Mobitz type II AV block during spinal anesthesia.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
Y C Hung
Publications and source records attributed to Y C Hung.
Kinematics of cervical spine discectomy with and without bone grafting: quantitative evaluation of late fusion in a sheep model.
OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the kinematic response of late fusion results for cervical spine discectomies with and without bone grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen Barbados Black Belly sheep underwent sham operations (Group A, n = 5), C2-C3 discectomies only (Group B, n = 5), and C2-C3 discectomies with autologous iliac bone grafting (Group C, n = 5). Ten months after surgery, the animals were killed. Fresh ligamentous spines (C1-C5) were subjected to the relevantly applied loads through a loading frame attached to the C1. Each vertebra (from C2 to C4) was attached with a set of three infrared light-emitting diodes to record the spatial location relating to each load application using a Selspot II system (Selcom Selective Electronics, Inc., Valdese, NC). The load-deformation data of the C2-C3 and C3-C4 motion segments were recorded and analyzed for the three groups. RESULTS: At the C2-C3 motion segment, the results indicated that Group B displayed larger motion ranges of rotation and lateral bending loads than did the other two groups. Significantly larger motion ranges of rotation loads were found in Group B than in Group C (P<0.05, for both comparisons). In contrast, Group C had the smallest motion ranges of flexion, lateral bending, and rotation loads. At the C3-C4 motion segment, both groups that had undergone discectomies had a significantly larger motion range of flexion load compared with Group A (P<0.05, for both comparisons). A significant increase in the motion range of right axial rotation was found in Group B (P<0.05), but not in Group C, compared with Group A. Group B exhibited larger motion ranges responding to all six tested loads than did Group C. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that anterior fusion after C2-C3 cervical discectomies, regardless of the presence or absence of bone grafting, decreases the motion range of flexion load at the C2-C3 motion segment, and contrary data were seen at the C3-C4 motion segment. For axial rotation loads, discectomies without bone grafting resulted in increased motion ranges of both C2-C3 and C3-C4 motion segments whereas discectomies with bone grafting did not. The data may have clinical relevance regarding the role of bone grafting in cases of cervical spine disease.
Animals↗
Efficacy of electrolyzed oxidizing water for inactivating Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes.
The efficacy of electrolyzed oxidizing water for inactivating Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, and Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated. A five-strain mixture of E. coli O157:H7, S. enteritidis, or L. monocytogenes of approximately 10(8) CFU/ml was inoculated in 9 ml of electrolyzed oxidizing water (treatment) or 9 ml of sterile, deionized water (control) and incubated at 4 or 23 degrees C for 0, 5, 10, and 15 min; at 35 degrees C for 0, 2, 4, and 6 min; or at 45 degrees C for 0, 1, 3, and 5 min. The surviving population of each pathogen at each sampling time was determined on tryptic soy agar. At 4 or 23 degrees C, an exposure time of 5 min reduced the populations of all three pathogens in the treatment samples by approximately 7 log CFU/ml, with complete inactivation by 10 min of exposure. A reduction of >/=7 log CFU/ml in the levels of the three pathogens occurred in the treatment samples incubated for 1 min at 45 degrees C or for 2 min at 35 degrees C. The bacterial counts of all three pathogens in control samples remained the same throughout the incubation at all four temperatures. Results indicate that electrolyzed oxidizing water may be a useful disinfectant, but appropriate applications need to be validated.
Colony Count, Microbial↗
Early alterations in cerebral hemodynamics, brain metabolism, and blood-brain barrier permeability in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage.
