p63 expression in assessment of bronchioloalveolar proliferations of the lung.

Discrimination of well-differentiated pulmonary adenocarcinoma from reactive bronchioloalveolar epithelium can be difficult on routine histology, especially with small biopsies. Ancillary studies to help in this distinction are desirable. p63, a p53-homologous nuclear protein, is a marker of reserve cells of the bronchus and terminal lobular unit. In this study, 33 cases of adenocarcinoma (20 open lung and 13 transbronchial/percutaneous biopsies) and 43 cases of benign lungs with fibrosis and metaplasia (22 open lung and 21 transbronchial/percutaneous biopsies) were studied for nuclear p63 expression by immunohistochemistry (Dako, Carpinteria, CA, USA). Five additional cases each of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and adenosquamous carcinoma and three cases of squamous carcinoma (all open lung biopsies) were also stained. The diagnostic categories of benign lung conditions were usual interstitial pneumonia, parenchymal scar, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia and diffuse alveolar damage. In neoplastic cases, p63 positivity was calculated as percentage of all tumor cells examined. In areas of normal lung, p63 decorated the reserve cells of large and small airways and occasional cells of the distal lobular unit. In fibrotic reactive processes, an interrupted but distinct pattern of nuclear staining was present in all cases, with staining of basal cells of the airways as well as bronchiolar- and squamous-metaplastic epithelium (43/43, 100%). p63 immunoreactivity was less uniform in areas of acute lung injury within these cases. One adenocarcinoma and two cases of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia showed strong immunoreactivity (>80%), while three adenocarcinomas highlighted only rare tumor nuclei (<5% of tumor cells). Morphologic areas where p63 immunostaining was not helpful included the junction of normal lung and lepidic growth of adenocarcinoma, and retrograde spread of adenocarcinoma into small airways. Our results highlight the differential expression of p63 across various bronchioloalveolar lesions. Moreover, p63 may be helpful in distinguishing reactive from neoplastic glandular proliferations in the lung.     

Reproductive Health,Sexual Function and Satisfaction Levels in Women with Physical,Hearing, and Visual Disabilities

Sexuality and Disability - This study was carried out to determine the reproductive health, sexual function and sexual satisfaction levels of women with disabilities. The sample of the study was...     

Relationship between intraocular pressure and obesity in children

PURPOSE: To establish the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and obesity in children. METHODS: Seventy-two obese children (body mass index in the 95th percentile or greater) were compared with 72 age-matched and sex-matched controls (body mass index <95th percentile). Both groups underwent Goldmann applanation tonometry (3 times), blood pressure measurement (3 times), and Hertel exophthalmometry. Paired and unpaired t tests and the Cochran-Mantel-Haenzel statistics were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean IOP between the obese children and controls were significantly different (P<0.0001), even after adjusting for systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P<0.001). Diurnal variation of IOP was higher in obese children (P<0.001). Obese children had higher Hertel values (P<0.001). Sex did not significantly effect IOP in either group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to its indirect effect on IOP via blood pressure change, obesity is also an independent risk factor for increased IOP.     

What is the impact of SOCS3, IL-35 and IL17 in immune pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss?

Objective: To investigate the plasma levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), IL-17, IL-35 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in the women with history of idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and in the fertile controls.

Methods: This study was conducted with 60 idiopathic RPL cases and 40 age-matched fertile controls. Mid-follicular plasma levels of IL-17, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, SOCS3 and IL-35 were assayed by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The mean age of RPL and control cases were 31.6?±?0.6 and 32.1?±?0.7 years, respectively. While plasma IL-35 and SOCS3 levels of RPL group were significantly lower than that of the control group; IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and TGF-beta levels of RPL group were significantly higher than that of the control group. The comparison of cytokine ratios between RPL and control groups indicated significantly high TNF-alpha/IL-10, TNF-alpha/IL-4, IFN-gamma/IL-10, IFN-gamma/IL-6 and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratios in the RPL group. IL-35/IL-17 ratio was significantly low in the RPL group compared to that in the control group. Overstimulation of TNF-alpha presented moderate influence on recurrent miscarriage risk.

Conclusion: Decreased SOCS3 and IL-35 plasma levels and increased Th1/Th2 cytokine ratios in RPL cases pointed out the supression of anti-inflammatory process and this supression might play an important role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic RPL.     

