Effect of Pycnogenol® on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: Methylphenidate (MPH), the first choice medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is associated with serious adverse effects like arrhythmia. Evidence on the association of ADHD with immune and oxidant-antioxidant imbalances offers potential for antioxidant and/or immunomodulatory nutritional supplements as ADHD therapy. One small randomised trial in ADHD suggests, despite various limitations, therapeutic benefit from Pycnogenol (R), a herbal, polyphenol-rich extract. Methods: This phase III trial is a 10-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo and active treatment controlled multicentre trial with three parallel treatment arms to compare the effect of Pycnogenol r to MPH and placebo on the behaviour of 144 paediatric ADHD and attention-deficit disorder (ADD) patients. Evaluations of behaviour (measured by the ADHDRating Scale (primary endpoint) and the Social-emotional Questionnaire (SEQ)), immunity (plasma cytokine and antibody levels, white blood cell counts and faecal microbial composition), oxidative stress (erythrocyte glutathione, plasma lipid-soluble vitamins and malondialdehyde and urinary 8-OHdG levels, as well as antioxidant enzyme activity and gene expression), serum zinc and neuropeptide Y level, urinary catecholamines and physical complaints (Physical Complaints Questionnaire) will be performed in week 10 and compared to baseline. Acceptability evaluations will be based on adherence, dropouts and reports of adverse events. Dietary habits will be taken into account. Discussion: This trial takes into account comorbid behavioural and physical symptoms, as well as a broad range of innovative immune and oxidative biomarkers, expected to provide fundamental knowledge on ADHD aetiology and therapy. Research on microbiota in ADHD is novel. Moreover, the active control arm is rather unseen in research on nutritional supplements, but of great importance, as patients and parents are often concerned with the side effects of MPH

Insulinoma bij de hond, deel 2: een retrospectieve studie van 23 gevallen (2002-2008)

Twenty-three dogs with insulinoma were included in this retrospective study. These tumors were mostly found in middle-aged to old dogs, weighing over 25 kg. The most important symptoms were weakness, seizures and collapse. The mean duration of clinical signs before referral was 5 months. Interestingly, the onset of clinical signs was reported more frequently during the summer months. Paired serum glucose and insulin concentrations were measured in all dogs. Fructosamine concentrations were measured in more than one third of the cases, all showing levels lower than normal (258 mu mol/l). In 50% of the dogs, abdominal ultrasound detected signs of an insulinoma, but only in one third of the cases nodules were visible. Scintigraphy, with the radiopharmaceutical drug Indium-111 pentetreotide, was performed in 6 dogs, with a detection rate of 83%. Electrophysiological examination of 3 dogs confirmed the clinical signs of an insulinoma-associated polyneuropathy. Histopathological examination of 5 dogs demonstrated the presence of an insulinoma. In one third of the dogs metastases were present at the time of diagnosis. The mean survival time after diagnosis was 10,3 months. There was no significant difference in survival between the medicinally and surgically treated group. However, it is difficult to make a definitive conclusion, because of the low number of surgically treated dogs

Disintegration of sedimentary rocks used as building material: evaluation and quantification in 4D

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Adjuvant therapeutic potential of tonabersat in the standard treatment of glioblastoma : a preclinical F98 glioblastoma rat model study

Purpose Even with an optimal treatment protocol, the median survival of glioblastoma (GB) patients is only 12-15 months. Hence, there is need for novel effective therapies that improve survival outcomes. Recent evidence suggests an important role for connexin (Cx) proteins (especially Cx43) in the microenvironment of malignant glioma. Cx43-mediated gap junctional communication has been observed between tumor cells, between astrocytes and between tumor cells and astrocytes. Therefore, gap junction directed therapy using a pharmacological suppressor or modulator, such as tonabersat, could be a promising target in the treatment of GB. In this preclinical study, we evaluated the possible therapeutic potential of tonabersat in the F98 model. Procedures Female Fischer rats were inoculated with +/- 25.000 F98 tumor cells in the right frontal lobe. Eight days post-inoculation contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CE-T1w) magnetic resonance (MR) images were acquired to confirm tumor growth in the brain. After tumor confirmation, rats were randomized into a Control Group, a Connexin Modulation Group (CM), a Standard Medical Treatment Group (ST), and a Standard Medical Treatment with adjuvant Connexin Modulation Group (STCM). To evaluate therapy response, T2-weighted (T2w) and CE-T1w sequences were acquired at several time points. Tumor volume analysis was performed on CE-T1w images and statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed model. Results Significant differences in estimated geometric mean tumor volumes were found between the ST Group and the Control Group and also between the STCM Group and the Control Group. In addition, significant differences in estimated geometric mean tumor volumes between the ST Group and the STCM Group were demonstrated. No significant differences in estimated geometric mean tumor volumes were found between the Control Group and the CM Group. Conclusion Our results demonstrate a therapeutic potential of tonabersat for the treatment of GB when used in combination with radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy

Chemical profiling of infusions and decoctions of Helichrysum italicum subsp picardii by UHPLC-PDA-MS and in vitro biological activities comparatively with green tea (Camellia sinensis) and rooibos tisane (Aspalathus linearis)

Several medicinal plants are currently used by the food industry as functional additives, for example botanical extracts in herbal drinks. Moreover, the scientific community has recently begun focusing on halophytes as sources of functional beverages. Helichrysum italicum subsp. picardii (everlasting) is an aromatic halophyte common in southern Europe frequently used as spice and in traditional medicine. In this context, this work explored for the first time H. italicum subsp. picardii as a potential source of innovative herbal beverages with potential health promoting properties. For that purpose, infusions and decoctions were prepared from roots, vegetative aerial-organs (stems and leaves) and flowers and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. Samples were also assessed for toxicity in different mammalian cell lines and chemically characterized by spectrophotometric methods and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography photo diode array mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS). Results were expressed relating to 'a cup-of-tea' and compared with those obtained with green tea (Camellia sinensis) and rooibos tisane (Aspalathus linearis). Tisanes from the everlasting's above-ground organs, particularly flowers, have high polyphenolic content and several phenolics were identified; the main compounds were chlorogenic and quinic acids, dicaffeoylquinic-acid isomers and gnaphaliin-A. The antioxidant activity of beverages from the everlasting's above-ground organs matched or surpassed that of green tea and rooibos. Its anti-diabetic activity was moderate and toxicity low. Overall, our results suggest that the everlasting is a potential source of innovative and functional herbal beverages. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.national funds through Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]FCT [SFRH/BD/94407/2013, SFRH/BD/116604/2016]Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [12M8315N]FCT Investigator Programme [IF/00049/2012]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Een geallieerd loopgravenstelsel uit de Eerste Wereldoorlog aan de Potyze (Ieper, W.-Vl.). Eindverslag van een toevalsvondst

Het structuren uit de Eerste Wereldoorlog aan de Potyze, konden, in grote lijnen, onderverdeeld worden in een drietal fasen: een vroege loopgraaf uit 1915, een uitgebouwd loopgravenstelsel (1915-1917) en een artilleriepositie (1917-1918). Het onderzoeksgebied bevindt zich in een sector die altijd in geallieerde handen is geweest