Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Multiple Injections (multiple + injection)
Selected AbstractsSingle stimulation of the posterior cord is superior to dual nerve stimulation in a coracoid blockACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2010J. RODRÍGUEZ Background: Both multiple injection and single posterior cord injection techniques are associated with extensive anesthesia of the upper limb after an infraclavicular coracoid block (ICB). The main objective of this study was to directly compare the efficacy of both techniques in terms of the rates of completely anesthetizing cutaneous nerves below the elbow. Methods: Seventy patients undergoing surgery at or below the elbow were randomly assigned to receive an ICB after the elicitation of either a single radial nerve-type response (Radial group) or of two different main nerve-type responses of the upper limb, except for the radial nerve (Dual group). Forty milliliters of 1.5% mepivacaine was given in a single or a dual dose, according to group assignment. The sensory block was assessed in each of the cutaneous nerves at 10, 20 and 30 min. Block performance times and the rates of complete anesthesia below the elbow were also noted. Results: Higher rates of sensory block of the radial nerve were found in the Radial group at 10, 20 and 30 min (P<0.05). The rates of sensory block of the ulnar nerve at 30 min were 97% and 75% in the Radial and in the Dual groups, respectively (P<0.05). The rate of complete anesthesia below the elbow was also higher in the Radial group at 30 min (P<0.05). Conclusions: Injection of a local anesthetic after a single stimulation of the radial nerve fibers produced more extensive anesthesia than using a dual stimulation technique under the conditions of our study. [source] Greater hippocampal neuronal recruitment in food-storing than in non-food-storing birdsDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Jennifer S. Hoshooley Abstract Previous research has shown heightened recruitment of new neurons to the chickadee hippocampus in the fall. The present study was conducted to determine whether heightened fall recruitment is associated with the seasonal onset of food-storing by comparing neurogenesis in chickadees and a non-food-storing species, the house sparrow. Chickadees and house sparrows were captured in the wild in fall and spring and received multiple injections of the cell birth marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Birds were held in captivity and the level of hippocampal neuron recruitment was assessed after 6 weeks. Chickadees showed significantly more hippocampal neuronal recruitment than house sparrows. We found no seasonal differences in hippocampal neuronal recruitment in either species. In chickadees and in house sparrows, one-third of new cells labeled for BrdU also expressed the mature neuronal protein, NeuN. In a region adjacent to the hippocampus, the hyperpallium apicale, we observed no significant differences in neuronal recruitment between species or between seasons. Hippocampal volume and total neuron number both were greater in spring than in fall in chickadees, but no seasonal differences were observed in house sparrows. Enhanced neuronal recruitment in the hippocampus of food-storing chickadees suggests a degree of neurogenic specialization that may be associated with the spatial memory requirements of food-storing behavior. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2007. [source] Role of peroxynitrite in methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity and sensitization in miceADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000Syed F. Ali Methamphetamine (METH)-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity is thought to be associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Recently, we have reported that copper/zinc(CuZn)-superoxide dismutase transgenic mice are resistant to METH-induced neurotoxicity. In the present study, we examined the role of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), susceptibility of nNOS knockout (KO) mice and sensitization to psychostimulants after neurotoxic doses of METH. Male SwissWebster mice were treated with or without 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) along with METH (5 mg/kg,ip,q 3h × 3) and were sacrificed 72 h after the last METH injection. Dopamine (DA) and dopamine transporter (DAT) binding sites were determined in striatum from saline and METH-treated animals. 7-NI completely protected against the depletion of DA, and DAT in striatum. In follow-up experiments nNOS KO mice along with appropriate control (C57BL/6N, SV129 and B6JSV129) mice were treated with METH (5 mg/kg,ip, q 3h × 3) and were sacrificed 72 h after dosing. This schedule of METH administrations resulted in only 10,20% decrease in tissue content of DA and no apparent change in the number of DAT binding sites in nNOS KO mice. However, this regime of METH resulted in a significant decrease in the content of DA as well as DAT binding sites in the wild-type animals. Pre-exposure to single or multiple doses of METH resulted in a marked locomotion sensitization in response to METH. However, the nNOS KO mice show no sensitization in response to METH after single or multiple injections of