Leptin concentration indexed to fat mass is increased in untreated anorexia nervosa (AN) patients

Context  Data regarding serum adipocytokine and ghrelin concentrations in different stages of anorexia nervosa (AN) is conflicting.
Objective  Our aim is to determine serum concentrations of adiponectin (ApN), leptin and ghrelin in different stages of AN and to evaluate their relationships with study parameters.
Design setting and participants  Study group was composed of four subgroups: Group 1: patients with a recent diagnosis of AN ( n  = 19); group 2: weight recovered (10% increase in body weight compared with baseline) subgroup of group 1 during follow-up ( n  = 10); group 3: recovered patients with a previous history of AN but normal menstrual cycles and body weight currently ( n  = 10); group 4: control group ( n  = 10). Venous blood was obtained for measurements of biochemical/hormonal parameters, ApN, leptin and ghrelin. Body composition was determined by bioimpedance analysis.
Main outcome measures  Changes in adipocytokine and ghrelin concentrations and relationships with anthropometric/biochemical parameters.
Results  Leptin : fat mass (kg) ratio was significantly higher in group 1 patients compared with group 4 (4·3 ± 4·6 vs. 1·1 ± 0·5 µg/l kg, P  < 0·01). No significant difference was observed among ghrelin concentrations. Leptin showed significant positive correlation with body fat mass in all groups. ApN showed significant positive association with body mass index in Group 1.
Conclusions  Leptin concentrations indexed to fat mass may indicate a nonphysiological higher set point of leptin per unit fat mass in treatment-naive AN patients. Correlation pattern between ApN and fat mass is modified also. Altered adipocytokine profile in AN may contribute to anorectic behaviour.     

Melatonin protects against ischemic heart failure in rats

Ischemic injury, which occurs as a result of sympathetic hyperactivity, plays an important role in heart failure. Melatonin is thought to have antiatherogenic, antioxidant, and vasodilatory effects. In this study, we investigated whether melatonin protects against ischemic heart failure (HF). In Wistar albino rats, HF was induced by left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation and rats were treated with either vehicle or melatonin (10 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. At the end of this period, echocardiographic measurements were recorded and the rats were decapitated to obtain plasma and cardiac tissue samples. Lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lysosomal enzymes (β‐D‐glucuronidase, β‐galactosidase, β‐D‐N‐acetyl‐glucosaminidase, acid phosphatase, and cathepsin‐D) were studied in plasma samples, while malondialdehyde and glutathione levels and Na+, K+‐ATPase, caspase‐3 and myeloperoxidase activities were determined in the cardiac samples. Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) and caveolin‐3 levels in cardiac tissues were evaluated using Western blot analyses. Furthermore, caveolin‐3 levels were also determined by histological analyses. In the vehicle‐treated HF group, cardiotoxicity resulted in decreased cardiac Na+, K+‐ATPase and SERCA activities, GSH contents and caveolin‐3 levels, while plasma LDH, CK, and lysosomal enzyme activities and cardiac MDA and Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities were found to be increased. On the other hand, melatonin treatment reversed all the functional and biochemical changes. The present results demonstrate that Mel ameliorates ischemic heart failure in rats. These observations highlight that melatonin is a promising supplement for improving defense mechanisms in the heart against oxidative stress caused by heart failure.     

Germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in Turkish breast/ovarian cancer patients

In this study we genotyped Turkish breast/ovarian cancer patients for BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations: protein truncation test (PTT) for exon 11 BRCA1 of and, multiplex PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) for BRCA2, complemented by DNA sequencing. In addition, a modified restriction assay was used for analysis of the predominant Jewish mutations: 185delAG, 5382InsC, Tyr978X (BRCA1) and 6174delT (BRCA2). Eighty three breast/ovarian cancer patients were screened: twenty three had a positive family history of breast/ovarian cancer, ten were males with breast cancer at any age, in eighteen the disease was diagnosed under 40 years of age, one patient had ovarian cancer in addition to breast cancer and one patient had ovarian cancer. All the rest (n=30) were considered sporadic breast cancer cases. Overall, 3 pathogenic mutations (3/53-5.7%) were detected, all in high risk individuals (3/23-13%): a novel (2990insA) and a previously described mutation (R1203X) in BRCA1, and a novel mutation (9255delT) in BRCA2. In addition, three missense mutations [two novel (T42S, N2742S) and a previously published one (S384F)] and two neutral polymorphisms (P9P, P2532P) were detected in BRCA2. Notably none of the male breast cancer patients harbored any mutation, and none of the tested individuals carried any of the Jewish mutations. Our findings suggest that there are no predominant mutations within exon 11 of the BRCA1 and in BRCA2 gene in Turkish high risk families.     

