Ageing and reproduction: antioxidant supplementation alleviates telomere loss in wild birds

Reproduction is inherently costly. Environmental stressors, such as infection and limited food resources, can compromise investment at each breeding attempt. For example, recent data on captive birds showed that increased reproductive effort accelerates ageing. However, the effects of nutritional status and infection on ageing remain unknown. Telomeres function as protective caps at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, and changes in telomere length is a commonly used proxy for ageing. To partially address the mechanisms of ageing following reproduction, we supplemented, medicated or administered a combined treatment to wild blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) breeding in central Spain during 2012. The nutritional supplement consisted of two different antioxidants, whereas the medication was an antimalarial treatment against blood parasites. We evaluated the effect of these manipulations on reproductive success and parasite loads in the first breeding season, and on changes in telomere length between two consecutive breeding seasons. Supplemented birds showed no reduction in blood parasite infections in 2012, although they exhibited higher body mass and fledging success. The antimalarial drugs reduced infections by several parasite species, but this had no effect on fitness parameters. In the following season, telomeres from supplemented birds had shortened less. Altogether, we found that supplementation with antioxidants provided fitness benefits in the short term and reduced telomere loss a year following treatment. Our results provide indirect empirical support for accelerated telomere loss as a cost of reproduction.     

The influence of medication on salivary flow of the elderly: preliminary study

doi:10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2009.00326.x
The influence of medication on salivary flow of the elderly: preliminary study Objective: This study was to evaluate the influence of medications on unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow in elderly men and women. Background: Several diseases and conditions are associated with decreasing salivary flow. Medications can be risk factors for hyposalivation due to the effect particular drug categories. Methods: Seventy‐five elderly of both gender (sixty years old or over) from the Geriatric Dental Clinic at the Federal Fluminense University Dental School, were interviewed about their health status and chronic use of medication. After the interview, unstimulated and stimulated saliva were collected from each subject. The collection time was five minutes, and the flow rate was calculated as ml/min. Results: The mean unstimulated salivary flow was 0.25 ml/min for women and 0.30 ml/min for men, while the mean for stimulated salivary flow was 1.23 ml/min for women and 1.31 ml/min for men, without both differences being non‐significant (p > 0.05). The difference between the mean production of unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow was statistically significant, regardless of gender (p < 0.01). A significant reduction of stimulated salivary flow was observed with the usage of cardiovascular agents (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Drugs used in cardiovascular disease influence the flow of stimulated saliva.     

Chronic malaria infections increase family inequalities and reduce parental fitness: experimental evidence from a wild bird population

Avian malaria parasites (Plasmodium) occur commonly in wild birds and are an increasingly popular model system for understanding host–parasite co‐evolution. However, whether these parasites have fitness consequences for hosts in endemic areas is much debated, particularly since wild‐caught individuals almost always harbour chronic infections of very low parasite density. We used the anti‐malarial drug Malarone^TM to test experimentally for fitness effects of chronic malaria infection in a wild population of breeding blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Medication caused a pronounced reduction in Plasmodium infection intensity, usually resulting in complete clearance of these parasites from the blood, as revealed by quantitative PCR. Positive effects of medication on malaria‐infected birds were found at multiple stages during breeding, with medicated females showing higher hatching success, provisioning rates and fledging success compared to controls. Most strikingly, we found that treatment of maternal malaria infections strongly altered within‐family differences, with reduced inequality in hatching probability and fledging mass within broods reared by medicated females. These within‐brood effects appear to explain higher fledging success among medicated females and are consistent with a model of parental optimism in which smaller (marginal) offspring can be successfully raised to independence if additional resources become available during the breeding attempt. Overall, these results demonstrate that chronic avian malaria infections, far from being benign, can have significant effects on host fitness and may thus constitute an important selection pressure in wild bird populations.     

New methodology for measuring blood pressure in awake baboons with use of behavioral training techniques

Adult male baboons were behaviorally conditioned to extend an arm outside of the living cage and to accept repeated cuff inflations for manual auscultatory blood pressure measurements. Frequency distributions of systolic and diastolic blood pressure for both normotensive and renovascular hypertensive baboons generally were normally distributed. The procedure accurately tracked rapid changes in blood pressure after oral administration of antihypertensive drugs. Advantages over direct arterial cannulation for blood pressure measurement during extended, chronic experiments are discussed.     

