Cholecystokinin and cholecystokinin-A receptor: An attractive treatment strategy for biliary dyskinesia?
World J Gastroenterol. 2024 Jan 21;30(3):283-285. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i3.283.ABSTRACTBiliary dyskinesia is a relatively common gastrointestinal disease that is increasing in incidence as living standards improve. However, its underlying pathogenesis remains unclear, hindering the development of therapeutic drugs. Recently, "Expression and functional study of cholecystokinin-A receptors on the interstitial Cajal-like cells of the guinea pig common bile duct" demonstrated that cholecystokinin (CCK) regulates the contractile function of the common bile duct through interaction with the CCK-A receptor in interstitial Cajal-li...
Source: World Journal of Gastroenterology - February 5, 2024 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Jun Chang Yan Liu Ting-Can Jiang Lan Zhao Jian-Wei Liu Source Type: research
Investigation of an airport-associated cluster of falciparum malaria in Frankfurt, Germany, 2022
We describe the clinical, epidemiological and environmental investigations of a cluster of airport malaria cases and measures taken in response. Three Frankfurt International Airport employees without travel histories to malaria-endemic areas were diagnosed with Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Germany in 2022. Two cases were diagnosed within 1 week, and the third one after 10 weeks. Two cases had severe disease, all three recovered fully. The cases worked in separate areas and no specific location for the transmissions could be identified. No additional cases were detected among airport employees. In June and July, direct...
Source: Euro Surveill - February 2, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Johanna Kessel Anna Rosanas-Urgell Tobias Dingwerth Udo Goetsch Jonas Haller Ralph Huits Johanna H Kattenberg Anna Meinecke Pieter Monsieurs Michael Sroka Torsten Witte Timo Wolf Source Type: research
TLC and HPLC methods for the determination of plumbagin for the diagnosis of poisoning by Plumbago scandens L
Toxicon. 2024 Feb 23;239:107634. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107634. Epub 2024 Feb 1.ABSTRACTPlumbago scandens L. (Plumbaginaceae) occurs in all regions of Brazil. It has been described as toxic to cattle and goats. Caustic lesions in the upper digestive tract characterize poisoning. P. scandens contains a naphthoquinone named plumbagin, which presents high cytotoxic activity. Plumbago auriculata Lam., a widely used ornamental plant, is considered potentially toxic, but there is limited data about its toxicity. This work aimed to validate analytical methodologies for determining the levels of plumbagin in samples of leaves...
Source: Toxicon - February 2, 2024 Category: Toxicology Authors: Carlos Jos é Rocha Teixeira Barbara Pereira Dos Santos Carolina Julia Costa Saraiva Helo ísa de Paula Pedroza Silvia Catarina Salgado Oloris Benito Soto-Blanco Source Type: research
The economic burden of Ebola virus disease: a review and recommendations for analysis
CONCLUSIONS: The severe impact of EVD puts pressure on governments and the international community for better resource utilization and re-allocation. Several technical and methodological issues related to economic evaluation of EVD remain to be addressed, especially for LMICs. We recommend conducting cost-of-sequelae and cost-of-distribution analyses in addition to adapting existing economic analytical methods to EVD. Characteristics of the affected regions should be considered to provide evidence-based economic plans and economic-evaluation of mitigations that enhance resource allocation for prevention and treatment.PMID:...
Source: Journal of Medical Economics - February 1, 2024 Category: Health Management Authors: Mavis Obeng-Kusi Jennifer Martin Ivo Abraham Source Type: research
Investigation of an airport-associated cluster of falciparum malaria in Frankfurt, Germany, 2022
We describe the clinical, epidemiological and environmental investigations of a cluster of airport malaria cases and measures taken in response. Three Frankfurt International Airport employees without travel histories to malaria-endemic areas were diagnosed withPlasmodium falciparum malaria in Germany in 2022. Two cases were diagnosed within 1 week, and the third one after 10 weeks. Two cases had severe disease, all three recovered fully. The cases worked in separate areas and no specific location for the transmissions could be identified. No additional cases were detected among airport employees. In June and J...
Source: Eurosurveillance - February 1, 2024 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Johanna Kessel, Anna Rosanas-Urgell, Tobias Dingwerth, Udo Goetsch, Jonas Haller, Ralph Huits, Johanna H Kattenberg, Anna Meinecke, Pieter Monsieurs, Michael Sroka, Torsten Witte and Timo Wolf Source Type: research
Prenatal maternal glucocorticoid exposure modifies sperm miRNA profiles across multiple generations in the guinea-pig
J Physiol. 2024 Jan 29. doi: 10.1113/JP284942. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMaternal stress and glucocorticoid exposure during pregnancy have multigenerational effects on neuroendocrine function and behaviours in offspring. Importantly, effects are transmitted through the paternal lineage. Altered phenotypes are associated with profound differences in transcription and DNA methylation in the brain. In the present study, we hypothesized that maternal prenatal synthetic glucocorticoid (sGC) exposure in the F0 pregnancy will result in differences in miRNA levels in testes germ cells and sperm across multiple generations, and...