METH. Therefore, these studies strongly suggest the role of peroxynitrite, nNOS and DA system in METH-induced neurotoxicity and behavioral sensitization. [source] Pericranial injection of botulinum toxin type A (Dysport®) for tension-type headache , A multicentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2008A. Straube Increasingly, botulinum type A toxin is used to influence pathologically increased muscle activity in conditions such as dystonia and spasticity. Studies have also assessed its efficacy in tension-type headache, where muscle tenderness may be increased. We undertook a prospective, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients received injections of Dysport® (total dose of 420 or 210 units) or saline placebo in 18 sites on the head and neck. Of 125 patients treated, 118 were included in the intention-to-treat dataset. No significant differences between each verum group and placebo were seen for the primary efficacy parameter , change in the number of headache-free days at 4,8 weeks after injection compared with 4 weeks before injection. The groups receiving 420 or 210 units of Dysport experienced 2.60 and 2.87 more headache-free days respectively, compared with 1.93 more headache-free days for the placebo group (P = 0.66 versus 420 units; P = 0.52 versus 210 units). Treatment with 420 units of Dysport was associated with significant improvements compared with placebo for two secondary efficacy parameters: mean change in headache duration from baseline to weeks 8,12 (P < 0.05) and improved global physician and patient assessment scores (P < 0.05). Further studies should address the possible value of multiple injections with extended observation periods, dose optimization, and whether duration of headache history and number of previous treatments are predictors of patient response. [source] Heteromodal connections supporting multisensory integration at low levels of cortical processing in the monkeyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2005Céline Cappe Abstract While multisensory integration is thought to occur in higher hierarchical cortical areas, recent studies in man and monkey have revealed plurisensory modulations of activity in areas previously thought to be unimodal. To determine the cortical network involved in multisensory interactions, we performed multiple injections of different retrograde tracers in unimodal auditory (core), somatosensory (1/3b) and visual (V2 and MT) cortical areas of the marmoset. We found three types of heteromodal connections linking unimodal sensory areas. Visuo-somatosensory projections were observed originating from visual areas [probably the ventral and dorsal fundus of the superior temporal area (FSTv and FSTd), and middle temporal crescent (MTc)] toward areas 1/3b. Somatosensory projections to the auditory cortex were present from S2 and the anterior bank of the lateral sulcus. Finally, a visuo-auditory projection arises from an area anterior to the superior temporal sulcus (STS) toward the auditory core. Injections in different sensory regions allow us to define the frontal convexity and the temporal opercular caudal cortex as putative polysensory areas. A quantitative analysis of the laminar distribution of projecting neurons showed that heteromodal connections could be either feedback or feedforward. Taken together, our results provide the anatomical pathway for multisensory integration at low levels of information processing in the primate and argue against a strict hierarchical model. [source] Different behavioral effects of neurotoxic dorsal hippocampal lesions placed under either isoflurane or propofol anesthesiaHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 3 2008Mark G. Baxter Abstract Anesthetic protocols for behavioral neuroscience experiments are evolving as new anesthetics are developed and surgical procedures are refined to improve animal welfare. We tested whether neurotoxic dorsal hippocampal lesions produced under two different anesthetic protocols would have different behavioral and/or histo-pathological effects. Rats were anesthetized with either propofol, an intravenous anesthetic, or isoflurane, a gaseous anesthetic, and multiple injections of an excitotoxin (N -methyl- D -aspartate) were stereotaxically placed in the dorsal hippocampus bilaterally. Intraoperative physiological parameters were similar in the two surgical groups, as were the volumes of the lesions, although the profile of postoperative impairment in a spatial learning task differed between the lesion groups depending on the anesthetic regimen used. These results show that the choice of anesthetic protocol is a critical variable in designing behavioral neuroscience experiments using neurosurgical procedures. This factor should be considered carefully in experimental design and in cross-study comparisons of lesion effects on behavior. