The spread of injectate after deep serratus anterior plane and superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks: a cadaveric dye study.

We investigated the distribution of injected dye after deep serratus anterior plane and superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks in 15 Thiel embalmed cadavers. We injected 0.4 ml.kg-1 of 0.25% aqueous methylene blue solution into the deep serratus anterior and superficial parasternal intercostal planes using real-time ultrasound needle visualisation followed by posterior dissection to observe the distribution of the injected dye in the chest wall. The two blocks were performed bilaterally in 15 cadavers at the T5/T6 level, comprising 60 blocks in 30 hemithoraces in total. At dissection, the intercostal nerve territories were observed to be dyed completely from T2 to T6 in 28 of 30 hemithoraces, and extending caudal to T6 in 10 hemithoraces. Following the deep serratus anterior plane blocks in all cadavers, the dye was found to have spread to the axillae. Following the superficial parasternal intercostal plane blocks, the dye reached T7 in four cadaver dissections. We concluded that the territories innervated by the intercostal nerves (T2-T6 dermatomes) are dyed following the combination of the two blocks when performed at the T5-T6 intercostal space level. These techniques might provide an effective option for anaesthesia in breast surgery.

Association of leptin receptor expression in placenta and peripheral blood mononuclear cell with maternal weight in birth outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The pregnancy period represents the most intense period of growth and development. Pre-pregnancy weight influences weight gain during pregnancy. Leptin is a hormone mainly derived from white adipose tissue, during pregnancy leptin is also produced by the placenta. It has been suggested that the effects of placental leptin on the mother may contribute to endocrine-mediated alterations in energy balance; a dysregulation in leptin levels or its receptors may lead to poor birth outcomes. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to analyze the differences in birth outcomes by maternal weight with the expression level of leptin receptor in maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and placental tissue. METHODS: Women with full-term gestation and its offspring were enrolled. Total RNA from maternal PBMC and placenta was obtained to perform the analysis of expression of the leptin receptor (LEPR) gene trough real-time PCR technique. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA or Mann-Whitney u test when applicable. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between continuous variables (Stata v.13); p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between LEPR expression level and the BMI studied groups in maternal PBMC and placental tissue. Interaction between gestational weight gain (GWG) and LEPR in maternal PBMC explain in a 32% the variability of the newborn weight. CONCLUSIONS: LEPR expression level in maternal PBMC correlates with newborn measurements independent from sex. GWG can affect fetal development by increasing fetal birth weight.

Clcn7F318L/+ as a new mouse model of Albers-Schönberg disease.

Dominant negative mutations in CLCN7, which encodes a homodimeric chloride channel needed for matrix acidification by osteoclasts, cause Albers-Schönberg disease (also known as autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type 2). More than 25 different CLCN7 mutations have been identified in patients affected with Albers-Schönberg disease, but only one mutation (Clcn7G213R) has been introduced in mice to create an animal model of this disease. Here we describe a mouse with a different osteopetrosis-causing mutation (Clcn7F318L). Compared to Clcn7+/+ mice, 12-week-old Clcn7F318L/+ mice have significantly increased trabecular bone volume, consistent with Clcn7F318L acting as a dominant negative mutation. Clcn7F318L/F318L and Clcn7F318L/G213R mice die by 1month of age and resemble Clcn7 knockout mice, which indicate that p.F318L mutant protein is non-functional and p.F318L and p.G213R mutant proteins do not complement one another. Since it has been reported that treatment with interferon gamma (IFN-G) improves bone properties in Clcn7G213R/+ mice, we treated Clcn7F318L/+ mice with IFN-G and observed a decrease in osteoclast number and mineral apposition rate, but no overall improvement in bone properties. Our results suggest that the benefits of IFN-G therapy in patients with Albers-Schönberg disease may be mutation-specific.

Comparison of nanostructured titania matrices obtained by carbon template and sol-gel methods for controlled release of fluoxetine.

