Biochemical and immunohistochemical changes in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-treated type 2 diabetic rats

The regulation of glucose, lipid metabolism and immunoreactivities of insulin and glucagon peptides by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) in diabetes were examined in an experimental rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: (1) control, (2) Δ⁹-THC treated, (3) diabetic, and (4) diabetic + Δ⁹-THC. The type 2 diabetic rat model was established by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of nicotinamide (85 mg/kg body weight) followed after 15 min by i.p. injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at 65 mg/kg of body weight. Δ⁹-THC and Δ⁹-THC treated diabetic groups received 3 mg/kg/day of Δ⁹-THC for 7 days. The immunolocalization of insulin and glucagon peptides was investigated in the pancreas using a streptavidin–biotin–peroxidase technique. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and total protein (TP) levels were measured in serum. Total islet area percent of insulin immunoreactive cells slightly changed in diabetic + Δ⁹-THC rats compared to diabetic animals. However, the area percent of glucagon immunoreactive cells showed a decrease in diabetic + Δ⁹-THC rats compared to that of diabetic animals alone. Serum TC, HDL and LDL levels of diabetes + Δ⁹-THC group showed a decrease compared to the diabetic group. These results indicate that Δ⁹-THC may serve a protective role against hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in diabetic rats.     

Growth, energy intake, and meal pattern in five-year-old children considered as poor eaters

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether 5-year-old children considered poor eaters differ from their peers regarding growth, intake of energy and nutrients, or meal pattern.Study design Parental evaluations of children's (n=494) eating at age 5 years were collected using questionnaires, and energy and nutrient intakes and meal pattern of the children were assessed using 4-day food records. Weight and height were measured at birth and at ages 7 and 13 months, and 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. Of the children 30.2% (149) were poor eaters according to the parents. The rest of the sample (n=345) formed the comparison group. RESULTS: Poor eaters were on average lighter and shorter at birth (P=.026 and P=.020, respectively), and at age 5 years (P<.001 for both weight and height) than the comparison children. At age 5 years the poor eaters on average received less of their daily total energy from warm meals (P=.044) and more from snacks (P=.013) than the comparison group, but the mean daily weight-adjusted intake of energy showed no difference between the groups (P=.153). CONCLUSIONS: There appears not to be reason for serious concern about growth and diet of preschool-aged children considered as poor eaters by parents.     

Tea catechin auto-oxidation dimers are accumulated and retained by Caco-2 human intestinal cells

Despite the presence of bioactive catechin B-ring auto-oxidation dimers in tea, little is known regarding their absorption in humans. Our hypothesis for this research is that catechin auto-oxidation dimers are present in teas and are absorbable by human intestinal epithelial cells. Dimers (theasinensins [THSNs] and P-2 analogs) were quantified in commercial teas by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. (−)-Epigallocatechin (EGC) and (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) homodimers were present at 10 to 43 and 0 to 62 μmol/g leaf, respectively. The EGC-EGCG heterodimers were present at 0 to 79 μmol/g. The potential intestinal absorption of these dimers was assessed using Caco-2 intestinal cells. Catechin monomers and dimers were detected in cells exposed to media containing monomers and preformed dimers. Accumulation of dimers was significantly greater than monomers from test media. Three-hour accumulation of EGC and EGCG was 0.19% to 0.55% and 1.24% to 1.35%, respectively. Comparatively, 3-hour accumulation of the EGC P-2 analog and THSNs C/E was 0.89% ± 0.28% and 1.53% ± 0.36%, respectively. Accumulation of P-2 and THSNs A/D was 6.93% ± 2.1% and 10.1% ± 3.6%, respectively. The EGCG-EGC heterodimer P-2 analog and THSN B 3-hour accumulation was 4.87% ± 2.2% and 4.65% ± 2.8%, respectively. One-hour retention of P-2 and THSNs A/D was 171% ± 22% and 29.6% ± 9.3% of accumulated amount, respectively, suggesting intracellular oxidative conversion of THSNs to P-2. These data suggest that catechin dimers present in the gut lumen may be readily absorbed by intestinal epithelium.     

Neonatal and fetal exposure to trans-fatty acids retards early growth and adiposity while adversely affecting glucose in mice

Industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFAs) consumed in Western diets are incorporated into maternal and fetal tissues and are passed linearly to offspring via breast milk. We hypothesized that TFA exposure in utero and during lactation in infants would promote obesity and poor glycemic control as compared with unmodified fatty acids. We further hypothesized that in utero exposure alone may program for these outcomes in adulthood. To test this hypothesis, we fed female C57/BL6 mice identical Western diets that differed only in cis- or trans-isomers of C18:1 and then aimed to determine whether maternal transfer of TFAs through pregnancy and lactation alters growth, body composition, and glucose metabolism. Mice were unexposed, exposed during pregnancy, during lactation, or throughout pregnancy and lactation to TFA. Body weight and composition (by computed tomography) and glucose metabolism were assessed at weaning and adulthood. Trans-fatty acid exposure through breast milk caused significant early growth retardation (P < .001) and higher fasting glucose (P = .01), but insulin sensitivity was not different. Elevated plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 in mice consuming TFA-enriched milk (P = .02) may contribute to later catch-up growth and leanness and preserved peripheral insulin sensitivity observed in these mice. Mice exposed to TFA in utero underwent rapid early neonatal growth with TFA-free breast milk and had significantly impaired insulin sensitivity (P < .05) and greater abdominal fat (P = .01). We conclude that very early catch-up growth resulted in impaired peripheral insulin sensitivity in this model of diet-related fetal and neonatal programming. Trans-fatty acid surprisingly retarded growth and adiposity while still adversely affecting glucose metabolism.     

