Effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation on adjuvant induced polyarthritis in rats

Dietary treatment with fish oil reduced the severity of adjuvant induced polyarthritis in Dark Agouti rats but enhanced disease severity in Wistar-Hooded rats. The difference in effects of fish oil between strains was not related to differences in severity of disease induced in untreated rats. Genetically determined factors may influence the effects of fish oil supplementation on severity of inflammatory diseases.     

Prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depression in a sample of chronic heart failure patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depression in patients with heart failure due to Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD). BACKGROUND: Psychological adjustment to Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) can be poor, with the prevalence of depression in out-patients ranging from 13% to 48%. The prevalence of anxiety disorders in this population is unknown and the factors that predict anxiety and depression are not well understood. METHODS: 100 out-patients from a community heart failure programme completed a clinical diagnostic interview--the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-I), to evaluate anxiety and depression. Mean age was 67+/-11 years, 17% were women and 91% were NYHA Class II or III. Other standardised measures were of cognition, biomedical status, social support and previous physical and mental health history. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression (all subtypes) were 18.4% and 28.6%, respectively. Predictors of depression included a reported history of mental ill-health and NYHA class. Predictors of anxiety included a reported history of mental ill-health, co-morbid physical illness (diabetes and angina) and NYHA class. Severity of LVSD did not predict either anxiety or depression. CONCLUSIONS: Both anxiety and depression are common in CHF patients. The data on the predictors of poor psychological adjustment might assist in targeting bio-psychosocial intervention for patients who are at most at risk of anxiety and depression, within community CHF disease management programmes.     

A case of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM): neuromyelitis optica

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), characterised by longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM), was previously thought to be a variant of multiple sclerosis. Transverse myelitis may be a manifestation of autoimmune connective tissue diseases and NMO is now recognised to be a humorally mediated autoimmune disease. We present a case of NMO associated with non-organ-specific autoantibodies and the absence of the characteristic NMO-IgG antibody. Our case provides an opportunity to review the diagnostic criteria of NMO and its distinction from other autoimmune and demyelinating conditions. We report successful treatment with plasmapheresis and rituximab in NMO-IgG-negative relapsing disease.     

Predictors and treatment response with cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with heart failure characterized by dyssynchrony: a pre-defined analysis from the CARE-HF trial.

AIMS: The cardiac resynchronization therapy in heart failure trial (CARE-HF) demonstrated that cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure and cardiac dyssynchrony. The aim of this study was to develop a prognostic model to evaluate the relationship between prospectively defined patient characteristics and treatment on the trial primary outcome of death from any cause or unplanned hospitalization for a major cardiovascular event. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 813 patients were enrolled in the CARE-HF study and were followed for a mean of 29.4 months. A Cox Proportional Hazards Model was fitted to identify predictors of the primary outcome and any predictors that modified the effect of CRT. Ischaemic aetiology, more severe mitral regurgitation and increased N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, were associated with an increased risk of death or unplanned cardiovascular hospitalization irrespective of cardiac resynchronization [Hazard ratio (HR) 1.89, 95% CI 1.45-2.46, HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.38-2.12 and HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.17-1.47, respectively] and increasing systolic blood pressure with a decreasing risk of an event (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00). The benefits of cardiac resynchronization were modified by systolic blood pressure and interventricular mechanical delay (IVMD). Patients with increasing systolic blood pressure appear to receive reduced benefit from CRT (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03), whereas those patients with more severe IVMD appear to benefit more from treatment (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00). CONCLUSION: Patients with echocardiographic evidence of more severe cardiac dyssynchrony and low systolic blood pressure obtain greater benefit from CRT, although benefits were substantial across the range of subjects included in the trial.     

The effects of captopril on serum digoxin and urinary urea and digoxin clearances in patients with congestive heart failure

The effect of captopril as long-term treatment in 20 patients with congestive heart failure has been studied in a double-blind trial. Captopril caused a significant increase in serum digoxin levels. No patients developed evidence of digoxin toxicity. Serum and total body potassium rose and the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias showed a modest decline. Creatinine clearance and radioisotopically measured glomerular filtration rate fell, but there was a poor relationship between these and the increase in serum digoxin. In a further open study on 12 patients, creatinine, urea, and digoxin clearance were significantly reduced by captopril. However, digoxin clearance declined more than creatinine clearance (89 +/- 25 mumol/L to 69 +/- 22 mumol/L and 81 +/- 14 mumol/L to 72 +/- 19 mumol/L, respectively, p less than 0.05 for the difference). Fractional excretion of urea and digoxin filtered at the glomerulus declined, indicating greater tubular reabsorption or reduced tubular secretion of these compounds. Captopril causes an increase in serum digoxin by reducing renal clearance of the drug.     

腺病毒介导的心肌蛋白激酶Cε基因转移导致心功能损害

目的本文旨在研究腺病毒介导的成年小鼠心肌直接PKCε基因转移对左室收缩功能的影响。方法使用标准方法建立表达PKCt基因的重组腺病毒载体。直接注射重组腺病毒到FVB／N和ICR小鼠心肌，对照鼠给予相同剂量空载腺病毒。Western免疫印迹测定PKCε蛋白质表达水平。用非开胸经颈总动脉插管的显微外科技术评价小鼠左室收缩功能。结果与对照鼠相比基因转移鼠心肌转基因PKCε蛋白质表达水平增加近4倍，基线左室最大收缩压、最大收缩速率（dP／dt）、-dP／dt明显降低，左室舒张末压、舒张压明显升高（P〈0．01），异丙肾上腺素激发后左室dP／dt剂量依赖的升高明显减弱（P〈0．01），PKCε基因转移鼠心脏／体重比也较对照鼠明显增加（P〈0．01）。结论腺病毒介导的、心肌直接的PKCε基因转移诱发了左室收缩功能的损害，导致了心肌肥厚和心衰。     

Processing of vestibular inputs by the medullary lateral tegmental field of conscious cats: implications for generation of motion sickness

The dorsolateral reticular formation of the caudal medulla, the lateral tegmental field (LTF), participates in generating vomiting. LTF neurons exhibited complex responses to vestibular stimulation in decerebrate cats, indicating that they received converging inputs from a variety of labyrinthine receptors. Such a convergence pattern of vestibular inputs is appropriate for a brain region that participates in generating motion sickness. Since responses of brainstem neurons to vestibular stimulation can differ between decerebrate and conscious animals, the current study examined the effects of whole-body rotations in vertical planes on the activity of LTF neurons in conscious felines. Wobble stimuli, fixed-amplitude tilts, the direction of which moves around the animal at a constant speed, were used to determine the response vector orientation, and also to ascertain whether neurons had spatial–temporal convergence (STC) behavior (which is due to the convergence of vestibular inputs with different spatial and temporal properties). The proportion of LTF neurons with STC behavior in conscious animals (25 %) was similar to that in decerebrate cats. Far fewer neurons in other regions of the feline brainstem had STC behavior, confirming findings that many LTF neurons receive converging inputs from a variety of labyrinthine receptors. However, responses to vertical plane vestibular stimulation were considerably different in decerebrate and conscious felines for LTF neurons lacking STC behavior. In decerebrate cats, most LTF neurons had graviceptive responses to rotations, similar to those of otolith organ afferents. However, in conscious animals, the response properties were similar to those of semicircular canal afferents. These differences show that higher centers of the brain that are removed during decerebration regulate the labyrinthine inputs relayed to the LTF, either by gating connections in the brainstem or by conveying vestibular inputs directly to the region.