C-reactive protein, sodium azide, and endothelial connexin43 gap junctions

We investigated the effect of C-reactive protein (CRP) and sodium azide (NaN(3)) on endothelial Cx43 gap junctions. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) were treated with (a) detoxified CRP, (b) detoxified dialyzed CRP, (c) detoxified dialyzed CRP plus NaN(3), (d) NaN(3), or (e) dialyzed NaN(3). The concentration of CRP in all preparations was fixed to 25 mu g/ml and that of NaN(3) in the preparations of (c) to (e) was equivalent to that contained in the 25 mu g/ml CRP purchased commercially. The results showed that both the expression of Cx43 protein and gap junctional communication function post-48-h incubation were reduced and inhibited by the detoxified CRP, NaN(3), or detoxified dialyzed CRP plus NaN(3), but not by the detoxified dialyzed CRP or dialyzed NaN(3). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of cells treated for 72 h also showed a pattern of transcriptional regulation essentially the same as that for the proteins. We concluded that CRP does not have a significant effect on Cx43 gap junctions of HAEC, but NaN(3) inhibited the viability of cells and downregulate their junctions

Regimen-specific rates of chemotherapy-related amenorrhea in breast cancer survivors

Young women who have not begun or completed their desired childbearing at the time of diagnosis with breast cancer often wish to understand and minimize their risk of chemotherapy-related amenorrhea (CRA). However, the incidence of CRA after regimens that do not include either an anthracycline or a cyclophosphamide is poorly studied. For patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive disease, anthracycline- and cyclophosphamide-sparing regimens (eg, carboplatin/taxane) are common (in combination with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-directed therapy). In this study, accrued in collaboration with Army of Women, menstrual data were analyzed for 151 breast cancer survivors (median age = 41 years at diagnosis, and median time between last chemotherapy and survey = 62.5 months). Last menstrual period was before the last chemotherapy dose in 51% of the 86 participants who received anthracycline/cyclophosphamide/taxane, in 42% of the 43 who received only taxane/cyclophosphamide, and in 13% of the 15 who received carboplatin/taxane. This study suggests that carboplatin/taxane causes less CRA than cyclophosphamide-based regimens

Prunella vulgaris: A comprehensive review of chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications.

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a perennial herb belonging to the Labiate family and is widely distributed in northeastern Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. It is reported to display diverse biological activities including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation as determined by in vitro or in vivo studies. So far, about 200 compounds have been isolated from PV plant and majority of these have been characterized mainly as triterpenoids, sterols and flavonoids, followed by coumarins, phenylpropanoids, polysaccharides and volatile oils. This review summarizes and analyzes the current knowledge on the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and clinical applications of the PV plant including its potential as a future medicinal plant. Although some of the chemical constituents of the PV plant and their mechanism of action have been investigated the biological activities of many of these remain unknown and further clinical trials are required to further enhance its reputation as a medicinal plant

Riociguat treatment in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Final safety data from the EXPERT registry

Objective: The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat is approved for the treatment of adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inoperable or persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) following Phase

Cymbidium mosaic potexvirus isolate-dependent host movement systems reveal two movement control determinants and the coat protein is the dominant

Little is known about how plant viruses of a single species exhibit different movement behavior in different host species. Two Cymbidium mosaic potexvirus (CymMV) isolates, M1 and M2, were studied. Both car) infect Phalaenopsis Orchids, but only M1 can systemically infect Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Protoplast inoculation and whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that both isolates can replicate in N. benthamiana; however, M2 was restricted to the initially infected cells. Genome shuffling between M1 and M2 revealed that two control modes are involved in CymMV host dependent movement. The M I coat protein (CP) plays a dominant role in controlling CymMV movement between cells, because all chimeric CymMV viruses containing the M1 CP systemically infected N. benthamiana plants. Without the M1 CP, one chimeric virus containing the combination of the M1 triple gene block proteins (TGBps), the M2 5' RNA (1-4333), and the M2 CP effectively moved in N. benthamiana plants. Further complementation analysis revealed that M I TGBp1 and TGBp3 are co-required to complement the movement of the chimeric viruses in N. benthamiana. The amino acids within the CP TGBp1 and TGBp3 which are required or important for CymMV M2 movement in N. benthamiana plants were mapped. The required amino acids within the CP map to the predicted RNA binding domain. RNA-protein binding assays revealed that M I CP has higher RNA binding affinity than does M2 CP. Yeast two-hybrid assays to detect all possible interactions of M1 TGBps and CP, and only TGBp1 and CP self-interactions were observed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Infectivity and development of Metagonimus yokogawai in experimentally infected domestic ducks (Cairina moschata)

