Analysis of oral risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients

Clinical Oral Investigations - This a cross-sectional study to evaluate the association between oral health findings and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among critically ill patients in...     

Clustered features of the metabolic syndrome and the risk for increased aortic pulse wave velocity in middle-aged Japanese men

The association between different features of the metabolic syndrome (MS) (obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, hypertriglyceridemia, high fasting plasma glucose level, and hyperuricemia) and the risk for increased aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) of > or = 8.0 m/sec was examined in 2431 Japanese men aged 35 to 54 years who were not taking antihypertensive medication. After controlling for age, cigarette smoking, and alcohol intake, the odds ratios for increased aortic PWV in subjects with 1, 2, 3, and > or = 4 features of the MS, compared with those without features of the MS, were 1.35 (95% CI, 0.86 to 2.11), 1.90 (95% CI, 1.18 to 3.06), 1.57 (95% CI, 0.89 to 2.76), and 2.38 (95% CI, 1.26 to 4.49), respectively (p for trend = 0.003). A 9-year longitudinal study was also performed to prospectively examine the association between clustered features of the MS and the development of increased aortic PWV in 2073 men without aortic stiffness with a PWV < 8.0 m/sec and without antihypertensive medication during the follow-up period. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for the incidence of increased aortic PWV in subjects with 1, 2, 3, and > or = 4 features of the MS, compared with those without features of the MS, were 1.39 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.77), 1.46 (95% CI, 1.1 1 to 1.92), 1.75 (95% CI, 1.27 to 2.40), and 2.22 (95% CI, 1.52 to 3.25), respectively (p for trend < 0.001). These results suggest that clustered features of the MS are closely associated with the risk for increased aortic PWV in middle-aged Japanese men.     

Effects of hypoglycaemia on early embryogenesis in rat embryo organ culture

Summary As congenital malformations may be caused by perturbations of glycolytic flux on early embryogenesis [16], effects of hypoglycaemia were investigated by using rat embryo organ culture. Nine and one-half day old rat embryos were grown in vitro for 48 h (day 9 1/2 to 11 1/2) in the presence of hypoglycaemic serum for different hours during the culture period. Hypoglycaemic serum was obtained from rats given insulin intraperitoneally. On exposure to hypoglycaemic serum during the first 24 h of culture (day 9 1/2 to 10 1/2), embryos showed marked growth retardation and had increased frequencies of neural lesions (42.7% versus 0%, p<0.01), in contrast to hypoglycaemic exposure during the second 24 h of culture (day 10 1/2 to 11 1/2), where only minor growth retardation and low frequencies of neural lesions (2.4% versus 0%, NS) were seen. Even exposure to hypoglycaemic serum for a relatively short period (8 h) during the first 24 h of culture resulted in neural lesions at the frequency of 9.3–13.3%. The embryos exposed to hypoglycaemia demonstrated decreased glucose uptake and lactic acid formation, indicating decreased energy production via glycolysis that constitutes the principal energy pathway at this stage of embryonic development. These results suggest that hypoglycaemia during critical periods of embryogenesis has adverse effects on the development of the embryo and these effects might be mediated through metabolic interruption of embryogenesis.     

A mitochondrial superoxide theory for oxidative stress diseases and aging

Fridovich identified CuZnSOD in 1969 and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in 1973, and proposed ”the Superoxide Theory,” which postulates that superoxide (O₂^•−) is the origin of most reactive oxygen species (ROS) and that it undergoes a chain reaction in a cell, playing a central role in the ROS producing system. Increased oxidative stress on an organism causes damage to cells, the smallest constituent unit of an organism, which can lead to the onset of a variety of chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurological diseases caused by abnormalities in biological defenses or increased intracellular reactive oxygen levels. Oxidative stress also plays a role in aging. Antioxidant systems, including non-enzyme low-molecular-weight antioxidants (such as, vitamins A, C and E, polyphenols, glutathione, and coenzyme Q₁₀) and antioxidant enzymes, fight against oxidants in cells. Superoxide is considered to be a major factor in oxidant toxicity, and mitochondrial MnSOD enzymes constitute an essential defense against superoxide. Mitochondria are the major source of superoxide. The reaction of superoxide generated from mitochondria with nitric oxide is faster than SOD catalyzed reaction, and produces peroxynitrite. Thus, based on research conducted after Fridovich’s seminal studies, we now propose a modified superoxide theory; i.e., superoxide is the origin of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and, as such, causes various redox related diseases and aging.     

A father and son with Turcot's syndrome: Evidence for autosomal dominant inheritance

Typical Turcot's syndrome is characterized by the association of a brain glioma together with multiple colonic polyposis, in which the number of polypoid lesions is small and the association of colonic cancer occurs at a younger age than in familial adenomatous polyposis. We describe a family in which both the father and his son presented with typical Turcot's syndrome without parental consanguinity. This is the first report of a family that is considered to follow an autosomal dominant inheritance. After reviewing 25 documented cases in which the average age of death was 20.3 years old, it was learned that the major cause of death was brain tumor (76 percent) and the minor cause was colon cancer (16 percent). Patients were very young and, therefore, unlikely to have produced a child before their death. These facts seem to support the theory that Turcot's syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder.