The role of salt intake and salt sensitivity in the management of hypertension in South Asian people with chronic kidney disease: A randomized controlled trial

Background The effectiveness of salt restriction to lower blood pressure (BP) in Bangladeshi patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is uncertain. Objective To test the hypothesis that a tailored intervention intended to reduce salt intake in addition to standard care will achieve a greater reduction in BP in UK Bangladeshi patients with CKD than standard care alone. Design A randomised parallel-group controlled trial conducted over a 6 month period. Setting A tertiary renal unit based in acute care hospital in East London. Participants 56 adult participants of Bangladeshi origin with CKD and BP >130/80 mm Hg or on antihypertensive medication. Intervention Participants were randomly allocated to receive a tailored low-salt diet or the standard low-salt advice. BP medication, physical activity and weight were monitored. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was change in ambulatory BP. Adherence to dietary advice was assessed by measurement of 24 h urinary salt excretion. Results Of 56 participants randomised, six withdrew at the start of the study. During the study, one intervention group participant died, one control group participant moved to Bangladesh. Data were available for the primary endpoint on 48 participants. Compared with control group the intervention urinary sodium excretion fell from 260 mmol/d to 103 mmol/d (131 to 76, p<0.001) at 6 months and resulted in mean (95% CI) falls in 24 h systolic/diastolic BP of 8 mm Hg (11 to 5)/2 (?4 to 2) both p<0.001. Conclusions A tailored intervention can achieve moderate salt restriction in patients with CKD, resulting in clinically meaningful falls in BP independent of hypertensive medication

Niobium and niobium-iron coatings on API 5LX 70 steel applied with HVOF

The present study aimed to create and characterize niobium and niobium-iron60% coatings applied to steel API 5L X70 using the hypersonic thermal spray process (HVOF). The morphologies of the coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and profilometry, while the coatings’ hardnesses was evaluated using the Vickers hardness test. The coatings’ corrosion resistance was evaluated by monitoring their open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization and performing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 0.05 M NaCl solution. The results showed that the niobium-iron coating contained minor porosity regions, while such defects occurred over large regions of the niobium coating. In terms of corrosion resistance, the coatings obtained in this work promoted a reduction in the substrate’s corrosion rate, but the presence of discontinuities such as porosity compromised the barrier effects of these coatings

Renal Involvement in Leptospirosis: The Effect of Glycolipoprotein on Renal Water Absorption

on vasopressin (Vp) action in the guinea pig inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). Copenhageni, GLPc, n = 5); Group II, IMCD from normal guinea-pigs in the presence of GLPc (GLPc group, n = 54); Group III, IMCD from injected animals with GLPc ip (n = 8). (GLPp, non pathogenic, 250 µg) did not alter Vp action. In Group III, GLPc (250 µg) injected intraperitoneally produced a decrease of about 20% in IMCD Aquaporin 2 expression.The IMCD Pf decrease caused by GLP is evidence, at least in part, towards explaining the urinary concentrating incapacity observed in infected guinea-pigs

Role of mitochondrial raft-like microdomains in the regulation of cell apoptosis

Lipid rafts are envisaged as lateral assemblies of specific lipids and proteins that dissociate and associate rapidly and form functional clusters in cell membranes. These structural platforms are not confined to the plasma membrane; indeed lipid microdomains are similarly formed at subcellular organelles, which include endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi and mitochondria, named raft-like microdomains. In addition, some components of raft-like microdomains are present within ER-mitochondria associated membranes. This review is focused on the role of mitochondrial raft-like microdomains in the regulation of cell apoptosis, since these microdomains may represent preferential sites where key reactions take place, regulating mitochondria hyperpolarization, fission-associated changes, megapore formation and release of apoptogenic factors. These structural platforms appear to modulate cytoplasmic pathways switching cell fate towards cell survival or death. Main insights on this issue derive from some pathological conditions in which alterations of microdomains structure or function can lead to severe alterations of cell activity and life span. In the light of the role played by raft-like microdomains to integrate apoptotic signals and in regulating mitochondrial dynamics, it is conceivable that these membrane structures may play a role in the mitochondrial alterations observed in some of the most common human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's chorea and prion-related diseases. These findings introduce an additional task for identifying new molecular target(s) of pharmacological agents in these pathologies