Effect of pH on 1H-NMR spectroscopy of mouse urine

1H-NMR spectroscopy of urine has been proved to be a powerful tool in metabonomic investigations in the field of chemical toxicity evaluation and disease diagnosis. However, most studies on urinary metabolite profiling by 1H-NMR have been conducted using rat urine. In the course of experiment on 1H-NMR analysis of urine samples of mice administered selenium compound, we noticed a substantial variation of chemical shift of citrate among individual mice. To clarify the effect of urinary pH on chemical shift of citrate, we compared 1H-NMR spectra of urine samples obtained from selenium-treated mice and untreated mice as well as those from untreated rats. The results clearly showed a linear relationship between urinary pH and chemical shift of citrate in 1H-NMR spectra both in mice and rats. The urine of mice exhibited a wider variation of pH, resulting in a wider variation of chemical shift of citrate than that of rats. We also recognized a clear peak of trimethylamine in urine of mice, but not that of rats. These data indicate that more attention should be paid to the characteristics of mouse urine with special reference to pH and trimethylamine metabolism in the analysis of NMR spectroscopy.     

Impact of upward lymph node dissection on survival rates in advanced lower rectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study investigated appropriate level of upward lymph node (LN) dissection in advanced lower rectal carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 285 consecutive patients with stage II/III lower rectal carcinoma were analyzed. LN dissection was classified as follows: division of the root of the superior rectal artery (UD2), division of the root of the inferior mesenteric artery (UD3) and UD3 with para-aortic LN dissection (UD4). RESULTS: LN metastases at the root of the inferior mesenteric artery were found in 4 patients. Their prognoses were worse than those of the other stage III patients (p = 0.011). On the other hand, LN metastases along the superior rectal artery were discovered in 14 patients, whose 5-year overall survival rate was 61.2%. By removing the LNs either UD2 or UD3/4, a similar survival rate was achieved in stage III patients with LN metastases along the superior rectal artery. CONCLUSION: Survival of a minority with metastatic LNs at the root of the inferior mesenteric artery was poor. Additionally, survival is no worse in patients with positive LN along the superior rectal artery as long as these positive nodes are resected by either UD2 or UD3/4. Low ligation is adequate for advanced lower rectal carcinoma.     

Synthesis of valiolamine and some precursors for bioactive carbaglycosylamines from (-)-vibo-quercitol produced by biogenesis of myo-inositol

A convenient and practical synthesis of valiolamine (4) and its related carbaglycosylamine glycosidase inhibitors from (-)-vibo-quercitol (13), a compound readily produced by biogenesis of myo-inositol (9), is described.     

Initial Japanese Experience with Intragastric Balloon Placement

Background

We introduced intragastric balloon placement in Japan and evaluated the initial data.

Methods

Between December 2004 and March 2008, intragastric balloons [BioEnterics® Intragastric Balloon (BIB®) system] were placed in 21 Japanese patients with obesity [six women, 15 men; mean age 40?±?9 years; mean body mass index (BMI) 40?±?9 kg/m²]. The inclusion criteria were morbid obesity (BMI?≥?35 kg/m²), the presence of obesity-related disorders, and failure with conventional treatments for at least 6 months. The balloon was routinely removed under endoscopy after 5 months.

Results

No serious complications occurred, but in two of the 21 patients (9.5%), early removal (within 1 week) of the balloon was required due to continuous abdominal discomfort. Two other patients (9.5%) could not control their eating behavior and were considered unresponsive to the treatment, and their balloons were also removed before 5 months. Seventeen of the 21 patients (81%) finished the treatment, and the average weight loss and percent excess weight loss (%EWL) at the time the balloons were removed were 12?±?5 kg and 27?±?9%, respectively. Eight patients were followed for 1 year without intervention of consecutive bariatric surgery, and at that time, four of these patients had kept more than 20% of %EWL. The other patients regained their weight in the first year.

