TASK DEFINITION: Given a passage classify if the passage has a definite objective/aim/goal or not. Output '1' if the passage has a defininte objective/aim/goal and output '0' if the passage does not have a definite objective/aim/goal.
PROBLEM: In short-gut rats, we showed marked abnormalities in plasma lipid fatty acids using parenteral nutrition (PN) with lipid vs sham surgery rats. This suggests that either sensing or metabolism of parenteral lipid is abnormal in malabsorption. The goal of this study was to determine fatty acid profiles in skeletal muscle and liver in short-gut rats treated with PN compared with sham rats.', 'Sprague-Dawley rats underwent laparotomy and massive small bowel resection (or sham surgery). Rats (n = 32, 16 sham, 16 short gut) were randomly assigned to PN with lipid or fat-free PN. After 5 days, weight loss was similar in all groups, and mixed hindlimb skeletal muscle and liver were biopsied.', 'We found marked differences between liver and skeletal muscle. In livers of short-gut animals, 22:4omega6, 22:5omega6, and 22:6omega3 were higher (all p < .05) than in sham. In skeletal muscle, short gut had no effect on fatty acid profiles. In liver, fat-free PN led to significant increases in 20:3omega6, 22:4omega6, 22:5omega6, 20:3omega9, 20:5omega3, 22:6omega3, and triene/tetraene ratio (all p < .05) compared with feeding PN with lipid, irrespective of short gut. In muscle, levels of the distal long-chain fatty acid metabolites and triene/tetraene ratio were minimally affected by nutrition. Serum glucose and insulin concentrations were similar in all 4 groups.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Chronic elevations in circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with a greater risk of hypertension. Whether elevations in CRP cause hypertension is unknown.', 'Chronic, conscious blood pressure (BP) measurements were performed by radiotelemetry in wild-type CF1 control and CF1 transgenic mice expressing rabbit CRP (CF1-CRP) under the regulation of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase promoter. Compared with controls, CF1-CRP mice had hypertension that was predominantly systolic, and the severity of hypertension varied in parallel with changes in CRP levels modulated by dietary manipulation. Mice that were hemizygous for the transgene with CRP levels of 9 microg/mL were also hypertensive, indicating that modest elevations in CRP are sufficient to alter BP. CRP transgenic mice had exaggerated BP elevation in response to angiotensin II and a reduction in vascular angiotensin receptor subtype 2 (AT2) expression. In contrast, the decline in BP with angiotensin receptor subtype 1 (AT1) antagonism and vascular AT1 abundance were unaltered, which indicates a selective effect of CRP on AT2. Ex vivo experiments further showed that the CRP-induced decrease in AT2 is a direct effect on the vascular wall, not requiring systemic responses, and that it is reversed by an NO donor, which indicates a role for NO deficiency in the process. In parallel, the chronic inhibition of NO synthase in wild-type mice attenuated vascular AT2 expression without affecting AT1.

SOLUTION: 0

PROBLEM: Smac/Diablo is a recently identified protein that is released from mitochondria after apoptotic stimuli. It binds IAPs, allowing caspase activation and cell death. In view of its activity it might participate in carcinogenesis. In the present study, we analyzed Smac expression in a panel of cervical cancer patients.', 'We performed semi quantitative RT-PCR on 41 cervical tumor and 6 normal tissue samples. The study included 8 stage I cases; 16 stage II; 17 stage III; and a control group of 6 samples of normal cervical squamous epithelial tissue.', 'Smac mRNA expression was below the detection limit in the normal cervical tissue samples. In contrast, 13 (31.7%) of the 41 cervical cancer biopsies showed detectable levels of this transcript. The samples expressing Smac were distributed equally among the stages (5 in stage I, 4 in stage II and 4 in stage III) with similar expression levels. We found no correlation between the presence of Smac mRNA and histology, menopause, WHO stage or disease status.

SOLUTION:
0