The effects of 21 or 30% O2 plus umbilical cord occlusion on fetal breathing and behavior.

We have shown previously that continuous fetal breathing can be induced by 100% O2 alone or combined with umbilical cord occlusion (Baier, Hasan, Cates, Hooper, Nowaczyk & Rigatto, 1990). To know whether it could also be induced by lower O2 concentrations plus cord occlusion, we studied 9 chronically instrumented fetal sheep (16 experiments) using our window model. After a baseline cycle [1 low voltage + 1 high voltage electrocortical activity (ECoG) epoch] the fetal lung was distended via an endotracheal tube to about 30 cm H2O. Inspired N2 (control) and 21 or 30% O2 were given for one cycle each. While on 21% or 30% O2 the umbilical cord was occluded (balloon cuff). In 10 out of 16 experiments breathing output (% maximum of integral of EMGdi x f) increased after cord occlusion from 80 +/- 48 (N2) to 2871 +/- 641 (SEM; P < 0.01); in 7 of them breathing became continuous. Arterial PO2 increased from 14 +/- 1 (N2) to 33.5 +/- 5 Torr (occlusion; P < 0.01). In the other 6 experiments breathing output decreased from 319 +/- 116 (N2) to 86 +/- 38 (occlusion; P < 0.01) and arterial PO2 changed from 18 +/- 1 (N2) to 22 +/- 5 Torr (occlusion; P = 0.4). Arterial PCO2 increased similarly after occlusion in both groups, those which did respond with increased breathing (to 46 +/- 2 Torr) and those which did not respond (to 48 +/- 3 Torr; P = 0.6). The percent low voltage ECoG and the behavioral score increased after occlusion in the responder group only.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

3H-noradrenaline metabolism in the isolated epididymal and prostatic portions of the rat vas deferens

The spontaneous ³H-noradrenaline efflux from the isolated epididymal and prostatic portions of the rat vas deferens, was investigated. The spontaneous tritium efflux was higher in the epididymal portion than in the prostatic one from normal animals. Such differences were abolished after castration. On the other hand, acetylsalicylic acid enhanced the total tritium efflux only in the epididymal portion, whereas phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine increased the total tritium efflux from the two portions of the rat vas deferens in both experimental groups. The prostatic portion released a similar amount of ³H normetanephrine than the apididymal end, whereas other metabolic fractions (3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol; 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid and O-methylated deaminated metabolites) were smaller in the prostatic portion in comparison with the epididymal portion from control vas deferens. The results presented in the isolated rat vas deferens suggest the existence of a prostaglandin as well as an alpha adrenoceptive modulation of the spontaneous total tritium efflux.     

Treatment of carcinoma in situ of the bladder with BCG

Summary Although carcinoma in situ conveys the idea of an early neoplasm, such lesions in the bladder mucosa commonly exhibit a very aggressive behavior and carry a grave prognosis. Seven patients with in situ carcinoma of the bladder have been treated with intravesical and systemic administration of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Elimination of tumor was documented by endoscopy, histology and cytology in five patients. These five patients have remained tumor-free for periods ranging between 12 and 33 months (mean: 22.6). This preliminary study indicates that regional and systemic immunotherapy is an alternative worth additional investigation in patients with carcinoma in situ of the bladder.     

Linking mosquito surveillance to dengue fever through Bayesian mechanistic modeling

Our ability to effectively prevent the transmission of the dengue virus through targeted control of its vector, Aedes aegypti, depends critically on our understanding of the link between mosquito abundance and human disease risk. Mosquito and clinical surveillance data are widely collected, but linking them requires a modeling framework that accounts for the complex non-linear mechanisms involved in transmission. Most critical are the bottleneck in transmission imposed by mosquito lifespan relative to the virus’ extrinsic incubation period, and the dynamics of human immunity. We developed a differential equation model of dengue transmission and embedded it in a Bayesian hierarchical framework that allowed us to estimate latent time series of mosquito demographic rates from mosquito trap counts and dengue case reports from the city of Vitória, Brazil. We used the fitted model to explore how the timing of a pulse of adult mosquito control influences its effect on the human disease burden in the following year. We found that control was generally more effective when implemented in periods of relatively low mosquito mortality (when mosquito abundance was also generally low). In particular, control implemented in early September (week 34 of the year) produced the largest reduction in predicted human case reports over the following year. This highlights the potential long-term utility of broad, off-peak-season mosquito control in addition to existing, locally targeted within-season efforts. Further, uncertainty in the effectiveness of control interventions was driven largely by posterior variation in the average mosquito mortality rate (closely tied to total mosquito abundance) with lower mosquito mortality generating systems more vulnerable to control. Broadly, these correlations suggest that mosquito control is most effective in situations in which transmission is already limited by mosquito abundance.     

