Flunarizine, the vestibular system and migraine

The vestibular function was extensively investigated in 75 patients suffering from migraine. Pathological findings were present in 62 patients (82.6%). With the exception of position nystagmus, vestibular abnormalities were not related to migraine characteristics. Fifty-six patients were treated with flunarizine 10 mg daily for three months. A favourable effect on headache was obtained in 44 patients (78.5%). Flunarizine therapy influenced significantly gaze nystagmus and position nystagmus. The latter tended to be related to anti-migraine efficacy. Other electronystagmographic parameters were not substantially influenced. The authors assume that the vestibular abnormalities in migraine are side phenomena, the clinical relevance of which, at least during the headache-free phase, is not yet well understood.     

Plasma carotenoids as biomarkers of intake of fruits and vegetables: ecological-level correlations in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the ability of a single 24-h dietary recall (24HDR) and food questionnaires (FQ) to predict plasma carotenoid levels at the ecological level by assessing the relationship between mean plasma carotenoid levels and mean intake of fruit and vegetables measured by 24HDR and FQ across 16 European regions. DESIGN: A random subsample of 3089 subjects was included, stratified by age and gender. They provided blood samples and dietary information between 1992 and 2000 as part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. RESULTS: Using Spearman's correlation coefficients, the correlations between mean regional 24HDR fruit and vegetable variables and corresponding mean plasma carotenoid levels were generally higher than the correlations using FQ means. The highest correlation was between the 24HDR citrus fruit variable and beta-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.90). For 24HDR, total fruits and vegetables were highly correlated with lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.83-0.87), while vegetables were more closely related with lutein (r = 0.69) and zeaxanthin (r = 0.68), and fruits correlated with zeaxanthin (r = 0.87) and beta-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.84). Root vegetables (r = 0.81) and total carrots (r = 0.71) were well correlated with alpha-carotene. In the multivariate models adjusting for age, body mass index, and season, and using observations of means stratified by sex and region, the association was generally higher for 24HDR compared to FQ. CONCLUSION: Mean regional intakes of fruits and vegetables in several European countries were closely correlated with corresponding mean plasma levels of individual carotenoids. Fruits and vegetables measured by 24HDR were generally better able to predict plasma carotenoids at the ecological level.     

Functional correction of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in transgenic mice: implications for gene therapy of human mitochondrial enzyme deficiencies

We report the therapeutic effects of liver-specific expression of a short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) transgene in the SCAD- deficient mouse model. Transgenic mice were produced with a rat albumin promoter/enhancer driving a mouse SCAD minigene (ALB-SCAD) on both the SCAD normal genetic background and a SCAD-deficient background. In three transgenic lines produced on the SCAD-deficient background, recombinant SCAD activity and antigen in liver mitochondria were found up to 7-fold of normal control values. All three lines showed a markedly reduced organic aciduria and fatty liver, which are sensitive indicators of the metabolic abnormality seen in this disease found in children. We found no detrimental effects of high liver SCAD expression in transgenic mice on either background. These studies provide important basic and practical therapeutic information for the potential gene therapy of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial enzyme deficiencies, as well as insights into the mechanisms of the disease.      

人乳头瘤病毒11型主要衣壳蛋白L1基因的克隆及序列分析

目的 从临床尖锐湿疣标本克隆人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）11型主要衣壳蛋白L1基因,进行序列测定及序列分析比较,以为研究该临床病毒株的免疫原性及流赞美同学奠定基础。方法 以临床尖锐湿疣标本总DNA为模板,用L1基因保守区简并引物以PCR方法分段扩增衣壳蛋白L1基因在部,重组入pGEM-3zf(-)质粒载体,以双脱氧法双向测定插入片段序列,拼接出L1基因序列,通过BLAST2.0与已报道序列进行比较。结果 从西安地区一尖锐湿疣临床标本克隆到的一株HPV11型L1蛋白编码序列与一文献报道大部分相同,但有些位点有点突变,结论 构建的pGEM-3zf(-)重组质粒为进一步通过杂交、体内分段表达等手段研究研究该株病毒L1蛋白的免疫学和流行病学性质创造了条件。     

Type 2 diabetes gene TCF7L2 polymorphism is not associated with fetal and postnatal growth in two birth cohort studies

Background  

An inverse association between birth weight and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in adulthood has been reported. This association may be explained by common genetic variants related to insulin secretion and resistance, since insulin is the most important growth factor in fetal life. The objective of this study was to examine whether T2D gene polymorphism TCF7L2 rs7903146 is associated with growth patterns from fetal life until infancy.