Serial injections of 4% polyacrylamide hydrogel have no detrimental effects in equine joints following clinical, histologic, and synovial biomarker evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: Polyacrylamide hydrogel (4% PAHG) is an inert viscoelastic supplement used to manage osteoarthritis in horses. Even with a prolonged clinical effect, horses may be administered multiple doses during their performance career. The effect of the serial 4% PAHG treatments is not known. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical, histologic, and synovial fluid biomarker effects following serial administration of 4% PAHG in normal equine fetlock joints. ANIMALS: 8 healthy horses. METHODS: In a blinded, controlled in vivo study, horses received serial intra-articular injections of 4% PAHG (Noltrex Vet; Nucleus ProVets LLC) and contralateral 0.9% saline control on days 0, 45, 90, and 135. Treatment and control joints were randomly assigned. Synovial fluid was collected before administration of 4% PAHG or 0.9% saline on day 0 and at study completion for cellular and biomarker evaluation. Serial physical and lameness examinations were performed throughout the study. On day 240, gross examination and harvest of cartilage and synovial membrane for histology were completed. RESULTS: There were no histologic changes in articular cartilage or synovial fluid biomarkers. The 4% PAHG was seen on the surface of the synovium in 5 of 8 treated joints 105 days after the last treatment. There are minimal effects following serial injections of 4% PAHG on normal joints in horses following administration at 0, 45, 90, and 135 days, with final evaluation on day 240. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Serial administration of intra-articular 4% PAHG in horses may provide long-term joint lubrication with no detrimental effects.

Food security and diet quality, not vitamin D status are significantly associated with depression: Results from NHANES 2015-2018.

BACKGROUND: Observational research has suggested a link between vitamin D insufficiency and depression, while evidence from randomized trials examining the association have yielded inconsistent results. Food security and diet quality are also associated with both vitamin D insufficiency and depression. However, the potential interactions between these factors have not been well described. METHODS: In order to examine the associations between depression, vitamin D status, food security, and diet quality, data from 8988 US adults (≥20 years) in NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys) 2015-2018 were analyzed. Questionnaire-assessed depression, food security, and diet quality and laboratory-analyzed serum vitamin D were used. RESULTS: Lack of full food security and a 10-point decrease in Healthy Eating Index 2015 score were independently associated with higher risk of mild to severe depression (OR 3.72 and 1.20, respectively, p < 0.001). The association between insufficient serum vitamin D (<75 nmol/L) and depression was fully attenuated after adjusting for food security and diet quality (p = 0.41). LIMITATIONS: A major limitation of this paper, like all analyses of NHANES, is the inability to establish the temporality of the relationships between food security and diet quality with depression. CONCLUSIONS: Food security and diet quality, but not vitamin D status, were significantly associated with depression. This highlights how evaluating food security and diet quality are critical in research and public health interventions related to depression. Future interventions, especially into vitamin D insufficiency, as well as health policies should assess and address these factors.

Polyacrylamide hydrogel lubricates cartilage after biochemical degradation and mechanical injury.

Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid have been a mainstay of osteoarthritis treatment for decades. However, controversy surrounds the mechanism of action and efficacy of this therapy. As such, there has been recent interest in developing synthetic lubricants that lubricate cartilage. Recently, a synthetic 4 wt% polyacrylamide (pAAm) hydrogel was shown to effectively decrease lameness in horses. However, its mechanism of action and ability to lubricate cartilage is unknown. The goal of this study was to characterize the lubricating ability of this hydrogel and determine its efficacy for healthy and degraded cartilage. The study utilized previously established IL-1ß-induced biochemical degradation and mechanical impact injury models to degrade cartilage. The lubricating ability of the hydrogel was then characterized using a custom-built tribometer using a glass counterface and friction was evaluated using the Stribeck framework for articular cartilage. pAAm hydrogel was shown to significantly lower the friction coefficient of cartilage explants from both degradation models (30%-40% reduction in friction relative to controls). A striking finding from this study was the aggregation of the pAAm hydrogel at the articulating surface. The surface aggregation was observed in the histological sections of explants from all treatment groups after tribological evaluation. Using the Stribeck framework, the hydrogel was mapped to higher Sommerfeld numbers and was characterized as a viscous lubricant predominantly in the minimum friction mode. In summary, this study revealed that pAAm hydrogel lubricates native and degraded cartilage explants effectively and may have an affinity for the articulating surface of the cartilage.

