F-19 MR imaging of glucose metabolism in the rabbit

Noninvasive metabolic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging reflecting glucose metabolism in the aldose-reductase-sorbitol (ARS) pathway was performed in the rabbit head; after administration of the fluorinated glucose analogue 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-glucose (3FD-glucose), fluorine-19 images were generated. Images of 3FD-glucose showed significant 3FD-glucose uptake by adipose tissue, indicating its buffering effects in case of excess loads of glucose. Images of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-sorbitol (3FD-sorbitol) demonstrated the spatial distribution of aldose reductase activities and significant sorbitol accumulation in the lens. Images of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-fructose (3FD-fructose) showed preferential uptake of fructose by muscle tissue. The extremely low toxicity of 3FD-glucose indicates promise for its clinical application in metabolic imaging.     

Bone marrow cell transplantation to the myocardium of a patient with heart failure due to Chagas' disease

We report the first case of bone marrow cell transplantation to the myocardium of a patient with heart failure due to chagas' disease. The patient is a 52-year-old man with chronic heart failure, NYHA functional class III, despite the optimized clinical therapy. The procedure consisted of aspiration of 50 mL of bone marrow through puncture of the iliac crest, followed by filtration, separation of the mononuclear cells, resuspension, and intracoronary injection. The left ventricular ejection fraction at rest, measured using radionuclide ventriculography with labeled red blood cells prior to transplantation, was 24%, and, after 30 days, it increased to 32% with no change in the medicamentous schedule. The following measurements were assessed before and 30 days after transplantation: left ventricular end diastolic diameter (82 mm and 76 mm, respectively); Minnesota living with heart failure questionaire score (55 and 06, respectively); and distance walked in the 6-minute walking test (513 m and 683 m, respectively). Our findings show that intracoronary injection of bone marrow cells may be performed, suggesting that this is a potentially safe and effective procedure in patients with due to Chagas' disease heart failure.     

$$\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2}$$ kinetics and metabolic contributions during full and upper body extreme swimming intensity

Purpose

Our purpose was to characterize the oxygen uptake (\(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2}\)) kinetics, assess the energy systems contributions and determine the energy cost when swimming front crawl at extreme intensity. Complementarily, we compared swimming full body with upper body only.

Methods

Seventeen swimmers performed a 100 m maximal front crawl in two conditions: once swimming with full body and other using only the upper propulsive segments. The \(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2}\) was continuously measured using a telemetric portable gas analyser (connected to a respiratory snorkel), and the capillary blood samples for lactate concentration analysis were collected.

Results

A sudden increase in \(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2}\) in the beginning of exercise, which continuously rose until the end of the bout (time: 63.82 ± 3.38 s; \(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{peak}}}}\): 56.07 ± 5.19 ml min^?1 kg^?1; \(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2}\) amplitude: 41.88 ± 4.74 ml min^?1 kg^?1; time constant: 12.73 ± 3.09 s), was observed. Aerobic, anaerobic lactic and alactic pathways were estimated and accounted for 43.4, 33.1 and 23.5 % of energy contribution and 1.16 ± 0.10 kJ m^?1 was the energy cost. Complementarily, the absence of lower limbs lead to a longer time to cover 100 m (71.96 ± 5.13 s), slower \(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2}\) kinetics, lower aerobic and anaerobic (lactic and alactic) energy production and lower energy cost.

Conclusion

Despite the short duration of the event, the aerobic energy contribution covers about 50 % of total metabolic energy liberation, highlighting that both aerobic and anaerobic energy processes should be developed to improve the 100 m swimming performance. Lower limbs action provided an important contribution in the energy availability in working muscles being advised its full use in this short duration and very high-intensity event.

     

Factors linked to bacterial vaginosis in nonpregnant women

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to test the hypothesis that vaginal douching is linked to bacterial vaginosis in both symptomatic and asymptomatic women and to identify other demographic, reproductive, and lifestyle factors associated with bacterial vaginosis. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study involving 3 clinic sites, 496 nonpregnant women completed a self-administered questionnaire. Their vaginal smears were assessed and cross-validated for bacterial vaginosis. RESULTS: The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis across clinics ranged from 15% to 30%. In analyses restricted to site 1, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for bacterial vaginosis remained significant for African American women with 13 or fewer years of education (OR = 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 14.5), hormone use within the past 6 months (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.2, 0.8), and vaginal douching within the past 2 months (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.5, 5.6). CONCLUSIONS: Two lifestyle factors emerge as strongly associated with bacterial vaginosis: systemic contraceptives appear protective, whereas douching is linked to an increase in prevalence. The temporal relationship between douching and bacterial vaginosis needs further clarification.     

Digital beam attenuator technique for compensated chest radiography

The feasibility of producing patient-specific beam attenuators for chest radiography has been investigated using an anthropomorphic phantom and a human volunteer. A low-dose test exposure is digitized, processed, and used to print a small cerium filter, which is placed in the x-ray beam near the collimator. The final radiograph is recorded on film. The technique results in relatively uniform film exposure, so that structures in all regions of the chest are simultaneously displayed with optimal film contrast. The equalized exposure improves image quality in the normally underpenetrated regions and reduces the role of cross-scatter from the lungs. The image is analogous to optical or computer-processed unsharp masking techniques, but the processing is accomplished in the x-ray beam and results in an improved exposure distribution, giving advantages that cannot be achieved with image processing techniques alone.     

Arginase levels and their association with Th17-related cytokines, soluble adhesion molecules (sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1) and hemolysis markers among steady-state sickle cell anemia patients

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is characterized by a marked endothelial dysfunction, owing to many factors. Arginine metabolism can be related to the inflammatory chronic state presented by patients, playing a key role in their clinical outcome and vascular endothelium. We investigated the serum arginase levels in 50 SCA patients (22 men and 28 women, mean age of 17 ± 10.5 years) and 28 healthy controls. Serum arginase levels were associated with biochemical hemolysis markers and cytokines involved in Th17 response, as well as levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1). Arginase concentrations were higher in SCA patients, compared with controls (p = 0.005), and were significantly and positively associated with total bilirubin (p = 0.004), indirect bilirubin (p = 0.04), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST; p = 0.039) in the SCA patient group. Moreover, arginase was significantly and positively associated with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta; p = 0.008) among SCA patients. sICAM-1 was significantly and positively associated to reticulocytes (p = 0.014) and AST (p = 0.04). sVCAM-1 was likewise associated with lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.03). These data suggest a new insight into arginase metabolism, as we show here a shift in arginine catabolism, where TGF-beta may induces the arginase pathway instead of the nitric oxide pathway and a possible involvement of the vascular activation and the serum arginase in chronic hemolysis among SCA patients. Additional studies should be carried out in order to investigate the mechanisms by which TGF-beta participates in the metabolism of arginase in SCA patients.