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Postnatal neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the guinea pigHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 3 2005Sandra Guidi Abstract In all species examined, the dentate gyrus develops over an extended period that begins during gestation and continues up to adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of postnatal cell production in the dentate gyrus of the guinea pig, a rodent whose brain development has features more closely resembling the human condition than the most commonly used rodents (rat and mouse). Animals of different postnatal (P) ages received one or multiple injections of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and the number of labeled cells in the dentate gyrus was counted after time intervals of 24 h or longer. The total granule cell number and the volume of the granule cell layer were evaluated in Nissl-stained brain sections from P1 and P30 animals. P1,P5 animals were treated with MK-801 to analyze the effect of NMDA receptor blockade on cell proliferation. Cell production occurred at a high rate (9,000,13,000 labeled cells 24 h after one injection) from P1 to P20, with a peak at 3,6 days of age, and then slowly declined from P20 to P30. The production of new cells continued in adult animals, although at a much-reduced rate (400 cells 24 h after one injection). About 20% of the labeled cells survived after a 17-day period and most (60%) of these cells had a neuronal phenotype. The total number of granule cells increased over the first postnatal month; in 30-day-old animals, it was 20% greater than in 1-day-old animals. Administration of MK-801 to P1,P5 animals caused an increase in cell proliferation restricted to the dorsal dentate gyrus. The present data show that, although the guinea pig dentate gyrus develops largely before birth, the production of new neurons continues at a high rate during the first postnatal month, leading to a considerable increase in cell number. This developmental pattern, resembling the human and nonhuman primate condition, may make the guinea pig a useful rodent model in developmental studies on dentate gyrus neurogenesis. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Pharmaceutical and immunological evaluation of a single-shot hepatitis B vaccine formulated with PLGA microspheresJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 4 2002Li Shi Abstract A single-shot Hepatitis B vaccine formulation using poly(d,l)-lactide-co-glycolide acid (PLGA) microspheres as a delivery system was examined using a variety of biophysical and biochemical techniques as well as immunological evaluation in C3H mice. PLGA microsphere encapsulation of the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), a lipoprotein particle, resulted in good recoveries of protein mass, protein particle conformational integrity, and in vitro antigenicity. Some partial delipidation of the HBsAg, however, was observed. The loading and encapsulation efficiency of HBsAg into the PLGA microspheres were measured along with the morphology and size distribution of the vaccine-loaded PLGA microspheres. The in vitro release kinetics of HBsAg from the PLGA microspheres was evaluated and found to be affected by experimental conditions such as stirring rate. HBsAg showed enhanced storage stability at 37°C in the slightly acidic pH range reported to be found inside PLGA microspheres; thus, the antigen is relatively stable under conditions of temperature and pH that may mimic in vivo conditions. The immunogenicity of the microsphere formulations of HBsAg was compared with conventional aluminum adjuvant formulated HBsAg vaccine in C3H mice. Comparisons were made between aluminum formulations (one and two injections), PLGA microsphere formulations (single injection), and a mixture of aluminum and PLGA microsphere formulations (single injection). The nine-month serum antibody titers indicate that a single injection of a mixture of aluminum and PLGA-formulated HBsAg results in equal or better immune responses than two injections of aluminum-formulated HBsAg vaccine. Based on these invitro and in vivo studies, it is concluded that HBsAg can be successfully encapsulated and recovered from the PLGA microspheres and a mixture of aluminum-adjuvanted and PLGA-formulated HBsAg can auto-boost an immune response in manner comparable to multiple injections of an aluminum-formulated vaccine. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 91:1019,1035, 2002 [source] Responsiveness of rabbits to superovulation treatment by a single injection of follicle-stimulating hormone with aluminum hydroxide gelMOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 9 2007Shu Hashimoto Abstract Aluminum hydroxide gel (Al-gel), which is used as an adjuvant, can absorb macromolecules. We investigated the applicability of Al-gel to the sustained release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as a simplified method of superovulation (SOV) in rabbits. The responsiveness of rabbits to SOV by a single injection of FSH dissolved in Al-gel suspension (3.2 mg Al/ml) and in 10% (w/v) polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and by multiple injections of FSH in saline was examined. The numbers of total and fertilized eggs recovered from rabbits treated with FSH in Al-gel (40.5 and 26.3, respectively) were similar to multiple injections (47.4 and 28.6, respectively) and were significantly greater (P,<,0.05) than single injection of FSH with PVP (17.3 and 11.5, respectively). We also compared the plasma FSH levels of rabbits which were induced SOV by multiple or a single injection of Al-gel. Al-gel provided sustained release of FSH to the blood stream at a high enough dose for SOV. Moreover, the developmental competence of the pups of DNA-injected embryos from rabbits treated with a single injection of FSH mixed with Al-gel (18%) was similar to that of DNA-injected embryos, recovered from rabbits treated with FSH dissolved in saline (21%). Two transgenic pups were obtained from embryos recovered from rabbits by a single injection of FSH with Al-gel. These results indicate that a single injection of FSH with Al-gel is an effective method for SOV of rabbit and that this technique is applicable to research requiring large numbers of rabbit embryos such as the production of transgenic rabbits. