These data indicate that coronary artery injury in swine with either balloon inflation or stenting leads to intimal smooth muscle cell proliferation similar to that seen in human restenosis. The degree of intimal proliferation appears to be greater after stenting than after balloon injury. Intracoronary stenting in swine is associated with a marked inflammatory reaction around the stent wires. These models may be helpful in planning systemic and local antirestenosis strategies.

The major finding of this study is that the antioxidant drug probucol reduces neointimal formation after oversized balloon injury in a swine model of restenosis. This suggests that active oxygen species may play a role in restenosis.

No abstract

The role of calcium and calmodulin during U 46619 and PGF2 alpha-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction was studied in isolated rat lungs perfused with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate (KRB) or calcium-free KRB. In lungs perfused with KRB, bolus injections of U 46619 (0.2 microgram) and PGF2 alpha (40.0 micrograms) resulted in a 48.0 +/- 4.0 and 23.9 +/- 2.5% increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure, respectively. During lung perfusion with KRB without calcium, the U 46619 response decreased to 31.1 +/- 7.5% whereas the PGF2 alpha response increased to 34.6 +/- 4.1%. Repeated challenges with PGF2 alpha in the KRB without calcium resulted in reduction of the response to 11.8 +/- 1.2%; the U 46619 response was unaltered. The intracellular calcium blocker, 8-(N,N-diethylamino)-octyl-3,4,5, trimethoxybenzoate HCL (TMB-8) significantly attenuated the pressor response to U 46619 at low doses and PGF2 alpha at high doses. The calmodulin inhibitor trifluoperazine (TFP 100 microM) attenuated the vasoconstrictor response to U 46619 by 54%, whereas the PGF2 alpha was unchanged. However, in the calcium-free KRB, TFP attenuated the pressor response to both U 46619 and PGF2 alpha. The U 46619 pressor response depends on intracellular and extracellular calcium to achieve calmodulin-dependent vasoconstriction. PGF2 alpha requires extracellular calcium to replenish depletable intracellular calcium pools and is independent of calmodulin activation.

Respiratory failure is one of the most uncommon and serious adverse drug reactions. Low-molecular-weight-dextran (Dextran-40) is a useful adjunctive anti-platelet agent in the setting of coronary angioplasty and intracoronary stent placement. We report the occurrence of the adult respiratory distress syndrome following intravenous infusion of Dextran-40.