Maternal asthma,asthma medication use,and the risk of congenital heart defects

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common problem that complicates pregnancy. Several drugs are considered acceptable for use during pregnancy, although none have been classified as safe. Few studies have assessed the health impact of maternal asthma/medication use on the fetus. METHODS: A population‐based case‐control study was conducted in New York State to determine if cardiac congenital malformations in offspring were associated with maternal use of asthma medication and/or maternal asthma. Cases were cardiac anomalies in the New York State Congenital Malformations Registry. Controls were live births without any major birth defects randomly selected from birth certificates and frequency matched by year of birth. Data were collected through a 30 min telephone interview. Exposure was maternal asthma/medication use, maternal asthma/no medication use, no asthma/medication use, and no asthma/no medication use (reference). RESULTS: A total of 502 (59.4%) cases and 1,066 (53.8%) controls participated. A positive association was seen between any heart defect and women with asthma who used medication (OR 2.38; 95% CI: 1.18, 4.82). No significant associations were observed between heart defects and either women with asthma who did not use medication or women without asthma who used asthma medications. When considering types of medication used, offspring of women with asthma who used bronchodilators had an increased risk of any heart defect (OR 2.20; 95%CI: 1.05, 4.61). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that both maternal asthma status (controlled vs. uncontrolled; severe vs. mild) and asthma medication use, particularly bronchodilators, may play a role in cardiac malformations in offspring. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Control of clonorchiasis by repeated treatments with praziquantel.

The present study aimed to evaluate control efficacy of clonorchiasis by two schemes of repeated treatment with praziquantel at two endemic villages in China. Residents of one village at Guangxi Autonomous Region were treated and examined 6-monthly and of another at Liaoning Province 12-monthly. In residents that took 25 mg/kg x 3 (total 75 mg/kg) of praziquantel every 6 months for one year the egg positive rate showed a significant drop from 69.0% to 17.1%. In contrast, a group of same praziquantel medication once showed a slight marginal decrease in the egg rate from 18.9% to 12.2% after one year. Of 39 subjects examined 3 times, 56.4% were cured, 7.7% persistently positive, one (2.6%) reinfected after cure or newly infected, but 25.6% were persistently negative. The present finding suggests that 6-monthly medication with 75 mg/kg of praziquantel should effectively lower the prevalence but incomplete for control of clonorchiasis in heavy endemic areas.     

Dopamine transporter comparative molecular modeling and binding site prediction using the LeuT(Aa) leucine transporter as a template

Pharmacological and behavioral studies indicate that binding of cocaine and the amphetamines by the dopamine transporter (DAT) protein is principally responsible for initiating the euphoria and addiction associated with these drugs. The lack of an X-ray crystal structure for the DAT or any other member of the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter (NSS) family has hindered understanding of psychostimulant recognition at the atomic level; structural information has been obtained largely from mutagenesis and biophysical studies. The recent publication of a crystal structure for the bacterial leucine transporter LeuT(Aa), a distantly related NSS family homolog, provides for the first time a template for three-dimensional comparative modeling of NSS proteins. A novel computational modeling approach using the capabilities of the Molecular Operating Environment program MOE 2005.06 in conjunction with other comparative modeling servers generated the LeuT(Aa)-directed DAT model. Probable dopamine and amphetamine binding sites were identified within the DAT model using multiple docking approaches. Binding sites for the substrate ligands (dopamine and amphetamine) overlapped substantially with the analogous region of the LeuT(Aa) crystal structure for the substrate leucine. The docking predictions implicated DAT side chains known to be critical for high affinity ligand binding and suggest novel mutagenesis targets in elucidating discrete substrate and inhibitor binding sites. The DAT model may guide DAT ligand QSAR studies, and rational design of novel DAT-binding therapeutics.     