OBJECT: The authors sought to ascertain the nature of the hemodynamic and metabolic derangement underlying acute pathophysiological events that occur after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), flow velocity (FV) of the middle cerebral artery, and the arteriovenous contents of oxygen and lactate were investigated in 24 dogs subjected to sham operations (Group A, four animals) or intracerebral injections of 3 ml (Group B, 11 animals) or 5 ml (Group C, nine animals) autologous arterial blood. Twelve additional dogs received intravenous injections of 2% Evans blue or trypan blue dye to evaluate blood-brain barrier (BBB) changes. Within 1 hour, animals with ICH exhibited a rise in FV associated with significant reductions (p<0.05) in CPP and the arteriovenous content difference (AVDO2). In Group C animals significant increases in lactate concentration were found in arterial and superior sagittal sinus (SSS) samples compared with those in the other two groups (p<0.05). Additionally, perihematomal dye extravasation was observed in animals subjected to ICH and trypan blue dye injections, with profound and mild leakages in Group C and Group B animals, respectively, but not in Group A and Evans blue dye-injected animals. During the subsequent 4 hours, the FV and AVDO2 returned to normal in Group B animals, indicating a balanced cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2) compared with a deranged CMRO2 in Group C animals due to their lowered FV and AVDO2. However, no coupling increase in brain lactate clearance in Group C animals accounted for either the early lactate elevation in SSS or the decrease in CMRO2. CONCLUSIONS: Profound reductions in CPP and brain oxygenation after ICH may rapidly exhaust hemodynamic compensation and, thus, impede cerebral homeostasis; however, these reductions only modestly enhance anaerobic glycolysis. Furthermore, the data suggest that a selective increase in permeability, rather than anatomical disruption, of the BBB is involved in the acute pathophysiological events that occur after ICH, which may provide a possible gateway for systemic arterial lactate entering the SSS.
Animals↗
Use of capillary tubes and plate heat exchanger to validate U.S. Department of Agriculture pasteurization protocols for elimination of Salmonella enteritidis from liquid egg products.
D values for a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella Enteritidis in five different liquid egg products (whole egg, egg yolk, egg white, egg yolk + 5% sucrose + 5% NaCl, and egg yolk + 10% NaCl) were determined using 100-microl capillary tubes. The egg products were inoculated with approximately 1 X 10(10) organisms/ml and heated in capillary tubes to temperatures ranging from 51 to 68 degrees C for various time intervals. Using a pilot scale plate heat exchanger, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) protocols for pasteurization were also evaluated using egg products inoculated with approximately 1 x 10(7) Salmonella Enteritidis/ml. Results of experiments with capillary tubes suggested that almost all processes would result in less than the 9D process recommended by the USDA. However, when the egg products were pasteurized using the plate heat exchanger, a greater than 9D process was achieved for Salmonella Enteritidis in all products except egg yolk containing 5% sucrose + 5% NaCl, which received approximately a 4D process.
Animals↗
Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes on plastic kitchen cutting boards by electrolyzed oxidizing water.
One milliliter of culture containing a five-strain mixture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (approximately 10(10) CFU) was inoculated on a 100-cm2 area marked on unscarred cutting boards. Following inoculation, the boards were air-dried under a laminar flow hood for 1 h, immersed in 2 liters of electrolyzed oxidizing water or sterile deionized water at 23 degrees C or 35 degrees C for 10 or 20 min; 45 degrees C for 5 or 10 min; or 55 degrees C for 5 min. After each temperature-time combination, the surviving population of the pathogen on cutting boards and in soaking water was determined. Soaking of inoculated cutting boards in electrolyzed oxidizing water reduced E. coli O157:H7 populations by > or = 5.0 log CFU/100 cm2 on cutting boards. However, immersion of cutting boards in deionized water decreased the pathogen count only by 1.0 to 1.5 log CFU/100 cm2. Treatment of cutting boards inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes in electrolyzed oxidizing water at selected temperature-time combinations (23 degrees C for 20 min, 35 degrees C for 10 min, and 45 degrees C for 10 min) substantially reduced the populations of L. monocytogenes in comparison to the counts recovered from the boards immersed in deionized water. E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes were not detected in electrolyzed oxidizing water after soaking treatment, whereas the pathogens survived in the deionized water used for soaking the cutting boards. This study revealed that immersion of kitchen cutting boards in electrolyzed oxidizing water could be used as an effective method for inactivating foodborne pathogens on smooth, plastic cutting boards.
Colony Count, Microbial↗
Mixed germ cell tumor presenting as intratumoral hemorrhage: report of a case originated from the pineal region.
