The Pathophysiological Link between Right Atrial Remodeling and Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Three-Dimensional Echocardiography Study

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Effects of laser irradiation (670-nm InGaP and 830-nm GaAlAs) on burn of second-degree in rats

This study investigated the effects of 670-nm indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) and 830-nm gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) laser therapy on second-degree burns induced on the back of Wistar rats. Sixty-three male Wistar rats were anesthetized, and second-degree burns were made on their back. The animals were then divided randomly into three groups: control (C), animals treated with 670-nm InGaP laser (LIn), and animals treated with 830-nm GaAlAs laser (LGa). The wound areas were removed after 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18 days of treatment and submitted to structural and morphometric analysis. The following parameters were studied: total number of granulocytes and fibroblasts, number of newly formed blood vessels, and percentage of birefringent collagen fibers in the repair area. Morphometric analysis showed that different lasers 670-nm InGaP and 830-nm GaAlAs reduced the number of granulocytes and an increase of newly formed vessels in radiated lesions. The 670-nm InGaP laser therapy was more effective in increasing the number of fibroblasts. The different treatments modified the expression of VEGF and TGF-β1, when compared with lesions not irradiated. The different types of light sources showed similar effects, improved the healing of second-degree burns and can help for treating this type of injury. Despite the large number of studies with LLTI application in second-degree burns, there is still divergence about the best irradiation parameters to be used. Further studies are needed for developing a protocol effective in treating this type of injury.     

Supplementation with Herbal Extracts to Promote Behavioral and Neuroprotective Effects in Experimental Models of Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review

Parkinson's disease (PD) consists of a neurodegenerative pathology that has received a considerable amount of attention because of its clinical manifestations. The most common treatment consists of administering the drugs levodopa and biperiden, which reduce the effectiveness of the disease and the progress of its symptoms. However, phytotherapy treatment of PD has shown great potential in retarding the loss of dopaminergic neurons and minimizing the behavioral abnormalities. The aim of this study is to systematically review the use of supplemental herbal plants with cellular protective effect and behavioral activity in in vivo and in vitro experimental models. A total of 20 studies were summarized, where the effectiveness of herbal extracts and their isolated bioactive compounds was observed in animal models for PD. The main neurochemical mechanisms found in these studies are schematically represented. The herbal extracts and their biocompounds have antioxidant, anti‐apoptotic, and antiinflammatory properties, which contribute to avoiding neuronal loss. Reports show that besides acting on the biosynthesis of dopamine and its metabolites, these compounds prevent D2 receptors' hypersensitivity. It is suggested that further studies need be conducted to better understand the mechanisms of action of the bioactive compounds distributed in these plants. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Veterinary Students' Attitude Toward Living Kidney Donation: A Multicenter Stratified Study From Spain

Living kidney related donations (LKRD) should be promoted because of the current deficit of organs for transplantation. The objective of the study was to analyze the attitude of Spanish veterinary students toward LKRD, because they may influence public opinion in the future, and to determine the factors that condition it.

Attitude Toward Organ Donation and Transplantation in Veterinary Students: A Multicenter and Stratified Study in Spain

Background

Veterinarians often hold decision-making positions in the public health care system and can therefore influence public opinion about organ donation and transplantation (ODT). The aim of this work was to analyze the attitude of Spanish veterinary students toward ODT, because they may influence public opinion in the future, and to determine the factors that condition it.

Prospective evaluation of a high multiplexing real-time polymerase chain reaction array for the rapid identification and characterization of bacteria causative of nosocomial pneumonia from clinical specimens: a proof-of-concept study

The purpose of this study was evaluation of the VAPChip assay based on the “Rapid-Array-PCR-technology” which targets 13 respiratory pathogens and 24 β-lactam resistance genes directly on respiratory clinical specimens. The first step included analysis of 45 respiratory specimens in order to calibrate and determine the threshold for target genes. The second prospective step involved 85 respiratory samples from patients suspected of nosocomial pneumonia collected in two academic hospitals over an 8-month period. Results of the VAPChip assay were compared to routine methods. The first step showed a large proportion of positive signals for H. influenzae and/or S. pneumoniae. For identification, discrepancies were observed in seven samples. Thresholds were adapted and two probes were re-designed to create a new version of the cartridge. In the second phase, sensitivity and specificity of the VAPchip for bacterial identification were 72.9% and 99.1%, respectively. Seventy (82%) pathogens were correctly identified by both methods. Nine pathogens detected by the VAPChip were culture negative and 26 pathogens identified by culture were VAPChip negative. For resistance mechanisms, 11 probes were positive without identification of pathogens with an antimicrobial-susceptibility testing compatible by culture. However, the patient’s recent microbiological history was able to explain most of these positive signals. The VAPChip assay simultaneously detects different pathogens and resistance mechanisms directly from clinical samples. This system seems very promising but the extraction process needs to be automated for routine implementation. This kind of rapid point-of-care automated platform permitting a syndromic approach will be the future challenge in the management of infectious diseases.     

Diagnosis of prolactinoma in two male‐to‐female transsexual subjects following high‐dose cross‐sex hormone therapy

Male‐to‐female transsexual persons use oestrogens + antiandrogens to adapt their physical bodies to the female sex. Doses are usually somewhat higher than those used by hypogonadal women receiving oestrogen replacement. Particularly in cases of self‐adminstration of cross‐sex hormones, doses may be very high. Oestrogens are powerful stimulators of synthesis and release of prolactin and serum prolactin levels are usually somewhat increased following oestrogen treatment. Prolactinomas have been reported in male‐to‐female transsexual persons, both after use of high and conventional doses of oestrogens but remain rare events. We report two new cases of prolactinomas in male‐to‐female transsexual persons, one in a 41‐year‐old subject who had used nonsupervised high‐dose oestrogen treatment since the age of 23 years and another one in a 42 year old who had initiated oestrogen treatment at the age of 17 years. Their serum prolactin levels were strongly increased, and the diagnosis of a pituitary tumour was confirmed by imaging techniques. Both cases responded well to treatment with cabergoline treatment whereupon serum prolactin normalised. Our two cases are added to the three cases of prolactinomas in the literature in persons who had used supraphysiological doses of oestrogens.     

Recombinant human ADAMTS13 treatment and anti‐NET strategies enhance skin allograft survival in mice

Enhancing skin allograft longevity lessens the need for new allografts before optimal intervention is available. Reduced activity of ADAMTS13 (an enzyme that cleaves the pro‐thrombotic and proinflammatory von Willebrand factor) and presence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been implicated in liver and lung allograft failures. The effect of ADAMTS13 treatment and the impact of NETs on skin allografts, however, remain unexplored. Here, we adopted a murine model of complete mismatch full‐thickness skin transplant by grafting dorsal skin from BALB/c mice to C57BL/6J background mice. Recombinant human ADAMTS13 (rhADAMTS13) treatment of graft recipients increased allograft survival. Western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of NETs in allografts of vehicle, but surprisingly, not in rhADAMTS13‐treated mice, 3 days after surgery. Recapitulating the observations in mice, NETs were also observed in all the examined allografts from burn patients. Intriguingly, knocking out peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4, a key enzyme for NET formation) or DNase 1 treatment (which cleaves NETs) also prolonged allograft survival. In summary, rhADAMTS13 lessens inflammation in allografts by reducing NET burden, resulting in enhanced allograft survival. RhADAMTS13 and anti‐NET treatments could be new therapeutic strategies to promote skin allograft longevity and, hence, the survival of patients with severe burns.