Two types of titania matrix were investigated as a support for the prolonged drug delivery of the antidepressant fluoxetine. Sample MT was synthesized using carbon template and consisted of titania microtubes on which then fluoxetine was adsorbed. Sample SG was synthesized by the sol-gel method when the drug was added during the reaction. The morphology of the powder surfaces was found to be different: nanotubes versus almost spherical particles with much larger surface area of SG and smaller pores. The relative degrees of hydroxyl coverage of the surface were studied by FTIR-spectroscopy and were found to be much larger for the sol-gel complex. Theoretical modeling was applied to consider possible interactions between the drug and the matrices. The liberation of the drug was proved to be faster from complex MT and was attributed to weaker drug-matrix interactions in combination with larger pore size.

Influence of water/alkoxide ratio in the synthesis of nanosized sol-gel titania on the release of phenytoin.

The sol-gel method was used to synthesize inorganic reservoirs with encapsulated antiepileptic drug phenytoin. The drug release profile was shown to depend on the morphology and surface properties of the matrix. A parameter of the synthesis such as water/alkoxide ratio r(w) was varied in order to investigate its influence on the matrix properties and as a result on the drug release profile. It was found that the specific surface area and crystallization degree decrease with an increase of r(w), whereas the hydroxyl group coverage increases with an increase of r(w). Drug release kinetics studies revealed that the initial release rate increases with an increase of water content in the reaction, whereas the long time release rate first slightly increases with an increase of water content from 4 to 8 and then decreases for r(w) = 16. The interplay of different parameters of the matrix is shown to be responsible for such a dependence and is discussed in the Article.

The use of solid-phase supported 1-N-piperazine-4-N-carboxaldehyde in Vilsmeier reactions.

A Vilsmeier salt supported on solid phase was prepared using piperazine bound to Merrifield resin. Piperazine was selected because it contains two secondary amines: one of the amines is protected upon binding to the resin, and the second was formylated to give resin-1-N-piperazine-4-N-carboxaldehyde (9). Activation of the formamide with either bis(trichloromethyl)carbonate (BTC) or POCl(3) afforded the Vilsmeier salt 10. Several olefins were used to test the supported Vilsmeier reagent. The in-solution activation with BTC and POCl(3) of various secondary amides was also evaluated: dimethylformamide (1), N-methyformanilide (4), 4-formylmorpholine (5), and 1,4-dicarboxylpiperazine (6), which showed that amides with one additional heteroatom increase the yields in the Vilsmeier salt formation.

Syntheses of quinazoline-2,4-dione alkaloids and analogues from Mexican Zanthoxylum species.

Quinazolinone and quinazolinedione derivatives are of considerable interest due to their wide array of pharmacological properties. In this paper we report the synthesis of ten quinazolinediones. The previous isolation of two of these compounds, namely 1-methyl-3-(2'-phenylethyl)-1H,3H-quinazoline-2,4-dione and 1-methyl-3-[2'-(4'- methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-lH,3H-quinazoline-2,4-dione, from the seed husks of Mexican Zanthoxylum species has been reported.

Method for analysis of polymer-supported organic compounds using mass spectrometry direct insertion.

A new approach on the use of mass spectrometry direct-insertion and a quadrupole detector for analysis of organic compounds supported in solid phase has been developed. This is a simple and efficient method based on cleavage due to the thermal-instability of the benzylic group of most commercial resins. The cleavage of supported compounds takes place in the spectrometer as a consequence of the high temperature in the instrument's chamber. These compounds are detected using a similar fragmentation pattern and a molecular ion corresponding to the same compound obtained by traditional synthesis. Polymer degradation fragments do not interfere with the spectrum interpretation, because only a few peaks and low intensities are detected. We report here the identification of different types of compounds supported in Merrifield resin, such as bis-o-aminobenzamides and simple aromatic and aliphatic compounds, using this new approach.