Bisphenol S Increases Cell Number and Stimulates Migration of Endometrial Epithelial Cells.

Objective: To determine whether bisphenol S (BPS), a common substitute for bisphenol A (BPA), induces cell proliferation and migration in human endometrial epithelial cells (Ishikawa) and adult mouse uterine tissues. Methodology: Human endometrial Ishikawa cells were exposed to low doses of BPS (1 nM and 100 nM) for 72 hours. Cell proliferation was assessed through the viability assays MTT and CellTiter-Glo®. Wound healing assays were also used to evaluate the migration potential of the cell line. The expression of genes related to proliferation and migration was also determined. Similarly, adult mice were exposed to BPS at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight/day for 21 days, after which, the uterus was sent for histopathologic assessment. Results: BPS increased cell number and stimulated migration in Ishikawa cells, in association with the upregulation of estrogen receptor beta (ESR2) and vimentin (VIM). In addition, mice exposed to BPS showed a significantly higher mean number of endometrial glands within the endometrium. Conclusion: Overall, in vitro and in vivo results obtained in this study showed that BPS could significantly promote endometrial epithelial cell proliferation and migration, a phenotype also observed with BPA exposure. Hence, the use of BPS in BPA-free products must be reassessed, as it may pose adverse reproductive health effects to humans.

Beneficios de la urea oral en pacientes con hiponatremiae insuficiencia cardiaca / Benefits of oral urea in patients with hyponatremia and heart failure

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of oral urea in patients with hyponatremia and heart failure (HF).Methods and Results: This is a retrospective observational study of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients with HF and hyponatremia(serum Na+ < 135 mEq/L) followed by the Heart Failure Unit between January 2013 and May 2018. The study evaluated sodium normalization levels (Na+ = 135 ± 3 mEq/L) after treatment with oral urea. Thirty-four patients were included in the study, and all were on standardtreatment for HF. Natremia at the beginning of treatment with oral urea was 126.34 ± 5.41 mEq/L, and the mean on the day of normalizationwas 136.45 ± 3.22 mEq/L (p < 0.001). The mean time to achieve sodium normalization was 4.28 ± 2.37 days. Blood urea at the beginning oftreatment with urea was 85.77 ± 50.51 mg/dl, and the mean on the day of Na+ normalization was 137.90 ± 56.66 mg/dl (p < 0.001). Therewas an increase in diuresis (p < 0.006) and plasma osmolarity (p < 0.001) as well as a slight decrease in serum potassium (p < 0.001). Themean dose of oral urea was 22.5 g/day. There were no important adverse effects, nor were there significant changes in creatinine levels orthe estimated glomerular filtration rate by the MDRD formula.Conclusions: When added to the standard treatment for short periods of time, treatment with oral urea is safe and effective at correctingnatremia and improving diuresis in patients with hypervolemic HF with hyponatremia. (AU)

HiCuT: An efficient and low input method to identify protein-directed chromatin interactions.

3D genome organization regulates gene expression, and disruption of these long-range (>20kB) DNA-protein interactions results in pathogenic phenotypes. Chromosome conformation methods in conjunction with chromatin immunoprecipitation were used to decipher protein-directed chromatin interactions. However, these methods required abundant starting material (>500,000 cells), sizable number of sequencing reads (>100 million reads), and elaborate data processing methods to reduce background noise, which limited their use in primary cells. Hi-C Coupled chromatin cleavage and Tagmentation (HiCuT) is a new transposase-assisted tagmentation method that generates high-resolution protein directed long-range chromatin interactions as efficiently as existing methods, HiChIP and ChIA-PET, despite using 100,000 cells (5-fold less) and 12 million sequencing reads (8-fold fewer). Moreover, HiCuT generates high resolution fragment libraries with low background signal that are easily interpreted with minimal computational processing. We used HiCuT in human primary skin cells to link previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in skin disease to candidate genes and to identify functionally relevant transcription factors in an unbiased manner. HiCuT broadens the capacity for genomic profiling in systems previously unmeasurable, including primary cells, human tissue samples, and rare cell populations, and may be a useful tool for all investigators studying human genetics and personalized epigenomics.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as contaminants of emerging concern in Asia's freshwater resources.

The occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water resources is an emerging concern because of their environmental persistence and bioaccumulation in humans. In Western countries, health advisories regarding PFAS exposure have been released to warn the public of its potential adverse effects. However, awareness regarding PFAS exposure in Asia is still at its infancy as reflected by the minimal safeguards imposed to protect the population from exposure. Here, we reviewed studies on PFAS contamination in Asia with a focus on freshwater resources to determine whether PFAS is also a concern in this part of the globe. Peer reviewed articles which included information on PFAS levels from 2000 to 2020 were compiled. The highest PFAS contamination was detected in surface water relative to ground, tap, and drinking water. PFAS levels in water resources in several countries in Asia, such as China, Japan, and South Korea, were above the recommended level, similar to that in the United States. PFAS in South and Southeast Asia were just below the recommended level, but the rise of PFAS in China in the recent decade, alongside its remarkable economic and industrial growth, suggests that increased PFAS contamination in South and Southeast Asia may soon follow, as these countries compete with the global economy. Hence, there is a need for these countries to also implement measures that will reduce the exposure of their population to PFAS.

MRI of the cuboid bone: analysis of changes in diabetic versus non-diabetic patients and their clinical significance.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To investigate the association between diabetes and marrow changes in the cuboid; and (2) to evaluate the influence of age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and use of insulin in the occurrence of marrow changes in the cuboid. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: MR and X-ray foot examinations of 237 patients [94 males, 143 females; mean age, 47.1 years (range 16-93 years)], five of whom underwent bilateral examinations, were reviewed. MR and radiographic studies were analyzed for the presence of marrow edema and fractures in the cuboid. Findings were correlated with demographic data (age, gender) and clinical information (BMI and use of insulin). RESULTS: Two hundred and forty two feet - 69 diabetic and 173 non-diabetic - were retrospectively evaluated. There was a higher prevalence of marrow edema and fractures in the diabetic cuboid (n=31, 45%) compared to non-diabetic cuboid (n=25, 14%, p=0.02). A fracture line was seen in fourteen (20%) diabetic cuboid bones compared to 4 (2%) in non-diabetic cuboid bones (p<0.0001). Eleven (79%) cases of cuboid fractures in the diabetic population were radiographically occult. Multivariate data analysis revealed an adjusted odds ratio of 4.416 (95% CI; 2.307, 8.454) for the relationship between marrow changes (edema and fractures) in the cuboid and diabetes. For each year of age, the odds of changes in the cuboid increased by 2.2% (95% CI; 1.001, 1.044). CONCLUSION: Despite not bearing weight, the cuboid bone is more vulnerable to marrow edema and fractures in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic patients. Age seems to be an influential factor.