Antihyperglycemic acetylenic glucosides from Bidens pilosa

In vivo bioassay-guided fractionation of the aqueous alcohol extract of the aerial parts of Bidens pilosa Sch. Bip. var. radiata (Asteraceae) using C57 BL/Ks-db/db mice as a model for type 2 diabetes, yielded two known polyacetylenic glucosides, identified as 2-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy-1-hydroxy-5(E)-tridecene-7,9,11-+ ++triyne (1) and 3-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy-1-hydroxy-6(E)-tetradecene-8,10,1 2-triyne (2). A 3:2 mixture of compounds 1 and 2 effected a significant drop in blood glucose.     

Antimicrobial triterpenoids from Licania heteromorpha

Six triterpenoids having a lupane and oleane skeleton were isolated from the leaves and young branches of Licania heteromorpha Bentham var. heteromorpha and were identified as: betulinic acid 1, alphitolic acid 2, 3 beta-O-trans-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid 3, 3 beta-O-cis-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid 4, 3 beta-O-trans-p-coumaroyl maslinic acid 5, 3 beta-O-cis-p-coumaroyl maslinic acid 6. The antimicrobial activity of these compounds was evaluated in vitro on clinically isolated microorganisms employing a microdilution method. Compounds 2, 3, 5, and 6 showed antimicrobial activity on Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts, whereas none of the six triterpenoids were active against Gram-negative organisms.     

Trends in childhood and adolescent obesity prevalence in Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) 1992–2006

Aim: To analyse obesity and overweight prevalence trend in Oviedo (Spain) during the last 14 years.
Patients and Methods: Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in the same five public schools of the urban area of Oviedo in 1992 and 2004–06. One thousand one hundred sixty-five children and young adults between the age of 6 and 17 years were studied in 1992 and 1312 in 2004–06. Obesity and overweight were defined according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off values.
Results: Body mass index (BMI) values (20.5 ± 3.6 vs. 20.1 ± 3.3 p = 0.02) and obesity prevalence (6.3% vs. 4.5% p < 0.05) were significantly higher in the 2004–06 cohort, while overweight prevalence showed a non-significant increase. Obesity prevalence increased in both sexes in the 6–11-year group. In adolescent females, a four-fold increase was observed, from 0.9% in 1992 (95% CI : −0.1 to 1.9) to 3.8% in 2004–06 (95% CI : 1.8–6). A slight non-significant decrease was observed in adolescent males (6.6% in 1992 to 5.8% in 2004–06).
Conclusion: Obesity and overweight are increasing in children and adolescents in Oviedo at a level similar to that observed in studies conducted in developed countries. This obesity epidemic is becoming an important public health issue.     

Serotonergic response to spinal distraction trauma in experimental scoliosis.

The effects of distraction injury to the spinal cord on serotonin (5HT) content and metabolism in a rat model of scoliosis were studied. Previous studies in this laboratory (Salzman et al., 1987a) have identified the 5HT response as a major component of the posttraumatic progression of spinal injury after impact trauma in the rabbit. The present study was designed to determine the universality of this response by examining a different model of injury in a different species. The results demonstrate that distraction trauma in the rat, like impact injury in the rabbit, is associated with a rapid and robust increase in the local spinal cord content and metabolism of 5HT and a long-term depletion of 5HT below the site of injury. The roles of the blood platelet and the raphe-spinal tract in the acute response and the disruption of axoplasmic transport during the chronic phase of injury are discussed.     

Dementia presenting with aphasia: clinical characteristics.

Dementia, a disorder of multiple cognitive functions, may atypically present as an aphasia. The clinical characteristics are reported of 13 patients with up to 14 years of progressive language impairment before developing dementia. In reviewing the literature, it was found that these patients were similar to those reported with progressive aphasia. It is concluded that dementia may present with an anomic, dysfluent language disorder due to the focal left sylvian onset of several dementing illnesses.     

Lactose malabsorption and intolerance in Uruguayan population by breath hydrogen test (H2)

This study of 200 Uruguayans between 0 and 86 years old was designed to determine the prevalence of lactose malabsorption. Lactose intolerance is defined as a clinical syndrome of abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating after the ingestion of a standard lactose tolerance test dose (2 g of lactose per kilogram of body weight or 50 g/m2 of body surface area, maximum 50 g in a 20% water solution). Lactose malabsorption refers to the state in which dietary lactose remains unhydrolyzed and subsequently unabsorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; symptoms may or may not result from lactose malabsorption. The technique of breath hydrogen (H2) was used after ingestion of 2 g/kg body weight to a maximum of 50 g in a 20% solution. There was no lactose malabsorption in children younger than 5 years old. The prevalence increases progressively after the age of 5, and in adolescence the percentage of malabsorption is similar to that in adults, who show 65% lactose malabsorption, with 25% asymptomatic and 40% intolerant. In 109 white adults, the prevalence of lactose malabsorption is 63%, with 24% asymptomatic and 39% intolerant. In 11 black adults, lactose malabsorption is 82%, with 27% asymptomatic and 55% intolerant. The difference between white and black adults is statistically significant (p less than 0.05). The H2 test is simple, reliable, noninvasive, and appropriate to study large populations.     

Balint's syndrome in Alzheimer's disease: visuospatial functions

A subgroup of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) developed Balint's syndrome, an uncommon and incompletely understood disorder of visuospatial processing. We characterized the visuospatial features of three AD patients with Balint's syndrome and compared them to three comparably demented AD patients without this syndrome. On visuospatial tasks, the Balint patients were unable to integrate visual stimuli over space. On contrast sensitivity testing, the Balint patients had significantly decreased contrast sensitivities for low spatial frequency gratings (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 cpd) alternated at 7.5 Hz. Furthermore, the Balint patients had left visual field attentional deficits and normal hemifield P100 visual evoked potentials. In AD, Balint's syndrome involved decreased sensitivity to low spatial frequencies necessary for global visuospatial analysis, a disturbance suggesting damage to the magnocellular visual system in the occipitoparietal association cortex and, possibly, in the optic nerves.