The effect of feeding different sugar-sweetened beverages to growing female Sprague-Dawley rats on bone mass and strength

Consumption of sugar beverages has increased among adolescents. Additionally, the replacement of sucrose with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as the predominant sweetener has resulted in higher fructose intake. Few studies have investigated the effect of drinking different sugar-sweetened beverages on bone, despite suggestions that sugar consumption negatively impacts mineral balance. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of drinking different sugar-sweetened beverages on bone mass and strength. Adolescent (age 35d) female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned (n = 8–9/group) to consume deionized distilled water (ddH₂O, control) or ddH₂O containing 13% w/v glucose, sucrose, fructose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS-55) for 8weeks. Tibia and femur measurements included bone morphometry, bone turnover markers, determination of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bone strength by three-point bending test. The effect of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on mineral balance, urinary and fecal calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) was measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The results showed no difference in the bone mass or strength of rats drinking the glucose-sweetened beverage despite their having the lowest food intake, but the highest beverage and caloric consumption. Only in comparisons among the rats provided sugar-sweetened beverage were femur and tibia BMD lower in rats drinking the glucose-sweetened beverage. Differences in bone and mineral measurements appeared most pronounced between rats drinking glucose versus fructose-sweetened beverages. Rats provided the glucose-sweetened beverage had reduced femur and tibia total P, reduced P and Ca intake and increased urinary Ca excretion compared to the rats provided the fructose-sweetened beverage. The results suggested that glucose rather than fructose exerted more deleterious effects on mineral balance and bone.     

Protective effect of raloxifene on lipopolysaccharide and acid- induced acute lung injury in rats

Aim： To evaluate the protective effect of oral raloxifene on acute lung injury. Methods： Thirty adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats each weighing 180-210 g were used and divided into 3 groups： the raloxifene-lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-HCI group （n=10）, the LPS-raloxifene-HCl group （n=10）, and the placebo group （n=10）. All the rats were injected intraperitoneally （ip） with 5 mg/kg LPS, and raloxifene （30 mg/kg） was orally administered 1 h before and 14 h after LPS injection into the raloxifene-LPS-HCl and the LPS-raloxifene-HCl groups, respectively; the placebo group received nothing. Sixteen hours after LPS injection, all the animals were anesthetized and the femoral artery was cannulated. All the rats received a direct intratracheal （IT） injection ofHCl （pH 1.2; 0.5 mL/kg）. The mean arterial pressure （MAP） and blood gas concentrations were measured. Fifteen rats （5 in each group, respectively） underwent a micro positron emission tomography （microPET） scan of the thorax 4 h after HCI instillation. The wet/dry （W/D） weight ratio determination and histopathological examination were also performed. Results： The rats in the LPS-raloxifene-HCl group had a lower [^18F]fluorodeoxyglucose uptake compared with the rats in the placebo group （4.67±1.33 vs 9.01±1.58, respectively, P〈0.01）. The rats in the LPS-raloxifene-HCl group also had a lower histological lung injury score （8.20± 1.23 vs 12.6±0.97, respectively, P〈0.01） and W/D weight ratio （5.335±0.198 vs 5.886±0.257, respectively, P〈0.01） compared to the placebo group. The rats in this group also showed better pulmonary gas exchange and more stable mean arterial pressure （MAP） compared to the placebo group. Conclusion： Raloxifene provides a significant protective effect on acute lung injury in rats induced first by LPS ip injection and then by HCI IT instillation.     

OY-TES-1在肝细胞癌中的表达及抗体血清学分析

目的:了解OY-TES-1在肝细胞癌(HCC)中的表达及其抗体出现情况,探讨将OY-TES-1用于肿瘤免疫诊疗的可能性.方法:利用实时定量PCR和免疫组织化学技术,从mRNA和蛋白质两个水平研究OY-TES-1在HcC中的表达特点;采用酶联免疫吸附实验检测HCC患者及正常人血清中相应的抗体,并对其临床意义做初步的分析.结果:经实时定量PCR检测,HCC中OY-TES-1mRNA阳性率为73.21%(41/56),癌旁阳性率为64.86%(24/37),有17对HCC及配对癌旁组织均表达阳性,OY-TES-1mRNA在HCC及癌旁组织两者的表达阳性率无差异(P>0.05);在37对HCC及配对癌旁组织中,HCC中OY-TES-1mRNA水平明显高于对应的癌旁组织,其差异与病理分级有关CP<0.05).HCC中OY-TES-1蛋白阳性率为40%(4/10).血清学检测未发现76例正常人和17例肝硬化患者血清中有相应抗体,HCC患者血清抗体阳性率为20%(12/58),OY-TES-1血清抗体的出现与HCC患者的年龄、性别等临床资料无相关.结论:OY-TES-1在HCC中有较高的表达频率及表达水平,该蛋白具有较强的免疫原性,他有望作为用于HCC辅助诊断及免疫治疗的肿瘤抗原.     

