.

A 55-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with chest pain and electrocardiogram consistent with the diagnosis of evolving myocardial infarction. Treatment with streptokinase was administered, resulting in clinical and electrocardiographic signs of reperfusion. Hypotension and ST segment elevation occurred 2 hours later and cardiac catheterization was done. At catheterization the diagnosis of aortic dissection was made, but the patient died before surgery. Thus, clinical and electrocardiographic signs of reperfusion after streptokinase may occur in patients with aortic dissection and myocardial infarction.

Acute Disease↗