Background. Although collateral circulation is important for myocardial salvage in acute coronary syndrome, effects of collaterals are significantly reduced by systemic hypotension. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of nitroglycerin and nicorandil on micro-collateral circulation during systemic hypotension.Methods. Real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) was performed in 15 open-chest dogs during occlusion of the left circumflex artery using a snare. Ischemic area was identified using high ultrasound power exposure (burst) just after coronary occlusion. Micro-collateral vessels were recognized by re-opacification during 30 seconds of occlusion. Final subjects for this study were 8 of the 15 dogs that displayed micro-collateral vessels. Flow volume of the donor artery, i.e., the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), was measured. Video intensity (VI) were measured and percent wall thickening (%WT) was calculated. Replenishment curves of VI for the ischemic area after burst were obtained and used in the exponential function y=A (1-e t ), for estimation of myocardial blood flow volume (A ). These indices were compared at control and during hypotension after nitroglycerin (0.01-0.02 mg/kg) or nicorandil (0.1-0.2 mg/kg) administration.Results. Equivalent hypotension was induced by each drug. VI, %WT and A at the ischemic area were significantly decreased after nitroglycerin (p<0.05) administration, but not after nicorandil. Nicorandil increased LAD flow from 6.1 2.3 ml/min to 8.8 2.1 ml/min, but nitroglycerin did not. Conclusion.Compared with nitroglycerin, nicorandil offers better preservation of coronary collateral circulation, even during systemic hypotension. (J Echocardiogr 2004; 2: 90-98)

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Biologging involves the use of animal-borne data loggers to investigate behavioral ecology and physiology, and is widely used in various taxonomic groups, including freshwater turtles. Two methods of attachment of the logger were used in previous studies on freshwater turtles. Technological advances have led to a variety of devices and experimental periods and their characteristics vary depending on each species of turtle. Thus, the ideal attachment method for each species and experimental purpose should be considered. This study proposes a new method that utilizes quick-setting epoxy to bond the carapace to a basement. We conducted field experiments on a wild Reeves’ pond turtle and a wild red-eared slider. The new method was used for the pond turtle and the traditional approach of drilling holes in the carapace for attaching the logger with cable ties was used for the slider. The data logger was deployed on the pond turtle for > 3 h and on the slider for 26 days. Results revealed that the movement speed of the pond turtle and the dynamic acceleration of the slider tended to be small in the periods from sunset to sunrise. Although the duration of attachment in the new method was short compared to previous studies, results show that the method is useful for repeatedly attaching and removing the device from turtles, as it is simple and noninvasive.

The lack of knowledge regarding the ecology of aquatic reptiles hampers the development of effective conservation strategies. Biologging is widely used to investigate behavioral ecology and physiology with animal-borne data loggers. In recent years, behavioral ecology studies using biologging have been conducted in freshwater turtles. However, universal methods for deployment of animal-borne data loggers in freshwater turtles have not yet been established. In this study, we established a method for attaching a data logger to freshwater turtles by conducting field experiments on a wild Reeves’ pond turtle and a wild red-eared slider. We attached a data logger to the carapace of a pond turtle using quick-setting epoxy, and by drilling holes in the marginal scutes of the slider’s carapace, and attaching it with cable ties. The data logger was deployed on the Reeves’ pond turtle for more than 3 h and on the red-eared slider for 26 days. We show that deployment of a data logger by fixing it on the holes in marginal scutes with cable ties is effective. In addition, analysis of the obtained data revealed that the movement speed of a pond turtle and the dynamic acceleration of a slider tended to be small in the periods from sunset to sunrise. It is expected that the diffusion of the attaching method of the animal-borne data logger established in this study will enable the elucidation of the behavioral ecology of freshwater turtles, such as classifying their behavior with acceleration, like walking and swimming, and calculating the proportion of each classified behavior.

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