Demographic determinants of risk, colon distribution and density scores of diverticular disease

AIM:To investigate associations between ethnicity,age and sex and the risk,colon distribution and density scores of diverticular disease(DD).METHODS:Barium enemas were examined in 1000 patients:410 male,590 female;760 whites,62 Asians,44 black africans(BAs),and 134 other blacks(OBs).Risks and diverticula density of left-sided DD(LSDD) and rightsided-component DD(RSCDD = right-sided DD + right and left DD + Pan-DD) were compared using logistic regression.RESULTS:Four hundred and forty-seven patients had DD(3...     

Ischemia-modified albumin levels in cerebrovascular accidents

Background

Previous studies have demonstrated that ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a useful marker for the diagnosis of ischemic events. It was also recently demonstrated that IMA levels increase in the acute phase of cerebrovascular diseases. Yet the data regarding IMA levels in various types of cerebrovascular events are insufficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate IMA levels in various types of cerebrovascular events such as ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and intracranial hemorrhage.

Methods

This case-controlled study consisted of 106 consecutive patients, 43 with brain infarction (BI), 11 with brain hemorrhage (ICH), 52 with SAH, and a 43-member control group. We investigated whether there was a statistical correlation between these 3 groups and the control group. The relations among the 3 groups were also examined. Comparisons among groups were done with analysis of variance.

Results

Mean serum IMA levels were 0.280 ± 0.045 absorbance units (ABSU) for BI patients, 0.259 ± 0.053 ABSU for ICH patients, 0.243 ± 0.061 ABSU for SAH patients, and 0.172 ± 0.045 ABSU for the control group.There was a statistically significant difference between the mean IMA levels of BI, ICH, and SAH patients and the mean control patient IMA levels (P < .0001).

Conclusions

Ischemia-modified albumin levels are high in cerebrovascular diseases. Ischemia-modified albumin measurement can also be used to distinguish SAH from BI during the acute phase of cerebrovascular event in the emergency department.     

Morphine inhibits erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase in vitro and in vivo

Morphine is implicated in diverse functions, from development to immune modulation in the central and peripheral nervous systems. At the present time, morphine is one of the most effective antinociceptive agents used to manage pain. It has been used extensively in the clinical management of pain due to its potent analgesic effect. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects of morphine on erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase (CA) were investigated. Human erythrocyte isoenzymes, HCA-I and HCA-II, were purified by Sepharose-4B affinity chromatography column with a yield of 66.95 and 62.82%, a specific activity of 3892.3 and 11663.2 EU/mg proteins with 745.1 and 2232.6-fold purification of each isoenzyme, respectively. To determine enzyme purity, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed. In vitro inhibition of erythrocyte HCA-I and HCA-II by morphine using the CO(2)-hydratase enzyme gave IC(50) values 4.50 x 10(-5) M (r(2): 0.954) and 9.23 x 10(-5) M (r(2): 0.996), respectively. CA activity was significantly attenuated in vivo in Spraque-Dawley rats for up to 3 h (p<0.001) following intraperitoneal administration of morphine. In conclusion, morphine inhibited CA activity both in vitro and in vivo.     

Protective effect of Hypericum perforatum L. on serum and hair trace elements in rats 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced oxidative stress

The study was designed to assess the effect of Hypericum perforatum L. (H.P) on serum and hair trace elements and mineral levels, oral administration of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) induced oxidative stress in Sprague-Dawley female rats. Analysis of the trace element has been carried out using atomic absorption spectrophotometer method at end of 60th day. It has been found out that the DMBA group contained statistically lower Zn and Cr compared to the control group (p<0.01) and (p<0.05), Cu, Mg and Na contained higher than control group (p<0.05), (p<0.05) and (p<0.05). In DMBA+H.P group, Zn higher and Na lower than DMBA group (p<0.05), (p<0.05), in hair samples Cd, K and Zn contained lower DMBA compared to the control group (p<0.05), (p<0.05) and (p<0.05). In group DMBA+H.P, Cd was higher than DMBA group and Cr lowered accordance with control group (p<0.05). The present study demonstrated significantly positive and beneficial effect of H.P on the concentration levels of Zn and Na in serum, also on Cd levels in hair between DMBA and DMBA+H.P groups.     

