Engineering,Cloning and Expression of Interleukin 2–Com1 Chimera with Aim of Recombinant Subunit Vaccine Production Against Coxiella burnetii

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Query fever is an important disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, therefore vaccination against this disease is so crucial. Com1 is one...     

Aqueous humor nitric oxide in patients with central retinal vein occlusion

PurposeIt has been suggested that nitric oxide (NO) has a role in ischemic retinopathies. Since retinal ischemia may develop in retinal vein occlusion, we investigated the presence of nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).MethodsEighteen consecutive patients with CRVO were included in this study. Aqueous humor specimens were obtained within 21 days of diagnosis. Samples of aqueous humor were also collected from 20 control patients undergoing cataract surgery. For each sample after reduction of nitrate to nitrite with vanadium chloride (VCl₃), we used spectrophotometric method for simultaneous detection of nitrate and nitrite (NO_x).ResultsMean level of aqueous humor NO_x in CRVO and control group was 94.1 ± 23.2 μmol/l and 55.6 ± 11.0 μmol/l, respectively. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsOur results may support involvement of nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of CRVO.     

Intestinal pH profile in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and microhabitat preference of the flagellate Spironucleus salmonis (Diplomonadida)

In farmed rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, the flagellate Spironucleus salmonis (Diplomonadida) is often found in the pyloric region of the intestine. While previous in vitro studies report a pH of 7.5 to 8.0 as optimal for presumed S. salmonis, no previous in vivo studies have investigated the relationship between pH and microhabitat preference. Therefore, in 698 rainbow trout (75% were 5 to 6 mo old juveniles, 10 to 20 cm total length), we recorded occurrence and density of S. salmonis, and pH, in the pyloric, anterior, middle, and posterior intestine. There were no significant differences in total length or weight between infected and uninfected fish. S. salmonis preferred the pyloric region, with occurrence and density decreasing significantly from pyloric to posterior regions. In infected fish, pH in pyloric (6.8 to 7.9, mean 7.3) and posterior regions (6.5 to 8.0, mean 7.1) was significantly lower than in anterior (6.5 to 8.5, mean 7.7) and middle (6.8 to 8.2, mean 7.7) regions; in uninfected fish, the pH profile was similar. At the individual level, 90 % of infected fish and 79% of uninfected fish showed this pH profile. In the pyloric region, pH was not significantly different among uninfected fish, and fish with light, moderate, or heavy infections. Our in vivo study suggests the optimal pH for S. salmonis is between 7.1 and 7.5, possibly close to 7.3 (the mean in pyloric region of infected fish). We conclude that while the presence of S. salmonis reflected tolerable pH, density of infection was not correlated with pH, and thus a causal relationship between microhabitat preference and pH is unlikely.     

Air movement preferences observed in office buildings

Office workers’ preferences for air movement have been extracted from a database of indoor environmental quality surveys performed in over 200 buildings. Dissatisfaction with the amount of air motion is very common, with too little air movement cited far more commonly than too much air movement. Workers were also surveyed in a detailed two-season study of a single naturally ventilated building. About one-half the building’s population wanted more air movement and only 4% wanted less. This same ratio applied when the air movement in workspaces was higher than 0.2 m/s, the de facto draft limit in the current ASHRAE and ISO thermal environment standards. Preference for “less air motion” exceeded that for “more” only at thermal sensations of −2 (cool) or colder. These results raise questions about the consequences of the ASHRAE and ISO standards’ restrictions on air movement, especially for neutral and warm conditions.     

Effects of inhaled corticosteroids on sputum cell counts in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and a meta-analysis

Background

Whether inhaled corticosteroids suppress airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains controversial. We sought to determine the effects of inhaled corticosteroids on sputum indices of inflammation in stable COPD.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Databases for randomized, controlled clinical trials that used induced sputum to evaluate the effect of inhaled corticosteroids in stable COPD. For each chosen study, we calculated the mean differences in the concentrations of sputum cells before and after treatment in both intervention and control groups. These values were then converted into standardized mean differences to accommodate the differences in patient selection, clinical treatment, and biochemical procedures that were employed across original studies. If significant heterogeneity was present (p < 0.10), then a random effects model was used to pool the original data. In the absence of significant heterogeneity, a fixed effects model was used.

Results

We identified six original studies that met the inclusion criteria (N = 162 participants). In studies with higher cumulative dose (≥ 60 mg) or longer duration of therapy (≥ 6 weeks), inhaled corticosteroids were uniformly effective in reducing the total cell, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts. In contrast, studies with lower cumulative dose (< 60 mg) or shorter duration of therapy (< 6 weeks) did not demonstrate a favorable effect of inhaled corticosteroids on these sputum indices.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that prolonged therapy with inhaled corticosteroids is effective in reducing airway inflammation in stable COPD.     

Glutathione mediated reductive activation and mitochondrial dysfunction play key roles in lithium induced oxidative stress and cytotoxicity in liver

Lithium preparations are commonly used drug in treating mental disorders and bipolar diseases, but metal's cytotoxic mechanisms have not yet been completely understood. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic mechanisms of lithium in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Lithium cytotoxicity were associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release into the hepatocyte cytosol. All of the mentioned lithium-induced cytotoxicity markers were significantly (P?相似文献   

Renal impairment and analgesia: From effectiveness to adverse effects

Kidney pain is one of the clinically significant features of renal dysfunction. Mild to severe pain is seen in the lower back area. Painkillers are mostly recommended in these cases to relieve the symptom. Yet, several analgesics are associated with side effects that can worsen the state of the disease. This review is based on the studies conducted in these aspects analgesics used to treat kidney pain and their effectiveness, renal consequences of postoperative analgesia, and pharmacogenetics of these palliatives are briefly summarized in this paper.