Equine shock wave therapy - where are we now?

Over the past three decades, electrohydraulic extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) as a treatment modality for equine orthopaedic disorders has sparked exponential interest among practitioners, but its clinical applications are quickly evolving and a current review highlighting modernised equine clinical use is lacking. The objective of this review is to summarise the most current ESWT technology, evidence for its use, proposed mechanisms of action and clinical applications in horses while also highlighting the areas requiring further investigation. The three ways to generate a shock wave are through electrohydraulic, electromagnetic or piezoelectric mechanisms, but over the last decade, electrohydraulic systems have predominated due to the ability to focus and control a therapeutic waveform. Shock waves' primary physical effect is believed to be via mechanotransduction leading to cellular activation and downstream signalling. Experimentally, ESWT's effects on osseous, connective tissue and wound healing via various mechanisms of action have been reported both in the human and veterinary literature. Clinical trials have investigated ESWT's orthopaedic application including osteoarthritis, thoracolumbar pain, navicular syndrome, tendinopathy and proximal suspensory desmopathy, with its concomitant use with biologics representing an area of active research. Direct ESWT protocol comparisons in terms of long-term efficacy with variables of energy, depth and exposed tissue types are still lacking with evidence-based recommendations being largely anecdotal. Technical advancements to facilitate the safe and judicious use of ESWT include human and equine hearing protection, light sedation and/or patient restraint. Efforts to ensure the safe and judicious use of ESWT and its analgesic effects are ongoing.

Secular Trends in Risk Profiles Among Adults With Cardiovascular Disease in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Documenting trends in risk factors among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) may inform policy and secondary prevention initiatives. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine 20-year trends in risk profiles among U.S. adults with CVD and any racial/ethnic disparities. METHODS: In this serial cross-sectional analysis of 6,335 adults with self-reported CVD participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 through 2018, we calculated age- and sex-adjusted proportions with ideal risk factor attainment. RESULTS: The proportions with ideal hemoglobin A1c (<7% if diabetes or <5.7% if not) and body mass index (<25 kg/m2) worsened from 58.7% (95% CI: 55.2%-62.1%) to 52.4% (95% CI: 48.2%-56.6%) and 23.9% (95% CI: 21.5%-26.4%) to 18.2% (95% CI: 15.6%-21.2%) from 1999-2002 to 2015-2018, respectively. After initial improvement, the proportion with blood pressure <130/80 mm Hg declined from 52.1% (95% CI: 48.9%-55.4%) in 2007-2010 to 48.6% (95% CI: 44.2%-52.7%) in 2015-2018. The proportion with non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <100 mg/dL increased from 7.3% (95% CI: 5.6%-9.5%) in 1999-2002 to 30.3% (95% CI: 25.7%-35.5%) in 2015-2018. The proportions with ideal smoking, physical activity, and diet profiles were unchanged over time, and in 2015-2018 were 77.8% (95% CI: 73.6%-81.4%), 22.4% (95% CI: 19.3%-25.9%), and 1.3% (95% CI: 0.7%-2.6%). Worsening trends were observed in Hispanic adults for cholesterol, and in Black adults for smoking (both P < 0.05 for nonlinear and linear trends). Persistently lower ideal risk factor attainment was observed for blood pressure in Black adults and for hemoglobin A1c levels in Asian adults compared with White adults (all P < 0.05 for differences). CONCLUSIONS: Trends in cardiovascular risk factor profiles in U.S. adults with CVD were suboptimal from 1999 through 2018, with persistent racial/ethnic disparities.

