Oxyhemoglobin changes in the prefrontal cortex in response to cognitive tasks: a systematic review

Purpose of the study: the aim of this study was to synthesize PFC fNIRS outcomes on the effects of cognitive tasks compared to resting/baseline tasks in healthy adults from studies utilizing a pre/post design.

Material and methods: original research studies were searched from seven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, SCOPUS, PEDro and PubMed). Subsequently, two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts followed by full-text reviews to assess the studies' eligibility.

Results: eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and had data abstracted and quality assessed. Methodology varied considerably and yet cognitive tasks resulted in the ΔO₂Hb increasing in 8 of the 11 and ΔHHb decreasing in 8 of 8 studies that reported this outcome. The cognitive tasks from 10 of the 11 studies were classified as “Working Memory” and “Verbal Fluency Tasks”.

Conclusions: although, the data comparison was challenging provided the heterogeneity in methodology, the results across studies were similar.     

Multi-center analysis of calcinosis in children with juvenile dermatomyositis]

OBJECTIVES: To reveal the frequency and the clinical characteristics of dystrophic calcification that occurs in children with juvenile dermatomyositis, multi-center analysis was constructed. METHOD: Fifty children with JDM were enrolled, and 14 of them (28.0%) were complicated with calcinosis. Clinical symptoms and laboratory tests at onset, initial therapy and disease course were compared in children with and without calcinosis. RESULTS: The mean age of the onset of calcinosis was 4.78 +/- 3.33 years, and it was younger than those of children without calcinosis (8.66 +/- 3.85 years) (P = 0.0017). No differences of clinical manifestation except Gower's sign were observed. The frequency of positive anti-nuclear antibody was 7.1% in children with calcinosis and 52.9% without calcinosis (P = 0.0112). The initial therapy of methylprednisolon pulses gave no effects on prognosis of calcium deposition. The calcinosis appeared in 1.56 +/- 1.91 year after the onset of the disease. The various types of calcium deposition including large tumorous clumps, subcutaneous plaques or nodules, sheet-type calcification were deserved. They appeared over knee joints (64.3%), elbow joint (64.3%), and hip processes (50.0%). Calcinosis affecting the subcutaneous tissues frequently resulted in painful superficial ulceration of the overlying skin (42.9%), local infection (50.0%), and limitation of joint movement (14.3%). Although aluminum phosphate was effective in 2 children among 7, no other effective treatment was recommended. In 5 cases, surgical removal of tumorous clumps was operated. Thus, juvenile dermatomyositis is frequently complicated with calcinosis. This type of calcinosis was found to be unlikely to resolve completely, and resulted in severe disability in children.     

Impairment of acid-neutralizing capacity and lesion formation in the rat duodenum during hemorrhagic shock: comparative study with indomethacin

The effects of hemorrhagic shock (HE) on duodenal pH, acid-neutralizing capacity and mucosal tolerance to acid were investigated in anesthetized rats, and they were compared with those of indomethacin. HE was performed by bleeding from the carotid artery to reduce arterial blood pressure to about 55 mmHg (3 ml of bleeding per 200 g of body weight), and indomethacin was given s.c. in a dose of 5 mg/kg. Duodenal pH was determined in the outflow from the proximal duodenum (1.7 cm) which was perfused with 10(-4) M HCl, and acid-neutralizing capacity was measured by back-titration of the perfusate to pH 4.0 with 10 mM HCl. Under these conditions, duodenal pH was kept at around 6.0 as the result of neutralization in the loop (approximately 8 microEq/hr). Both HE and indomethacin significantly decreased the pH and acid-neutralizing capacity. Administration of 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (16-dmPGE2: 30 micrograms/kg, s.c.) significantly increased both pH and acid-neutralizing capacity in normal and indomethacin-treated rats, but failed to affect these parameters in rats under HE conditions. When the duodenal loop was perfused with 50 mM HCl for 1.5 hr, both HE and indomethacin induced extensive damage in the mucosa. Pretreatment with 16-dmPGE2 significantly reduced the formation of duodenal lesions induced by indomethacin but not by HE. These results suggest that HE as well as indomethacin impaired duodenal acid-neutralizing capacity to reduce the tolerance to acid of the mucosa. The deleterious effects of HE on the mucosa may be mainly due to a decreased mucosal blood flow, but not due to a deficiency of endogenous prostaglandins.     

Clinical evaluation of cefuzonam in pediatrics and a study on the penetration into cerebrospinal fluid

Studies were carried out on the penetration of cefuzonam (L-105, CZON), a new synthetic cephalosporin antibiotic, into cerebrospinal fluid, and on the clinical efficacy against bacterial infections. The results are summarized as follows: Concentrations of CZON in cerebrospinal fluid at 1 hour after intravenous administration of 100 mg/kg in cases of furunculosis of the external canal, encephalitis and mumps meningitis were 0.56 micrograms/ml, 1.44 micrograms/ml and 0.33 micrograms/ml, respectively. Concentrations of CZON in cerebrospinal fluid at 1 hour after intravenous administration of 100 mg/kg in 3 cases of purulent meningitis were 2.80-6.40 micrograms/ml at the acute stage and 0.56-1.45 micrograms/ml even at the recovering stage. Sensitivities of clinically isolated strains to CZON were determined and expressed as MIC. MICs of CZON on Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae were similar to MIC's of cefmenoxime (CMX), and lower than those of cefoperazone (CPZ), cefmetazole (CMZ), cefatiam (CTM) and Cefazolin (CEZ). The MIC of CZON on Staphylococcus aureus was similar to those of CEZ, CMZ and CTM, and lower than those of CMX and CPZ. Clinical responses of CZON were good in 2 cases of purulent meningitis, good in 2 cases of pyothorax, excellent in 1 case of septicemia, excellent in 3 cases of urinary tract infections, excellent in 7 cases and good in 3 cases out of 10 cases of pneumonia. Clinical responses of other diseases were excellent in 4 cases of bronchitis, good in 1 case of furunculosis of the external canal, excellent in 1 case of tonsillitis. No side effects nor abnormal laboratory findings were observed except 2 cases of mild diarrhea out of 24 cases.     

