Effects of a cage enrichment program on heart rate, blood pressure, and activity of male sprague-dawley and spontaneously hypertensive rats monitored by radiotelemetry.

To determine whether a nonsocial enrichment program affects cardiovascular responses of individually housed male Sprague-Dawley (SD) and spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats under basal conditions and after potentially stressful procedures, we used radiotelemetry to record heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and activity in the cage. Enrichment comprised a simulated burrow (Rodent Retreat), then a food foraging item ("rat cannoli") 2 days later, and a paper bag of bedding for shredding (Nestpak) after another 2 days. Data were collected under undisturbed conditions and before and after several acute and chronic manipulations mimicking common husbandry, experimental, and stressful procedures. Enrichment often, but not always, reduced HR and SBP in male rats, suggesting decreased arousal and stress, and the effects depended on the parameter measured, strain of rat, and nature of the procedure to which animals were exposed. In general, HR varied more than SBP; enrichment affected SH rats more than SD rats; effects of enrichment were more consistently observed under undisturbed conditions than after manipulations of the rats; moderate responses to acute husbandry and experimental procedures were affected more than the larger changes produced by very stressful procedures; and responses to social interactions were unaffected by the enrichment program. What accounts for these variable effects of enrichment is unclear, and more studies are required to resolve the mechanisms. Whether this enrichment program should be used in an animal facility depends on several factors, particularly the professional judgment of the research, veterinary, and animal care staffs involved.     

Trends in hepatitis B prevalence and associated risk factors among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous prison entrants in Australia, 2004 to 2013

Objective : This study describes and compares prevalence trends of markers for hepatitis B (HBV) from 2004 to 2013 and HBV risk factors between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous prison entrants. Methods : A cross‐sectional survey carried out over two weeks in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013 in reception prisons in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. Results : The study included 2,223 prison entrants; 544 were Indigenous. Indigenous prison entrants had significantly higher hepatitis B core antibody (anti‐HBc) prevalence than non‐Indigenous prisoners in 2004 (29% vs. 18%, P=0.026), 2007 (40% vs. 15%, P<0.001) and 2010 (21% vs. 16% 2010, P=0.002), and similar anti‐HBc prevalence to non‐Indigenous entrants in 2013 (14% vs. 14%, P=0.888), with a significant decline from 2007 for Indigenous entrants (P=0.717)^?. Being more than 30 years old and coming from an area classified as ‘non‐highly accessible’ were associated with anti‐HBc positivity in both populations. For Indigenous prison entrants, first time in prison and survey year was associated with anti‐HBc positivity. For non‐Indigenous participants, a history of injecting drug use and body piercings was associated with anti‐HBc positivity. Conclusion : There are unique risk factors associated with HBV prevalence for both Indigenous and non‐Indigenous prison entrants. Implications for public health : In developing public health programs and policies for HBV, consideration of similarities and differences of associated HBV risk factors between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous offenders is required.     

Evidence for Heterogeneity of LW Antigen Revealed in a Family Study

An inbred family (Wald.) with three apparently LW negative members in two generations is described in this report. Studies of the red blood cells of these LW negative family members with a variety of anti-LW reagents establishes that the VW-Wald. category is a weak LW variant. Wald. red blood cells react weakly with the anti-LW of Bige., but are negative with that of VW. An analogy may be made between the LW, ABO, and P systems. LW negative (lwlw) of the Bige. type corresponds to group O or pp. Weak LW positive or VW-Wald. type corresponds to A₂ and P₂. Normal LW positive corresponds to A₁ and P₁. The antibody made by lwlw individuals may be comparable to the anti A + A₁ of group O and anti P + P₁ of pp. The antibody made by weak LW positive or VW type may be comparable to the anti A₁ of A₂ and anti P₁ of P₂ individuals. It is suggested that donors and patients now classified as LW negative be characterized as Bige. or VW types until more precise nomenclature is defined.     

Amylose systémique découverte par une atteinte trachéobronchique

Amyloidosis is a spectrum of disease characterized by the abnormal deposition of fibril amyloid-related proteins in the extracellular space. The most common types of amyloidosis are AL and AA amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is also classified according to the extent of the deposition as systemic or localized. Respiratory amyloidosis is classified as laryngeal, tracheobronchial or parenchymal amyloidosis. Tracheobronchial amyloidosis is classically known as a rare manifestation of the localized disease. A few cases only of systemic amyloidosis presenting as a tracheobronchial disease have been reported. We here report a 26-year-old man who presented with hemoptysis related to a systemic tracheal primary amyloidosis.     

Electric toothbrush application is a reliable and valid test for differentiating temporomandibular disorders pain patients from controls

Background

Inpatient satisfaction with care is a standard indicator of the quality of care delivered during hospitalization. Total hip and knee replacement (THR/TKR) for osteoarthritis (OA) are among the most successful orthopaedic interventions having a positive impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim was to evaluate the effect of satisfaction shortly after hospital discharge on 1-month, 6-month and 1-year Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36) scores for OA patients after THR and TKR, controlling for patient characteristics, clinical presentation and preoperative SF-36 scores.

Methods

A multicenter prospective cohort study recruited 231 patients with OA scheduled to receive THR or TKR. Satisfaction was assessed by the Patients Judgment of Hospital Quality (PJHQ) questionnaire and HRQoL by the SF-36 questionnaire. Linear models for repeated measures assessed the relation between satisfaction (scores were dichotomized) and postoperative SF-36 scores.

