Consumption of polyphenol concentrate with dietary fructo-oligosaccharides enhances cecal metabolism of quercetin glycosides in rats

Objective

We verified the hypothesis that the consumption of polyphenol concentrate (PC), rich in quercetin and its glycosides (36 g/100 g), in association with different dietary fiber matrices, that is, an easily fermentable fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) or non-fermentable cellulose (CEL), causes a disparate adaptive response of the cecal microbial activity in rats. This in turn facilitates further utilization of biologically active polyphenolic compounds, which are not, as usual, digested in the foregut.

Methods

Four-week experimental feeding of male Wistar rats consisted of diets containing 5% FOS or CEL, as a source of dietary fiber, with or without 0.3% addition of PC.

Results

Positive changes in rat cecum were observed resulting from the ingestion of an FOS-containing diet, such as decreased pH and increased the production of short-chain fatty acids in the digesta, compared with a CEL-containing diet. The addition of PC to the FOS diet did not eliminate the positive effects of the latter, except for a slight increase in cecal pH and a decrease in microbial glycolytic activity. However, a simultaneous increase in the cecal butyrate pool was also observed. An adaptation process of the microflora enzymatic system to dieting with PC and FOS was proven in further enhanced susceptibility of rutin (quercetin 3-O-glucorhamnoside), hyperoside (quercetin 3-O-galactoside), and quercitrin (quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside) to hydrolysis by the cecal digesta solution.

Conclusion

Especially when consumed together, PC and FOS are important dietary factors affecting the susceptibility of quercetin glycosides to microbial metabolism in the cecum. The intensification of the hydrolysis of quercetin glycosides by dietary treatments leads also to the increased metabolism of quercetin itself.     

Modified Marcy repair for indirect inguinal hernia in children: a 24-year single-center experience of 6826 pediatric patients

Purpose

To evaluate the management and outcomes of modified Marcy repair for inguinal hernia in a large series of children.

Methods

We analyzed the case records of 6826 pediatric patients who underwent surgery for inguinal hernia between January, 1991 and January, 2015 at Split University Hospital in Croatia. The following parameters were examined: sex, age, location of the hernia, intraoperative or postoperative complications, recurrence, and surgical method.

Results

The 6826 patients included 4751 boys and 2075 girls operated on for inguinal hernia. The mean age was 3.5 years, and mean followup was 14 years. Right-side predominance was noted with 59.50 % right hernia repairs, 33.72 % left hernia repairs, and 6.78 % bilateral hernia repairs. There were 6410 (93.90 %) elective procedures and 416 (6.10 %) emergency procedures for incarceration. The mean duration of surgery was 26 min (14–90 min), and the mean hospital stay was 1 day. Marcy repair was the most commonly performed operation (95.76 %), whereas Ferguson’s technique was performed in only 3.98 % of the children. The overall recurrence rate was 0.43 %, with a recurrence rate of 0.36 % for Marcy repair and 1.83 % for Ferguson repair (p = 0.0003).

Conclusion

Modified Marcy hernia repair is a safe and effective procedure for inguinal hernia in children with excellent outcomes and a low incidence of recurrence.

     

Protective effect of urapidil on testicular torsion–detorsion injury in rats

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of urapidil and low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on testicular torsion–detorsion injury in rats.

Methods

Thirty-two male Sprague–Dawley rats were used. In the torsion–detorsion (T/D) group, the left testis was twisted at 720° for 3 h. After 3 h of reperfusion, the testis was removed. Urapidil or LMWH was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before detorsion in the treatment groups.

Results

Unilateral testicular torsion–detorsion caused significant increases in the malondialdehyde level and apoptosis and significant decreases in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in ipsilateral testes (p < 0.001). The rats treated with urapidil had a significant decrease in the malondialdehyde level and apoptosis and significant increases in the SOD and GPx activities in ipsilateral testes compared to the T/D group (p < 0.001). Animals treated with LMWH showed non-significant reductions in malondialdehyde levels and apoptosis compared to the T/D group. In addition, no significant difference in the SOD activities (p = 0.52) between the groups was found. The increase in the GPx activities was significant in the LMWH group compared to the T/D group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The administration of urapidil before detorsion prevents ischemia/reperfusion cellular damage in testicular tissue. LMWH was not found to have a beneficial effect on testicular T/D injury in rats.

