Air- breathing in fish: Air- breathing organs and control of respiration: Nerves and neurotransmitters in the air-breathing organs and the skin

In fishes, exploitation of aerial gas exchange has evolved independently many times, involving a variety of air-breathing organs. Indeed, air-breathing occurs in at least 49 known families of fish (Graham, 1997). Many amphibious vertebrates, at some stage of their development are actually trimodal breathers that use various combinations of respiratory surfaces to breath both water (skin and/or gill) and air (skin and/or lung). The present review examines the evolutionary implications of air-breathing organs in fishes and the morphology of the peripheral receptors and the neurotransmitter content of the cells involved in the control of air-breathing. Control of breathing, whether gill ventilation or air-breathing, is influenced by feedback from peripheral and/or central nervous system receptors that respond to changes in PO2, PCO2 and/or pH. Although the specific chemoreceptors mediating the respiratory reflexes have not been conclusively identified, studies in water-breathing teleosts have implicated the neuroepithelial cells (NECs) existing in gill tissues as the O2 sensitive chemoreceptors that initiate the cardiorespiratory reflexes in aquatic vertebrates. Some of the air-breathing fishes, such as Protopterus, Polypterus and Amia have been shown to have NECs in the gills and/or lungs, although the role of these receptors and their innervation in the control of breathing is not known. NECs have been also reported in the specialized respiratory epithelia of accessory respiratory organs (ARO’s) of some catfish species and in the gill and skin of the mudskipper Periophthalmodon schlosseri. Unlike teleosts matching an O2-oriented ventilation to ambient O2 levels, lungfishes have central and peripheral H+/CO2 receptors that control the acid-base status of the blood.     

Prenatally evolving ectopia cordis with successful surgical treatment

Ectopia cordis (EC) is a rare malformation due to failure of maturation of the midline mesodermal components of the chest and abdomen. It can be defined as a complete or partial displacement of the heart outside the thoracic cavity. It comprises 0.1% of congenital heart diseases. Common cardiac anomalies associated with EC are ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and tetralogy of Fallot. EC and additional anomalies usually lead to intrauterine death. The possibility and efficacy of surgery in a surviving neonate depends on the degree of EC, coexisting congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations. We present a case of prenatally diagnosed isolated EC diagnosed in the first half of pregnancy. After counseling, the patient decided to continue her pregnancy which ended with a newborn baby discharged from the hospital after cardiac surgery performed just after elective cesarean section.     

Variants in the ATM‐CHEK2‐BRCA1 axis determine genetic predisposition and clinical presentation of papillary thyroid carcinoma

The risk of developing papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the most frequent form of thyroid malignancy, is elevated up to 8.6‐fold in first‐degree relatives of PTC patients. The familial risk could be explained by high‐penetrance mutations in yet unidentified genes, or polygenic action of low‐penetrance alleles. Since the DNA‐damaging exposure to ionizing radiation is a known risk factor for thyroid cancer, polymorphisms in DNA repair genes are likely to affect this risk. In a search for low‐penetrance susceptibility alleles we employed Sequenom technology to genotype deleterious polymorphisms in ATM, CHEK2, and BRCA1 in 1,781 PTC patients and 2,081 healthy controls. As a result of the study, we identified CHEK2 rs17879961 (OR = 2.2, P = 2.37e‐10) and BRCA1 rs16941 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16, P = 0.005) as risk alleles for PTC. The ATM rs1801516 variant modifies the risk associated with the BRCA1 variant by 0.78 (P = 0.02). Both the ATM and BRCA1 variants modify the impact of male gender on clinical variables: T status (P = 0.007), N status (P = 0.05), and stage (P = 0.035). Our findings implicate an important role of variants in the ATM‐ CHEK2‐ BRCA1 axis in modification of the genetic predisposition to PTC and its clinical manifestations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Volumetric growth of the lungs in human fetuses: an anatomical,hydrostatic and statistical study

Purpose

The prenatal assessment of lung volume is becoming increasingly important in determining survival in both preterm infants and newborns affected by pulmonary hypoplasia. This study aimed to examine the lung volumes in the human fetus at varying gestational ages.

Materials and methods

Using anatomical, hydrostatic (water displacement according to Archimedes’ patent) and statistical methods (one-way ANOVA test for paired data and post-hoc Bonferroni test, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Levene’s test, Student’s t test, regression analysis), volumes of the right and left lungs were measured in 67 human fetuses of both sexes (35 males, 32 females) aged 16–25 weeks, derived from spontaneous abortions and stillbirths.

Results

No male–female differences concerning the right and left pulmonary volumes were found. The mean volume of the right lung increased from 1.43 ± 0.25 to 8.45 ± 2.66 cm³, according to the cubic function y = –1.592 + 0.0007 × age³ ± 0.851 (R ² = 0.84). The volumetric growth of the left lung, from 1.24 ± 0.22 to 6.78 ± 3.03 cm³, followed the cubic model y = –1.110 + 0.0005 × age³ ± 0.794 (R ² = 0.78). The total pulmonary volume increased from 2.67 ± 0.47 to 15.22 ± 5.58 cm³, in accordance with the cubic model y = –2.729 + 0.0012 × age³ ± 1.598 (R ² = 0.83). The mean volumes of the right and left lungs accounted for 54.9 ± 2.0 and 45.1 ± 2.0 %, respectively, of the total lung volume.

