Physiological response of the retinal pigmented epithelium to 3-ns pulse laser application, in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND: To treat healthy retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) with the 3-ns retinal rejuvenation therapy (2RT) laser and to investigate the subsequent wound-healing response of these cells. METHODS: Primary rat RPE cells were treated with the 2RT laser at a range of energy settings. Treated cells were fixed up to 7 days post-irradiation and assessed for expression of proteins associated with wound-healing. For in vivo treatments, eyes of Dark Agouti rats were exposed to laser and tissues collected up to 7 days post-irradiation. Isolated wholemount RPE preparations were examined for structural and protein expression changes. RESULTS: Cultured RPE cells were ablated by 2RT laser in an energy-dependent manner. In all cases, the RPE cell layer repopulated completely within 7 days. Replenishment of RPE cells was associated with expression of the heat shock protein, Hsp27, the intermediate filament proteins, vimentin and nestin, and the cell cycle-associated protein, cyclin D1. Cellular tight junctions were lost in lased regions but re-expressed when cell replenishment was complete. In vivo, 2RT treatment gave rise to both an energy-dependent localised denudation of the RPE and the subsequent repopulation of lesion sites. Cell replenishment was associated with the increased expression of cyclin D1, vimentin and the heat shock proteins Hsp27 and αB-crystallin. CONCLUSIONS: The 2RT laser was able to target the RPE both in vitro and in vivo, causing debridement of the cells and the consequent stimulation of a wound-healing response leading to layer reformation.John P. M. Wood, Marzieh Tahmasebi, Robert J. Casson, Malcolm Plunkett, Glyn Chidlo

The proximate composition of three marine pelagic fish: blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), boarfish (Capros aper) and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus)

peer reviewedThis study presents data from an in-depth proximate compositional analysis of three marine fish species: blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), boarfish (Capros aper) and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus). These fish contained significant amounts of protein (16–17%), lipids (4–11%) and minerals (2–6% ash). The proteins, particularly from boarfish, had close to optimum amino acid profiles for human and fish nutrition. They compared favourably with other fish species in terms of total lipids and relative concentration of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (11.8–13.3% and 5.9–8.1% in triacylglycerols [TG] and 24.6–35.4% and 5.8–12.0% in phospholipids [PL]). Atlantic herring had the highest lipid content among the three fish and was found to contain high levels of PL poly-unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 fatty acids. Minerals detected in the fish included calcium (272–1,520 mg/100 g), phosphorus (363–789 mg/100 g), iron (1.07–2.83 mg/100 g), magnesium (40.70–62.10 mg/100 g), potassium (112.00–267.00 mg/100 g), selenium (0.04–0.06 mg/100 g), sodium (218.00–282.00 mg/100 g) and zinc (1.29–5.57 mg/100 g). Boarfish had the highest ash fraction and also the highest levels of all the minerals, except potassium. Atlantic herring had considerably lower mineral content compared with the other two species and, levels detected were also lower than those reported in previously published studies. Heavy metals contents were quantified, and levels were significantly below the maximum allowable limits for all elements except arsenic, which ranged from 1.34 to 2.44 mg/kg in the three fish species. Data outlined here will be useful for guiding product development. Future studies would benefit from considering catch season, sex and developmental stage of the fish

Personalized feedback to improve CPAP adherence in obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is effectively treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Low rates of CPAP adherence led to the development of a personalized feedback in- tervention requiring minimal provider burden. In a comparison of the intervention to standard information, group differences failed to reach significance. Explanations for the findings include low power, that machines were not provided, and an atypical sample. Effect sizes were medium to large at 2 weeks, suggesting that sufficiently powered studies may be warranted. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression in healthy adults rapidly transported to high altitude

Nicole M Herman,1 Diane E Grill,2 Paul J Anderson,1 Andrew D Miller,1 Jacob B Johnson,1 Kathy A O’Malley,1 Maile L Ceridon Richert,1 Bruce D Johnson1 1Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, 2Department of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, USA Abstract: Although mechanisms of high altitude illness have been studied extensively, the processes behind the development of these conditions are still unclear. Few genome-wide studies on rapid exposure to high altitude have been performed. Each year, scientists and support workers are transferred by plane from McMurdo Station in Antarctica (sea level) to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station at 2,835 meters. This uniform and rapid transfer to altitude provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of hypobaric hypoxia on gene expression that may help illustrate the body's adaptations to these conditions. We hypothesized that an extensive number of genes would change with rapid exposure to altitude and further expected that these genes would correspond to inflammatory pathways proposed as a mechanism in development of acute mountain sickness. Peripheral venous blood samples were drawn from 98 healthy subjects at sea level and again on day two at altitude. Microarray analysis was performed on these samples. In total, 1,118 probe sets with significant P-values and fold changes (90% upregulated) were identified and entered into MetaCore™ software. Several pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation, cytoskeleton remodeling, and platelet aggregation, were significantly represented by the data set and all were upregulated. Many genes changed expression, and the vast majority of these increased. Increased metabolism in peripheral blood mononuclear cells suggests increased inflammatory activity. Keywords: peripheral blood mononuclear cells, microarray, gene expression, acute mountain sicknes