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 1208,1212, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Long-term efficacy of botulinum toxin A in treatment of various movement disorders over a 10-year periodMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 6 2002G-Y.R. Hsiung MD Abstract Although botulinum toxin A (BTX) has been licensed in Canada for treatment of various movement disorders since 1990, few clinical studies regarding its long-term efficacy and side effects have been reported. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 235 patients who received BTX from our movement disorders clinic over a 10-year period (January 1990 to December 1999). A total of 2,616 treatment cycles (multiple injections) were administered to 235 patients with cervical dystonia (CD), hemifacial spasm (HS), blepharospasm (BP), and other movement disorders. Substantial benefit at 5 years was seen in most patients (90% in BP, 88% in HS, 63% in CD, 100% in jaw closing and lower limb dystonia, and 56% in writer's cramp). Benefit was maintained for up to 10 years in CD, HS, and BP data, with a 75.8% benefit reported. Twenty-eight percent of patients discontinued treatment during the follow-up period due to a variety of reasons. Of these, 9.1% of patients developed primary resistance, and 7.5% of patients secondary resistance. Adverse effects, mostly minor, developed in 27% of patients at any one time, occurring over 4.5% of treatment cycles. These were most frequently reported in blepharospasm (22 of 36 patients in 40 cycles), followed by hemifacial spasm (21 of 70 patients in 46 cycles), and cervical dystonia (17 of 106 in 28 cycles). Only 1.3% of patients discontinued therapy due intolerable adverse effects. The results show that BTX is a safe and effective treatment of various types of movement disorders, and most side effects are well tolerated. Discontinuation for any reason was also low after 5 years. Efficacy was maintained after long periods of treatment with high degree of patient satisfaction. © 2002 Movement Disorder Society [source] Quantitative analysis of amyloid , peptides in cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease patients by immunoaffinity purification and stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography/negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometryRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 24 2006Tomoyuki Oe The 40 and 42 amino-acid residue forms of amyloid beta (A,1,40 and A,1,42) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been proposed as potential biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Quantitative analyses of A, peptides in CSF have relied almost exclusively on the use of immunoassay-based assays such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedure. However, due to the ability of the A, peptides to readily self-aggregate or bind to other proteins and glassware, such analyses are extremely challenging. Analyses are further complicated by the potential of the peptides to undergo post-translational modifications and the possibilities for cross-reaction in the ELISA assays with endogenous components of the CSF. An approach based on liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) has now been developed which overcomes these methodological issues. The key steps in implementing this new approach involved immunoaffinity purification coupled with the use of [15N]-labeled A, peptides as internal standards, a basic LC mobile phase, negative ion electrospray ionization, and a basic solvent for dissolving the peptides and washing the injection needle to prevent carryover of analytes during multiple injections on the LC/MS system. The validated method had limits of quantitation of 44,fmol/mL (200,pg/mL) for A,1,42 and 92,fmol/mL (400,pg/mL) for A,1,40. An excellent correlation was found between the LC/MS/MS assay and an ELISA assay for A,1,42 in human CSF (r2,=,0.915), although less correlation was observed for A,1,40 (r2,=,0.644). Mean CSF A,1,42 concentrations for samples collected 2 weeks apart from a limited number of AD patients provided additional confidence in the reproducibility of the LC/MS/MS assay. Concentrations for duplicate samples from AD patients were slightly higher than most previously reported values (mean 1.06,±,0.25,ng/mL; n,=,7). A,1,40 concentrations in duplicate samples obtained from AD patients were also reproducible but were found to be slightly lower than most previously reported values (mean 6.36,±,3.07,ng/mL; n,=,7). Consistent with literature reports, mean A,1,42 concentrations were found to