Evaluation of research activities and research needs to increase the impact and applicability of alternative testing strategies in risk assessment practice

The present paper aims at identifying strategies to increase the impact and applicability of alternative testing strategies in risk assessment. To this end, a quantitative and qualitative literature evaluation was performed on (a) current research efforts in the development of in vitro methods aiming for alternatives to animal testing, (b) the possibilities and limitations of in vitro methods for regulatory purposes and (c) the potential of physiologically-based kinetic (PBK) modeling to improve the impact and applicability of in vitro methods in risk assessment practice. Overall, the evaluation showed that the focus of state-of-the-art research activities does not seem to be optimally directed at developing in vitro alternatives for those endpoints that are most animal-demanding, such as reproductive and developmental toxicity, and carcinogenicity. A key limitation in the application of in vitro alternatives to such systemic endpoints is that in vitro methods do not provide so-called points of departure, necessary for regulators to set safe exposure limits. PBK-modeling could contribute to overcoming this limitation by providing a method that allows extrapolation of in vitro concentration-response curves to in vivo dose-response curves. However, more proofs of principle are required.     

Serum levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) are independently associated with procollagen III N-terminal peptide levels in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objectives

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a glycoprotein that belongs to the superfamily of serine protease inhibitors with complex anti-oxidative, anti-fibrotic, and anti-inflammatory properties, thus being involved in cardiometabolic disorders. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome as well. However, the pathophysiological role of PEDF in NAFLD remains largely unknown. We studied here the relationship between serum PEDF levels and various clinical markers of NAFLD in humans.

Design and methods

The study involved 194 biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (102 male and 92 female) with a mean age of 51.3 ± 13.8 years. We examined which anthropometric, metabolic and inflammatory variables, and liver steatosis and fibrosis markers are independently associated with serum levels of PEDF.

Results

Mean serum levels of PEDF were 16.4 ± 5.7 μg/mL. Univariate analysis revealed that age (inversely), male, body mass index, waist circumference, numbers of white blood cells and platelets, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, uric acid, procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (P-III-P), subcutaneous fat areas, visceral fat areas and liver to spleen density ratio in computed tomography, the presence of diabetes and medication for hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with serum levels of PEDF. In multiple stepwise regression analysis, age (p < 0.01, inversely), male (p < 0.05), waist circumference (p < 0.01), white blood cell number (p < 0.05), P-III-P (p < 0.05), and the presence of diabetes (p < 0.05) and medication for hyperlipidemia (p < 0.01), were independently correlated to serum levels of PEDF (R² = 0.285).

Conclusions

The present study reveals that serum levels of PEDF are independently associated with P-III-P levels, suggesting that PEDF level is a novel biomarker of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.     

病理学诊断的非酒精性脂肪性肝病患者的临床特点分析

目的:分析病理学诊断的非酒精性脂肪性肝病(nonalcoholic simple fatty liver disease,NAFLD)不同质谱的患者临床特点。方法:回顾性分析第四军医大学西京医院2000年至2012年肝移植供肝或肝穿刺、手术切除标本等来源的病理切片报告,根据患者病理诊断及临床资料分为正常组、单纯性脂肪肝组、非酒精性脂肪性肝炎(non-alcoholic steatohepatitis,NASH)组、NASH-肝纤维化组、NASH-肝癌(hepatocelular carcinoma,HCC)组,共5组,回顾性分析数据完整的患者临床资料。结果:共纳入正常组20例,单纯脂肪肝组20例,NASH组14例,NASH-肝纤维化组8例,NASH-HCC组8例。结果表明,随着NAFLD疾病谱的进展,各组发生了相应代谢异常和肝脏转氨酶指标的改变。其中,NASH-肝纤维化组(69.2±4.2)岁与NASH-HCC组(71.4±6.4)岁的年龄较其他3组明显增高(P<0.05);NASH组年龄与单纯性脂肪肝组相比并无显著差异,但表现出更高的转氨酶水平和糖脂代谢紊乱的标志,例如甘油三酯(triglyceride,TG)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(low density lipoprotein-cholesterol,LDL-c)明显增加、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(High density lipoprotein cholesterol,HDL-c)显著降低;谷丙转氨酶(alanine aminotrans,ALT)、谷草转氨酶(aspartate transaminase,AST)以及r-谷氨酰转移酶(glutamyltranspeptidase,GGT)明显增加,其中以ALT增加最为显著,NASH组的ALT水平甚至超过了NASH-肝纤维化组和NASH-HCC组;NASH组代谢综合征(metabolic syndrome,MS)的比例达到了62%。结论:NASH是NAFLD发生过程中的重要病变和进展,此时代谢紊乱加重伴有肝细胞的炎症反应和损伤,胰岛素抵抗可能是NASH的重要发病机制。     

