Protective effects of Terminalia arjuna against Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity

Terminalia arjuna has been marked as a potential cardioprotective agent since vedic period. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of butanolic fraction of Terminalia arjuna bark (TA-05) on Doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiotoxicity. Male wistar rats were used as in vivo model for the study. TA-05 was administered orally to Wistar rats at different doses (0.42 mg/kg, 0.85 mg/kg, 1.7 mg/kg, 3.4 mg/kg and 6.8 mg/kg) for 6 days/week for 4 weeks. Thereafter, all the animals except saline and TA-05-treated controls were administered 20 mg/kg Dox intraperitonially. There was a significant decrease in myocardial superoxide dismutase (38.94%) and reduced glutathione (23.84%) in animals treated with Dox. Concurrently marked increase in serum creatine kinase-MB (CKMB) activity (48.11%) as well as increase in extent of lipid peroxidation (2.55-fold) was reported. Co-treatment of TA-05 and Dox resulted in an increase in the cardiac antioxidant enzymes, decrease in serum CKMB levels and reduction in lipid peroxidation as compared to Dox-treated animals. Electron microscopic studies in Dox-treated animals revealed mitochondrial swelling, Z-band disarray, focal dilatation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and lipid inclusions, whereas the concurrent administration of TA-05 led to a lesser degree of Dox-induced histological alterations. These findings suggest that butanolic fraction of Terminalia arjuna bark has protective effects against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity and may have potential as a cardioprotective agent.     

S-Ketamine Anesthesia Increases Cerebral Blood Flow in Excess of the Metabolic Needs in Humans

Background: Animal studies have demonstrated neuroprotective properties of S-ketamine, but its effects on cerebral blood flow (CBF), metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2), and glucose metabolic rate (GMR) have not been comprehensively studied in humans.

Methods: Positron emission tomography was used to quantify CBF and CMRO2 in eight healthy male volunteers awake and during S-ketamine infusion targeted to subanesthetic (150 ng/ml) and anesthetic (1,500-2,000 ng/ml) concentrations. In addition, subjects' GMRs were assessed awake and during anesthesia. Whole brain estimates for cerebral blood volume were obtained using kinetic modeling.

Results: The mean +/- SD serum S-ketamine concentration was 159 +/- 21 ng/ml at the subanesthetic and 1,959 +/- 442 ng/ml at the anesthetic levels. The total S-ketamine dose was 10.4 mg/kg. S-ketamine increased heart rate (maximally by 43.5%) and mean blood pressure (maximally by 27.0%) in a concentration-dependent manner (P = 0.001 for both). Subanesthetic S-ketamine increased whole brain CBF by 13.7% (P = 0.035). The greatest regional CBF increase was detected in the anterior cingulate (31.6%; P = 0.010). No changes were detected in CMRO2. Anesthetic S-ketamine increased whole brain CBF by 36.4% (P = 0.006) but had no effect on whole brain CMRO2 or GMR. Regionally, CBF was increased in nearly all brain structures studied (greatest increase in the insula 86.5%; P < 0.001), whereas CMRO2 increased only in the frontal cortex (by 15.7%; P = 0.007) and GMR increased only in the thalamus (by 11.7%; P = 0.010). Cerebral blood volume was increased by 51.9% (P = 0.011) during anesthesia.     

The pancreas and tuberculosis: a diagnostic challenge.

Pancreatic tuberculosis is often mistaken for malignancy and can pose a diagnostic challenge. A high degree of suspicion is necessary to diagnose this condition which responds well to anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT). Fine-needle aspiration cytology helps to differentiate malignancy from treatable conditions like tuberculosis. Records of four patients treated for pancreatic tuberculosis between 1997 and 2006 were studied. All patients had a pancreatic mass which was suspected to be malignant at imaging. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was established by FNAC in one case and after laparotomy in one; two had tuberculosis of other systems. All showed good response to ATT which included resolution of the pancreatic mass over mean follow up of 2 years. We suggest that all inoperable masses of the pancreas should be subjected to FNAC to rule out treatable conditions like pancreatic tuberculosis.     

Eosinophils,mast cells,nerves and ganglion cells in appendicitis

Introduction  

Twenty to thirty percent appendices removed from patients with suspected appendicitis appear normal on histology. The cause of pain in these patients is unknown. The presence of eosinophils and mast cells should be looked at skeptically which may explain the cause of pain. The aim was to study the eosinophils, mast cells, nerves and ganglions in normal and inflamed appendices.     

Comparison of Somatostatin Receptor 2-Targeting PET Tracers in the Detection of Mouse Atherosclerotic Plaques

Purpose

Rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques are characterized by accumulation of macrophages, which have shown to express somatostatin type 2 receptors. We aimed to investigate whether somatostatin receptor-targeting positron emission tomography (PET) tracers, [⁶⁸Ga]DOTANOC, [¹⁸F]FDR-NOC, and [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATATE, can detect inflamed atherosclerotic plaques.

