Changes of antioxidant enzymes in the kidney after cardiac arrest in the rat model

Globally, cardiac arrest (CA) is a leading cause of death and disability. Asphyxial CA (ACA)-induced kidney damage is a crucial factor in reducing the survival rate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of antioxidant enzymes in histopathological renal damage in an ACA rat model at different time points. A total of 88 rats were divided into five groups and exposed to ACA except for the sham group. To evaluate glomerular function and oxidative stress, serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Crtn) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in renal tissues were measured. To determine histopathological damage, hematoxylin and eosin staining, periodic acid-Schiff staining, and Masson's trichrome staining were performed. Expression levels of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1), superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD-2), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Survival rate of the experimental rats was reduced to 80% at 6 h, 55% at 12 h, 42.9% at 1 day, and 33% at 2 days after return of spontaneous circulation. Levels of BUN, Crtn, and MDA started to increase significantly in the early period of CA induction. Renal histopathological damage increased markedly from 6 h until two days post-CA. Additionally, expression levels of antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased at 6 h, 12 h, 1 day, and 2 days after CA. CA-induced oxidative stress and decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD-1, SOD-2, CAT, GPx) from 6 h to two days could be possible mediators of severe renal tissue damage and increased mortality rate.

Effect of nitrate, ammonium and phosphate on the growth and microcystin production of Korean Microcystis species

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of nitrogen (NO3-N, NH3-N) and phosphorus (PO4-P) on the growth and microcystin production of two bloom-forming Microcystis species (toxic M. aeruginosa MAHC160824 and non-toxic M. viridis MVHC160824).Methodology: The two Microcystis species were isolated from the lower reaches of the Nakdong river, South Korea. In the culture experiments, the average nutrient concentrations (NH3-N, NO3-N and PO4-P) at which Microcystis appeared (> 15°C) was used as control medium. Different concentrations of NH3-N, NO3-N and PO4-P were then employed in nutrient testing (control, vs. 4 times and 16 times higher than the control). Microcystin levels were measured using a UPLC™ (LC MS/MS) system. Results: Both toxic and non-toxic Microcystis strains exhibited a maximum cell density at 30°C and a maximum growth rate at 25-30°C. In the nutrient addition assays, the maximum growth of two Microcystis species were found at nutrient concentrations 4 to 16 times higher than the control (NH3-N: 0.468 mg l-1, PO4-P: 0.100 mg l-1, NO3-N: 32.5 mg l-1). The highest microcystin production levels were found under optimal growth conditions. The microcystin levels of toxic M. aeruginosa MAHC160824 were below the detection limit despite a higher number of cells (> 300,000 cells ml-1) at the same nutrients concentrations as those found in raw water from the Nakdong river. Interpretation: Higher production of microcystin occurs when there is an increase in NH3-N and PO4-P within a restricted range in toxic species M. aeruginosa MAHC160824, else the production is low

A preliminary study on bacterial composition in the subgingival plaque of woman with periodontitis during pregnancy and menopause

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the bacterial composition in subgingival plaque of females with periodontitis during pregnancy and menopause stages using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene pyrosequencing approach.Methodology: Subgingival plaque was collected from four woman volunteers (healthy, periodontitis, periodontitis at pregnancy and periodontitis at menopause). The microbial community composition was analyzed by 454/Roche GS FLX chemistry pyrosequencing approach using the variable (V1-V3) region of the 16S rRNA gene. Pyrosequencing reads were sorted to get the clean reads that were annotated against the EzBioCloud data base for taxonomic classification. Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were assigned and shared, and subsequently identified using CLCOMMUNITY software. Results: Pyrosequencing yielded 13,939 sequences comprising of 13 phyla, 124 genera, and 372 species. The predominant microbial phyla in subgingival plaque of all woman volunteers included Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria. In the healthy volunteer, Streptococcus (52.4%) formed the predominant genus while in woman with periodontitis Streptococcus (24.6%) and Fusobacterium (11.7%) predominated. In the periodontitis volunteer with pregnancy, the predominant genus included Streptococcus (25.8%) and Fusobacterium (22.4%), whereas volunteer with menopause, the gingivitis was associated with genus Alloprevotella (19.5%), Leptotrichia (14.3%), Fusobacterium (12.3%), and Porphyromonas (12.0%). Interpretation: This study proves on preliminary basis that the subgingival microbiome of woman with periodontitis at pregnancy or menopause tend to differ from that of healthy woman, and these species included certain periodontal pathogens such as Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis

Prevalence of comorbid anxiety and depression among DM type II patients of OMMC Department of Family and Community Medicine Using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale –P

Background@#Over the past decades, diabetic patients have more than doubled globally making it a significant public health challenge. Many studies and trials show that patients with chronic illness such as diabetes are vulnerable to develop anxiety and depression hence identification and treatment of both comorbid conditions should be promptly addressed. @*Objectives@#This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among DM patients of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center Department of Family and Community Medicine.@*Methods@#Survey used HADS-P questionnaire which is a 14-item self-administered rating scale. A cut off score of > 8 either on the subscale of depression or anxiety was used to determine their respective prevalence. @*Results@#Data obtained show prevalence of Anxiety and Depression was, 46% and 1% respectively. It is also important to note that the prevalence for borderline symptoms of anxiety and depression are 33 and 36% respectively. Identifying the individual patients and notifying the physician in charge may help promote general well-being of these patients.

