Ultrastructural analysis of pancreatic acinar cells from mice fed on genetically modified soybean

No direct evidence that genetically modified (GM) food may represent a possible danger for health has been reported so far; however, the scientific literature in this field is quite poor. Therefore, we investigated the possible effects of a diet containing GM soybean on mouse exocrine pancreas by means of ultrastructural, morphometrical and immunocytochemical analyses. Our observations demonstrate that, although no structural modification occurs in pancreatic acinar cells of mice fed on GM soybean, quantitative changes of some cellular constituents take place in comparison to control animals. In particular, a diet containing significant amount of GM food seems to influence the zymogen synthesis and processing.     

Effects of Education on the Quality of Life,Diet, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in an Elderly Spanish Community Population

An inverse relation between education and health has been reported, suggesting the importance of examining the underlying mechanism of this association. We examined whether cardiovascular risk factors, diet, and indicators of quality of life (mood, self-perceived health, social relationships, self-rated sensory, and dental adequacy) vary according to educational level among 352 old people (65–95 years old) in the city of Oviedo (Northern Spain). Lower educational level (LE) was associated with unhappiness, poor social relationships, poor self-assessed health, and sensory, and masticatory problems. LE elderly consumed less vegetables and meat products and more carbohydrates. LE women had a lower contribution of proteins and lipids to their total energy intake as well as a lower vitamin A intake. Except for hypercholesterolemia, no differences     

Paraxis is required for somite morphogenesis and differentiation in Xenopus laevis

Background : In most vertebrates, the segmentation of the paraxial mesoderm involves the formation of metameric units called somites through a mesenchymal‐epithelial transition. However, this process is different in Xenopus laevis because it does not form an epithelial somite. Xenopus somitogenesis is characterized by a complex cells rearrangement that requires the coordinated regulation of cell shape, adhesion, and motility. The molecular mechanisms that control these cell behaviors underlying somite formation are little known. Although the Paraxis has been implicated in the epithelialization of somite in chick and mouse, its role in Xenopus somite morphogenesis has not been determined. Results : Using a morpholino and hormone‐inducible construction approaches, we showed that both gain and loss of function of paraxis affect somite elongation, rotation and alignment, causing a severe disorganization of somitic tissue. We further found that depletion or overexpression of paraxis in the somite led to the downregulation or upregulation, respectively, of cell adhesion expression markers. Finally, we demonstrated that paraxis is necessary for the proper expression of myotomal and sclerotomal differentiation markers. Conclusions : Our results demonstrate that paraxis regulates the cell rearrangements that take place during the somitogenesis of Xenopus by regulating cell adhesion. Furthermore, paraxis is also required for somite differentiation. Developmental Dynamics 244:973–987, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Hyperglycemia in Acute Heart Failure: An Opportunity to Intervene?

In patients with acute heart failure (AHF) syndromes, little data are so far available on the relation between glucose values and insulin resistance and mortality, both in the short and long term. The present review is aimed at summarizing available evidence on the prognostic role of hyperglycemia in acute heart failure syndromes. Despite the fact that glucose values are widely measured, inexpensive, and easy to interpret, hyperglycemia in AHF patients still appears to be (or at least to have been) a neglected factor. Scarce information is available on incidence of admission hyperglycemia (especially in nondiabetic AHF patients) and data on in-hospital and discharge glucose values are lacking. Overall, the scarcity of data and the unanswered questions conjure up the need for trials investigating the clinical and prognostic role of glucose abnormalities (hyperglycemia and acute insulin resistance) on admission and during hospital stay in AHF patients. Preliminary evidence suggests that hyperglycemia is an important prognostic factor in AHF; however, whether targeting hyperglycemia via an aggressive versus permissive glycemic management strategy influences AHF outcomes remains unknown.     

Intraaortic balloon pump: incidence and predictors of complications in the Florence registry

Background:

The intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) is the most commonly used mechanical circulatory support for patients with acute coronary syndromes and cardiogenic shock. Nevertheless, IABP‐related complications are still frequent and associated with a poor prognosis.

Hypothesis:

To prospectively assess the incidence and predictors of complications in patients treated with IABP.

Methods:

A total of 481 patients treated with IABP were prospectively enrolled in our registry (the Florence Registry). At multivariable logistic regression analysis the following variables were independent predictors for complications (when adjusted for age >75 years, eGFR and time length of IABP support): use of inotropes (OR 2.450, P < 0.017), nadir platelet count (1000/µL step; OR 0.990, P < 0.001), admission lactate (OR 1.175, P = 0.003). Nadir platelet count showed a negative correlation with length of time of IABP implantation (r?0.31; P < 0.001). A nadir platelet count cutoff value of less than 120,000 was identified using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the development of complications (area under the curve [AUC] 0.70; P < 0.001).

Results:

Complications were observed in the 13.1%, among whom 33 of 63 showed major bleeding. The incidence of complications was higher in patients aged >75 years (P = 0.015) and in those who had an IABP implanted for more than 24 hours (P = 0.001). Patients with complications showed an in Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) mortality higher than patients who did not (44.4% vs 17.2%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

In consecutive patients treated with IABP support, the degree of hemodynamic impairment and the decrease in platelet count were independent predictors of complications, whose development was associated with higher in‐ICCU mortality. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.

     

Effects of Low-Dose Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin on Plasma Lipid Profiles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Despite the favorable effects of reduction of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease, many patients treated with lipid-lowering HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) do not achieve goal LDL-C levels. This may be due to high doses of statins prescribed that could potentially induce adverse effects and compromise patient safety and compliance with considerable expense in the long-term. We compared the actions of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin, administered at the low dosages of 10 and 20 mg/day, respectively, in reducing plasma LDL-C levels and their effects on other components of the atherogenic lipid profile in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: In this randomized, parallel group, open-label clinical study, 106 patients with LDL-C >200 mg/dL were treated with rosuvastatin 10 mg/day (group A; n = 52), or atorvastatin 20 mg/day (group B; n = 54) for 48 weeks. RESULTS: At 48 weeks, rosuvastatin 10 mg/day was associated with a significantly greater reduction in plasma LDL-C levels compared with atorvastatin 20 mg/day (-44.32% vs -30%; p < 0.005). Compared with atorvastatin, rosuvastatin also produced a greater reduction in plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels (p < 0.005). Plasma HDL-C levels were not affected significantly, independent of the drug used. CONCLUSION: In high-risk patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, rosuvastatin 10 mg/day was more efficacious than atorvastatin 20 mg/day in reducing plasma LDL-C levels, enabling goal LDL-C levels to be achieved and improving other lipid parameters. Both treatments were well tolerated over 48 weeks.