Reduced salivary oxytocin after an empathic induction task in Intimate Partner Violence perpetrators: Importance of socio-affective functions and its impact on prosocial behavior

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has been linked to difficulties in socio-affective functions. Nevertheless, the underlying psychobiological mechanisms that might be responsible for them remain unclear. Oxytocin (OXT) stands out as an important hormone that may favor the salience of social information, due to its relevance in empathy and prosocial behavior. Thus, the study of salivary OXT (sOXT) may provide further information about potential impairments in social cognition in IPV perpetrators. This study analyzed the effects of an empathic induction task, performed through negative emotion-eliciting videos, on endogenous sOXT levels, mood state, and emotional perception in 30 IPV perpetrators compared to 32 controls. Additionally, we explored their performance on prosocial behavior after the empathic induction task, using Hare''s donation procedure. Lower sOXT levels were found in IPV perpetrators after the task compared to controls, along with a general decreasing tendency in their sOXT levels. Additionally, IPV perpetrators exhibited no change in their mood state and perceived others'' emotions as more positive and less intense. Moreover, the mood state response and alexithymia traits, respectively, positively and negatively predicted the sOXT levels after the empathic induction task in the entire sample. Finally, we did not observe a lower appearance of prosocial behaviors in IPV perpetrators; however, higher sOXT levels after the empathic induction task were found in subjects who donated when considering the whole sample. In sum, IPV perpetrators exhibited differences in their sOXT levels when empa-thizing, compared to controls, with alexithymia and the emotional response potentially explaining the sOXT levels after the task. Furthermore, prosocial behavior was more related to these sOXT levels than to IPV. As our knowledge about the emotional processing of IPV perpetrators increases, we will be better able to develop and include coadjutant treatments in current psychotherapeutic programs, in order to focus on their emotional needs, which, in turn, would reduce the future risk of recidivism

Analysis of the safety culture in a Cardiology Unit managed by processes

La cultura sobre seguridad se perfila como uno de los requisitos para evitar la aparición de efectos adversos, sin embargo no se ha estudiado en el ámbito de la cardiología. El objetivo es evaluar la cultura de seguridad en una unidad de cardiología que tiene implantado y certificado un sistema integrado de gestión de calidad y riesgos para la seguridad del paciente. Método: Se realizó un estudio observacional trasversal en 2 años consecutivos utilizando la encuesta Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture de la «Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality» en su versión española (42 ítems agrupados en 12 dimensiones) sobre todo el personal. Se comparó el porcentaje de respuestas positivas de cada dimensión en 2014 y 2015, así como con los datos a nivel nacional y en EE. UU., siguiendo las recomendaciones establecidas. Resultados: La valoración global, sobre un máximo de 5, fue de 4.5 en 2014 y de 4.7 en 2015. Identificamos 7 dimensiones como fortaleza. Las peor valoradas fueron: Dotación de personal, Apoyo de la gerencia y Trabajo en equipo entre unidades. La comparación mostró superioridad en todas las dimensiones a nivel nacional, y en 8 respecto a los datos del registro americano. Conclusiones: La cultura de seguridad en una unidad de cardiología con un sistema integrado de gestión de calidad y riesgos y seguridad del paciente es elevada, superior a la nacional en todas sus dimensiones y en la mayoría de ellas respecto al registro de EE. UU.The safety culture is one of the requirements to prevent the occurrence of adverse effects, however has not been studied in the field of cardiology. The objective is to evaluate the safety culture in a cardiology unit has implemented and certified an integrated quality and risk management for patient safety system. Methods: A transversal observational study was made in 2 consecutive years using the survey “Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture” of the “Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality” in its Spanish version (42 items grouped into 12 dimensions) in all staff. The percentage of positive responses in each dimension in 2014 and 2015 were compared, as well as national data and United States data, following the established rules. Results: The overall assessment of a possible 5, was 4.5 in 2014 and 4.7 in 2015. We identified seven dimensions as a fortress. The worst rated were: staffing, management support and teamwork between units. The comparison showed superiority in all dimensions respect to national data, and 8 respect to American data. Conclusions: The safety culture in a Cardiology Unit with an integrated quality and risk management and patient safety system is high, higher than the national in all its dimensions and in most of them respect to the United States

Levothyrox® new and old formulations: are they switchable for millions of patients?

