Identification of ghrelin in human saliva: production by the salivary glands and potential role in proliferation of oral keratinocytes

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether ghrelin is present in human saliva, is produced by salivary glands, and physiologic consequences of these findings. METHODS: Expression of ghrelin and specific receptor mRNA was determined by PCR. Proteins were identified by immunoblotting and size-exclusion fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) with consecutive RIA. Specific RIAs were used for quantification of salivary total and bioactive ghrelin. Distribution of ghrelin was investigated by immunohistochemistry in cryosections of the salivary glands. The effect of ghrelin on incorporation of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine as a measure of cell proliferation was investigated in primary oral keratinocytes. RESULTS: Ghrelin is produced by the salivary glands. The hormone was identified in saliva and glands by immunoblotting and by FPLC fractionation of saliva. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated ghrelin distribution in the salivary glands. The receptor was also produced by the glands and by oral keratinocytes and was shown to be functional. Comparison of total ghrelin values for healthy individuals (body mass index, 18-27 kg/m2) showed significantly lower concentrations in saliva than in serum (P < 0.01). The correlation between both matrices was r2 = 0.56 (P < 0.001) with a negative correlation to body mass index (r2 = 0.314; P < 0.01). Bioactive acylated ghrelin was also present in saliva. Incubation of keratinocytes with ghrelin led to significantly increased cell proliferation (P < 0.001). This effect could be completely suppressed by co-incubation with NOX-B11 (50 nmol/L), a novel specific inhibitor of acylated ghrelin. CONCLUSIONS: Ghrelin in saliva is produced and released by salivary glands. The effect of ghrelin on oral cell proliferation adds to the pro-proliferative action of other salivary growth factors.     

Electronmicroscopic examination of white cell reduction by four white cell-reduction filters

The mechanisms of white cell (WBC) reduction in 16-hour-old CPDA-1 red cell (RBC) concentrates by filtration on a column filter and on three different flatbed filters were studied by electron microscopy, with special emphasis on cell-to-cell interaction, cell damage, and interaction of blood cells with the material. Generally, lymphocytes were removed by mechanical sieving and monocytes by adherence and mechanical sieving. Granulocyte depletion occurred by mechanical sieving, direct adhesion to the fibers, and indirect adhesion to activated and spread platelets. In the column filter, most granulocytes were captured by adhesion. In the coarse layers of two of the flatbed filters, indirect adhesion was most prominent, whereas direct adhesion was most prominent in the other flatbed filter. For the most part, granulocytes were captured by direct adhesion in the fine layers, but in one flatbed filter, capture apparently occurred by mechanical sieving. The results of this study suggest that the efficiency and the mechanism of WBC reduction depend on the physicochemical characteristics of the non-woven materials in the filters as well as the cellular composition of the RBC concentrates.     

Patterns of change in ocular motor development

This study examined development of pro- and anti-saccadic eye movements in a cross-sequential research design. A hundred and seventeen subjects aged 6–18 years at initial testing were retested 18.9 ± 1.2 months later. Pro- and anti-saccades were elicited under the gap and overlap conditions. We found strong longitudinal developmental effects on all parameters analysed, in particular those derived from the anti-saccade task. These longitudinal changes structurally resembled the cross-sectional age effects observed for the same data. However, the principal component analyses of longitudinal “true” and raw difference scores revealed a stable three-factor solution that was robust to age effects and included (a) an express saccade factor, (b) a variability factor and (c) a factor consisting of direction errors with regular latencies and pro-saccadic RT. Cross-sectional factor analysis, by contrast, merged these two last-mentioned factors. We thus conclude that longitudinal data can provide unique information regarding individual differences in the patterns of developmental change.     

Role of appetite-regulating peptides in alcohol craving: an analysis in respect to subtypes and different consumption patterns in alcoholism

BACKGROUND: A role of appetite-regulating peptides like leptin and ghrelin in the neurobiology of alcohol craving has been proposed by several studies. Aim of this analysis was to search for differences regarding an association between these peptides and alcohol craving with respect to different subtypes and beverage consumption patterns in patients with alcohol dependence. METHODS: We analyzed a sample of 188 patients at admission for alcohol detoxification regarding leptin and ghrelin (n=117) serum levels. Craving was measured using the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). Patients were classified according to Lesch's typology of alcohol dependence and according to their preferred type of alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, spirits). RESULTS: Using general linear models to analyze a possible interaction between subtypes and leptin/ghrelin levels with respect to craving, we found a significant positive association for leptin in patients of Lesch's types 1 and 2, and in patients consuming beer or wine. Ghrelin levels showed a significant trend regarding an association with craving in patients of Lesch's type 1. In the other subgroups we found no significant results. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that appetite-regulating peptides may be of special importance regarding alcohol craving in subtypes of patients. This may explicate at least in part previous contradictory findings.     

Psychische und familiäre Risiken für Kinder von Frauen mit Epilepsie?

