Atrial tachycardias arising from the atrial appendages and aortic sinus of valsalva.

Focal atrial tachycardias arising from the atrial appendages and the aortic sinuses of Valsalva are less frequently encountered in clinical practice. This review article describes the clinical presentation, surface P wave morphology, electrophysiologic characteristics and treatment of these arrhythmias. Catheter ablation of these focal tachycardias has a high success rate. It is however important to be aware of specific anatomic considerations in these locations for optimal treatment outcomes with low complication rates.

Development of glucose intolerance in male transgenic mice overexpressing human glycogen synthase kinase-3beta on a muscle-specific promoter.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) protein levels and activity are elevated in skeletal muscle in type 2 diabetes, and inversely correlated with both glycogen synthase activity and insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. To explore this relationship, we have produced transgenic mice that overexpress human GSK-3beta in skeletal muscle. GSK-3beta transgenic mice were heavier, by up to 20% (P < .001), than their age-matched controls due to an increase in fat mass. The male GSK-3beta transgenic mice had significantly raised plasma insulin levels and by 24 weeks of age became glucose-intolerant as determined by a 50% increase in the area under their oral glucose tolerance curve (P < .001). They were also hyperlipidemic with significantly raised serum cholesterol (+90%), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) (+55%), and triglycerides (+170%). At 29 weeks of age, GSK-3beta protein levels were 5-fold higher, and glycogen synthase activation (-27%), glycogen levels (-58%) and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) protein levels (-67%) were significantly reduced in skeletal muscle. Hepatic glycogen levels were significantly increased 4-fold. Female GSK-3beta transgenic mice did not develop glucose intolerance despite 7-fold overexpression of GSK-3beta protein and a 20% reduction in glycogen synthase activation in skeletal muscle. However, plasma NEFAs and muscle IRS-1 protein levels were unchanged in females. We conclude that overexpression of human GSK-3beta in skeletal muscle of male mice resulted in impaired glucose tolerance despite raised insulin levels, consistent with the possibility that elevated levels of GSK-3 in type 2 diabetes are partly responsible for insulin resistance.

Speciation of ternary cobalt(II) phenanthroline-silica surface complexes as a function of pH and ligand steric bulk.

Co(II) solution species containing 1 equiv of phenanthroline (phen), 2-methyl-1,10-phenanthroline (MMP), or 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (DMP) ligand formed inner-sphere surface complexes when grafted on silica. The speciation on the silica surface depended on both the pH of the grafting solution and the steric bulk of the ligand. [Co(DMP)](2+) formed tetrahedral surface adducts exclusively, with a 1:1 ligand-Co ratio. These surface adducts were first detectable at pH values above 5.1. [Co(MMP)](2+) and [Co(phen)](2+) formed exclusively octahedral adducts on the surface with a 1:1 ligand-Co ratio at pH values below 5. The [Co(MMP)](2+) complex formed a tetrahedral adduct initially at pH 6 and increasingly as the pH was raised. The [Co(phen)](2+) complex did not produce a comparable tetrahedral surface species under any conditions. Instead, mixtures of octahedral surface species with both 1:1 and 2:1 ligand-Co ratios began to form at pH values above 6. Taken together, the results indicated that the development of tetrahedral stereochemistry was strongly influenced by steric factors in the presence of a nitrogen-donating ligand. All three phenanthroline derivatives promoted surface binding of the Co(II) ion adducts, so that maximal binding occurred at lower pH values than for binding of [Co(H(2)O)(6)](2+), which formed exclusively tetrahedral adducts.

Inner-sphere complexation of cobalt(II) 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline ([Co(neo)]2+) with commercial and sol-gel derived silica gel surfaces.

[Co(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)(solvent)4]2+ ([Co(neo)]2+) undergoes a significant decrease in symmetry to form an inner-sphere surface complex when grafted directly on performed silica or introduced during the sol-gel process. The visible and X-ray absorption spectra of the surface adducts are interpreted in terms of a binding mode in which the Co(II) center has a highly distorted pseudo-C2v symmetry. The interaction of [Co(neo)]2+ with the silica surface was analyzed using an acid-base equilibrium relationship. Half-maximal surface binding was observed at pH ca. 6. Linear fits to the pH dependence data are consistent with inner-sphere binding of a single silanol group to the cobalt center. The formation of the surface species in tetramethoxyorthosilicate (TMOS) sol-gels required approximately 2 equiv of hydroxide anion per cobalt center, suggesting a two-proton-dependent binding event to form a species such as [Co(neo)(SiO)2]. Both sol-gel and silica samples showed essentially identical visible and X-ray absorption spectra, indicating formation of very similar surface adducts when the different synthesis procedures were employed. The maximal binding of [Co(neo)]2+ on three silica samples with different pore diameters and surface areas was compared. Increased binding was found to be inversely proportional to surface area and proportional to pore diameter, indicating a preference for less sterically demanding surface sites.