Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha induction of uncoupling protein 2 protects against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose causes acute liver failure in humans and rodents due in part to the destruction of mitochondria as a result of increased oxidative stress followed by hepatocellular necrosis. Activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that controls the expression of genes encoding peroxisomal and mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation enzymes, with the experimental ligand Wy-14,643 or the clinically used fibrate drug fenofibrate, fully protects mice from APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. PPARα-humanized mice were also protected, whereas Ppara-null mice were not, thus indicating that the protection extends to human PPARα and is PPARα-dependent. This protection is due in part to induction of the PPARα target gene encoding mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2). Forced overexpression of UCP2 protected wildtype mice against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in the absence of PPARα activation. Ucp2-null mice, however, were sensitive to APAP-induced hepatotoxicity despite activation of PPARα with Wy-14,643. Protection against hepatotoxicity by UCP2-induction through activation of PPARα is associated with decreased APAP-induced c-jun and c-fos expression, decreased phosphorylation of JNK and c-jun, lower mitochondrial H(2)O(2) levels, increased mitochondrial glutathione in liver, and decreased levels of circulating fatty acyl-carnitines. These studies indicate that the PPARα target gene UCP2 protects against elevated reactive oxygen species generated during drug-induced hepatotoxicity and suggest that induction of UCP2 may also be a general mechanism for protection of mitochondria during fatty acid β-oxidation.     

Vesicocolic fistula due to "collision" between adenocarcinoma of the colon and transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

A patient with sigmoidocystic fistula due to "collision" between mucoid adenocarcinoma of the colon and transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is presented. A wide resection of the colonic tumor, along with the involved bladder segment, and a decompressive colostomy with bladder drainage by catheter, were performed. The clinical symptoms, diagnostic procedures, operative treatment, and prognosis are discussed. Although fistular formation is an indication of advanced carcinoma, wide resection of the tumor and the associated fistular along with the node-bearing area will result in a reasonable percentage of 5-year survivals.     

Eine einfache Zubereitung der Eiweiß- und der Buttermilch im Haushalt

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

A pharmacological study of the control of nasal cooling in the dog

Summary Clearance studies were performed in order to examine the effect of expansion of extracellular fluid volume (ECFV) on the maximal reabsorptive capacity for inorganic phosphate (Tm_Pi) in acutely parathyroidectomized (PTX) and intact rats. Tm_Pi values were obtained in both control and volume expansion. In PTX rats, the Tm_Pi values in control and expansion were 8.25±1.52 and 6.14±1.02 mol/min (mean values ±S.D.), respectively; the Tm_Pi/ GFR values were 2.96±0.31 and 2.09±0.30 mol/ml, respectively. Inintact rats, the Tm_Pi values in control and expansion were 3.56±0.94 and 2.98 ±0.94 mol/min, respectively, and the Tm_Pi/GFR values were 1.34±0.23 and 1.05±0.23 mol/ml, respectively. From these results it is concluded that expansion of ECFV decreases the Tm_Pi values both in the absence and presence of parathyroid hormone.This work was supported in part by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Fr 239/5)     

Non‐invasive assessment of kidney allograft fibrosis with shear wave elastography: A radiological‐pathological correlation analysis

Objectives

To evaluate the use of shear wave elastography in assessment of kidney allograft tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Methods

Shear wave elastography assessment was carried out by two independent operators in kidney transplant recipients who underwent allograft biopsy for clinical indications (i.e. rising creatinine >15% or proteinuria >1 g/day). Allograft biopsies were interpreted by the same pathologist according to the 2013 Banff Classification.

