Interactive effects of melatonin, exercise and diabetes on liver glycogen levels

Background: This study aimed to examine the effects of melatonin supplementation on liver glycogen levels in rats with streptozotocin- induced diabetes and subjected to acute swimming exercise. Material and methods: Eighty Sprague-Dawley type adult male rats were divided into eight groups: Group 1, general control; Group 2, melatonin-supplemented control; Group 3, melatonin-supplemented diabetes; Group 4, swimming control; Group 5, melatonin-supplemented swimming; Group 6, melatonin-supplemented diabetic swimming; Group 7, diabetic swimming; Group 8, diabetic control. Melatonin was supplemented at a dose of 3 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for four weeks. Liver tissue samples were collected and evaluated using a Nikon Eclipse E400 light microscope. All images obtained from the light microscope were transferred to PC medium and evaluated using Clemex PE 3.5 image analysis software. Results: The lowest liver glycogen levels in the study were found in group 4. Liver glycogen levels in groups 3, 6, 7 and 8 (the diabetic groups) were higher than group 4, but lower than those in groups 1 and 2. The lowest liver glycogen levels were obtained in groups 1 and 2. Conclusions: The study indicates that melatonin supplementation maintains the liver glycogen levels that decrease in acute swimming exercise, while induced diabetes prevents this maintenance effect in rats. (Pol J Endocrinol 2011; 62 (3): 252–255)Background: This study aimed to examine the effects of melatonin supplementation on liver glycogen levels in rats with streptozotocin- induced diabetes and subjected to acute swimming exercise. Material and methods: Eighty Sprague-Dawley type adult male rats were divided into eight groups: Group 1, general control; Group 2, melatonin-supplemented control; Group 3, melatonin-supplemented diabetes; Group 4, swimming control; Group 5, melatonin-supplemented swimming; Group 6, melatonin-supplemented diabetic swimming; Group 7, diabetic swimming; Group 8, diabetic control. Melatonin was supplemented at a dose of 3 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for four weeks. Liver tissue samples were collected and evaluated using a Nikon Eclipse E400 light microscope. All images obtained from the light microscope were transferred to PC medium and evaluated using Clemex PE 3.5 image analysis software. Results: The lowest liver glycogen levels in the study were found in group 4. Liver glycogen levels in groups 3, 6, 7 and 8 (the diabetic groups) were higher than group 4, but lower than those in groups 1 and 2. The lowest liver glycogen levels were obtained in groups 1 and 2. Conclusions: The study indicates that melatonin supplementation maintains the liver glycogen levels that decrease in acute swimming exercise, while induced diabetes prevents this maintenance effect in rats. (Pol J Endocrinol 2011; 62 (3): 252–255

A time efficient adaptation of GC-FID method for the analysis of PBMC lipid composition

Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) comprise of lymphocytes and monocytes which are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases. A method for estimation of PBMC lipid composition was modified from an existing method for plasma to support our fish oil intervention study in mild-moderate asthmatics. This modification involved an hour long direct transesterification reaction using methanol and acetyl chloride followed by a modified GC-FID method. The identification of PBMC fatty acid composition was achieved by relative comparison with a 37 Fatty Acid component standard. The method was found to be reproducible and accurate with a within batch and between batch Coefficient of variation (CV) of <10%. The modified method was adapted for PBMC total lipid estimation and was considered suitable to detect changes in PBMC composition following fish oil supplementation. This method is quick, scalable, and cost effective for large scale population and intervention studies. Keywords: Fatty acids, PBMC, fish oil, Gas chromatography Introduction Fish oils comprise of two major omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) namely Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA, 20:5) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA, 22:6), these PUFAs are important structural components of cell membranes. In fish oil supplementation studies, an incorporation of EPA and DHA in total cell lipids and phospholipids, which occurs mostly at the expense of omega 6 PUFAs (primarily Arachidonic Acid, AA, 20:4), is expected. The extraction of fatty acids from cells and tissues is generally based on the original methods of Folch (1957) or Bligh & Dyer (1959), which have been widely applied and used on different types of cells (Damsgaard et al. 2008; Garcia-Larsen 2011; Grindel et al. 2013). Similarly, there are standard methods for derivatisation of lipids (acid-catalysed) (Lepage and Roy 1986; Morrison and Smith 1964, Matsumot et al. 2013) in a quantitative manner (Blau and Halket 1993; Christie 2003). Masood et al. (2005) proposed a method for measurement of fatty acids in plasma samples which is principally derived from Lepage & Roy (1986) with advantages of speed, reproducibility, lower toxicity and cost. While previous investigations have concentrated upon the use of plasma samples for the analysis of fatty acid composition of cells, the focus of this paper is the use of PBMC