Procedures

Atherosclerotic IGF-II/LDLR^?/?ApoB^100/100 mice were studied in vivo and ex vivo for tracer uptake into atherosclerotic plaques. Furthermore, [⁶⁸Ga]DOTANOC and [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATATE were compared in a head-to-head setting for in vivo PET/X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging characteristics.

Results

Ex vivo uptake of [⁶⁸Ga]DOTANOC and [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATATE in the aorta was higher in atherosclerotic mice compared to control C57Bl/6N mice, while the aortic uptake of [¹⁸F]FDR-NOC showed no genotype difference. Unlike [¹⁸F]FDR-NOC, [⁶⁸Ga]DOTANOC and [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATATE showed preferential binding to atherosclerotic plaques with plaque-to-wall ratio of 1.7?±?0.3 and 2.1?±?0.5, respectively. However, the aortic uptake and aorta-to-blood ratio of [⁶⁸Ga]DOTANOC were higher compared to [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATATE in in vivo PET/CT imaging.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate superior applicability for [⁶⁸Ga]DOTANOC and [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATATE in the detection of atherosclerotic plaques compared to [¹⁸F]FDR-NOC.

     

Psychometrics of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM-5 for Trauma-Exposed Children and Adolescents

This study evaluated psychometric properties of interview, self-report, and screening versions of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM-5 (CPSS-5), a measure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for traumatized youth based on DSM-5 criteria. Participants were 64 children and adolescents (51.6% female, 45.3% African American/Black) between 8 and 18 years of age (M = 14.1, SD = 2.5) who had experienced a DSM-5 Criterion A trauma. Participants completed test–retest procedures for the self-report and interviewer versions of the CPSS-5 in 2 visits that were up to 2 weeks apart. Analyses revealed excellent internal consistencies, good to excellent test–retest reliability, and good convergent validity and discriminant validity for interview and self-report versions of the scale. Receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded a cutoff score of 31 on the CPSS-5 self-report version for identifying probable PTSD diagnosis. Six most frequently endorsed items by those with a possible PTSD diagnosis on the CPSS-5 were identified to constitute a screen version of the CPSS-5, showing good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The three versions of the CPSS-5 scales are valid and reliable measures of DSM-5 PTSD symptomatology in traumatized youth.     

Aquatic Phytotoxicity to Lemna minor of Three Commonly Used Drugs of Addiction in Australia

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - The manufacturing and consumption of drugs of addiction has increased globally and their widespread occurrence in the environment is an...     

Anthropometry,bioelectrical impedance and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the assessment of body composition in elderly Finnish women

In this study, the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), skinfold thickness measurement (STM) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), as a reference method, were compared with each other in the assessment of body composition in elderly (62-72-year-old) Finnish women (n=93). BIA had better agreement with DXA in the assessment of fat free mass (FFM, R2=0.70, Sres=2.1) and fat mass (FM, R2=0.93, Sres=2.3) than the STM (FFM, R2=0.62, Sres=2.4; FM, R2=0.89,Sres=2.8). There was quite a large variation in the estimates when different BIA prediction equations were used. The equation developed in this study, FFM (kg)=-128.06 + 1.85 x BMI-0.63 x weight + 1.07 x height - 0.03 x resistance +10.0 x waist-hip ratio, yielded a small and unbiased error (0.5 +/- 1.6 kg), with a small residual standard deviation (R2=0.83, Sres=1.6). However, error associated with the estimate of FM was positively related to the degree of FM. BIA(Heitmann) equation yielded unbiased estimates of both FFM and FM (FFM, R2=0.77, Sres=1.8; FM, R2=0.95, Sres=1.9). Both the STM and BIA (manufacturer's equation) resulted in error which was statistically significant and positively correlated with FFM and FM. These results indicate that BIA prediction equations, chosen with care, can improve the performance of equations based upon anthropometric measurements alone in the assessment of body composition in elderly women.     

Mutant mitochondrial helicase Twinkle causes multiple mtDNA deletions and a late-onset mitochondrial disease in mice

Defects of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintenance have recently been associated with inherited neurodegenerative and muscle diseases and the aging process. Twinkle is a nuclear-encoded mtDNA helicase, dominant mutations of which cause adult-onset progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO) with multiple mtDNA deletions. We have generated transgenic mice expressing mouse Twinkle with PEO patient mutations. Multiple mtDNA deletions accumulate in the tissues of these mice, resulting in progressive respiratory dysfunction and chronic late-onset mitochondrial disease starting at 1 year of age. The muscles of the mice faithfully replicate all of the key histological, genetic, and biochemical features of PEO patients. Furthermore, the mice have progressive deficiency of cytochrome c oxidase in distinct neuronal populations. These "deletor" mice do not, however, show premature aging, indicating that subtle accumulation of mtDNA deletions and progressive respiratory chain dysfunction are not sufficient to accelerate aging. This model is a valuable tool for therapy development and testing for adult-onset mitochondrial disorders.     

Predictive Association of Smoking with Depressive Symptoms: a Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Twins

Prevention Science - Longitudinal, genetically informative studies of the association between cigarette smoking and depressive symptoms among adolescents are limited. We examined the longitudinal...