Effect of left ventricular assistance on sympathetic tone

To determine the effect of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) pumping on sympathetic tone, renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) was detected in acute animal experiments. Our TH-7B pneumatically driven, sac-type ventricular assist device was used in 7 adult mongrel dogs. RSNA was detected by the use of bipolar electrodes attached to the left renal sympathetic nerve. RSNA was amplified and integrated by use of an R-C integrator circuit. The area of the integrated nerve discharge per unit time was calculated in the computer system and expressed as RSNA per unit time. During LVAD pumping, RSNA decreased with increase in blood pressure, with an increase in pulmonary artery flow, and with a decrease in left atrial pressure. These data suggest that LVAD has an effect on the sympathetic nervous system which is mediated by the aortic and cardiopulmonary baroreflex system.

[A case of aortitis syndrome]

A 57 years old woman was admitted for the investigation of anginal chest pain. Her coronary angiography didn't show any typical finding seen in the aortitis syndrome, but coronary sclerosis and stenosis seen in the usual atherosclerotic patients. The cerebral angiography was performed, too. The right vertebral artery, which was tortuous and dilated, was seen, but the other three cerebral vessels were not seen. These rare findings were reported in this report. We added the discussion about the relation between the aortitis syndrome and angina pectoris.

[Expanded indication of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to the infarcted zone--using thallium-201 exercise scintigram after rehabilitation]

In some cases of old myocardial infarction (OMI), left ventricular wall motion was improved after revascularization, though viability of the infarcted myocardium was not detected by left ventriculography (LVG) and exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy (EX-Tl). So to obtain more correct information of the viability, EX-Tl was performed again after ergometer rehabilitation for an OMI patient whose myocardial viability of the infarcted zone could not detected by LVG and EX-Tl. Incomplete fill in was showed in the EX-Tl after rehabilitation. So percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed. Left ventricular wall motion was improved after three months. EX-Tl after rehabilitation is useful to evaluate the viability that could not detected by LVG and EX-Tl.