Contribution of red blood cells to the compensation for hypocapnic alkalosis through plasmatic strong ion difference variations

Introduction Chloride shift is the movement of chloride between red blood cells (RBC) and plasma (and vice versa) caused by variations in pCO2. The aim of our study was to investigate changes in plasmatic strong ion diff erence (SID) during acute variations in pCO2 and their possible role in the compensation for hypocapnic alkalosis.Methods Patients admitted in this year to our ICU requiring extracorporeal CO2 removal were enrolled. Couples of measurements of gases and electrolytes on blood entering (v) and leaving (a) the respiratory membrane were analyzed. SID was calculated as [Na+] + [K+] + 2[Ca2+] \u2013 [Cl\u2013] \u2013 [Lac\u2013]. Percentage variations in SID (SID%) were calculated as (SIDv \u2013 SIDa) x 100 / SIDv. The same calculation was performed for pCO2 (pCO2%). Comparison between v and a values was performed by paired t test or the signed-rank test, as appropriate. Results Analysis was conducted on 205 sample-couples of six enrolled patients. A signifi cant diff erence (P <0.001) between mean values of v\u2013a samples was observed for pH (7.41 \ub1 0.05 vs. 7.51 \ub1 0.06), pCO2 (48 \ub1 6 vs. 35 \ub1 7 mmHg), [Na+] (136.3 \ub1 4.0 vs. 135.2 \ub1 4.0 mEq/l), [Cl\u2013] (101.5 \ub1 5.3 vs. 102.8 \ub1 5.2 mEq/l) and therefore SID (39.5 \ub1 4.0 vs. 36.9 \ub1 4.1 mEq/l). pCO2% and SID% signifi cantly correlated (r2 = 0.28, P <0.001). Graphical representation by quartiles of pCO2% is shown in Figure 1. Conclusions As a reduction in SID decreases pH, the observed movement of anions and cations probably limited the alkalinization caused by hypocapnia. In this model, the only source of electrolytes are blood cells (that is, no interstitium and no infl uence of the kidney is present); it is therefore conceivable to consider the observed phenomenon as the contribution of RBC for the compensation of acute hypocapnic alkalosi

Face Coding Is Bilateral in the Female Brain

Background: It is currently believed that face processing predominantly activates the right hemisphere in humans, but available literature is very inconsistent. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, ERPs were recorded in 50 right-handed women and men in response to 390 faces (of different age and sex), and 130 technological objects. Results showed no sex difference in the amplitude of N170 to objects; a much larger face-specific response over the right hemisphere in men, and a bilateral response in women; a lack of face-age coding effect over the left hemisphere in men, with no differences in N170 to faces as a function of age; a significant bilateral face-age coding effect in women. Conclusions/Significance: LORETA reconstruction showed a significant left and right asymmetry in the activation of the fusiform gyrus (BA19), in women and men, respectively. The present data reveal a lesser degree of lateralization of brain functions related to face coding in women than men. In this light, they may provide an explanation of the inconsistencies in the available literature concerning the asymmetric activity of left and right occipito-temporal cortices devoted to fac

How Are ‘Barack Obama’ and ‘President Elect’ Differentially Stored in the Brain? An ERP Investigation on the Processing of Proper and Common Noun Pairs

BACKGROUND:One of the most debated issues in the cognitive neuroscience of language is whether distinct semantic domains are differentially represented in the brain. Clinical studies described several anomic dissociations with no clear neuroanatomical correlate. Neuroimaging studies have shown that memory retrieval is more demanding for proper than common nouns in that the former are purely arbitrary referential expressions. In this study a semantic relatedness paradigm was devised to investigate neural processing of proper and common nouns. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:780 words (arranged in pairs of Italian nouns/adjectives and the first/last names of well known persons) were presented. Half pairs were semantically related ("Woody Allen" or "social security"), while the others were not ("Sigmund Parodi" or "judicial cream"). All items were balanced for length, frequency, familiarity and semantic relatedness. Participants were to decide about the semantic relatedness of the two items in a pair. RTs and N400 data suggest that the task was more demanding for common nouns. The LORETA neural generators for the related-unrelated contrast (for proper names) included the left fusiform gyrus, right medial temporal gyrus, limbic and parahippocampal regions, inferior parietal and inferior frontal areas, which are thought to be involved in the conjoined processing a familiar face with the relevant episodic information. Person name was more emotional and sensory vivid than common noun semantic access. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:When memory retrieval is not required, proper name access (conspecifics knowledge) is not more demanding. The neural generators of N400 to unrelated items (unknown persons and things) did not differ as a function of lexical class, thus suggesting that proper and common nouns are not treated differently as belonging to different grammatical classes

Trappin-2/Elafin Modulate Innate Immune Responses of Human Endometrial Epithelial Cells to PolyI∶C

BACKGROUND: Upon viral recognition, innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses are initiated by genital epithelial cells (ECs) to eradicate or contain viral infection. Such responses, however, are often accompanied by inflammation that contributes to acquisition and progression of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Hence, interventions/factors enhancing antiviral protection while reducing inflammation may prove beneficial in controlling the spread of STIs. Serine antiprotease trappin-2 (Tr) and its cleaved form, elafin (E), are alarm antimicrobials secreted by multiple cells, including genital epithelia. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated whether and how each Tr and E (Tr/E) contribute to antiviral defenses against a synthetic mimic of viral dsRNA, polyinosine-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) and vesicular stomatitis virus. We show that delivery of a replication-deficient adenovector expressing Tr gene (Ad/Tr) to human endometrial epithelial cells, HEC-1A, resulted in secretion of functional Tr, whereas both Tr/E were detected in response to polyI:C. Moreover, Tr/E were found to significantly reduce viral replication by either acting directly on virus or through enhancing polyI:C-driven antiviral protection. The latter was associated with reduced levels of pro-inflammatory factors IL-8, IL-6, TNFα, lowered expression of RIG-I, MDA5 and attenuated NF-κB activation. Interestingly, enhanced polyI:C-driven antiviral protection of HEC-Ad/Tr cells was partially mediated through IRF3 activation, but not associated with higher induction of IFNβ, suggesting multiple antiviral mechanisms of Tr/E and the involvement of alternative factors or pathways. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first evidence of both Tr/E altering viral binding/entry, innate recognition and mounting of antiviral and inflammatory responses in genital ECs that could have significant implications for homeostasis of the female genital tract

SS18 Together with Animal-Specific Factors Defines Human BAF-Type SWI/SNF Complexes

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