Identification of neurons with acetylcholinesterase and NADPH-diaphorase activities in the centrifugal visual system of the chick

The isthmo-optic nuclei (ION) and ectopic neurons, which constitute the centrifugal visual system (CVS), are thought to be cholinoceptive and nitrergic. However, it is not clear which neurons express these markers, namely the ones that project to the retina rather than in neurons that only participate in a local circuit. Therefore, to characterize the neurochemical patterns of the centrifugal visual system in the post-hatched chick, retinopetal cells of the isthmo-optic nuclei and the ectopic region were identified via immunolabeling for cholera toxin, a neuronal tracer, which has been injected in the ocular globe. Then, double labeled with acetylcholinesterase histochemistry to reveal cholinergic synapses, or NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry as a nitrergic marker. Briefly, acetylcholinesterase activity was present mainly in cholera toxin labeled cell bodies of the isthmo-optic nucleus and the ectopic region indicating that retinal projecting neurons of centrifugal visual system comprise a cholinoceptive pathway. On the other hand, NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry was present in the neuropile and sparse cell bodies inside of the isthmo-optic nucleus and in ectopic neurons which were not cholera toxin positive suggesting their role in an intrinsic circuit of the centrifugal visual system. These data support the idea that these two neurochemical systems are present in distinct neuronal populations in the centrifugal visual system.     

Antibacterial activity and inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus NorA efflux pump by ferulic acid and its esterified derivatives

Objective: To evaluate the inhibitory activity of ferulic acid and four of its esterified derivatives (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl) against resistance mech...     

Resistance Training with Instability in Multiple System Atrophy: A Case Report

This case report assessed quality of life, activities of daily living, motor symptoms, functional ability, neuromuscular parameters and mRNA expression of selected genes related to muscle protein synthesis and degradation in a patient with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). The patient underwent resistance training with instability devices (i.e., bosu, dyna disk, balance disk, Swiss ball) for six months twice a week. After the six months training, the patient’s left and right quadriceps muscle cross-sectional area and leg press one-repetition maximum increased 6.4%, 6.8%, and 40%, respectively; the patient’s timed up and go, sit to stand, dynamic balance, and activities of daily living improved 33.3%, 28.6%, 42.3%, and 40.1%, respectively; the patient’s severity of motor symptoms and risk of falls decreased 32% and 128.1%, respectively. Most of the subscales of quality of life demonstrated improvements as well, varying from 13.0% to 100.0%. mRNA expression of mechanogrowth factor and mammalian target of rapamycin increased 12.7-fold and 1.5-fold, respectively. This case report describes likely the first nonpharmacological therapeutic tool that might be able to decrease the severity of motor symptoms and risk of falls, and to improve functional ability, neuromuscular parameters, and quality of the life in a patient with MSA.

Key points

• Six months of resistance training with instability alleviate the MSA-related effects and improve the quality of life in a patient with MSA.
• High complexity exercise intervention (i.e., resistance training with instability) may be very beneficial to individuals with impaired motor control and function as MSA patients.
• Caution should be exercised when interpreting our findings as they cannot be generalized to the entire MSA population and they do not allow establishing causal conclusions on the effects of this mode of exercise on MSA.

Key words: Exercise training, risk of falls, motor symptoms, cross-sectional area     

Dynamics of anti‐human leukocyte antigen antibodies after renal transplantation and their impact on graft outcome

The purpose of this study was to sequentially monitor anti‐HLA antibodies and correlate the results with antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR), graft survival (GS), and graft function (GF). We collected sera from 111 kidney transplant recipients on transplant days 0, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 and analyzed PRA levels by ELISA. DSAs were analyzed by single‐antigen beads in rejecting kidneys. At pre‐transplant, 79.3% of the patients were non‐sensitized (PRA = 0%) and 20.7% were sensitized (PRA > 1%). After transplant, patients were grouped by PRA profile: no anti‐HLA antibodies pre‐ or post‐transplant (group HLApre?/post?; n = 80); de novo anti‐HLA antibodies post‐transplant (group HLApre?/post+; n = 8); sensitized pre‐transplant/increased PRA post‐transplant (group HLApre+/post↑; n = 9); and sensitized pre‐transplant/decreased PRA post‐transplant (group HLApre+/post↓; n = 14). De novo anti‐HLA antibodies were detected at 7–180 d. In sensitized patients, PRA levels changed within the first 30 d post‐transplant. Incidence of AMR was higher in HLApre?/post+ and HLApre+/post↑ than in HLApre?/post?, and HLApre+/post↓ (p < 0.001) groups. One‐yr death‐censored GS was 36% in group HLApre+/post↑, compared with 98%, 88% and 100% in groups HLApre?/post?, HLApre?/post+, and HLApre+/post↓, respectively (p < 0.001). Excluding first‐year graft losses, GF and GS were similar among the groups. In conclusion, post‐transplant antibody monitoring can identify recipients at higher risk of AMR.     