A 17-year-old male patient was brought to our clinic because of sudden onset of headache, vomiting, followed by transient loss of consciousness during a strenuous exercise. Neurologic examinations revealed that the patient had severe sensorimotor and brain stem dysfunction. Examinations of cranial CT and MR imaging showed a huge heterogeneously enhanced tumor originated from the pineal region with tumoral hemorrhage. The tumor markers were found to be high in AFP but not the beta-HCG and CEA. A clinical diagnosis highly suggestive of germ cell tumor was made. Prior to the planned emergency radiation therapy, he received an external ventricular drainage (EVD) and open biopsy of the tumor. Due to a postoperative complication of cerebellar hemorrhage observed 8 hours later, another maneuver was therefore required to extirpate the pineal tumor and cerebellar hematoma. The histological diagnosis proved to be a mixed germ cell tumor with tumoral hemorrhage. Spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage in germ cell tumor of the pineal region is rare, probably due to compromised venous circulation within the tumor. The bleeding propensity, which may contribute to the formation of cerebellar hematoma, warrants a special attention when a biopsy procedure is to be performed.
Adolescent↗
Delayed akathisia and suicidal attempts following epidural droperidol infusion--a case report.
Epidural administration of droperidol has been used to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) caused by opioids, but the adverse reactions were relatively neglected. We present a patient who received patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with bupivacaine-morphine-droperidol mixture for one and half days following hemorrhoidectomy, developed paroxysmal adverse reactions of akathisia, dysphoria, and suicidal attempts 3 days after the initiation of the treatment. The use of droperidol in PCEA for prevention of nausea and vomiting therefore needs to be re-evaluated according to the serious side effects occurring in our case.
Akathisia, Drug-Induced↗
Cerebral blood flow velocity and vasomotor reactivity before and after shunting surgery in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre- and post-shunting haemodynamic changes and their correlation with the clinical results in normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Accordingly, eleven demented patients with clinical signs suggestive of NPH received examinations of cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV) and vasomotor reactivity (VMR) by transcranial Doppler sonography with carbogen testing before and after shunt treatment. Computerized tomography (CT), clinical assessment and neuropsychological grading were performed prior to and at 3 months following surgery. A control group consisting of 10 patients was included to establish baseline data. The pre-operative CBF studies in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) revealed the NPH patients did not have significant decreases of BFVs, but had significant decreases of carbogen VMR (P < 0.05). After shunting, there were no significant changes of the BFVs as compared with the pre-shunting data. The post-shunting VMR of the ACA was significantly higher than the pre-shunting one (p < 0.05), but there was no variation in that of the MCA. Both the values of post-shunting VMR in ACA and the post-shunting increase in VMR in MCA of the 7 shunt-responsive patients who improved mentally and in other symptoms were significantly higher than those of patients without improvement (p < 0.05). In addition, the five patients with gait improvement showed significantly higher values of post-shunting VMR of ACA and the post-shunting increase of VMR for both ACA and MCA when compared with those patients without gait improvement (p < 0.05, respectively). Our study supports the view that patients with NPH had various degrees of impaired VMR in both the ACA and the MCA, but showed insignificant reduction in BFVs, indicating a compensatory mechanism of CBF over time to accommodate the subnormal state of cerebral perfusion pressure. Shunt placement would improve the VMR in responsive patients. Postoperatively, an increase of VMR tends to accompany improvement of the functional state: that in the MCA alone is associated with symptomatic improvement in mental function and that increase in VMR in both the ACA and the MCA with improvement in gait, respectively.
Adult↗
Factors influencing the functional outcome of patients with acute epidural hematomas: analysis of 200 patients undergoing surgery.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic factors of the functional outcome of patients surgically treated for acute epidural hematomas. METHODS: Two hundred patients who consecutively underwent neurosurgery for acute epidural hematomas over the past 9-year period were studied. Clinical characteristics, radiologic findings, and the time intervals with regard to treatment course were investigated to determine the interactions between all these factors and functional outcome. RESULTS: Functional outcome showed a significant correlation with preoperative consciousness state, Glasgow Coma Scale score, pupillary sizes, and motor posturing (chi2 test, p < 0.05). Functional outcome correlated with the period of brain herniation, the length of time of the operation, as well as the period of hospitalization (chi2 test, p < 0.05), but not with the length of time of craniotomy decompression relative to the length of time from the injury until admission. The radiologic findings of the associated brain injury, the size and the density of the clot, the degree of the brain shift, and the obliteration of the basal cisterns significantly correlated with functional outcome (chi2 test, p < 0.05), whereas no significance was attributable to skull fracture. Multivariate analysis indicated that the following four factors independently correlated with functional outcome: (1) associated brain injury, (2) best motor response, (3) hematoma volume, and (4) period of hospitalization (chi2 test, p < 0.05). A combination of the four factors led to the prediction of the functional outcome with 91% accuracy (1.5 % falsely pessimistic predictions and 7.5 % falsely optimistic prediction) and 82.1% at over 90% confidence level. These four parameters correlated significantly with preoperative neurologic deterioration (chi2 test, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study identifies the risk factors involved in the functional outcome of patients who underwent surgical treatment for acute epidural hematomas. Our results indicate that associated brain injury plus best motor response are the optimal set of two prognostic indicants, with 87% correct predictions and 70.1% at over a 90% confidence level. Prevention of in-hospital neurologic deterioration would improve the patients' functional outcome with a resultant unfavorable recovery rate ranging from 11.5% to 17%.
