Use of tissue Doppler imaging following coronary artery bypass surgery.

This study assessed the effect of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on myocardial systolic functions using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Fourteen patients (three women and 11 men) who had undergone isolated coronary bypass surgery were included in the study. Their mean age was 61 +/- 8 years. TDI systolic velocity measures were obtained from four different sites on the left ventricular wall (anterior, septal, lateral and inferior) at the papillary muscle level in the parasternal short axis view before CABG, and then at 1 and 6 weeks post-operatively. There were significant increases in the myocardial wall velocities at all left ventricular sites 1 week after CABG. This increase persisted to week 6 after CABG, but the velocities were lower than week 1 values. We conclude that the ischaemic myocardium responded to surgical revascularization with marked increases in myocardial segmental systolic velocities in the early post-operative period.

The combined effect of iloprost and N-acetylcysteine in preventing spinal cord ischemia in rabbits.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the cytoprotective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and iloprost on spinal cord ischemia in an experimental model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five (male) New Zealand white rabbits were included in five study groups (n=7, each group). One group served as Sham. Rabbits in other groups had their abdominal aorta cross-clamped just above the iliac bifurcation for 40 min. During aortic cross clamping, iloprost, NAC, both iloprost and NAC or saline (control) were infused. RESULTS: In NAC, iloprost, and iloprost+NAC groups, neurological status of rabbits (Tarlov score) 24 and 48 h after the operation was better than the control group (p<0.01), but worse than the Sham group (p<0.01). There was minimal neuronal damage in the iloprost treated groups compared to the NAC group (p<0.05). Mean viability index values in NAC, iloprost and iloprost+NAC groups were higher than the control group (p<0.01). Viability index in the NAC group was lower than the iloprost and iloprost+NAC groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of iloprost and NAC may provide better protection from spinal cord ischemia.