Neonatal abstinence syndrome and neurodevelopmental health outcomes: A state of the science

Despite the alarming increase in the numbers of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), little is known about the effect on the children past the age of four. Clinical findings associated with NAS are found in the literature to have a negative effect on neurodevelopmental health outcomes. The purpose of this review is to examine the current evidence regarding NAS and neurodevelopmental outcomes, identify gaps in the literature, and discuss the possible association between NAS symptoms and neurodevelopmental disorders. A comprehensive literature review of quantitative research and review articles identified human and animal studies to clarify the current knowledge on the long-term effects of opioid exposure and NAS on neurodevelopmental outcomes. The analysis found that infants exposed to opioids in utero are at risk for poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood; however, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the effect of NAS as children age.     

Gut microbiome composition in lean patients with NASH is associated with liver damage independent of caloric intake: A prospective pilot study

Background and Aim

The aim of the study was to compare the gut microbiomes from obese and lean patients with or without NASH to outline phenotypic differences.

Maternal hair cortisol levels as a novel predictor of neonatal abstinence syndrome severity: A pilot feasibility study

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) after in-utero opioid exposure remains a poorly understood condition with multiple factors contributing to severity. Exposure to maternal stress may be one contributing factor. Hair cortisol measurement represents a novel technique for assessing prenatal stress. In this pilot study, the association between maternal hair cortisol levels and NAS severity was examined in 70 postpartum women with opioid use disorder within 72 hr of delivery. Infants were monitored for NAS and treated according to institutional protocol. Forty-four (63%) of the infants were pharmacologically treated for NAS, with a mean length of hospital stay (LOS) for all infants of 14.2 (SD 9.0) days. The mean cortisol level in the mothers was 131.8 pg/mg (SD 124.7). In bivariate analysis, higher maternal hair cortisol levels were associated with shorter infant LOS (R = −.26, p = .03) and fewer infant opioid treatment days (R = −.28, p = .02). Results were no longer statistically significant in regression models after adjusting for maternal opioid and smoking. In conclusion, we demonstrated the feasibility of hair cortisol assaying within the first few days after delivery in mothers with opioid use disorder as a novel marker for NAS. The findings suggest that maternal stress may impact the severity of infant opioid withdrawal.     

Safety assessment of kola nut extract as a food ingredient

Kola nut extract is used in the food industry as a flavoring ingredient. Kola nut extract is derived from the seeds of primarily two tropical Cola species (Cola nitida (Vent.) Schott et Endl. or Cola acuminata (Beauv.) Schott et Endl.) of the Family, Sterculiaceae. Present day consumption of kola nut extract is 0.69 mg/kg/day. Caffeine and theobromine are two important constituents of kola nuts. Although limited biological data are available for kola nut extract specifically, the published data of the major constituents of kola nuts suggest the pharmacological/toxicological properties of kola nut extract, parallel to those of a roughly equivalent dose of caffeine. Frank developmental/reproductive effects have not been reported and changes in offspring cannot be extrapolated to humans. A NOEL/NOAEL cannot be defined for repeated oral exposure to kola nut extract from available data. Notwithstanding the foregoing, U.S. consumers have a history of safe consumption of cola-type beverages containing kola nut extract that dates at least to the late 19th Century, with a significant global history of exposure to the intact kola nuts that date centuries longer.