bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between psoriasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a population‐based study in Taiwan
Authors: Chiang Y.‐Y. , Lin H.‐W. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground  Psoriasis is regarded as a systemic inflammatory disease, having been linked in recent studies, to a wide range of systemic disorders. Previous studies have reported a positive correlation between psoriasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, no studies have been conducted on an ethnic Chinese population.Methods  We conducted a population‐based study, using a representative cohort from the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan, between 2004 and 2006. The risk of COPD was compared between patients with psoriasis and a matched reference cohort. This study included 2096 psoriasis patients and 8384 randomly selected controls.Results  After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and selected chronic diseases, the hazard ratio (HR) for COPD in psoriasis patients was 2.35 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.42–3.89) compared with the control group in 18 months of follow‐4 up. Men (HR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.36–4.18) and patients with psoriasis over 50 years of age (HR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.27–3.77) were more likely to contract COPD.Conclusions  We concluded that psoriasis patients were at a greater risk of developing COPD with significantly lower COPD‐free survival rates than the comparison cohort (P < 0.001). Physicians should be aware of this potential risk to reduce comorbidity and mortality.
Nilotinib counteracts thioacetamide‐induced hepatic oxidative stress and attenuates liver fibrosis progression
Authors: Shaker Mohamed E. , Salem Hatem A. , Shiha Gamal E. , Ibrahim Tarek M. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of imatinib and nilotinib to that of silymarin on established liver fibrosis and oxidative stress in a thioacetamide (TAA) rat model. Male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of TAA (150 mg/kg, twice weekly) for 12 weeks. Daily treatments with imatinib (10 mg/kg), nilotinib (10 mg/kg), and silymarin (100 mg/kg) were administered orally during the last 4 weeks of TAA‐administration. At the end of the study, hepatic damage was evaluated by analysis of liver function tests in serum. Hepatic histopathology and collagen content were employed to quantify liver fibrosis. Hepatic oxidative stress was assessed by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), 4‐hydroxynonenal (4‐HNE), total nitrate/nitrite (NOx), and reduced glutathione (GSH) contents, as well as myeloperoxidase (MPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Nilotinib, silymarin and, to a lesser extent, imatinib treatments ameliorated TAA‐induced hepatic oxidative stress and damage as indicated by hepatic MDA, 4‐HNE, NOx, GSH, MPO and SOD levels, as well as liver function tests. Hepatic histopathology results revealed that nilotinib, imatinib, and silymarin treatments decreased the mean score of fibrosis in TAA‐treated rats by 24, 14, and 3%, respectively. However, nilotinib and silymarin, but not imatinib, treatments decreased hepatic collagen content in TAA‐treated rats by 17 and 36%, respectively. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that nilotinib not only protected against hepatic oxidative stress, but also slowed down liver fibrosis progression. Thus, we provide the first evidence that nilotinib might be a promising anti‐fibrotic drug.
Lithium decreased endothelium‐mediated, but not nonadrenergic noncholinergic, relaxation of guinea pig corpus cavernosum in vitro: a role for nitrergic system
Authors: Ghasemi Mehdi , Farrokhi‐Khajeh‐Pasha Yasin , Ostovaneh Mohammad Reza , Dehpour Ahmad Reza 
Published: March 2011