Inorganic pyrophosphate is reduced in patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of calcinosis cutis, a disabling complication of SSc, is poorly understood and effective treatments are lacking. Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) is a key regulator of ectopic mineralization, and its deficiency has been implicated in ectopic mineralization disorders. We therefore sought to test the hypothesis that SSc may be associated with reduced circulating PPi, which might play a pathogenic role in calcinosis cutis. METHODS: Subjects with SSc and age-matched controls without SSc were recruited from the outpatient rheumatology clinics at Rutgers and Northwestern Universities (US cohort), and from the Universities of Szeged and Debrecen (Hungarian cohort). Calcinosis cutis was confirmed by direct palpation, by imaging or both. Plasma PPi levels were determined in platelet-free plasma using ATP sulfurylase to convert PPi into ATP in the presence of excess adenosine 5' phosphosulfate. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients with SSc (40 diffuse cutaneous, and 41 limited cutaneous SSc) in the US cohort and 45 patients with SSc (19 diffuse cutaneous and 26 limited cutaneous SSc) in the Hungarian cohort were enrolled. Calcinosis was frequently detected (40% of US and 46% of the Hungarian cohort). Plasma PPi levels were significantly reduced in both SSc cohorts with and without calcinosis (US: P = 0.003; Hungarian: P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Circulating PPi are significantly reduced in SSc patients with or without calcinosis. Reduced PPi may be important in the pathophysiology of calcinosis and contribute to tissue damage with chronic SSc. Administering PPi may be a therapeutic strategy and larger clinical studies are planned to confirm our findings.

A Low-Sodium DASH Dietary Pattern Affects Serum Markers of Inflammation and Mineral Metabolism in Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure.

BACKGROUND: The blood pressure-lowering effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and reduced sodium intake are well established. The effects on other biomarkers related to vascular health are of interest and might assist in explaining the effects of the DASH diet and sodium reduction. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that a low-sodium DASH diet improves (lowers) biomarkers of inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP) and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR)] and mineral metabolism [phosphorus and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23)]. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the DASH-Sodium trial using frozen serum samples. This controlled feeding study randomly assigned 412 adults (≥22 y) with elevated blood pressure (120-159/80-95 mmHg) to consume either a DASH diet or control diet. Within each arm, participants received 3 sodium levels [low (1150 mg), intermediate (2300 mg), high (3450 mg)] in random sequence, each for 30 d. To maximize contrast, samples collected at the end of the low-sodium DASH (n = 198) and high-sodium control (n = 194) diets were compared. Between-diet differences in serum CRP, suPAR, phosphorus, and FGF23 concentrations were assessed using linear regression adjusted for age, sex, race, income, education, smoking status, and BMI. RESULTS: CRP concentrations did not differ between groups (P = 0.83), but suPAR was higher after the low-sodium DASH diet than the high-sodium control [geometric mean 2470 pg/mL (95% CI: 2380, 2560 pg/mL), compared with 2290 pg/mL (95% CI: 2210, 2380 pg/mL); P = 0.006]. Phosphorus was higher after the low-sodium DASH diet [geometric mean 3.50 mg/dL (95% CI: 3.43, 3.57 mg/dL)] compared with the high-sodium control diet [geometric mean 3.39 mg/dL (95% CI: 3.33, 3.46 mg/dL); P = 0.04]. FGF23 was also higher after the low-sodium DASH diet [geometric mean 35.3 pg/mL (95% CI: 33.3, 37.3 pg/mL) compared with 28.2 pg/mL (95% CI: 26.6, 29.8 pg/mL); P < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to our hypothesis, biomarkers of inflammation and mineral metabolism were increased or unchanged by a low-sodium DASH diet compared with a high-sodium control diet in adults with elevated blood pressure.

Dietary intake of adults with and without diabetes: results from NHANES 2013-2016.