Conclusions

No sex differences are found between the lung volumes in the fetus. The growth of fetal lung volume follows a three-degree polynomial function. Throughout the analyzed period the two lungs grow proportionately to each other, with the volumetric predominance of the right lung. The lung volumes in the fetus are of great relevance in the evaluation of the normal pulmonary growth and the diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia.     

Small heat shock proteins associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy of hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis (Dutch type) induce interleukin-6 secretion

In hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type (HCHWA-D), severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is associated with an inflammatory reaction. Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are molecular chaperones and association of HspB8 with CAA in HCHWA-D has been observed. The aims of this study were to investigate (1) if other sHsps are associated with the pathological lesions in HCHWA-D brains, (2) if the amyloid-beta protein (A beta) increases production of sHsps in cultured cerebral cells and (3) if sHsps are involved in the cerebral inflammatory processes in both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and HCHWA-D. We conclude that Hsp20, HspB8 and HspB2 are present in CAA in HCHWA-D, and that A beta did not affect cellular sHsps expression in cultured human brain pericytes and astrocytes. In addition, we demonstrated that Hsp20, HspB2 and HspB8 induced interleukin-6 production in cultured pericytes and astrocytes, which could be antagonized by dexamethasone, whereas other sHsps and A beta were inactive, suggesting that sHsps may be among the key mediators of the local inflammatory response associated with HCHWA-D and AD lesions.     

Which Dimensions of Human Sexuality Are Related to Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD)? Study Using a Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire on a Sample of Polish Males

IntroductionHuman sexuality is a multidimensional phenomenon related to several factors, such as self-esteem, awareness of sexual needs, and ability to communicate them to others.AimTo examine the sexual characteristics of patients seeking treatment for compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD)—a clinical diagnosis recently included in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases classification.MethodsWe have investigated the sexual characteristics of 72 Polish men seeking treatment for CSBD compared with 208 men from the Polish general population.Main Outcome MeasuresThe Multidimensional Sexual Questionnaire–PL was used to examine 12 sexual aspects of human sexuality. The severity of CSBD symptoms was assessed using Sexual Addiction Screening Test–PL, and the severity of problematic pornography use was measured by Brief Pornography Screener.ResultsResults show that CSBD patients (when compared with the general population) exhibit higher sexual anxiety, sexual depression, external sexual control, and fear of sexual relationship. Furthermore, CSBD severity is negatively related to sexual esteem, internal sexual control, sexual consciousness, sexual assertiveness, and sexual satisfaction.Clinical ImplicationsOur findings suggest that the impairment of the abovementioned dimensions warrant attention during clinical work and future studies on CSBD.Strengths & LimitationsThis study was limited to men, most of whom self-identified as heterosexual. Future research should include women and non-heterosexual identified individuals.ConclusionSexual esteem, consciousness, assertiveness, satisfaction and internal sexual control are commonly affected among CSBD individuals and should be properly addressed during the clinical interview and treatment intervention.Kowalewska E, Kraus SW, Lew-Starowicz M, et al. Which Dimensions of Human Sexuality Are Related to Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD)? Study Using a Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire on a Sample of Polish Males. J Sex Med 2019;16:1264–1273.     

The role of MR imaging in detection of hepatic iron overload in patients with cirrhosis of different origins

Background  

There are many pathological conditions with hepatic iron overload. Classical definite diagnostic methods of these disorders are invasive and based on a direct tissue biopsy material. For the last years the role of MR imaging in liver diagnostics has been increasing. MRI shows changes of liver intensity in patients with hepatic iron overload. Changes in MR signal are an indirect consequence of change of relaxation times T2 and T2*, that can be directly measured.     

p-ERK1/2 is a predictive factor of response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in low/int-1 myelodysplastic syndromes

Serum erythropoietin level less than 100U/L and a transfusion requirement of less than 2 units per month are the best predictive factors for response to treatment by erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in low/int-1 myelodysplastic syndromes. To investigate the factors influencing the response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, we enrolled 127 low/int-1 myelodysplastic syndrome patients at diagnosis in a biological study of erythropoiesis. The 54 non-responders had a significantly lower number of burst-forming unit-erythroid and colony-forming unit-erythroid than responders. Erythropoietin-dependent proliferation and survival, and phospho (p)-ERK1/2 expression in steady state and after erythropoietin stimulation were defective in cultured erythroblasts. By flow cytometry, p-ERK1/2 was significantly lower in bone marrow CD45⁻/CD71⁺/GPA⁻cells from non-responders compared to responders or controls. Receiver Operator Characteristic curve analysis showed that this flow cytometry test was a sensitive biomarker for predicting the response to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.     

Evaluation of the NiTi Shape Memory BioDynamix ColonRing™ in colorectal anastomosis: first in human multi-center study

Background   

Shape-memory compression bowel anastomosis using a nickel and titanium alloy may reduce leak rates and eliminate foreign anastomotic material. Its safety and efficacy had been demonstrated by animal studies. We conducted the first prospective multi-center clinical evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of BioDynamix anastomosis with ColonRing™ for large-bowel end-to-end or side-to-end anastomosis.