bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mesenchymal stem cells from human umbilical cords ameliorate mouse hepatic injury in vivo
Authors: Yan Yongmin , Xu Wenrong , Qian Hui , Si Yuan , Zhu Wei , Cao Huiling , Zhou Hongxing , Mao Fei 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAims: To investigate human umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) for use in the reversal of mouse hepatic injury.Methods: Human umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells, characterized by flow cytometry, were transplanted into carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐injured mice, and then followed for determination of localization and differentiation. Reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction for the human 17α gene and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for the human X chromosome were used to locate exogenous hUCMSCs in mouse livers. Peripheral blood and liver specimens were collected at 7, 14 and 21 days after transplantation. For evaluating the recovery of injured liver tissues, serum aminotransferase was measured, and the pathological state of the hepatocytes was assessed.Results: The hUCMSCs were positive for the human MSC‐specific markers CD13, CD29, CD44, CD105 and nerve growth factor receptor, but negative for the haematopoietic lineage markers CD31, CD34, CD38, CD45 and HLA‐DR. Under conditions favouring differentiation in vivo, the expression of tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase, human alpha‐fetoprotein, cytokeratin 18, fibroblast secretory protein 1 and alpha‐smooth‐muscle‐actin was detectable after hUCMSCs administration to mice subjected to liver injury. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP)‐biotin nick end labelling and proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining showed that transplanted hUCMSCs could inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis and facilitate proliferation. Serum aminotransferases were decreased after transplantation of hUCMSCs into the injured mice, and hepatocyte denaturation was reduced.Conclusions: Human umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells can enhance recovery of CCl4‐injured mouse liver, providing evidence that such therapy could be useful for liver disorders or injury.
Fluorescence spectroscopy to diagnose hepatic steatosis in a rat model of fatty liver
Authors: De Oliveira Gustavo Ribeiro , Sankarankutty Ajith K. , Castro e Silva Orlando , Ferreira Juliana , Kurachi Cristina , Zucoloto Sergio , Vannucchi Hélio , Jordão Alceu Afonso , Marchini Júlio Sergio , Bagnato Vanderlei Salvador 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBackground: Steatosis is diagnosed on the basis of the macroscopic aspect of the liver evaluated by the surgeon at the time of organ extraction or by means of a frozen biopsy.Aim: In the present study, the applicability of laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy was investigated as a method for the diagnosis of different degrees of steatosis experimentally induced in rats.Material and methods: Rats received a high‐lipid diet for different periods of time. The animals were divided into groups according to the degree of induced steatosis diagnosis by histology. The concentration of fat in the liver was correlated with LIF by means of the steatosis fluorescence factor (SFF).Results: The histology classification, according to liver fat concentration was, Severe Steatosis, Moderate Steatosis, Mild Steatosis and Control (no liver steatosis). Fluorescence intensity could be directly correlated with fat content. It was possible to estimate an average of fluorescence intensity variable by means of different confidence intervals (P=95%) for each steatosis group. SFF was significantly higher in the Severe Steatosis group (P<0.001) compared with the Moderate Steatosis, Mild Steatosis and Control groups.Conclusion: The various degrees of steatosis could be directly correlated with SFF. LIF spectroscopy proved to be a method capable of identifying the degree of hepatic steatosis in this animal model, and has the potential of clinical application for non‐invasive evaluation of the degree of steatosis.
The endogenous danger signals HSP70 and MICA cooperate in the activation of cytotoxic effector functions of NK cells
Authors: Elsner Leslie , Flügge Perris F. , Lozano Jingky , Muppala Vijayakumar , Eiz‐Vesper Britta , Demiroglu Sara Y. , Malzahn Dörthe , Herrmann Thomas , Brunner Edgar , Bickeböller Heike , Multhoff Gabriele , Walter Lutz , Dressel Ralf 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAlthough natural killer (NK) cells are often described as first line defence against infected or malignant cells which act without the need of prior activation, it is known now that the NK cell activity is tightly regulated by other cells and soluble factors. We show here that the stress‐inducible heat shock protein (HSP) 70 activates human NK cells to kill target cells expressing major histocompatibility complex class I chain‐related molecule A (MICA) in a natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D‐) dependent manner. The HSP70‐derived peptide TKD (TKDNNLLGRFELSG) was able to replace the full‐length HSP70 and to exert the same function. Interestingly, the expression of the cytotoxic effector protease granzyme B in NK cells was increased after TKD stimulation. When MICA and MICB expression was induced in human tumour cells by a histone deacetylase inhibitor and NK cells were activated by HSP70 or TKD, both treatments jointly improved the killing of the tumour cells. Thus, the synergistic activity of two stress‐inducible immunological danger signals, HSP70 and MICA/B, leads to activation and enhanced cytotoxicity of human NK cells against tumour cells.
Lactobacillus reuteri enhances excitability of colonic AH neurons by inhibiting calcium‐dependent potassium channel opening
Authors: Kunze Wolfgang A. , Mao Yu‐Kang , Wang Bingxian , Huizinga Jan D. , Ma Xuelian , Forsythe Paul , Bienenstock John 
Published: February 2009

