Yo jyo hen shi ko, a novel Chinese herbal, prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in ob/ob mice fed a high fat or methionine-choline-deficient diet.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Yo jyo hen shi ko (YHK) is a complex compound purported to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) by blocking the propagation of radical-induced reactions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the effect of YHK in experimental NASH. METHODS: NASH was induced in male ob/ob mice by a high-fat (HF) diet or methionine/choline-deficient (MCD) diet for 4 weeks. YHK-treated animals received YHK solution orally (20 mg/kg/day) in both experimental diets (n=6; each group) while control animals received only vehicle. RESULTS: The MCD and HF groups developed moderate diffuse macrosteatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, and a diffuse inflammatory infiltrate. With the addition of YHK, there was a marked reduction in macrosteatosis in both groups. This was associated with decreased lipoperoxide and reduced glutathione-GSH concentrations as well as reduced serum aminotransferases and improved histological markers of inflammation. These changes were also associated with weight loss in the MCD+YHK group and diminished weight gain in the HF+YHK group. CONCLUSION: YHK therapy blunts the development of macrosteatosis in these models of NASH and significantly reduces markers of oxidative stress. YHK also diminishes weight gain in this obesity prone model. Our findings warrant further study on the mechanisms involved with these effects.     

Risk factors for nosocomial infection in a Brazilian neonatal intensive care unit.

This study was designed to describe the epidemiology and risk factors for nosocomial infection (NI) in a Brazilian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study was a retrospective cohort from January to December, 2003. All neonates admitted to the NICU. Infection surveillance was conducted according to the NNIS, CDC. Chi-square test and logistic regression model were performed for statistical analyses. The study was conducted at a public, tertiary referral NICU of a teaching hospital in the Northeast of Brazil. A total of 948 medical records were reviewed. Overall NI incidence rate was 34%. The main neonatal NI was bloodstream infection (68.1%), with clinical sepsis accounting for 47.2%, and pneumonia was the second most common NI (8.6%). Multivariate analysis identified seven independent risk factors for NIs: birth weight, exposure to parenteral nutrition, percutaneous catheter, central venous catheter or mechanical ventilation, abruptio placentae and mother's sexually transmitted disease (STD). Neonates from mothers with STD or abruptio placentae, those weighing less than 1,500 g at birth or those who used invasive devices were at increased risk for acquiring NI.     

Monocyte and Lymphocyte Activation in Bipolar Disorder: A New Piece in the Puzzle of Immune Dysfunction in Mood Disorders

Background:

This study tested the hypothesis that the low-grade inflammation presented in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with expansion of activated T cells, and this activated state may be due to a lack of peripheral regulatory cells.

Methods:

Specifically, we investigated the distribution of monocytes and lymphocyte subsets, and investigated Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines in plasma by flow cytometry. Twenty-one BD type I patients and 21 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited for this study.

Results:

BD patients had increased proportions of monocytes (CD14+). Regarding lymphocyte populations, BD patients presented reduced proportions of T cells (CD3+) and cytotoxic T cells (CD3+CD8+). BD patients also exhibited a higher percentage of activated T CD4+CD25+ cells, and a lower percentage of IL-10 expressing Treg cells.

Conclusions:

Our data shed some light into the underlying mechanisms involved with the chronic low-grade inflammatory profile described in BD patients.     

Optimization of the Sybr Green real time PCR for the detection of Human Herpes Virus type 6 (HHV-6)

HHV-6 is the etiological agent of Exanthem subitum which is considered the sixth most frequent disease in infancy. In immuno-compromised hosts, reactivation of latent HHV-6 infection may cause severe acute disease. We developed a Sybr Green Real Time PCR for HHV-6 and compared the results with nested conventional PCR. A 214 pb PCR derived fragment was cloned using pGEM-T easy from Promega system. Subsequently, serial dilutions were made in a pool of negative leucocytes from 10-6 ng/microL (equivalent to 2465.8 molecules/microL) to 10-9 (equivalent to 2.46 molecules/microL). Dilutions of the plasmid were amplified by Sybr Green Real Time PCR, using primers HHV3 (5' TTG TGC GGG TCC GTT CCC ATC ATA 3)'and HHV4 (5' TCG GGA TAG AAA AAC CTA ATC CCT 3') and by conventional nested PCR using primers HHV1 (outer): 5'CAA TGC TTT TCT AGC CGC CTC TTC 3'; HHV2 (outer): 5' ACA TCT ATA ATT TTA GAC GAT CCC 3'; HHV3 (inner) and HHV4 (inner) 3'. The detection threshold was determined by plasmid serial dilutions. Threshold for Sybr Green real time PCR was 24.6 molecules/microL and for the nested PCR was 2.46 molecules/microL. We chose the Real Time PCR for diagnosing and quantifying HHV-6 DNA from samples using the new Sybr Green chemistry due to its sensitivity and lower risk of contamination.     