Results

Of 231 participants, 189 were followed up 12 months after discharge (mean age 69 SD = 8; 42.6% male). The mean length of hospital stay was 13.5 (SD = 4) days. After adjustment for preoperative SF-36 scores, sociodemographic and clinical patient characteristics, satisfied patients (PJHQ score > 70) had higher SF-36 scores 1 year after surgery than did less-satisfied patients. Admission, medical care, and nursing and daily care scores mainly predicted bodily pain, mental health, social functioning, vitality and general health scores of the SF-36.

Conclusion

Besides being a quality-of-care indicator, immediate postoperative patient satisfaction with care may bring a new insight into clinical practice, as a predictor of self-perceived health status after surgery.     

Alteration of peripheral blood T-reg cells and cytokines production in angiography personnel exposed to scattered X-rays

Angiocardiography is an X-ray examination of the blood vessels or chambers of the heart. Cardiologists and staff members applying this procedure are exposed to high levels of scattered radiation. In our previous study the incidence of unstable chromosomal aberrations and cytokinesis-blocked micronuclei were found to be significantly higher in exposed individuals than the age and sex matched controls. In the present study we assessed cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the above cases and the percentage of Treg cells. According to film dosimeter analysis, personnels received 0.25-15 mSv during the previous year (average of 3 mSv/y). Isolated PBMCs from the test and control groups were stimulated with Phorbol Myristate Acetate/ Ionomycin (PMA/I). Cytokine production was measured in the supernatants of cultured lymphocytes. The percentage of Treg cells was studied by flow cytometry. The production of IL-10 and IL-5 was significantly down-regulated in the test group compared to the control group. In contrast, IL-12 was up-regulated. Yet, no statistically significant difference was found for IFN- gamma between two groups. In addition, we found higher percentage of CD4+CD25+(bright) Treg cells in the study group compared to the controls. Taken together, it was shown that low doses of scattered X-rays could skew cytokine profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in favour of inflammatory response causing the increase of Treg cells.     

Membrane Type-1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Potentiates Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-Induced Corneal Neovascularization

Corneal neovascularization is one of the leading causes of blindness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pro-angiogenic role of corneal fibroblast-derived membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) on basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced corneal neovascularization in vivo and in vitro. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that MT1-MMP was expressed in keratocytes and immortalized corneal fibroblast cell lines. Vascular endothelial growth factor protein levels were increased after bFGF-stimulation of wild-type fibroblast cells compared with MT1-MMP knockout fibroblast cells. Corneal vascularization was significantly increased after a combination of bFGF pellet implantation and naked MT1-MMP DNA injection in wild-type mouse corneas compared with either bFGF pellet implantation or naked MT1-MMP DNA-injected corneas. Western blotting analysis of the phosphorylation levels of the key signaling molecules (p38, JNK, and ERK) demonstrated that phosphorylation levels of both p38 and JNK were diminished after bFGF stimulation of MT1-MMP knockout cells compared with wild-type and MT1-MMP knockin cells. These results suggest that MT1-MMP potentiates bFGF-induced corneal neovascularization, likely by modulating the bFGF signal transduction pathway.The cornea is typically avascular in its normal state. However, corneal neovascularization (NV) occurs in conjunction with several corneal diseases such as infection, injury, and autoimmune reactions and is one of the leading causes of blindness. Recent studies have identified several tyrosine kinases and their corresponding ligands that mediate NV, including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).^1,2,3bFGF was first identified as a pro-angiogenic factor and is studied extensively in corneal NV models because it is thought to be a major factor in the induction of corneal NV.^4,5,6 bFGF is secreted by corneal epithelial cells, stromal fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, and is localized to the corneal extracellular matrix.⁷ Low levels of bFGF are produced in unwounded corneas; however, enhanced bFGF production was detected in corneal epithelial cells after injury.⁸ VEGF was also shown to promote NV in corneal wounding models,⁹ and cross talk is thought to occur between bFGF and VEGF during corneal NV. For example, bFGF was shown to induce corneal NV by activating the VEGF/VEGFR system^10,11 and the systemic administration of anti-VEGF-A neutralizing antibodies dramatically reduces this effect.¹²Membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is the first transmembrane-containing matrix metalloproteinase to be identified.¹³ Based on previous reports using corneal wound-healing models, MT1-MMP mRNA is mainly localized to the corneal stroma.¹⁴ During NV, quiescent endothelial cells are activated and migration is facilitated by degrading the extracellular matrix through the action of specific proteases, including MT1-MMP.^15,16,17 The importance of the enzymatic function of MT1-MMP in corneal NV was shown using the corneal pocket assay in MT1-MMP-deficient mice.¹⁸ Interestingly, the expression of MT1-MMP is up-regulated by bFGF stimulation in prostate carcinoma cell lines,¹⁹ and it was also reported that MT1-MMP promotes VEGF secretion.^{20,21,22,23,24,25}In this study, we developed anti-MT1-MMP antibody to localize and characterize MT1-MMP protein in the mouse cornea. To assess the relationship between MT1-MMP and bFGF during corneal NV, we performed experiments that combined the corneal pocket assay using a bFGF pellet with the injection of naked MT1-MMP DNA. We observed an enhanced phosphorylation of MAP kinases in wild-type and MT1-MMP knockin (KI) cell lines over that of MT1-MMP knockout (KO) cell lines, suggesting a role of MT1-MMP in modulating bFGF-mediated signal transduction pathways.