Acute Disease↗
Orbital rhinocerebral mucormycosis associated with diabetic ketoacidosis: report of survival of a 10-year-old boy.
Cerebral mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection that occurs mostly in association with diabetic ketoacidosis. This central nervous system infection is characterized by a rapid decline in clinical status, and has been recognized as a uniformly fatal event if aggressive therapy is not instituted. We report a diabetic child who presented with blurred vision, chemosis, and pain in the left periorbital region noted for about 1 week during an episode of ketocidosis. Neurologic examinations revealed that there was a decreased range of motion in the upward and lateral gaze, along with incomplete pupillary dilatation and papilledema of the left eye. Imaging studies demonstrated left-side orbital cellulitis, paranasal sinusitis, and a large lobulated abscess in the left frontal lobe. Two surgical procedures, including functional endoscopic sinus surgery for sinus debridement and a subsequent open craniotomy for abscess resection were performed. Pathologic specimens obtained from the abscess wall revealed necrotic inflammation and wide, nonseptate hyphae with right angle branching, which are typical characteristics of the family Mucoraceae. Postoperatively, the patient was treated with 1.5 g of amphotericin B over a 7-week period, and aggressive diabetic control for 2 months. Through the combination of medical and surgical treatment the child made an uneventful recovery.
Brain Abscess↗
Evidence of P2Y-purinoceptor mediated bladder neck smooth muscle post-contractile relaxation in the male mini-pig.
The functional role of non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) nerves in the autonomic control of the male mini-pig bladder neck was investigated in the present study. Electrical stimulation of muscle strips from male mini-pig bladder neck showed biphasic response with initial phasic contraction followed by post-contractile relaxation. Electrical stimulation in the presence of four autonomic blockers (atropine 10(-6) M, propanolol 10(-6) M, phentolamine 10(-6) M) showed suppression of 68 +/- 15% of the contractile response (P < 0.05, n = 8) but no significant change in the relaxation response. Alpha-chymotrypsin 2 U/ml, L-NG-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate (a nitric oxide synthetase inhibitor) 10(-4) M, 8-phenylthlophylline (a P1-purinoceptor antagonist) 10(-6) M, and pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2', 4'-disulphoric acid tetrasodium salt (a P2Y-purinoceptor antagonist) 3 x 10(-5) M did not alter the NANC response significantly. On the other hand, reactive blue-2 (a P2Y-purinoceptor antagonist) 3 x 10(-5) significantly reduced the relaxation by 79 +/- 9%. The result suggested that the P2Y-purinoceptor is involved in the electrically induced NANC post-contractile relaxation of the mini-pig bladder neck smooth muscle.
Animals↗
Evidence of adenosine 5'-triphosphate release from nerve and P2x-purinoceptor mediated contraction during electrical stimulation of rat urinary bladder smooth muscle.