Inflammatory intestinal damage induced by 5-fluorouracil requires IL-4

Background5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) induces intestinal mucositis, which is characterized by epithelial ulcerations in the mucosa and clinical manifestations, such as pain and dyspeptic symptoms. Cytokines participate in the inflammatory and functional events of intestinal mucositis. IL-4 is an important mediator of intestinal inflammation, with either anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory functions, depending on the model of intestinal inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the role of IL-4 in 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis.MethodsIL-4^+/+ or IL-4^?/? mice (25–30 g) were intraperitoneally injected with 5-FU (450 mg/Kg) or saline (C). After 3 days, the mice were sacrificed and the duodenum was evaluated for epithelial damage, MPO activity and cytokine concentration.Results5-FU induced significant damage in the intestinal epithelium of IL-4^+/+ mice (reduction in the villus/crypt ratio: control = 3.31 ± 0.21 μm, 5-FU = 0.99 ± 0.10 μm). However, the same treatment did not induce significant damage in IL-4^?/? mice (5-FU = 2.87 ± 0.19 μm) compared to wild-type mice. 5-FU-induced epithelial damage increased the MPO activity (neutrophil number) and the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, TNF-α, IL-1β and CXCL-8) in the duodenum. These results were not observed in IL-4^?/? mice treated with 5-FU.ConclusionOur data suggest that IL-4 participates as a pro-inflammatory cytokine in a 5-FU-induced intestinal damage model and suggests that IL-4 antagonists may be novel therapeutics for this condition.     

Ross Sea Mollusca from the Latitudinal Gradient Program: R/V Italica 2004 Rauschert dredge samples

Information regarding the molluscs in this dataset is based on the Rauschert dredge samples collected during the Latitudinal Gradient Program (LGP) on board the R/V “Italica” in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) in the austral summer 2004. A total of 18 epibenthic dredge deployments/samplings have been performed at four different locations at depths ranging from 84 to 515m by using a Rauschert dredge with a mesh size of 500μm. In total 8,359 specimens have been collected belonging to a total of 161 species. Considering this dataset in terms of occurrences, it corresponds to 505 discrete distributional records (incidence data). Of these, in order of abundance, 5,965 specimens were Gastropoda (accounting for 113 species), 1,323 were Bivalvia (accounting for 36 species), 949 were Aplacophora (accounting for 7 species), 74 specimens were Scaphopoda (3 species), 38 were Monoplacophora (1 species) and, finally, 10 specimens were Polyplacophora (1 species). This data set represents the first large-scale survey of benthic micro-molluscs for the area and provides important information about the distribution of several species, which have been seldom or never recorded before in the Ross Sea. All vouchers are permanently stored at the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA), Section of Genoa, enabling future comparison and crosschecking. This material is also currently under study, from a molecular point of view, by the barcoding project “BAMBi” (PNRA 2010/A1.10).     

Nonlinear Optical Properties of Tungsten Lead–Pyrophosphate Glasses Containing Metallic Copper Nanoparticles

We have prepared heavy metal oxide glasses containing metallic copper nanoparticles with promising nonlinear optical properties which were determined by Z-scan and pump-probe measurements using femtosecond laser pulses. For the wavelengths within the plasmon band, we have observed saturable absorption and response times of 2.3 ps. For the other regions of the spectrum, reverse saturable absorption and lifetimes shorter than 200 fs were verified. The nonlinear refractive index is about 2.0?×?10^?19 m²/W from visible to telecom region, thus presenting an enhancement effect at wavelengths near the plasmon and Cu⁺² d–d band.     

HSP-72 Accelerated Expression in Mononuclear Cells Induced In Vivo by Acetyl Salicylic Acid Can Be Reproduced In Vitro when Combined with H2O2

Background

Among NSAIDs acetyl salicylic acid remains as a valuable tool because of the variety of benefic prophylactic and therapeutic effects. Nevertheless, the molecular bases for these responses have not been complete understood. We explored the effect of acetyl salicylic acid on the heat shock response.

Results

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from rats challenged with acetyl salicylic acid presented a faster kinetics of expression of HSP-72 messenger RNA and protein in response to in vitro heat shock. This effect reaches its maximum 2 h after treatment and disappeared after 5 h. On isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from untreated rats, incubation with acetyl salicylic acid was ineffective to produce priming, but this effect was mimicked when the cells were incubated with the combination of H₂O₂+ ASA.

Conclusions

Administration of acetyl salicylic acid to rats alters HSP-72 expression mechanism in a way that it becomes more efficient in response to in vitro heat shock. The fact that in vitro acetyl salicylic acid alone did not induce this priming effect implies that in vivo other signals are required. Priming could be reproduces in vitro with the combination of acetyl salicylic acid+H₂O₂.