Effective Decision-Making and Decisional Regret in Living Kidney Donors of Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: While most living kidney donors are satisfied with their decision and do not regret donating, few studies have been conducted on the determinants related to the effectiveness and regret of the decision. This study aims to explore the relationship between basic attributes, quality of life, positive affect, negative affect, effectiveness of decision-making, and regret in living kidney donors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, living kidney donors were recruited from urology and kidney transplant outpatient services. The structured questionnaire used to collect the data included the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, Decision Conflict Scale, and Decision Regret Scale. RESULTS: The findings indicate that living donors with better health status, 24-hour creatinine clearance, physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and positive affect experienced greater feelings of effective decision-making. Moreover, women and donors with better physical HRQOL, positive affect, and decision effectiveness were less regretful about the decision of kidney donation. CONCLUSION: Health status, physical HRQOL, and positive affect are related to decision validity and regret of living donors. Therefore, clinical care providers should regularly assess the mood and health of living kidney donors. Furthermore, activities promoting their health should be encouraged, especially for men.

Positive and Negative Affects in Living Kidney Donors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the positive and negative affects and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of living kidney donors. METHODS: With the use of a cross-sectional study design and a structured questionnaire, information on the basic characteristics, positive affect, negative affect, and HRQOL of 41 living kidney donors were compared. RESULTS: The negative affect in living kidney donors was similar to that of the general population, but the positive affect was slightly lower. The physical HRQOL of living kidney donors was slightly higher than that of the general population, and the mental HRQOL was similar. Female donors showed a greater positive affect than male donors. The donors who were siblings of the recipients showed a more negative affect. Donors without chronic disease and with good perceived physical health showed improved positive affect, negative affect, and mental HRQOL. Furthermore, living kidney donors with better positive and negative affects showed improved physical and mental HRQOLs. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical health providers should evaluate and determine the positive affect, negative affect, and quality of life of living kidney donors, especially in men, siblings of the recipients, those with chronic disease, and those with poorer perceived physical health. Moreover, psychosocial interventions should be provided to improve these factors.

[The clinical analysis of corneal interface fluid syndrome after Laser lamellar corneal refractive surgery].

Objective: To analysis, the clinical characteristics, refractive changes, and clinical treatment of interface fluid syndrome after laser lamellar corneal refractive surgery. Methods: During Dec. 2010 to Apr. 2016. In total 6 cases(9 eyes), 3 cases were bilateral, 3 cases were unilateral. Five patients were male and 1 was female. The age of the patients ranged from 20 to 29 years was (24.83±4.02) years. Six cases(9 eyes)of IFS were diagnosed at our hospital. The history and complete ophthalmic examination that include Slit-lamp examination, Slit-lamp photography, refraction, corneal thickness measurement, corneal endothelial cell counting, IOP, anterior segment OCT(AS-OCT), exams were recorded. Results: Post-lasik Primary open angle glaucoma was 2 eyes in 1 patient. 1 patient(1 eye)was Posner-Schlossmann Syndrome and 1 patient(1 eye)was iritis after femtosecond laser. Post-small incision lenticule extraction by steroid drops induced elevated IOP were 5 eyes in 3 patients. Slit-lamp exam indicated edematous corneal flap or cap, lamellar haze, interface fluids accumulation. AS-OCT showed obvious interface dark area. The corneal flap or cap thickening and wrinkles, IOP change, diopter myopic shift, Corneal thickening. Conclusions: IFS is a rare but serious complication after Laser lamellar corneal refractive surgery. The main causes are high intraocular pressure and/or dysfunction of corneal endothelium. For patients with high IOP after laser lamellar corneal refractive surgery, follow up should be observed closely. accurate diagnosis by OCT and corneal endothelial cell counting. Early diagnosis, accurate treatment, its prognosis is good. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 847-854).

Considerations for the analysis of longitudinal electronic health records linked to claims data to study the effectiveness and safety of drugs.

Health insurance claims and electronic health records (EHR) databases have been considered the preferred data sources with which to study drug safety and effectiveness in routine care. Linking claims data to EHR allows researchers to leverage the complementary advantages of each data source to enhance study validity. We propose a framework to evaluate the need for supplementing claims data with EHR and vice versa to optimize outcome ascertainment, exposure assessment, and confounding adjustment.