Conclusions

Intragastric balloon placement is a safe and effective procedure in obese Japanese patients, and about half of the patients will maintain their weight loss after the balloon is removed.     

The interaction of central command and the exercise pressor reflex in mediating baroreflex resetting during exercise in humans

Central command and the exercise pressor reflex can independently reset the carotid baroreflex (CBR) during exercise. The present investigation assessed the interactive relationship between these two neural mechanisms in mediating baroreflex resetting during exercise. Six men performed static leg exercise at 20% maximal voluntary contraction under four conditions: control, no perturbation; neuromuscular blockade (NMB) induced by administration of the neuromuscular blocking agent Norcuron (central command activation); MAST, application of medical antishock trousers inflated to 100 mmHg (exercise pressor reflex activation); and Combo, NMB plus MAST (concomitant central command and exercise pressor reflex activation). With regard to CBR control of heart rate (HR), both NMB and Combo conditions resulted in a further resetting of the carotid-cardiac stimulus-response curve compared to control conditions, suggesting that CBR-HR resetting is predominately mediated by central command. In contrast, it appears that CBR control of blood pressure can be mediated by signals from either central command or the exercise pressor reflex, since both NMB and MAST conditions equally augmented the resetting of the carotid-vasomotor stimulus-response curve. With regard to the regulation of both HR and blood pressure, the extent of CBR resetting was greater during the Combo condition than during overactivation of either central command or the exercise pressor reflex alone. Therefore, we suggest that central command and the exercise pressor reflex interact such that signals from one input facilitate signals from the other, resulting in an enhanced resetting of the baroreflex during exercise.     

Peptide-loaded dendritic-cell vaccination followed by treatment interruption for chronic HIV-1 infection: a phase 1 trial

Immune response enhanced by therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine may control viral proliferation after discontinuation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Although which strategies for therapeutic vaccination are feasible remains controversial, application of dendritic cells (DCs) as a vaccine adjuvant represents a promising approach to improving deteriorated immune function in HIV-1-infected individuals. The safety and efficacy of DC-based vaccine loaded with HIV-1-derived cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) peptides were thus investigated in this study. Autologous DCs loaded with seven CTL peptides with HLA-A*2402 restriction were immunized to four HIV-1-infected individuals under HAART. In terms of safety, peptide-loaded DCs were well tolerated, and only mild local and general symptoms were observed during vaccine administration. ELISPOT assays to detect IFN-gamma production in CD8(+) lymphocytes revealed a limited breadth of responses to immunized peptides in two of four participants, but no response in the remaining two participants. Differences in immunological response might be attributable to the fact that responders displayed higher nadir CD4 counts before starting HAART and were immunized with a larger number of DCs per reactive peptide than non-responders. Discontinuation of HAART after vaccination failed to lower viral set points compared to those before starting HAART. This early outcome warrants further exploration to elucidate the therapeutic value of vaccination with DCs in HIV-1 infection.     

The relationship between maternal periodontitis, adverse pregnancy outcome and miscarriage in never smokers

BACKGROUND: It has been postulated that associations between periodontal disease and systemic conditions may be because of the confounding effects of smoking. In addition, studies of this type rarely investigate the adverse pregnancy outcome of miscarriage. AIM: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate a relationship between periodontal disease in pregnancy and subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes in a population of never smokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pregnant women were recruited at 12 weeks gestation. Demographic, behavioural and medical data were collected. A periodontal examination was performed and data on each subjects' pregnancy outcome were collected. RESULTS: A total of 1793 women reported never previously smoking. Of these, 7.3% had a pre-term birth and 0.9% a late miscarriage. As expected in this population, we found no associations between poorer periodontal health and either pre-term birth or low birth weight (LBW). In contrast, the subjects who experienced a late miscarriage had a higher mean probing depth at mesial sites compared with the subjects that gave birth at term (2.69 mm versus 2.41 mm, p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: There was an association between some measures of periodontal disease and late miscarriage; however, there was no association between periodontitis and pre-term birth or LBW in this population.