Information concerning whether fowl Such as duck is a suitable reservoir host of Metagonimus yokogawai is largely unclear to date In the present Study, the growth and development of M yokogawai metacercaria (Mc) in domestic duck (Carma moschata) was determined by worm recovery rate (WRR) and morphological changes e.g, the size of fluke's body as well as their internal organs was assessed by using Semichon's acetocarmine staining. Each duck was orally inoculated with 50 Mcs of M yokogawal and infected ducks were deeply anesthetized with ether and killed at 1, 2, 3. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 14 days post-infection (DPI) On each date, two infected ducks were killed and the small intestines of each duck were separated into four parts then they were opened longitudinally to harvest the flukes. Results revealed that WRR of M yokogawal from inoculated ducks increased during early infection with a peak as seen at 4 DPI (28 5 +/- 6 9%), thereafter it gradually decreased and a drastic decline was observed Ill 14 DPI (2 0 +/- 1 1%) in the trial. The preference sites for M yokogawai were low portions of the small intestine. nevertheless the size Of fluke's body and organs developed increasingly with time and they maturated to produce ova from 4 DPI onward in the trial However. present results indicated that ducks. based oil the findings of this study, are not suitable hosts for establishment of M yokogawai infection because most flukes were expelled from duck's intestine within 14 days Nevertheless, it was proposed that ducks might play a certain role in transmitting M yokogawai when they deposited the ova via feces into marsh where snails and fish were abundant since they could presumably establish transient and possibly patent infections with this parasite Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B V All rights reserve

Elucidating the dynamical equilibrium of C 60 molecules on Ag(111)

International audienceWe have used scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and density functional theory (DFT) to elucidate the structure and thermodynamics of the (2 √ 3 × 2 √ 3)R30 • phase of C 60 on Ag(111), which consists of a mixture of molecules in two different site/orientation states. The structure analysis identifies the two types of molecules as (1) sitting on a vacancy with a hexagon face down and (2) sitting on a top site with a CC bond down. The molecules flip between the two states at a temperature-dependent rate. We show using a thermodynamic analysis that the two states differ by 0.07 eV and are separated by an energy barrier of 0.84 eV. Their dynamical equilibrium involves the diffusion of surface vacancies between C 60 molecules, producing spatially and temporally correlated flipping events

The relevance of a multidomain geriatric assessment in older patients with heart failure

Aims: Physical frailty screening is more commonly performed at outpatient heart failure (HF) clinics. However, this does not incorporate other common geriatric domains. This study assesses whether a multidomain geriatric assessment, in comparison with HF severity or physical frailty, is associated with short-term adverse outcomes. Methods and results: This is a prospective cohort study of 197 patients with HF (mean age 78, 44% female) attending outpatient HF clinics. HF severity was assessed with New York Heart Association class (I-II versus III-IV) and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide levels. Physical frailty was assessed with the Fried frailty criteria (not frail, pre-frail, and frail). The following geriatric domains were assessed: physical function, nutrition, polypharmacy, cognition, and dependency in activities of daily living. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, diabetes and kidney function assessed 3 month risk of adverse health outcomes (emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and/or death) according to HF severity, physical frailty, and number of affected domains. Number (%) of patients with HF with no, 1, 2, and ≥3 domains affected were 36 (18%), 61 (31%), 58 (29%), and 42 (21%). Seventy-four adverse outcomes were experienced in 50 patients at follow-up. Severity of HF and physical frailty were not significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. However, increasing number of affected domains were significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Compared with no domains affected, odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for 1, 2, and ≥3 domains were 1.8 (0.5–6.5), 4.5 (1.3–15.4), and 7.2 (2.0–26.3) (P-trend <0.01). Further adjustment for HF severity and frailty status slightly attenuated the effect estimates (P-trend 0.02). Conclusions: Having limitations in multiple domains appears more strongly associated with short-term adverse outcomes than HF severity and physical frailty. This may illustrate the potential added value of a multidomain geriatric assessment in the evaluation and treatment of patients with HF with respect to relevant short-term health outcomes