Enuresis—its background and management

Conclusions Enuresis was more frequent in boys (64.3%) as compared to girls (35.7%) and the incidence decreases as the age advances. The highest incidence (47.6%) was in the 4–6 years age group. Enuresis was more commonly seen in children of middle (46.4%) and lower (33.3%) socio-economic groups. The children of parents with an educational status up to class V (57.1% were more commonly affected. Regular bedwetters (60.7%) were more in number as compared to occasional bed wetters (39.3%). There was a greater prevalence of bedwetting among later born children (72.8%) of large families. 11.6% of sibs had the history of bedwetting. Enuretic children were apt to have a small bladder (bladder capacity 190–250 ml./sq.m.) and to void frequently during the day. A slightly higher percentage of recovery rate was noticed in regular bed wetters when put on both psychotherapy and imipramine hydrochloride (80.9% or 17 out of 21) as compared to those receiving imipramine only (72.8% or 16 out of 22). The response to combined therapy in occasional bedwetters was better (100%) as compared to imipramine only (90%). From the District Hospital, Hamirpur, U.P.     

Elevated circulating levels of monocyte activation markers among tuberculosis patients with diabetes co-morbidity

Alteration in the frequency of monocyte subsets is a hallmark of tuberculosis–diabetes co-morbidity (TB-DM). To study this association, we examined the plasma levels of sCD14, sCD163, C-reactive protein (CRP) and soluble tissue factor (sTF) in individuals with TB-DM, TB or diabetes mellitus (DM), and in healthy controls (HC). Circulating levels of sCD14, sCD163 and sTF were significantly increased in TB-DM and DM compared with TB and HC; however, CRP was significantly increased in TB-DM and TB compared with DM and HC. During longitudinal follow up, sCD14, CRP and sTF levels remained significantly increased in TB-DM compared with TB from baseline (pre-treatment), during treatment (2nd month) and at the completion (6th month) of anti-TB treatment (ATT), whereas sCD163 was significantly higher in TB-DM compared with TB only at baseline. Moreover, the levels of sCD14 and sCD163 were significantly higher in TB-DM individuals with bilateral and cavitary disease and exhibited a significant positive relationship with bacterial burden. Levels of sCD14, sCD163 and CRP exhibited a positive relationship with HbA1c levels. Within the TB-DM group, those with known diabetes before incident TB (KDM) exhibited significantly higher levels of sCD14 and sCD163 compared with individuals with newly diagnosed DM with TB (NDM). Finally, KDM individuals on metformin treatment exhibited significantly lower levels of sCD14, sCD163 and CRP compared with those on non-metformin-containing regimens. Our data demonstrate that systemic monocyte activation marker levels reflect baseline disease severity and extent in TB-DM, differentiate KDM from NDM and are modulated by ATT and metformin therapy.     

Air Pollution Exposures During Adulthood and Risk of Endometriosis in the Nurses’ Health Study II

Background: Particulate matter and proximity to large roadways may promote disease mechanisms, including systemic inflammation, hormonal alteration, and vascular proliferation, that may contribute to the development and severity of endometriosis.Objective: Our goal was to determine the association of air pollution exposures during adulthood, including distance to road, particulate matter < 2.5 μm, between 2.5 and 10 μm, and < 10 μm, (PM_2.5, PM_10–2.5, PM₁₀), and timing of exposure with risk of endometriosis in the Nurses’ Health Study II.Methods: Proximity to major roadways and outdoor levels of PM_2.5, PM_10–2.5, and PM₁₀ were determined for all residential addresses from 1993 to 2007. Multivariable-adjusted time-varying Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the relation between these air pollution exposures and endometriosis risk.Results: Among 84,060 women, 2,486 incident cases of surgically confirmed endometriosis were identified over 710,230 person-years of follow-up. There was no evidence of an association between endometriosis risk and distance to road or exposure to PM_2.5, PM_10–2.5, or PM₁₀ averaged over follow-up or during the previous 2- or 4-year period.Conclusions: Traffic and air pollution exposures during adulthood were not associated with incident endometriosis in this cohort of women.Citation: Mahalingaiah S, Hart JE, Laden F, Aschengrau A, Missmer SA. 2014. Air pollution exposures during adulthood and risk of endometriosis in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Environ Health Perspect 122:58–64; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1306627     

The use of rat lens explant cultures to study the mechanism of drug-induced cataractogenesis

