A study of the respiratory function in insulin-dependent diabetic patients with and without limited joint mobility (LJM)

Summary The respiratory function of 51 insulin-dependent diabetic patients (31 with and 20 without LJM) was studied. The variables age, diabetes duration, height, and metabolic control were similar for both groups. Vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume (FEV), mean maximum expiratory flow (MMEF), and FEV/VC ratio were determined before and after the administration of a bronchodilator. VC, FEV, and MMEF showed significantly lower values (p<0.02) in patients without LJM as compared to those with LJM. It is suggested that these alterations may be due to abnormalities of collagen fibers and elasticity in the lung and are not related to reversible bronchial obstruction. We believe that LJM is an extrinsic manifestation of a systemic process, aggravating the prognosis of diabetes mellitus.     

A single high dose of ascorbic acid and iron is not correlated with oxidative stress in healthy volunteers

Fe (II) is a potential prooxidant in vivo and can induce cellular oxidative stress. Ascorbic acid (AA) is a powerful physiological antioxidant and, in the presence of free Fe (II), can exhibit prooxidant effects in vitro. However, in vivo prooxidant effects of Fe (II) and AA have not yet been indisputably demonstrated. Here we evaluate the potential toxic effect of supplementation of Fe (II) associated with AA. Nine healthy, nonsmoking male volunteers (20-31 years old) participated in the crossover study design. The volunteers were supplemented with either a dose of 2 g of AA, 150 mg of iron carbonyl or 2 g of AA plus 150 mg of iron carbonyl with a washout period of 15 days between each treatment. AA, iron, ferritin, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, catalase, delta-aminolevulinic dehydratase and SH thiol groups were measured in the blood of the volunteers. Plasma AA levels were increased at 2, 5 and 24 h after AA or AA plus iron ingestion. Plasma Fe levels were increased at 2 and 5 h in the AA plus iron group. Erythrocyte malondialdehyde levels decreased at 5 and 24 h after AA and 5 h after AA plus iron ingestion. Catalase activity from erythrocytes was increased 5 h after supplementation with AA plus iron. There was no significant difference between groups in the other biochemical parameters evaluated. Thus, the present study does not support the hypothesis that the combination of high plasma concentrations of AA and iron, or iron alone, could cause in vivo oxidative damage after a single supplementation dose.     

Lack of protective effect of D-003, a mixture of high-molecular-weight primary acids from sugar cane wax, on liver damage induced by galactosamine in rats

D-003 is a mixture of very-high-molecular-weight aliphatic primary acids purified from sugar cane wax, wherein octacosanoic acid is the most abundant. Experimental and clinical studies have shown that D-003 lowers cholesterol and prevents plasma lipoprotein peroxidation (LP). D-003 has protected against the histological changes characteristic of CCl4- and paracetamol-induced hepatic injury in rats, in which LP plays a pivotal role for explaining the resulting hepatotoxicity. Galactosamine induces hepatotoxicity associated with depressed RNA and protein synthesis, not with LP. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether D-003 could prevent hepatoxicity induced by mechanisms others than increased LP. We investigated the effects on galactosamine hepatotoxicity in rats distributed into five groups: a negative control group, a positive control group, and three groups treated with galactosamine and D-003 (5, 25, and 100 mg/kg). To induce liver damage, galactosamine (800 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 30 minutes after dosing with vehicle or D-003. Twenty-four hours later, rats were sacrificed, and livers were immediately removed for histopathological studies. Livers from positive controls showed the characteristic pattern of galactosamine-induced damage. Galactosamine significantly reduced the percentage of normal hepatocytes, increasing both necrotic or lipid-rich hepatocytes compared with negative controls. D-003, however, did not increase the percentage of normal hepatocytes compared with positive controls, indicating that treatment was not effective for preventing the hepatic injury induced with galactosamine. Likewise, D-003 failed to change the content of necrotic and lipid-rich hepatocytes relative to positive controls. It is concluded that D-003 did not protect against the histological changes of galactosamine-induced hepatotoxicity.     

Predictors of HIV Testing and Intention to Test Among Hispanic Farmworkers in South Florida

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE: This study examined the predictors of HIV testing and factors associated with intention to accept a free HIV test among 244 Hispanic migrant/seasonal farmworkers in South Florida. METHODS: Time and space sampling procedures were used to recruit participants in public venues. Bilingual staff interviewed eligible respondents in these settings. FINDINGS: Despite high rates of sexual risk, only 21% of respondents had been tested for HIV. The majority of those tested were females tested during prenatal care. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, being female (odds ratio [OR] = 3.73), having at least 12 years of education (OR = 4.46), earning more than $201 per week (OR = 2.76), and ever having used marijuana (OR = 3.31) were positively associated with having been tested for HIV, while not being documented (OR = 0.24) and having rated one's health as "very good" or "good" (OR = 0.42) were negatively associated with testing. The multivariable predictors of intention to accept a free HIV test were having visited a health care provider and/or an emergency room in the past 12 months (OR = 1.97), having been tested for HIV (OR = 2.36), preferring an HIV test that used a finger stick for specimen collection with results given in 30 minutes (OR = 4.47), and worrying "some" or "a lot" about getting HIV (OR = 3.64). Women (OR = 0.52) were less likely than men to intend to accept a free HIV test. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of routinely offering HIV testing to sexually active individuals in high HIV prevalence areas. They also suggest the need to make testing more accessible to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.     