AbstractProbiotics are live non‐pathogenic commensal organisms that exert therapeutic effects in travellers’ diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Little is known about mechanisms of action of commensal bacteria on intestinal motility and motility‐induced pain. It has been proposed that probiotics affect intestinal nerve function, but direct evidence for this has thus far been lacking. We hypothesized that probiotic effects might be mediated by actions on colonic intrinsic sensory neurons. We first determined whether sensory neurons were present in rat colon by their responses to chemical mucosal stimulation and identified them in terms of physiological phenotype and soma morphotype. Enteric neuron excitability and ion channel activity were measured using patch clamp recordings. We fed 109Lactobacillus reuteri (LR) or vehicle control to rats for 9 days. LR ingestion increased excitability (threshold for evoking action potentials) and number of action potentials per depolarizing pulse, decreased calcium‐dependent potassium channel (IKCa) opening and decreased the slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) in sensory AH neurons, similar to the IKCa antagonists Tram‐34 and clotrimazole. LR did not affect threshold for action potential generation in S neurons. Our results demonstrate that LR targets an ion channel in enteric sensory nerves through which LR may affect gut motility and pain perception.
Function of PrPC (1‐OPRD) in biological activities of gastric cancer cell lines
Authors: Liang Jie , Wang Jingbo , Luo Guanhong , Pan Yanglin , Wang Xin , Guo Changcun , Zhang Dexin , Yin Fang , Zhang Xiaoyin , Liu Jie , Wang Jianhong , Guo Xuegang , Wu Kaichun , Fan Daiming 
Published: February 2009

AbstractApproximately 10–15% of the human prion disease is inherited and one of the important genetic mutations occurs in the octapeptide repeat region of prion protein gene. One of the variants, one octapeptide repeat deletion (1‐OPRD), existed in several gastric cancer cell lines and its mutation frequency was higher in gastric cancer cases. However, the biological functions of it remain unknown. Wild‐type and mutation forms of PrPC were cloned and transfected into gastric cancer cells. Cell apoptosis, adhesion, invasion, multidrug resistance (MDR) and proliferation were, respectively, investigated. Different expressed genes were screened by gene array and proved by PT‐PCR. Further, luciferase report assay was used to explore the transcriptional activation of target genes. Forced overexpression PrPC (1‐OPRD) could promote the gastric cancer cells SGC7901 growth through facilitating G1‐ to S‐phase transition in the cell cycle. PrPC (1‐OPRD) could also inhibit apoptosis, and promote adhesion, invasion and MDR in SGC7901. However, it exhibited no significant difference between wild‐type PrPC (1‐OPRD) and PrPC on apoptosis, invasion or MDR effects. Further experiments indicated that PrPC (1‐OPRD) could trigger the transactivation of cyclinD3 besides cyclinD1 to promote cell transition and proliferation. Overexpression of PrPC (1‐OPRD) might promote the proliferation of gastric cancer cells at least partially through transcriptional activation of cyclinD3 to accelerate the G1‐/S‐phase transition. The promoting proliferation effect of PrPC (1‐OPRD) was more than that of wild‐type PrPC. However, they showed no difference on apoptosis, adhesion, invasion or MDR effects of gastric cancer cells.
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura: epidemiology and implications for patients
Authors: Michel Marc 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe age‐adjusted prevalence of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is estimated to be 9.5 per 100 000 persons in the USA while its annual incidence is estimated to be 2.68 per 100 000 in Northern Europe (at a cut‐off platelet count of <100 × 109/L). The mean age of adults at diagnosis in Europe is 50 yrs and the incidence of ITP increases with age. Both the treatments used to treat patients with ITP and the disease itself can impact on patient health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). As the incidence of ITP in Europe rises, especially in the elderly, the number of patients with a decreased HRQoL is increasing. Literature searches and focus groups have aided the development of a conceptual model to assess HRQoL. In this model, low platelet counts and the associated symptoms of ITP in addition to the side effects of treatment are proposed as the main determinants of a negatively impacted HRQoL. Primary conceptual domains of HRQoL, affected in patients with ITP, include emotional health, functional health, work, social and leisure activities and reproductive health. As treatment benefits are likely to improve these domains, the conceptual model could be used for better management of patients, taking into account HRQoL. The short‐form 36‐item questionnaire (SF‐36) and the ITP Patient Assessment Questionnaire (ITP‐PAQ) are validated measures of HRQoL which can provide a comprehensive assessment of numerous factors to help evaluate decisions about patient management. Future clinical trials investigating treatment options for ITP should assess HRQoL using these validated questionnaires.
Characteristics of immune thrombocytopenic purpura: a guide for clinical practice
Authors: Provan Drew 
Published: February 2009

