Artificial formula induces precocious maturation of the small intestine of artificially reared suckling rats

BACKGROUND: The artificially reared rat model was used successfully to study the effect of nutrition during the early postnatal period on growth and development of the neonate. Overgrowth and morphologic changes of the gastrointestinal tract are known consequences of artificial rearing. The major goal of our study was to elucidate whether artificial rearing-enhanced gut development is caused by artificial diet or by gastrostomy and the artificial rearing technique itself. METHODS: Suckling rats at day 8 of age underwent intragastric cannulation and were machine fed either a cow's milk-based artificial rat's milk substitute or pooled rat's milk for 4 days. Dam-fed littermates served as a control. RESULTS: Body growth did not differ in the three experimental groups. In rats receiving rat's milk substitute, small intestinal wet weight was approximately 60% greater than in rats fed rat's milk or control rats. Additionally, the entire small intestine was approximately 20% longer in the rat's milk substitute group. Morphologically, rat's milk substitute-fed pups demonstrated significantly greater intestinal villus length and crypt depth compared with rat's milk-fed or control rats. Jejunum and midjejunum of the rat's milk and control groups did not differ in these parameters. Intestinal sucrase activity of rat's milk substitute-fed rats was significantly elevated compared with rat's milk-fed rats or control animals. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that cow's milk-based formula, not gastrostomy or artificial feeding technique, is a principal cause of the small intestine overgrowth and precocious maturation of some intestinal functions observed in artificially reared sucklings.     

ICAM-1 regulates neutrophil adhesion and transcellular migration of TNF-alpha-activated vascular endothelium under flow

In vivo, leukocyte transendothelial migration (TEM) occurs at endothelial cell junctions (paracellular) and nonjunctional (transcellular) locations, whereas in vitro models report that TEM is mostly paracellular. The mechanisms that control the route of leukocyte TEM remain unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that elevated intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression regulates the location of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) TEM. We used an in vitro flow model of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-activated human umbilical vein endothelium cells (HUVECs) or an HUVEC cell line transfected with ICAM-1GFP (green fluorescent protein) and live-cell fluorescence microscopy to quantify the location of PMN adhesion and TEM. We observed robust transcellular TEM with TNF-alpha-activated HUVECs and ICAM-1GFP immortalized HUVECS (iHUVECs). In contrast, primary CD3+ T lymphocytes exclusively used a paracellular route. Endothelial ICAM-1 was identified as essential for both paracellular and transcellular PMN transmigration, and interfering with ICAM-1 cytoplasmic tail function preferentially reduced transcellular TEM. We also found that ICAM-1 surface density and distribution as well as endothelial cell shape contributed to transcellular TEM. In summary, ICAM-1 promotes junctional and nonjunctional TEM across inflamed vascular endothelium via distinct cytoplasmic tail associations.     

Comparison of three active therapies for chronic low back pain: results of a randomized clinical trial with one-year follow-up

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relative efficacy of three active therapies for patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: One hundred and forty-eight subjects with chronic low back pain were randomized to receive, twice weekly for 3 months, (i) active physiotherapy, (ii) muscle reconditioning on training devices, or (ii) low-impact aerobics. Questionnaires were administered to assess pain intensity, pain frequency and disability before and after therapy and at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-two of the 148 patients (89%) completed the therapy programmes and 127 of the 148 (86%) returned a questionnaire at all four time-points. The three treatments were equally efficacious in significantly reducing pain intensity and frequency for up to 1 yr after therapy. However, the groups differed with respect to the temporal changes in self-rated disability over the study period (P=0.03): all groups showed a similar reduction after therapy, but for the physiotherapy group disability increased again during the first 6 months of follow-up whilst the other two groups showed a further decline. In all groups the values then remained stable up to the 12-month follow-up. The larger group size and minimal infrastructure required for low-impact aerobics rendered it considerably less expensive to administer than the other two programmes. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of low-impact aerobic exercise programmes for patients with chronic low back pain may reduce the enormous costs associated with its treatment.     

Histopathological changes in the oesophageal mucosa in Egyptian children with corrosive strictures: A single-centre vast experience

BACKGROUND The caustic ingestion continues to be a major problem worldwide especially in developing countries. The long-term complications include stricture and increased life time risk of oesophageal carcinoma. Patients suffered from corrosive induced oesophageal strictures have more than a 1000-fold risk of developing carcinoma of the oesophagus.AIM To determine the possibility of oesophageal mucosal dysplasia after prolonged dilatation in post corrosive stricture.METHODS This observational study was conducted at the Paediatric Endoscopy Unit in Cairo University Children's Hospital. It included children of both sexes older than 2 years of age who had an established diagnosis of post-corrosive oesophageal stricture and repeated endoscopic dilatation sessions for more than 6 mo. All patients were biopsied at the stricture site after 6 mo of endoscopic dilatation. A histopathological examination of an oesophageal mucosal biopsy was performed for the detection of chronic oesophagitis, inflammatory cellular infiltration and dysplasia.RESULTS The mean age of the enrolled children was 5.9 ± 2.6 years; 90% of the patients had ingested an alkaline corrosive substance(potash). The total number of endoscopic dilatation sessions were ranging from 16 to 100 with mean number of sessionswas 37.2 ± 14.9. Histopathological examination of the specimens showed that 85%of patients had evidence of chronic oesophagitis(group A) in the form of basal cell hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis and subepithelial fibrosis. Thirteen percent of the patients had evidence of reactive atypia(group B) in the form of severe neutrophilic intraepithelial inflammatory cellular infiltration, and 2 patients(2%)had mild squamous dysplasia(group C); we rebiopsied these two patients 6 mo after the initial pathological assessment, guided by chromoendoscopy by Lugol's iodine.CONCLUSION The histopathology of oesophageal mucosal biopsies in post-corrosive patients demonstrates evidence of chronic oesophagitis, intraepithelial inflammatory cellular infiltration and dysplasia. Dysplasia is one of the complications of postcorrosive oesophageal stricture.     

Surface membrane traffic in guinea pig basophils exposed to cationic ferritin

Surface membrane traffic patterns can be influenced by a number of factors, including the functional state of the cell. We used transmission electron microscopy to investigate the fate of surface membrane in guinea pig basophils exposed to cationized ferritin (CF) in vitro. CF bound to the plasma membrane and was internalized on the membranes of vesicles and vacuoles, a process that was particularly prominent at the uropod of basophils exhibiting a polarized ('motile') configuration. The vesicles/vacuoles moved to the Golgi area, or, in the case of degranulating basophils, were observed in continuity with the degranulation sac, a structure formed largely by the fusion of individual cytoplasmic granule membranes. However, CF-positive vesicles were never observed to fuse directly with the membranes of intact cytoplasmic granules.     

国际脊髓损伤脊柱损伤基础数据集

收集脊柱损伤的信息对于脊髓损伤患者的诊断和治疗非常重要,设立脊髓损伤患者脊柱损伤基础数据集是为了规范脊柱损伤相关信息的收集方式和报告内容,学习并使用国际脊髓损伤脊柱损伤基础数据集,有助于规范和统一我国脊髓损伤患者脊柱损伤信息的收集,为相关治疗提供依据。本文将介绍国际脊髓损伤脊柱损伤基础数据集的研发过程,数据元素的内容以及数据编码的应用实例。