Individual differences in the diurnal cortisol response to stress

The objectives of this study were to explore individual differences associated with diverse reactions in cortisol secretion under different stress levels. This study was part of a larger project concerning working hours and health. Thirty-four white-collar workers participated under two different conditions; one work week with a high stress level (H) and one with a lower stress level (L) as measured through self-rated stress during workdays. Based on the morning cortisol concentration during a workday subjects were divided into two groups. One group consisted of subjects whose morning level of cortisol increased in response to the high-stress week, compared to their morning levels in the low-stress condition (Group 1). The other group consisted of subjects whose morning cortisol response was the opposite, with a lower level under the high stress condition (Group 2). Subjects wore actiwatches, completed a sleep diary, and rated their sleepiness and stress for one work week in each condition, i.e., high and low stress. Saliva samples for measures of cortisol were collected on a Wednesday. Group 2 reported higher workload, fatigue, and exhaustion during both weeks. Since there were no differences in perceived stress, neither within nor between groups, the data indicate that there are other factors influencing morning cortisol. The results suggest that one component modulating the cortisol response might be the level of exhaustion, probably related to work overload. Higher levels of stress in exhausted individuals might suppress morning cortisol levels.     

Insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: relationship with behavior,mood and perceived quality of life,underlying causes and emerging treatments

Poor insight in schizophrenia is prevalent across cultures and phases of illness. In this review, we examine the recent research on the relationship of insight with behavior, mood and perceived quality of life, on its complex roots, and on the effects of existing and emerging treatments. This research indicates that poor insight predicts poorer treatment adherence and therapeutic alliance, higher symptom severity and more impaired community function, while good insight predicts a higher frequency of depression and demoralization, especially when coupled with stigma and social disadvantage. This research also suggests that poor insight may arise in response to biological, experiential, neuropsychological, social‐cognitive, metacognitive and socio‐political factors. Studies of the effects of existing and developing treatments indicate that they may influence insight. In the context of earlier research and historical models, these findings support an integrative model of poor insight. This model suggests that insight requires the integration of information about changes in internal states, external circumstances, others’ perspectives and life trajectory as well as the multifaceted consequences and causes of each of those changes. One implication is that treatments should, beyond providing education, seek to assist persons with schizophrenia to integrate the broad range of complex and potentially deeply painful experiences which are associated with mental illness into their own personally meaningful, coherent and adaptive picture.     

常见革兰阴性菌耐药性分析与合理用药研究

目的分析芜湖市第一人民医院革兰阴性病原菌分布情况及对常见抗菌药物的耐药程度,为临床抗菌药物的选择及其合理使用提供参考。方法收集2015年1月至2017年12月我院临床科室送检的细菌培养标本,采用法国生物梅里埃公司生产VITEK2compact全自动微生物分析系统及其配套试剂盒进行细菌鉴定及药敏试验,数据采用WHONET 5.6软件进行统计分析。对年度耐药株数使用R语言3.4.0软件进行分析。结果 2015-2017年我院共检出病原菌3 728株,其中革兰阳性菌1 055株,占28.3%;革兰阴性菌2 673株,占71.7%。革兰阴性菌中主要致病菌为大肠埃希菌、肺炎克雷伯菌、铜绿假单胞杆菌、鲍曼不动杆菌,对青霉素类和第一代头孢菌素类抗菌药物高水平耐药。2017年这4种细菌对头孢唑林的耐药率均已达100.0%。鲍曼不动杆菌对头孢曲松的耐药率逐年上升,对头孢替坦连续3年耐药率均为100.0%,对氨苄西林/舒巴坦、氟喹诺酮类以及头孢吡肟耐药率未逐年上升,对亚胺培南耐药率变化显著,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。铜绿假单胞杆菌对氨曲南耐药率逐年上升,对氨基糖苷类及头孢他啶耐药率逐年下降,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。大肠埃希菌和肺炎克雷伯菌对头孢吡肟耐药率逐年下降,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论我院住院患者病原菌以革兰阴性菌为主,不同病原菌对药物的敏感性各异,临床医生应结合患者情况和药敏结果综合分析,合理选用抗菌药物。