Low incidence of pneumonia in COPD patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation

Background

Based on meta-analyses results, it is currently acknowledged that there is an increased risk of pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) treatment. However, this is not found to be true in those with asthma. No data on this risk are available for COPD patients involved in pulmonary rehabilitation program (PR).

Methods

For 1 year, we prospectively studied 2 cohorts of COPD patients—undergoing PR and not undergoing PR. The first group included 438 patients undergoing PR of which 353 were treated with ICS, and 85 were treated with bronchodilators only. The second group was comprised of 76 COPD patients who were treated with ICS, but not PR. The control group consisted of 49 ICS-treated patients with asthma. The diagnosis of pneumonia, when suspected, had to be confirmed with a chest x-ray.

Results

Overall, 6 cases of pneumonia were diagnosed in the first study group: 5 ICS-treated patients and 1 patient treated only with bronchodilators. This corresponded to a rate of 1.41 and 1.17%, respectively, compared to a rate of 6.6% in COPD patients not treated with PR, which was significantly higher (p?=?0.029) than that in the first study group. No case of pneumonia was registered among patients with asthma.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that a significantly lower incidence of pneumonia is found in COPD patients treated with ICS and PR than in patients treated with ICS but not with PR. This observation deserves to be investigated in large populations of PR-treated COPD patients, possibly in multi-centric cohort studies.

     

Adriamycin Binds to the Matrix of Secretory Granules during Mast Cell Exocytosis

The antineoplastic drug adriamycin induces exocytosis in rat peritoneal mast cells followed by a significant uptake of the drug into the secretory granules. The drug is fluorescent, allowing visualization of its accumulation and binding to mast cell granules by fluorescence microscopy. At the same time, the well known inorganic dye ruthenium red was used as a probe because of its great affinity for heparin in the mast cell secretory granules as visualized by bright field microscopy. Competition between adriamycin and ruthenium red for binding to the negatively charged matrix of granules was demonstrated. Biochemical studies were also performed to confirm microscopic observations. Adriamycin may be of interest for studying mast cell secretion; it is not only a strong fluorescent dye for mast cell granules that are in communication with the extracellular space, but it also induces mast cell exocytosis.     

Evolutionary Comparisons of RecA-Like Proteins Across All Major Kingdoms of Living Organisms

Protein sequences with similarities to Escherichia coli RecA were compared across the major kingdoms of eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes. The archaeal sequences branch monophyletically and are most closely related to the eukaryotic paralogous Rad51 and Dmc1 groups. A multiple alignment of the sequences suggests a modular structure of RecA-like proteins consisting of distinct segments, some of which are conserved only within subgroups of sequences. The eukaryotic and archaeal sequences share an N-terminal domain which may play a role in interactions with other factors and nucleic acids. Several positions in the alignment blocks are highly conserved within the eubacteria as one group and within the eukaryotes and archaebacteria as a second group, but compared between the groups these positions display nonconservative amino acid substitutions. Conservation within the RecA-like core domain identifies possible key residues involved in ATP-induced conformational changes. We propose that RecA-like proteins derive evolutionarily from an assortment of independent domains and that the functional homologs of RecA in noneubacteria comprise an array of RecA-like proteins acting in series or cooperatively. Received: 25 October 1996 / Accepted: 31 December 1996     

Multiple activation of chloroform in kidney microsomes from male and female DBA/2J mice

Microsomes from the renal cortex of DBA/2J mice can metabolize chloroform through oxidative and reductive pathways, similar to hepatic microsomes. The oxidative or reductive nature of CHCl₃ activation is strictly dependent on the oxygenation of the incubation mixture, as indicated by the formation of qualitatively different adducts to phos-pholipids (PLs). The protein and lipid binding levels measured in kidney microsomes from control females differed significantly from the binding levels observed with kidney microsomes from male and testosterone-treated female DBA/2J mice in aerobic conditions only. Therefore, the sex-dependent CHCl₃-induced acute nephrotoxicity seems related only with the oxidative CHCl₃activation. The levels of adducts to PL polar heads and to protein showed a strict correlation with each other. Therefore, the assay of adducts to PL polar heads may be used as a substitute for the assay of adducts to protein. This might be especially convenient when studying the effects of both phosgene and the trichloromethyl radicals.     

Zellmembran und Zonula occludens als Diffusionshindernisse bei histochemischen Reaktionen (Alkalische Phosphatase in Nierentubuli)

Summary The cells of proximal convolute tubules of prefixed and in toto incubated tissue blocks of mouse kidney show a strikingly different localization of the alkaline phosphatase activity in three superficial zones. In the first (outer) zone the brush border only reacts positively; in the second zone the total plasmalemm and the sacculi of the Golgi-fields are stained. The enzyme localization in these two first zones is affected by fixation time (see Reale and Luciano, 1967). In the third zone the reaction on the brush border and the Golgi-fields is negative; it is, however, positive on the infolding basal membranes and the lateral cell membrane just up to the zonula occludens. It follows that cell membrane and zonula occludens delay the diffusion of the histochemical reagents towards the tubular lumen and the interior of the cell, that is the Golgi-fields and the brush border.

