Reduced serum non-enzymatic antioxidant defense and increased lipid peroxidation in schizophrenic patients on a hypocaloric diet

This study aimed to affirm the use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIR) in examining frontal lobe role during automatic (i.e., requires retrieval from long-term memory) and method-based (i.e., requires calculation) arithmetic processing. Adult university students (math difficulties [MD] and control) performed simple arithmetic calculations while monitored using an fNIR system designed to image regions within the frontal cortices. Addition and subtraction problems presented on a computer screen belonged to one of three categories: triples “under 10” (e.g., 2 + 3 = ?, 5 − 3 = ?), triples that “break 10” (e.g., 5 + 8 = ?, 13 − 5 = ?), or triples “including 10” (e.g., 10 + 7 = ?, 17 − 10 = ?). fNIR recordings indicated significant interactions between type of triple, operation, and group over left frontal lobe, and between type of triple and group over right frontal lobe.Within-group differences among controls were found in the “break 10” triples with higher DeOxyHb level recorded during subtraction processing. Between-group differences were found in the “break 10” and “including 10” triples for subtraction with higher levels of DeOxyHb recorded among controls. Results imply that among adults frontal lobe is still involved during simple mathematical processing and fNIR recordings can differentiate its role in adults of varying mathematical ability.     

Liver transplantation and alcoholic liver disease: History,controversies, and considerations

Alcohol consumption accounts for 3.8% of annual global mortality worldwide, and the majority of these deaths are due to alcoholic liver disease(ALD), mainly alcoholic cirrhosis. ALD is one of the most common indications for liver transplantation(LT). However, it remains a complicated topic on both medical and ethical grounds, as it is seen by many as a "self-inflicted disease". One of the strongest ethical arguments against LT for ALD is the probability of relapse. However, ALD remains a common indication for LT worldwide. For a patient to be placed on an LT waiting list, 6 mo of abstinence must have been achieved for most LT centers. However, this "6-mo rule" is an arbitrary threshold and has never been shown to affect survival, sobriety, or other outcomes. Recent studies have shown similar survival rates among individuals who undergo LT for ALD and those who undergo LT for other chronic causes of end-stage liver disease. There are specific factors that should be addressed when evaluating LT patients with ALD because these patients commonly have a high prevalence of multisystem alcohol-related changes. Risk factors for relapse include the presence of anxiety or depressive disorders, short pre-LT duration of sobriety, and lack of social support. Identification of risk factors and strengthening of the social support system may decrease relapse among these patients. Family counseling for LT candidates is highly encouraged to prevent alcohol consumption relapse. Relapse has been associated with unique histopathological changes, graft damage, graft loss, and even decreased survival in some studies. Research has demonstrated the importance of a multidisciplinary evaluation of LT candidates. Complete abstinence should be attempted to overcome addiction issues and to allow spontaneous liver recovery. Abstinence is the cornerstone of ALD therapy. Psychotherapies, including 12-step facilitation therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and motivational enhancement therapy, help support abstinence. Nutritional therapy helps to reverse muscle wasting, weight loss, vitamin deficiencies, and trace element deficiencies associated with ALD. For muscular recovery, supervised physical activity has been shown to lead to a gain in muscle mass and improvement of functional activity. Early LT for acute alcoholic hepatitis has been the subject of recent clinical studies, with encouraging results in highly selected patients. The survival rates after LT for ALD are comparable to those of patients who underwent LT for other indications. Patients that undergo LT for ALD and survive over 5 years have a higher risk of cardiorespiratory disease, cerebrovascular events, and de novo malignancy.     

Effects of Isoflavones on the Skin of Postmenopausal Women: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of isoflavones on the skin of postmenopausal women.

DESIGN:

A prospective study was performed with 30 postmenopausal women before and immediately after the end of treatment with 100 mg/day of an isoflavones-rich, concentrated soy extract for six months. A skin punch was performed in the gluteal region for sample collection before and immediately after the treatment program. Morphometric determination of epidermal thickness, the papillary index (wrinkling), and the amount of dermal elastic and collagen fibers was assessed. In addition, the number of blood vessels in the sample was also evaluated. The paired Student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis (P ≤ 0.05).

RESULTS:

Isoflavone treatment resulted in a 9.46% increase in the thickness of the epidermis in 23 patients. In addition, the papillary index was reduced in 21 women. The papillary index was inversely proportional to skin wrinkling, i.e., there were a large number of papillae after treatment. The amount of collagen in the dermis was increased in 25 women (86.2%). In 22 women (75.8%) we observed that the number of elastic fibers increased. The number of dermal blood vessels was significantly increased in 21 women.

CONCLUSION:

Our data show that the use of a concentrated, isoflavone-rich soy extract during six consecutive months caused significant increases in epithelial thickness, the number of elastic and collagen fibers, as well as the blood vessels.     

Scavenging and antioxidant potential of physiological taurine concentrations against different reactive oxygen/nitrogen species

While several studies have been conducted on the antioxidant properties of the β-amino acid taurine, these studies all used concentrations lower than what is found physiologically. This study investigates the scavenging and antioxidant properties of physiological taurine concentrations against different reactive species. No reactivity between taurine and hydrogen peroxide was found; however, taurine exhibited significant scavenging potential against peroxyl radical, nitric oxide, and superoxide donors. This study also evaluated if taurine was able to minimize the in vitro CuZn-superoxide dismutase damage (SOD) induced by peroxynitrite. Taurine prevented both the formation of nitrotyrosine adducts and the decrease in SOD activity caused by peroxynitrite. In addition, taurine prevented the ex vivo damage caused by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in rat liver slices. These experimental data show that taurine, at different physiological concentrations efficiently scavenges many reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This finding supports the hypothesis that the antioxidant properties of taurine may be critical for the maintenance of cellular functions, and it suggests a more important function of taurine that requires further investigation.