¹8F-FP-(+)-DTBZ positron emission tomography detection of monoaminergic deficient network in patients with carbon monoxide related parkinsonism.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although parkinsonism after carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication is well known, neurotransmitter deficient networks that are responsible for the severity of parkinsonism have rarely been systemically evaluated. METHODS: Eighteen patients with CO-related parkinsonism and nine age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled for detailed neurological examinations, three-dimensional T1-weighted images, diffusion tensor imaging and (18)F-9-fluoropropyl-(+)-dihydrotetrabenzazine ((18)F-FP-(+)-DTBZ) positron emission tomography (PET). The structural analysis included voxel-based morphometry to assess grey matter atrophy and tract-based spatial statistics related to white matter involvement. For presynaptic monoaminergic assessment, volume of interest analysis in six subcortical regions and non-parametric voxel-wise comparison were performed on PET images with estimation of registration parameters from magnetic resonance images. All the imaging modalities were compared between the patients and controls. For the patients, a regression model for correlation with cognitive behaviour and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score was used. RESULTS: In the patients, monoaminergic deficit networks were found in the caudate, anterior putamen, anterior insular, thalamus and anterior cingulate cortex. The UPDRS revealed significant correlations with the prefrontal white matter fractional anisotropy values and with the (18)F-FP-(+)-DTBZ uptake values in the caudate nucleus, insular, medial prefrontal and dorsomedial thalamus. The neuropsychiatric inventory score correlated with the (18)F-FP-(+)-DTBZ uptake values in the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated monoaminergic deficits and white matter damage networks in CO-related parkinsonism that determined the severity of parkinsonism or behaviour changes. As the substantia nigra was spared, the monoaminergic topography of involvement suggests a different pathophysiology in CO-related parkinsonism.

The new body mass index system in predicting renal graft outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been related to poor renal graft function. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term graft outcomes of living-related kidney recipients regarding donor-to-recipient body mass index (BMI) parameters using the old Quetelet BMI formula and the new Trefethen BMI formula. METHODS: From November 2002 to November 2010, 62 consecutive living-related kidney transplantations were reviewed retrospectively. Four donor-to-recipient BMI parameters were used: (1) BMI difference by the old formula, (2) BMI difference by the new formula, (3) BMI ratio by the old formula, and (4) BMI ratio by the new formula. Long-term outcomes, including graft survival (GS) and rejection-free graft survival (RFGS) either overall or at 5 years post-transplantation, were analysed according to these parameters. RESULTS: The baseline demography was similar among tertiles according to the four BMI parameters tested. Although there is no significant difference in the long-term survivals by the old and new BMI formula, we found that the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is larger using the new formula, either by BMI difference (0.584 vs 0.559 in 5-year GS and 0.658 vs 0.636 in 5-year RFGS) or by BMI ratio (0.584 vs 0.561 in 5-year GS and 0.644 vs 0.626 in 5-year RFGS). The same trend was observed in overall survival outcomes. CONCLUSION: The new Trefethen BMI formula seems to predict long-term renal graft outcomes better than the old Quetelet BMI formula.

Development of a selective and differential medium for capsulated Lactococcus garvieae.

A selective and differential medium termed 'LG agar' was developed for the isolation and presumptive identification of Lactococcus garvieae that results in black colonies with red halos. In this study, all 14 strains of L. garvieae and only 9 of the 148 strains representing 38 other species were able to grow on the LG agar. The nine viable strains on LG agar plates (including Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactococcus lactis, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio furnissii, Vibrio mimicus and Vibrio salmonicida) were further differentiated from L. garvieae by various colours or colony features. Colonies isolated from the mixing culture and the infected giant sea perch using LG agar plates were all positively identified as L. garvieae by conventional tests and 16S rDNA sequencing. Furthermore, LG agar discriminated capsulated strains of L. garvieae, which were believed to be correlated with pathogens of fish and shellfish, from non-capsulated ones by colony appearances. The specificity and differentiating ability of LG agar suggest that this medium displays considerable potential for primary isolation and presumptive identification of L. garvieae from pathological and environmental samples.

Brain fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹8FDG PET) in patients with acute thallium intoxication.