be lower in AD patients compared with the normal subjects (mean 1.49,±,0.59,ng/mL; n,=,7), whereas there was no difference in A,1,40 concentrations between AD patients and normal subjects (mean 5.88,±,3.03,ng/mL; n,=,7). The accuracy and precision of the LC/MS assay mean that it will be a useful complement to existing ELISA assays for monitoring therapeutic interventions designed to modulate CSF A,1,42 concentrations in individual AD patients. Moreover, the introduction of stable isotope labeled internal standards offers the potential to achieve a more rigorous account of the influence of methodological effects related to sample collection and processing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The use of turbulent flow chromatography and the isocratic focusing effect to achieve on-line cleanup and concentration of neat biological samples for low-level metabolite analysisRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 5 2005J. L. Herman The use of turbulent flow chromatography in conjunction with column switching isocratic focusing was used to perform on-line sample cleanup and concentration of neat rat plasma for the identification of low-level metabolites. The concentration was achieved by focusing multiple injections, which were cleaned by a turbulent flow column, onto an analytical column prior to elution into the mass spectrometer. In addition, the first application of turbulent flow chromatography for on-line sample cleanup of neat bile samples is reported. The on-line cleanup and concentration method extracts and concentrates a sample 20-fold in 1,h, and is completely automated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Squamous cell carcinoma associated with intralesional injection of cidofovir for recurrent respiratory papillomatosisTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 3 2009David G. Lott MD Abstract Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is a common neoplasm of the larynx that may lead to severe, recurrent lesions. Intralesional injection of cidofovir has shown promise as an adjuvant therapy. There is concern for possible malignant transformation with its use but, to our knowledge, this has not been documented in the literature. We report a case of invasive squamous cell cancer arising from squamous papilloma in a patient treated with multiple injections of cidofovir. Although causation is not shown, we believe the association presented is a valuable addition to the literature and an important consideration in the use of cidofovir. Laryngoscope, 119:567,570, 2009 [source] Spread of injectate after ultrasound-guided subcostal transversus abdominis plane block: a cadaveric studyANAESTHESIA, Issue 7 2009M. J. Barrington Summary Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block can be performed using a subcostal technique. This technique was simulated using dye injection in cadavers in order to determine segmental nerve involvement and spread of injectate using either single or multiple-injection techniques. Dye most commonly spread to affect T9 and T10 nerves with the single injection technique and T9, T10 and T11 with multiple injections. The median (IQR [range]) spread of dye was 60 (36,63 [32,78]) cm2 using the single-injection technique and 90 (85,96 [72,136]) cm2, in the multiple-injection technique, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.003). These results indicate that ultrasound-guided subcostal TAP block will involve nerve roots T9, T10 and T11 and that a multiple-injection technique may block more segmental nerves and increase spread of injectate. [source] Assessment of a New Experimental Model of Isolated Right Ventricular FailureARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 3 2009Petronio G. Thomaz Abstract We assessed a new experimental model of isolated right ventricular (RV) failure, achieved by means of intramyocardial injection of ethanol. RV dysfunction was induced in 13 mongrel dogs via multiple injections of 96% ethanol (total dose 1 mL/kg), all over the inlet and trabecular RV free walls. Hemodynamic and metabolic parameters were evaluated at baseline, after ethanol injection, and on the 14th postoperative day (POD). Echocardiographic parameters were evaluated at baseline, on the sixth POD, and on the 13th POD. The animals were then euthanized for histopathological analysis of the hearts. There was a 15.4% mortality rate. We noticed a decrease in pulmonary blood flow right after RV failure (P = 0.0018), as well as during reoperation on the 14th POD (P = 0.002). The induced RV dysfunction caused an increase in venous lactate levels immediately after ethanol injection and on the 14th POD (P < 0.0003). The echocardiogram revealed a decrease in the RV ejection fraction on the sixth and 13th PODs (P = 0.0001). There was an increased RV end-diastolic volume on the sixth (P = 0.0001) and 13th PODs (P = 0.0084). The right ventricle showed a 74% ± 0.06% transmural infarction area, with necrotic lesions aged 14 days. Intramyocardial ethanol injection has allowed the creation of a reproducible and inexpensive model of RV failure. The hemodynamic, metabolic, and echocardiographic parameters assessed at different protocol times are compatible with severe RV failure. This model may be useful in understanding the