Food preservatives sodium sulfite and sorbic acid suppress mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Antioxidant preservatives prolong the quality of food and ensure the nutritional adequacy, palatability and safety of many processed foods and beverages. Effects of sodium sulfite (E221) and sorbic acid (E200) were investigated in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) which were purified from blood of healthy donors. Cells were stimulated with the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin in vitro, which induces proliferation of T-cells and the production of Th1-type cytokines like interferon-γ. The latter triggers enzyme indoleamine (2,3)-dioxygenase, which degrades tryptophan, and GTP cyclohydrolase I, which leads to increased neopterin production, in monocyte-derived macrophages. Sodium sulfite and sorbic acid suppressed both these biochemical changes in a dose-dependent way (P < 0.01 at 1 mM sodium sulfite and 50 mM sorbic acid). Data demonstrate a suppressive influence of sodium sulfite and sorbic acid on the activated Th1-type immune response.     

Die Behandlung der Apophysenabrissverletzung des Epicondylus ulnaris im Kindesalter

OBJECTIVE: Surgical reduction and retention of apophyseal avulsion injuries at the medial epicondyle to prevent joint instability, lasting malalignment, or pseudarthrosis. INDICATIONS: Absolute: intraarticular apophyseal dislocation of the medial epicondyle, complete lesion of the ulnar nerve. Relative: dislocation of the apophysis (> 4 mm) in children > 5 years of age; the need for intervention increases in children as the degree of dislocation, age, and athletic activity increase. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Dislocation of the medial epicondyle (< or = 4 mm) in children < 5 years of age, provided the fragment location is not intraarticular. SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: Open reduction of the apophysis through a medial approach. Identification of the ulnar nerve. In young children or with small fragments fixation with Kirschner wire. Screw fixation in older children or for larger fragments. POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT: Long upper-arm plaster cast until wound healing is achieved. Subsequently, upper-arm plaster cast for 3 weeks. Removal of Kirschner wires after 4-6 weeks, screw removal after 8-12 weeks. Physiotherapy only if marked reduction of elbow mobility is found 6 weeks after cast removal. RESULTS: From January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2003, 25 children with an average age of 12 years suffering from medial epicondylar avulsion fractures were operated on using open reduction and Kirschner wire fixation. An average of 3 years after the injury 14 of these children underwent follow-up examination using a procedure that took subjective, clinical and radiologic parameters into account. Two children showed a slight reduction in overall strength of the injured extremity when compared with the contralateral extremity. One child had a flexion deficit of 10 degrees, all other children showed movement limitations of < or = 5 degrees compared to the contralateral extremity. In all the cases available to follow-up, there was a slight increase in valgus alignment of the elbow joint compared with the uninjured side (3 degrees on average). All fractures consolidated within 6 weeks.     

Literaturübersicht

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Secondary cerebral amebiasis due to infection with Entamoeba histolytica. A case report with computer tomographic findings

The clinical and serological findings and computer tomographic (CT) appearances of a case of secondary cerebral amebiasis due to Entamoeba histolytica are presented. The effect of therapy on the neurological symptoms as well as on the CT findings are described in detail. The multiple intracerebral lesions resolved almost completely and the patient survived without any neurological sequelae.     

Vergiftungen durch Trinitrotoluol und durch Tetranitromethylanilin

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Short-term patient-reported outcomes after different exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes.

BACKGROUND: An objective of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is improvement in patient-reported outcomes such as health-related quality of life as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms. There are no direct comparisons of the effectiveness of inpatient and outpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes on patient-reported outcomes. METHODS: In this non-randomized study we collected patient-reported outcomes data with the MacNew Heart Disease health-related quality of life questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline, 1 month and again 3 months after admission to exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in a cohort of 216 consecutive patients enrolled either in a 4-week inpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (n=62) or a 3-month outpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (n=87) and in a usual care group (n=67) to document the natural course in patient-reported outcome variables without exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation. RESULTS: Although MacNew health-related quality of life scores improved more with inpatient than outpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation by month 1, the improvement was still significant in both groups at month 3 and also in the usual care group when compared to baseline. The health-related quality of life scores in the inpatient group, however, decreased between month 1 and 3 whereas they continued to improve in the outpatient group. The significant reduction in both anxiety and depressive symptoms in both exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation groups by month 1 was maintained at month 3 only with outpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation. No significant changes over the 3 months were observed in the usual care group. CONCLUSION: Significant improvements of 1-month patient-reported outcomes are achieved in patients attending inpatient as well as outpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation when compared with no exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation. In contrast to inpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation, however, outpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation leads to a further improvement of patient-reported outcomes. These results suggest that, if patients have to be admitted for inpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation, this programme should be followed by an outpatient exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation to further improve and stabilize these patient-reported outcome variables.     