Increased risk of cerebral hemorrhage in Chinese male heavy drinkers with mild liver disorder

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence suggests that heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk for either stroke or liver disease. The goal of this study was to determine whether heavy drinkers with mild liver disorder (MLD) are at risk of hemorrhagic stroke. METHODS: All of the 524 patients recruited were males with a first-ever acute stroke and were consecutively admitted to the Tri-Service General Hospital between January 2000 and December 2001. The risk factors, liver function, stroke subtypes, and hemostatic factors were assessed among 68 patients defined as heavy drinker stroke (HDS) and 456 patients as non-heavy drinker stroke (NHDS). RESULTS: HDS patients had a significantly higher incidence of hemorrhagic stroke than NHDS patients. HDS patients were also associated with significantly higher occurrence of cigarette smoking, hyperuricemia, liver dysfunction, and significantly lower platelet counts. HDS patients with MLD were more likely to have hemorrhagic stroke (76.5%) than HDS patients without MLD (33.3%) and NHDS patients with (40.3%) or without (26.7%) MLD. HDS patients with MLD also exhibited a significantly higher glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase/glutamic pyruvic transaminase ratio (2.0 +/- 1.2) and lower platelet number (185,000 +/- 85,000 per microl) when compared with HDS patients without MLD (1.4 +/- 0.5; 206,000 +/- 59,000 per microl) and NHDS patients with (1.1 +/- 1.0; 256,000 +/- 97,000 per microl) or without (1.4 +/- 0.7; 216,000 +/- 68,000 per microl) MLD. CONCLUSIONS: HDS patients with MLD are at higher risk for hemorrhagic stroke in part due to the changes in hemostatic factors, although other factors may also contribute to hemorrhagic stroke.     

Sirolimus treatment for neonate with blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUNDBlue rubber bleb naevus syndrome (BRBNS) is a rare disease that usually presents with multiple venous malformations in the skin and gastrointestinal tract. Lesions located in the gastrointestinal tract always result in chronic gastrointestinal bleeding and severe anemia. The successful management of BRBNS with sirolimus had been reported in many institutions, due to its impact on signaling pathways of angiogenesis. However, the experience in treatment of neonates with BRBNS was limited.CASE SUMMARYA 38-day-old premature female infant born with multiple skin lesions, presented to our center complaining of severe anemia and hematochezia. Laboratory examination demonstrated that hemoglobin was 5.3 g/dL and contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography showed multiple low-density space-occupying lesions in the right lobe of the liver. She was diagnosed as having BRBNS based on typical clinical and examination findings. The patient was treated by transfusions twice and hemostatic drugs but symptoms of anemia were difficult to alleviate. A review of BRBNS case reports found that patients had been successfully treated with sirolimus. Then the patient was treated with sirolimus at an average dose of 0.95 mg/m²/d with a target drug level of 10-15 ng/mL. During 28 mo of treatment, the lesion was reduced, hemoglobin returned to normal, and there were no adverse drug reactions.CONCLUSIONThis case highlights the dosing regimen and plasma concentration in neonates, for the current common empiric dose is high.     

Rapid detection of pneumothorax by ultrasonography in patients with multiple trauma

Introduction  

Early detection of pneumothorax in multiple trauma patients is critically important. It can be argued that the efficacy of ultrasonography (US) for detection of pneumothorax is enhanced if it is performed and interpreted directly by the clinician in charge of the patients. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of emergency department clinicians to perform bedside US to detect and assess the size of the pneumothorax in patients with multiple trauma.     

A case of secondary retinal detachment caused by ocular toxocariasis

PURPOSE: We report a case with bullous retinal detachment secondary to ocular toxocariasis. CASE: A 68-year-old man, who was a professional dog breeder, visited an ophthalmologist because of visual field defect in the left eye, and was referred to our clinic. The patient had bilateral cataract and bullous retinal detachment in the left eye. Fundus examinations after cataract surgery revealed no break but a white mass in the temporal lower peripheral retina of the left eye. Initial treatment with systemic corticosteroids was ineffective. Retinal detachment was treated by retinal cryocoagulation, scleral buckling, and subretinal fluid drainage. Subretinal fluid obtained during the operation showed high antibody titer for Toxocara canis. CONCLUSION: Ocular toxocariasis can cause bullous retinal detachment. To confirm the diagnosis, examination of the antibody titer of Toxocara canis in the subretinal fluid is useful.