AbstractImmune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoantibody‐mediated condition characterized by an abnormally low number of platelets in the circulating blood. Originally, the cause of ITP was attributed to accelerated antibody‐mediated platelet destruction where the rate of thrombopoiesis was inadequate to offset the increased rate of platelet destruction. However, new evidence has indicated that insufficient or inadequate platelet production is also responsible for low platelet counts, and research has focused on the development of treatments that increase platelet production. ITP affects both children and adults and can be either acute or chronic. To manage and treat ITP effectively, an exhaustive assessment of the signs and symptoms must be undertaken because the clinical manifestation of ITP can be highly variable among patients. At the moment, the diagnostic approach in ITP is based largely on a process of exclusion due to the lack of available data regarding clinical and laboratory parameters. The diagnostic procedures used in children and adults are similar and involve collecting the patient’s history and performing a physical examination. Laboratory investigations are kept simple in patients with suspected ITP and include a full blood count and peripheral blood smear. A number of specialized laboratory assays have been developed with varying degrees of success. There remains scope for improving and simplifying the diagnostic process to identify ITP.
Modern Maturity: Middle‐Aged Anxiety in Modern American Fiction
Authors: Dawson Melanie 
Published: February 2009

Abstract‘Modern Maturity’ examines American fiction from the 1920s and 30s in light of the social and psychological difficulties attributed to middle age, specifically the anxieties attending the recognition of oneself as belonging to a supposedly mature generation. While the era saw the rise of youth culture, shifting generational demographics resulted in pointedly new roles for the middle aged, roles that appeared both amorphous and unappealing. While the category ‘middle age’ was widely applied to those in their 30s through their 50s, it consistently alluded to physical as well as psychological dissatisfaction. Detailing a series of personal and professional discontents, the idealization of youth, and a profound redefinition of familial and romantic roles, writing by Willa Cather, Edith Wharton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Anzia Yezierska, Tillie Olsen, William Faulkner, Nella Larsen, Eugene O’Neill, Floyd Dell, Sinclair Lewis, Zora Neale Hurston, Gertrude Atherton, and Anita Loos pinpoints the considerable generational anxieties encircling the middle‐aged moderns.
Greece or Rome?: The Uses of Antiquity in Late Eighteenth‐ and Early Nineteenth‐Century British Literature
Authors: Sachs Jonathan 
Published: February 2009

