Chromatic-achromatic perimetry in four clinic cases: Glaucoma and diabetes

Background:Some diseases that affect the visual system may show loss of chromatic-achromatic sensitivity before obvious physical signs appear in the usual examination of the eye''s posterior segment. A perimetric study has been conducted with four typical patients with glaucoma and diabetes, at different stages of the disease.Results:The results seem to indicate losses in the achromatic-parvocellular perimetry and both chromatic perimetry tests, undetected by conventional SAP.Conclusions:Our results illustrate that our patients without visible retinal alterations show signs of suspicion in multichannel perimetry.     

Longitudinal study of depression and health status in pregnant women: incidence, course and predictive factors

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of isolated psychological intimate partner violence and psychosocial factors (social support and alcohol or drug use by a partner/family member) on psychological well-being (depression or poor self-perceived health status) at 5 and 12 months post-partum. A longitudinal cohort study was carried out with a consecutive sample of 1,400 women in their first trimester of pregnancy, who attended the prenatal programme in the Valencia Region (Spain) in 2008 and were followed up at 5 months and 12 months post-partum. A logistic regression model was fitted using generalized estimating equations, to assess the effect of isolated psychological intimate partner violence, social support, alcohol consumption and illicit drug use problems by a partner or family member on subsequent psychological well-being at follow-up. We observed a decrease in the incidence of poorer psychological well-being (post-partum depression and poor self-perceived health status) at 12 months post-partum. The strongest predictor of poor psychological well-being was depression (AOR = 6.83, 95 % CI: 3.44–13.58) or poor self-perceived health status (AOR = 5.34, 95 % CI: 2.37–12.02) during pregnancy. Isolated psychological IPV increased the risk of a deterioration in psychological well-being. Having a tangible social network was also a predictor of both post-partum depression and poor self-perceived health status. The effect of functional social support varied according to the type of psychological well-being indicator being used. Problems of alcohol consumption or illicit drug use by a partner or family member were a predictor of post-partum depression only. Psychological well-being during the first year after birth is highly affected by isolated psychological IPV and psychosocial factors.     

Aggregated low density lipoproteins decrease metalloproteinase-9 expression and activity in human coronary smooth muscle cells

Plaque stability largely depends on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function. VSMC secrete metalloproteinases (MMPs), matrix degrading endopeptidases, that regulate VSMC migration and function. Among them, gelatinase B or MMP-9 seems to have a protective effect by promoting a stable plaque phenotype. In macrophage foam cells oxidized LDL (oxLDL) uptake regulates MMP-9 expression. However, it is unknown whether VSMC-lipid loading by aggregated LDL (agLDL) internalization produces any effect on MMP-9 production by human resident vascular cells. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of lipid-internalization in MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression and activity and its consequences in VSMC migration. Our results show that agLDL-internalization down-regulates MMP-9 activity in a time-dependent manner up to 42% at 48h and in a dose-dependent manner up to 87% at 300 microg/mL. nLDL induced similar but not sustained decrease on MMP-9 activity. However, neither agLDL nor nLDL exerted any significant effect on MMP-2 and TIMP-1. VSMC regrowth after a scratch injury was significantly reduced by exposure to agLDL. We conclude that agLDL-lipid loading reduces MMP-9 activity and this effect is associated to inhibition of VSMC migration. Thus, agLDL internalization may have consequences on vascular remodeling after injury, and the stability of lipid-rich atherosclerotic plaques.     

Hypoxia exacerbates Ca-handling disturbances induced by very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes

It is known that myocardium suffers serious alterations under ischemic conditions such as lipid overloading and electrophysiological alterations. However, it is unknown whether intracellular lipid accumulation and calcium dysfunction share common pathophysiological mechanisms under ischemia. The aims of this study were 1) to analyze the effect of normal and high doses of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) on lipid content and calcium handling; 2) to investigate whether hypoxia modulates the effect of high VLDL doses; and 3) to identify potentially underlying mechanisms in cardiomyocytes. For this purpose, neonatal rat ventricular myocytes cultures were prepared from hearts of 3-4-day-old rats. High doses of VLDL that induced cholesteryl ester (CE) and triglyceride (TG) accumulation strongly reduced sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca ATPase-2 (SERCA-2) expression, calcium transient amplitude and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium loading. Interestingly, hypoxia, by upregulating VLDL-receptor expression (4.5-fold at 16 h) increased CE (1.5-fold) and TG (3-fold) cardiomyocyte content and exacerbated the negative effect of VLDL on SERCA-2 expression. Functionally, the hypoxic exacerbation of VLDL-mediated SERCA-2 downregulation was translated into a stronger decrease in calcium transient amplitude and SR calcium loading in myocytes exposed simultaneously to hypoxia and high VLDL. In conclusion, high VLDL doses alter calcium handling in cardiomyocytes and SERCA-2 play a pivotal role in the hypoxic exacerbation of VLDL-mediated effects on cardiac calcium handling. Potentiation of VLDL's effects under hypoxia is explained, at least in part, by hypoxic upregulation of the expression of VLDL-receptor.