Temporal Variation in the Interaction Between Calcium Channel Blockers and Morphine-Induced Analgesia

Circadian variations in the interaction between calcium channel blockers and morphine-induced analgesia were determined by the mouse hot-plate test. Calcium channel blockers diltiazem, verapamil, or nicardipine alone did not display any significant analgesic effect, but all of them potentiated morphine-induced analgesia when injected 30 min prior to morphine at most of the injection times. In terms of percent absolute potentiation, they produced more potentiation during the light period than darkness. Their potentiating effects decreased abruptly during darkness, and around the midtime of the dark period no significant potentiation of morphine-induced analgesia was observed. It is concluded that these fluctuations in the magnitude of interaction between calcium channel blockers and morphine must be taken into consideration particularly in studies dealing with the role of calcium in analgesia.     

Physiological roles of the angiogenic factors during posthatching development period and adults in the quail lung

The bronchus and vasculature form an intrinsic functional component of the avian lung, and its growth must be tightly regulated and coordinated by lung epithelial and endothelial development. Vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (flk1/KDR, flt1/fms, flt4) are required for epithelial and endothelial cell survival and apoptosis. Especially, VEGF and its receptors are critical for the development of the lung and serve as a maintenance factor during adult life. To determine the function of VEGI, VEGF and its receptors in the posthatching lung development, we revealed its expression and localization using by immunohistochemical procedure. VEGI, VEGF and its receptors were observed in the structural components of the bronchi, atria and air capillaries, as well as in the pulmonary blood vessels throughout the posthatching development period. On the other hand, immunostaining for VEGI, VEGF and its receptors was faintly detected in the glands of the secondary bronchi. Furthermore, it was determined that the secondary bronchial and atrial muscles did not display VEGF immunoreactions. Our results showed that VEGF and its receptors (flt1/fms, flk1/KDR and flt4) and VEGI were expressed at varying intensity by different cell groups. Therefore, they are also required for the development of the lung component during posthatching period.     

The protective effects of Prunus armeniaca L (apricot) against methotrexate-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in rat kidney

This study was conducted to evaluate a possible protective role of apricot in apoptotic cell death induced by methotrexate (MTX) and renal damage by different histological and biochemical parameters. Twenty-eight rats were divided into four groups, control, apricot, methotrexate, and apricot + methotrexate. Methotrexate induced renal failure, as shown by significant serum creatinine and urea elevation. Additionally, the results indicated that methotrexate significantly induced lipid peroxidation and reduced antioxidant activities in rats. In contrast, apricot significantly prevented toxic effects of methotrexate via increased catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione levels but decreased formation of malondialdehyde. Also, it was determined that exposure to methotrexate leads to significant histological damage in kidney tissue such as glomerulosclerosis and apoptosis. On the other hand, these effects can be eliminated with apricot diet. These data indicate that apricot may be useful in preventing undesirable effects of MTX such as nephrotoxicity.     

Are we aware how contaminated our mobile phones with nosocomial pathogens?

Vibrio spp. is a pathogen rarely isolated in cancer patients, and in most cases it is associated with haematological diseases. Cutaneous manifestations of this organism are even rarer. We report a case of Non-O1 Vibrio cholerae inguinal skin and soft tissue infection presenting bullous skin lesions in a young type II diabetic patient with a penis squamous cell carcinoma having a seawater exposure history.     

Treatment of Colonic Injury During Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy

Colonic injury during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) persists despite the advances in technical equipment and interventional radiology techniques. According to the Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications, colonic injury is regarded as a stage IVa complication. Currently, the rate of colonic injury ranges between 0.3% and 0.5%, with an unremarkable difference in incidence between supine and prone PCNL procedures. Colon injury is the most significant complication of PCNL. Colonic injury can result in more complicated open exploration of the abdomen, involving colostomy construction. The necessity of a second operation for the closure of the colostomy causes financial and emotional burden on the patients, patients’ relatives, and surgeons. Currently, the majority of colonic injuries occurring during PCNL are retroperitoneal. The primary treatment option is a conservative approach. It must be kept in mind that the time of diagnosis is as important as the diagnosis itself in colonic injury. Surgeons performing PCNL are advised to be conservative when considering exploratory laparotomy and colostomy construction during treatment of colonic injury. We present the case of a 49-year-old woman who underwent left prone PCNL that resulted in retroperitoneal colonic injury, along with a review of the current literature.Key words: Colonic injury, Percutaneous nephrolithotomy, Clavien, Complication, Prevention, Urolithiasis, ManagementPercutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a standard, safe, and effective method used in the management of large kidney stones. PCNL was first described by Fernstrom and Johansson in 1976.¹ Currently, PCNL offers a 78% to 95% success rate in the treatment of kidney stones. However, the rate of major and minor complications related to the procedure is as high as 83%.² The major complication rate for PCNL varies between 1.1% and 7%,³ despite improvements in endourologic equipment and the development of new treatment modalities, such as mini-micro PCNL, supine PCNL, and laparoscopically assisted PCNL. A wide range of complications can arise from PCNL, ranging from those requiring simple medical therapies and follow-up to more severe conditions resulting in death, and have been categorized according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system. The most common complication is hemorrhage, accounting for 1% to 12% of cases. However, the rate of hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion is less than 2.5% in the latest series reported in the literature,⁴ and the rate of grade V mortality is less than 0.1%. Colon injury during PCNL is classified as a grade IVa complication, and rarely occurs (in only 0.2%–0.8% of cases). However, colon injury is of great significance, due to its diagnostic challenges, as well as severe and fatal complications.²     

Looking deep inside: detection of low-abundance proteins in leaf extracts of Arabidopsis and phloem exudates of pumpkin

The field of proteomics suffers from the immense complexity of even small proteomes and the enormous dynamic range of protein concentrations within a given sample. Most protein samples contain a few major proteins, which hamper in-depth proteomic analysis. In the human field, combinatorial hexapeptide ligand libraries (CPLL; such as ProteoMiner) have been used for reduction of the dynamic range of protein concentrations; however, this technique is not established in plant research. In this work, we present the application of CPLL to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf proteins. One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed a decrease in high-abundance proteins and an enrichment of less abundant proteins in CPLL-treated samples. After optimization of the CPLL protocol, mass spectrometric analyses of leaf extracts led to the identification of 1,192 proteins in control samples and an additional 512 proteins after the application of CPLL. Upon leaf infection with virulent Pseudomonas syringae DC3000, CPLL beads were also used for investigating the bacterial infectome. In total, 312 bacterial proteins could be identified in infected Arabidopsis leaves. Furthermore, phloem exudates of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) were analyzed. CPLL prefractionation caused depletion of the major phloem proteins 1 and 2 and improved phloem proteomics, because 67 of 320 identified proteins were detectable only after CPLL treatment. In sum, our results demonstrate that CPLL beads are a time- and cost-effective tool for reducing major proteins, which often interfere with downstream analyses. The concomitant enrichment of less abundant proteins may facilitate a deeper insight into the plant proteome.