Sleep EEG changes after middle cerebral artery infarcts in mice: different effects of striatal and cortical lesions

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Hemispheric stroke in humans is associated with sleep-wake disturbances and sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) changes. The correlation between these changes and stroke extent remains unclear. In the absence of experimental data, we assessed sleep EEG changes after focal cerebral ischemia of different extensions in mice. DESIGN: Following electrode implantation and baseline sleep-wake EEG recordings, mice were submitted to sham surgery (control group), 30 minutes of intraluminal middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion (striatal stroke), or distal MCA electrocoagulation (cortical stroke). One and 12 days after stroke, sleep-wake EEG recordings were repeated. The EEG recorded from the healthy hemisphere was analyzed visually and automatically (fast Fourier analysis) according to established criteria. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Striatal stroke induced an increase in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and a reduction of rapid eye movement sleep. These changes were detectable both during the light and the dark phase at day 1 and persisted until day 12 after stroke. Cortical stroke induced a less-marked increase in NREM sleep, which was present only at day 1 and during the dark phase. In cortical stroke, the increase in NREM sleep was associated in the wake EEG power spectra, with an increase in the theta and a reduction in the beta activity. CONCLUSION: Cortical and striatal stroke lead to different sleep-wake EEG changes in mice, which probably reflect variable effects on sleep-promoting and wakefulness-maintaining neuronal networks.     

Measurement of Coster-Kronig vacancy transfer factor for L3 subshell X-rays of Au, Hg, Pb, Tl, Bi, Th and U at 59.5 keV.

The Coster-Kronig vacancy transfer factors were measured for L3 subshell X-rays using the experimental L(alpha) X-ray production cross section, the fraction of L(alpha) X-rays, L3 subshell fluorescence yield and L3 shell photoionization cross section. The obtained experimental results were compared with the theoretical values. It showed that the agreement between the present experimental and theoretical results was very good.     

Prevalence of thromboembolic disease including superior vena cava and brachiocephalic veins.

Thrombosis of the brachiocephalic veins or superior vena cava (SVC) is rare. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and characteristics of thrombosis of brachiocephalic veins and SVC , and its association with symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE). The prevalence of thrombosis involving the brachiocephalic veins and SVC was evaluated retrospectively at a university hospital during the 3-year period. Patients were identified by hospital records and review of computer-generated lists of of all venograms, contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography, and magnetic resonance angiograms of the upper extremity and SVC. Thrombosis of the brachiocephalic veins and SVC was diagnosed in 33 (0.03 %) of 100,942 patients of all ages [(32 of 70,751 adult patients >or= 20 years; 0.04%)]. Twenty-three (70%) patients initially had secondary thrombosis with multiple risk factors: associated with malignancy in 14 (42%) patients, chronic disorders in 13 (39%) patients, central venous lines (CVL) and peripheral venous lines (PVL) in 9 (27%) patients, and thrombophilia in 10 (38%) of 26 patients. Swelling of the arm, head, and neck was present in 32 (97%) patients. Symptomatic PE developed before thrombosis being treated in 12 (36%) patients. All patients except eight (three, thrombolytic; five, thrombectomy) received anticoagulant therapy. Thrombosis of the SVC and brachiocephalic veins is an uncommon but serious complication in patients with malignancy, chronic disorders, CVL, PVL, and thrombophilia. Because it is important clinical problem with frequent PE, the patients with appropriate clinical findings should be diagnosed early with imaging tests and treated with anticoagulant drugs.     

A randomised study comparing systemic transdermal treatment and local application of glyceryl trinitrate ointment in the management of chronic anal fissure.

OBJECTIVE: To compare a systemic transdermal therapeutic system with local application of glyceryl trinitrate ointment in the treatment of anal fissure. DESIGN: Prospective, multicentre, randomised trial. SETTING: Three teaching hospitals, Turkey. SUBJECTS: 89 outpatients with chronic anal fissure were randomly assigned to be treated with either transdermal (n = 52) or 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate ointment (n = 37). INTERVENTIONS: The patients were assessed at the sixth and the twelfth week after initial evaluation by physical examination, anoscopy, and anal manometry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in the maximal anal resting pressure, healing rate. RESULTS: Anal fissure was completely healed in 38 (73%) and 24 (64%) of the patients after 6 weeks and 48 (81%) and 27 (79%) of the patients in transdermal group and ointment group, respectively. Maximal anal resting pressure was reduced by 24% and 21% in transdermal and ointment groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Systemic transdermal application of glyceryl trinitrate gave a satisfactory healing rate, which was comparable to that of local application of ointment.