INTRODUCTION: Diet is a critical aspect of the management of adults with diabetes. This paper aims to compare dietary intakes of key macronutrients and micronutrients of US adults with and without diabetes and across the spectrum of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We compared absolute and energy-adjusted dietary intake of major macronutrients and micronutrients among those with and without diabetes and across the spectrum of glycemic control using a 24-hour dietary recall from a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of 9939 US adults, 20+ years old (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2016). Diabetes was defined as an glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)≥6.5%, fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, serum glucose at 2 hours following a 75 g glucose load (oral glucose tolerance test) ≥200 mg/dL, any diagnosis of diabetes or use of diabetes medication (self-reported). RESULTS: Percent of calories from macronutrients was similar for those with and without diabetes (p>0.05, energy adjusted and adjusted for age, race, and sex). In both groups, sugar accounted for about 20% of calories. Those with diabetes consumed about 7% more calcium (p=0.033), about 5% more sodium (p=0.026), and had lower diet quality (Healthy Eating Index-2015, p=0.021) than those without diabetes. Among those with diabetes, those with an HbA1c>9.0% consumed about 4% less magnesium (p-analysis of variance=0.007) than those with an HbA1c<6.5%. Results were similar within strata of age, race, and sex. Macronutrient intake did not vary consistently by HbA1c level. CONCLUSIONS: In this nationally representative sample, there were no substantial or consistent differences in the dietary intake of macronutrients or micronutrients between US adults with and without diabetes. Improving the diets of those with diabetes will likely require enhanced targeted efforts to improve the dietary intake of persons with diabetes, as well as broad efforts to improve the dietary intake of the general population.

The association of dietary phosphorus with blood pressure: results from a secondary analysis of the PREMIER trial.

Inconsistent findings exist for the association between dietary phosphorus intake and blood pressure (BP). We examined the longitudinal association between urinary excretion and dietary intake of phosphorus (total, plant, animal, and added) with BP. This is a secondary analysis of PREMIER, a randomized behavioral intervention study in adults (25-79 years) with BP, measured at 6 months, as the primary outcome. We classified total phosphorus intake from dietary recalls into plant, animal, and added phosphorus. We modeled 6-month change of phosphorus intake (from 24 h dietary recalls, N = 622) and excretion (from 24 h urine collection, N = 564) on BP, using linear regression crude and adjusted for intervention, age, race, sex, income, education, study site, and change in energy intake (kcal/day), sodium intake (mg/day), fitness (heart rate, bpm), and DASH diet index. Baseline phosphorus intake was 1154 mg/day (95% CI 1126, 1182) with 38%, 53%, and 10% from plant, animal, and added phosphorus, respectively. Total phosphorus intake was not associated with significant changes in BP. Increased urinary phosphorus excretion was associated with a significant increase in DBP [0.14 mmHg/100 mg (0.01, 0.28), adjusted]. In several analyses, phosphorus type (plant, animal, or added) significantly modified the association between phosphorus intake and BP. For example, added phosphorus (but not plant or animal) was associated with increases in SBP and DBP, 1.24 mmHg/100 mg (0.36, 2.12) and 0.83 mmHg/100 mg (0.22, 1.44), respectively, crude. These findings suggest that the type of phosphorus may modify the association between phosphorus intake and BP. Trial registration NCT00000616 (clinicaltrials.gov).

Dietary phosphorus intake and blood pressure in adults: a systematic review of randomized trials and prospective observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a major cause of preventable disease in the United States and around the world. It has been postulated that phosphorus intake may affect BP, with some studies suggesting a direct and others an inverse association. OBJECTIVES: We systematically reviewed the literature on the association of dietary phosphorus with BP in adults and performed a qualitative synthesis. METHODS: We included randomized and nonrandomized behavioral intervention and feeding studies (intervention studies) and prospective observational studies that measured dietary phosphorus intake or urinary phosphorus excretion and BP. We excluded studies of supplements, children, or individuals with major medical conditions. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Trials, and clinicaltrials.gov on 1 June, 2017 and 22 August, 2018. We assessed studies' risk of bias in their assessment of phosphorus exposure and BP. RESULTS: We reviewed 4759 publications and included 14 intervention studies (2497 participants), 3 prospective observational cohorts (17,795 participants), and 2 ongoing trials. No included intervention studies were designed specifically to achieve a phosphorus contrast. Two studies found a significant positive association of dietary phosphorus with systolic BP, 4 a significant inverse association, and 8 no significant association. Four studies found a significant inverse association with diastolic BP and 10 no significant associations. Two cohorts found lower risk of incident hypertension comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles of phosphorus intake and 1 found no significant difference: HR: 0.86 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.98); HR: 0.83 (95% CI: 0.68, 1.02); and HR: 0.75 (95% CI: 0.45, 1.27), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found no consistent association between total dietary phosphorus intake and BP in adults in the published literature nor any randomized trials designed to examine this association. This trial was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ as CRD42017062489.