OBJECTIVE: Thallium toxicity induces cellular injury through impaired Na-K-ATPase activity. The aim of this study was to investigate functional imaging and the long-term clinical-imaging correlations of thallium toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured thallium concentrations in blood, urine, stools, and hair of a 48-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man (patients 1 and 2) in the first 3 months after exposure to thallium containing water, and studied their neuropsychological functions. Using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)FDG PET) scans, we examined the brain involvement and correlated the image findings with the clinical presentations. RESULTS: On the 1st, 30th, and 61st days after exposure, the thallium concentrations in patient 1 were 2056, 311, and 7.5 µg/L in the blood, and 11400, 4570, and 36.4 µg/L in the urine. The concentrations in patient 2 were 956, 235, and 15.6 µg/L in the blood, and 11900, 2670, and 101 µg/L in the urine. On the 40th, 50th and 89th days after exposure, the thallium concentration in the stools were 21.6, 3.6, and 0.35 µg/g in patient 1, and 22.2, 3.2, and 0.37 µg/g in patient 2. Executive function, perceptual motor speed, and learning memory were initially abnormal but recovered particularly within the first year. The first (18)FDG PET studies of both patients disclosed a decreased uptake of glucose metabolism in the cingulate gyrus, bilateral frontal, and parietal lobes 2-5 months after exposure. The follow-up (18)FDG PET scan of patient 2 revealed a partial recovery. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that damage to the central nervous system after acute thallium poisoning may be reversible after a long-term follow-up. Brain (18)FDG PET demonstrated the brain involvement and was correlated with cognitive impairment.

(G2019S) LRRK2 activates MKK4-JNK pathway and causes degeneration of SN dopaminergic neurons in a transgenic mouse model of PD.

(G2019S) mutation of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is the most common genetic cause of both familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) cases. Twelve- to sixteen-month-old (G2019S) LRRK2 transgenic mice prepared by us displayed progressive degeneration of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) dopaminergic neurons and parkinsonism phenotypes of motor dysfunction. LRRK2 is a member of mixed lineage kinase subfamily of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs). We hypothesized that (G2019S) mutation augmented LRRK2 kinase activity, leading to overphosphorylation of downstream MAPK kinase (MKK) and resulting in activation of neuronal death signal pathway. Consistent with our hypothesis, (G2019S) LRRK2 expressed in HEK 293 cells exhibited an augmented kinase activity of phosphorylating MAPK kinase 4 (MKK4) at Ser(257), and protein expression of active phospho-MKK4(Ser257) was upregulated in the SN of (G2019S) LRRK2 transgenic mice. Protein level of active phospho-JNK(Thr183/Tyr185) and phospho-c-Jun(Ser63), downstream targets of phospho-MKK4(Ser257), was increased in the SN of (G2019S) LRRK2 mice. Upregulated mRNA expression of pro-apoptotic Bim and FasL, target genes of phospho-c-Jun(Ser63), and formation of active caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3 were also observed in the SN of (G2019S) LRRK2 transgenic mice. Our results suggest that mutant (G2019S) LRRK2 activates MKK4-JNK-c-Jun pathway in the SN and causes the resulting degeneration of SNpc dopaminergic neurons in PD transgenic mice.

Urothelial cancer after renal transplantation: an update.

According to the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplantation (ANZDATA) 2010 Annual Report, cancer is surpassing cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of posttransplantation death. Skin cancer and posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) are 2 cancers in Western countries. However, urothelial cancer happens much more frequently among Chinese people. We reviewed our experience in Congress of the Asian Society of Transplantation (CAST) 2005, including 10 urothelial cancers, among 620 renal transplant recipients. In this report, we have presented our updated data. From July 1981 to May 2011, we performed 770 renal transplantations followed by graft and native kidney sonography annually even among asymptomatic cases using the protocol described in CAST 2005. During this period, 35 urothelial tumors were detected, ie, 25 new cases were identified in 6 years. These 35 cases included 7 cases with bilateral upper tract involvement and 5 of them with bladder tumors. Seven patients had bladder cancer alone. In 19 patients, 22 ureteral cancers included 1 that grew from the graft ureter, 17 (77.3%) patients showed hydronephrosis by sonography. We performed 13 bilateral nephroureterectomies; 2 were known to have bilateral upper tract cancer. Four of the other 11 were found to have insidious tumors. In contrast, 2 of the 15 initial unilateral nephroureterectomy patients underwent a subsequent contralateral nephroureterectomy due to a tumor. The pattern of urethral cancer in renal transplant recipients is thoroughly different, including female predominance, and a higher incidence of upper tract involvement. We emphasize the necessity of routine periodic sonographic survey even among asymptomatic patients for early detection of a urothelial tumor.

Size does matter-donor-to-recipient body mass index difference may affect renal graft outcome.

