Intravaginal surface EMG probe design test for urinary incontinence patients

Pelvic floor training is a well-established treatment for female urinary stress incontinence The purpose of this study was to test four different intravaginal surface electromyography (EMG) probes for biofeedback exercise and measurements. The study design was a comparison test. The study was accomplished in a referral on outpatient clinic. Participants were 9 urinary incontinent patients sent to physiotherapist for pelvic floor muscle exercise and 2 asymptomatic volunteers. The participants were asked to do pelvic floor contractions in supine position. The EMG activity of pelvic floor muscles was measured with four different types of intravaginal probes, and rectal pressure was measured simultaneously with a microtip catheter for controlling the pelvic floor muscle contraction force levels. Main outcome measure was the electrical activity of pelvic floor muscle contractions. The intraprobe correlation coefficients for comparing subsequent measurements ranged from 0.84-0.97, indicating adequate reliability. The results were affected by the location of the measuring electrodes, and the shape and size of the probes. No statistically significant differences were found between different probes. The compliance was best with L- shaped probe B and it gave highest mean EMG values so it was chosen for M- further development as a biofeedback-based home training system.     

Endostatin associates with integrin alpha5beta1 and caveolin-1, and activates Src via a tyrosyl phosphatase-dependent pathway in human endothelial cells

Endostatin, the COOH-terminal fragment of collagen XVIII, is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth. To understand the mechanisms behind endostatin action, we analyzed the plasma membrane- extracellular matrix interactions of recombinant human endostatin in cultured microvascular endothelial cells. We observed that endostatin induced rapid clustering of alpha5beta1 integrin associated with actin stress fibers and its concomitant colocalization with the membrane anchor protein caveolin-1. Furthermore, endostatin could be coimmunoprecipitated with alpha5beta1 and caveolin-1 from endothelial cell extracts. Endostatin treatment induced phosphatase-dependent activation of caveolin-associated Src family kinases. The disassembly of actin stress fibers and focal adhesions by endostatin was found to occur via activation of Src and in a tyrosyl phosphatase-dependent manner. The endostatin-treated cells void of the focal adhesions had impaired ability to deposit fibronectin into their extracellular matrices and were unable to migrate in response to basic fibroblast growth factor in a wounding experiment. These results indicate that recombinant endostatin interacts with alpha5beta1 integrin and caveolin-1 at the endothelial cell surface. In addition, the antimigratory effect of endostatin involves phosphatase-dependent Src activation and impaired cell-matrix interactions.     

The risk of stroke following coronary revascularization -- a population-based long-term follow-up study

OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence and risk factors of stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). DESIGN: During 1983-1992, coronary revascularization procedures (n = 2160) were recorded in patients aged 35-64 years as part of the population-based FINMONICA Myocardial Infarction Register. The FINMONICA Stroke Register and National Hospital Discharge Register were used to ascertain subsequent stroke events in such patients. RESULTS: During the average follow-up of 5.83 years, 155 patients (7.2%) had a stroke. The cumulative incidence of stroke was 1.55% in the first year after revascularization and varied between 0.8 and 1.4% during subsequent years. In Cox proportional hazard models the relative risk of stroke was 3.01 (p = 0.0007) for a previous stroke, 2.61 (p = 0.0001) for diabetes mellitus, 2.15 (p = 0.007) for low income (compared with high income), 2.06 (p = 0.03) for male sex, and 1.43 (p = 0.02) for a 10-year increment in age. CONCLUSION: The incidence of stroke during the first year after revascularization was five times higher than among the age- and sex-matched general population. Patients with a previous stroke, diabetes mellitus, advanced age, male sex and low socioeconomic status need special attention because of increased risk of stroke after CABG or PTCA.     

Effect of Propranolol and Related Drugs on Transmembraneous pH Differences in Liposomes

Abstract Propranolol (1-isopropylamino-3-(1-naphtoloxy)-propan-2-ol) a β-adren-ergic receptor blocking agent was found to cause changes of transmembraneous pH in liposomes prepared from Soy-lecithin and cardiolipin. When the external pH was neutral and the internum of the liposomes acidic, the drug decreased the pH gradient. When the externum was acidic and the internum neutral, the gradient was increased by the drug. The effect of butacaine was similar to that of propranolol, while procaine, timolol and practolol were ineffective. It is suggested that the charged form of propranolol is bound to the membrane and dislocates protons from binding sites in the membrane and that the uncharged form of propranolol penetrates the membrane. After penetration it could associate with protons in the intraliposomal compartment and hence increase the pH of the interior. Depending on the direction of the pre-existing proton gradient propranolol would thus be able to increase or decrease the pH difference across the liposomal membrane.     

Fetal but not adult Leydig cells are susceptible to adenoma formation in response to persistently high hCG level: a study on hCG overexpressing transgenic mice

We have previously demonstrated that male transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG+) develop reproductive organ defects, but no tumors, in adult age. In this study, the effects of persistently elevated hCG were followed in TG males between day 5 postpartum and adulthood. Leydig cell (LC) adenomas were found in prepubertal mice, most prominently at the age of 10 days, but not in adult age. Serum testosterone concentrations were significantly increased in TG males at all ages studied. The phenotype of the prepubertal hCG+ males resembled that found in boys upon expression of constitutively activating luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor mutations. The temporal expression patterns of the fetal LC marker gene, thrombospondin 2, and those of adult LCs, hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-6, delta5-3-beta and prostaglandin D synthase, were similar in wild-type and hCG+ males. Hence, the postnatal adenomas resemble functionally fetal LCs, and only these cells are susceptible to hCG-induced tumorigenesis. Our findings demonstrate a novel intriguing difference between the fetal and adult LC populations and provide further insight into the potential tumorigenic effects of gonadotropins.     

Circannual rhythm in the incidence of cryptorchidism in Finland

Conflicting data on circannual variation in birth rates of urogenital malformations have been reported previously. To assess risk factors of cryptorchidism we studied the seasonal variation of cryptorchidism in Finland. We performed a prospective cryptorchidism study in Turku, Finland, from 1997 to 2001 to evaluate the incidence of cryptorchidism. Clinical examinations were performed at birth and at 3 months. Of 9511 liveborn boys (1471 preterm boys) 216 (53 preterm boys) were cryptorchid at birth and 106 (19 preterm boys) at 3 months. The incidence of cryptorchidism was significantly higher in spring (February-April) (3.0%) than in summer (May-July) (1.7%) (OR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.23-2.63). This seasonal difference was observed both among preterm and term boys. We conclude that a circannual fluctuation in the incidence of cryptorchidism exists, which indicates an influence by environmental factors. The underlying reason for cyclicity affects similarly both preterm and term boys.     

Risk-based early prevention in comparison with routine prevention of dental caries: a 7-year follow-up of a controlled clinical trial; clinical and economic aspects

Background  

The results in an earlier study with 2–5-year-old children indicated that, in comparison with conventional prevention, a risk-based prevention programme was effective in reducing dental caries in a low-caries community. The aim of the present study was to examine the clinical and economic findings seven years after the cessation of the targeted programme, from the perspective of public health care.