Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on psychological distress, well-being, and maternal self-efficacy in breast-feeding mothers: results of a pilot study

Several pilot studies have provided evidence that mindfulness-based intervention is beneficial during pregnancy, yet its effects in mothers during the early parenting period are unknown. The purpose of the present pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention in breast-feeding mothers. We developed and tested an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention aimed at improving maternal self-efficacy, mindfulness, self-compassion, satisfaction with life, and subjective happiness, and at reducing psychological distress. A randomized controlled, between-groups design was used with treatment and control groups (n?=?26) and pretest and posttest measures. ANCOVA results indicated that, compared to the control group, mothers in the treatment group scored significantly higher on maternal self-efficacy, some dimensions of mindfulness (observing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity), and self-compassion (self-kindness, mindfulness, over-identification, and total self-compassion). In addition, mothers who received the treatment exhibited significantly less anxiety, stress, and psychological distress. The results supported previous research findings about the benefits of mindfulness-based intervention in women from the perinatal and postpartum periods through the early parenting period. Additional research is needed to validate our findings in non-breast-feeding mothers and to examine the intervention’s indirect benefits in terms of family relationships and child development.     

Sexual dimorphism in hepatic lipids is associated with the evolution of metabolic status in mice

Ectopic lipid accumulation in the liver is implicated in metabolic disease in an age‐ and sex‐dependent manner. The role of hepatic lipids has been well established within the scope of metabolic insults in mice, but has been insufficiently characterized under standard housing conditions, where age‐related metabolic alterations are known to occur. We studied a total of 10 male and 10 female mice longitudinally. At 3, 7 and 11 months of age, non‐invasive ¹H‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H‐MRS) was used to monitor hepatic lipid content (HLC) and fatty acid composition in vivo, and glucose homeostasis was assessed with glucose and insulin challenges. At the end of the study, hepatic lipids were comprehensively characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometric analyses of liver tissue samples. In males, HLC increased from 1.4 ± 0.1% at 3 months to 2.9 ± 0.3% at 7 months (p < 0.01) and 2.7 ± 0.3% at 11 months (p < 0.05), in correlation with fasting insulin levels (p < 0.01, r = 0.51) and parameters from the insulin tolerance test (ITT; p < 0.001, r = –0.69 versus area under the curve; p < 0.01, r = –0.57 versus blood glucose drop at 1 h post‐ITT; p < 0.01, r = 0.55 versus blood glucose at 3 h post‐ITT). The metabolic performance of females remained the same throughout the study, and HLC was higher than that of males at 3 months (2.7 ± 0.2%, p < 0.01), but comparable at 7 months (2.2 ± 0.2%) and 11 months (2.2 ± 0.1%). Strong sexual dimorphism in bioactive lipid species, including diacylglycerols (higher in males, p < 0.0001), phosphatidylinositols (higher in females, p < 0.001) and omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (higher in females, p < 0.01), was found to be in good correlation with metabolic scores at 11 months. Therefore, in mice housed under standard conditions, sex‐specific composition of bioactive lipids is associated with metabolic protection in females, whose metabolic performance was independent of hepatic cytosolic lipid content.     

A novel host-protein assay outperforms routine parameters for distinguishing between bacterial and viral lower respiratory tract infections

Bacterial and viral lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are often clinically indistinguishable, leading to antibiotic overuse. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of a new assay that combines 3 host-biomarkers (TRAIL, IP-10, CRP) with parameters in routine use to distinguish bacterial from viral LRTIs. Study cohort included 184 potentially eligible pediatric and adult patients. Reference standard diagnosis was based on adjudication by an expert panel following comprehensive clinical and laboratory investigation (including respiratory PCRs). Experts were blinded to assay results and assay performers were blinded to reference standard outcomes. Evaluated cohort included 88 bacterial and 36 viral patients (23 did not fulfill inclusion criteria; 37 had indeterminate reference standard outcome). Assay distinguished bacterial from viral LRTI patients with sensitivity of 0.93 ± 0.06 and specificity of 0.91 ± 0.09, outperforming routine parameters, including WBC, CRP and chest x-ray signs. These findings support the assay's potential to help clinicians avoid missing bacterial LRTIs or overusing antibiotics.     

Milk derived colloid as a novel drug delivery carrier for breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer has an extremely poor prognosis when chemotherapy is no longer effective. To overcome drug resistance, novel drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles have had remarkable success. We produced a novel nanoparticle component ‘MDC’ from milk-derived colloid. In order to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of MDC, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments on cancer cell lines and a primary tumor derived breast xenograft. Doxorubicin (Dox) conjugated to MDC (MDC-Dox) showed higher cancer cell growth inhibition than MDC alone especially in cell lines with high EGFR expression. In a mouse melanoma model, MDC-Dox significantly suppressed tumor growth when compared with free Dox. Moreover, in a primary tumor derived breast xenograft, one of the mice treated with MDC-Dox showed partial regression, while mice treated with free Dox failed to show any suppression of tumor growth. We have shown that a novel nanoparticle compound made of simple milk-derived colloid has the capability for drug conjugation, and serves as a tumor-specific carrier of anti-cancer drugs. Further research on its safety and ability to carry various anti-cancer drugs into multiple drug-resistant primary breast models is warranted.     

Functional polymorphism of the NFKB1 gene promoter is not relevant in predisposition to celiac disease

Abstract

Objective. There is a discrepancy between clinical activity and biomarkers in inflammatory bowel disease. The Harvey–Bradshaw index (HBi) is steadfast to evaluate disease activity. A set of biological markers (high sensitive C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], calprotectin, total nitrite, soluble urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor [suPAR], ghrelin and endothelin) are investigated to study inflammatory activity and correlation with HBi during infliximab therapy. Material and methods. Patients with Crohn'sdisease (n = 22) were assessed and blood samples drawn before and 1 week after infliximab infusion (5 mg/kg) and repeated after 6 months, and compared to healthy volunteers. Hs-CRP, calprotectin, suPAR, ghrelin and endothelin were analyzed with immunoassays, and total nitrite with Griess-reaction. Results were analyzed with Wilcoxon matched-pairs test, Mann–Whitney test and Spearman correlations. Results. After the first infusion visit, HBi and calprotectin values decreased while nitrite increased (p < 0.05). At the 6-month visit, pre-infusion index and biomarkers had returned to baseline levels. Post-infusion, again the values of HBi, hs-CRP and calprotectin decreased (p < 0.05). The suPAR levels did not change between pre- and post-infusion periods at either visit. Calprotectin, nitrite and suPAR differed from healthy controls throughout the study (p < 0.05). Endothelin decreased with each treatment but was, like ghrelin, not different from controls. We found HBi to correlate with hs-CRP (Spearman r = 0.32, p < 0.05), but calprotectin did not, neither did nitrate nor suPAR. Conclusions. Although infliximab ameliorates Crohn'sdisease symptoms, inflammatory markers are not persistently normalized, indicating a chronic inflammatory condition that may require continued infliximab therapy.