Tiotropium is less likely to induce oxygen desaturation in stable COPD patients compared to long-acting β2-agonists

SummaryIn a three-way crossover pilot study, the acute effects of tiotropium 18μg inhalation on the respiratory function and arterial blood gas tensions of 30 patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were compared with those of salmeterol 50μg and formoterol 12μg. In each study day, lung function and arterial blood gas analyses were performed before and up to 180min after inhalation. All treatments significantly improved lung function, increased DLco, decreased PaO2, and increased P(A-a)O2, with no change in PaCO2. The effects of salmeterol and tiotropium on PaO2 were slower in onset and more prolonged than those of formoterol but PaO2AUC0–180min was significantly greater for formoterol and salmeterol than for tiotropium. It is likely that the significant but small decreases in PaO2 and increases in P(A-a)O2 have been caused by pulmonary vasodilator effects. Since the three agents were similar in inducing bronchodilation, we believe that tiotropium is preferable in patients with hypoxemia caused by stable COPD because it seems to carry a smaller risk of worsening systemic hypoxemia

Localization of the cyclic ADP-ribose-dependent calcium signaling pathway in bovine rod outer segments.

PURPOSE Calcium ions play a pivotal role in phototransduction. In this study, the presence and functional role of the adenosine diphosphoribosyl (ADPR)-cyclase-cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) system in bovine retinal rod outer segments (ROS) was investigated. METHODS A Ca(2+) release from osmotically intact ROS discs elicited by cADPR was studied in the presence of the Ca(2+) tracer fluo-3. Endogenous cyclic guanosine diphosphate ribose (cGDPR) formation in discs was investigated by spectrophotometric detection of its synthesis from nicotinamide guanine dinucleotide (NGD(+)). ADPR-cyclase was also investigated at a structural level on mildly denaturing SDS-PAGE by production of cyclic inosine diphosphate ribose from nicotinamide hypoxantine dinucleotide (NHD(+)). Western immunoblot analysis with a specific antibody was conducted to verify the presence of ryanodine-sensitive Ca(2+) channels (RyRs) in ROS discs. RESULTS cADPR-dependent Ca(2+) release was a linear function of extravesicular free Ca(2+) concentration, between 200 and 900 nM Ca(2+). When free Ca(2+) was 203 +/- 10 nM the mean Ca(2+) release was 23 +/- 3 pmol/mL per milligram protein. The average rate of cGDPR production was 13 +/- 2 nmol cGDPR/min per milligram protein, by a putative enzyme with an apparent molecular mass of 53 +/- 1 kDa. ROS ADPR-cyclase was localized in the membranous fraction. No nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide glycohydrolase (NADase) activity was detected. The presence of RyR channels in pure disc preparations was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. CONCLUSIONS A cADPR metabolism may be present in retinal ROS discs, which may be Ca(2+) stores operated by cADPR. A model is proposed for the physiological role of cADPR-mediated Ca(2+) release in bovine ROS

FOCOS DE QUEIMADAS NAS UNIDADES DE CONSERVAÇÃO E TERRAS INDÍGENAS DO PANTANAL, 2000-2008

Este estudo quantificou a ocorrência de focos de queima de vegetação detectados por satélites em duas Unidades de Conservação (UCF) Federais, seis Estaduais (UCE) e sete Terras Indígenas (TI) do bioma Pantanal no período 2000 a 2008. Considerando as imagens dos satélites disponíveis, 15 áreas de proteção apresentaram focos. Limitando as detecções à série referencial dos satélites NOAA-12 e NOAA-15, apenas uma UCE, de superfície mínima, não teve registros de focos. Como a maioria dos focos concentrou-se nos meses de seca, quando não ocorrem raios, deduz-se que o fogo eventual foi de origem antrópica. O ano de 2005 foi o mais seco do período, com ~100 mm de precipitação abaixo da normal climatológica para a região; e nele, o trimestre naturalmente seco de julho-agosto-setembro (JAS) concentrou o maior número focos nas áreas estudadas, 2637. Nos anos de 2003, 2006 e 2008, com precipitação acima da média, foram observadas as menores quantidades de focos. Em 2003, o ano mais úmido com ~100 mm acima da normal em JAS verificou-se apenas 10 focos. Estes resultados indicam que as áreas de proteção no Pantanal podem ser significativamente afetadas pelo fogo de origem antrópica, particularmente nos anos de estiagem pronunciada. Palavras-chave: Fogo. Unidades de conservação. Terras indígenas. Pantanal. Satélites. Fires in Conservation Units and Indigenous Territories at Pantanal, 2000-2008 This study quantified the occurrence of vegetation fires detected by satellites in two federal and six state conservation units (respectively FC and SC) and seven Indigenous territories (IT) in the Brazilian Pantanal biome for the period 2000-2008. Considering all images from the available satellites, fire pixels occurred in all of these 15 protection areas. When limited to the reference series using data from the NOAA-12 and NOAA-15 satellites, only one SC showed no fires. Since the majority of the fires concentrated in the dry months, and therefore when no lightning occurs, one concludes that the fires had an anthropogenic origin. The year of 2005 was the driest in the period, with ~100 mm of precipitation below the climatic normal in the region, and its naturally dry trimester of July-August-September (JAS) concentrated the largest amount of fire pixels, 2637. The years of 2003, 2006 and 2008, with precipitation above the average, had the lowest amounts of fires, and 2003, the wettest, with about 100 mm above the normal on JAS, had just 10 fire pixels. The results indicate that the protected areas in the Pantanal can be significantly affected by fires of anthropogenic origin, particularly in the years of pronounced drought. Key words: Fire. Conservation units. Indigenous territories. Pantanal. Satellites

EXPOsure : Milan, May 1st-October 31st

The city of Milan is experiencing the great event of EXPO 2015 and heavy construction has been ongoing since 2012 over an area of more than 1 million meters squared in the north-west suburban area of the city. We compared the number of hospital admissions for upper and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI and LRTI) and acute asthma, in infants and children aged between 0 and 13 years from 2011 to 2014 in two Pediatric Departments, one near and one far from the EXPO construction area. Hospital admission frequencies resulted to be similar in the two Pediatric Departments