Randomised controlled trial of gabapentin in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 [ISRCTN84121379]

Background  

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type one (CRPS I) or formerly Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) is a disabling syndrome, in which a painful limb is accompanied by varying symptoms. Neuropathic pain is a prominent feature of CRPS I, and is often refractory to treatment. Since gabapentin is an anticonvulsant with a proven analgesic effect in various neuropathic pain syndromes, we sought to study the efficacy of the anticonvulsant gabapentin as treatment for pain in patients with CRPS I.     

Reaction of Cardiac Activity of Senior Pupils of Schools Providing Differentiated Education upon Examination Stress

Effects of examination stress on psychological characteristics and indices of the autonomic nervous system were studied in pupils of the eighth and tenth grades of high schools providing differential (test group, Neuron gymnasium) and general education (control group). General health state and levels of activity and mood (feeling, activity, mood; FAM) and neuroticism (according to Eysenck) were determined in both groups. Main hemodynamic indices (heart rate and blood pressure) were measured, and mathematical analysis of the heart rate by was performed according to Baevskii. Comparative analysis of psychophysiological tests and heart rate changes in the control and test groups points to a high tension in the cardiac rhythm regulation mechanisms and strong anxiety in schoolchildren in the differential education school. The character and depth of preexamination stress depended on the type of autonomic control of cardiac activity. Schoolchildren with sympathicotonic cardiac rhythm regulation showed the strongest emotional tension. Schoolchildren with the normotonic type of regulation were the most calm.     

The impact of operative approach on outcome of surgery for gastro-oesophageal tumours

Background

Caveolin-1 is thought to have an important impact on both signal transduction and mediation of intracellular processes. Furthermore, it has been suggested that Caveolin-1 may contribute to certain steps of carcinogenesis in various types of cancer. We examined the potential clinical relevance of Caveolin-1 in normal, benign and malignant breast tissue specimens.

Methods

Using tissue microarray (TMA) technology cases of invasive breast cancer, DCIS, benign breast disease (i.e. fibroadenoma, sclerosing adenosis, ductal hyperplasia and radial scar) and normal breast tissue were evaluated for Caveolin-1 expression. Immunohistochemical staining with an anti-Caveolin-1-antibody was performed. Staining intensity was quantified semiquantitatively. In invasive lesions staining results were correlated with clinical and pathological data.

Results

No Caveolin-1 expression was observed in epithelial cells of normal breast tissue (n = 5), benign breast disease (n = 295) and DCIS (n = 108). However, Caveolin-1 expression was found in 32 of 109 cases of invasive breast carcinomas (29.4%). Caveolin-1 expression in invasive breast cancer could neither be correlated with survival parameters such as overall or disease-free survival nor with established clinical and pathological markers.

Conclusion

In this study we demonstrated expression of Caveolin-1 in one third of invasive breast cancers. A significant increase in Caveolin-1 expression was observed comparing invasive breast cancer to both benign breast tissue and non-invasive breast cancer. Since inhibitors of Caveolin-1 signalling are available, targeting Caveolin-1 in breast cancer may represent a potential option for future breast cancer treatment.     

The case of an infertile male with an uncommon reciprocal X-autosomal translocation: how does this affect male fertility?

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of regular unprotected intercourse. Constitutional numerical and/or structural chromosomal aberrations like sex-chromosome aberrations are one of the possible factors involved in fertility problems. Reciprocal translocations between an X-chromosome and an autosome are rarely seen in men. Male carriers of an X-autosome translocation are invariably sterile, regardless of the position of the breakpoint in the X-chromosome. Breakpoints in autosomal chromosomes could also be involved in male infertility. In this paper, we describe a 31-year-old male with azoospermia. GTG banding with high resolution multicolor-banding (MCB) techniques revealed a karyotype 46,Y,t(X;1)(p22.3;q25), and we discuss how the breakpoint of this translocation could affect male infertility. As a conclusion, cytogenetic evaluation of infertile subjects with azoospermia should be considered in the first place before in vitro fertilisation procedures are planned.     

Identification of new polymorphic regions and differentiation of cultivated olives (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Olea europaea</Emphasis> L.) through plastome sequence comparison

Background  

The cultivated olive (Olea europaea L.) is the most agriculturally important species of the Oleaceae family. Although many studies have been performed on plastid polymorphisms to evaluate taxonomy, phylogeny and phylogeography of Olea subspecies, only few polymorphic regions discriminating among the agronomically and economically important olive cultivars have been identified. The objective of this study was to sequence the entire plastome of olive and analyze many potential polymorphic regions to develop new inter-cultivar genetic markers.     

