Bisphenol A-mediated suppression of LPL gene expression inhibits triglyceride accumulation during adipogenic differentiation of human adult stem cells.

The endocrine disrupting chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), has been shown to accelerate the rate of adipogenesis and increase the amount of triglyceride accumulation during differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The objective of this study was to investigate if that observation is mirrored in human primary cells. Here we investigated the effect of BPA on adipogenesis in cultured human primary adult stem cells. Continuous exposure to BPA throughout the 14 days of differentiation dramatically reduced triglyceride accumulation and suppressed gene transcription of the lipogenic enzyme, lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Results presented in the present study show for the first time that BPA can reduce triglyceride accumulation during adipogenesis by attenuating the expression of LPL gene transcription. Also, by employing image cytometric analysis rather than conventional Oil red O staining techniques we show that BPA regulates triglyceride accumulation in a manner which does not appear to effect adipogenesis per se.

Efficacy of anal fistula plug in closure of cryptoglandular fistulas: long-term follow-up.

PURPOSE: The long-term efficacy of Surgisis anal fistula plug in closure of cryptoglandular anorectal fistulas was studied. METHODS: Patients with high cryptoglandular anorectal fistulas were prospectively studied. Additional variables recorded were: number of fistula tracts, and presence of setons. Under general anesthesia and in prone jackknife position, patients underwent irrigation of the fistula tract by using hydrogen peroxide. Each primary opening was occluded by using a Surgisis anal fistula plug, which was securely sutured in place at the primary opening and tacked to the periphery of the secondary opening. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were prospectively enrolled during a two-year period. Follow-up was six months to two years (median, 12 months). At final follow-up, all fistula tracts had been successfully closed in 38 patients, for an overall success rate of 83 percent. Seven patients had multiple tracts, for a total of 55 fistula tracts in the series. Of the 55 individual tracts, 47 (85 percent) were closed at final follow-up. Patients with one primary opening were most likely to have successful closure by using the anal fistula plug, although this was not significant. Successful closure was not correlated with the presence of setons. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term closure of cryptoglandular anorectal fistula tracts using Surgisis anal fistula plug is safe and successful in 83 percent of patients and 85 percent of tracts.

Efficacy of anal fistula plug in closure of Crohn's anorectal fistulas.

PURPOSE: The efficacy of Surgisis anal fistula plug in closure of Crohn's anorectal fistula was studied. METHODS: Patients with Crohn's anorectal fistulas were prospectively studied. Diagnosis was made by histologic, radiographic, or endoscopic criteria. Variables recorded were: number of fistula tracts (primary openings), presence of setons, and current antitumor necrosis factor therapy. Under general anesthesia and in prone jackknife position, patients underwent irrigation of the fistula tract by using hydrogen peroxide. Each primary opening was occluded by using a Surgisis anal fistula plug. Superficial tracts amenable to fistulotomy were excluded. RESULTS: Twenty consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled, comprising a total of 36 fistula tracts. At final follow-up, all fistula tracts had been successfully closed in 16 of 20 patients, for an overall success rate of 80 percent. Thirty of 36 individual fistula tracts (83 percent) were closed at final follow-up. Patients with single fistulas (with 1 primary opening) were most likely to have successful closure using the anal fistula plug. Successful closure was not correlated with the presence of setons or antitumor necrosis factor therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Closure of Crohn's anorectal fistula tracts using Surgisis anal fistula plug is safe and successful in 80 percent of patients and 83 percent of fistula tracts. Closure rates were higher with single tracts than complex fistulas with multiple primary openings.

Forgivingness, vengeful rumination, and affective traits.

Trait forgivingness is the disposition to forgive interpersonal transgressions over time and across situations. We define forgiveness as the replacement of negative unforgiving emotions with positive, other-oriented emotions. Rumination has been suggested as a mediator between forgivingness and emotional outcomes; however, we suggest that different content of rumination leads to different outcomes after transgressions. In four studies of 179, 233, 80, and 66 undergraduate students, trait forgivingness was negatively correlated with trait anger, hostility, neuroticism, fear, and vengeful rumination and was positively correlated with agreeableness, extraversion, and trait empathy. The disposition to ruminate vengefully mediated the relationship between trait forgivingness and (1) anger-related traits and (2) both revenge motivations and state anger following a specific recent transgression, but it did not mediate between forgivingness and (1) fearfulness and (2) avoidance motivations following a specific transgression. Self-hate statements, a proxy for depressive rumination, mediated the relationship between forgivingness and both depression and fearfulness but not the relationship between forgivingness and trait anger. Future research should distinguish the contents of mental rumination following interpersonal transgressions.

Guilt, fear, submission, and empathy in depression.

BACKGROUND: This study compares self-focused motivations (fear of negative evaluation, social comparison, and fear of envy) and other-focused motivations (empathy and interpersonal guilt) in submissive behavior and depression. METHODS: The Beck Depression Inventory, Submissive Behavior Scale, Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, Social Comparison Scale, Interpersonal Guilt Questionnaire, and Interpersonal Reactivity Inventory were administered to 50 patients hospitalized for depression and 52 students. RESULTS: Depressed patients were significantly higher in survivor guilt, omnipotent responsibility guilt, submissive behavior, fear of negative evaluation, fear of envy, and empathic distress, and lower in social comparison. LIMITATIONS: This research was limited in that it was a correlational study. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that altruistic concern about others may be an important factor in depression and submissive behavior. Evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.

[The German short version of the interpersonal guilt questionnaire--Validation in a population-based sample and clinical application]. / Der "Fragebogen zu interpersonellen Schuldgefühlen" (FIS) - Anwendung in einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsstichprobe und bei PsychotherapiepatientInnen.

The present study describes the development of the German short version "Fragebogen zu interpersonellen Schuldgefühlen" (FIS) of the "Interpersonal Guilt Questionnaire" (IGQ) developed by O'Connor et al. The questionnaire was used in a representative sample of 652 eastern and 1283 western Germans. Woman show higher scores on the subscales "Seperation Guilt" and "Omnipotent Responsibility Guilt" than man. Eastern Germans mark higher scores on the subscale "Omnipotent Responsibility Guilt" than western Germans. Correlations between interpersonal guilt and social anxiety and differences between a non-clinical and a clinical sample show that maladaptive aspects of guilt feelings can be assessed by the "Interpersonal Guilt Questionnaire".

Role of steroids in sex differences in morphine-induced analgesia: activational and organizational effects.

The purpose of the present studies was to determine the role of either the organizational or activational sex steroids in mediating the sex differences observed in morphine-induced antinociception in the rat. To examine the organizational aspects, male pups were castrated at postnatal days 1 and 2; females were masculinized by large doses of testosterone on postnatal days 1 and 2. Adult male and female rats were also castrated over a period of 2 months to examine the role of the acute activational effects of the opiates in the already sexually differentiated adult rat brain. The results of these studies demonstrate that there were no alterations in the sex differences in opiate analgesia in castrated adult male and female rats; thus, male- and female-specific responses to opiate-induced antinociception were maintained even in the absence of the acute membrane-mediated effects of sex steroids. On the other hand, in male rats, castrated at postnatal days 1 and 2, the morphine dose-response curve shifted markedly to the right and, in fact, was almost identical to that observed in untreated females. Conversely, in female rats, masculinized by large doses of testosterone early in prenatal life, the morphine dose-response curve shifted to the left, yielding a dose-response curve that resembled that in normal males. These results strongly suggest that the sex differences that have been observed in morphine-induced analgesia are due to the organizational effects of sex steroids in the developing rat brain, rather than their acute activational effects in adulthood.