Laser treatment of recurrent herpes labialis: a literature review

Recurrent herpes labialis is a worldwide life-long oral health problem that remains unsolved. It affects approximately one third of the world population and causes frequent pain and discomfort episodes, as well as social restriction due to its compromise of esthetic features. In addition, the available antiviral drugs have not been successful in completely eliminating the virus and its recurrence. Currently, different kinds of laser treatment and different protocols have been proposed for the management of recurrent herpes labialis. Therefore, the aim of the present article was to review the literature regarding the effects of laser irradiation on recurrent herpes labialis and to identify the indications and most successful clinical protocols. The literature was searched with the aim of identifying the effects on healing time, pain relief, duration of viral shedding, viral inactivation, and interval of recurrence. According to the literature, none of the laser treatment modalities is able to completely eliminate the virus and its recurrence. However, laser phototherapy appears to strongly decrease pain and the interval of recurrences without causing any side effects. Photodynamic therapy can be helpful in reducing viral titer in the vesicle phase, and high-power lasers may be useful to drain vesicles. The main advantages of the laser treatment appear to be the absence of side effects and drug interactions, which are especially helpful for older and immunocompromised patients. Although these results indicate a potential beneficial use for lasers in the management of recurrent herpes labialis, they are based on limited published clinical trials and case reports. The literature still lacks double-blind controlled clinical trials verifying these effects and such trials should be the focus of future research.     

Laser phototherapy improves early stage of cutaneous wound healing of rats under hyperlipidic diet

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of laser photobiomodulation in cutaneous healing of rats under a hyperlipidic diet. Forty-eight Wistar Albinus rats, weaned, received standard diet (SD) or hyperlipidic diet (HD) for 20 weeks. The groups were divided into SD rats and HD rats, SD-irradiated rats (LSD), and HD-irradiated rats (LHD). Standard cutaneous wound (1 cm²) was created on the dorsum of each rat. The irradiation started immediately after surgery and every 48 h for 7 or 14 days (λ660 nm, 40 mW, 6 J/cm², ? 0,04 cm², CW), when they were killed under deep anesthesia. The specimens were removed, routinely processed, stained with hematoxylin/eosin (H/E), and evaluated by light microscopy. Rats fed with hyperlipidic diet had greater intensity in the inflammatory process and prolonged hyperemia. At day 7, the intensity of inflammation was reduced in LSD and LHD groups when compared to their control groups, SD (p?=?0.002) and HD (p?=?0.02). There was an increase in fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition, especially in the LHD group. At day 14, the HD group presented more intensive hyperemia than the SD group. It can be concluded that the hyperlipidic diet modified the inflammation pattern in wound healing and that laser light has a positive biomodulative effect on the healing process only in early stages.     

Risk factors for decreased total body and regional bone mineral density in hemodialysis patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Hyperparathyroidism contributes significantly to decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in end-stage renal disease patients, but this negative influence is not homogeneous throughout the skeleton. We studied the BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry on total body and on different regions of the skeleton in 42 patients with severe hyperparathyroidism on hemodialysis. We also evaluated the relationship between different risk factors and BMD found on the regions examined in these patients. The legs and other sites where cortical bone predominate were mostly affected, whereas trabecular bone was relatively preserved. This is probably the result of the different effects of hyperparathyroidism on cortical and trabecular bone, but we cannot rule out the interference of ectopic calcifications and sclerotic lesions of vertebral end-plates falsely increasing lumbar spine BMD. The main determinants of low total-body BMD were, in order of importance, immobility, high intact parathyroid hormone levels, low body mass index, and low albumin. Eleven patients presented with pathologic fractures, mainly in the legs, and BMD was lower in this group than in patients without fractures. In conclusion, our study makes clear that hyperparathyroidism is a great threat to bone density in hemodialysis patients, mainly in the legs, the site mostly affected by fragility fractures in our patients. Physicians must worry not only with high parathyroid hormone levels, but also with the nutritional state of these patients.