BACKGROUND: Obesity, in the either kidney donor or the recipient, has been related to worse graft function. The aim of this study was to compare long-term graft outcomes of living-related kidney recipients regarding the donor-to-recipient body mass index (BMI) ratio. METHODS: From November 2002 to November 2010, 62 consecutive living-related kidney transplantations were performed at our center. Donor and recipient BMIs were categorized by Taiwan's national standard using dividing values of 18.5, 24, and 27 kg/m(2) to divide subjects into donor-to-recipient BMI categories. These with the same BMI category as their donors were defined as the same-BMI group (group 0); recipients with a lower BMI category than their donors were defined as the large-to-small group (group 1); and those with a higher BMI category than their donors were defined as the small-to-large group (group 2). Baseline parameters and posttransplantation follow-up data were analyzed according to this grouping. RESULTS: Of the 57 recipients followed regularly at our hospital (mean follow-up 48.9 months), 21 (36.8.1%) were in group 0; 26 (45.6%) in group 1, and 10 (17.6%) in group 2. The baseline parameters were similar among these groups. The overall graft survival rates were 81.0% in group 0, 76.9% in group 1, and 90.0% in group 2. The rejection-free graft survival rates were 81.0%, 65.4%, and 90.0%, respectively. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, group 1 showed worse rejection-free graft survival than group 0 or group 2 (log-rank P = .046). CONCLUSIONS: Living-related recipients of kidneys from donors with a higher BMI showed lower long-term graft survival, which might suggest that petite recipients may need time to compensate adequate blood flow for the relative large graft, thus carrying a higher chance of rejection and worse graft outcomes.

Clinical presentations of thyroid cancer patients with multiple primary cancers.

BACKGROUND: In thyroid cancer patients with multiple primary cancers, primary cancers tend to be more aggressive. AIMS: We analyzed multiple primary cancers in thyroid cancer patients and determined the differences between the incidence and the characteristics of primary cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 3070 patients with thyroid cancer underwent a thyroidectomy and follow-up examination at a single medical center. The times of diagnosis of the primary cancers were categorized as antecedent, synchronous, or subsequent to the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 8.8 ± 0.5 yr, the presence of multiple primary cancers was histopathologically confirmed in 163 patients (5.3%). Patients with multiple primary cancers had a lower female-to-male ratio, an older mean age, advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, higher total mortality, and higher therapeutic radioactive iodide (131I) doses than patients without multiple primary cancers. Hematological malignancy and renal cell carcinoma, neither of which are among the 10 most common cancers observed in the general population of Taiwan, were the most common multiple cancers among women and men with thyroid cancer. Patient age, thyroid cancer tumor size, and thyroid cancer mortality in the antecedent, synchronous, and subsequent groups were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with multiple primary cancers in advanced stages had shorter disease-free survival period after treatment. Thyroid cancer patients with multiple primary cancers should be closely followed up for the occurrence of other secondary cancers in order to improve total mortality.

A selective and differential medium for Vibrio alginolyticus.

In this paper, we present a selective and differential medium, termed Vibrio alginolyticus (VAL) agar, developed for the isolation and identification of V. alginolyticus. The presence of bile salts, high salinity and high incubation temperature allows the selective growth of moderately halophilic Vibrio species. Differentiation of bacteria is achieved by identifying species capable of sucrose fermentation, made visible by the pH indicator bromocresol purple. In this study, all of the 26 strains of V. alginolyticus and only three of the 99 strains representing 30 species (including 19 Vibrio species) other than V. alginolyticus were able to grow in the VAL medium. The remaining three strains could be further differentiated from V. alginolyticus according to colour or the diameter of colonies produced on VAL agar plates. Colonies isolated from shellfish rearing water and infected shrimp through the use of VAL agar plates were all positively identified as V. alginolyticus by conventional tests and 16S rDNA sequencing. The testing of specificity and differentiation capability of VAL shows the potential of the agar as a medium for the primary isolation of V. alginolyticus from pathological and environmental samples.

Effect of caponization and exogenous androgen implantation on muscle characteristics of male chickens.

