Ultracryotomy: development and application (with examples from the yeast cytology) (author's transl)

The preparation steps usually necessary for obtaining ultrathin frozen sections of biological material (chemical prefixation, enclosing, cryoprotective treatment, freezing, sectioning, and post-staining the sections for transmission electron microscopy) are submitted to a critical analysis. The application of cryo-ultramicrotomy, in particularly for cytochemical purposes, is reviewed. Fundamental considerations of chemical prefixation and poststaining are supported by examples from yeast cytology. Furthermore, the efficiency of the cryo-ultramicrotomy (electron optical resolution of ultrastructural details) is demonstrated on yeast cells and protoplasts.     

Dielectric properties of a combined main-chain/side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer

The dielectric relaxation properties of a combined main-chain/side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer were investigated. It was found that the rotation of the side chain about the main chain (δ-process) is not as strongly restricted as in side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers. This is attributed to the facts that the side chain is attached to the flexible spacer within the chain backbone and that the concentration of the side chains is comparatively small. Two low-temperature relaxation processes were observed to occur in the glassy smectic and the crystalline state. They are attributed to intramolecular motions with in the mesogenic groups.     

Relapsing diabetes can result from moderately activating mutations in KCNJ11

Neonatal diabetes can either remit and hence be transient or else may be permanent. These two phenotypes were considered to be genetically distinct. Abnormalities of 6q24 are the commonest cause of transient neonatal diabetes (TNDM). Mutations in KCNJ11, which encodes Kir6.2, the pore-forming subunit of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K(ATP)), are the commonest cause of permanent neonatal diabetes (PNDM). In addition to diabetes, some KCNJ11 mutations also result in marked developmental delay and epilepsy. These mutations are more severe on functional characterization. We investigated whether mutations in KCNJ11 could also give rise to TNDM. We identified the three novel heterozygous mutations (G53S, G53R, I182V) in three of 11 probands with clinically defined TNDM, who did not have chromosome 6q24 abnormalities. The mutations co-segregated with diabetes within families and were not found in 100 controls. All probands had insulin-treated diabetes diagnosed in the first 4 months and went into remission by 7-14 months. Functional characterization of the TNDM associated mutations was performed by expressing the mutated Kir6.2 with SUR1 in Xenopus laevis oocytes. All three heterozygous mutations resulted in a reduction in the sensitivity to ATP when compared with wild-type (IC(50) approximately 30 versus approximately 7 microM, P-value for is all <0.01); however, this was less profoundly reduced than with the PNDM associated mutations. In conclusion, mutations in KCNJ11 are the first genetic cause for remitting as well as permanent diabetes. This suggests that a fixed ion channel abnormality can result in a fluctuating glycaemic phenotype. The multiple phenotypes associated with activating KCNJ11 mutations may reflect their severity in vitro.     

Myocardial hypertrophy and enhanced left ventricular contractility in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

Heart failure is known to be a complication of insulin-dependent (IDDM) and noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) even in the absence of coronary heart disease or hypertension. The mechanisms leading to diabetic cardiomyopathy are unknown. The aim of the study was to characterize structural and functional alterations in hyperinsulinemic Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats treated with or without insulin. Diabetic animals showed a twofold increase in cardiomyocyte volume with increased left ventricular ANP but not BNP mRNA levels in spite of a reduced plasma renin activity (PRA) 2 months after onset of diabetes compared to nondiabetic littermates. These changes were associated with an increase in left ventricular performance as assessed by echocardiography. Insulin treatment led to a significant increase in body weight (BW), total heart weight, myocardial protein content, and left ventricular mass (LVM). Perivascular fibrosis and laminin thickness were significantly augmented in diabetic rat myocardium irrespective of insulin treatment, whereas interstitial collagen I and fibronectin were similarly found in diabetic and control myocardium. Initial stages of diabetic cardiomyopathy in hyperinsulinemic rats are characterized by cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and enhanced cardiac contractility. It is suggested that hyperinsulinemia may be involved in cardiac hypertrophy.     

Nutrient-Induced Cellular Mechanisms of Gut Hormone Secretion

The gastrointestinal tract can assess the nutrient composition of ingested food. The nutrient-sensing mechanisms in specialised epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, the enteroendocrine cells, trigger the release of gut hormones that provide important local and central feedback signals to regulate nutrient utilisation and feeding behaviour. The evidence for nutrient-stimulated secretion of two of the most studied gut hormones, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), along with the known cellular mechanisms in enteroendocrine cells recruited by nutrients, will be the focus of this review. The mechanisms involved range from electrogenic transporters, ion channel modulation and nutrient-activated G-protein coupled receptors that converge on the release machinery controlling hormone secretion. Elucidation of these mechanisms will provide much needed insight into postprandial physiology and identify tractable dietary approaches to potentially manage nutrition and satiety by altering the secreted gut hormone profile.     

Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Lineage at Outpatient Testing Site,Berlin, Germany,January–March 2021

Within 5 weeks in 2021, B.1.1.7 became the dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 lineage at an outpatient testing site in Berlin, Germany. Compared with outpatients with wild-type virus infection, patients with B.1.1.7 had similar cycle threshold values, more frequent sore throat and travel history, and less frequent anosmia/ageusia.     

Verlorene Lebensjahre: Bekanntes und Neues zur Methodik am Beispiel der häufigsten Todesursachen in Deutschland

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Verlorene Lebensjahre (Years of Life Lost, YLL) sind ein aussagekräftiger, in Deutschland jedoch wenig verwendeter Indikator...     

Adolescent Substance Use Behavior Change Through School Intervention Is Improved by Teacher and School Implementation Support Together,Especially for Girls

Prevention Science - An earlier trial of a school-based, preventative intervention, HealthWise South Africa, demonstrated some efficacy in preventing adolescent drinking and smoking in the Western...