PURPOSE: We provided direct evidence for the existence of purinergic innervation in the rat urinary bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) innervation was studied in 4-month-old Wistar rats. Electric-field stimulation (EFS) of the detrusor muscle strips in the presence of four autonomic blockers (atropine 10(-6) M, guanethidine 10(-6) M, phentolamine 10(-6) M and propranolol 10(-6) M) showed NANC contractions accounted for about 50% of the maximum contractile response. The adenyl purines released from nerves by EFS were detected by HPLC after conversion to ethenopurines. The amount of total purine released was frequency-dependent and could be totally suppressed by tetradotoxin (10(-6) M). The amount of ATP released was significantly greater than those for ADP, AMP and adenosine (p < 0.05, n = 4). Desensitization induced by alpha, beta-MeATP (10(-6) to 10(-4) M), a P2x receptor agonist, reduced the NANC contraction. In addition, the NANC contraction was also abolished by P2 receptor blocker suramin (10(-4) to 10(-3) M) and P2x receptor blocker PPADS (10(-5) to 10(-4) M.). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study give evidence to support purinergic nerve-mediated bladder smooth muscle contractions in the rat. Among the purine nucleotides, ATP is the dominant purinergic neurotransmitter released and P2x receptor activation is responsible for the NANC contractile response.
Adenosine Triphosphate↗
Pharmacological characterization of the muscarinic receptor subtypes responsible for the contractile response in the rat urinary bladder.
1. Contractile responses of smooth muscle from the Wistar rat urinary bladder were studied with the use of muscarinic agonists and antagonists. 2. McN-A-343 induced only weak contractile responses of the bladder muscle. In contrast, oxotremorine showed higher potency than either acetylcholine or bethanechol in inducing a contractile response (the respective pD2 values were 6.38 +/- 0.25, 4.82 +/- 0.24 and 4.42 +/- 0.14). 3. The M2 antagonists, methoctramine (10(-9) M to 10(-5) M) and gallamine (10(-9) M to 10(-5) M), did not reduce acetylcholine-induced (10(-5) M) contractions of the bladder muscle strip. On the other hand, 4-diphenyl-acetoxy-N-methyl piperidine methiodide (4-DAMP, 10(-10) M to 10(-7) M), an M3 receptor blocker, effectively antagonized the acetylcholine-induced contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. 4-DAMP had a similar pA2 value to those of the non-selective antagonists, atropine and scopolamine (pA2 values were 8.26 +/- 0.05, 8.36 +/- 0.05 and 8.41 +/- 0.11, respectively). Pirenzepine, and M1 blocker, antagonized the contractions at higher concentrations (10(-8) M to 10(-5) M, pA2 = 6.23 +/- 0.04). 4. It is concluded that (1) the dominant muscarinic receptor subtype responsible for smooth muscle contraction in the rat urinary bladder is M3; and (2) the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine was more potent than acetylcholine and bethanechol in inducing a contractile response.
(4-(m-Chlorophenylcarbamoyloxy)-2-butynyl)trimethy↗
Isolation of synaptosomes from the rat urinary bladder.
Synaptosomes are nerve-end particles (NEP) isolated by using the technique of differential centrifugation. The synaptosome offers a good model for biochemical and pharmacological studies of the nerve endings. No report has been made on synaptosome isolation from the urinary bladder. The purpose of our work was to develop the use of synaptosome in the research of neurophysiology and neuropharmacology of the urinary bladder. Synaptosome-rich fraction was prepared from tissue homogenate of male Wistar rat urinary bladder by differential centrifugation (1000, 17,000 and 100,000 g) with discontinuous sucrose gradient. Electron microscopy showed synaptosomes as thin-walled bags containing a large number of synaptic vesicles. Two types of synaptosomes were easily discerned: those containing small agranular vesicles, and those containing dense-cored vesicles. The acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine contents in the preparation were measured by the method of high-performance liquid chromatography. The respective concentrations were 300.4 +/- 30.1, 962.8 +/- 58.5, 617.3 +/- 59.8 and 1354.8 +/- 144.2 pmol/mg synaptosomal protein. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that synaptosome-rich fractions can be prepared from the rat urinary bladder. Thus it is possible to apply this methodology for the investigation of the neurobiology of urinary bladders.
