Subclinical atherosclerotic calcification and cognitive functioning in middle-aged adults: The CARDIA study

Objective

Cardiovascular risk factors in middle-age are associated with cognitive impairment and dementia in older age. Less is known about the burden of calcified subclinical atherosclerosis and cognition, especially in midlife. We examined the association of coronary artery and abdominal aortic calcified plaque (CAC and AAC, respectively) with cognitive functioning in middle-aged adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 2510 black and white adults (age: 43–55 years) without heart disease or stroke who completed a year 25 follow-up exam (2010–11) as part of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. CAC and AAC were measured with non-contrast computed tomography. Cognition was assessed with the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) (psychomotor speed), Stroop Test (executive function), and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) (verbal memory).

Results

A greater amount of CAC and AAC was associated with worse performance on each test of cognitive function after adjustment for age, sex, race, education, and study center. Associations were attenuated, but remained significant for the DSST and RAVLT following additional adjustment for vascular risk factors, including adiposity, smoking, alcohol use, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Compared to participants without CAC or AAC, those with both CAC and AAC, but not CAC or AAC alone was associated with lower DSST scores (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

In this community-based sample, greater subclinical atherosclerotic calcification was associated with worse psychomotor speed and memory in midlife. These findings underscore the importance of a life course approach to the study of cognitive impairment with aging.     

The effects of vitamin A, pentoxyfylline and methylprednisolone on experimentally induced amyloid arthropathy in brown layer chicks.

The effects of vitamin A, pentoxyfylline and methylprednisolone on experimentally induced amyloid arthropathy were investigated. In this study, 175 1-day-old brown layer chicks were used. Throughout the study Group II (vitamin A) received high doses of vitamin A (75,000 IU/kg), whereas Group I (negative control), Group III (positive control), Group IV (pentoxyfylline) and Group V (methylprednisolone) received normal levels of vitamin A in the diet. At the fifth week, the experimental Groups II, III, IV and V were injected with Freund's adjuvant intra-articularly to induce amyloid arthropathy. Group IV received pentoxyfylline and Group V received methylprednisolone (10 mg/kg, intramuscularly) once. Joint and blood samples were examined 13 weeks after the injections. The values in Groups I, II, III, IV and V, respectively, were as follows: amyloid arthropathy formation (%), 0, 100, 87, 76, 66; serum amyloid A (ng/ml), 166+/-17, 607+/-40, 423+/-39, 342+/-27, 293+/-22; serum retinol (microg/dl): 59.75+/-3.8, 42.72+/-3, 59.24+/-3.6, 102+/-9.1, 101.3+/-12.3; heterophil/lymphocyte ratio: 0.504, 0.75, 0.75, 0.087, 0.44. In conclusion, it was observed that vitamin A enhanced the development of amyloid arthropathy and there were positive associations between amyloidosis, increased levels of serum amyloid A and increased numbers of tissue infiltrating macrophages. Methylprednisolone had a more successful inhibitory effect on amyloid arthropathy than pentoxyfylline.     

Computed tomography findings in chronic rhinosinusitis patients with and without allergy

The purpose of this study was to compare the paranasal sinus mucosal thickenings, bony changes consistent with chronic sinusitis, and bony anatomic variations detected by computed tomography (CT) in chronic rhinosinusitis patients with and without allergy. Three hundred and thirty-nine patients with chronic rhinosinusitis were analyzed for their allergic status by performing skin prick test. Two hundred and thirteen patients (62.8%) had at least one positive skin prick test (allergic patients, male/female: 85/128, mean age: 29.1 +/- 1.2). One hundred and twenty-six patients (37.2%) were included in the non-allergic group (male/female: 53/73, mean age: 31 +/- 2.2). Maxillary mucosal thickening and frontal hypoplasy were significantly more common in allergic chronic rhinosinusitis patients. Moreover, pneumatized uncinate process is apparently more common in the allergic group than non-allergic group, and statistical analysis revealed marginal significance (p = 0.0535). In conclusion CT findings of allergic chronic rhinosinusitis patients are comparable to the CT findings of chronic rhinosinusitis patients without allergy. However, presence of maxillary mucosal thickening, frontal hypoplasia or pneumatized uncinate process in the CT scan of a patient with chronic rhinosinusitis could be of clinical significance, and might guide the otolaryngologist for the evaluation of the presence of allergy.     

Acute effect of intranasal estrogen on cerebral and cerebellar perfusion in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVES: Estrogen action in the brain influences many neurochemical processes. The aim of the study was to evaluate the acute effect of intranasal 17beta-estradiol on cerebral and cerebellar perfusion in postmenopausal women. METHODS: The study group included 24 healthy postmenopausal women who had been in natural menopause for at least 1 year (mean age: 47.38+/-5.9 years). We conducted an experimental, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, double-blind study. Cerebral and cerebellar perfusion was measured after placebo (saline serum physiologic) or intranasal 17beta-estradiol administration by Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) using technetium-99m-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (Tc99m-HMPAO). Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn manually. Cerebral and cerebellar perfusions were calculated for each ROI using average number of counts per pixel. Semiquantitative analysis was performed in bilateral frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes, thalamus, putamen, hippocampus, amygdala, caudate nuclei, cerebellar region, anterior/posterior of cingulate gyrus and pons. RESULTS: After intranasal 17beta-estradiol administration, SPECT study revealed significant increases in cerebral and cerebellar perfusion compared to placebo measurements in all studied slices (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between serum estrogen levels after 17beta-estradiol and cerebral and cerebellar perfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of single dose intranasal 17beta-estradiol increases cerebral and cerebellar perfusions in healthy postmenopausal women.     

