The effects of biological rhythms and sleep quality on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and reflux symptom severity

Recently, there has been increased interest in chronotypes and clinical differences between them. However, there is limited information about the potential influence of the chronotypes on clinical manifestations and symptom intensity of somatic diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of biological rhythm differences and sleep quality on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and larengo pharyngeal reflux (LPR) severity. Forty-four LPR patients, 43 BBPV patients and 42 controls were included in the study. The morningness–eveningness questionnaire was used to determine chronotypes, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess subjective sleep quality. Both patient groups reported a significantly greater tendency to eveningness diurnal preferences compared to healthy controls. As with the circadian preferences, patients with BPPV or LPR characterized by poorer sleep quality and worse insomnia than non-patient individuals. It can be concluded that the circadian rhythm and sleep quality are related to the severity of LPR and BPPV.     

Investigation of acetylcholinesterase and mammalian DNA topoisomerases,carbonic anhydrase inhibition profiles,and cytotoxic activity of novel bis(α‐aminoalkyl)phosphinic acid derivatives against human breast cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate biologically active novel molecules having potentials to be drugs by their antitumor properties and by activities of apoptotic caspase and topoisomerase. Following syntheses of novel eight bis(α‐aminoalkyl)phosphinic acid derivatives ( 4a–h ) as a result of array of reactions, compounds were evaluated by cytotoxic effects in vitro on human breast cancer (MCF‐7) and normal endothelial (HUVEC) cell lines. All phosphinic acid derivatives were effective for cytotoxicity on both MCF‐7 and HUVEC lines, while 4c , 4e , and 4f compounds were found significantly more effective. For the evaluation of antitumor properties of compounds in a highly sensitive method, their effects on inhibiting topoisomerases I and II were investigated. Also, some of the bis(α‐aminoalkyl)phosphinic acid derivatives ( 4a, 4e–h ) showed nice inhibitory action against acetylcholinesterase and human carbonic anhydrase isoforms I and II.     

Factors affecting the adsorption of buchnericin LB, a bacteriocin produced by Lactocobacillus buchneri

Buchnericin-LB adsorbs to gram-positive but not to gram-negative bacteria. The tested gram-positive bacteria were species of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, Lactococcus, Listeria, Bacillus, Staphylococcus; gram-negative bacteria belonged to the genera Salmonella, Escherichia, Yersinia and Pseudomonas. Buchnericin-LB adsorption depended on pH but not on time and temperature. Also some anions of salts and lipoteichoic acid reduced or inhibited its adsorption. Treatment of cells and cell walls of sensitive bacteria with detergents, organic solvents or enzymes did not affect subsequent binding of buchnericin-LB. Treatment with buchnericin-LB caused sensitive cells to lose high amounts of intracellular K⁺ ions and UV-absorbing materials and became more permeable to o-nitrophenol-β-D-galactopyranoside. Buchnericin-LB (640-2560 AU/ml) decreased the colony forming units (99%) and absorbance values of Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus. These results indicate that the mode of action of buchnericin-LB is bactericidal and its lethal effect is very rapid.     

Protein kinase D inhibits plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger activity

The regulation of plasma membraneNa⁺/H⁺exchanger (NHE) activity by protein kinase D (PKD), a novel proteinkinase C- and phorbol ester-regulated kinase, was investigated. Todetermine the effect of PKD on NHE activity in vivo, intracellular pH(pH_i) measurements were made inCOS-7 cells by microepifluorescence using the pH indicator cSNARF-1.Cells were transfected with empty vector (control), wild-type PKD, orits kinase-deficient mutant PKD-K618M, together with green fluorescentprotein (GFP). NHE activity, as reflected by the rate of acid efflux(J_H), wasdetermined in single GFP-positive cells following intracellularacidification. Overexpression of wild-type PKD had no significanteffect on J_H(3.48 ± 0.25 vs. 3.78 ± 0.24 mM/min in control atpH_i 7.0). In contrast,overexpression of PKD-K618M increasedJ_H (5.31 ± 0.57 mM/min at pH_i 7.0;P < 0.05 vs. control). Transfectionwith these constructs produced similar effects also in A-10 cells,indicating that native PKD may have an inhibitory effect on NHE in bothcell types, which is relieved by a dominant-negative action ofPKD-K618M. Exposure of COS-7 cells to phorbol ester significantlyincreased J_H in control cells but failed to do so in cells overexpressing either wild-type PKD (due to inhibition by the overexpressed PKD) or PKD-K618M(because basal J_Hwas already near maximal). A fusion protein containing the cytosolicregulatory domain (amino acids 637-815) of NHE1 (the ubiquitousNHE isoform) was phosphorylated in vitro by wild-type PKD, but with lowstoichiometry. These data suggest that PKD inhibits NHE activity,probably through an indirect mechanism, and represents a novel pathwayin the regulation of the exchanger.