Is histologic differentiation a prognostic indicator for gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic relevance of histologic differentiation in gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection is unclear. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection according to the histologic differentiation and evaluated surgical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 1198 gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection (American joint committee on cancer, Stages I‑III), 274 (22.9%) had well‑differentiated, 331 (27.6%) had moderately differentiated and 593 (49.5%) had poorly differentiated gastric carcinomas. RESULTS: Patients with the poorly differentiated type had more prominent serosal invasion, much more lymph node involvement and more advanced stage than patients with the well‑differentiated type. The overall survival rate was higher for patients with a well‑differentiated gastric carcinoma than for patients with a poorly differentiated type. Using Cox’s proportional hazard regression model, histologic differentiation was found to be a statistically significant prognostic parameter (risk ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.028‑1.922; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that patients with a well‑differentiated gastric carcinoma have a good prognosis compared with those with a poorly differentiated type. Therefore, histologic differentiation can be used as a prognostic indicator in gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection.

Repeated oral administration of capsaicin increases anxiety-like behaviours with prolonged stress-response in rats.

This study was conducted to examine the psycho-emotional effects of repeated oral exposure to capsaicin, the principal active component of chili peppers. Each rat received 1 mL of 0.02% capsaicin into its oral cavity daily, and was subjected to behavioural tests following 10 daily administrations of capsaicin. Stereotypy counts and rostral grooming were significantly increased, and caudal grooming decreased, in capsaicin-treated rats during the ambulatory activity test. In elevated plus maze test, not only the time spent in open arms but also the percent arm entry into open arms was reduced in capsaicin-treated rats compared with control rats. In forced swim test, although swimming duration was decreased, struggling increased in the capsaicin group, immobility duration did not differ between the groups. Repeated oral capsaicin did not affect the basal levels of plasma corticosterone; however, the stress-induced elevation of plasma corticosterone was prolonged in capsaicin treated rats. Oral capsaicin exposure significantly increased c-Fos expression not only in the nucleus tractus of solitarius but also in the paraventricular nucleus. Results suggest that repeated oral exposure to capsaicin increases anxiety-like behaviours in rats, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may play a role in its pathophysiology.

Linking India global health professions student survey data to the world health organization framework convention on tobacco control.

The 2003 India Tobacco Control Act (ITCA) includes provisions designed to reduce tobacco consumption and protect citizens from exposure to secondhand smoke. India ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) on February 27, 2005. The WHO FCTC is the world's first public health treaty that aims to promote and protect public health and reduce the devastating health and economic impact of tobacco. The Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) was developed to track tobacco use among third-year dental, medical, nursing, and pharmacy students across countries. Data from the dental (2005), medical (2006), nursing(2007), and pharmacy (2008) GHPSS conducted in India showed high prevalence of tobacco use and a general lack of training by health professionals in patient cessation counseling techniques. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare could use this information to monitor and evaluate the existing tobacco control program effort in India as well as to develop and implement new tobacco control program initiatives.

Protective mechanism of agmatine pretreatment on RGC-5 cells injured by oxidative stress

Agmatine has neuroprotective effects on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as well as cortical and spinal neurons. It protects RGCs from oxidative stress even when it is not present at the time of injury. As agmatine has high affinity for various cellular receptors, we assessed protective mechanisms of agmatine using transformed RGCs (RGC-5 cell line). Differentiated RGC-5 cells were pretreated with 100 ìM agmatine and consecutively exposed to 1.0 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Cell viability was determined by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and the effects of selective alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine (0-500 nM) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor agonist NMDA (0-100 µM) were evaluated. Agmatine’s protective effect was compared to a selective NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. After a 16-h exposure to H2O2, the LDH assay showed cell loss greater than 50 percent, which was reduced to about 30 percent when agmatine was pretreated before injury. Yohimbine almost completely inhibited agmatine’s protective effect, but NMDA did not. In addition, MK-801 (0-100 µM) did not significantly attenuate the H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that neuroprotective effects of agmatine on RGCs under oxidative stress may be mainly attributed to the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor signaling pathway.

Changes in activity of hepatic xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes of tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes) exposed to paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins.

Attempts were made to examine the effect of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins (PSP) on hepatic xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XMEs) of tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes). Two groups of nontoxic tiger fish were analyzed, and one group was fed with a PSP-containing diet (PSP group), and another with a PSP-free diet (control group). After 60 days of feeding, they were compared to each other mainly in terms of the activity of XMEs. Both groups did not differ from each other significantly in body weight gain, hepatosomatic index, and condition factor Hepatic level of cytochrome P450 was lower in PSP group than control group. NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase, and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) exhibited a reduced activity in PSP group than control group. Statistical analysis found that the activity or concentration of those enzymes correlated with the hepatic level of PSR with r2=0.497-0.611.