AbstractLithium causes erectile dysfunction in patients but its mechanism is yet unknown. The aim of our study was to verify the effect of acute lithium administration on the nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC)‐ and endothelium‐mediated relaxation of guinea pig isolated corpus cavernosum. Although lithium (0.5, 1, and 5 mm) had no effect on the neurogenic relaxations, it significantly (P < 0.001) attenuated the relaxant responses to acetylcholine in a concentration‐dependent manner. Combination of low concentration of lithium (0.5 mm) with either 0.1 or 1 μm l‐NAME significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the endothelium‐mediated relaxation. Although the Nitric oxide (NO) precursor l‐arginine at 1 mm did not alter the relaxant responses to acetylcholine in control strips, it improved the inhibition by lithium (1 mm) of relaxant responses to acetylcholine. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10 nm–1 mm) produced similar concentration‐dependent relaxations in both groups. Our experiments indicated that lithium can result in impairment of the NO‐mediated endothelium‐dependent but not NANC relaxation of guinea pig corpus cavernosum.
Pilot study on basophil activation induced by contrast medium
Authors: Böhm Ingrid , Speck Ulrich , Schild Hans H. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe purpose was to analyze the influence of both mono‐/dimeric X‐ray contrast media (CM) and immunological co‐factors on basophil degranulation. The study has been conducted in 31 adult patients who received nonionic CM injection for enhanced routine computed tomography examination. Plasma histamine, and basophil degranulation by using CD63 expression and flow‐cytometry in blood samples of patients receiving iotrolan or iopromide injections were analyzed in vivo and in vitro (with different stimuli) before and up to 24 h after CM‐injection. After iotrolan injection, histamine values remained unchanged and showed minimal increase after iopromide. In 5/12 patients receiving iopromide and in 5/19 in the iotrolan group histamine level rose (>100% of the baseline). After CM‐injection, a significant activation of basophils (CD63) could be measured (P < 0.05). IL‐3 prestimulus revealed a more pronounced CD63 expression after iopromide than after iotrolan. The IL‐1β prestimulus seemed to be dose‐dependent. Patients showing the most marked CM‐induced CD63 expression had the highest predose values after in vitro N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine treatment. Our finding suggests that increased histamine values and CD63 expression on basophils could depend on individual stimuli. Iopromide and iotrolan per se neither enhanced histamine release nor basophil degranulation under normal conditions. Analysis of CD63 expression by using fluorescence activated cell sorter‐analysis is an interesting new tool to elucidate the complex conditions leading to CM‐mediated hypersensitivity reactions.
Sporamin induce apoptosis in human tongue carcinoma cells by down‐regulating Akt/GSK‐3 signaling
Authors: Yao Jun , Qian Cuijuan 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe investigated the effects of sporamin, the major soluble protein with a kunitz‐type trypsin inhibitory activity in the root tuber of the sweet potato, on cell proliferation, apoptosis, Akt/GSK‐3 signaling and its related genes to provide more insights in the mechanism behind the inhibitory effects of sporamin in a human tongue cancer line Tca8113. In this study, sporamin inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in Tca8113 cells in a concentration‐dependent and time‐dependent manner. Consistently, Bax was up‐regulated and Bcl‐2 was down‐regulated in sporamin‐treated cells. Furthermore, Akt/GSK‐3 signaling was down‐regulated in sporamin‐treated cells. Consistently, the phosphorylated Bad was significantly declined in sporamin‐treated Tca8113 cells. These results suggest the antiproliferative effects of sporamin in Tca8113 cells might result partly from induction of apoptosis by down‐regulating Akt/GSK‐3 pathway.
Requirement of DDX39 DEAD box RNA helicase for genome integrity and telomere protection
Authors: Yoo Hyun Hee , Chung In Kwon 
Published: March 2011

SummaryHuman chromosome ends associate with shelterin, a six‐protein complex that protects telomeric DNA from being recognized as sites of DNA damage. The shelterin subunit TRF2 has been implicated in the protection of chromosome ends by facilitating their organization into the protective capping structure and by associating with several accessory proteins involved in various DNA transactions. Here we describe the characterization of DDX39 DEAD‐box RNA helicase as a novel TRF2‐interacting protein. DDX39 directly interacts with the telomeric repeat binding factor homology domain of TRF2 via the FXLXP motif (where X is any amino acid). DDX39 is also found in association with catalytically competent telomerase in cell lysates through an interaction with hTERT but has no effect on telomerase activity. Whereas overexpression of DDX39 in telomerase‐positive human cancer cells led to progressive telomere elongation, depletion of endogenous DDX39 by small hairpin RNA (shRNA) resulted in telomere shortening. Furthermore, depletion of DDX39 induced DNA‐damage response foci at internal genome as well as telomeres as evidenced by telomere dysfunction‐induced foci. Some of the metaphase chromosomes showed no telomeric signal at chromatid ends, suggesting an aberrant telomere structure. Our findings suggest that DDX39, in addition to its role in mRNA splicing and nuclear export, is required for global genome integrity as well as telomere protection and represents a new pathway for telomere maintenance by modulating telomere length homeostasis.
Differential influence of peripheral and systemic sex steroids on skeletal muscle quality in pre‐ and postmenopausal women
Authors: Pöllänen Eija , Sipilä Sarianna , Alen Markku , Ronkainen Paula H.A. , Ankarberg‐Lindgren Carina , Puolakka Jukka , Suominen Harri , Hämäläinen Esa , Turpeinen Ursula , Konttinen Yrjö T. , Kovanen Vuokko 
Published: March 2011

