Pre-operative parenteral nutrition in patients with oesophageal cancer: a prospective, randomised clinical trial

A prospective randomised clinical trial was conducted to examine the efficacy of 2 weeks pre-operative parenteral nutrition (PPN) for the prevention of complications following surgery for oesophageal cancer. Forty patients were studied, the diet of twenty being supplemented by pre-operative parenteral nutrition. There were no significant differences in age, nutritional status, tumour staging and histology between the two groups of patients. The use of PPN resulted in a significant gain in body weight and nitrogen but failed to produce an overall reduction in post-operative morbidity and mortality rates. However patients receiving PPN exhibited two types of changes in serum albumin levels. Those with a fall in serum albumin levels associated with an increase in body weight (indicating an expansion of extracellular volume) had a significantly higher incidence of post-operative pulmonary complications than the group exhibiting a rise in serum albumin levels concomitant with increase in body weight. These data suggested that two weeks PPN might not be adequate in certain patients and a longer period of PPN is required. They also show no clinical benefit from the routine use of pre-operative parenteral nutrition in all patients, but do not exclude benefit in selected groups.     

Associations between total serum IgE levels and the 6 potentially functional variants within the genes IL4, IL13, and IL4RA in German children: the German Multicenter Atopy Study

BACKGROUND: Increased total serum IgE levels are a common characteristic of atopic disorders. Six potentially functional variants, including C-590T in the IL4 gene, C-1055T and Arg130Gln in the IL13 gene, and Ile50Val, Ser478Pro, and Gln551Arg in the IL4RA gene, have been evaluated for their involvement in the control of total serum IgE levels and related atopic disorders, but the results of these studies have been inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether these 6 variants had genotypic effects on total serum IgE levels in 823 unrelated German children from a large infant cohort, the German Multicenter Atopy Study. METHODS: Marginal effect models were used for the analyses of the repeated IgE measurements. Weighted linear regression and family-based tests of association were performed to minimize the possibility of spurious effects caused by selection bias or confounding on the basis of ethnic background. RESULTS: There are significant associations between increased total serum IgE levels and 2 variants in the IL13 gene (P <.005 and.0002 for Arg130Gln and C-1055T, respectively). These genetic effects are unlikely to be due to solely linkage disequilibrium between 2 polymorphisms, population stratification, or nonrepresentative samples. In addition, exposure to maternal smoking appears to modify the above effects on total serum IgE levels. However, no statistical association was observed between this quantitative phenotype and the other 4 variants examined. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that variants C-1055T and Arg130Gln of the IL13 gene might play an important role on total serum IgE production in this study population.     

Immune dysregulation and autoreactivity correlate with disease severity in SARS-CoV-2-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

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Effects ofβ 2-adrenergic agonists on isolated guinea pig lung mast cells

The mast cell protective effects of the newly developed long-acting ₂-adrenergic salmeterol and formoterol were compared with those of conventionally used ₂-adrenergic, non-specific -agonists, disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) and theophylline. With the exception of DSCG, all the test agents inhibited ovalbumin-induced histamine release from enzymically dispersed guinea pig lung mast cells in a dose-dependent fashion. At the maximum concentration tested, theophylline produced the highest level of protection, inhibiting up to 90% of ovalbumin-induced histamine release whereas DSCG produced only 10% inhibition. The maximum inhibition produced by all the ₂-adrenergic tested was around 45%. While salmeterol was equipotent with salbutamol, formoterol was at least a 100-fold more potent. Hence the present study confirmed the previously reported mast cell stabilizing actions of conventional ₂-adrenergic and extended the observation to the newly developed long-acting analogues.     

大鼠胸腺降黑素受体的鉴定及生物学特性

应用放射配体结合法证实大鼠胸腺内存在降黑素特异结合部位，该结合位点可以满足特异结合部位的基本条件：１．低结合容量；２．高亲和力；３．可饱和性；４．可逆性；５．对降黑素高度特异性。此外，该特异结合位点具昼夜节律；亚细胞分布的研究表明以细胞核含量最高，线粒体次之，并具有年龄依赖性降低，以出生时最高。     

Presence and characterization of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli virulence genes in F165-positive E. coli strains isolated from diseased calves and pigs