The Percentage of Dietary Phosphorus Excreted in the Urine Varies by Dietary Pattern in a Randomized Feeding Study in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Urinary phosphorus excretion has been proposed as a recovery biomarker of dietary phosphorus intake. However, it is unclear whether phosphorus excretion is constant across a range of dietary and nondietary factors. OBJECTIVE: We assessed whether percentage urinary phosphorus excretion is constant across 3 dietary patterns in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial. METHODS: DASH is a completed feeding study of 459 prehypertensive and stage 1 hypertensive adults (52% male, 56% black). After a 3-wk run-in on a typical American (control) diet, participants were randomly assigned to the control diet, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (FV diet), or a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy with reduced saturated fat and cholesterol (DASH diet) for 8 wk. We estimated the percentage phosphorus excretion as urinary phosphorus excretion (from 24 h urine) divided by phosphorus intake (from analyzed food composites). Differences between group means for all 3 diets were compared by ANOVA followed by pairwise comparisons with Tukey's honest significant difference test. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention, the mean phosphorus intake was 1176 mg/d (95% CI: 1119, 1233 mg/d), 1408 mg/d (1352, 1464 mg/d), and 2051 mg/d (1994, 2107 mg/d) in the control, FV, and DASH diet, respectively (P < 0.001, all comparisons). The mean phosphorus excretion was 734 mg/d (682, 787 mg/d), 705 mg/d (654, 756 mg/d), and 872 mg/d (820, 923 mg/d) in the control, FV, and DASH diet, respectively (P = 0.74 control vs. FV, P < 0.001 all other comparisons). The mean percentage phosphorus excretion was 63% (60%, 67%), 51% (48%, 54%), and 43% (39%, 46%) in the control, FV, and DASH diet, respectively (P < 0.001, all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: These findings in prehypertensive and stage 1 hypertensive adults strongly suggest that urinary phosphorus excretion should not be used as a recovery biomarker for dietary phosphorus intake, given the wide range of urinary phosphorus excretion across dietary patterns. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT0000054.

Dietary Cholesterol Intake and Sources among U.S Adults: Results from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 2001⁻2014.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that individuals should minimize their dietary cholesterol intake. However, current dietary cholesterol intake and its food sources have not been well-characterized. We examined dietary cholesterol intake by age, sex, race, and food sources using 24-h dietary recall data from a nationally representative sample of 5047 adults aged 20 years or older who participated in NHANES (2013⁻2014 survey cycle). We also reported trends in cholesterol intake across the past seven NHANES surveys. Mean dietary cholesterol intake was 293 mg/day (348 mg/day for men and 242 mg/day for women) in the 2013⁻2014 survey cycle; 39% of adults had dietary cholesterol intake above 300 mg/day (46% for men and 28% for women). Meat, eggs, grain products, and milk were the highest four food sources of cholesterol, contributing to 96% of the total consumption. Both average cholesterol intake and food source varied by age, sex, and race (each p < 0.05). Mean cholesterol intake of the overall population had been relatively constant at ~290 mg/day from 2001⁻2002 to 2013⁻2014 (p-trend = 0.98). These results should inform public health efforts in implementing dietary guidelines and tailoring dietary recommendations.

Reply to Itkonen and Lamberg-Allardt's Letter to the Editor Re: McClure et al. Nutrients 2017, 9, 95.

We appreciate Drs. Itkonen and Lamberg-Allardt's interest in our recent article "Dietary Sources of Phosphorus among Adults in the United States: Results from NHANES 2001-2014" [1] [...].