---

---

Die Schlußleisten im Hauptstück der Niere bestehen aus der engen Zonula occludens und der Zonula adhaerens (Farquhar, und Palade, 1963). Manchmal erreicht das Reaktionsprodukt nur die proximale Grenze der Zonula adhaerens, manchmal jedoch auch die proximale Grenze der Zonula occludens.     

Die Feinstruktur der Tränendrüse der Ratte und ihr Geschlechtsdimorphismus

Zusammenfassung Morphologische Studien an infraorbitalen und extraorbitalen Tränendrüsen ausgewachsener Batten beiderlei Geschlechts ergaben einen deutlichen Geschlechtsdimorphismus der acinösen Bestandteile.Die weibliche Drüse ist gekenntzeichnet durch: 1. kleine Acini mit engem Lumen; 2. gut sichtbare Zellgrenzen mit zahlreichen Interzellularkanälchen; 3. meistens größere cytoplasmatische Vakuolen, deren Inhalt — vielleicht pigmenthaltig — fettähnlich ist. — Die männliche ist gekennzeichnet durch: 1. große Acini mit etwas weiterem Lumen; 2. undeutlich sichtbare Zellgrenzen mit weniger häufigen intercellulären Kanälchen; 3. starke Kern-Polymorphie mit häufigen cytoplasmatischen Kerneinschlüssen, deren Größe und Inhalt sehr verschieden sind; 4. besondere Struktur der Golgi-Pelder und 5. basale Vakuolen.Andere weniger auffallende Unterschiede betreffen das endoplasmatische Retikulum, die Sekretionsgranula und die Cytosomen. Die acinösen Zellen beider Geschlechter zeigen cytoplasmatische Vakuolen verschiedener Größe, die oft in der Nähe des Kernes liegen oder ihn berühren.Das Ausführungsgangsystem der Tränendrüsen beider Geschlechter besteht aus intraglandulärem Schaltstück und extraglandulärem Streifenstück. Beide weisen außer den gewöhnlichen cytoplasmatischen Bestandteilen Sekretgranula auf. In den weiblichen Tränendrüsen sind immer Poren im Kapillarendothel nachzuweisen, selten dagegen in den männlichen.

---

Summary Morphological studies of the infra- and extra-orbital lacrimal gland of adult rats of both sexes reveal a distinct sex dimorphism of the glandular acini.The femal gland is characterized by: 1. small acini with narrow lumen; 2. easily visible cell borders with many intercellular channels; 3. frequently, large cytoplasmic vacuoles, possibly filled with pigment containing fatty substances. — The male gland is characterized by: 1. large acini with somewhat wider lumen; 2. less distinct cell borders with sparse intercellular channels; 3. striking nuclear polymorphism with inclusions of cytoplasmic material in the nuclei; 4. specialized structure of the Golgi-fields and 5. basale vacuoles. Other, less important differences are found in the endoplasmic reticulum, the secretory granules and the cytosomes.The acinar cells of both sexes contain cytoplasmic vacuoles of different size which frequently are in contact with the outer nuclear membrane.The ducts of the lacrimal glands of both sexes consist of an intraglandular (intercalated) and an extraglandular (striated) part. The cells of both parts contain secretory granules besides the common cytoplasmic components. The capillary endothelia of the female glands always show pores which are sparse in the male gland.

---

---

Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung wurden auf der Tagung für Elektronenmikroskopie in Aachen am 30. 9. 1965 vorgetragen.

---

Herrn Prof. H. Ruska danke ich für das ständige Interesse an dieser Arbeit und für die Förderung bei der Abfassung des Textes, ferner Herrn Priv.-Doz. Dr. E. Reale für Rat und Unterstützung.     

Effects of oil palm plantations on habitat structure and fish assemblages in Amazon streams

The aim of this research is to assess the effects of oil palm plantations on stream habitat and their fish assemblage diversity. We hypothesize that streams which drain through oil palm plantations tend to be less heterogeneous, limiting the occurrence of many species, than streams that drain through forest fragments, which support higher fish diversity. A total of 17 streams were sampled; eight in forest fragments and nine in oil palm plantations. Environmental and biological variables were sampled along 150 m stretch in each stream. Of the 242 environmental variables measured, ten were considered important to assess the condition of structural habitat, and out of these variables, four were considered relevant in the distinction between streams in oil palm plantations and forest fragments. A total of 7245 fishes were collected, belonging to 63 species. Unlike our original hypothesis, the species richness did not differ between forest fragment and oil palm plantations streams, showing that it is not a good divert measure in streams disturbance assessment. However, fish assemblages differed in species composition, and 56 species were recorded in oil palm plantation streams, while 44 species were recorded in forest fragments streams. Some species were identified as indicators of either altered (Aequidens tetramerus and Apistogramma agassizii) or undisturbed areas (Helogenes marmoratus). Overall, oil palm plantations were proven to change stream habitat structure and fish species distribution, corroborating other studies that have evidenced changes in patterns of biological community structure due to impacts by different land uses.     

Structural Insights into Yeast Telomerase Recruitment to Telomeres

1. Download high-res image (261KB)
2. Download full-size image