SummaryAging is associated with gradual decline of skeletal muscle strength and mass often leading to diminished muscle quality. This phenomenon is known as sarcopenia and affects about 30% of the over 60‐year‐old population. Androgens act as anabolic agents regulating muscle mass and improving muscle performance. The role of female sex steroids as well as the ability of skeletal muscle tissue to locally produce sex steroids has been less extensively studied. We show that despite the extensive systemic deficit of sex steroid hormones in postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women, the hormone content of skeletal muscle does not follow the same trend. In contrast to the systemic levels, muscle tissue of post‐ and premenopausal women had similar concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione, while the concentrations of estradiol and testosterone were significantly higher in muscle of the postmenopausal women. The presence of steroidogenetic enzymes in muscle tissue indicates that the elevated postmenopausal steroid levels in skeletal muscle are because of local steroidogenesis. The circulating sex steroids were associated with better muscle quality while the muscle concentrations reflected the amount of infiltrated fat within muscle tissue. We conclude that systemically delivered and peripherally produced sex steroids have distinct roles in the regulation of neuromuscular characteristics during aging.
Changes in body composition after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent in cirrhosis: a critical review of literature
Authors: Dasarathy Jaividhya , Alkhouri Naim , Dasarathy Srinivasan 
Published: March 2011

AbstractChange in body composition with reduced muscle mass with or without loss of fat mass occurs in 60–90% of patients with cirrhosis. This has an adverse impact on the outcome of these patients and is an understudied area. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent (TIPS) is now a standard therapy for portal hypertension but its beneficial impact on nutritional indices is not well recognized. We included all publications on TIPS that had any nutritional index as an outcome measure or end point. Given the heterogeneity of the patient population, differences in study design and outcome measures, a meta‐analysis was not feasible. Data were summarized and interpreted. A total of eight studies have been published on the changes in body composition after TIPS in cirrhosis in a total of 152 patients followed for 3–12 months. Improvement in fat‐free mass and fluid‐free or ascites‐free body weight was reported in all studies. Plasma leptin, IGF1, insulin sensitivity, rate of glucose disposal and growth hormone did not change after TIPS. One study measured muscle strength that improved. Direct measurement of skeletal muscle mass was not performed in any study. TIPS resulted in an improvement in body composition. Given the clinical significance of skeletal muscle and fat mass in cirrhosis, nutritional indices should be considered to be an important outcome measure in patients with TIPS. The mechanism of these is unclear, but its clinical implication is that this may contribute to the improved survival after TIPS.
Consequences of Fetal Programming for Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood
Authors: LEACH LOPA , MANN GIOVANNI E. 
Published: March 2011

