Hydrogenated fat diet intake during pregnancy and lactation modifies the PAI-1 gene expression in white adipose tissue of offspring in adult life

We examine whether feeding pregnant and lactating rats hydrogenated fats rich in trans fatty acids modifies the plasma lipid profiles and the expression of adipokines involved with insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease in their 90-day-old offspring. Pregnant and lactating Wistar rats were fed with either a control diet (C group) or one enriched with hydrogenated vegetable fat (T group). Upon weaning, the male pups were sorted into four groups: CC, mothers were receiving C and pups were kept on C; CT, mothers were receiving C and pups were fed with T; TT, mothers were receiving T and pups were kept on T; TC, mothers were receiving T and pups were fed with C. Pups' food intake and body weight were quantified weekly and the pups were killed at day 90 of life by decapitation. Blood and carcass as well as retroperitoneal, epididymal, and subcutaneous white adipose tissues were collected. Food intake and body weight were lower in TC and TT, and metabolic efficiency was reduced in TT. Offspring of TT and TC rats had increased white adipose tissue PAI-1 gene expression. Insulin receptor was higher in TT than other groups. Ingestion of hydrogenated vegetable fat by the mother during gestation and lactation could promote deleterious consequences, even after the withdrawal of the causal factor.     

Variable effects of sodium butyrate on the expression and function of the MDR 1 (P-glycoprotein) gene in colon carcinoma cell lines

Expression of the MDRI (P-glycoprotein) gene confers resistance to several classes of chemotherapeutic drugs (multi-drug resistance). Colon carcinomas frequently express high levels of MDRI mRNA and P-glycoprotein, presumably reflecting the origin of these tumors from MDRI -expressing normal colonic cells. In 4 colon carcinoma cell lines (SW 620, HCT-15, DLD-I, LS 180), MDRI expression was reported in an earlier study to be elevated after exposure to a differentiating agent, sodium butyrate (NaB). In one of these cell lines (SW 620), increased MDR I expression reportedly was not accompanied by a decrease in the accumulation or cytotoxicity of vinblastine, a P-glycoprotein-transported drug, suggesting a possible functional abnormality of NaB-induced P-glycoprotein. We have re-examined the effect of NaB on MDRI /P-glycoprotein expression and function in the same colon carcinoma cell lines. NaB treatment induced differentiation-related changes and increased expression of MDRI mRNA in all 4 cell lines. A major increase in MDRI mRNA and P-glycoprotein expression was observed in only one line, SW 620. This increase, however, was accompanied by a commensurate increase in the activity of P-glycoprotein, indicating that the induced protein was fully functional. NaB treatment caused a relatively minor increase in MDRI mRNA expressed in the other 3 cell lines. Two of these lines showed a detectable increase in the P-glycoprotein expression and function, but in the third line (LS 180) P-glycoprotein was undetectable either before or after exposure to NaB. The magnitude of MDRI induction by NaB showed no apparent correlation with differentiation-related changes induced by this agent.     

Sepsis in childhood: epidemiological profile and microbiologic diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: To establish an etiological and epidemiological profile of sepsis among children that were hospitalized in the Hospital Infantil Albert Sabin - HIAS (a reference public hospital for all pediatric diseases in the state of Ceará), since this disease has been of high prevalence in this hospital with considerable mortality. METHODS: All children admitted in the hospital from January 1993 to June 1994, who presented sepsis or developed nosocomial sepsis and presented positive blood cultures were studied prospectively. The epidemiologic study was conducted by gathering information in questionnaire form about the following factors: sex, age, reference area, nutritional status, complaints at admission, sepsis origin (nosocomial or not), and outcome for each case. Microbiologic analysis were formed by means of blood culture, concomitant with sensitivity tests of the isolated bacteria to the most commonly used antibiotics. All samples were processed at the Laboratory of Microbiology of the Health's Science Center of the Federal University in Ceará. RESULTS: 205 children were studied of which 17 presented two septic episodes, making a total of 222 episodes in the period. 56.1% of them were male, 81.4% were less than one-year old, 71.1% were malnourished children and 60.5% came from the countryside of the Ceará State. At the moment of their admission, two-thirds of the children presented gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea) or respiratory complaints, whereas 47.7% of the episodes of sepsis were acquired in hospital. The mortality rate was 56.1%. Blood culture test showed a predominance of the following bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus (24.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (22.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.2%), Enterobacter sp (11.2%), Escherichia coli (7%), and others (19.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological profile of the population in this study was the following: these children were less than one-year old, the majority of them were malnourished and when they were hospitalized, presented with symptoms of diarrhea or respiratory disease. 40% of them had a disease or situation that favored the development of sepsis. The predominant bacterias were Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.     

Assessment of a strategy for the control of respiratory diseases in children.

A programme for the control of respiratory diseases in children was conceived for the State of S. Paulo, Brazil, in 1986. Its progress thereafter and the epidemiology of the diseases concerned are examined. Apart from an inquiry into the 64 existing State local health authorities, a sample of 18,255 cases of children assisted by the programme at different levels, including both in-patient and outpatient care, is analysed. Each case record included information about identification (child, doctor and health facility), reasons for calling, diagnoses made and outcome of treatment. Further data were also sought from hospitals and from State mortality records. The programme was found to be poorly implemented in the State but, where implemented, it showed itself capable of resolving problems (only 0.5% of the cases could not be handled) as also of changing ongoing trends (more than 50% reduction in hospital admission rates). Individual assessment of each item of the programme indicated its bottlenecks. Regarding the epidemiology of respiratory diseases, it is observed that the major burden to health services comes from children aged less than five, and that the most important diseases are wheezing illnesses and pneumonia. Moreover, they were found to be significantly associated (p = 0.000) so that a child in the community presenting wheezing diseases is 5 times more likely to develop pneumonia than a child with any other respiratory diagnosis. Similarly, among the under five deaths it was found that the risk for pneumonia is 3 times greater for children who died presenting wheezing diseases than it is for children with any other sort of diagnosis. In conclusion, the programme is deemed to be efficient and effective but its efficacy is marred by administrative flaws. The successful control of respiratory problems in childhood is related to a proper appreciation of the importance of wheezing diseases.     

Chronic fluvoxamine treatment reduces platelet MAO activity in medicated chronic schizophrenics

The effect of add-on fluvoxamine on platelet MAO activity was studied in nine chronic schizophrenic patients on steady antipsychotic treatment. Platelet MAO activity decreased significantly after 5 weeks of treatment and remained depressed. Since fluvoxamine does not inhibit MAO activity in vitro, the findings, which are preliminary, raise the possibility that chronic SSRI treatment may modify MAO production.     

48,XXYY syndrome in a boy with essential tremor. Comparison with 120 cases from the literature]

We report on a 14 year-old boy with 48,XXYY karyotype, presenting with essential tremor and a slight retardation of psychomotor development. In contrast to other cases with 48,XXYY syndrome, this pubertal patient has testicles of normal size, has small stature and shows no behavioural disturbances. We compared our patient with 120 other published cases.