67 research outputs found

    Association between lower serum bicarbonate and renal hyperfiltration in the general population with preserved renal function: a cross-sectional study

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    This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Abstract Background Lower serum bicarbonate, mainly due to the modern Western-style diet, and renal hyperfiltration (RHF) are both independently associated with higher mortality in the general population with preserved renal function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between serum bicarbonate and RHF. Methods The health data of 41,886 adults with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 were analyzed. The eGFR was calculated with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine equation and RHF was defined as eGFR with adjusted residuals > sex-specific 95th percentile. Results The adjusted mean of eGFR was lower in the highest quintile of serum bicarbonate than in other quintiles, after adjusting for confounders. A lower percentile rank of serum bicarbonate was associated with higher odds of RHF. The odds ratio (OR) for RHF in the lowest quintile of serum bicarbonate was 1.39 (95 % confidence interval, 95 % CI, 1.11–1.75) compared to the highest, after adjusting for confounders. With subgroup analysis, the association was prominent in participants with a body mass index >25 kg/m2 (OR 1.98, 95 % CI 1.32–2.95 in the lowest quintile compared to the highest), compared to those with a body mass index ≤25 kg/m2 (OR 1.18, 95 % CI 0.89–1.56 in the lowest quintile compared to the highest). Conclusions This study observed an association between lower serum bicarbonate and higher odds of RHF and the possible differential effect of obesity in this association. It is necessary to confirm the association between lower serum bicarbonate and RHF and its causality

    Electrochemical detection of mismatched DNA using a MutS probe

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    A direct and label-free electrochemical biosensor for the detection of the protein–mismatched DNA interaction was designed using immobilized N-terminal histidine tagged Escherichia coli. MutS on a Ni-NTA coated Au electrode. General electrochemical methods, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) and impedance spectroscopy, were used to ascertain the binding affinity of mismatched DNAs to the MutS probe. The direct results of CV and impedance clearly reveal that the interaction of MutS with the CC heteroduplex was much stronger than that with AT homoduplex, which was not differentiated in previous results (GT > CT > CC ≈ AT) of a gel mobility shift assay. The EQCM technique was also able to quantitatively analyze MutS affinity to heteroduplexes

    Voluntary exercise protects against methamphetamine-induced oxidative stress in brain microvasculature and disruption of the blood--brain barrier

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    BACKGROUND: There is no effective therapeutic intervention developed targeting cerebrovascular toxicity of drugs of abuse, including methamphetamine (METH). We hypothesize that exercise protects against METH-induced disruption of the blood--brain barrier (BBB) by enhancing the antioxidant capacity of cerebral microvessels and modulating caveolae-associated signaling. Mice were subjected to voluntary wheel running for 5 weeks resembling the voluntary pattern of human exercise, followed by injection with METH (10 mg/kg). The frequency, duration, and intensity of each running session were monitored for each mouse via a direct data link to a computer and the running data are analyzed by Clock labTM Analysis software. Controls included mice sedentary that did not have access to running wheels and/or injections with saline. RESULTS: METH induced oxidative stress in brain microvessels, resulting in up regulation of caveolae-associated NAD(P)H oxidase subunits, and phosphorylation of mitochondrial protein 66Shc. Treatment with METH disrupted also the expression and colocalization of tight junction proteins. Importantly, exercise markedly attenuated these effects and protected against METH-induced disruption of the BBB integrity. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results indicate that exercise is an important modifiable behavioral factor that can protect against METH-induced cerebrovascular toxicity. These findings may provide new strategies in preventing the toxicity of drug of abuse

    Factors influencing prenatal and postpartum depression in Korea: a prospective cohort study

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    Purpose This study explored the prevalence of prenatal and postpartum depression in Korea and its influencing factors from 20 weeks of pregnancy to 12 weeks postpartum. Methods Using a prospective cohort study design, data on women’s depression and its influencing factors were collected at 20, 28, and 36 weeks of pregnancy and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postpartum. The participants were 219 women and 181 spouses during pregnancy; and 183 mothers and 130 spouses after childbirth. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and influencing factors were measured by the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised, parity, and spousal depression. Results The prevalence of maternal depression was 10.5% to 21.5% before birth, and it was 22.4% to 32.8% postpartum. The prevalence slightly decreased during the prenatal period but peaked at 2 weeks postpartum. Antenatal depression was influenced by low socioeconomic status, lower self-esteem, having experienced prenatal depression, having experienced prenatal anxiety, a previous history of depression, lower social support, lower marital satisfaction, and higher life stress. The factors influencing postpartum depression were lower self-esteem, having experienced prenatal depression, having experienced prenatal anxiety, lower social support, lower marital satisfaction, and higher life stress, as well as infant temperament and maternal blues. Parity and spousal depression had no impacts. Conclusion The prevalence and influencing factors of maternal depression changed over time. Nurses need to screen women accordingly during the perinatal period and should provide education or counseling to prevent depression and promote adjustment to parenthood

    The Bilirubin Level is Negatively Correlated with the Incidence of Hypertension in Normotensive Korean Population

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    Reactive oxygen species have been known to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Bilirubin, one of the metabolites of heme degraded by heme oxygenase, is a potent anti-oxidant. We verified the effect of serum bilirubin level on the incidence of hypertension in normotensive subjects. We grouped 1,208 normotensive subjects by the criterion of the highest quintile value of serum bilirubin, 1.1 mg/dL. The incidence of hypertension was higher in group 1 with bilirubin less than 1.1 mg/dL than in group 2 with bilirubin 1.1 mg/dL or more (186/908 vs. 43/300, p=0.018). The relative risk for hypertension was 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.99), p=0.048 in group 2 compared to group 1 by Cox's proportional hazard model. Among the groups stratified by gender, smoking, and liver function status, the group 2 showed a lower risk of hypertension in females and in non-smokers. In conclusion, a mild increase within the physiological range of serum bilirubin concentration was negatively correlated with the incidence of hypertension. The effect of bilirubin on the development of hypertension was more evident in females and in non-smokers

    Insulin Resistance is Associated with Gallstones Even in Non-obese, Non-diabetic Korean Men

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    It remains unclear as to whether insulin resistance alone or in the presence of well-known risk factors, such as diabetes or obesity, is associated with gallstones in men. The aim of this study was to determine whether insulin resistance is associated independently with gallstone disease in non-diabetic men, regardless of obesity. Study subjects were 19,503 Korean men, aged 30-69 yr, with fasting blood glucose level <126 mg/dL and without a documented history of diabetes. Gallbladder status was assessed via abdominal ultrasonography after overnight fast. Body mass index and waist circumference were measured. Insulin resistance was estimated by the Homeostasis Model Assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The prevalence of obesity, abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome in the subjects with gallstones were higher than in those without. The prevalence of elevated HOMA (>75 percentile) in subjects with gallstones was significantly higher than in those without, and this association remained even after the obesity stratification was applied. In multiple logistic regression analyses, only age and HOMA proved to be independent predictors of gallstones. Insulin resistance was positively associated with gallstones in non-diabetic Korean men, and this occurred regardless of obesity. Gallstones appear to be a marker for insulin resistance, even in non-diabetic, non-obese men

    Abstracts from the 20th International Symposium on Signal Transduction at the Blood-Brain Barriers

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    https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138963/1/12987_2017_Article_71.pd

    Using Patient Medical Records for Medical Research

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