Effect of distance to specialist care for the diagnosis and disease outcome of inflammatory bowel disease in the Swiss inflammatory bowel disease cohort study

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) needs early interventions and an individual specialist-patient relationship. Distance from a tertiary IBD center might affect patient's disease course and outcome. We investigated whether the patient-to-specialist distance has an impact on the disease course using the well-defined patient collective of the Swiss Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cohort Study (SIBDCS). Methods: Patient's home address at diagnosis (postal zip code) was extracted from the SIBDCS database. Distance between each zip code and the nearest located IBD specialist center was calculated and classified into the following three sections based on proximity: 35 km (group 3). Results: Our study included in total 408 IBD patients [234 Crohn's disease (CD), 154 ulcerative colitis (UC), 20 IBD unclassified (IBDU)]. Median age was lowest in group 2 at diagnosis (G1: 28 years; G2: 21 years, G3: 26 years, p < 0.01). The diagnostic delay did not differ between groups. CD patients in group 1 were treated more often with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents (72% versus 56%, p = 0.04) and 5-aminosalicylates (44% versus 28%, p = 0.04) than in group 3. UC/IBDU patients in group 1 were treated more often with corticosteroids than patients in group 3 (83% versus 58%, p < 0.01). The occurrence of IBD-related surgeries did not differ between groups. Conclusions: Patient-to-specialist distance might affect drug treatment. However, disease course and the need for IBD-related surgery does not seem to be associated with a longer distance to specialist care in Switzerland

A genome-wide search for linkage-disequilibrium with type 1 diabetes in a recent genetically isolated population from the Netherlands

Type 1 diabetes has a substantial genetic component, with consistent evidence for a susceptibility locus in the HLA-DR/DQ region (chromosome 6p) and the insulin gene region (chromosome 11p). Genome scans have identified >18 other genomic regions that may harbor putative type 1 diabetes genes. However, evidence for most regions varies in different data sets. Given the genetic heterogeneity of type 1 diabetes, studies in homogeneous genetically isolated populations may be more successful in mapping susceptibility loci than in complex outbred populations. We describe a genome-wide search in a recently Dutch isolated population. We identified 43 patients that could be traced back to a common ancestor within 15 generations and performed a genome-wide scan using a combined linkage- and association-based approach. In addition to the HLA locus, evidence for type 1 diabetes loci was observed on chromosome 8q24 (marker D8S1128) and on chromosome 17q24 (marker D17S2059). Both the 8q and 17q localization are supported by allele-sharing at adjacent markers in affected individuals. Statistical evidence for a conserved ancestral haplotype was found for chromosome 8q24

Structuration of zero-shrinkage LTCC using mineral sacrificial materials

Recently, LTCC (low-temperature co-fired ceramic) technology has increasingly found applications beyond pure electronics, in fields such as microfluidics, sensors and actuators, due to the ease of shaping the tapes in the green (unfired) state. Accurate control of hollow structures such as channels, membranes, cavities and gaps below cantilevers has remained difficult, however, although carbon-based sacrificial materials and adhesive/solvent-assisted low-pressure lamination techniques are adequate for several uses. Mineral sacrificial pastes (MSP), introduced by several groups including our laboratory, allow in principle much better control of open structures such as bridges and cantilevers, as they are removed only after the firing step. In practice, accurate dimensional control has been limited by deformation of the LTCC during sintering, due to shrinkage mismatch with the MSP. Attempts to eliminate this problem have met with limited success, as it is very difficult to perfectly match the shrinkage curve of the MSP (which must retain open porosity) to that of the LTCC substrate. Therefore, in this work, we endeavour to investigate MSP materials on self-constraining "zero- shrinkage" LTCC tape, which is therefore compatible with a low degree of sintering of the MSP. We present results of optimising the MSP formulation accordingly, to achieve reasonable consolidation, low deformation of LTCC and easy removal in weak acid solutions. Important topics such organic vehicle formulation and complete release processes (etching, rinsing and drying) of thin structures are also addressed