Amlodipine-induced delirium in a patient with ischemic stroke

Amlodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist drug with distinctive pharmacokinetic characteristics that seem to be attributable to a high degree of ionization. Delirium is a neuropsychiatric syndrome recognized as a marker for increased health care costs, morbidity, mortality, and institutionalization that often complicates acute physical illness in elderly people. This case is the first report concerning amlodipine use as a cause of delirium.     

Quantitative assessment of islets of Langerhans encapsulated in alginate

Improved methods have recently been developed for assessing islet viability and quantity in human islet preparations for transplantation, and these measurements have proven useful for predicting transplantation outcome. The objectives of this study were to adapt these methods for use with microencapsulated islets, to verify that they provide meaningful quantitative measurements, and to test them with two model systems: (1) barium alginate and (2) barium alginate containing a 70% (w/v) perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsion, which presents challenges to use of these assays and is of interest in its own right as a means for reducing oxygen supply limitations to encapsulated tissue. Mitochondrial function was assessed by oxygen consumption rate measurements, and the analysis of data was modified to account for the increased solubility of oxygen in the PFC-alginate capsules. Capsules were dissolved and tissue recovered for nuclei counting to measure the number of cells. Capsule volume was determined from alginate or PFC content and used to normalize measurements. After low oxygen culture for 2 days, islets in normal alginate lost substantial viable tissue and displayed necrotic cores, whereas most of the original oxygen consumption rate was recovered with PFC alginate, and little necrosis was observed. All nuclei were recovered with normal alginate, but some nuclei from nonrespiring cells were lost with PFC alginate. Biocompatibility tests revealed toxicity at the islet periphery associated with the lipid emulsion used to provide surfactants during the emulsification process. We conclude that these new assay methods can be applied to islets encapsulated in materials as complex as PFC-alginate. Measurements made with these materials revealed that enhancement of oxygen permeability of the encapsulating material with a concentrated PFC emulsion improves survival of encapsulated islets under hypoxic conditions, but reformulation of the PFC emulsion is needed to reduce toxicity.     

Outgrowth endothelial cells form a functional cerebral barrier and restore its integrity after damage

Breakdown of blood-brain barrier,formed mainly by brain microvascular endothelial cells(BMECs),represents the major cause of mortality during early phases of ischemic strokes.Hence,discovery of novel agents that can effectively replace dead or dying endothelial cells to restore blood-brain barrier integrity is of paramount importance in stroke medicine.Although endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)represent one such agents,their rarity in peripheral blood severely limits their adequate isolation and therapeutic use for acute ischemic stroke which necessitate their ex vivo expansion and generate early EPCs and outgrowth endothelial cells(OECs)as a result.Functional analyses of these cells,in the present study,demonstrated that only OECs endocytosed DiI-labelled acetylated low-density lipoprotein and formed tubules on matrigel,prominent endothelial cell and angiogenesis markers,respectively.Further analyses by flow cytometry demonstrated that OECs expressed specific markers for sternness(CD34),immaturity(CD133)and endothelial cells(CD31)but not for hematopoietic cells(CD45).Like BMECs,OECs established an equally tight in vitro model of human BBB with astrocytes and pericytes,suggesting their capacity to form tight junctions.Ischemic injury mimicked by concurrent deprivation of oxygen and glucose(4 hours)or deprivation of oxygen and glucose followed by reperfusion(20 hours)affected both barrier integrity and function in a similar fashion as evidenced by decreases in transendothelial electrical resistance and increases in paracellular flux,respectively.Wound scratch assays comparing the vasculoreparative capacity of cells revealed that,compared to BMECs,OECs possessed a greater proliferative and directional migratory capacity.In a triple culture model of BBB established with astrocytes,pericytes and BMEC,exogenous addition of OECs effectively repaired the damage induced on endothelial layer in serum-free conditions.Taken together,these data demonstrate that OECs may effectively home to the site of vascular injury and repair the damage to maintain(neuro)vascular homeostasis during or after a cerebral ischemic injury.