International audienceIn France, more than 2.5 million patients are currently treated with levothyroxine, mainly as the marketed product Levothyrox ®. In March 2017, at the request of French authorities, a new formulation of Levothyrox ® was licensed, with the objective of avoiding stability deficiencies of the old formulation. Before launching this new formulation, an average bioequivalence trial, based on European Union recommended guidelines, was performed. The implicit rationale was the assumption that the two products, being bioequivalent, would also be switchable, allowing substitution of the new for the old formulation, thus avoiding the need for individual calibration of the dosage regimen of thyroxine, using the thyroid-stimulating hormone level as the endpoint, as required for a new patient on initiating treatment. Despite the fact that both formulations were shown to be bioequivalent, adverse drug reactions were reported in several thousands of patients after taking the new formulation. In this opinion paper, we report that more than 50% of healthy volunteers enrolled in a successful regulatory average bioequivalence trial were actually outside the a priori bioequivalence range. Therefore, we question the ability of an average bioequivalence trial to guarantee the switchability within patients of the new and old levothyroxine formulations. We further propose an analysis of this problem using the conceptual framework of individual bioequivalence. This involves investigating the bioavailability of the two formulations within a subject, by comparing not only the population means (as established by average bioequivalence) but also by assessing two variance terms, namely the within-subject variance and the variance estimating subject-by-formulation interaction. A higher within individual variability for the new formulation would lead to reconsideration of the appropriateness of the new formulation. Alternatively, a possible subject-by-formulation interaction would allow a judgement on the ability, or not, of doctors to manage patients effectively during transition from the old to the new formulation

Mn bioavailability by polarized Caco-2 cells: comparison between Mn gluconate and Mn oxyprolinate

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Micronutrient inadequate intake is responsible of pathological deficiencies and there is a need of assessing the effectiveness of metal supplementation, frequently proposed to rebalance poor diets. Manganese (Mn) is present in many enzymatic intracellular systems crucial for the regulation of cell metabolism, and is contained in commercially available metal supplements.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We compared the effects of two different commercial Mn forms, gluconate (MnGluc) and oxyprolinate (MnOxP). For this purpose we used the polarized Caco-2 cells cultured on transwell filters, an established in vitro model of intestinal epithelium. Since micronutrient deficiency may accelerate mitochondrial efficiency, the mitochondrial response of these cells, in the presence of MnGluc and MnOxP, by microscopy methods and by ATP luminescence assay was used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the presence of both MnOxP and MnGluc a sustained mitochondrial activity was shown by mitoTraker labeling (indicative of mitochondrial respiration), but ATP intracellular content remained comparable to untreated cells only in the presence of MnOxP. In addition MnOxP transiently up-regulated the antioxidant enzyme Mn superoxide dismutase more efficiently than MnGluc. Both metal treatments preserved NADH and βNADPH diaphorase oxidative activity, avoided mitochondrial dysfunction, as assessed by the absence of a sustained phosphoERK activation, and were able to maintain cell viability.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Collectively, our data indicate that MnOxP and MnGluc, and primarily the former, produce a moderate and safe modification of Caco-2 cell metabolism, by activating positive enzymatic mechanisms, thus could contribute to long-term maintenance of cell homeostasis.</p

Dental pulp tissue engineering

Dental pulp is a highly specialized mesenchymal tissue, which have a restrict regeneration capacity due to anatomical arrangement and post-mitotic nature of odontoblastic cells. Entire pulp amputation followed by pulp-space disinfection and filling with an artificial material cause loss of a significant amount of dentin leaving as life-lasting sequelae a non-vital and weakened tooth. However, regenerative endodontics is an emerging field of modern tissue engineering that demonstrated promising results using stem cells associated with scaffolds and responsive molecules. Thereby, this article will review the most recent endeavors to regenerate pulp tissue based on tissue engineering principles and providing insightful information to readers about the different aspects enrolled in tissue engineering. Here, we speculate that the search for the ideal combination of cells, scaffolds, and morphogenic factors for dental pulp tissue engineering may be extended over future years and result in significant advances in other areas of dental and craniofacial research. The finds collected in our review showed that we are now at a stage in which engineering a complex tissue, such as the dental pulp, is no longer an unachievable and the next decade will certainly be an exciting time for dental and craniofacial research

A comprehensive review on non-clinical methods to study transfer of medication into breast milk – A contribution from the ConcePTION project

Breastfeeding plays a major role in the health and wellbeing of mother and infant. However, information on the safety of maternal medication during breastfeeding is lacking for most medications. This leads to discontinuation of either breastfeeding or maternal therapy, although many medications are likely to be safe. Since human lactation studies are costly and challenging, validated non-clinical methods would offer an attractive alternative. This review gives an extensive overview of the non-clinical methods (in vitro, in vivo and in silico) to study the transfer of maternal medication into the human breast milk, and subsequent neonatal systemic exposure. Several in vitro models are available, but model characterization, including quantitative medication transport data across the in vitro blood-milk barrier, remains rather limited. Furthermore, animal in vivo models have been used successfully in the past. However, these models don't always mimic human physiology due to species-specific differences. Several efforts have been made to predict medication transfer into the milk based on physicochemical characteristics. However, the role of transporter proteins and several physiological factors (e.g., variable milk lipid content) are not accounted for by these methods. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling offers a mechanism-oriented strategy with bio-relevance. Recently, lactation PBPK models have been reported for some medications, showing at least the feasibility and value of PBP