     

Plasma leptin levels strongly correlate with plasma renin activity in patients with essential hypertension.

Previous studies demonstrated elevated plasma leptin and angiotensinogen (PRA) levels in essential hypertension. However, a few studies investigated the relationship between leptin and angiotensinogen levels in both lean and overweight/ obese hypertensives. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine the relationship between blood pressure, leptin and plasma renin activity in normotensives and in both lean and overweight/obese patients with essential hypertension. Two groups of subjects who were carefully matched for age, gender, waist:hip ratio and body mass index (BMI) were studied: 28 normotensives (NT) (age: 40.1+/-9.1 years old, BMI: 28.1+/-3.6 kg/m2, male/female: 18/10) and 33 newly diagnosed mild to moderate essential hypertensives (EHT) (age: 38.9+/-10 years old, BMI: 27.9+/-4.8 kg/m2, male/female: 22/11). No significant differences in age, gender, waist:hip ratio, fasting blood glucose and BMI were detected between EHT and NT groups. However, systolic and diastolic pressures, mean arterial blood pressures, plasma leptin levels and PRA were significantly higher in EHT group than in NT group (P = 0.001). Plasma leptin levels were strongly correlated with BMI in EHT (r=0.67, P = 0.001) and NT groups (r=0.44, P = 0.001). Plasma leptin levels were correlated with plasma PRA levels in both EHT and NT groups (r = 0.66 and r = 0.44; both P < 0.05, respectively). There was no correlation between leptin or PRA and systolic, diastolic pressures, or mean arterial blood pressures. Furthermore, the patients were divided as lean (n=16) and overweight/obese (n = 17) and compared with BMI-matched controls. In both subgroups, plasma leptin and PRA levels were also higher than those of controls. Our results showed that elevated plasma leptin and PRA are associated with hypertension in both lean and overweight/obese hypertensives. Moreover, plasma leptin was significantly correlated with plasma angiotensinogen levels. These findings suggest that adipose mass is an important determinant of blood pressure, although the mechanism is not clear.     

AIDS awareness and knowledge among married women living in Malatya (Turkey): implications for province-based prevention programs

The study was performed in 2003 to obtain baseline information on married women's knowledge of AIDS/HIV in Malatya, Turkey. The aim was to reach 1% of the population by covering 1200 married women out of 120,034 whose ages ranged from 15-49. Stratified systematic random sampling was used according to 17 health center lists. Although median HIV/AIDS knowledge score was found to be 70 (highest score was 100), it was also seen that clinical properties of the disease were not recognized adequately. The main resources of knowledge were visual (93%) and printed material (35%). These findings show that media based information does not seem to be sufficient. Therefore, it is recommended that health education should be inserted in the school curriculum and health personnel should inform the women.     

Non-dermatophytic Molds as Agents of Onychomycosis in Izmir,Turkey – A Prospective Study

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of causative non-dermatophytic filamentous fungi in onychomycosis. Totally 1,222 (1,222 × 3 = 3,666) samples of nail scrapings from 1,146 patients (from 76 patients two specimens: both from finger- and toe-nails) with prediagnosis of onychomycosis sent to the Mycology Laboratory from the Clinic of Dermatology, Ege University Hospital, Izmir, Turkey, July 2001–December 2003, were prospectively studied with conventional mycological procedures. The set criteria for the diagnosis of onychomycosis due to non-dermatophytic molds were: (1) Observation of fungal elements in 15% KOH-preparations made from nail scrapings, (2) growth of the same mold in all three consecutive cultures of the specimens taken three times from the same patient with one-week intervals, (3) no growth of a dermatophyte or yeast in three consecutive cultures. As agents of onychomycosis molds were detected in 33 (9%), dermatophytes in 175 (48%), yeasts in 150 (41%), and mixed (two different fungi) in 8 (2%) patients. In cases of mold onychomycosis, 11 (33%) had finger-nail and 22 (67%) toe-nail infection; 25 (76%) were female and 8 (24%) male; and 27 (82%) were above 40 years of age. The agents of mold onychomycosis, in order of frequency, were Aspergillus niger (7), Acremonium spp. (6), Fusarium spp. (6), Ulocladium spp. (4), sterile mycelia (2), Alternaria sp. (1), Aspergillus flavus (1), Aspergillus fumigatus (1), Aspergillus terreus (1), Cladosporium sp. (1), Paecilomyces spp. (1), Scopulariopsis sp. (1) and Trichoderma sp. (1). In conclusion, this study showed that non-dermatophytic molds were responsible for nearly 10% of onychomycoses cases attending the dermatology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Izmir, Turkey. Since molds are common contaminants in the laboratory, cultures from consecutively taken nail scrapings should be made and carefully evaluated in order to diagnose a “mold onychomycosis”.