Bartonella as a cause of mechanical prosthetic aortic root endocarditis

Bartonella henselae infection is typically associated with cat scratch disease. This microorganism can also lead to culture-negative infective endocarditis in immunocompromised patients. We present a rare case of a previously healthy 65-year-old man with B. henselae-associated endocarditis of a prosthetic aortic root. All blood cultures, as well as cultures of the resected aortic valve vegetations, remained negative. Polymerase chain reaction with specific bacterial primers with DNA sequencing was used to identify B. henselae as the etiologic agent. This was successfully managed by an aortic root re-replacement using a mechanical conduit, reimplantation of coronaries ostia, and antibiotic therapy.     

Pterostilbene Inhibits Lipogenic Activity similar to Resveratrol or Caffeine but Differently Modulates Lipolysis in Adipocytes

The anti‐obesity effects of resveratrol shown in rodents are not transposed into an efficient therapy of human obesity. Consequently, the search for molecules mimicking or surpassing resveratrol actions is ongoing. The natural phenolic compound pterostilbene exhibits beneficial health effects and has the capacity to limit fat mass in animal models. In this study, we tested whether pterostilbene modulates triacylglycerol accumulation/breakdown. Prolonged exposure to pterostilbene or resveratrol inhibited adipocyte differentiation in 3T3‐F442A preadipocytes. Acute effects on lipolysis, antilipolysis and lipogenesis were determined for pterostilbene in mouse adipocytes, and compared with resveratrol. Pterostilbene was also tested on glycerol release and glucose uptake in subcutaneous human adipocytes. Dose–response analyses did not reveal a clear lipolytic effect in both species. The antilipolytic effect of insulin was improved by pterostilbene at 1–10 μM in mouse fat cells only, while at 1 mM, the phenolic compound was antilipolytic in human fat cells in a manner not additive to insulin. Pterostilbene dose‐dependently inhibited glucose incorporation into lipids similarly to resveratrol and caffeine. However, only the former did not inhibit insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake. Indeed, pterostilbene abolished the insulin lipogenic effect without inhibiting its antilipolytic action and rapid activation of glucose uptake. Pterostilbene therefore exhibits a unique panel of direct interactions with adipocytes that relies on its reported anti‐obesity and antidiabetic properties. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calcineurin A and CaMKIV transactivate PGC-1α promoter, but differentially regulate cytochrome c promoter in rat skeletal muscle

In skeletal muscle, slow-twitch fibers are highly dependent on mitochondrial oxidative metabolism suggesting the existence of common regulatory pathways in the control of slow muscle-specific protein expression and mitochondrial biogenesis. In this study, we determined whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator-1α (PGC-1α) could transactivate promoters of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein (cytochrome c) and muscle-specific proteins (fast troponin I, MyoD). We also investigated if calcineurin A (CnA) and calcium/calmodulin kinase IV (CaMKIV) were involved in the regulation of PGC-1α and cytochrome c promoter. For this purpose, we took advantage of the gene electrotransfer technique, which allows acute expression of a gene of interest. Electrotransfer of a PGC-1α expression vector into rat Tibialis anterior muscle induced a strong transactivation of cytochrome c promoter (P < 0.001) independent of nuclear respiratory factor 1. PGC-1α gene electrotransfer did not transactivate fast troponin I promoter, whereas it did transactivate MyoD promoter (P < 0.05). Finally, whereas electrotransfers of CnA or CaMKIV expression vectors transactivated PGC-1α promoter (P < 0.001), gene electrotransfer of CaMKIV was only able to transactivate cytochrome c promoter. Taken together, these data suggest that CnA triggers PGC-1α promoter transactivation to drive the expression of non-mitochondrial proteins.     

Information needs about palliative care and euthanasia: A survey of patients in different phases of their cancer trajectory

Objective

We assessed information provision and information needs about illness course, treatments, palliative care and euthanasia in cancer patients.

Motivators for and barriers to physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis: A qualitative study

Objectives

We aimed to explore the motivators for and barriers to regular physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis.

A systematic review of mechanical thromboprophylaxis in the lithotomy position

Background

Venous thrombosis and compartment syndrome are potentially serious complications of prolonged, lithotomy position surgery. It is unclear whether mechanical thromboprophylaxis in this group of patients modifies the risk of compartment syndrome. This qualitative systematic review examines the evidence base to guide clinical practice.

Immune remodelling of stromal cell grafts in the central nervous system: therapeutic inflammation or (harmless) side‐effect?

Over the past two decades, several cell types with fibroblast‐like morphology, including mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, but also other adult, embryonic and extra‐embryonic fibroblast‐like cells, have been brought forward in the search for cellular therapies to treat severe brain injuries and/or diseases. Although current views in regenerative medicine are highly focused on the immune modulating and regenerative properties of stromal cell transplantation in vivo, many open questions remain regarding their true mode of action. In this perspective, this study integrates insights gathered over the past 10 years to formulate a unifying model of the cellular events that accompany fibroblast‐like cell grafting in the rodent brain. Cellular interactions are discussed step‐by‐step, starting from the day of implantation up to 10 days after transplantation. During the short period that precedes stable settlement of autologous/syngeneic stromal cell grafts, there is a complex interplay between hypoxia‐mediated cell death of grafted cells, neutrophil invasion, microglia and macrophage recruitment, astrocyte activation and neo‐angiogenesis within the stromal cell graft site. Consequently, it is speculated that regenerative processes following cell therapeutic intervention in the CNS are not only modulated by soluble factors secreted by grafted stromal cells (bystander hypothesis), but also by in vivo inflammatory processes following stromal cell grafting. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.