Effects of dietary selenium supplementation on serum and liver selenium,serum malondialdehyde and liver glutathione peroxidase activity in rats consuming thermally oxidized sunflower oil

The present study compared the effects of four isocaloric diets containing (1) fresh sunflower oil not supplemented with selenium (Fresh), (2) oxidized sunflower oil not supplemented with selenium (Oxidized), (3) fresh sunflower oil supplemented with 1 ppm selenium as sodium selenite (Fresh + Se), (4) oxidized sunflower oil supplemented with 1 ppm selenium as sodium selenite (Oxidized + Se) on serum MDA concentrations, liver GPx activity and serum and liver selenium contents in growing male Sprague Dawley rats during a period of 43 days. The oxidized oil used was prepared by heating fresh sunflower oil at 180 °C for 48 h. Serum and liver selenium contents and liver GPx activity were significantly higher in the selenium supplemented groups compared to the non-selenium supplemented groups, but these parameters did not differ significantly between the oxidized oil fed groups and the fresh oil fed groups. Serum MDA concentrations increased significantly in the Oxidized group compared to the Fresh group. This suggests that the ingestion of oxidized oil resulted in, in vivo lipid peroxidation. Serum MDA concentrations remained significantly higher even in comparison of the Oxidized + Se group with the Oxidized group. Our results emphasize that the consumption of oxidized oil increases in vivo lipid peroxidation and thus can be deleterious to health. However, we did not observe a significant beneficial effect of selenium supplementation upon the ingestion of thermally oxidized oil on lipid peroxidation.     

Intraoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and the possibility of postoperative prolongation improve survival in bilateral lung transplantation

Objectives

The value of intraoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in lung transplantation remains controversial. In our department, ECMO has been used routinely for intraoperatively unstable patients for more than 15 years. Recently, we have extended its indication to a preemptive application in almost all cases. In addition, we prolong ECMO into the early postoperative period whenever graft function does not meet certain quality criteria or in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. The objective of this study was to review the results of this strategy.

Intensified adjuvant IFADIC chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for soft tissue sarcoma: long-term follow-up of a prospective randomized feasibility trial

Adjuvant chemotherapy for grade 2 and 3 soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients still has to be considered experimental. Fifty-nine patients underwent primary surgery by wide or marginal excision and were subsequently randomized to receive radiotherapy alone or in combination with six courses of chemotherapy consisting of ifosfamide, DTIC, and doxorubicin administered in 14-day intervals supported by G-CSF on days 5-13. Twenty-eight patients received radiotherapy (control group) and 31 patients were treated with additional chemotherapy. After a median observation period of 97 months (range: 13-158 months), 58 patients were followed up to assess long-term relapse-free survival (RFS), time to local failure (TLF), time to distant failure (TDF), and overall survival (OS). Fifteen patients (56%) in the control group vs. 19 patients (61%) in the chemotherapy group were free of disease. Within the control group, tumor relapses occurred in 12 patients (44%) vs. 12 patients (39%) in the chemotherapy group. RFS (P = 0.87), TLF (P = 0.58), TDF (P = 0.60) as well as OS (P = 0.99) did not differ significantly between the two groups. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not translated into a significant benefit concerning RFS, TLF, TDF, and OS for STS patients.     

Mental fitness during transition to fatherhood

Transition into fatherhood is often marked by a period of adjustment, uncertainty and psychological distress and challenges for many men, along with social isolation and relationship problems. Risk factors for paternal mental health issues are maternal depression, marital distress, parenting stress, gender role stress, mismatched expectations for pregnancy and after childbirth, poor physical health, inadequate self-care behaviours, avoiding seeking help for mental health issues, and having a child with sleeping, feeding and temperament problems. Paternal depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder can have negative impacts on the social and emotional wellbeing of fathers, their partners and their children. Nevertheless, these issues are not widely acknowledged, recognised or treated. Men’s mental health illness is a silent crisis. They often fail to seek help due to their feeling of shame, stigma for a lack of emotional control, distress or anxiety related to utilising mental health support services, and underrating the severity of their symptoms. These necessitate the need for timely attention, psychological support and proper education to minimise their risk of mental health issues. Although research has indicated fathers’ inclination toward being included in practices such as the mental health assessment, perinatal education and postnatal educational approaches need to be inclusive of fathers and encourage them to seek support for their paternal mental health issues and parenting difficulties.     

Comparative gene expression analysis of blood and brain provides concurrent validation of SELENBP1 up-regulation in schizophrenia

Microarray techniques hold great promise for identifying risk factors for schizophrenia (SZ) but have not yet generated widely reproducible results due to methodological differences between studies and the high risk of type I inferential errors. Here we established a protocol for conservative analysis and interpretation of gene expression data from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of SZ patients using statistical and bioinformatic methods that limit false positives. We also compared brain gene expression profiles with those from peripheral blood cells of a separate sample of SZ patients to identify disease-associated genes that generalize across tissues and populations and further substantiate the use of gene expression profiling of blood for detecting valid SZ biomarkers. Implementing this systematic approach, we: (i) discovered 177 putative SZ risk genes in brain, 28 of which map to linked chromosomal loci; (ii) delineated six biological processes and 12 molecular functions that may be particularly disrupted in the illness; (iii) identified 123 putative SZ biomarkers in blood, 6 of which (BTG1, GSK3A, HLA-DRB1, HNRPA3, SELENBP1, and SFRS1) had corresponding differential expression in brain; (iv) verified the differential expression of the strongest candidate SZ biomarker (SELENBP1) in blood; and (v) demonstrated neuronal and glial expression of SELENBP1 protein in brain. The continued application of this approach in other brain regions and populations should facilitate the discovery of highly reliable and reproducible candidate risk genes and biomarkers for SZ. The identification of valid peripheral biomarkers for SZ may ultimately facilitate early identification, intervention, and prevention efforts as well.     

Micafungin in pediatrics: when one size does not fit all

Micafungin is one of three FDA-approved echinocandins, a novel class of antifungal agents that target 1,3-beta-D-glucan in the fungal cell wall. Its spectrum of activity and favorable safety profile have made it an attractive option in the treatment of invasive Candida and Aspergillus infections. Since its approval in 2005 in the US, a variety of studies describing micafungin's use in the pediatric population have been published. As with many drugs, the pharmacokinetic profiles observed in the pediatric population differ from those seen in adult studies. A thorough understanding of the unique characteristics of this drug in the pediatric population is essential in order to optimize treatment outcomes for this diverse population of patients.