pathophysiology of isolated right-sided heart failure, as well as in the assessment of ventricular assist devices. [source] Rapid and specific high-performance liquid chromatography for the in vitro quantification of d -Lys6,GnRH in a microemulsion-type formulation in the presence of peptide oxidation productsBIOMEDICAL CHROMATOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2010Alexandra P. Kafka Abstract A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for assay of d -Lys6,GnRH contained in a microemulsion-type formulation is described. The peptide is extracted from the microemulsion matrix and quantified using a two-step gradient method. Separation from microemulsion compounds and potential peptide oxidation products was achieved on a Jupiter C18 column at 40°C, using a gradient of 10,35% CH3CN for peptide elution. The correlation of peak intensity measured at 220 nm and peptide concentration was linear over the range 2.5,60 µg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997 and a y -intercept not significantly different from zero (p > 0.05). Intraday and interday variability of the assay was less than 5% for multiple injections of samples containing 7.5, 30 and 60 µg/mL. The lower limit of quantitation was calculated to be 0.38 µg/mL, and the lower limit of detection was 0.13 µg/mL. The assay was applied to samples that were stressed under physiological conditions (37°C, pH 7.4) over 4 days. Three degradation peaks were well resolved from the parent peptide, demonstrating the selectivity of the assay. Off-line MALDI TOF mass spectrometry was applied to identify these degradation species as oxidation products of the peptide. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] High-Level Transient Production of a Heterologous Protein in Plants by Optimizing Induction of a Chemically Inducible Viral Amplicon Expression SystemBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 6 2007Michael A. Plesha We have demonstrated that the method of chemical induction using a chemically inducible viral amplicon expression system can be optimized to increase expression of a heterologous protein in plants. A cucumber mosaic virus inducible viral amplicon (CMViva) expression system was used to transiently produce a recombinant human blood protein, ,-1-antitrypsin (AAT), by co-infiltrating intact and detached Nicotiana benthamiana leaves with two Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains, one containing the CMViva expression cassette carrying the AAT gene and the other containing a binary vector carrying the gene silencing suppressor p19. Infiltrated plants were induced by either topical applications or pressure injections and inducer was applied at either a single or multiple time points. Applying induction solution every 2 days via topical application resulted in increasing maximum levels of biologically functional rAAT from 0.71% to 1.3% of the total soluble protein (TSP) in detached plant leaves, a 1.8-fold improvement. Multiple applications of induction solution via pressure injection into intact leaves resulted in maximum levels of biologically functional rAAT being elevated 3-fold up to 2.4% of TSP compared to 0.8% of TSP when using the conventional method of a single topical application, and expression levels remained high 6 days post-induction. Overall production of rAAT in intact leaves was found to have a maximum level of 5.8% of TSP or 390 mg rAAT per kg leaf tissue when applying multiple injections of chemical induction solution. [source] Intravitreal bevacizumab for treatment-naïve subfoveal occult choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degenerationACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 4 2009Claudio Furino Abstract. Purpose:, This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of multiple injections of intravitreal bevacizumab for treatment-naïve subfoveal occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods:, Twelve eyes of 12 patients (mean age 76 ± 6 years) with mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/100 and occult subfoveal CNV at fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine-green (ICG) angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT), showing intra- or subretinal fluid with or without retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED), underwent multiple intravitreal injections (mean 2.4 ± 0.7) of 1.25 mg (0.05 ml) bevacizumab. Visual acuity and OCT findings were assessed at the end of follow-up. Results:, After a mean follow-up of 5.7 ± 2 months, BCVA improved from 20/100 (range 20/50,20/303) to 20/60 (range 20/28,20/200) (p = 0.038). Five eyes (42%) increased BCVA by , 3 lines, six eyes (50%) increased BCVA by < 3 lines and one eye (8%) remained stable. Macular thickness decreased from 298 ± 71 ,m to 223 ± 72 ,m (p = 0.017). No ocular or systemic side-effects were observed. Conclusions:, Short-term results suggest that multiple intravitreal injections of 1.25 mg bevacizumab are well tolerated and associated with significant improvements in BCVA and decreased retinal thickness by OCT in most patients with treatment-naïve occult CNV. Further evaluation of intravitreal bevacizumab for the treatment of occult CNV is warranted. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||