AbstractTraditionally, literary and artistic production in late eighteenth‐ and early nineteenth‐century Britain has been understood as constituting a modernity in opposition to classical values and aesthetic standards. In thinking about the relevance of classical antiquity in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth century, however, one prominent trend in recent scholarship has been the recognition of an increasing fascination with Greece and Greek culture. This article surveys arguments for the rise of Hellenism and its importance for thinking about the literary works of this period. In the face of claims for the dominance of the Greek example, the article further considers the legacy of Rome and explores the scholarly debate over its continued relevance in the period. Ultimately, the article suggests the need to consider the deployment of both Roman and Greek examples in framing contemporary understandings of such central aspects of modernity as democracy, popular revolt, and tyranny in a period whose political culture was dominated by reaction and anxieties about revolution.
Genito-Sensory Analysis in Women with Arousal and Orgasmic Dysfunction
Authors: Helpman Limor , Greenstein Alexander , Hartoov Joseph , Abramov Liora 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Diagnosis and treatment of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) are currently based on subjective female reports and physical examination. The GenitoSensory Analyzer (GSA) is a quantitative sensory testing tool designed to quantify vibratory and thermal sensation in the vagina and clitoris in a reproducible manner, and may therefore contribute to the diagnosis and management of FSD.

Aim
To address the question of whether women with arousal and/or orgasmic sexual disorders have genital sensory abnormalities as measured by the GSA.

Main Outcome Measures
Thresholds for warm, cold, and vibratory sensation at predetermined points in the vaginal wall and clitoris.

Methods
Female subjects complaining of arousal and/or orgasmic sexual disorders for more than 6 months were evaluated using a questionnaire based on the female sexual function index (FSFI). Women with a desire disorder, pain disorder, vulvar vestibulitis syndrome, or acute vaginal or/and introital infection were excluded. The GSA device measured thresholds for warm, cold, and vibratory sensation at predetermined points in the vaginal wall and clitoris. Eight measurements were obtained, and deviations from previously published normative values were identified.

Results
Twenty-eight women (age 40.4 ± 13 years) complaining of arousal and/or orgasmic FSD comprised the study cohort. Twenty-five of them (89%) had at least one pathologic genitor-sensory threshold on GSA testing and 19 (68%) had &gt;3 pathologic thresholds. Pathologic GSA results were associated with lower arousal scores on the FSFI questionnaire, older age, and menopausal status.

Conclusions
Most of the study women had at least one genitor-sensory pathology on GSA testing, indicating a possible organic component in their disorder. Our findings support the incorporation of the GSA as a quantitative tool in the assessment and diagnosis of patients with FSD.
Delay of Ejaculation Induced by SB-277011, a Selective Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonist, in the Rat
Authors: Clément Pierre , Pozzato Chiara , Heidbreder Christian , Alexandre Laurent , Giuliano Francois , Melotto Sergio 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTIntroductionDopamine (DA) plays a key role in different aspects of the male sexual response, including sexual motivation and arousal, penile erection, and ejaculation. The modalities of action of DA are however unclear, although the various DA receptors may differentially mediate the activity of DA in different aspects of the male sexual response.AimTo clarify the role of DA D3 receptors in the control of the male sexual response.MethodsThe effects of a highly selective DA D3 receptors antagonist (SB-277011; intraperitoneal) were tested in experimental paradigms exploring several aspects of the male sexual response in (i) anesthetized rats using 7-hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propylaminotetralin to induce ejaculation and (ii) conscious rats using sexual incentive motivation and mating tests.Main Outcome MeasuresPhysiological markers of erection and emission and expulsion phases of ejaculation were measured in anesthetized rats. Behavioral parameters of sexual incentive motivation and mating tests were quantified.ResultsIn anesthetized rats, we found that SB-277011 specifically and dose-dependently inhibited the expulsion phase of ejaculation without impairing either emission phase or erection, and this resulted in delayed ejaculation. Administration of SB-277011 had no effect on the spontaneous preference that males displayed for sexually receptive females as shown in sexual incentive motivation test. Delayed ejaculation was confirmed when male rats were administered with the highest dose of SB-277011 (10 mg/kg) in mating test, where males were free to copulate with estrous females. In addition, the refractory period following ejaculation was lengthened in rats treated with SB-277011.ConclusionAs a whole, the present data demonstrate the specific and primary role of D3 receptors in the expulsion phase of ejaculation and provide preclinical evidence for the investigation of the therapeutic potential of D3 antagonism for treating premature ejaculation.
Valsalva Maneuver-induced Priapism: A Hidden Culprit
Authors: Chen Wei-Liang , Tsai Wei-Chi , Tsao Yu-Tzu 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Priapism is defined as an abnormal prolonged penile erection without sexual interest and failure to subside despite orgasm. The disorder is enigmatic yet devastating because of its elusive etiology, irreversible erectile tissue damage, and resultant erectile dysfunction. A wide variety of provocative factors have been implicated in different types of priapism; however, myelopathy-related ischemic priapism induced by the Valsalva maneuver in the context of spinal extradural arachnoid cyst has never been described.

