Ultrasound-guided percutaneous irrigation of calcific tendinopathy: Technical developments

Rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy (RCCT) is a common and painful shoulder disease character-ised by deposition of calcium into the rotator cuff’s tendond. Different therapeutic options have been proposed, but the ultrasound-guided percutaneous irrigation (US-PICT) is been proved as an effective and safe first-line treatment. It can be performed with a single-of a double-needle tecnique, using warm saline solution to improve the dissolution of the calcific deposit. The procedure is ended with an intrabursal injection of local anaesthetics and slow-release steroids to improve the pain relief and to prevent complications. US-PICT leads to significative improvement in the shoulder funtion and pain relief in the short and long term, with a low complications rate. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Advanced diagnostic imaging and intervention in tendon diseases

Degenerative tendon pathology represents one of the most frequent and disabling musculoskeletal disorders. Diagnostic radiology plays a fundamental role in the clinical evaluation of tendon pathologies. Moreover, several minimally invasive treatments can be performed under imaging guidance to treat tendon disorders, maximizing the efficacy and reducing procedural complications. In this review article we describe the most relevant diagnostic features of conventional and advanced US and MRI imaging in tendon disorders, along with the main options for image-guided intervention. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Imaging of long head biceps tendon : a multimodality pictorial essay

The aim of this article is to provide an imaging review of normal anatomy, most common anatomical variants and pathologies of the long head of the biceps tendon (LHB) encountered during the daily practice. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Effects of Maté Tea Intake on ex Vivo LDL Peroxidation Induced by Three Different Pathways

Yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) is a native South America plant widely consumed as different beverages. Yerba maté leaves contains high concentrations of polyphenols that are responsible for its high in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity. The in vivo antioxidant properties vis a vis LDL particles has not yet been studied for maté tea, the roasted yerba maté product. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of maté tea ingestion ex vivo on human LDL. Fasting peripheral venous blood samples of healthy women were taken in three different times: before drinking the tea, one hour later and after one week (7 days) of daily consumption of maté tea. The isolated LDL was oxidized by three different pathways [copper (CuSO4), lipoxygenase and peroxynitrite (SIN-1)]. Conjugated dienes and structural modifications on LDL were evaluated. Ingestion of maté tea increased LDL resistance towards ex vivo copper oxidation, but did not alter the peroxidation pattern when SIN-1 or lipoxygenase were used as oxidant

The effects of acute interval exercise and strawberry intake on postprandial lipemia

YesPurpose: Raised postprandial triglycerides (TAG) and related oxidative stresses are strongly associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Acute exercise and strawberry ingestion independently ameliorate postprandial lipid excursions and oxidative stress. However, the combined effects of these lifestyle interventions is unknown. We investigated whether acute exercise and strawberry consumption improved postprandial responses to an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) in overweight/obese males. Methods: Overweight/obese adult males underwent four separate OFTT (73g fat, 33g carbohydrate) with blood sampled at baseline and hourly for 4 h after OFTT. Two OFTT contained 25g freeze-dried strawberries and two contained strawberry flavouring (placebo). Participants performed 40 minutes of submaximal high intensity interval cycling exercise (HIIE) 16 h before one strawberry and one placebo OFTT, and rested before the remaining two OFTT. Serum TAG was analysed and TAG area under curve (AUC) and incremental AUC (iAUC) were calculated. Oxidative stress markers were measured at baseline and 4 h. Differences between conditions (strawberry/placebo and exercise/rest) were assessed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Ten males (Age, 31.5 IQR 17.8 years; BMI, 29.9 ±1.8 kg.m-2) completed the study. TAG AUC was 1.5 mmol.4h-1.L-1 lower for the exercise conditions compared to the rest conditions (95% confidence interval [CI]= -2.3 to 0.8, p= 0.001). TAG AUC was not different between the strawberry and placebo conditions (CI= -1.3 to 0.6, p= 0.475). TAG iAUC was 0.5 mmol.4h-1.L-1 greater for the strawberry compared to the placebo conditions (CI= 0.1 to 1.0, p= 0.021). There were no changes in markers of lipid related oxidative stress (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Acute submaximal HIIE appears effective in reducing postprandial lipaemia in overweight/obese adult males. However, strawberry ingestion did not improve postprandial TAG

Single and repeated moderate consumption of native or dealcoholized red wine show different effects on antioxidant parameters in blood and DNA strand breaks in peripheral leukocytes in healthy volunteers: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN68505294]

BACKGROUND: Red wine (RW) is rich in antioxidant polyphenols that might protect from oxidative stress related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Antioxidant effects after single ingestion of RW or dealcoholized RW (DRW) have been observed in several studies, but results after regular consumption are contradictory. Thus, we examined if single or repeated consumption of moderate amounts of RW or DRW exert antioxidant activity in vivo. METHODS: Total phenolic content and concentration of other antioxidants in plasma/serum, total antioxidant capacity (TEAC) in plasma as well as DNA strand breaks in peripheral leukocytes were measured in healthy non-smokers A) before, 90 and 360 min after ingestion of one glass of RW, DRW or water; B) before and after consumption of one glass of RW or DRW daily for 6 weeks. DNA strand breaks (SB) were determined by single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet Assay) in untreated cells and after induction of oxidative stress ex vivo with H(2)O(2 )(300 μM, 20 min). RESULTS: Both RW and DRW transiently increased total phenolic content in plasma after single consumption, but only RW lead to a sustained increase if consumed regularly. Plasma antioxidant capacity was not affected by single or regular consumption of RW or DRW. Effects of RW and DRW on DNA SB were conflicting. DNA strand breaks in untreated cells increased after a single dose of RW and DRW, whereas H(2)O(2 )induced SB were reduced after DRW. In contrast, regular RW consumption reduced SB in untreated cells but did not affect H(2)O(2 )induced SB. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that consumption of both RW and DRW leads to an accumulation of phenolic compounds in plasma without increasing plasma antioxidant capacity. Red wine and DRW seem to affect the occurrence of DNA strand breaks, but this cannot be referred to antioxidant effects