Pathological calcification in osteoarthritis: an outcome or a disease initiator?

In the progression of osteoarthritis, pathological calcification in the affected joint is an important feature. The role of these crystallites in the pathogenesis and progression of osteoarthritis is controversial; it remains unclear whether they act as a disease initiator or are present as a result of joint damage. Recent studies reported that the molecular mechanisms regulating physiological calcification of skeletal tissues are similar to those regulating pathological or ectopic calcification of soft tissues. Pathological calcification takes place when the equilibrium is disrupted. Calcium phosphate crystallites are identified in most affected joints and the presence of these crystallites is closely correlated with the extent of joint destruction. These observations suggest that pathological calcification is most likely to be a disease initiator instead of an outcome of osteoarthritis progression. Inhibiting pathological crystallite deposition within joint tissues therefore represents a potential therapeutic target in the management of osteoarthritis.     

Assessment of body condition in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)

A method of assessing body condition of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) is presented. The method uses visual assessment to assign numerical scores to six different regions of the body, which are totaled to give a numerical index ranging from 0–11. The relationship between the index and morphometric variables is compared for a sample of 119 juvenile and young adult elephants from southern India, Nepal, and Myanmar. Mean ages of males and females were similar. Mean index of body condition (with standard error [SE]) was 7.3±0.2 points. No significant correlation was found between index of body condition and age over both sexes (r=0.01, n=50). Results were equivalent when sexes were treated separately (females: r=0.03, n=24; males: r=0.01, n=26). Sexes did not differ in height of the shoulder or body condition in our sample, but there was significant sexual dimorphism in breadth of the zygomatic arch and three measures of subcutaneous fat: girth of neck, thickness of cervical fold, and thickness of anal flap. These three measures were also significantly correlated with each other. Our assessment method should prove a practical tool for ecologic studies, but the relationship of the index to percentage of body fat should be determined using heavy water dilution methodology. Zoo Biol 25:187–200, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The role of membrane phospholipids in the interaction of ribosomes with endoplasmic-reticulum membrane (Short Communication)

It is shown that the ionic head groups of the membrane phospholipids cannot be solely responsible for the attachment of the ribosome and that other membrane components must also be involved in the binding process.     

An international survey of tissue banking, a preliminary report

International Atomic Energy Agency is currently carrying out a survey on the tissue banking activities from the tissue banking organisations worldwide. The purpose of the survey is to establish regional and global overview of the current tissue banking activities and practices in order to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide further guidance about the use of radiation technology to sterilise tissues as well as to promote better collaboration between the regional tissue banking associations. The survey is an on-going exercise and the preliminary data is presented here. This exercise is not completed and the authors urge the remaining tissue banks to participate in the survey.     

Recurrent gene loss correlates with the evolution of stomach phenotypes in gnathostome history

The stomach, a hallmark of gnathostome evolution, represents a unique anatomical innovation characterized by the presence of acid- and pepsin-secreting glands. However, the occurrence of these glands in gnathostome species is not universal; in the nineteenth century the French zoologist Cuvier first noted that some teleosts lacked a stomach. Strikingly, Holocephali (chimaeras), dipnoids (lungfish) and monotremes (egg-laying mammals) also lack acid secretion and a gastric cellular phenotype. Here, we test the hypothesis that loss of the gastric phenotype is correlated with the loss of key gastric genes. We investigated species from all the main gnathostome lineages and show the specific contribution of gene loss to the widespread distribution of the agastric condition. We establish that the stomach loss correlates with the persistent and complete absence of the gastric function gene kit—H⁺/K⁺-ATPase (Atp4A and Atp4B) and pepsinogens (Pga, Pgc, Cym)—in the analysed species. We also find that in gastric species the pepsinogen gene complement varies significantly (e.g. two to four in teleosts and tens in some mammals) with multiple events of pseudogenization identified in various lineages. We propose that relaxation of purifying selection in pepsinogen genes and possibly proton pump genes in response to dietary changes led to the numerous independent events of stomach loss in gnathostome history. Significantly, the absence of the gastric genes predicts that reinvention of the stomach in agastric lineages would be highly improbable, in line with Dollo''s principle.     

Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease Increases the Risk of Systemic Complications and Mortality. A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of 12 620 736 Individuals

ObjectiveThe recent introduction of the term metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) sought to reclassify nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MAFLD is thought to improve the encapsulation of metabolic dysregulation. However, recent evidence has found significant differences between MAFLD and NAFLD, and prevailing knowledge has largely arisen from studies on NAFLD. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review of the outcomes associated with MAFLD.MethodsMEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for articles relating to outcomes in MAFLD. Analysis was conducted in random effects with hazard ratios (HRs) to account for longitudinal risk assessment of mortality and systemic complications.ResultsA total of 554 articles were identified, of which 17 articles were included. MAFLD resulted in an increase in the overall mortality (HR, 1.24; confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.34), cancer-related mortality (HR, 1.27; CI, 1.01-1.54), and cardiovascular disease mortality (HR, 1.28, 1.03-1.53; P = .04) compared with non-MAFLD. MAFLD also increases the risk of cardiovascular events (HR, 1.49; CI, 1.34-1.64; P < .01), stroke (HR, 1.55; CI, 1.37-1.73; P < .01), and chronic kidney disease (HR, 1.53; CI, 1.38-1.68). The presence of MAFLD was also associated with an increased risk of heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, and malignancy.ConclusionMAFLD can significantly elevate the risk of systemic diseases and mortality. The care of MAFLD thus requires interdisciplinary collaboration, and future clinical trials conducted on MAFLD should aim to reduce the incidence of end-organ damage aside from improving liver histology.