Dietary Sources of Phosphorus among Adults in the United States: Results from NHANES 2001-2014.

Interest in the health effects of dietary phosphorus is burgeoning, yet sources and trends in phosphorus consumption have not been well characterized. We describe trends in and primary sources of dietary phosphorus in a nationally representative sample of 34,741 US adults, 20+ years old (NHANES 2001-2014). Dietary sources of phosphorus were estimated in nine food groups and 26 food categories. Phosphorus consumption was expressed in absolute intake, phosphorus density, and proportion contributed by dietary sources. Between 2001 and 2014, dietary phosphorus intake increased from 1345 to 1399 mg/day (p-trend = 0.02), while calorie intake slightly declined (p-trend = 0.1). Grains were the largest dietary phosphorus source, followed by meats, and milk products. Soft drinks accounted for just 3.3% of total dietary phosphorus. Phosphorus intake from grains increased 68 mg/day (p < 0.001), 25 mg/day from meats (p = 0.02), and decreased 75 mg/day (p < 0.001) from milk products. Dietary phosphorus intake and the phosphorus density of the diet are increasing. Grains are an important dietary phosphorus source that has increased in total consumption and phosphorus density. Further research is needed to determine if this is due to individuals' selection of grains or the composition of those available.

Broad-Band Pump-Probe Spectroscopy Quantifies Ultrafast Solvation Dynamics of Proteins and Molecules.

In this work, we demonstrate the use of broad-band pump-probe spectroscopy to measure femtosecond solvation dynamics. We report studies of a rhodamine dye in methanol and cryptophyte algae light-harvesting proteins in aqueous suspension. Broad-band impulsive excitation generates a vibrational wavepacket that oscillates on the excited-state potential energy surface, destructively interfering with itself at the minimum of the surface. This destructive interference gives rise to a node at a certain probe wavelength that varies with time. This reveals the Gibbs free-energy changes of the excited-state potential energy surface, which equates to the solvation time correlation function. This method captures the inertial solvent response of water (∼40 fs) and the bimodal inertial response of methanol (∼40 and ∼150 fs) and reveals how protein-buried chromophores are sensitive to the solvent dynamics inside and outside of the protein environment.

Evaluation of adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction from the lateral tailhead, inguinal region, and mesentery of horses.

Use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) found in the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of equine adipose tissue has promising applications for regenerative therapies. The most commonly used source of equine adipose tissue is the subcutaneous tailhead. The objective of this study was to compare 3 adipose depot sites in horses and determine the viability and cellular yield, capillary density, gene expression for selected markers, and colony-forming unit fibroblasts (CFU-Fs) in adipose tissue taken from these sites. Adipose tissue was excised from the area lateral to the tailhead, the inguinal region, and the small colon mesentery of 6 horses. Lipoaspirate was also collected from the area lateral to the tailhead. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) was prepared in duplicate from the 3 different adipose tissue depots. The total nucleated and dead cell counts was determined manually using a hemocytometer and percent viability was calculated. Mass and volume of adipose were determined in order to calculate density and factor-VIII immunohistochemical staining was used to determine vascular density in the excisional adipose tissue samples from each horse. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to quantify gene expression for selected cellular markers from each site. There were significant differences in viability, yield of nucleated cells/gram of adipose tissue, vascular density, gene expression, and CFU-Fs among adipose depots. Adipose from the mesentery yielded the highest number of nucleated cells/gram of tissue and the highest vascular density and percentage of CFU-Fs. In the horse, both the anatomical site of collection and the method of tissue collection significantly impact the yield and composition of cells in the SVF. Further study is needed to assess whether one adipose source is superior for harvesting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and whether the differences among sources are clinically relevant for in-vivo treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses.