Results

A total of 40 elastography scans were carried out (median creatinine 172.5 μmol/L [interquartile range 133.8–281.8 μmol/L]). Median tissue stiffness at the cortex (22.6 kPa [interquartile range 18.8–25.7 kPa] vs 22.3 kPa [interquartile range 19.0–26.5 kPa], P = 0.70) and medulla (15.0 kPa [interquartile range 13.7–18.0 kPa] vs 15.6 kPa [interquartile range 14.4–18.2 kPa]) showed no significant differences between the two observers. Interobserver agreement was satisfactory (intraclass correlation coefficient of the cortex 0.84, 95% CI 0.70–0.92 and intraclass correlation coefficient of the medulla 0.88, 95% CI 0.78–0.94). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for detection of tubulointerstitial fibrosis were estimated to be 0.75 (95% CI 0.61–0.89), 0.85 (95% CI 0.75–0.95) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.53–0.78) for cortical, medullary tissue stiffness and serum creatinine, respectively.

Conclusions

Shear wave elastography can be used as a non‐invasive tool to evaluate kidney allograft fibrosis with reasonable interobserver agreement and superior test performance to serum creatinine in detecting early tubulointerstitial fibrosis.     

Tumour-specific therapeutic adenovirus vectors: repression of transgene expression in healthy cells by endogenous p53

Approximately 50% of human tumours lack functional p53 suppressor protein. A promoter that is repressed by p53 in healthy cells could thus provide tumour-specific gene expression for a huge subset of tumours. In this report we describe a double recombinant adenovirus vector, 'Ad.p53R', encoding a therapeutic gene that is indirectly repressed by endogenous wild-type p53. Ad.p53R contains two independent expression cassettes; (1) the E. coli nitroreductase gene (NTR) driven by the human hsp70 promoter containing LacI binding sites (hsp70lacO-NTR) and (2) a p53-inducible lac repressor gene (tkGC3-lacI). In p53 null cells (Hep3B), Ad.p53R directed the same level of NTR expression as Ad.p53NR which lacks the tkGC3-lacI cassette. Moreover, injection of SW480 xenografts (mutated p53) with Ad.p53R resulted in a clear inhibition of growth in response to the prodrug CB1954. In cells retaining wt p53 (HepG2 and primary human endothelial cells), Ad.p53R expressed significantly less NTR (approximately 70%) than Ad.p53NR. Ad.p53R administered by i.v. injection also produced significantly less NTR than Ad.p53NR in normal tissues in vivo. Finally, adenovirus infection per se of cultured HepG2 cells at low MOI induced p53 stabilisation suggesting that adenovirus-mediated gene delivery may contribute to p53-based selectivity.     

骺板软骨细胞的体外培养及鉴定

目的:建立体外培养及鉴定骺板软骨细胞的方法。方法:实验于2005-03/2006-05在苏州大学附属儿童医院骨科实验室完成。选用3只生后14～28d的新西兰幼兔,空气栓塞处死,暴露股骨下端和胫骨上端,分别取2处的骺板组织,将其剪切成1～3mm3的小块,经胰蛋白酶消化,接种于含150g/L牛血清的1640培养基中,饱和湿度培养,传代。①细胞接种后3h在倒置显微镜下观察细胞生长情况,见细胞贴壁后每天观察2次。②第2代细胞达到80%～90%左右汇合时采用常规苏木精-伊红染色,光镜观察细胞爬片情况。③第3代细胞爬片至细胞达到80～90%左右汇合时,采用苏木素染色3min,3%亮绿染色5min,蕃红花“O”染色5min,光镜观察细胞产生蛋白聚糖情况。④采用PCR检测细胞Ⅱ型胶原的表达。⑤采用四唑盐MTT比色法检测细胞活性。结果:①骺软骨细胞刚接种后呈大小不等之圆形悬浮于培养液中,3h后见大部分细胞贴壁,24h后贴壁细胞呈短梭形、圆形、三角形和不规则形,见细胞分裂相。48h后见细胞伸展明显,细胞分裂相每高倍镜视野可见多个。经隔日换液细胞生长至第5天,细胞呈聚集生长,达到汇合状态,将细胞传代。接种后第1代细胞2d后呈梭形,培养4d传至第2代,第2代细胞长满瓶底后,90%呈胞膜较厚的圆形,10%为梭形,第3代、第4代亦如此。传至第5代见肥大细胞增多,细胞松散,折光性减弱,呈凋亡状态。②细胞爬片后观察骺软骨细胞形态以梭形居多,同时也有圆形、三角形和不规则形。可见细胞分裂及细胞中的分泌小泡。③见细胞呈红色,无绿色,证明蕃红花“O”-亮绿染色阳性,显示所培养的细胞可以分泌蛋白聚糖。④PCR检测术所养细胞含有Ⅱ型胶原,电泳带在440bp上。⑤四唑盐MTT比色法检测显示,第3代骺软骨细胞的生长曲线近似倒“S”形,在第4,5,6天细胞呈对数生长,约在7,8,9,10d达平台期,至第12天细胞出现生长抑制。结论:建立了骺板软骨细胞的体外培养方法,并证实所培养出的细胞分泌蛋白聚糖和Ⅱ型胶原,具有软骨细胞的共同特点。     