Lens explant cultures were used to assess the mechanism of drug-induced cataractogenic potential of NVS001, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) agonist, which resulted in cataract in all treated animals during a 13-week rat study. Ciglitazone, a PPARγ agonist and cataractogenic compound, was used as a positive control to validate this model. Rat lenses were extracted and cultured in medium supplemented with antibiotics for 24-h preincubation pretreatment. Lenses showing no signs of damage at the end of the preincubation pretreatment period were randomized into five experimental groups, (1) untreated control, (2) 0.1% dimethyl sulphoxide control, (3) 10μM NVS001, (4) 10μM ciglitazone, and (5) 10μM acetaminophen (negative control). Lenses were treated every 24 h after preincubation pretreatment for up to 48 h. Samples for viability, histology, and gene expression profiling were collected at 4, 24, and 48 h. There was a time-dependent increase in opacity, which correlated to a decrease in viability measured by adenosine triphosphate levels in NVS001 and ciglitazone-treated lenses compared with controls. NVS001 and ciglitazone had comparable cataractogenic effects after 48 h with histology showing rupture of the lens capsule, lens fiber degeneration, cortical lens vacuolation, and lens epithelial degeneration. Furthermore, no changes were seen when lenses were treated with acetaminophen. Gene expression analysis supported oxidative and osmotic stress, along with decreases in membrane and epithelial cell integrity as key factors in NVS001-induced cataracts. This study suggests that in vitro lens cultures can be used to assess cataractogenic potential of PPAR agonists and to study/understand the underlying molecular mechanism of cataractogenesis in rat.     

Synthesis, in vitro antioxidant, anthelmintic and molecular docking studies of novel dichloro substituted benzoxazole-triazolo-thione derivatives

A novel 6,8-dichloro [1,2,4]triazolo [3,4-b] [1,3]benzoxazole-3(2H)-thione 4 and its derivatives 5a and 5b are synthesized from 5,7-dichloro-2-hydrazinyl-1,3-benzoxazole 3, obtained by reaction of hydrazine hydrate with ethyl [(5,7-dichloro-1,3-benzoxazol-2-yl)sulfanyl]acetate 2. The newly synthesized compounds are characterized by analytical ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, LC-MS mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. All synthesized compounds are screened for in vitro antioxidant and anthelmintic activities. In correlation to anthelmintic activity, compounds are subjected to molecular docking studies for the binding to β-Tubulin, target protein elite to the parasites.Compounds 3, 4 and 5a exhibited potential radical scavenging capacity with good anthelmintic activity. In molecular docking study also, compounds showed minimum binding energy and have good affinity toward the active pocket thus, they may be considered as good inhibitor of β-Tubulin.     

Oxidative Stress,Antioxidant Status and Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Neonates Born to Pre-eclamptic Mothers

Objectives

To measure the oxidative stress and antioxidant status in preeclamptic mother-newborn dyads and correlate them with neurodevelopmental outcome at one year of corrected age.

Methods

This cohort study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital, south India included 71 preeclamptic and 72 normal mother-newborn dyads. Biochemical parameters including total antioxidant status (TAS), protein carbonyls and malondialdehyde levels (MDA) were measured in both maternal and cord blood. Infants in both the groups were followed up to one year of corrected age and neurodevelopmental assessment was done using Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DASII). Correlation and multivariate regression analysis was done to evaluate the oxidative stress markers in relation to neurodevelopmental outcome.

Results

All oxidative stress markers were higher in maternal and cord blood of pre-ecclampsia group compared to the normal group. Maternal Total antioxidant status (M-TAS) was lower in pre-eclampsia group than normal group. More neonates in the pre-ecclampsia group were preterm and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and had higher incidence of morbidities like respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and early onset sepsis (EOS). Infants in the preeclampsia group had lower motor age, motor score and motor developmental quotient (MoDQ). On multivariate logistic regression analyses, lower M-TAS levels were strongly associated with poor neuro-motor outcomes at 1 y of corrected age. Maternal TAS with a cut-off value of 0.965 mmol/L had a sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 55.3% in predicting MoDQ <70 at one year corrected age in infants born to preeclamptic mothers.

Conclusions

Oxidative stress is increased in preeclamptic mother-newborn dyads. Low maternal TAS levels are associated with poor neuro-motor outcomes. Maternal TAS in preeclampsia is useful in predicting poor motor development at one year corrected age.