Plasma lipids and blood glucose in infants of toxemic mothers

Maternal and cord blood of 34 toxemic and 27 non-toxemic mothers and their infants were studied for lipids and glucose. All the lipid fractions in cord blood were significantly lower (P < .001) than that of the mother in all groups due to relative impermeability of the placenta. AFD infants of toxemic mothers had significantly higher (P < .001) value of FFA and triglyceride as compared with AFD infants of non-toxemic mothers. However SFD infants of toxemic mothers had higher FFA only when compared with that of non-toxemic mother. This is possibly due to sympathetic stimulation related to placental insufficiency with hypoxia and hypoglycemia that lead to mobilisation of adipose tissue into FFA and glycerol in fetus. Plasma phospholipid, cholesterol, HDLC, LDLC of infants of toxemic mothers were significantly lower (P < .001), more so in SFD infants, possibly due to impaired liver function, 53% of infants of toxemic mothers also had hyperbilirubinemia. Cord blood glucose in toxemic group was significantly lower (P < .05) than AFD infants of non-toxemic group.     

Early growth of term SFD infants in relation to caloric intake

Growth and development of 100 term SFD infants divided into 3 groups with body weight of 1·5 kg or less (I), 1·51–1·75 kg (II), 1·76–2·25 kg (III) and 100 AFD term infants was determined longitudinally. Group I and II infants remained smaller and had delayed milestones of development throughout the 1st year of life, with limited catch up only in body weight in the first 3 months. Their milk intake was low (132 ml/kg). Group III infants, who had comparatively better growth parameters at birth, showed effective catch up growth in all the parameters to reach the level of those of AFD infants within 3–10 months by increased consumption of milk (186 ml/kg). Their milestones of development were at par with that of AFD infants who consumed 160 ml of milk/kg/day in the first 2–4 months. The low consumption of milk by group I and II infants with severe intrauterine malnutrition is possibly related to the reduced appetite geared to a small body size.     

Settings, systems and organization development: the Healthy Living and Working Model

This paper highlights the importance of understanding management theories to development of the settings approach to health promotion. It then provides an overview of two areas of especial pertinence: organization development and systems thinking. This is followed by the articulation of the Healthy Living and Working Model, which is proposed as a mechanism for applying the principles of the settings approach in practice within organizations. The paper concludes by pointing to future challenges in developing this Model and reiterating that facilitating improvement at the organizational level should be the defining characteristic of the settings approach to health promotion.     

Education. Teach to his own

The Teaching Company Scheme allows subsidized employment of a graduate on a fixed-term contract. TCS is gradually being taken up by NHS organisations although it can be challenging to reconcile with its traditional focus on private sector criteria. South Tyneside's project involved developing a healthy living and working strategy.     

SUV39H1 interacts with AML1 and abrogates AML1 transactivity. AML1 is methylated in vivo

Acute myeloid leukemia 1 (AML1) belongs to a family of DNA-binding proteins highly conserved through evolution. AML1 regulates the expression of several hematopoietic genes and is essential for murine fetal liver hematopoiesis. We report here that the histone methyltransferase SUV39H1, a mammalian ortholog of the Drosophila melanogaster SU(VAR) 3-9, forms complex with AML1. SUV39H1 methylates lysine 9 of the histone protein H3 leading to the formation of the high-affinity binding site on chromatin for proteins of the heterochromatin protein 1 family (HP1). The interaction of AML1 with SUV39H1 requires the N-terminus of AML1 where the Runt domain is located. Binding of AML1 to SUV39H1 abrogates the transactivating and DNA-binding properties of AML1 and dissociates the net-like nuclear structure of AML1. It has been reported that AML1 is capable of interaction with histone acetyl transferases (CBP, p300, and MOZ) and with component of the histone deacetylase complex (Sin3), and that the interaction with these coregulators affects the strength of AML1 in promoter regulation. Our data suggest that other enzymes are also involved in gene regulation by AML1 activity by modulating the affinity of AML1 for DNA.     

NADPH-induced oxidative damage of rat liver microsomes: protective role of chlorpromazine and trifluoperazine

Two widely used antipsychotic drugs, chlorpromazine (CPZ) and trifluoperazine (TFZ) inhibit NADPH-induced microsomal lipid peroxidation (LPO). Study of microsomal membrane fluidity revealed considerable disorganization in its architecture in the presence of NADPH, which can be restored back in the presence of CPZ and TFZ. NADPH-dependent microsomal LPO is catalyzed by NADPH: cytochrome P450 reductase. These drugs also inhibit the activity of this enzyme. TFZ always shows stronger inhibitory effect than CPZ. TFZ contains a trifluromethyl group (CF3) in its second position that gives rise to stronger electron abstraction tendency by which LPO and NADPH: cytochrome P450 reductase activity is inhibited more potently than by CPZ which contains a chlorine ligand in the same position. Due to the stronger antioxidant property of TFZ, it can be prescribed as a better therapeutic agent, which plays a protective role for the cellular system.     

IGFBP2 is overexpressed by pediatric malignant astrocytomas and induces the repair enzyme DNA-PK

To identify targets critical to malignant childhood astrocytoma, we compared the expression of receptor tyrosine kinase- associated genes between low-grade and high-grade pediatric astrocytomas. The highest differentially overexpressed gene in high-grade astrocytoma is insulin-like growth factor- binding protein-2 (P = .0006). Immunohistochemistry confirmed overexpression of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 protein (P = .027). Insulin-like growth factor- binding protein-2 stimulation had no effect on astrocytoma cell growth and migration, and minimally inhibited insulin-like growth factor-1-mediated migration, but not insulin-like growth factor-2-mediated migration. However, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 stimulation significantly upregulated the major DNA repair enzyme gene, DNA-PKcs, and induced DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit protein expression in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner, whereas insulin-like growth factor-1 had no effect. DNA-PKcs is also highly overexpressed by high-grade astrocytomas. These findings suggest insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 plays a role in astrocytoma progression by promoting DNA-damage repair and therapeutic resistance.     

Sensitization of pancreatic cancer cells to radiation by cerium oxide nanoparticle-induced ROS production

Side effect of radiation therapy (RT) remains the most challenging issue for pancreatic cancer treatment. In this report we determined whether and how cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to RT. CONP pretreatment enhanced radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production preferentially in acidic cell-free solutions as well as acidic human pancreatic cancer cells. In acidic environments, CONPs favor the scavenging of superoxide radical over the hydroxyl peroxide resulting in accumulation of the latter whereas in neutral pH CONPs scavenge both. CONP treatment prior to RT markedly potentiated the cancer cell apoptosis both in culture and in tumors and the inhibition of the pancreatic tumor growth without harming the normal tissues or host mice. Taken together, these results identify CONPs as a potentially novel RT-sensitizer as well as protectant for improving pancreatic cancer treatment.From the Clinical EditorPancreatic tumors remain some of the most notoriously treatment-unresponsive malignancies. Cerium oxide nanoparticles may be capable of sensitizing such cells to radiotherapy, as demonstrated in this study.     

Magnesium chloride supported bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(IV) dichloride-MAO catalyst for ethylene polymerization

A novel magnesium chloride supported titanocene catalyst was synthesized using a soluble tetrahydrofuran complex of magnesium chloride. The suported catalyst polymerized ethylene with high activities in presence of methylaluminoxane. The significant feature of the supported metallocene catalyst is that it shows high polymerization activity at low Al/Ti ratio and at higher temperatures compared to soluble catalyst. The role of support in stabilizing the active species on the metallocene is discussed.