The analysis of very small samples of repeated measurements II: A modified Box correction

There is a need for appropriate methods for the analysis of very small samples of continuous repeated measurements. A key feature of such analyses is the role played by the covariance matrix of the repeated observations. When subjects are few it can be difficult to assess the fit of parsimonious structures for this matrix, while the use of an unstructured form may lead to a serious lack of power. The Kenward–Roger adjustment is now widely adopted as a means of providing an appropriate inferences in small samples, but does not perform adequately in very small samples. Adjusted tests based on the empirical sandwich estimator can be constructed that have good nominal properties, but are seriously underpowered. Further, when such data are incomplete, or unbalanced, or non‐saturated mean models are used, exact distributional results do not exist that justify analyses with any sample size. In this paper, a modification of Box's correction applied to a linear model‐based F‐statistic is developed for such small sample settings and is shown to have both the required nominal properties and acceptable power across a range of settings for repeated measurements. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

EMG classification using wavelet functions to determine muscle contraction

Surface electromyogram (SEMG) is a complex signal and is influenced by several external factors/artifacts. The electromyogram signal from the stump of the subject is picked up through surface electrodes. It is amplified and artifacts are removed before digitising it in a controlled manner so that minimum signal loss occurs due to processing. As removing these artifacts is not easy, feature extraction to obtain useful information hidden inside the signal becomes a different process. This paper presents methods of analysing SEMG signals using discrete wavelet Transform (DWT) for extracting accurate patterns of the signals and the performance of the used algorithms is being analysed rigorously. The obtained results suggest a root mean square difference (RMSD) value for the denoising and quality of reconstruction of the SEMG signal. The result shows that the best mother wavelets for tolerance of noise are second order of symmlets and bior6.8. Results inferred that bior6.8 suitable for the classification and analysis of SEMG signals of different arm motions results in a classification accuracy of 88.90%.     

女性毒品犯人格的基本特征及其相关因素的研究

目的 探讨在押女性毒品犯人格的基本特征、类型特征及其影响因素。方法 以252名在押女性毒品犯为被试，对CPI的测验数据进行t检验、Z检验和F检验。结果 ①女性毒品犯不仅与常模团体相比较具有显著特征．而且与男性毒品犯相比较也存在特殊性；②女性毒品犯在4种人格类型上的分布不平衡．较多地在Delta型；③民族、地域、年龄及关押时间对女性毒品犯的人格特征的变异均有一定影响．但减刑次数未见反映出被试人格积极改变的效果。结论 女性毒品犯广泛而明显的消极性人格特征，并与民族、地域、年龄及关押时间有关。     

Morphological alterations and distribution of occludin in rat testes after bilateral vasectomy

The aim of study was to investigate the fate and the morphology of the cells which constitute the spermatogenic line, and to determine the distribution of occludin in the testis in adult vasectomized Wistar rats. The rats were divided into two groups: control group (sham-operated) and vasectomized group. One, 3 and 6 months after sham and vasectomy operations, testis samples were examined. The weight of the testes was found to be reduced 3 and 6 months after vasectomy. There was vacuolization in the seminiferous tubules one month after vasectomy. The tubules showed severe atrophy 3 and 6 months after vasectomy. The occludin immunolabeling in the 3- and 6-month groups was weak and diffuse, and the density of the protein was found to be decreased. The increase in the number of apoptotic cells was accompanied by a time-dependent decrease in the number of haploid, diploid and tetraploid cells. This study demonstrated that vasectomy causes degeneration in the seminiferous tubules with alterations in occludin distribution with a decrease in the number of spermatogenic cells. Moreover, these alterations increase in a time-dependent manner.     

Beneficial effects of cannabinoids (CB) in a murine model of allergen-induced airway inflammation: role of CB1/CB2 receptors

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) consists of two cannabinoid (CB) receptors, namely CB₁ and CB₂ receptor, and their endogenous (endocannabinoids) and exogenous (cannabinoids, e.g. delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) ligands which bind to these receptors. Based on studies suggesting a role of THC and the ECS in inflammation, the objective of this study was to examine their involvement in type I hypersensitivity using a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. THC treatment of C57BL/6 wildtype mice dramatically reduced airway inflammation as determined by significantly reduced total cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). These effects were greatest when mice were treated during both, the sensitization and the challenge phase. Furthermore, systemic immune responses were significantly suppressed in mice which received THC during sensitization phase. To investigate a role of CB_1/2 receptors in this setting, we used pharmacological blockade of CB₁ and/or CB₂ receptors by the selective antagonists and moreover CB₁/CB₂ receptor double-knockout mice (CB₁^−/−/CB₂^−/−) and found neither significant changes in the cell patterns in BAL nor in immunoglobulin levels as compared to wildtype mice. Our results indicate that the activation of the ECS by applying the agonist THC is involved in the development of type I allergies. However, CB₁/CB₂ receptor-independent signalling seems likely in the observed results.