New physiological activities of myosuppressin, sulfakinin and NVP-like peptide in Zophobas atratus beetle

Three neuropeptides Zopat-MS-2 (pEDVDHVFLRFa), Zopat-SK-1 (pETSDDYGHLRFa) and Zopat-NVPL-4trunc. (GRWGGFA), recently isolated from the neuroendocrine system of the Zophobas atratus beetle, were tested for their myotropic and hyperglycaemic activities in this species. These peptides exerted differentiated dose-dependent and tissue specific physiological effects. Zopat-MS-2 inhibited contractions of the isolated heart, ejaculatory duct, oviduct and hindgut of adult beetles and induced bimodal effects in the heart contractile activity of pupae in vivo. It also increased the haemolymph free sugar level in larvae of this species, apart from myotropic activity. Zopat-SK-1 showed myostimulatory action on the isolated hindgut of the adult beetles, but it decreased contractions of the heart, ejaculatory duct and oviduct. Injections of this peptide at a dose of 2 μg also caused delayed cardioinhibitory effects on the heartbeat of the pupae. Together with the ability to increase free sugar level in the haemolymph of larvae these were new physiological activities of sulfakinins in insects. Zopat-NVPL-4trunc. inhibited the muscle contractions of the two organs: hindgut and ejaculatory duct but it was inactive on the oviduct and the heart of the adult beetles. This peptide also increased free sugar level concentration in the haemolymph of Z. atratus larvae. These physiological actions are the first biological activities discovered for this group of the insect peptides. The present work showed pleiotropic activity of three neuropeptides and indicates that the visceral muscle contractions and the haemolymph sugar homeostasis in Z. atratus are regulated by complex mechanisms

Societal output and use of research performed by health research groups

The last decade has seen the evaluation of health research pay more and more attention to societal use and benefits of research in addition to scientific quality, both in qualitative and quantitative ways. This paper elaborates primarily on a quantitative approach to assess societal output and use of research performed by health research groups (societal quality of research). For this reason, one of the Dutch university medical centres (i.e. the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)) was chosen as the subject of a pilot study, because of its mission to integrate top patient care with medical, biomedical and healthcare research and education. All research departments were used as units of evaluation within this university medical centre

The electrical heart axis in fetuses with congenital heart disease, measured with non-invasive fetal electrocardiography

Objectives To determine if the electrical heart axis in different types of congenital heart defects (CHD) differs from that of a healthy cohort at mid-gestation. Methods Non-invasive fetal electrocardiography (NI-fECG) was performed in singleton pregnancies with suspected CHD between 16 and 30 weeks of gestation. The mean electrical heart axis (MEHA) was determined from the fetal vectorcardiogram after correction for fetal orientation. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the MEHA with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) in the frontal plane of all fetuses with CHD and the following subgroups: conotruncal anomalies (CTA), atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) and hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS). The MEHA of the CHD fetuses as well as the subgroups was compared to the healthy control group using a spherically projected multivariate linear regression analysis. Discriminant analysis was applied to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of the electrical heart axis for CHD detection. Results The MEHA was determined in 127 fetuses. The MEHA was 83.0◦ (95% CI: 6.7◦; 159.3◦) in the total CHD group, and not significantly different from the control group (122.7◦ (95% CI: 101.7◦; 143.6◦). The MEHA was 105.6◦ (95% CI: 46.8◦; 164.4◦) in the CTA group (n = 54), -27.4◦ (95% CI: -118.6◦; 63.9◦) in the AVSD group (n = 9) and 26.0◦ (95% CI: -34.1◦; 86.1◦) in the HRHS group (n = 5). The MEHA of the AVSD and the HRHS subgroups were significantly different from the control group (resp. p = 0.04 and p = 0.02). The sensitivity and specificity of the MEHA for the diagnosis of CHD was 50.6% (95% CI 47.5% - 53.7%) and 60.1% (95% CI 57.1% - 63.1%) respectively. Conclusion The MEHA alone does not discriminate between healthy fetuses and fetuses with CHD. However, the left-oriented electrical heart axis in fetuses with AVSD and HRHS was significantly different from the control group suggesting altered cardiac conduction along with the structural defect

The electrical heart axis in fetuses with congenital heart disease, measured with non-invasive fetal electrocardiography

OBJECTIVES: To determine if the electrical heart axis in different types of congenital heart defects (CHD) differs from that of a healthy cohort at mid-gestation. METHODS: Non-invasive fetal electrocardiography (NI-fECG) was performed in singleton pregnancies with suspected CHD between 16 and 30 weeks of gestation. The mean electrical heart axis (MEHA) was determined from the fetal vectorcardiogram after correction for fetal orientation. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the MEHA with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) in the frontal plane of all fetuses with CHD and the following subgroups: conotruncal anomalies (CTA), atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) and hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS). The MEHA of the CHD fetuses as well as the subgroups was compared to the healthy control group using a spherically projected multivariate linear regression analysis. Discriminant analysis was applied to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of the electrical heart axis for CHD detection. RESULTS: The MEHA was determined in 127 fetuses. The MEHA was 83.0° (95% CI: 6.7°; 159.3°) in the total CHD group, and not significantly different from the control group (122.7° (95% CI: 101.7°; 143.6°). The MEHA was 105.6° (95% CI: 46.8°; 164.4°) in the CTA group (n = 54), -27.4° (95% CI: -118.6°; 63.9°) in the AVSD group (n = 9) and 26.0° (95% CI: -34.1°; 86.1°) in the HRHS group (n = 5). The MEHA of the AVSD and the HRHS subgroups were significantly different from the control group (resp. p = 0.04 and p = 0.02). The sensitivity and specificity of the MEHA for the diagnosis of CHD was 50.6% (95% CI 47.5% - 53.7%) and 60.1% (95% CI 57.1% - 63.1%) respectively. CONCLUSION: The MEHA alone does not discriminate between healthy fetuses and fetuses with CHD. However, the left-oriented electrical heart axis in fetuses with AVSD and HRHS was significantly different from the control group suggesting altered cardiac conduction along with the structural defect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration number: NL48535.015.14