Salivary flow rate and risk of malnutrition – a study among dentate,community‐dwelling older people

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2012.00679.x Salivary flow rate and risk of malnutrition – a study among dentate, community‐dwelling older people Objective: To analyse the relation between unstimulated and stimulated salivary secretion and the risk of malnutrition among home‐dwelling elderly people. Background: Saliva has an important role in eating. Despite this, there are only a few studies on the role of salivary secretion in the development of malnutrition among elderly people. Materials and methods: The study population consisted of 157 subjects aged 75 or older. This was a part of GeMS study carried out in Kuopio, in eastern Finland. The data used in this study were collected by means of interviews and geriatric and oral clinical examinations. The risk of malnutrition was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short‐Form. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Results: Subjects with a low unstimulated salivary flow rate (<0.1 ml/min) or stimulated salivary flow rate (<1.0 ml/min) had no statistically significant increase in risk of malnutrition, OR: 1.3, CI: 0.5–3.9, OR: 1.5, CI: 0.5–4.2, respectively, when compared with those with a normal unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rate. Conclusion: Our results do not support the concept that low salivary secretion is an important risk factor for malnutrition among community‐dwelling elders.     

Dementia and oral health among subjects aged 75 years or older

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2010.00396.x Dementia and oral health among subjects aged 75 years or older Objective: To study the association between diagnosed dementia and oral health, focusing on the type of dementia, among an elderly population aged 75 years or older. Background: Elderly people with dementia are at risk from oral diseases, but to date, only a few studies have analysed the association between type of dementia and oral health, and their results are inconclusive. Materials and methods: This cross‐sectional study is based on the Geriatric multi‐disciplinary strategy (Gems) study that included 76 demented and 278 non‐demented subjects. The data were collected by means of an interview and an oral clinical examination. The type of dementia was diagnosed according to DSM‐IV criteria. Poisson’s and logistic regression models were used to determine relative risks (RR), odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence limits (CI). Results: Our results showed that patients with Alzheimer’s disease and those with other types of dementia had an increased likelihood of having carious teeth, teeth with deep periodontal pockets, and poor oral and denture hygiene, compared with non‐demented persons. The results showed that the type of dementia does not seem to be an essential determinant of oral health. Conclusions: Among the elderly aged 75 years or older, patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia are at increased risk of poor oral health and poor oral hygiene.     

Production of monocytic cells from bone marrow stem cells: therapeutic usage in Alzheimer's disease

Accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) is a major hallmark in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Bone marrow derived monocytic cells (BMM) have been shown to reduce Aβ burden in mouse models of AD, alleviating the AD pathology. BMM have been shown to be more efficient phagocytes in AD than the endogenous brain microglia. Because BMM have a natural tendency to infiltrate into the injured area, they could be regarded as optimal candidates for cell-based therapy in AD. In this study, we describe a method to obtain monocytic cells from BM-derived haematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Mouse or human HSC were isolated and differentiated in the presence of macrophage colony stimulating factor (MCSF). The cells were characterized by assessing the expression profile of monocyte markers and cytokine response to inflammatory stimulus. The phagocytic capacity was determined with Aβ uptake assay in vitro and Aβ degradation assay of natively formed Aβ deposits ex vivo and in a transgenic APdE9 mouse model of AD in vivo. HSC were lentivirally transduced with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) to determine the effect of gene modification on the potential of HSC-derived cells for therapeutic purposes. HSC-derived monocytic cells (HSCM) displayed inflammatory responses comparable to microglia and peripheral monocytes. We also show that HSCM contributed to Aβ reduction and could be genetically modified without compromising their function. These monocytic cells could be obtained from human BM or mobilized peripheral blood HSC, indicating a potential therapeutic relevance for AD.     

Sol–gels and cross-linked aggregates of lipase PS from Burkholderia cepacia and their application in dry organic solvents

Lipase PS from Burkholderia cepacia (formerly Pseudomonas cepacia) was successfully immobilized in sol–gels under low methanol conditions using lyophilization in order to dry the gel. The enzyme was also cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to CLEAs without any additives. These immobilized enzyme preparations were employed for the highly enantioselective acylations of 1-phenylethanol (1), 1-(2-furyl)ethanol (2) and N-acylated 1-amino-2-phenylethanol (3) with vinyl acetate in organic solvents. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the obtained ester product was observed as a side reaction of the acylation of 3 in the presence of lipase PS powder. Hydrolysis was suppressed when the immobilized preparations of lipase PS were used.     

Selective circular oligonucleotide probes improve detection of point mutations in DNA

The synthesis of disulfide-cross-linked circular oligonucleotides, employing two different approaches, was accomplished. Several circular oligomers, which bear a C(5)-aminoalkyl-tethered thymidine unit, were labeled with photoluminescent europium(III) chelates. All circular structures were thoroughly characterized with denaturing PAGE and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. It was demonstrated that the disulfide cross-linking, resulting in circularization, considerably increases the enzymatic stability of phosphodiester oligonucleotides. In addition, UV melting experiments, followed, where possible, by extraction of thermodynamic parameters, revealed that several circular oligomers appear to be more selective towards their complementary targets than their corresponding linear precursors. Finally, the mixed-phase hybridization experiments have demonstrated that use of circular probes indeed improves the selectivity in the detection of DNA point mutations.     

Effect of photoinhibition on algal photosynthesis: a dynamic model

Recent evidence from algal physiology and molecular biologyconfirms that photoinhibition is directly related to D1 proteindamage and recovery, and D1 protein damage leads to a decreasein electron transfer or an increase in turnover time of theelectron transfer chain. In this study, the turnover time ofthe electron transfer chain is defined as a function of therelative concentration of D1 protein in reaction centre II andthe photoinhibition processes due to D1 protein degradationare incorporated into a model of photosynthesis, initiated byDubinsky et al. (Plant Cell Physiol., 27, 1335–1349, 1986)and developed by Sakshaug et al. (Limnol. Oceanogr., 34, 198–205,1989). D1 protein damage is assumed to be both light and D1protein concentration dependent, and to be proportional to thecross-section of PSII (