گزارش یک مورد پیوند مجدد ریه

پیـوند مجدد ریه عملی مشکل بوده ولی در مـواردی برای بیمارانی که یک بار پیـوند ریه شده¬اند، ضرورت پیدا می¬کند. بیمار مرد 25 ساله مبتلا به آمفیزم ریوی در زمینه فقدان آنزیم 1α آنتی تریپسین بوده است. شش سال پیش تحت عمل پیوند ریه سمت راست قـرار گرفت. پس از سه سال به تدریج اندکس¬های ریوی بیمـار کاهـش پیدا کرده و با تشخیص سندرم برونشیولیت اوبلیتران تحت درمـان با داروهای سرکـوب¬کننده سیستـم ایمنی و نیز آنتی¬بیوتیک¬ها قرار گرفت. از سال گذشته با کاهش بیشتر اندکس¬های ریوی دچـار فیبـروز شدید ریه و پس زدن ریه پیـوندی شد. از سوی دیگـر ریه غیر پیوندی شیفت به سمت مقابل پیدا کرد. به صورتی که بیمـار شدیداً وابسته به اکسیـژن شده و به ناچار کاندید عمل دوباره پیوند ریه شد و ریه سمت چپ تحت عمل پیوند قرار گرفت

Fournier gangrene with concurrent multifocal necrotizing fasciitis: a systematic review and case report

Purpose A patient presented to a regional surgical center with Fournier gangrene (FG) and concurrent multifocal necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Given the rarity, it was decided to undertake a systematic review to investigate the incidence and prevalence of FG with multifocal NF and consequently determine the treatment and approach to management of such presentation. Methods Firstly, the report of the 56-year-old male patient is discussed regarding his surgical management. Secondly, a systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases. Searches used the following MeSH terms: (“fournier’s gangrene”) AND ((necrotising fasciitis) OR (necrotising soft tissue infection)). Once the search results were obtained, duplicate articles were removed. Titles, abstracts, and articles were reviewed by 2 authors. Results The search strategy using the 3 databases revealed a total of 402 studies. Fifty-seven studies were removed due to duplication. A total of 345 records were screened via title and abstract, of which 115 were excluded. Two hundred and thirty studies were reviewed for eligibility. A total of all 230 studies were excluded; 169 were excluded as they included the incorrect patient population (patients suffered from FG or NF, but not both collectively), 60 studies were excluded due to incorrect study designs, and 1 report occurred in the wrong setting. Conclusion This highlights that while being a relatively known, uncommon infection both FG and NF are well documented separately within the literature. However, FG with concurrent multifocal NF has not been documented within the literature

Sixteenth-century soil carbon sequestration rates based on Mexican land-grant documents

A significant gap in our understanding of global change involves the linkages between historical land-use and land-cover change (LULCC), Holocene terrestrial carbon (C) pool fluxes, and climate change. To address that research problem, this method uses land grants for sheep ranches awarded in early colonial (1521–1620 CE) Mexico to quantify the amount of land converted from cropland to pastureland. Soil is the largest terrestrial C pool, and converting cropland to pastureland significantly increases soil C sequestration rates, thereby reducing atmospheric C. The land grants and associated archival documents contain location-specific information about soils, vegetation, hydrology, and other variables that make it possible to map the ranches in a Geographic Information System (GIS) and quantify LULCCs and terrestrial C pools over time and space. The results demonstrate the utility of such archival documents to research on Holocene global change, indicate that LULCC during Mexico’s colonial period increased the region’s soil C sequestration rate, and confirm previous research that has suggested that transformations associated with European colonization of the Americas acted as an anthropogenic contributor to the period of moderate cooling known as the ‘Little Ice Age’ (1550–1850 CE)