The virulence genotype profile and presence of a pathogenicity island(s) (PAI) were studied in 18 strains of F165-positive Escherichia coli originally isolated from diseased calves or piglets. On the basis of their adhesion phenotypes and genotypes, these extraintestinal pathogenic strains were classified into three groups. The F165 fimbrial complex consists of at least two serologically and genetically distinct fimbriae: F165(1) and F165(2). F165(1) is encoded by the foo operon (pap-like), and F165(2) is encoded by fot (sfa related). Strains in group 1 were foo and fot positive, strains in group 2 were foo and afa positive, and strains in group 3 were foo positive only. The strains were tested for the presence of virulence genes found mainly in extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains. Although all the strains were positive for the papA variant encoding F11 fimbriae incD, traT, and papC, the prevalence of virulence genes commonly found in PAIs associated with ExPEC strains was highly variable, with strains of group 2 harboring most of the virulence genes tested. papG allele III was detected in all strains in group 1 and in one strain in group 3. All other strains were negative for the known alleles encoding PapG adhesins. The association of virulence genes with tRNA genes was characterized in these strains by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and DNA hybridization. The insertion site of the foo operon was found at the pheU tRNA locus in 16 of the 18 strains and at the selC tRNA locus in the other 2 strains. Furthermore, 8 of the 18 strains harbored a high-pathogenicity island which was inserted in either the asnT or the asnV/U tRNA locus. These results suggest the presence of one or more PAIs in septicemic strains from animals and the association of the foo operon with at least one of these islands. F165-positive strains share certain virulence traits with ExPEC, and most of them are pathogenic in piglets, as tested in experimental infections.     

A chronic mouse model of Parkinson's disease has a reduced gait pattern certainty

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a chronic Parkinson's disease mouse model will display less certainty in its gait pattern due to basal ganglia dysfunction. A chronic Parkinson's disease mouse model was induced by injecting male C57/BL mice with 10 doses of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (25 mg/kg) (MPTP) and probenecid (250 mg/kg) (P) over 5 weeks. This chronic model produces a severe and persistent loss of nigrostriatal neurons resulting in dopamine depletion and locomotor impairment. The control mice were treated with probenecid alone. Fifteen weeks after the last MPTP/P treatment, the mice were videotaped in the sagittal plane with a digital camera (60 Hz) as they ran on a motorized treadmill at a speed of 10 m/min. The indices of gait and gait variability were calculated. Stride length was significantly (p = 0.016) more variable in the chronic MPTP/P mice. Additionally, the chronic MPTP/P mice had a statistically less certain gait pattern when compared to the control mice (p = 0.02). These results suggest that variability in the gait pattern can be used to evaluate changes in neural function. Additionally, our results imply that disorder of the basal ganglia results in less certainty in modulating the descending motor command that controls the gait pattern.     

Biological Activity of a Partially Purified Inhibitor of Vaccinia Virus Hemagglutinin

An inhibitor acting against vaccinia virus hemagglutinin, and producing a hemagglutinin-negative virus, was separated from tumorous ascitic plasma. The finding that the partially purified inhibitor was biologically active strengthens the evidence for a specific role of the inhibitor in altering the virus.     

Model analysis of the contribution of atrial contraction to ventricular filling

We studied the contribution of atrial contraction to ventricular filling by modelling the right heart and the associated vasculature. Right atrial and ventricular contractions were represented by periodically varying volume elastances which are independent of loading conditions. The values of these elastances were experimentally determined. The systemic veins, the tricuspid valve and the pulmonary arteries were all represented by impedance networks. For these impedances we used as much experimentally obtained information as possible. The dynamic pressure and flow waveforms observed in the model under control conditions generally agreed with those reported in the literature. We therefore proceeded to analyze the effects of changing the time interval between atrial systole and ventricular systole, atrial contractility, heart rate, and blood inertance. There was an optimal atrial systole-ventricular systole interval of about 0.1 sec for ventricular filling. Stroke volume of the ventricle was enhanced by an increase in atrial contractility, a decrease in heart rate, and an increase in blood inertance. The effect of changing atrial compliance was found to be dependent on heart rate. Contribution of atrial contraction to ventricular filling was also found to be more significant during exercise than at rest.     

Evaluation of a Selective Transport Medium for Gastric Biopsy Specimens To Be Cultured for Helicobacter pylori

Since the means of culturing Helicobacter pylori may not be available in some laboratories, prolonging the survival of this organism during transportation is a major concern in terms of improving detection rates. A selective transport medium was evaluated for the preservation of H. pylori from 254 gastric biopsy specimens collected from a rural area in China where culturing is not feasible. Gastric biopsy specimens were inoculated in sterile broth consisting of brain heart infusion (BHI) broth, horse serum, and yeast extract supplemented with vancomycin, amphotericin B, and nalidixic acid (VAN). Of the 254 biopsy specimens, 238 were identified by histology to have H. pylori infection. Total rates of recovery of H. pylori from the H. pylori-positive gastric biopsy specimens stored in the BHI-VAN broth ranged from 76 to 46% after storage of specimens for 5 to 9 days. In conclusion, the selective medium is useful for prolonging the survival of H. pylori in gastric biopsy specimens for which immediate culture is not feasible.