     

Effects of dual endothelin receptor blockade on sympathetic activation and arrhythmogenesis during acute myocardial infarction in rats

The effects of dual (ETA and ETB) endothelin receptor blockade on ventricular arrhythmogenesis during acute myocardial infarction are not well defined. We randomly allocated Wistar rats to bosentan (100 mg/kg daily, n=24), a dual endothelin receptor antagonist, or vehicle (n=23). After 7 days of treatment, myocardial infarction was induced by permanent coronary ligation. Ventricular tachyarrhythmias were evaluated for 24 h following ligation, using a miniature telemetry electrocardiogram recorder. Action potential duration was measured from monophasic epicardial recordings and sympathetic activation was assessed by heart rate variability and catecholamine serum level measurements. Compared to controls (1012+/-185 s), bosentan (59+/-24 s) markedly decreased (P<0.00001) the total duration of ventricular tachyarrhythmias during the delayed (1-24 h) phase post-ligation, with a modest effect during the early (0-1 h) phase (132+/-38 s, versus 43+/-18 s, respectively, P=0.053). Treatment did not affect infarct size or total mortality. Action potential duration at 90% repolarization prolonged in controls (from 93.1+/-4.7 ms to 117.6+/-6.9 ms), displaying increased temporal dispersion (from 4.14+/-0.45 ms to 10.42+/-2.51 ms, both P<0.001), but was preserved in treated animals. Bosentan decreased norepinephrine, but increased epinephrine levels 24 h post-ligation. Low frequency spectra of heart rate variability, an index of net sympathetic tone, were lower in bosentan-treated rats. Dual endothelin-1 receptor blockade decreases ventricular tachyarrhythmias during myocardial infarction without reperfusion, by preventing repolarization inhomogeneity. Diverse treatment effects on sympathetic activation may ameliorate the antiarrhythmic action.     

Cardiac pacing and coronary hemodynamics

This article reviews the current knowledge on the effects of pacing on coronary hemodynamics. In particular, the possible effects of heart rate, atrioventricular delay, ventricular depolarization sequence, and ventricular pacing site on the coronary circulation are examined. Copyright © 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company

Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, Vol. 41, No. 6 (May/June), 1999: pp 471-480     

Fatigue Life of Austenitic Steel 304 Bolts Strengthened by Surface Treatment with Graphene Oxide Layer and Surface Shot Peening

This paper presents the results of investigations of the effect of graphene oxide and surface shot peening on the mechanical properties and fatigue life of bolts made of austenitic 304 steel. An innovative method for the uniform deposition of graphene oxide on screws is presented. The process involved activating the surface using plasma and then performing graphene oxide deposition using centrifugal force and vacuum drying. The screw specimens prepared in this way were subjected to a surface peening process. Comparative studies have shown that the combination of graphene oxide deposition and shot peening processes results in an increase in fatigue life of approximately 42 ÷ 275% (depending on the stress amplitude level) compared to the as-delivered samples. The results presented are promising and may provide a basis for further research on the application of graphene and its derivatives to increase fatigue life and improve the mechanical properties of machine components.     

Assessment of left atrial appendage function by transesophageal echocardiography in patients two weeks after acute coronary syndromes

Background For many years in ischemic heart disease, ventricles rather than atria received attention so not much is known about left atrial function in left ventricular ischemia. Objective Our study aimed to evaluate left atrial appendage (LAA) function by means of biplane transesophageal echocardiography in patients ten days after acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods The study was performed on 16 adult patients (65.9±9.9 years old) in whom transesophageal echocardiography was done 10 days after ACS. The following left atrial appendage (LAA) planimetric parameters were analyzed: LAA transversal dimension, LAA longitudinal dimension,LAA maximal area, and LAA minimal area. LAA ejection fraction was calculated and analyzed. The following LAA Doppler parameters were analyzed: the peak LAA emptying and the peak LAA filling velocities. The control group consisted of 14 patients (43±14.6 years old) without cardiovascular diseases. Results Both LAA longitudinal dimension and LAA transversal dimension were significantly higher in patients with ACS than in control patients. The same was observed for LAA maximal area. Also LAA ejection fraction was higher in patients with ACS . LAA minimal area did not differ in the patients in either group. LAA peak emptying flow (LAAE) and LAA peak filling flow (LAAF) were significantly higher in patients of the study group than of the control group. Conclusion Our study shows that two weeks after acute coronary syndrome LAA as a reservoir as well as a pump works at a higher level than it does in the control group. (J Geriatr Cardiol 2005; 2(4):198-201)