L'utilisation de cellules souches mésenchymateuses (CSMs) retrouvées dans la fraction du stroma vasculaire (FSV) du tissu adipeux équin a des applications prometteuses pour les thérapies régénératrices. La source la plus fréquemment utilisée de tissu adipeux équin est le tissu sous-cutané de la base de la queue. L'objectif de la présente étude était de comparer trois sites de dépôts adipeux chez le cheval et de déterminer la viabilité et la récolte cellulaire, la densité capillaire, l'expression génique de marqueurs sélectionnés, et le nombre de fibroblastes formateur des colonies (FFC) dans le tissu adipeux prélevés de ces sites. Le tissu adipeux a été excisé de la région latérale à la base de la queue, de la région inguinale, et du mésentère du petit colon de six chevaux. Des aspirations de lipide ont également été prélevées de la région latérale de la base de la queue. La FSV a été préparée en duplicata à partir de chacun des trois dépôts différents de tissu adipeux. Les dénombrements totaux des cellules nucléées et mortes ont été déterminés manuellement à l'aide d'un hémocytomètre et le pourcentage de viabilité calculé. La masse et le volume de tissu adipeux ont été déterminés afin de calculer la densité et la coloration par immunohistochimie du facteur VIII a été utilisée afin de déterminer la densité vasculaire dans les échantillons de tissu adipeux excisé de chaque cheval. Une réaction d'amplification en chaine par la polymérase quantitative (ACPq) a été utilisée pour quantifier l'expression génique pour des marqueurs cellulaires sélectionnés de chaque site. Il y avait des différences significatives dans la viabilité, le rendement de cellules nucléées/gramme de tissu adipeux, la densité vasculaire, l'expression génique, et les FFCs entre les dépôts adipeux. Le tissu adipeux provenant du mésentère a généré le plus grand nombre de cellules nucléées/gramme de tissu et la plus haute densité vasculaire et pourcentage de FFCs. Chez le cheval, le site anatomique de prélèvement et la méthode de prélèvement du tissu ont un impact significatif sur le rendement et la composition cellulaire dans la FSV. Des études additionnelles sont requises pour évaluer si une source de tissu adipeux est supérieure pour récolter des cellules souches mésenchymateuses et si les différences entre les sources sont cliniquement pertinentes pour le traitement in vivo de blessures morpho-squelettiques chez les chevaux.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

State-of-the-Art Surgical Management of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

Acute type A aortic dissections still present a major challenge to cardiac surgeons. Although surgical management remains the gold standard, operative mortality remains high, including in experienced centres. Nevertheless, recent advances in the understanding and management of various aspects of these complex operations are expected to improve overall patient outcomes. The Canadian Thoracic Aortic Collaborative (CTAC) represents a group of surgeons with interest and expertise in the management of patients with aortic diseases. The purpose of this state-of-the-art review is to detail our approach to the contemporary surgical management of acute type A aortic dissections. We focus specifically on cannulation strategies, cerebral protection, and extent of proximal and distal resection. In addition, specific clinical scenarios-including malperfusion, intramural hematomas, and surgery in octogenarians-are explored.

Spectroscopic Studies of Cryptophyte Light Harvesting Proteins: Vibrations and Coherent Oscillations.

The first step of photosynthesis is the absorption of light by antenna complexes. Recent studies of light-harvesting complexes using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy have revealed interesting coherent oscillations. Some contributions to those coherences are assigned to electronic coherence and therefore have implications for theories of energy transfer. To assign these femtosecond data and to gain insight into the interplay among electronic and vibrational resonances, we need detailed information on vibrations and coherences in the excited electronic state compared to the ground electronic state. Here, we used broad-band transient absorption and femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopies to record ground- and excited-state coherences in four related photosynthetic proteins: PC577 from Hemiselmis pacifica CCMP706, PC612 from Hemiselmis virescens CCAC 1635 B, PC630 from Chroomonas CCAC 1627 B (marine), and PC645 from Chroomonas mesostigmatica CCMP269. Two of those proteins (PC630 and PC645) have strong electronic coupling while the other two proteins (PC577 and PC612) have weak electronic coupling between the chromophores. We report vibrational spectra for the ground and excited electronic states of these complexes as well as an analysis of coherent oscillations observed in the broad-band transient absorption data.