This study examined the effects of caponization and different exogenous androgen implantations on the growth performance and muscle characteristics of caponized male chickens. Male Single Comb White Leghorn chickens were caponized at 12 wk of age and selected at 16 wk of age for a 10-wk feeding period. Sixteen intact males and caponized (capon) chickens each were assigned for trial 1. Sixteen sham-operated male chickens (sham) and 64 capons were selected for trial 2, in which capons were randomly divided into cholesterol (CHOL), testosterone (TES), 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5alpha-DHT), or 19-nortestosterone (19-NorT) implantation at 16, 20, and 24 wk of age, with feeding to 26 wk of age. The result from trial 1 showed that caponization improved BW gain and feed conversion rate (P < 0.05) and decreased the comb length, height, and weight (P < 0.05). Breast muscle weight and gastrointestinal tract weight were higher in capons compared with intact males (P < 0.05). In trial 2, CHOL implantation decreased relative thigh muscle weight compared with the sham (P < 0.05), and only 19-NorT implantation increased relative thigh muscle weight to the compatible level with the sham (P > 0.05). 19-Nortestosterone and 5alpha-DHT implantations showed lower crude fat in the pectoral major muscle than CHOL (P < 0.05) and reached a compatible level with the sham (P > 0.05). All androgen implantation groups showed higher myofibrillar ATPase activity than CHOL (P < 0.05), and 19-NorT and 5alpha-DHT had the highest level (P < 0.05). Only 19-NorT implantation demonstrated higher shear value than CHOL (P < 0.05) to the compatible level with the sham (P > 0.05). Androgen implantation increased emulsifying capacity compared with CHOL (P < 0.05) and reached a compatible level with the sham (P > 0.05). Caponization decreased the blood TES concentration in male chickens, leading to changes in growth performance and muscle characteristics. After different androgen implantations in capons, 19-NorT showed the most effective results in increasing muscle quality and quantity, followed by the 5alpha-DHT and TES.

Sporadic paediatric and adult Burkitt lymphomas share similar phenotypic and genotypic features.

AIMS: To characterize the clinicopathological features of sporadic Burkitt lymphoma (BL). METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective study of 17 paediatric and 14 adult BLs with history and histopathology review, immunohistochemistry, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in situ hybridization (EBER) and fluorescence in situ hybridization. There was no statistically significant difference in gender, frequency of central nervous system (CNS) involvement and leukaemic change at presentation, or frequency of CD10+/Bcl-2-/Bcl-6+ (88% versus 86%), Ki67 labelling index, EBER (24% versus 21%), or C-MYC translocation (100% versus 92%) between paediatric and adult tumours. Correct pretreatment diagnoses were made in 13/17 (76%) paediatric and in 9/14 (64%) adult tumours. Twenty-eight patients received chemotherapy including 13/16 (81%) paediatric and 3/12 (25%) adult patients with appropriate regimens; 16 (57%) received CNS prophylaxis. The 1- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for paediatric patients were 80% and 50%, respectively, whereas 1-year OS for adults was 15%. CONCLUSIONS: Sporadic paediatric and adult BLs were phenotypically and genotypically similar. The significant prognosticators were age (P = 0.001), with or without CNS prophylaxis (P = 0.004), and CNS involvement (P = 0.008) and leukaemic change (P = 0.019) in disease course. The poor outcome in adult patients might be related to incorrect diagnosis and inappropriate treatment.

Patterns of fluoro-gold entry into rat molar enamel, dentin, and pulp.

Permeabilities of enamel and dentin are not fully understood despite their importance for caries, restorative materials, and pulp-dentin-enamel interactions. We have found that Fluoro-Gold is useful for examining tooth permeability, and we designed studies to test the effects of aging, injury, neural function, and dentinal repair on its influx into vital rat teeth. We used fluorescence microscopy and immunocytochemistry to show that Fluoro-Gold rapidly penetrates enamel, the dentin-enamel junction, and outer dentinal acellular tubules, and then concentrates in odontoblasts, where it remains for weeks. As predicted, influx was greatest in immature teeth, and formation of reparative dentin impeded it. We expected that denervation would disrupt influx, because of neural regulation of dentinal fluid movement, but it did not. Damage to odontoblasts under injured dentin caused increased influx and efflux of Fluoro-Gold. Analysis of our data suggests that permeabilities of enamel and dentin to Fluoro-Gold are age-related, inter-dependent, and regulated by odontoblasts.

Biodistribution study of [99mTc] TRODAT-1 alone or combined with other dopaminergic drugs in mice with macroautoradiography.

