Visual Performance in Monosodium Glutamate-Treated Rats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of monosodium glutamate on the visual performance in rats. The Wistar strain of neonatal rats were injected subcutaneously with a solution of the glutamate at doses of 1 or 2 or 4 mg/gm body weight on days 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 postnatally. Control rats received an injection of physiological saline. At 1, 2 and 3 months of age, the rats were tested for visual performance (brightness discrimination, pattern discrimination and visual acuity). As a result, the 4 mg/gm glutamate treatment was observed to impair brightness discrimination performance at 1 month of age as compared to the control animals. This impairment was also observed in animals at 2 and 3 months as compared, in addition, to the values in other doses of glutamate treatment. Pattern discrimination performance in every group of animals was at the same level at 1 month of age. However, at 2 months of age, the performance in the 2- and 4 mg/gm glutamate-treated groups was lower than those in the control group. This comparison was more pronounced at 3 months of age. Visual acuity performance results were quite the same as the pattern discrimination performance at all ages of animals. In conclusion, glutamate treatment was shown to cause dose-dependent deficit in visual performance and this may reflect impairment of visual organs and brain function.     

Expanding clinical spectrum of non-autoimmune hyperthyroidism due to an activating germline mutation, p.M453T, in the thyrotropin receptor gene

Objective  To describe clinical and genetic features of a Thai family with non-autoimmune hyperthyroidism (NAH) caused by an activating germline mutation in the thyrotropin receptor ( TSHR ) gene.
Patients  Three affected individuals from the same family (a father and his two children) were studied. Clinical and imaging findings were reviewed and compared.
Genetic analysis  Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and mutation analysis of the entire coding sequence of the TSHR gene was performed in both children and their parents by direct DNA sequencing.
Results  A heterozygous germline T to C transition in exon 10 of the TSHR gene (c.1358T→C) resulting in the substitution of methionine (ATG) by threonine (ACG) at codon 453 (p.M453T) was identified in the father and his two children. They presented with different clinical severity and variable age of onset. In addition to hyperthyroidism, ventriculomegaly and bilateral shortening of the fifth metacarpal bones and the middle phalanges of the fifth fingers were consistently found in all affected individuals.
Conclusions  Ventriculomegaly and bilateral shortening of the fifth metacarpal bones and the middle phalanges of the fifth fingers might be characteristic features of NAH because of an activating TSHR germline mutation. In addition, the shortening of the middle phalanges of the fifth fingers has never been previously described, expanding the phenotypic spectrum of the disease.     

Forward-viewing radial-array echoendoscope for staging of colon cancer beyond the rectum

AIM:To evaluate feasibility of the novel forward-viewing radial-array echoendoscope for staging of colon cancer beyond rectum as the first series.METHODS:A retrospective study with prospectively entered database.From March 2012 to February 2013,a total of 21 patients(11 men)(mean age 64.2 years)with colon cancer beyond the rectum were recruited.The novel forward-viewing radial-array echoendoscope was used for ultrasonographic staging of colon cancer beyond rectum.Ultrasonographic T and N staging were recorded when surgical pathology was used as a gold standard.RESULTS:The mean time to reach the lesion and the mean time to complete the procedure were 3.5 and 7.1min,respectively.The echoendoscope passed through the lesions in 13 patients(61.9%)and reached the cecum in 10 of 13 patients(76.9%).No adverse events were found.The lesions were located in the cecum(n=2),ascending colon(n=1),transverse colon(n=2),descending colon(n=2),and sigmoid colon(n=14).The accuracy rate for T1(n=3),T2(n=4),T3(n=13)and T4(n=1)were 100%,60.0%,84.6%and 100%,respectively.The overall accuracy rates for the T and N staging of colon cancer were 81.0%and52.4%,respectively.The accuracy rates among traversable lesions(n=13)and obstructive lesions(n=8)were 61.5%and 100%,respectively.endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography had overall accuracy rates of 81.0%and 68.4%,respectively.CONCLUSION:The echoendoscope is a feasible staging tool for colon cancer beyond rectum.However,accuracy of the echoendoscope needs to be verified by larger systematic studies.     

Septal-preoptic unit responses to microelectrophoresis of cholecystokinin, gastrin, vasoactive intestinal peptide and secretin in the rat

Effects of microelectrophoretic application of cholecystokinin-8, gastrin-17, vasoactive intestinal peptide and secretin on activities of septal-preoptic neurons were examined in ovariectomized rats. All of the 4 peptides produced either excitatory or inhibitory responses in some neurons tested. No consistent relationship was observed between effects of different peptides, even between the peptides of the same family. These results provide electrophysiologic evidence for the action in the septal-preoptic region of these peptides, and suggest that there may be specific interneurons sensitive to a corresponding peptide with some overlapping.     

Type 1 diabetes management and outcomes: A multicenter study in Thailand

Aims/IntroductionThe Thai Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetes Diagnosed Before Age 30 Years Registry, Care and Network was established in 2014 and involved 31 hospitals. The objective of the registry was to evaluate glycemic control and complications of patients with type 1 diabetes.Materials and MethodsPatients’ demographics, clinical data, frequencies of daily self‐monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), glycemic control and complications were collected.ResultsAmong the 1,907 type 1 diabetes patients, the mean age was 21.2 ± 11.3 years. The mean glycated hemoglobin level was 9.35 ± 2.41%, with significant variations among age groups (P < 0.001). Conventional insulin treatment and intensive insulin treatment were used in 43 and 57% of patients, respectively. Mean glycated hemoglobin levels were significantly higher in patients treated with conventional insulin treatment compared to those treated with intensive insulin treatment (9.63 ± 2.34 vs 9.17 ± 2.46%, P = 0.002). Compared to the conventional insulin treatment group, significantly more patients in the intensive insulin treatment group achieved good glycemic control (P < 0.001), and fewer had diabetic retinopathy (P = 0.031). The prevalence of microvascular complications increased significantly with age (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed good glycemic control to be associated with age 25 to <45 years, intensive insulin treatment with SMBG three or more times daily and diabetes duration of 1 to <5 years.ConclusionsMost Thai type 1 diabetes patients were not meeting the recommended glycemic target. As a result of this study, the national program to improve the quality of diabetes treatment and education has been implemented, and the results are ongoing.