Zusammenfassung   Die Arbeit überprüft zwei m?gliche Belastungsfaktoren für Kinder epileptischer Mütter, (1) teratogene Sp?twirkungen antiepileptischer Medikamente (AE), die die Mütter w?hrend der Schwangerschaft eingenommen haben, und (2) soziofamili?re Belastungen aufgrund der chronischen Erkrankung des Elternteils. Diese Faktoren wurden anhand einer kontrollierten L?ngsschnittstudie von Geburt bis zur Adoleszenz bei 67 inzwischen adoleszenten Kindern von epilepsiekranken Frauen und 49 parallelisierten Vergleichskindern überprüft. Es wurden Intelligenz, psychische Belastetheit und Elternbeziehung untersucht. Jugendliche mit pr?nataler AE-Monotherapie-Exposition erreichten im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe moderat niedrigere IQs (–6 IQ-Punkte). Jugendliche mit einer pr?natalen Kombinationstherapie zeigten jedoch erheblich niedrigere IQ-Leistungen (–12 IQ-Punkte). Generalisierte (gro?e) Anf?lle der Mütter w?hrend der Schwangerschaft hatten keinen zus?tzlichen Effekt auf die Intelligenzleistungen der Kinder. Aber die Intelligenzentwicklung von Jugendlichen mit pr?natalen Risiken war erheblich vulnerabler gegenüber ungünstigen famili?ren Umst?nden als die von Kontrollkindern. überraschend gaben die jugendlichen Kinder epilepsiekranker Frauen sogar eine signifikant geringere psychische Belastetheit als die Kontrollgruppe an, obwohl sie ihren epilepsiekranken Müttern mehr Hilfen geleistet und weniger Unterstützung von ihnen erhalten hatten.      

Factors associated with discharge during marine corps basic training

This prospective study assessed risk factors for discharge from basic training (BT) among 2,137 male Marine Corps recruits between February and April 2003. Physical and demographic characteristics, exercise, and previous lower extremity injuries before arrival at Marine Corps Recruit Depot were assessed by questionnaire during intake processing. Stress fractures were confirmed by x-ray, triple-phase bone scan, or magnetic resonance imaging. Overall, 223 (10.4%) participants were discharged from training. In addition to the occurrence of a stress fracture during BT, older age (>23 years), non-Hispanic race, poor incoming self-rated physical fitness, no history of competitive exercise, and an incoming lower extremity injury with incomplete recovery were independent risk factors for discharge. Strategies to identify and allow the proper healing time for pre-BT lower extremity injuries, including interventions to improve the physical fitness of recruits before BT and reduce stress fractures during BT, may be indicated to lower attrition.     

Effectiveness of Vernonia scorpioides ethanolic extract against skin inflammatory processes

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Vernonia scorpioides (Asteraceae) is a native Brazilian medicinal plant that is commonly used to treat skin disorders. Considering the traditional use of Vernonia scorpioides and the lack of information about its pharmacological properties, we investigated the topical anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract of Vernonia scorpioides (EEVS) on acute and chronic cutaneous inflammation models in mouse.

Materials and methods

The topical anti-inflammatory effect of EEVS was evaluated against acute models (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)- and arachidonic acid (AA)-induced mouse ear oedema) and chronic models (multiple applications of croton oil).

Results

The EEVS caused a dose-related inhibition of oedema in both the TPA- and AA-induced acute models (DI₅₀ = 0.24 and 0.68 mg/ear with an inhibition of 80 ± 5% and 65 ± 5%, respectively, for 1 mg/ear). In addition, the TPA-induced increase in myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) in the ear was reduced (77 ± 8%) by the topical application of EEVS. In the chronic model, the EEVS reduced all parameters evaluated: oedema formation (31 ± 2%), epidermal hyperproliferation (histology) and MPO (25 ± 10%). However, the topical treatment of EEVS had no effect on N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity. The EEVS effectively interfered in the ear oedema on the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction induced by oxazolone. The topical treatment with EEVS performed on both phases or only on the elicitation phase caused the inhibition of the ear oedema-induced by oxazolone in 42.9% and 63.4%, respectively, when compared to control animals (sensitized and challenged).

Conclusions

The results suggest that EEVS is effective as a topical anti-inflammatory agent in acute and chronic inflammatory processes and that its action is markedly influenced by the inhibition of neutrophil migration into inflamed tissue as well as by epidermal hyperproliferation.     

Reference intervals for TSH and thyroid hormones are mainly affected by age, body mass index and number of blood leucocytes, but hardly by gender and thyroid autoantibodies during the first decades of life

Objectives

The purpose of our study was to establish reference intervals for thyroid function tests in children and adolescents and to identify factors that may influence the limits of these intervals.

Methods

TSH, FT3, FT4, T3, T4, t-uptake, TPO-antibody (TPO-Ab) and TG-antibody (TG-Ab) levels were determined in blood of 1004 infants, children and adolescents by the Elecsys system (Roche).

Results

A distinct overall age-dependent decrease of analyte levels was found for all parameters investigated. Puberty was accompanied by an increase of TSH, FT3 and T3 levels. Results of T4 and t-uptake were significantly higher in girls compared to boys. The exclusion of children with increased TPO-Ab and TG-Ab had no significant effect on the limits of the reference interval. We found that besides age, BMI-SDS but also white blood cells count and gender played a role in the prediction of analyte variation.

Conclusions

Covariates like BMI-SDS and white blood cell count should be taken into consideration when interpreting TSH and thyroid hormone measurements as well whereas gender and TPO-Ab or TG-Ab play a minor role.     

Correlates of the desire for improved cosmetic results after breast-conserving therapy and mastectomy in breast cancer patients

The aim of this survey was to evaluate correlates for the patient's desire for surgical improvement of the cosmetic outcome after the primary operation for breast cancer. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a single follow-up outpatient clinic using a questionnaire. Patients were asked to assess their degree of satisfaction with the cosmetic results of their primary surgery and to state if they would like to undergo a further breast surgery to improve the appearance. Patients’ characteristics were correlated with this desire. After breast-conserving surgery, 21.6% of the patients stated that they desired surgical improvement, in comparison with 29.8% of the patients who underwent mastectomy. In the latter group, the desire for improvement remained constant up to 5 years after the initial operation, whereas it declined in the group of patients after breast-conserving surgery. Furthermore, a younger age and the perception that the appearance negatively influences femininity, partnership or sexual life were associated with a desire for further surgery. Breast reconstruction after mastectomy can be discussed with the patients even after a long follow-up, especially when the appearance seems to influence partnership issues.