Naringenin inhibits neointimal hyperplasia following arterial reconstruction with interpositional vein graft

Vessels respond to injury by a healing process that includes the development of neointima. Stenosis secondary to neointima formation is the main cause of failure following arterial reconstructions. Vessel wall homeostasis is regulated by proinflammatory cytokines that affect smooth muscle cell proliferation, growth, migration, and death. We assessed the hypothesis that naringenin, a flavinoid possessing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities, reduces neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) following vascular injury.Arterial injury was created by interposition grafting of autologous right superficial epigastric vein graft into the right femoral artery (FA) in 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats. Following injury, the rats were divided into 4 groups (n = 12). Two groups were treated with naringenin (100 mg/kg intraperitoneal q daily) for 2 and 4 weeks each while 2 control groups received normal saline for the same durations. For Sham group (n = 10), the FA and vein were isolated without any additional procedure. Rats were killed at the end of treatment regimen in all groups, and FAs were harvested. Thickness of intima was measured in histologic sections, and levels of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, TNFα, and Ki67 labeling index (Ki67 LI) were quantified in immunohistochemical analyses to assess the amount of NIH and mechanisms underlying its formation.Although there was no significant difference between the groups at 2 weeks, neointima thickness was lower in the naringenin treated group at 4 weeks (23.7 ± 2.3 vs. 35.6 ± 2.6 μm in control group; P < 0.001). The levels of PDGF-BB, and TNFα were lower in naringenin treated groups at both 2 weeks (PDGF-BB [0.21% ± 0.03% versus 0.39% ± 0.05% in control group, P < 0.001), TNFα (21.2% ± 0.8% vs. 36.1% ± 1.9% in control group, P < 0.001]) and 4 weeks (PDGF-BB [0.25% ± 0.03% vs. 0.57% ± 0.09% in control group, P < 0.001], TNFα [25.5% ± 1.8% vs. 45.0% ± 2.9% in control group, P < 0.001]). Ki67 LI was lower in naringenin treated groups at 2 weeks (13.9% ± 2.8% vs. 18.7% ± 3.7% in control group, P < 0.05), and at 4 weeks (17.5% ± 2.6% vs. 31.1% ± 4.7% in control group, P < 0.001), indicating a lower level of cellular proliferation.Naringenin reduces NIH following arterial reconstruction. This may be mediated by a decrease in PDGF-BB and TNFα levels and the resulting down-regulation of smooth muscle cells' migration and proliferation. Copyright © 2009 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities 1,2 . This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity 3�6 . Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55 of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017�and more than 80 in some low- and middle-income regions�was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing�and in some countries reversal�of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories. © 2019, The Author(s)

Relationship between the degree and direction of nasal septum deviation and nasal bone morphology

Background: Nasal septal deviation may affect nasal bone growth and facial morphology. Knowledge of nasal morphologic parameters may plays an important role in planning successful rhinoplasty and septoplasty operation. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between the direction and degree of nasal septal deviation with nasal bone morphology, along with factors such as age and gender. Methods: Maxillofacial computed tomography (CT) of 250 patients with nasal septal deviation was analyzed retrospectively in this study. We excluded patients with factors that could affect their nasal bone morphology, and a total of 203 patients (111 males, 92 females; mean age, 36.23 years; age range, 18-79 years) were evaluated. The nasal deviation angle was measured on coronal CT images as the angle between the most deviated point of the septum, and the midline nasal morphology was determined by measuring nasal length, internasal angle and lateral and intermediate nasal thickness on both sides. Results: The deviation of nasal septum has been detected as to the right in 107 patients (52.7%) and to the left in 96 patients (47.3%). Lateral and intermediate nasal bone thickness and nasal bone length were significantly greater on the ipsilateral deviation side (Table 3). No significant correlation was found between the variation of the nasal deviation angle and nasal bone morphology (Table 4). There were significant differences between the sexes for all investigated parameters except for the nasal deviation angle (p = 0.660). We found that the only internasal angle increases with aging (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The study shows that the direction of nasal septal deviation may be a factor that affects nasal bone morphology. © 2017 The Author(s)

Association of pancreas volume and insulin resistance with abdominal fat distribution in type-2 diabetes as evaluated by computed tomography

Purpose. We aimed to assess the relationship between the regional body fat distribution and insulin resistance and pancreas volume (PV) in type-2 diabetes (DM) patients. Methods. Fifty-three consecutive type-2 diabetic and 51 non-diabetic patients matched by age, gender and body mass index (BMI) were enrolled. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), waist circumference, and PV were measured with computed tomography. Insulin resistance was assessed by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Results. Patients with type-2 DM had significantly lower PV than non-diabetic individuals. HOMA-IR ranged from 0.74 to 6.24; and from 0.37 to 3.26, in type-2 DM patients and non-diabetics, respectively. VAT was positively correlated with HOMA-IR in two groups. There were inverse correlations between PV and VAT and VAT/SAT but only in diabetics. Conclusions. The VAT/SAT ratio may reflect the possible role of VAT to better understand the pathogenesis of obesity-related disorders in patients with type-2 DM. © 2017, Acta Endocrinologica Foundation. All rights reserved

Evaluation of right atrium-to-right ventricle diameter ratio on computed tomography pulmonary angiography: Prediction of adverse outcome and 30-day mortality

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between right atrium (RA) and right ventricle (RV) diameters on computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography in response to acute pulmonary embolism (APE), in addition to 30-day mortality and adverse outcomes in patients with APE. Methods This retrospective study was accepted by the institutional ethics committee. From January 2013 to March 2014, 79 hospitalized adult patients with symptomatic APE were included. Inclusion criteria were a CT pulmonary angiography positive for pulmonary embolism, availability of patient records, and a follow-up of at least 30 days. A review of patient records and images was performed. The maximum diameters of the heart chambers were measured on a reconstructed four-chamber heart view, and the vascular obstruction index was calculated on CT pulmonary angiography. Results There were statistically significant relationships in both the RA/RV diameter ratio and the RV/left ventricle (LV) diameter ratio between patients with and without adverse outcomes (p < 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference in the RA/RV diameter ratio, but not in the RV/LV diameter ratio, between those with and without 30-day mortality (p = 0.002 and 0.148, respectively). Conclusions Measurement of the RA/RV diameter ratio may be an alternative and useful method for predicting 30-day mortality and adverse outcome in patients with APE. © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Thermal and pressure-induced spin crossover in a novel three-dimensional Hoffman-like clathrate complex

The synthesis and crystal structure of the interpenetrated metal-organic framework material Fe(bpac) 2[Ag(CN) 2] 2 (bpac = 4,4�-bis(pyridyl)acetylene) are reported along with the characterization of its spin crossover properties by variable temperature magnetometry and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The complex presents an incomplete stepped spin transition as a function of temperature that is modified upon successive thermal cycling. The pressure-induced transition has also been investigated by means of high pressure Raman spectroscopy using a diamond anvil cell. The results show that it is possible to reach the thermally-inaccessible fully low spin state at room temperature by applying hydrostatic pressure to the sample. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique