6 +/- 1.6 U per patient versus 1.9 +/- 2.4 U per patient with conventional surgery (P = .35. There were no reoperations for postoperative bleeding in the hybrid group compared with 2 (3.8%) in the conventional group (P = .43).

Conclusions: Staged PCI with minimally invasive valve

surgery may offer an alternative to coronary bypass grafting with concurrent valve surgery and should be tested prospectively. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2012;144:634-9)”
“Evidence accumulates for a key role of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptors in the many homeostatic and neuroprotective functions of astrocytes, including buy GW4869 glycogen metabolism, regulation of immune responses, release of neurotrophic factors, and the astrogliosis that occurs in response to neuronal injury. A dysregulation of the astrocytic beta(2)-adrenergic-pathway is suspected to contribute to the physiopathology of a number of prevalent and devastating neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, human immunodeficiency virus encephalitis, stroke and hepatic encephalopathy. In this review we focus on the physiological functions of astrocytic beta(2)-adrenergic receptors, and their possible impact in disease states. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objectives: To compare the decrease LXH254 mw in left ventricular mass

index (LVMI) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) versus transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) after aortic valve replacement (AVR) for severe aortic stenosis with Epic and Epic Supra stented porcine bioprostheses (St

Jude Medical, Inc, St Paul, Minn).

Methods: This prospective multicenter study enrolled 149 patients who underwent AVR between January 2006 and February 2008. TTE and cardiac MRI measurements of LVMI were made at baseline and at 6 months of follow-up and were compared. Changes in mean pressure gradients were examined using TTE.

Results: TTE measurements of LVMI were 48% to 63% higher than the MRI measurements. A decrease in LVMI from 137 +/- 32 to 95 +/- 16 g/m(2) with the Epic and from 139 +/- 29 to 104 +/- 28 g/m(2) with the Epic Supra valves (P < .0001 for both comparisons) was measured by TTE. Cardiac MRI revealed decreases until in LVMI from 84 +/- 20 to 64 +/- 12 g/m(2) and from 86 +/- 27 to 64 +/- 17 g/m(2) with the Epic and Epic Supra valves, respectively (P < .0001 for both comparisons). TTE revealed a significant regression of mean pressure gradients from 51.6 +/- 15.3 to 15.5 +/- 5.2 mm Hg with the Epic and from 46.7 +/- 19.4 to 17.9 +/- 12.8 mm Hg with the Epic supra (P < .0001 for both comparisons).

Conclusions: A significant decrease in LVMI was measured after AVR with all sizes of both bioprosthetic models. Because of the overestimation of the decrease in LVMI by the Devereux formula, as well as the higher accuracy and reproducibility of cardiac MRI measurements, the latter should be preferred to TTE.