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: case reports study in a central state of Brazil

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an emerging and worrisome health problem that threatens tuberculosis (TB) control worldwide. The clinical management of MDR-TB is a complex issue associated with the use of multiple drugs for a long period, usually accompanied by side effects and high costs. The objective of this work was to relate cases of MDR-TB occurring in Goiás, a central state of Brazil. We related five cases of MDR-TB, three women and two men. All were pulmonary cases. Three were in their second treatment and two in their first treatment. Surgical pulmonary resection was performed in one case. One death occurred. Lack of adherence, gastric intolerance to anti-TB drugs and poor clinical management were the main aspects related to the emergent resistance. A revision of the main clinical aspects of this disease was performed.     

People with chronic low back pain have poorer balance than controls in challenging tasks

Purpose: To compare the balance of individuals with and without chronic low back pain during five tasks.

Method: The participants were 20 volunteers, 10 with and 10 without nonspecific chronic low back pain, mean age 34?years, 50% females. The participants completed the following balance tasks on a force platform in random order: (1) two-legged stance with eyes open, (2) two-legged stance with eyes closed, (3) semi-tandem with eyes open, (4) semi-tandem with eyes closed and (5) one-legged stance with eyes open. The participants completed three 60-s trials of tasks 1–4, and three 30-s trials of task 5 with 30-s rests between trials. The center of pressure area, velocity and frequency in the antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions were computed during each task, and compared between groups and tasks.

Results: Participants with chronic low back pain presented significantly larger center of pressure area and higher velocity than the healthy controls (p?p?1.37 vs. effect size <0.64). There were no significant interactions between groups and tasks.

Conclusions: Individuals with chronic low back pain presented poorer postural control using center of pressure measurements than the healthy controls, mainly during more challenging balance tasks such as semi-tandem and one-legged stance conditions.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• People with chronic low back had poorer balance than those without it.

• Balance tasks need to be sensitive to capture impairments.

• Balance assessments during semi-tandem and one-legged stance were the most sensitive tasks to determine postural control deficit in people with chronic low back.

• Balance assessment should be included during rehabilitation programs for individuals with chronic low back pain for better clinical decision making related to balance re-training as necessary.

     

Carbon monoxide and the CNS: challenges and achievements

Haem oxygenase (HO) and its product carbon monoxide (CO) are associated with cytoprotection and maintenance of homeostasis in several different organs and tissues. This review focuses upon the role of exogenous and endogenous CO (via HO activity and expression) in various CNS pathologies, based upon data from experimental models, as well as from some clinical data on human patients. The pathophysiological conditions reviewed are cerebral ischaemia, chronic neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer''s and Parkinson''s diseases), multiple sclerosis and pain. Among these pathophysiological conditions, a variety of cellular mechanisms and processes are considered, namely cytoprotection, cell death, inflammation, cell metabolism, cellular redox responses and vasomodulation, as well as the different targeted neural cells. Finally, novel potential methods and strategies for delivering exogenous CO as a drug are discussed, particularly approaches based upon CO-releasing molecules, their limitations and challenges. The diagnostic and prognostic value of HO expression in clinical use for brain pathologies is also addressed.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of the Gasotransmitters. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-6     

Multicentre evaluation of an automated BACTEC 960 system for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

SETTING: Three mycobacteria reference laboratories in the south-eastern part of Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the automated Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. DESIGN: Performance of the automated BACTEC MGIT 960 (M960) system for testing M. tuberculosis susceptibility to streptomycin (SM), isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP) and ethambutol (EMB) was evaluated with 95 clinical isolates and compared to the results of the radiometric BACTEC 460TB (B460) system, the proportion method (PM), and the resistance ratio method (RRM). Judicial susceptibility profiles of 88 isolates were defined based on two or more concordant results among B460, PM and RRM, and used as a reference for comparison with M960 results. RESULTS: Agreement rates between M960 and conventional methods were 95.2% with B460, 96.6% with the PM and 93.4% with the RRM. The lowest agreement rates were obtained for SM with the RRM and for EMB with B460. When comparing M960 with judicial susceptibility profiles, the agreement rate was 97.9%. The agreement rates obtained for INH and RMP were 99.2% and for SM and EMB they were 96.2% and 96.9%, respectively. The mean time to reporting the M960 results was 6.9 days. CONCLUSION: M960 offers great improvements when compared to the proportion and resistance ratio methods and would benefit patient treatment.