Results: Old-age and hypercholesterolemia rabbits were more vulnerable to ATR than the controls (18,628 +/- 13,981 ms and 30,157 +/- 39,548 ms vs 639 +/- 325 ms, P < 0.05). Old-age rabbits had significantly decreased Cx40 expression in both atria (3.9-fold decrease in RA, P < 0.01 and 4.8-fold in LA, P < 0.01) and significantly decreased Cx43 in RA (14-fold, P < 0.01). Hypercholesterolemia rabbits had significantly decreased Cx40 expression in both atrial (18-fold decrease in RA, P < 0.01 and 17-fold in LA, P < 0.01) and significantly increased Cx43 expression in VS-6063 nmr LA (five-fold increase, P < 0.01). Hypercholesterolemia,

but not old-age rabbits, had greater expression of P-JNK in both atria

(1.8-fold in RA and 2.3-fold in LA, P < 0.01). There find more were no significant group differences in ERP or degree of atrial fibrosis in both atria. Conclusions: ATR is more easily induced in the atria of old-age and hypercholesterolemia rabbits than younger rabbits with normal cholesterol levels. The age and hypercholesterolemia induced changes in gap junctions expression may have partially contributed to the higher atrial vulnerability to ATR. (PACE 2012;19)”
“Aims: Several randomised trials have tested adjuvant regimens using concomitant high-dose cisplatin and radiotherapy to improve outcome in high-risk locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer (HNSCC), showing a substantial increase in locoregional control and disease-free survival, despite a higher and eventually detrimental toxicity profile. The aim of the present phase II single-stage prospective study was to investigate whether a weekly cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy regimen might be able to improve patients’ compliance compared with standard-dose cisplatin with similar outcome results.

Materials and methods: Between January 2004 and November 2008, 54 patients with high-risk locally advanced HNSCC were enrolled on to this phase II

trial. Patient characteristics were: median age 59.7 years, Eastern Cooperative selleck kinase inhibitor Oncology Group performance status 1 in 72% of patients and stage IV disease in 82%, extracapsular nodal spread in 67% and positive/dose surgical margins in 37%. Patients received cisplatin (30 mg/m(2)) once a week for 7-8 weeks concurrent with external beam radiotherapy delivered with a median dose of 66.6 Gy (1.8 Gy each day; five fractions/week) on the primary site and 50 Gy (2 Gy each day) for the lower neck.

Results: Major acute toxicity of the combined treatment, defined as grade 3-4 mucositis, was observed in 35.2% of patients. No fatal complications occurred, with 81.5% of patients completing the planned regimen. Late reactions were mild (total 16% with a grade 3 dysphagia rate of 12%). The locoregional control rate was 82%; 5 year overall and disease-free survival were 63 and 62%, respectively.