Studies in NZB IL-10 knockout mice of the requirement of IL-10 for progression of B-cell lymphoma.

NZB mice develop an age-related malignant expansion of a subset of B cells, B-1 cells, with autocrine production of IL-10. IL-10, a pleiotropic cytokine with anti-inflammatory properties, is a potent growth and survival factor for malignant B cells. To further examine the in vivo requirement for IL-10 in the development and expansion of malignant B-1 clones in NZB mice, we developed a strain of homozygous IL-10 knockout (KO) mice on an NZB background. The NZB IL-10 KO mice develop peritoneal B-1 cells with approximately the same frequency as heterozygous and wild-type littermates. In contrast, the development of malignant B-1 cells in the peripheral blood and spleen, observed in wild-type NZB, rarely occurred in the NZB IL-10 KO. Phenotypic analysis of surface marker expression in splenic B cells indicated that, in contrast to the NZB with malignant B-1 splenic lymphoma, the surface marker expression of NZB IL-10 KO splenic B cells indicated that the majority of the B cells were typical B-2 cells. In the absence of IL-10, spontaneously activated B cells and antiapoptotic gene expression were reduced and lymphoma incidence was decreased. These results indicate that IL-10 is a critical factor for the progression of this B-cell malignant disease.     

Cobalt-base alloys used in bone surgery

Cobalt-base alloys may be generally described as non magnetic, wear, corrosion and heat-resistant (high strength even at elevated temperature). Many properties of the alloy originate from the crystallographic nature of cobalt, the solid-solution-strengthening effect of chromium and molybdenum, the formation of extremely hard carbides and the corrosion resistance imparted by chromium. Cobalt-base alloys are difficult to fabricate which is why their use has been limited, but continuous work led to the development of specialized casting methods. Due to its excellent resistance to degradation in the oral environment, the first medical use of cobalt-base alloys was in the cast of dental implants. Various in vitro and in vivo tests have shown that the alloys are biocompatible and suitable for use as surgical implants. Today, the use of Co alloys for surgical applications is mainly related to orthopaedic prostheses for the knee, shoulder and hip as well as to fracture fixation devices. Joint endoprostheses are typical long-term implants and the applied implant material must therefore meet extremely high requirements with regard to biocompatibility with the surrounding body tissue material and corrosion resistance to body fluids.     

TV watching modifies obesity risk linked to the 27Glu polymorphism of the ADRB2 gene in girls.

OBJECTIVE: A matched case-control study was conducted in a population of Spanish children and adolescents (5-18 years old), to assess the interaction between the Gln27Glu polymorphism of the ADRB2 and television (TV) watching on obesity risk. PATIENTS: Obese (n=165) and control subjects (n=165) matched by sex and age were recruited and classified according to Spanish reference data. Results. Using conditional logistic regression, we calculated the obesity risk linked to the polymorphism. A statistically significant association was found for 27Glu carrier allele girls (OR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.02-3.70), but no association was apparent among boys. In the fully adjusted model, the odds ratio for obesity linked to the genotype Glu27Glu in the female population rose to 4.84 (95% CI = 1.37-17.10). Moreover, we found a significant negative interaction between hours of TV watching and the Gln27Glu polymorphism for obesity risk in girls. Surprisingly, among 27Glu carrier subjects, even girls with a low level of TV watching ( < 12.5 h/week) had a high obesity risk (OR = 4.60; 95% CI = 1.01-20.02), which was not very different to the odds ratio values for sedentary girls carrying the 27 Glu allele watching TV more than 12.5 h/week (OR = 6.05; 95% CI = 1.31-27.71). Conclusion. A higher risk of obesity was found for girls carrying the 27Glu allele of the ADRB2 gene even when they spent less than 12.5 h/week watching TV. In addition, our results suggest that the effect of sedentary lifestyle on obesity risk may depend on the genotype of the subject.     

Methylamine but not mafenide mimics insulin-like activity of the semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase-substrate benzylamine on glucose tolerance and on human adipocyte metabolism

It has been reported that benzylamine reduces blood glucose in rabbits, stimulates hexose uptake, and inhibits lipolysis in mouse, rabbit, and human adipocytes. In the presence of vanadate, benzylamine is also able to improve glucose disposal in normoglycaemic and diabetic rats. Such insulin-mimicking properties are the consequence of hydrogen peroxide production during benzylamine oxidation by semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO). The aim of the study was to determine whether other SSAO-substrates could share such potential antidiabetic properties. Thus, mafenide, a synthetic antimicrobial sulfonamide structurally related to benzylamine, and which has been recently reported to interact with SSAO, was tested in the above mentioned models, in parallel with methylamine, a proposed endogenous SSAO-substrate. All tested amines stimulated glucose uptake and inhibited lipolysis in rat and mouse fat cells. Methylamine and benzylamine, but not mafenide, reduced the hyperglycaemic response during a glucose tolerance test in rabbits while the three amines tested were devoid of insulin-releasing activity under both in vivo and in vitro conditions. In human adipocytes, mafenide did not stimulate glucose transport since it was not a high-affinity substrate for SSAO and generated less hydrogen peroxide than benzylamine or methylamine. Therefore, mafenide could not be considered as an antidiabetic drug despite being oxidized and exhibiting insulin-mimicking effects in rat and mouse adipocytes. By contrast, the endogenous substrate methylamine improved glucose utilization in all in vitro and in vivo models, leading to consider novel SSAO substrates as drugs with potential anti-hyperglycaemic properties.     

Perceived Access to Contraception via Telemedicine Among Young Adults: Inequities by Food and Housing Insecurity

BackgroundTelemedicine expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, including for contraceptive services. Data are needed to understand whether young people can access telemedicine for contraception, especially in underserved populations.ObjectiveTo compare young people’s perceived access to telemedicine visits for contraception during the COVID-19 pandemic by food and housing insecurity.DesignSupplementary study to a cluster randomized controlled trial in 25 community colleges in California and Texas. Online surveys were administered May 2020 to April 2021. Mixed-effects logistic regression models with random effects for site were used to examine differences in access to contraception through telemedicine by food and housing insecurity status, controlling for key sociodemographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, non-English primary language, health insurance status, and state of residence, and contraceptive method used.Participants1,414 individuals assigned female at birth aged 18–28.Main MeasuresSurvey measures were used to capture how difficult it would be for a participant to have a telemedicine visit (phone or video) for contraception.Key ResultsTwenty-nine percent of participants were food insecure, and 15% were housing insecure. Nearly a quarter (24%) stated that it would be difficult to have a phone or video visit for contraception. After accounting for sociodemographic factors and type of method used, food insecure (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62–2.91) and housing insecure (aOR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.13–2.33) participants were significantly more likely to report that it would be difficult to use telemedicine for contraception during the pandemic.ConclusionsUnderserved patients are those who could benefit most from the expansion of telemedicine services, yet our findings show that young people experiencing basic needs insecurity perceive the greatest difficulty accessing these services for essential reproductive care.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT03519685","term_id":"NCT03519685"}}NCT03519685KEY WORDS: telemedicine, contraception, housing insecurity, food insecurity, access to care, COVID-19