Oxcarbazepin‐induziertes lokalisiertes Ödem am Penis

Oxcarbazepine is a analogue of carbamazepine with anticonvulsant and analgesic activity. We report a case of localized penile edema caused by oxcarbazepine. The association between the drug and the adverse reaction was confirmed by rechallenge test. This is the first reported case of oxcarbazepine‐induced localized penile edema.     

Pre- and Post-set Hydrophilicity of Elastomeric Impression Materials

PURPOSE: To evaluate the hydrophilicity of one polyether, four poly(vinyl siloxanes), and one condensation silicone before and after setting under simulated clinical conditions, and to correlate the findings to the contact angle values of these materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hydrophilicity before and after setting, as well as the contact angle values of the elastomeric impression materials were evaluated. Part I: A freshly extracted tooth, which was prepared for a full coverage restoration, was kept in saliva for 15 minutes and was then rinsed for 10 seconds. Impressions were taken without any drying of the tooth. A total of ten samples were taken for each material. The specimens were evaluated at a 10x magnification for defects. Part II: After the evaluation, the impressions were poured with a type IV dental stone and were left for 1 hour before separation. The stone specimens were then evaluated at a 10x magnification for negative voids. A total of 60 specimens were tested. Part III: Sixty identical 10 x 10 x 4 mm(2) plastic molds were used for the fabrication of the impression material specimens. Contact angle measurements of each specimen were made 1 hour after separation from the plastic mold. A calibrated pipette was used to place a drop (0.05 ml) of saturated calcium sulfate dehydrate onto each specimen. Digital images were taken for each specimen, and contact angle values were measured with appropriate software. RESULTS: Part I: One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among the materials (F = 15.526, p < 0.0005). Polyether had the fewest voids. The poly(vinyl siloxanes) did not present any significant differences among them, according to Tukey's HSD test (p < 0.05). Part II: One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences among the materials (F = 46.164, p < 0.0005). Polyether (Impregum) was the material which produced stone specimens with the fewest voids. Part III: One-way ANOVA indicated significant differences among the elastomeric impression materials (F = 494.918, p < 0.0005). Polyether displayed the smallest contact angle values. CONCLUSIONS: Polyether was the most hydrophilic of all materials tested.     

Growing Male Rats in Individually Ventilated and Open-Top Cages

During the past few decades, the development and use of individually ventilated cages (IVC), which are now commercially available for housing laboratory mice and rats, have increased. Because limited information is available regarding the influence of caging systems on the growth of rats, the present study assessed body weight and food and water consumption in growing male rats that were housed in IVC and open-top cages (OTC). We allocated 21-d-old male Wistar outbred rats (HsdOla:WI; n = 24) into 2 groups, which then were housed in pairs in IVC (n = 12) and OTC (n = 12). After an 8-d acclimatization period, body weight and food and water consumption were assessed every 3 d until the rats were 94 d old. There were no significant differences between the body weights of rats housed in IVC compared with OTC over the 65-d observation period. Food and water consumption were greater in rats housed in OTC compared with IVC, becoming significantly different when the rats were 50 and 53 d old, respectively. In conclusion, IVC and OTC housing conditions influenced food and water intakes but not body weight in growing male rats. Further research is needed to clarify the exact basis for these changes in food and water consumption.Abbreviation: IVC, individually ventilated cages; OTC, open-top cagesThe caging environment of laboratory rodents is important not only for their health and welfare but also for the reliability and reproducibility of experimental results. To standardize all of the factors that can affect rodent health and welfare and the quality of research, various caging systems for laboratory rodents have been developed. Open-top cages (OTC) with a solid floor are used frequently to house laboratory rodents worldwide. In these cages, the intracage environment (microenvironment), including temperature, relative humidity, and CO₂ and ammonia levels, is influenced directly by the room environment (macroenvironment), housing density, and frequency of bedding changes.^3,11,22,24 Isolators and filter-top cages were developed to maintain pathogen-free rodent colonies, reduce cage-to-cage and room-to-cage transmission of airborne pathogens, and protect animal-exposed personnel from aeroallergens.^9,15In an effort to overcome the disadvantages of filter-top cages and isolators due to increased intracage humidity and CO₂ and ammonia levels, individually ventilated cages (IVC) were developed.¹⁷ By using a HEPA supply and exhaust system at a ventilation rate ranging between 25 and 120 air changes hourly, IVC can maintain the integrity of the cage microenvironment and reduce the accumulation of microenvironmental contaminants and pollutants. IVC systems for rodents can be used both to protect those that are free from pathogens and to quarantine animals that harbor specific pathogens or whose health status is unknown. The use of IVC for quarantine purposes has obvious benefits in view of the increasing global exchange of genetically modified animals between laboratories.^5,16,19 In addition, IVC systems reduce the need for frequent cage cleaning and sterilization and new bedding while increasing the number of cages for a given floor area by as much as 40% due to the decreased space between rack shelves.^5,7,8 Furthermore, IVC systems improve the working environment of technical and scientific personnel by reducing their exposure to aeroallergens.^5,23Despite the benefits of IVC on the microenvironment, serious concerns regarding the wellbeing of the rodents housed in these systems have been raised because of rates of ventilation, high turnover of dry air, location of the air inlet and outlet, reduced illumination, and potential repercussions of power failure.^1,10,13 In addition, the increased cost associated with a change from OTC to IVC may deter breeding and research institutions from proceeding to complete replacement of cages.Because only limited information is available regarding the influence of various caging systems on the growth of rats, we undertook the current longitudinal study to observe and compare changes in the body weight and food and water intakes of growing rats that were housed in IVC and OTC. Body weight and food and water intakes were chosen as the study parameters because they are used frequently to assess animal growth and wellbeing.^2,25     