Please cite this paper as: Leach and Mann (2011). Consequences of Fetal Programming for Cardiovascular Disease in Adulthood. Microcirculation 18(4), 253–255.AbstractThis Spotlight Issue of Microcirculation contains six current perspectives on the role of the intrauterine environment, especially maternal nutritional status and maternal diabetes, in influencing fetal growth and cardiovascular health in the offspring in later life. The reviews address issues such as the existence of a commonality of mechanism following both under‐nutritional and over‐nutritional states in utero; alterations in the placental fetal microcirculation in response to maternal and fetal changes; transmission of metabolic or nutritional perturbations affecting fetal endogenous antioxidant defense pathways; the presence of a disadvantageous microvascular phenotype resulting from perinatal priming; interactions between developmental programming and genetic variation in noncommunicable adult diseases such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia; and unresolved questions on the independency and causal mechanisms for low birth weight/intrauterine growth restriction and the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. These timely reviews highlight the accumulating evidence that changes in the intrauterine environment have pronounced effects on vascular function in the offspring whether due to maternal diabetes or altered maternal nutritional status or fetal and perinatal overnutrition.
A novel copper complex induces paraptosis in colon cancer cells via the activation of ER stress signalling
Authors: Gandin Valentina , Pellei Maura , Tisato Francesco , Porchia Marina , Santini Carlo , Marzano Cristina 
Published: March 2011

AbstractPlatinum anticancer drugs have been used for three decades despite their serious side effects and the emerging of resistance phenomena. Recently, a phosphine copper(I) complex, [Cu(thp)4][PF6] (CP), gained special attention because of its strong antiproliferative effects. CP killed human colon cancer cells more efficiently than cisplatin and oxaliplatin and it overcame platinum drug resistance. CP preferentially reduced cancer cell viability whereas non‐tumour cells were poorly affected. Colon cancer cells died via a programmed cell death whose transduction pathways were characterized by the absence of hallmarks of apoptosis. The inhibition of 26S proteasome activities induced by CP caused intracellular accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and the functional suppression of the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway thus triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress. These data, providing a mechanistic characterization of CP‐induced cancer cell death, shed light on the signaling pathways involved in paraptosis thus offering a new tool to overcome apoptosis‐resistance in colon cancer cells.
Stable region for maxillary dental cast superimposition in adults, studied with the aid of stable miniscrews
Authors: Chen G , Chen S , Zhang XY , Jiang RP , Liu Y , Shi FH , Xu TM 
Published: March 2011

To cite this article:
Chen G, Chen S, Zhang XY, Jiang RP, Liu Y, Shi FH, Xu TM:  Stable region for maxillary dental cast superimposition in adults, studied with the aid of stable miniscrews  Orthod Craniofac Res 2011;14:70–79Structured AbstractAuthors –  Chen G, Chen S, Zhang XY, Jiang RP, Liu Y, Shi FH, Xu TMObjectives –  To identify a stable and reproducible reference region to superimpose serial maxillary dental models in adult extraction cases.Setting and Sample Population –  Fifteen adult volunteers were enrolled.Methods –  To reduce protrusion, bilateral maxillary first premolars were extracted in all volunteers. Each volunteer received six miniscrews, including two loaded miniscrews used to retract anterior teeth and four unloaded miniscrews. Impressions for maxillary models were taken at T1 (1 week after miniscrew placement) and T2 (17 months later). Dental models were created and then scanned using a laser scanner. Stability of the miniscrews was evaluated, and dental models were registered using stationary miniscrews. The palatal region, where deviation was within 0.5 mm in all subjects, was determined to be the stable region. Reproducibility of the new palatal region for 3D digital model superimposition was evaluated.Results –  Deviation of the medial 2/3 of the palatal region between the third rugae and the line in contact with the distal surface of the bilateral maxillary first molars was within 0.5 mm. Tooth movement of 15 subjects was measured to evaluate the validity of the new 3D superimposition method. Displacements were 8.18 ± 2.94 mm (central incisor) and 2.25 ± 0.73 mm (first molar) measured by miniscrew superimposition, while values of 7.81 ± 2.53 mm (central incisor) and 2.29 ± 1.03 mm (first molar) were measured using the 3D palatal vault regional superimposition method; no significant difference was observed.Conclusion –  The medial 2/3 of the third rugae and the regional palatal vault dorsal to it is a stable region to register 3D digital models for evaluation of orthodontic tooth movement in adult patients.
Gender role behaviour in prenatally dexamethasone‐treated children at risk for congenital adrenal hyperplasia – a pilot study
Authors: Hirvikoski Tatja , Lindholm Torun , Lajic Svetlana , Nordenström Anna 
Published: March 2011