Aim
To report a case with spinal extradural arachnoid cyst heralded by Valsalva maneuver-induced priapism and review the mechanistic basis for acute myelopathy-related priapism.

Methods
The case report profiled a 42-year-old Chinese man presenting with ischemic priapism following in-flight Valsalva maneuver for unblocking the ears during descent. Magnetic resonance imaging unveiled the hidden culprit behind myelopathy-related priapism, as demonstrated by acute spinal cord compression from a giant extradural arachnoid cyst.

Results
The symptoms subsided rapidly after treatment with ice packing, analgesics, and corporal irrigation with diluted epinephrine. However, surgical removal of the extradural arachnoid cyst failed to achieve a complete recovery of neurological deficits. After 1 year of follow-ups, he still experienced a mild weakness and hypesthesia of the right leg but no further episodes of priapism or sexual dysfunction.

Conclusions
Myelopathy-related priapism potentiated by the Valsalva maneuver can be easily overlooked without heightened vigilance, leading to poor therapeutic response and prognosis. The indolent nature of spinal extradural arachnoid cyst should be reinforced and better outcomes can only be achieved through expeditious diagnosis and management.
Investigating medetomidine‐buprenorphine as preanaesthetic medication in cats
Authors: Grint N. J. , Burford J. , Dugdale A. H. A. 
Published: February 2009

Objectives:The objective of this study was to investigate medetomidine‐buprenorphine preanaesthetic medication in cats.Methods:Forty American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I female cats were enrolled in this prospective, blinded, clinical study. Cats were randomised into one of four groups: group M30 were injected intramuscularly with 30 μg/kg medetomidine, groups M10+B, M30+B and M50+B received 10, 30 and 50 μg/kg of medetomidine, respectively, each in combination with 20 μg/kg buprenorphine. After 30 minutes, a sedation score was allocated. Anaesthesia was induced using intravenous propofol and maintained using isoflurane in oxygen, while cats underwent ovariohysterectomy. Heart rate, respiratory rate, end‐tidal carbon dioxide tension and oxygen saturation of haemoglobin were recorded. Atipamezole was administered intramuscularly at volatile agent discontinuation. Time taken to lift their head, sit in sternal and stand were recorded along with quality of recovery.Results:M30+B cats required significantly less isoflurane compared with M30 cats. Heart rate and oxygen saturation of haemoglobin were significantly lower in M50+B cats than in M30 cats. All M+B groups experienced significantly better recoveries compared with the medetomidine only M30 control group.ClinicalSignificance:The addition of buprenorphine to medetomidine preanaesthetic medication in cats reduces volatile agent vaporiser setting and improves the quality of recovery from anaesthesia.
Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients presenting with first‐episode psychosis and concurrent substance misuse
Authors: Carr Jason A.R. , Norman Ross G.M. , Manchanda Rahul 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAims: To determine the incidence of concurrent substance misuse among individuals entering first‐episode psychosis treatment, and examine whether patients with concurrent substance misuse differ on variables relevant to service planning.Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 376) were assessed using standardized instruments.Results: Twenty‐two per cent met abuse or dependence criteria for a single substance, and 8% met criteria for two substances. Most met criteria for marijuana or marijuana and alcohol. The majority of patients with a concurrent disorder were male, and on average they were 3.5 years younger at psychosis onset. Patients with a concurrent disorder experienced worse ‘positive’ and anxiety symptoms in the month before treatment. Premorbidly they had better social functioning, but worse academic functioning.Conclusions: There are important differences between patients entering first‐episode psychosis treatment with and without a concurrent substance misuse. Early intervention efforts might be informed by our accumulating knowledge about the characteristics of patients who have both disorders.