Prostacyclin Reversal of Lethal Endotoxemia in Dogs

Severe endotoxemia, a condition where microembolization and intravascular coagulation are thought to play important roles, was treated experimentally with prostacyclin (PGI₂). In a study of 24 dogs, 8 control animals injected with 1.75 mg·kg⁻¹ of endotoxin died within 24 h. Six animals given intravenous aspirin 100 mg/kg, 30 min after endotoxin died. 9 of 10 dogs infused with 100 ng PGI₂·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ for 3 h, given 30 min after the injection of endotoxin survived 24 h (P < 0.025). Injection of endotoxin resulted in a: (a) maximal 62% fall in mean arterial pressure (P < 0.001); (b) transient doubling of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (P < 0.001); (c) initial 70% drop in cardiac index (P < 0.001); (d) decline in blood platelets from 213,700 to 13,700/mm³ (P < 0.001), and leukocytes from 7,719 to < 750/mm³ (P < 0.001); (e) depressed urine output (P < 0.001); (f) 34% decrease in blood fibrinogen (P < 0.01) and an increase in fibrin degradation products > 50 μg/ml (P < 0.001); (g) fivefold increase in circulating cathepsin D titer (P < 0.005) and (h) increase in blood norepinephrine (P < 0.005), dopamine (P < 0.005), and epinephrine (P < 0.001). Aspirin treatment led to an increase in mean arterial pressure (P < 0.001) and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (P < 0.005), but cardiac index, urine flow, platelets, leukocytes, fibrin degradation products, and cathepsin D levels remained similar to untreated controls. After infusion of PGI₂ there was a: (a) prompt increase of cardiac index to base-line levels; (b) late increase in mean arterial pressure (P < 0.005) after the discontinuation of PGI₂ treatment (c) restoration of urine output; (d) increase in circulating platelets to levels still below base line but above untreated control animals (P < 0.05); (e) no effect on circulating leukocyte levels; (f) fall in fibrin degradation products to 11.2 μg/ml (P < 0.05); (g) decline in cathepsin D levels to values 60% lower than the untreated controls (P < 0.025); and (h) reduction in plasma norepinephrine levels to base line at 4 h (P < 0.005). Although the mode of PGI₂ action is not clear, it is effective in the treatment of experimental endotoxemia.     

The association between childhood maltreatment subtypes and current suicide risk among homeless men and women

This study explored self-reports of five childhood maltreatment (CM) subtypes and their associations with current suicide risk in a sample of 500 homeless persons. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Individual, unique, and cumulative associations of CM subtypes and subtype combinations with suicide risk (no vs. low vs. moderate/high) were examined. In multivariate analyses, four of the five CM subtypes were associated with suicide risk in individual models, but not in a model that included all CM subtypes. The strongest associations were found for reports of multitype CM involving all five subtypes. Mental disorders and female sex were independently associated with suicide risk. Clinicians working with CM victims should be aware that homeless clients are likely to report multitype maltreatment and should assess a variety of CM experiences. Future studies need to further examine multitype maltreatment and suicidal behaviors in homeless populations with complex conditions.