Role of endogenous oxytocin in cardiac ischemic preconditioning

Background: The aim of the present study is to assess the role of endogenous oxytocin (OT) in cardioprotective effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in anesthetized rat. Materials and methods: Animals were divided into five groups: 1) ischemia-reperfusion (IR); (n= 6), hearts were subjected to 25 min regional ischemia and 60 min reperfusion, 2) OT; (n= 6), oxytocin was administered (0.03. μg/kg i.p) 10 min prior to ischemia, 3) IPC; (n= 7), IPC was induced via a 5 min regional ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion before IR, 4) IPC. +. ATO (Atosiban); (n= 6), atosiban (1.5. μg/kg i.p) was used as OT receptor selective antagonist in the beginning of IPC and 5) IR. +. ATO; (n= 6), atosiban was injected 10 min prior to ischemia-reperfusion. Results: In our experiment, Infarct size was decreased significantly in OT and IPC groups compared to IR (23 ± 1.5% and 19 ± 0.6% vs 45 ± 2.9% in IR group, P < 0.05). Administration of atosiban in IPC. +. ATO group increased infarct size to 39 ± 0.9% in comparison with OT and IPC groups (P<0.05). The use of OT and IPC prior to ischemia significantly declined ventricular arrhythmias severity in compared to IR group (1.2±0.4 and 1 ±0.5 respectively, vs 4±0.4 in IR group, P<0.05). Blockade of OT receptor by atosiban abolished the cardiopreconditioning effects of IPC. Conclusion: This study shows that, in part, the cardioprotective effects of IPC can be induced by endogenous OT. © 2010 Elsevier B.V

Stop using the flotation technique and start weighing salbutamol pressurised metered-dose inhalers without dose counters.

Salbutamol pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) are not equipped with dose counters outside the USA. The aim of this study was to describe a simple reproducible method for determining the number of doses remaining in a pMDI based on scale weight. With a laboratory scale, the mean weight of the canisters was 28.61 ± 0.10 g after priming and 14.84 ± 0.23 g after 200 puffs. Similar results were obtained with two common digital scales. We recommend weighing salbutamol canisters on a common digital scale, and replacing an old pMDI with a new one when the weight falls to ≤15 g

The occurrence of giant mesenteric cyst and adrenal ganglioneuroma in a schizophrenic male patient presenting as pseudocyesis: A case report

In psychological patients like our case, somatically expressed symptoms which can imply another psychological syndrome should be dealt with cautiously. © 2020 The Authors. Clinical Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Lt

2C-B: A New Psychoactive Phenylethylamine Recently Discovered in Ecstasy Tablets Sold on the Swiss Black Market

This study sought to identify, by means of several analytical methods (GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, CE-DAD, FTIR, and NMR), 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B), which was found in two sets of tablets obtained from the Swiss black market. Unequivocal identification of 2C-B was only achieved by a combination of mass spectrometric and NMR analysis. Quantitation of 2C-B was performed by HPLC-DAD and CE-DAD. The amounts of 2C-B found in the tablets (3-8 mg) were in the range of the minimum quantity required to induce the effects characteristic of this dru

Effect of chronic lithium administration on endothelium-dependent relaxation of rat corpus cavernosum: The role of nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase pathways

OBJECTIVE: To verify the effect of chronic lithium administration on the endothelium-dependent relaxation of rat corpus cavernosum, as lithium is a major drug for treating bipolar disorder and some studies showed that lithium might cause erectile dysfunction in such patients, by a mechanism as yet unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LiCl (600 mg/L) was dissolved in drinking water and Sprague-Dawley rats received the solution for 30 days; control rats received tap water. After 30 days corporeal strips were prepared from both groups, mounted under tension in oxygenated organ baths, and pre-contracted with phenylephrine (7.5 μm). After equilibration, the strips were relaxed by acetylcholine (10 nm to 1 mm) in the presence or absence of indomethacin (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor; 20 μm). Furthermore, the relaxant responses to sodium nitroprusside (1 nm to 1 mm), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, were investigated in both groups. NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry was used to identify NO synthase within cavernosal tissue strips of both groups. RESULTS: The acetylcholine-dependent relaxation was significantly lower in lithium-treated rats than in controls. Although indomethacin decreased significantly the relaxant responses to acetylcholine in controls, it increased the relaxant responses in lithium-treated rats. NADPH-diaphorase staining was greater in the chronic lithium-treated than in control preparations. Sodium nitroprusside produced similar relaxation in both groups. CONCLUSION: Chronic lithium administration can impair the endothelium-dependent relaxation of rat corpus cavernosum; NO availability might decrease after lithium administration and the cyclooxygenase pathways might have a role in this effect. © 2006 The Authors