Thromboembolism in inflammatory bowel disease: an insidious association requiring a high degree of vigilance

Venous and arterial thromboembolism are both serious extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Acquired risk factors seem to play a more prominent role than congenital in promoting thrombotic events. Prevention of thromboembolism is thus mainly aimed at minimizing the acquired/reversible risk factors (e.g., inflammation, immobility, hospitalization, steroid therapy, central intravenous catheters, smoking, oral contraceptives, and deficiency of B vitamins and folate). The diagnosis of venous and arterial thromboembolism is extremely challenging and requires a high degree of vigilance. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism may be clinically silent or manifest with only few specific symptoms. Thrombosis of the portal vein system may occur with nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, abdominal tenderness, ascites, and fever. The diagnosis of arterial thromboembolism may also be challenging, particularly when the splanchnic region is involved. Indeed, arterial thrombosis of the splanchnic region tends to be overlooked and misinterpreted as a clinical exacerbation of IBD. Early diagnosis plays a central role in optimizing the therapeutic intervention and reducing the risk of short-term and long-term thrombosis-associated complications. The decision regarding the duration of systemic anticoagulation must take into account the individual risk of intestinal bleeding.     

An interpretative model of early indicators of specific developmental dyslexia in preschool age: a comparative presentation of three studies in Greece

The detection of specific factors of the developmental dyslexia at an early stage, and the identification of the role of those factors responsible for its manifestation, is a fundamental area of study on dyslexia in the recent literature. The objective of the present study is to clarify that dysfunctions in the following specific domains contribute in a causal model to the occurrence of dyslexia at an early stage: phonological awareness, psychomotor ability (body shape, spatio-temporal orientation, grapho-motor ability and laterality), perception, memory, attention, prereading and prewriting skills. The results of three studies, --carried out in Greece--which revealed the above factors as main predictors of the early onset of Specific Developmental Dyslexia (SDD) and confirmed the importance of intervention methods to it, led us to the construction of the proposed, causal model. The findings of these three studies converge on the perspective that the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of dysfunctions in the above domains, from preschool age, enable the early and reliable prevention of future difficulties in the learning process of children.     

Low molecular weight heparin inhibits melanoma cell adhesion and migration through a PKCa/JNK signaling pathway inducing actin cytoskeleton changes

Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) has significant antimetastatic capabilities and affects cancer progression in humans through, not fully defined mechanisms. Here we evaluated its activity at the intracellular level and how it is correlated with melanoma cell adhesion and migration. LMWH inhibited M5 and A375 melanoma cell adhesion and migration in a dose-dependent manner (p?0.01). Treatment of M5 melanoma cells with LMWH caused a marked down regulation of constitutive as well as the FN-induced phosphorylation (p?0.01) of protein kinase C alpha (PKCa). This was associated with a profound decrease in the cytoplasmic pPKCa (p?0.05) and a simultaneous enhancement of nuclear pPKCa localization (p?0.01). A significant decrease in the levels of pJNK (p?0.01), which is a downstream effector of PKCa, was also demonstrated in the LMWH-treated cells. Furthermore, LMWH-treated cells had disorganized actin stress fibers correlated to a strong decrease in cell-substratum interface area (p?0.05) and altered morphology. The decrease in the activation of PKCa, which is an important regulator of cell motility, was directly correlated to the reduced ability of the LMWH-treated melanoma cells to adhere onto and migrate towards the fibronectin (FN) substrate (p?0.01). The lineage activation of PKCa-JNK/p38 and their correlation to M5 cell adhesion was confirmed with the utilization of specific inhibitors. In conclusion, LMWH through the downregulation of pPKCa and redistribution to nuclear region attenuates JNK activation, which in turn induces cytoskeleton changes correlated to M5 cell decreased adhesion/migration. This may provide clues for the pharmacological targeting of melanoma.