Differentiation of blast cells from a Down's syndrome patient with transient myeloproliferative disorder

A male neonate with Down's syndrome and congenital myeloproliferative disorder was studied. His blood picture showed the unique coexistence of leukocytosis with matured cells and a large number of blast cells. The in vitro proliferation and differentiation of blast cells into various lineages in the presence of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated leukocyte conditioned medium (PHA-LCM) was examined by using a liquid culture and a methylcellulose culture system. The differentiation of blast cells into myeloid cells was confirmed by specific cytochemical stainings, electron microscopy, and an immunologic study. No specific factors in the plasma of the patient promoted the proliferation or differentiation of blast cells. The cellular composition of colonies grown in methylcellulose culture from single blast cells was studied by a micromanipulation technique. High plating efficiency was observed. Of 136 cultures, 78 showed colony growth. Half of the blast cells were colony-forming cells that could proliferate and differentiate into basophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, and erythrocytes in the presence of PHA-LCM. Using the blast cells with a high differentiation capacity to the basophil pathway, we studied the effect of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM- CSF). Recombinant GM-CSF support neutrophils, eosinophils, and macrophages but not typical basophils. These findings of the cell differentiation of blast cells into various kinds of cells in vitro were in agreement with the finding of neutrophilia, eosinophilia, basophilia, and thrombocythemia in this patient.     

The participation of adenosine receptors in the adenosine 5''-triphosphate-induced relaxation in the isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum penis

AIM: To investigate the participation of adenosine receptors in the adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-induced relaxation in the corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) of rabbits. METHODS: The ATP-induced relaxation was assessed on the noradrenaline precontracted CCP of rabbits in the presence and absence of 8-(3-chlorostyryl)caffeine (CSC); an adenosine A(2A) receptor antagonist; alloxazine and MRS1754; adenosine A(2B) receptor antagonists; and ARL67156, an inhibitor of ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases. RESULTS: Adenosine and ATP relaxed the noradrenaline precontracted CCP of rabbits in a concentration-dependent manner. The adenosine- and ATP-induced relaxations were suppressed by alloxazine and MRS1754, but not by 8-(3-chlorostyryl)caffeine. ARL67156 potentiated the ATP-induced relaxation but not the adenosine-induced one. MRS1754 suppressed the ATP-induced relaxation potentiated by ARL67156. CONCLUSIONS: The above results suggest that, in the CCP of rabbits, the adenosine receptor mediating adenosine-induced relaxation is of the A(2B) receptor and the ATP directly causes relaxation through the A(2B) receptor on the CCP.     

First-line high-dose chemotherapy combined with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for patients with advanced extragonadal germ cell tumors

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) combined with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for patients with advanced extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGGCT). METHODS: Six male patients with advanced non-seminomatous EGGCT were treated with HDCT combined with PBSCT following 2-3 cycles of conventional-dose induction chemotherapy. The regimens used for HDCT were carboplatin, etoposide and ifosfamide (ICE) in five patients and ICE plus paclitaxel (T-ICE) in one patient, and that for induction therapy was cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin (PEB) in all patients. As a rule, HDCT was continuously administered until alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin normalized (beta-HCG). RESULTS: Following 1-6 courses of HDCT (median, 4 courses), beta-HCG and AFP were normalized in all patients, and five and one patient were diagnosed as showing partial remission and stable disease, respectively. Five patients underwent surgical resection of residual tumors after HDCT, yielding necrotic tissue in two, mature teratoma in two, and viable cancer tissue in one, and the surgical margin was negative in all patients. At a median follow-up of 36 months, five patients were alive and disease-free, whereas the remaining one died of disease progression. Although all patients had grade 3 hematological toxicity, there was no treatment-related death by combining PBSCT. CONCLUSIONS: First-line HDCT with PBSCT could be safely administered to patients with advanced EGGCT, and the antitumor effect of this treatment was comparatively favorable. First-line HDCT therefore may represent an attractive option for patients with advanced EGGCT.     

Vasodilator effects of sarafotoxins and endothelin-1 in spontaneously hypertensive rats and rat isolated perfused mesentery

Sarafotoxins (SRTa, SRTb and SRTc) and ET-1 produced a potent vasodilator effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats in vivo and in rat isolated perfused mesenteries in vitro. Among these peptides SRTc demonstrated the most potent vasodilator activity, and was three times more active than SRTa in both preparations. These peptides induced endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in vitro and pretreatment with methylene blue inhibited this effect, while exposure to the antagonists of other vasodilators did not. In contrast, [nitrophenylsulfenylated Trp21]SRTc, SRTc(1-18) and reduced and S-carboxymethylated SRTc caused no vasodilatation in either animal model; the vasodilator effect of acetylated SRTc was less potent than that of SRTc. These results suggest that (i) the vasodilatations of these peptides may be exerted through the release of endothelium derived relaxing factor; (ii) the C-terminal Trp21 and disulfide bonds are essential; and (iii) the N-terminal amino group plays an important role in vasodilator activity.