A review of the correlation of tergites, sternites, and leg pairs in diplopods

Background

Poorly preserved biological tissues have become an important source of DNA for a wide range of zoological studies. Measuring the quality of DNA obtained from these samples is often desired; however, there are no widely used techniques available for quantifying damage in highly degraded DNA samples. We present a general method that can be used to determine the frequency of polymerase blocking DNA damage in specific gene-regions in such samples. The approach uses quantitative PCR to measure the amount of DNA present at several fragment sizes within a sample. According to a model of random degradation the amount of available template will decline exponentially with increasing fragment size in damaged samples, and the frequency of DNA damage (λ) can be estimated by determining the rate of decline.

Results

The method is illustrated through the analysis of DNA extracted from sea lion faecal samples. Faeces contain a complex mixture of DNA from several sources and different components are expected to be differentially degraded. We estimated the frequency of DNA damage in both predator and prey DNA within individual faecal samples. The distribution of fragment lengths for each target fit well with the assumption of a random degradation process and, in keeping with our expectations, the estimated frequency of damage was always less in predator DNA than in prey DNA within the same sample (mean λ_predator = 0.0106 per nucleotide; mean λ_prey = 0.0176 per nucleotide). This study is the first to explicitly define the amount of template damage in any DNA extracted from faeces and the first to quantify the amount of predator and prey DNA present within individual faecal samples.

Conclusion

We present an approach for characterizing mixed, highly degraded PCR templates such as those often encountered in ecological studies using non-invasive samples as a source of DNA, wildlife forensics investigations and ancient DNA research. This method will allow researchers to measure template quality in order to evaluate alternate sources of DNA, different methods of sample preservation and different DNA extraction protocols. The technique could also be applied to study the process of DNA decay.     

On the role of the mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex in amino acid metabolism

Mitochondria are tightly linked to cellular nutrient sensing, and provide not only energy, but also intermediates for the de novo synthesis of cellular compounds including amino acids. Mitochondrial metabolic enzymes as generators and/or targets of signals are therefore important players in the distribution of intermediates between catabolic and anabolic pathways. The highly regulated 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDHC) participates in glucose oxidation via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. It occupies an amphibolic branch point in the cycle, where the energy-producing reaction of the 2-oxoglutarate degradation competes with glutamate (Glu) synthesis via nitrogen incorporation into 2-oxoglutarate. To characterize the specific impact of the OGDHC inhibition on amino acid metabolism in both plant and animal mitochondria, a synthetic analog of 2-oxoglutarate, namely succinyl phosphonate (SP), was applied to living systems from different kingdoms, both in situ and in vivo. Using a high-throughput mass spectrometry-based approach, we showed that organisms possessing OGDHC respond to SP by significantly changing their amino acid pools. By contrast, cyanobacteria which lack OGDHC do not show perturbations in amino acids following SP treatment. Increases in Glu, 4-aminobutyrate and alanine represent the most universal change accompanying the 2-oxoglutarate accumulation upon OGDHC inhibition. Other amino acids were affected in a species-specific manner, suggesting specific metabolic rearrangements and substrate availability mediating secondary changes. Strong perturbation in the relative abundance of amino acids due to the OGDHC inhibition was accompanied by decreased protein content. Our results provide specific evidence of a considerable role of OGDHC in amino acid metabolism.     

A simple method for studying whole sections of rice grain

We developed a new and simple method to collect sections of a whole brown rice kernel for investigation of histological properties. A single kernel of rice was dehydrated through a graded ethanol series, transferred to xylene, and embedded in paraffin. During sectioning of the blocks using a rotary microtome, we used a special adhesive tape to collect and place the sections on slides so they remained flat. The use of the adhesive tape technique combined with autofluorescence characteristics allowed us to visualize cell walls throughout an entire longitudinal or transverse section of a whole rice kernel. We obtained scanning electron microscopy images of the sections to determine section quality.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">M. tuberculosis</Emphasis> genotypic diversity and drug susceptibility pattern in HIV- infected and non-HIV-infected patients in northern Tanzania

Background  

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem and HIV is the major cause of the increase in TB. Sub-Saharan Africa is endemic for both TB and HIV infection. Determination of the prevalence of M. tuberculosis strains and their drug susceptibility is important for TB control.