A 99mTc labeled tropane derivative, [99mTc] TRODAT-1 (2beta-((N,N'-bis(2-mercaptoethyl) ethylene diamino)methyl), 3beta-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane), is a potential dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging agent for the central nervous system. To better understand the binding localization of [99mTc] TRODAT-1 both in the brain and the body, whole-body macroautoradiography (WBAR) was used in this study. The effect of DAT competing drugs, such as levadopa (L-DOPA), N-methyl-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4fluorophenyl)tropane (CFT, WIN 35,428) and methylphenidate, on the biodistribution of [99mTc] TRODAT-1 were also included in this study. Doses of 150 MBq [99mTc] TRODAT-1 were injected into normal male ICR mice through the caudal veins. For comparison, mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), L-DOPA, methylphenidate and CFT, respectively, were also investigated under the similar protocols. One and a half hours after [99mTc] TRODAT-1 injection, the mice were sacrificed. Whole-body autoradiography was performed immediately after sacrifice. Both frontal and sagittal sections showed that the liver and mucosa of stomach had the highest uptake of [99mTc] TRODAT-1. Other binding sites included the periphery of the spinal cord and the epithelium of the intestine. In the brain, autoradiographic imaging obtained from frontal sections showed symmetrical uptakes of [99mTc] TRODAT-1 in bilateral striata. Remaining binding sites include olfactory bulbs, thyroid gland, and salivary gland. The autoradiographic imaging obtained from sagittal sections showed a similar biodistribution. Mice treated with MPTP or L-DOPA showed no significant difference in the uptake of [99mTc] TRODAT-1 in bilateral striata, as compared to those of the control. In CFT or methylphenidate-treated mice, DAT binding sites were almost completely inhibited. These data showed that [99mTc] TRODAT-1 has potential clinical use for neurological investigation, such as Parkinson's and similar diseases.

Prophylactic effect of four prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine on alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate and carbon tetrachloride induced toxicity in rats.

AIM: To study the prophylactic effects of four Chinese traditional prescriptions against experimental liver injury. METHODS: Liver toxins, alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were used to induce acute liver injury. Simo Yin(SMY), Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW), Xieqing Wan (XQW), and Sini San (SNS) were fed (500 mg/kg, in saline, po) to the rats before toxin administration. All the animals were killed 48 h after toxin insulted. Serum index of liver function and hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO) were estimated. Histopathological observation was conducted simultaneously. RESULTS: The rats treated with ANIT exhibited elevations of serum total bilirubin (TBI), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamate-oxalate- transaminase (GOT), glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (GPT), as well as cholestasis and parenchyma necrosis. In rats, challenged with ANIT, receiving the pre-treatment of prescriptions of SMY, XQW, and SNS, the biochemical and morphological parameters of liver injury were significantly reduced. The increased LPO level in liver tissue, associated with the provoked serum GOT and GPT levels were the salient features observed in CCl4-insulting rats. Pre-treatment of four prescriptions showed a remarkable protective effect, and also was effective in counteracting the free radical toxicity by bringing about a significant decrease in peroxidative level. CONCLUSION: These recipes ameliorate liver damage induced by both ANIT and CCl4 despite the differences in their mechanisms of injury. Therefore they may be able to exert hepatoprotective effects through more than one mechanism of action because they contained a mixture of anti-hepatotoxic ingredients with mutual reinforcement and assistance.

Pathogenicity and drug susceptibility of the Pasteurella anatis isolated in chickens in Taiwan.

A strain of Pasteurella anatis (PA) was isolated from the sinus of an adult leghorn laying chicken with sinusitis, nasal discharge, drop in egg production, and low mortality, symptoms initially thought to indicate infectious coryza. The tiny, smooth, whitish colonies were identified as PA. To compare its pathogenicity with that of commercial broilers, nine groups, 10 birds per group, of 10-day-old broilers were individually inoculated with the strain of PA, Pasteurella multocida (PM), or Escherichia coli (EC) by intravenous, intraperitoneal, intramuscular, or subcutaneous inoculation. The PA was determined to cause the signs, lesions, and septicemic death, which are similar to the symptoms of PM or EC infection. At 1 wk postinfection (PI), the mortality rate was between that of PM and EC infection at 1 wk PI. Twenty antimicrobial-containing discs were evaluated, and the isolate was highly sensitive to cetiofer, amoxicillin, lincopectin, and furazolidone. Furthermore, it was moderately sensitive to tetracycline and enrofloxacin and only slightly sensitive to cephalothin, chloramphenicol, flumequine, nalidixic acid, neomycin, oxolinic acid, streptomycin, and trimethoprim. The PA infection was treated successfully with amoxicillin.