Cell lines derived from human prostate cancer are regarded as relatively resistant to both radiation-induced clonogenic death and apoptosis. Here we attempted to modulate the response of LNCaP prostate cancer cells to radiation therapy (XRT) by pretreatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA), a known apoptogenic agent in LNCaP cells. Using plateau-phase cultures, we investigated the r...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is rarely applied to ischemic stroke patients aged 80 years and above. As future demographic trends will increase the proportion of older stroke patients, the overall tPA treatment rate may decrease. The aim of the present analysis was to provide an estimate of the future number of ischemic stroke patients and t...

Cerebral hemorrhage associated with antithrombotic and thrombolytic therapy in acute stroke continues to present a major clinical problem. Rupture of the cerebral microvasculature involves the degradation and remodeling of extracellular matrix. Here we demonstrated that the delayed administration of heparin 3 hours after photothrombotic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) caused cerebral he...

Background Although coronary thrombosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (NQMI), the effects of thrombolytic therapy in these disorders is not clear. Also, the role of routine early coronary arteriography followed by revascularization has not been established. Methods and Results Patients (n=1473) seen within 24 hours of ischemic ...

Achieving early, complete, and sustained reperfusion after acute myocardial infarction does not occur in approximately 50% of patients, even with the most potent established thrombolytic therapy. Bleeding is observed with increased concentrations of thrombolytics as well as with adjunctive antithrombotic and antiplatelet agents. A novel approach to enhance thrombolytic therapy is to inhibit the...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Only 3% to 5% of patients with acute ischemic stroke receive intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) and <1% receive endovascular therapy. We describe access of the US population to all facilities that actually provide intravenous r-tPA or endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke. METHODS We used US demographic data and intravenous r-tPA ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is an effective therapy for acute ischemic stroke, treatment rates remain low. Efforts to address the underuse of tPA include public education to increase the recognition of stroke symptoms and the awareness of tPA treatment. Our objective was to determine the level of knowledge about tPA treatment for acute stroke among a repre...

Intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) remains the only proven medical therapy for improving functional outcomes after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Unfortunately, r-tPA alone is often inadequate for opening occluded intracranial arteries with recanalization of large arterial occlusions in only ≈50% with subsequent reocclusion of 14% to 34% of initially recanalized art...

Background Although coronary thrombosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (NQMI), the effects of thrombolytic therapy in these disorders is not clear. Also, the role of routine early coronary arteriography followed by revascularization has not been established. Methods and Results Patients (n=1473) seen within 24 hours of ischemic ...

BACKGROUND The DRAGON score, which includes clinical and computed tomographic (CT) scan parameters, predicts functional outcomes in ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA). We assessed the utility of the DRAGON score in predicting functional outcome in stroke patients receiving both IV tPA and endovascular therapy. METHODS A retrospective chart ...