Preventive effects of curcumin on different aspiration material-induced lung injury in rats

Purpose  We have studied whether curcumin protects different pulmonary aspiration material-induced lung injury in rats. Materials and methods  The experiments were designed in 60 Sprague–Dawley rats, randomly allotted into one of six groups (n = 10): normal saline (NS, control), enteral formula (Biosorb Energy Plus, BIO), hydrochloric acid (HCl), NS + curcumin-treated, BIO + curcumin-treated, and HCl + curcumin-treated. NS, BIO, HCl were injected in to the lungs. The rats received curcumin twice daily only for 7 days. Seven days later, both lungs in all groups were examined histopathologically, immunohistochemically, and biochemically. Histopathologic examination was performed according to the presence of peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar septal infiltration, alveolar edema, alveolar exudate, alveolar histiocytes, interstitial fibrosis, granuloma, and necrosis formation. Immunohistochemical assessments were examined for the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the expression of surfactant protein D (SP-D). Malondialdehyde (MDA), hydroxyproline (HP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity were measured in the lung tissue. Results  Our findings show that curcumin inhibits the inflammatory response reducing significantly (P < 0.05) all histopathological parameters in different pulmonary aspiration models. Pulmonary aspiration significantly increased the tissue HP content, MDA levels and decreased the antioxidant enzyme (SOD, GSH-Px) activities. Curcumin treatment significantly decreased the elevated tissue HP content, and MDA levels and prevented inhibition of SOD, and GSH-Px enzymes in the tissues. Furthermore, our data suggest that there is a significant reduction in the activity of iNOS and a rise in the expression of SP-D in lung tissue of different pulmonary aspiration models with curcumin therapy. Conclusion  Our findings support the use of curcumin as a potential therapeutic agent in acute lung injury.     

Efficacy of daily and weekly iron supplementation on iron status in exclusively breast-fed infants

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in infants worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of daily and weekly iron supplementation for 3 months to improve the iron status in 4-month-old, exclusively breast-fed healthy infants. Infants 4 months of age were eligible for the open, randomized controlled trial if their mothers intended to continue exclusive breast-feeding until the infants were 6 months of age. Infants or mothers with iron deficiency (ID) or IDA on admission were excluded. The infants (n = 79) were randomly assigned to three groups, the first group receiving daily (1 mg/kg daily), the second group weekly (7 mg/kg weekly), and the third group no iron supplementation. Anthropometric measurements were taken on admission and at 6 and 7 months of age. Iron status was analyzed on admission and monthly for 3 months. Both hematologic parameters and anthropometric measurements were found to be similar among the three groups during the study period. Seven infants (31.8%) in the control group, six (26.0%) in the daily group, and three (13.6%) in the weekly group developed ID or IDA (P > 0.05). Infants whose mothers had ID or IDA during the study period were more likely to develop ID or IDA independently from iron supplementation. Serum ferritin levels decreased between 4 and 6 months of age in the control and daily groups; the weekly group showed no such decrease. In all groups, the mean levels of serum ferritin were significantly increased from 6 months to 7 months of age during the weaning period. In this study, which had a limited number of cases, weekly or daily iron supplementation was not found to decrease the likelihood of IDA. In conclusion, exclusively breast-fed infants with maternal IDA appeared to be at increased risk of developing IDA.     

The peak oxygen uptake of healthy Turkish children with reference to age and sex: a pilot study

Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) has an important place in the assessment of cardiopulmonary fitness. Currently there is insufficient normative data for Turkish children. With this preliminary study, we aimed to set up a normative data for our lab which may also serve as a basis for future large population based studies in Turkey. We assessed the peak oxygen consumption of 80 healthy Turkish children aged 5-13 years and examined the cardiopulmonary responses to exercise test in relation to their age, sex and body size. Dynamic lung functions were positively and significantly correlated with age. A similar correlation was observed for the peak VO2. A significant positive correlation between peak VO2 and body size was demonstrated only in boys for height. There were no differences in all of the test parameters with reference to sex except in the age group of 13 years. Boys who were 13 years old had higher mean values of maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold, peak VO2, and exercise test duration than those of girls of the same age (p < 0.05). VO2 plateau was detected only in 25%, and when two groups with and without VO2 plateau were compared, there were no differences regarding the age, sex, weight, height and exercise test results. Assessment of VO2 by graded exercise stress testing by treadmill is accepted as a safe and effective method of evaluating the physical fitness of children. Current study presents normal data for a limited subpopulation of healthy Turkish children.