Molecular basis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome in a subset of South Asians

International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries - Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are emerging threats in Pakistan. The prevalence of MetS is...     

Forskolin potentiates myocardial reactive hyperaemia in the open chest dog: the contribution of adenylate cyclase

Forskolin, a diterpene, directly stimulates adenylate cyclase and also potentiates receptor mediated stimulation of this enzyme by many stimulatory agonists. We exploited the potentiating effect of forskolin to test the hypothesis that activation of adenylate cyclase contributes to myocardial reactive hyperaemia, especially by release of adenosine at the time of brief coronary occlusions. In 10 open chest dogs, intracoronary forskolin infusions which produced plasma concentrations between 0.22 and 0.34 mumol.litre-1 slightly increased coronary blood flow and had no effect on haemodynamics or myocardial metabolism. Under these conditions, though peak reactive hyperaemic flow rates were not affected, forskolin infusions reversibly potentiated repayments of flow debt by 28, 25 and 27% following coronary occlusions of 15 s, 20 s and 30 s, respectively (p less than 0.05). In another seven dogs, after observations of the effects of forskolin (0.16-0.26 mumol), 10 mumol of 8-phenyltheophylline, a potent adenosine antagonist, was infused simultaneously with forskolin into the coronary arteries. Forskolin increased debt repayments by about 23-27% following 15 s, 20 s and 30 s occlusions, but with simultaneous 8-phenyltheophylline, forskolin induced increments in the debt repayments were reduced significantly (p less than 0.05). These results indicate that adenylate cyclase contributes to myocardial reactive hyperaemia, and adenosine has a significant role as metabolic regulator of reactive hyperaemia through activation of adenylate cyclase.     

Fitness costs in chlorfenapyr-resistant populations of the chive maggot,Bradysia odoriphaga

The chive maggot, Bradysia odoriphaga (Yang and Zhang) is an economically important insect pest, affecting many key vegetables, including Chinese chive, especially in northern China. Chlorfenapyr, a halogenated pyrrole insecticide that interferes with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is widely used against B. odoriphaga. In this study, we evaluated selection-induced resistance to chlorfenapyr and fitness costs in B. odoriphaga. The results showed that B. odoriphaga developed 43.32-fold resistance after continuous exposure to chlorfenapyr for over 10 consecutive generations. The life-history traits of chlorfenapyr-resistant and susceptible strains were compared using age-stage, two-sex life table approach. No significant effects were observed on the longevity and pre-adult period. However, reduction in the total pre-oviposition period (TPOP) and fecundity (eggs/female) were observed in the resistant strain. Moreover, the demographic parameters such as intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproductive rate (R0) and finite rate of increase (λ) were also decreased significantly in the resistant strain compared to the susceptible strain. These results showed the potential of B. odoriphaga to develop resistance against chlorfenapyr under continuous selection pressure. Furthermore, there was a fitness cost linked with chlorfenapyr resistance in B. odoriphaga. We conclude that a better knowlegde on the trade-off at play between resistance degree and fitness cost could be crucial for developing further management of B. odoriphaga in China.     

Preliminary study on the protective effect of vitamin C on monosodium glutamate-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive with a wide range of biological effects but its high dose and prolonged use can cause a toxic effect on the liver. Therefore, the present study was aimed at investigating the role of vitamin C in MSG-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. MSG was administered to rats (by gavage) at a dose of 6 mg/g body weight for 10 days to induce hepatotoxicity, and vitamin C at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight was coadministered to evaluate its ameliorating effect by measuring alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities in serum; superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities in liver fraction; lipid peroxidation; and liver weight. It was found that MSG significantly (P?<?0.05) induced lipid peroxidation (LPO), increased liver weight, and increased activity of SOD and catalase in the liver of animals. The activity of ALT and AST was also increased in the serum on MSG administration. Vitamin C (500 mg/kg) coadministered with MSG significantly reduced LPO and liver weight and decreased the hepatic activity of catalase, but the activity of SOD was not reduced significantly. Also, a significant reduction in ALT and AST activity was observed. MSG induced oxidative stress and hepatic toxicity in the experimental animals at a dose of 6 mg/g body weight. Vitamin C significantly reduced the oxidative stress and hepatic toxicity induced by MSG, thereby providing a protective effect against the MSG-induced hepatotoxicity. The protective effect is associated with decreased LPO and liver weight and decreased activities of catalase, ALT, and AST.