IMECE2003-44300 Boundary Layer Solution for the Turbulent Swirling Decay Flow Through a Fixed Pipe: SBR at the Inlet

ABSTRACT In this study the developing turbulent swirling pipe flow is investigated both numerically and analytically. Governing equations are derived accompanying the boundary layer assumptions. Uniform and solid body rotation (SBR) distributions are taken into account for the axial and tangential velocities at the inlet of the pipe, respectively. Beyond the boundary layers, the flow pattern is considered to be the potential flow. Making use of the fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme, the numerical solution of the differential equations is obtained. Further more, by simplifying the governing equations for large Rossby number, the analytical solution is performed. The results of numerical and analytical swirl intensity have been compared showing reasonable agreement. As an alternative solution, a CFD analysis has been done as well, having applied FLUENT software to support the ability of our methodology

Antitumor effect of IP-10 by using two different approaches: Live delivery system and gene therapy

Purpose: Immunotherapy is one of the treatment strategies for breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide. In this approach, the patient�s immune system is stimulated to attack microscopic tumors and control metastasis. Here, we used interferon γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10), which induces and strengthens antitumor immunity, as an immunotherapeutic agent. We employed Leishmania tarentolae, a nonpathogenic lizard parasite that lacks the ability to persist in mammalian macrophages, was used as a live delivery system for carrying the immunotherapeutic agent. It has been already shown that arginase activity, and consequently, polyamine production, are associated with tumor progression. Methods: A live delivery system was constructed by stable transfection of pLEXSY plasmid containing the IP-10-enhanced green fluorescent protein (IP-10- egfp) fusion gene into L. tarentolae. Then, the presence of the IP-10-egfp gene and the accurate integration location into the parasite genome were confirmed. The therapeutic efficacy of IP- 10 delivered via L. tarentolae and recombinant pcDNA-(IP- 10-egfp) plasmid was compared by determining the arginase activity in a mouse 4T1 breast cancer model. Results: The pcDNA- (IP-10-egfp) group showed a significant reduction in tumor weight and growth. Histological evaluation also revealed that only this group demonstrated inhibition of metastasis to the lung tissue. The arginase activity in the tissue of the pcDNA-(IP- 10-egfp) mice significantly decreased in comparison with that in normal mice. No significant difference was observed in arginase activity in the sera of mice receiving other therapeutic strategies. Conclusion: Our data indicates that IP-10 immunotherapy is a promising strategy for breast cancer treatment, as shown in the 4T1-implanted BALB/c mouse model. However, the L. tarentolae- (IP-10-EGFP) live delivery system requires dose modifications to achieve efficacy in the applied regimen (six injections in 3 weeks). Our results indicate that the arginase assay could be a good biomarker to differentiate tumoral tissues from the normal ones. © 2016 Korean Breast Cancer Society. All rights reserved

2C-B: a new psychoactive phenylethylamine recently discovered in Ecstasy tablets sold on the Swiss black market.

This study sought to identify, by means of several analytical methods (GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, CE-DAD, FTIR, and NMR), 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B), which was found in two sets of tablets obtained from the Swiss black market. Unequivocal identification of 2C-B was only achieved by a combination of mass spectrometric and NMR analysis. Quantitation of 2C-B was performed by HPLC-DAD and CE-DAD. The amounts of 2C-B found in the tablets (3-8 mg) were in the range of the minimum quantity required to induce the effects characteristic of this drug

A novel succinate dehydrogenase type B mutation in an Iranian family. Its genetic and clinical evaluation

Succinate Dehydrogenase-B (SDH-B) gene mutations constitute one of the most frequent forms of hereditary paragangliomas (PGL). Genetic study is advised in all cases for the evaluation of tumour behaviour, the selection of optimal management and the surveillance of the first degree relatives. There are limited data on the genetic characteristics of patients with PGLs from Middle East countries, and to our knowledge this is the first study from Iran. We present the clinical and genetic characteristics of a 29-year old woman who presented with hypertension secondary to a para-aortic PGL. She was shown to have a novel mutation in the SDH-B gene and her family was subsequently screened. We also emphasize the problems in diagnosing and treating patients in this region. © 2014 Hellenic Endocrine Society. All rights reserved