Animals↗
Alterations in urinary bladder synaptosomal neurotransmitter concentrations in two-week streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Three-month-old male Wistar rats were rendered diabetic with a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg body weight). Two weeks after induction of diabetes, synaptosome-rich fractions were prepared from urinary bladder tissue homogenate of the diabetic rats and control rats by differential centrifugation (1000 x g, 17,000 x g and 100,000 x g) with discontinuous sucrose gradient. Synaptosomal acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine were measured by the method of high-performance liquid chromatography. The respective neurotransmitter concentrations for the diabetic rats were 1537.8 +/- 65.3, 4757.7 +/- 361.9, 3720.7 +/- 276.1, and 2447.8 +/- 196.8 pmol/mg synaptosomal protein, respectively; those for the control rats were 338.1 +/- 25.0, 1009.0 +/- 54.6, 645.3 +/- 52.2, and 1426.1 +/- 123.9 pmol/mg protein, respectively. Thus, the synaptosomal concentrations for all the measured neurotransmitters were significantly higher in the diabetic rats (P < 0.05 for each comparison). In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that the vesicle-bound acetylcholine and catecholamines in the synaptosome-rich fraction of the urinary bladder were significantly increased in 2-week diabetic rats. This finding would suggest impaired neurotransmitter release from both the bladder sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent nerve endings in early streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
Acetylcholine↗
Comparisons of neurotransmitter concentrations in the synaptosomal preparation of the normotensive and hypertensive rat urinary bladder.
Synaptosome-rich fractions were prepared from tissue homogenate of the urinary bladder of the spontaneously hypertensive rat and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rat by differential centrifugation (1000 x g, 17 000 x g and 100 000 x g) with discontinuous sucrose gradient. Synaptosomal acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine were measured by the method of high-performance liquid chromatography. The respective neurotransmitter concentrations for the normotensive rats were 300.4 +/- 30.1, 962.8 +/- 58.5, 617.3 +/- 59.8, and 1354.8 +/- 144.2 pmol/mg synaptosomal protein. For the hypertensive rats, the acetylcholine concentration (203.8 +/- 23.0 pmol/mg protein) was significantly lower (P < 0.05), while the norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine concentrations (1459.0 +/- 180.3, 971.3 +/- 62.2, and 2161.0 +/- 243.4 pmol/mg protein, respectively) were significantly higher (P < 0.05 for all) than those of the normotensive rats. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that the vesicle-bound catecholamines in the synaptosome-rich fraction of the urinary bladder were significantly increased in hypertensive rats. On the contrary, the synaptosomal acetylcholine concentration was significantly decreased. These findings are suggestive of increased sympathetic innervation and decreased parasympathetic innervation in the urinary bladder of the spontaneously hypertensive rat.
Acetylcholine↗
The norepinephrine tissue concentration and neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity in genitourinary organs of the spontaneously hypertensive rat.
Tissue concentration of norepinephrine and neuropeptide-Y immunoreactivity (NPY-IR) were measured in the urinary bladder, urethra, prostate and corpus cavernosum of the spontaneously hypertensive rat, as well as the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rat. The results showed significantly increased tissue norepinephrine concentrations in the urinary bladder, urethra and prostate of the spontaneously hypertensive rat when compared to those of the normotensive rat (hypertensive, n = 18: 18.3 +/- 2.1, 14.9 +/- 1.7, 22.6 +/- 2.3 vs. normotensive, n = 18: 11.2 +/- 1.9, 10.4 +/- 1.3, 16.7 +/- 2.4 nmol/g tissue, respectively, P < 0.05 in each case). No difference was noted in the cavernosal tissue (hypertensive, n = 18: 11.3 +/- 1.6 vs. normotensive, n = 18: 10.1 +/- 1.8 nmol/g tissue, P > 0.01). Correspondingly, tissue NPY-IR was significantly increased in the bladder, urethra and prostate tissue of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (hypertensive, n = 18: 39.7 +/- 5.6, 25.3 +/- 3.4, 31.5 +/- 2.8 vs. normotensive, n = 18: 27.4 +/- 3.1, 18.6 +/- 2.7, 24.2 +/- 3.2 pmol/g tissue, respectively, P < 0.05 in each case). Again, no significant difference was observed in the cavernosal tissue (hypertensive, n = 18: 15.9 +/- 2.2 vs. normotensive, n = 18: 14.8 +/- 2.6 pmol/g tissue, P > 0.01). It is therefore concluded that increased tissue concentration of norepinephrine and NPY-IR were present in the urinary bladder, urethra and prostate of the spontaneously hypertensive rat. The significance of such biochemical findings needs further investigation but may suggest increased sympathetic innervation or activity. On the contrary, no corresponding changes were observed in the corpus cavernosum of the hypertensive rat.
Animals↗