AbstractAim:  To investigate the effects of prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) exposure on gender role behaviour.Methods:  The participants were 25 of the 40 children (62%, mean age 11 years) at risk for CAH treated with DEX prenatally during the years 1985–1995 in Sweden. The control group consisted of 35 sex‐ and age‐matched healthy children. A new inventory, the Karolinska Inventory of Gender Role Behaviour (KI‐GRB), was developed to assess directly school‐age children’s behaviour, and was evaluated using a separate sample of 160 school‐age children.Results:  DEX‐treated CAH‐unaffected boys showed more neutral behaviours than the controls (p = 0.04), while the DEX‐treated CAH‐unaffected girls did not differ from the controls after adjusting for the site of residence. There was a larger variation in the behaviour of the DEX‐treated boys (p < 0.05) and a tendency for less‐masculine behaviours in the DEX‐treated CAH‐unaffected children (p = 0.13). There were no between‐group differences in the feminine behaviours. Recalculation of the analyses including the CAH‐affected children showed analogous results.Conclusions:  This pilot study indicates that the gender role behaviour may be affected in boys as an effect of DEX exposure in early pregnancy. Larger retrospective studies are needed for more conclusive results.
Insect Herbivory and Leaf Disease in Natural and Human Disturbed Habitats: Lessons from Early‐SuccessionalHeliconiaHerbs
Authors: Santos Bráulio A. , Benítez‐Malvido Julieta 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTThe interaction of plants with insect herbivores and fungal pathogens can affect community dynamics, but there is little information on how this antagonistic interaction may be altered in human‐disturbed tropical systems. We examined whether the amount and quality of foliar damage on the pioneer herbsHeliconia latispathaandHeliconia collinsianaare distinct on road edges and secondary riparian vegetation compared with natural gaps in continuous forest (controls) in Mexico. We also investigated some physical and biological mechanisms that may jointly explain such differences. The overall insect damage inH. latispathawas similar between road edges and natural forest gaps (8.0% vs. 7.2% of leaf area). Damage by caterpillars, however, decreased from 4.2 percent in forest gaps to 0.5 percent on road edges, whereas damage by leaf‐cutting ants increased from 0 to 5.8 percent. In secondary riparian vegetation, where none of the leaves sampled were attacked by ants, overall herbivore damage inH. collinsianawas less than half that observed in forest gaps (3.0% vs. 6.7%), and driven mainly by differences in caterpillar damage (2.5% vs. 6.2%). By contrast, attack by leaf fungal pathogens was two to three times greater in both human‐disturbed habitats than in gaps (8.2–9.6% vs. 3.7–4.2%). Potential mechanisms underlying these differences involved human‐induced shifts in air and soil temperature driven by greater light availability, as well as changes in relative humidity, leaf toughness, foliar condensed tannins, and local abundance of herbivores. Our results indicate that human disturbance alters insect herbivory and may increase proliferation of leaf disease.Abstract in Spanish is available in the online version of this article.
Uremic Toxins and Oral Adsorbents
Authors: Goto Shunsuke , Yoshiya Kunihiko , Kita Tomoyuki , Fujii Hideki , Fukagawa Masafumi 
Published: March 2011

AbstractUremic toxins are associated with various disorders in patients with end‐stage renal disease and it is difficult to remove some of these toxins by dialysis. Since some uremic toxins are generated by bacterial metabolites in the colon, oral adsorbents that interfere with the absorption of uremic toxins or their precursors are believed to prevent their accumulation in the body. AST‐120 adsorbs various uremic retention solutes in the gastrointestinal system and has potential for providing clinical benefit. Sevelamer hydrochloride binds some harmful compounds in addition to phosphate and seems to have pleiotropic effects that include lowering serum LDL cholesterol levels and reduction of inflammation. The effect of sevelamer hydrochloride on indoxyl sulfate and p‐cresol has been shown in an in vitro study; however, in vivo studies in mice or humans did not demonstrate this effect on protein‐binding uremic toxins. Oral adsorbents are thus one of the important modalities in the treatment of uremic syndrome.