Fatty acid profile of human saliva: a possible indicator of dietary fat intake

OBJECTIVE: Since conventional food questionnaires are not precise in assessing the dietary fatty acids, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the salivary fatty acid profile and the alimentary habits of two different groups in an attempt to develop a more reliable way to determine the lipidic intake. DESIGN: Twenty adults of both sexes, with mixed (M) or vegetarian (V) diets were studied. Data about the fat intake were obtained by means of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and the presence of the main salivary fatty acids was determined by gas chromatography. RESULTS: A greater salivary concentration of alpha-linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) (2.82) was found in V than in M subjects (1.65) (p = 0.001), whilst arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) was lower in V (3.93) than in M (4.52) (p = 0.045). The same difference regarding arachidonic acid was observed in the dietary fatty acid intake, also showing a significant correlation between its dietary and salivary levels in vegetarian subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that salivary arachidonic acid, relevant for their eicosanoid production related to the tumourigenesis process and cardiovascular diseases, is influenced by dietary fats.     

ACE gene polymorphism correlation (I/D) with the ventricular function in patients with ischemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a myocardial disease, characterized by biventricular expansion. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is closely related with the progress of this pathology. Has been shown that angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism influences as much in the plasmatic concentration as in activity of ACE. In addition, ACE IID polymorphism has been associated with remodeling phenomena and an increased risk to develop several cardiovascular diseases. On virtue of the influence of ACE gene polymorphism on RAAS, we studied the correlation between ACE I/D polymorphism with morphologic and functional clinical alterations in ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in one attempt to establish its utility as prognosis factor. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 30 patients of The National Institute of Cardiology. Ventricular function was evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. ACE genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results for left ventricle shown: Tei Index was increased in patients with II genotype (0.84 vs. 0.48) when were compared to patients with DD genotype p < 0.01. Eccentricity Index was lesser in the group with II genotype (0.64), than in the group DD (0.86) p < 0.01. Ventricular mass was increased in DD patients when was compared with II group (174 g vs. 133 g) Isovolumetric contraction time was shorter in group DD than in II (45 mseg vs. 139 mseg) p < 0.05. These findings denote better preservation of left ventricular function in patients with DD genotype. In opposition, right ventricle shown an increased Tei Index in the group with DD genotype (1.01) when was compared with II genotype (0.55), p < 0.05. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure tended to be higher in DD genotype group without reach statistic significance. CONCLUSIONS: In our group of study, patients with DD genotype shown better left ventricular function in ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. On the opposite right ventricular function were more deteriorated in patients with ACE DD genotype.     

Serum Protein Profile and Blood Cell Counts in Adult Toads Bufo Arenarum (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae): Effects of Sublethal Lead Acetate

Lead is a multiple-source pollutant, well known for its toxicity, of great risk both for the environment and human health. The main target organs of lead are the hematopoietic, nervous, and renal systems; there are also reports in support of its impairment effects on the reproductive and immune systems. It is well known that most of the metal is accumulated in the blood cells and that many of the deleterious effects are related to its circulating concentrations. These adverse effects have been described not only in humans but also in a number of other vertebrates such as fish and birds. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the effects of weekly administration of sublethal Pb (as acetate, 50 mg ċ kg⁻¹) during 6 weeks on the profile of the serum proteins and blood cell counts of the adult South American toad, Bufo arenarum (Anura: Bufonidae). The electrophoretic patterns of serum proteins pointed out the presence of four fractions; the metal provoked a significant decrease in both total proteins and albumin fraction; among the globulin fractions, the G3 resulted augmented. These findings may be related to the impact of lead on the toads’ hepatic cells and immune system. The number of total red blood cells (RBC) showed a tendency to decrease after the injections of the metal, whereas the number of white blood cells (WBC) increased significantly; the differential leukocyte counts showed a statistically significant increase in the absolute number and in the relative percentage of blast-like cells. The decrease in RBC was attributed to the negative impact of the metals on the hemoglobin synthesis. The increasing of the WBC counts may be interpreted as a consequence of the induction of proliferation of pluripotential hematopoietic cells.     

Transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation with the ReliefBand for the prevention of nausea and vomiting during and after cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia

We randomized 94 patients undergoing cesarean delivery with spinal anesthesia to receive transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation using the ReliefBand at the P6 point (active group) or an active ReliefBand applied to the dorsum of the wrist (sham control group). The ReliefBand was applied 30-60 min preoperatively and left in place for 24 h. There was no statistically significant difference between the active and sham control groups in the incidence of intraoperative/postoperative nausea (30% versus 43%/23% versus 41%), vomiting (13% versus 9%/26 versus 37%), need for rescue antiemetics (23% versus 18%/34% versus 39%), or complete response (55% versus 57%/51% versus 34%). There was also no difference between the two groups in nausea scores, number of vomiting episodes, or patient satisfaction with postoperative nausea and vomiting management.