Functional characterization of the CC chemokine RANTES from Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

RANTES (Regulated upon Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine that belongs to the CC-group of chemokines. The present study was carried out to functionally characterize the previously identified RANTES homologue in domestic duck (GenBank Accession No. AY641435). Recombinant duck RANTES was expressed in Escherichia coli-based and HEK293T cell-based systems. A tRNA supplementation strategy was required to express the protein in E. coli due to the presence of rare codons. In biological assays using HEK293T cell-expressed protein, RANTES was found to mediate chemotaxis of DT-40 chicken B cells and primary duck splenocytes at a concentration of 0.505 μg/ml (0.6 μM). Immunostaining of the migrated splenocytes using anti-duck CD4 and CD8 monoclonal antibodies and subsequent flow cytometric analysis showed enhanced chemotaxis of CD8+ cells. The recombinant RANTES exhibited in vitro antiviral activity by inhibiting infection of chicken embryo fibroblast cells with duck enteritis virus (DEV) at the same concentration. The effect could be neutralized by rabbit anti-duck RANTES polyclonal serum. The mechanism seems to be direct on viral particles as evidenced by the need for co-incubation of RANTES with DEV prior to the infection for antiviral activity, and also by the enhanced binding of DEV to E. coli expressed purified RANTES on ELISA-based assays. Our results show that the duck RANTES has overlapping biological properties with its mammalian orthologue, and also has possible functional cross-reactivity with chicken immune cells indicated by the chemotaxis of DT-40 cells.     

Voltammetric determination of sulfamethoxazole at a multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon sensor and its application studies

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is an anti‐bacterial sulfonamide. It prevents the formation of dihydrofolic acid, a compound that bacteria need in order to survive. The present work details the voltammetric analysis of SMX at a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)‐Nafion modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Sulfamethoxazole gives a well defined oxidation peak at 0.74 V in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 8.0. The experimental parameters such as the amount of MWCNT‐Nafion suspension, the pH of the supporting electrolyte and scan rate were optimized and a direct electrochemical method for the determination of SMX was developed. Under optimum conditions the oxidation peak current is linear to the concentration of SMX in the range 1 × 10^?2 ? 5 × 10^?5 M with a detection limit of 1 × 10^?5 M. The MWCNT/GCE showed good stability, selectivity and was successfully used to quantify SMX in pharmaceutical formulations and urine sample. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scrub Typhus with Sepsis and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Scrub typhus is a major infectious threat in the Asia-Pacific region. We report an unusual case of scrub typhus in a patient in Singapore who presented with sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome but lacked the pathognomonic eschar. The patient recovered after appropriate diagnosis and doxycycline treatment. Rickettsial diseases should be included in the differential diagnosis of febrile illnesses in regions where the diseases are endemic, and absence of eschar should not be the criterion used to rule out scrub typhus.     

Internet-enabled high-resolution brain mapping and virtual microscopy

Virtual microscopy involves the conversion of histological sections mounted on glass microscope slides to high-resolution digital images. Virtual microscopy offers several advantages over traditional microscopy, including remote viewing and data sharing, annotation, and various forms of data mining. We describe a method utilizing virtual microscopy for generation of internet-enabled, high-resolution brain maps and atlases. Virtual microscopy-based digital brain atlases have resolutions approaching 100,000 dpi, which exceeds by three or more orders of magnitude resolutions obtainable in conventional print atlases, MRI, and flat-bed scanning. Virtual microscopy-based digital brain atlases are superior to conventional print atlases in five respects: (1) resolution, (2) annotation, (3) interaction, (4) data integration, and (5) data mining. Implementation of virtual microscopy-based digital brain atlases is located at BrainMaps.org, which is based on more than 10 million megapixels (35 terabytes) of scanned images of serial sections of primate and non-primate brains with a resolution of 0.46 microm/pixel (55,000 dpi). The method can be replicated by labs seeking to increase accessibility and sharing of neuroanatomical data. Online tools offer the possibility of visualizing and exploring completely digitized sections of brains at a sub-neuronal level and can facilitate large-scale connectional tracing, histochemical, and stereological analyses.     

Perioperative blood transfusion adversely affects prognosis after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma

Background

It has been previously suggested that perioperative blood transfusion (PBT) may induce adverse oncological outcomes following cancer surgery. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of PBT on the prognosis of patients who underwent nephrectomy due to renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Role of inflammation in initiation and perpetuation of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review of the published data.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Recent studies have indicated that inflammation might play a significant role in the initiation, maintenance, and perpetuation of AF. Inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein are elevated in AF and correlate to longer duration of AF, success of cardioversion, and thrombogenesis. Furthermore, the inflammatory process might be modulated by the use of statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or glucocorticoids. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current published reports on the relationship between inflammation and AF and the potential therapeutic options available to modulate the inflammatory milieu in AF.     

Effect of cardiac rehabilitation on myocardial perfusion reserve in postinfarction patients

Cardiac rehabilitation is believed to increase myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR), but this has not been adequately studied because of poor delineation of infarcted myocardium in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of cardiac rehabilitation on MPR in the remote and infarcted myocardium with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging; 39 postinfarction patients were recruited for this study and randomly assigned to a training group (n = 20) or a nontraining group (n = 19). Those in the training group participated in a 3-month rehabilitation training program at an exercise intensity of 55% to 70% of peak oxygen uptake (VO2); those in the nontraining group continued their usual lifestyle. Nineteen age-, weight-, and height-matched subjects without cardiovascular risk factors were selected as healthy controls. After myocardial infarction, a reduction in perfusion reserve was seen not only in the infarcted myocardium, but also in the remote myocardium. In the training group, exercise capacity increased by 15% (p <0.01), to the same level as in healthy controls. The post-training MPR increased in both remote (30%, p <0.01) and infarcted myocardium (25%, p <0.05) and reached the same level as in healthy controls. The change in exercise capacity correlated with the change in MPR in the remote myocardium (r = 0.55, p <0.001 for peak VO2). In the nontraining group, exercise capacity and MPR were unchanged. In conclusion, cardiac rehabilitation improves perfusion reserve in both infarcted and remote myocardium, with a parallel increase in exercise capacity.