Diagnosis and evaluation of obstructive sleep apnoea in children

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The aim of this article is to review the medical literature and describe clinical and laboratory findings in children with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) to differentiate children with OSA from those with primary snoring or other disorders, with a particular focus on Asian children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Medline search via Pub Med, search terms sleep apnoea and children; and sleep apnoea and children and Asian.</p><p><b>RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS</b>Children with OSA usually present with snoring, daytime sleepiness, and/or difficulties in school or behaviour. The prevalence of OSA in Asian children is less than that of other groups, but the severity of the disorder on presentation may be greater. Overnight polysomnography remains the diagnostic "gold standard"; limited studies, or studies in the home, are not sufficient to exclude OSA in a child with suggestive symptoms, nor can they reliably assess the severity of the disorder which is important in planning treatment. Limited studies may, however, be useful in large-scale research studies.</p>

Posterior thoracic segmental pedicle screw instrumentation: evolving methods of safe and effective placement.

The use of pedicle screw instrumentation in the spine has evolved over the last two decades. The initial use of pedicle screws began in the lumbar spine. As surgeons have become more comfortable with the complex anatomy required for accurate screw placement, the use of pedicle instrumentation has evolved to include their use in the thoracolumbar and thoracic spine. The impetus behind their increased use is a result of the many advantages that pedicle screw anchorage offers over traditional hook and rod constructs. Improved deformity correction and overall construct rigidity are two important advantages of pedicle screw instrumentation due its three-column control over the spinal elements. First, pedicle screw instrumentation obviates the need to place instrumentation within the spinal canal with its inherent risk of neurologic injury. Second, the placement of pedicle screws is independent of facet or laminar integrity and thus has been extremely useful in traumatic, neoplastic, and degenerative conditions. The benefits of pedicle screws in the thoracic spine has been tempered by the potential for catastrophic neurological or soft tissue injuries due to the close proximity of these structures. The narrow and inconsistent shape of the thoracic pedicles, especially in spinal deformity, makes their placement technically challenging. As a result, surgeons have employed a number of techniques to ensure the safe and efficacious placement of thoracic pedicle screws. Detailed anatomic landmarks used to determine pedicle location, intraoperative imaging including navigation, and neurophysiological monitoring are some of the techniques currently used by surgeons. The implementation of these techniques and a thorough understanding of the complex three-dimensional anatomy have allowed surgeons to successfully place thoracic and thoracolumbar pedicle screws.

Immunizing children to protect against the increasing risk of hepatitis A in adolescents and young adults in South Korea.

We evaluated the CR326F strain (VAQTA) derived hepatitis A vaccine in Korean children and adolescents >2 years of age to consider a future immunization program. In our study, the pediatric two-dose regimen of VAQTA was found to be generally well tolerated and resulted in 100% (95% CI 94.8, 100.0) seroconversion after 2 doses. Immunizing children with the HAV vaccine routinely should be considered in South Korea, particularly in areas where recent outbreaks have occurred.

Use of sodium transfer tissue biosensor (STTB) for monitoring of marine toxic organism.

A highly sensitive sodium (Na+) transfer tissue biosensor (STTB) was designed using a frog bladder membrane to measure paralytic shellfish poisons (PSP). The STTB consists, of a Na+ electrode covered by the membrane, which was then integrated into a flow-through system for continuous measurements. In the absence of Na+ channel blocker, active transfer of Na+ occurred from inside to outside across the frog membrane. When the STTB was used to measure the Na+ -dependent dissociation of PSP, it was able to detect PSB at a level contained in a single cell. However, 5 fg or higher (100 cells or more) is needed for accurate and reproducible measurements. The toxicity obtained by the STTB was significantly correlated (r = 0.9449) to that determined by the HPLC. Therefore, the simple method of the STTB can be used not only to detect a low level PSP in toxic plankton populations, but also to monitor poisons in shellfish.

Screening for galactosemia: Philippines experience. Newborn Screening Study Group.

Galactosemia is an inborn error of galactose metabolism due to a deficiency of any of the galactokinase, galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT), or epimerase enzymes. The Philippines, with its pilot newborn screening project, has been screening for this disorder for 2 years now. A total of 62,841 babies have been screened using the galactose and galactose-1-phosphate spot test. Confirmatory testing is done by the newborn screening laboratory of the The New Children's Hospital in Westmead, Australia. Two cases of galactosemia: 1 classical galactosemia and 1 galactokinase deficiency have so far been confirmed. Clinical review, problems encountered, and management are described. Long-term outcome of these patients, however, is yet to be determined.

Quality of life of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis: preliminary validation of the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire in Singapore.

Though sufferers of perennial allergic rhinitis do not die from their ailment, they endure years of chronic nose disease that Interferes with many important aspects of their lives. A rhinitis-specific instrument to gauge the quality of life of patients with this disease was published in 1991. Here, we validated the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) for use in English-speaking patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. We established that the RQLQ distinguishes between patients and control, demonstrates internal consistency and is sensitive to change. This study suggests that the RQLQ can be used to assess the quality of life of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis in Singapore.