Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase reduces bacterial translocation in a rat model of acute pancreatitis

INTRODUCTION: Translocation of bacteria from the gut into pancreatic necrosis is an important factor in the development of septic complications and mortality in acute pancreatitis. S-methylisothiourea (SMT) is an inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor that has been shown to decrease bacteria] translocation in sepsis and thermal injury. AIM: To investigate whether SMT could affect bacterial translocation in acute necrotizing pancreatitis. METHODOLOGY: Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. Acute pancreatitis was induced in Group I and Group II by injection of taurocholate and trypsin into the common biliopancreatic duct. Group III underwent laparotomy with the manipulation (but not cannulation) of the pancreas and received saline injection. Group I rats received normal saline as a placebo, and Group II rats received SMT after surgery for 2 days. At 48 hours, blood was drawn for serum amylase determinations. Bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes and distant sites (pancreas, liver, and peritoneum) were examined. A point scoring system of histologic features was used to evaluate the severity of pancreatitis. RESULTS: Plasma amylase levels and pancreatic histologic score were significantly reduced in Group II rats given SMT compared with those in Group I rats given saline (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). All Group I rats had bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes compared with 7 of 12 rats in Group II (p < 0.05). There was no difference in bacterial translocation to distant organs between the two groups, although rates tended to be lower in Group II compared with Group I (p > 0.05). Bacterial counts in the pancreas were significantly reduced in Group II rats compared with those in Group I rats (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Treatment with SMT appears to have ameliorated the course of acute pancreatitis; however, mortality was not affected.     

Cytotoxic and Antibacteriial Actiivity of the Mixture of Olive Oil and Lime Cream in Vitro Conditions

The mixture of olive oil and lime cream has been traditionally used to treat external burns in the region of Hatay/Antakya and middle Anatolia. Olive oil and lime cream have been employed by many physicians to treat many ailments in the past. A limited number of studies have shown the antibacterial effect of olive oil and that it does not have any toxic effect on the skin. But we did not find any reported studies on the mixture of olive oil and lime cream. The aim of this paper is to investigate the cytotoxic and antibacterial activity of olive oil and lime cream individually or/and in combination in vitro conditions, by using disk-diffusion method and in cell culture. The main purpose in using this mixture is usually to clear burns without a trace. Agar overlay, MTT (Cytotoxicity assay) and antibacterial susceptibility tests were used to investigate the cytotoxic and antibacterial activity of olive oil and lime cream. We found that lime cream has an antibacterial activity but also cytotoxic on the fibroblasts. On the other hand olive oil has limited or no antibacterial effect and it has little or no cytotoxic on the fibroblasts. When we combined lime cream and olive oil, olive oil reduced its cytotoxic impact. These results suggest that mixture of olive oil and lime cream is not cytotoxic and has antimicrobial activity.     

Effects of Forward Model Errors on EEG Source Localization

Subject-specific four-layer boundary element method (BEM) electrical forward head models for four participants, generated from magnetic resonance (MR) head images using NFT (www.sccn.ucsd.edu/wiki/NFT), were used to simulate electroencephalographic (EEG) scalp potentials at 256 recorded electrode positions produced by single current dipoles of a 3-D grid in brain space. Locations of these dipoles were then estimated using gradient descent within five template head models fit to the electrode positions. These were: a spherical model, three-layer and four-layer BEM head models based on the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) template head image, and these BEM models warped to the recorded electrode positions. Smallest localization errors (4.1–6.2 mm, medians) were obtained using the electrode-position warped four-layer BEM models, with largest localization errors (~20 mm) for most basal brain locations. When we increased the brain-to-skull conductivity ratio assumed in the template model scalp projections from the simulated value (25:1) to a higher value (80:1) used in earlier studies, the estimated dipole locations moved outwards (12.4 mm, median). We also investigated the effects of errors in co-registering the electrode positions, of reducing electrode counts, and of adding a fifth, isotropic white matter layer to one individual head model. Results show that when individual subject MR head images are not available to construct subject-specific head models, accurate EEG source localization should employ a four- or five-layer BEM template head model incorporating an accurate skull conductivity estimate and warped to 64 or more accurately 3-D measured and co-registered electrode positions.     

Prognostic significance of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT in multiple myeloma recurrence: a comparison to 18F-FDG PET/CT and laboratory results

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - This study investigates the prognostic value of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT using PET-derived quantitative in multiple myeloma (MM) patients with suspected recurrence in...     

Is There a Role for On-Site Evaluation of Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration to Reduce the Nondiagnostic Rate?

The use of immediate on-site evaluation of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) specimens can determine the adequacy of specimens and provides a specific preliminary diagnosis. In this prospective study, we evaluated the impact of on-site assessment of thyroid FNAB performed under ultrasound guidance. Totally, 204 (170 female, 34 male) patients (102 on site, 102 control group) were included. The patients were randomized on site and regular cytologic examination groups. Quick May-Grünwald Giemsa stain was used for on-site examination and FNA was continued until adequate aspirate for optimal cytological examination. Two (2.0 %) of the 102 patients evaluated with on-site examination had a nondiagnostic result. However, 16 (15.7 %) of the 102 patients examined by regular cytologic examination method, had nondiagnostic result. The difference between these two groups was statistically significant (p?<?0.0001). The major cause of a nondiagnostic thyroid FNAB specimen is the failure to aspirate a sufficient number of cells necessary for diagnosis cystic lesions. Immediate on-site evaluation can significantly decrease the nondiagnostic rate of thyroid FNAB specimens.     

In Vivo Imaging of Local Inflammation: Monitoring LPS-Induced CD80/CD86 Upregulation by PET

Purpose

The co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 are upregulated on activated antigen-presenting cells (APC). We investigated whether local APC activation, induced by subcutaneous (s.c.) inoculation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), can be imaged by positron emission tomography (PET) with CD80/CD86-targeting ⁶⁴Cu-labelled abatacept.

Procedures

Mice were inoculated s.c. with extracellular-matrix gel containing either LPS or vehicle (PBS). Immune cell populations were analysed by flow cytometry and marker expression by RT-qPCR. ⁶⁴Cu-NODAGA-abatacept distribution was analysed using PET/CT and ex vivo biodistribution.

Results

The number of CD80⁺ and CD86⁺ immune cells at the LPS inoculation site significantly increased a few days after inoculation. CD68 and CD86 expression were higher at the LPS than the PBS inoculation site, and CD80 was only increased at the LPS inoculation site. CTLA-4 was highest 10 days after LPS inoculation, when CD80/CD86 decreased again. A few days after inoculation, ⁶⁴Cu-NODAGA-abatacept distribution to the inoculation site was significantly higher for LPS than PBS (4.2-fold). Co-administration of unlabelled abatacept or human immunoglobulin reduced tracer uptake. The latter reduced the number of CD86⁺ immune cells at the LPS inoculation site.

Conclusions

CD80 and CD86 are upregulated in an LPS-induced local inflammation, indicating invasion of activated APCs. ⁶⁴Cu-NODAGA-abatacept PET allowed following APC activation over time.