Amnesic Concentrations of the Nonimmobilizer 1,2-Dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (F6, 2N) and Isoflurane Alter Hippocampal θ Oscillations In Vivo

Background: Drug-induced temporary amnesia is one of the principal goals of general anesthesia. The nonimmobilizer 1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (F6, also termed 2N) impairs hippocampus-dependent learning at relative, i.e., lipophilicity-corrected, concentrations similar to isoflurane. Hippocampal [theta] oscillations facilitate mnemonic processes in vivo and synaptic plasticity (a cellular model of memory) in vitro and are thought to represent a circuit level phenomenon that supports memory encoding. Therefore, the authors investigated the effects of F6 and isoflurane on [theta] oscillations (4-12 Hz).

Methods: Thirteen adult rats were implanted with multichannel depth electrodes to measure the microelectroencephalogram and were exposed to a range of concentrations of isoflurane and F6 spanning the concentrations that produce amnesia. Five of these animals also underwent control experiments without drug injection. The authors recorded the behavioral state and hippocampal field potentials. They confirmed the electrode location postmortem by histology.

Results: The tested concentrations for isoflurane and F6 ranged from 0.035% to 0.77% and from 0.5% to 3.6%, respectively. Isoflurane increased the fraction of time that the animals remained immobile, consistent with sedation, whereas F6 had the opposite effect. Electroencephalographic power in the [theta] band was less when the animals were immobile than when they explored their environment. F6 suppressed the power of oscillations in the [theta] band. Isoflurane slowed [theta] oscillations without reducing total power in the [theta] band.     

Genetic predisposition for adult lactose intolerance and relation to diet, bone density, and bone fractures.

Evidence that genetic disposition for adult lactose intolerance significantly affects calcium intake, bone density, and fractures in postmenopausal women is presented. PCR-based genotyping of lactase gene polymorphisms may complement diagnostic procedures to identify persons at risk for both lactose malabsorption and osteoporosis. INTRODUCTION: Lactase deficiency is a common autosomal recessive condition resulting in decreased intestinal lactose degradation. A -13910 T/C dimorphism (LCT) near the lactase phlorizin hydrolase gene, reported to be strongly associated with adult lactase nonpersistence, may have an impact on calcium supply, bone density, and osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We determined LCT genotypes TT, TC, and CC in 258 postmenopausal women using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay. Genotypes were related to milk intolerance, nutritional calcium intake, intestinal calcium absorption, bone mineral density (BMD), and nonvertebral fractures. RESULTS: Twenty-four percent of all women were found to have CC genotypes and genetic lactase deficiency. Age-adjusted BMD at the hip in CC genotypes and at the spine in CC and TC genotypes was reduced by -7% to -11% depending on the site measured (p = 0.04). LCT(T/C-13910) polymorphisms alone accounted for 2-4% of BMD in a multiple regression model. Bone fracture incidence was significantly associated with CC genotypes (p = 0.001). Milk calcium intake was significantly lower (-55%, p = 0.004) and aversion to milk consumption was significantly higher (+166%, p = 0.01) in women with the CC genotype, but there were no differences in overall dietary calcium intake or in intestinal calcium absorption test values. CONCLUSION: The LCT(T/C-13910) polymorphism is associated with subjective milk intolerance, reduced milk calcium intake, and reduced BMD at the hip and the lumbar spine and may predispose to bone fractures. Genetic testing for lactase deficiency may complement indirect methods in the detection of individuals at risk for both lactose malabsorption and osteoporosis.