Source: The Journal of Physiology - January 29, 2024 Category: Physiology Authors: Hirotaka Hamada Christopher Casciaro Vasilis G Moisiadis Andrea Constantinof Alisa Kostaki Stephen G Matthews Source Type: research
Tripolar configuration and pulse shape in cochlear implants reduce channel interactions in the temporal domain
Hear Res. 2024 Jan 19;443:108953. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.108953. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe present study investigates effects of current focusing and pulse shape on threshold, dynamic range, spread of excitation and channel interaction in the time domain using cochlear implant stimulation. The study was performed on 20 adult guinea pigs using a 6-channel animal cochlear implant, recording was performed in the auditory midbrain using a multielectrode array. After determining the best frequencies for individual recording contacts with acoustic stimulation, the ear was deafened and a cochlear implant was inserted ...
Source: Hearing Research - January 26, 2024 Category: Audiology Authors: Gunnar L Quass Andrej Kral Source Type: research
Liberty ship sinking disrupts military medical mobilisation in 1942
Medical mobilisation is vital to support tropical campaigns where many disease casualties are expected. Much of the medical supplies and equipment for nine station and three general hospitals that were being placed in Australia were aboard the Liberty Ship SS Rufus King when it went aground off Moreton Island on 7 July 1942. A concerted salvage operation rescued 85% of the stores from the freighter that had broken in half on the Amity sandbar. This emergency effort allowed medical support to New Guinea to proceed without delays due to medical supplies that were nearly lost at sea. (Source: Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps)
Source: Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps - January 25, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Shanks, G. D. Tags: Footnotes and end pieces Source Type: research
Mice, rats, and guinea pigs differ in FMOs expression and tissue concentration of TMAO, a gut bacteria-derived biomarker of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases
ConclusionDespite similar plasma TMAO levels, mice, rats, and guinea pigs exhibited significant differences in tissue concentrations of TMA, TMAO, and FMO expression. These interspecies variations should be considered in the design and interpretation of experimental studies. Furthermore, these findings may suggest a diverse importance of the TMAO pathway in the physiology of the evaluated species. (Source: PLoS One)
Source: PLoS One - January 24, 2024 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Klaudia M. Maksymiuk Source Type: research
Corneal acetylcholine regulates sensory nerve activity via nicotinic receptors
CONCLUSIONS: The corneal epithelium can synthesize and release acetylcholine. Corneal acetylcholine can excite sensory nerves via nicotinic receptors containing the α4 subunit. Therefore, corneal acetylcholine may be one of the important regulators of corneal nerve activity arranging ocular surface condition and sensation.PMID:38242319 | DOI:10.1016/j.jtos.2024.01.006 (Source: The Ocular Surface)
Source: The Ocular Surface - January 19, 2024 Category: Opthalmology Authors: Takayoshi Masuoka Takeshi Kiyoi Shijie Zheng Qiang He Li Liu Junsuke Uwada Ikunobu Muramatsu Source Type: research
Augmentation of scleral glycolysis promotes myopia through histone lactylation
Cell Metab. 2024 Jan 9:S1550-4131(23)00474-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.023. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMyopia is characterized of maladaptive increases in scleral fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation (FMT). Scleral hypoxia is a significant factor contributing to myopia, but how hypoxia induces myopia is poorly understood. Here, we showed that myopia in mice and guinea pigs was associated with hypoxia-induced increases in key glycolytic enzymes expression and lactate levels in the sclera. Promotion of scleral glycolysis or lactate production induced FMT and myopia; conversely, suppression of glycolysis or ...
Source: Cell Metabolism - January 17, 2024 Category: Cytology Authors: Xiaolei Lin Yi Lei Miaozhen Pan Changxi Hu Bintao Xie Wenjing Wu Jianzhong Su Yating Li Yuhan Tan Xiaohuan Wei Zhengbo Xue Ruiyan Xu Mengqi Di Hanyu Deng Shengcong Liu Xingxing Yang Jia Qu Wei Chen Xiangtian Zhou Fei Zhao Source Type: research
Steroidogenic activity and morphological characterization of prenatal testes and epididymis of guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)
Anim Reprod Sci. 2024 Feb;261:107407. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2023.107407. Epub 2024 Jan 2.ABSTRACTThe present study aims to establish the morphological, morphometric, and immunostaining patterns of the steroidogenic enzymes 17β-HSD and 5α-reductase and androgen receptors (AR) during the prenatal development of the male gonad and epididymis of Cavia porcellus. Fetuses at 22, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, and 60 days of gestation (DG) were used. Specimens were dissected and subjected to macroscopic, histological, histomorphometric, and immunohistochemical analyses. Genital and scrotal protrusions were identified in 22 DG embryos...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - January 13, 2024 Category: Zoology Authors: G A A Lemos A C Santos D C C Brito M A S Novaes A C Assis Neto Source Type: research
Pharmacokinetics of monoclonal antibodies locally-applied into the middle ear of guinea pigs
Hear Res. 2024 Feb;442:108950. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2024.108950. Epub 2024 Jan 8.ABSTRACTCountless therapeutic antibodies are currently available for the treatment of a broad range of diseases. Some target molecules of therapeutic antibodies are involved in the pathogenesis of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), suggesting that SNHL may be a novel target for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy. When considering mAb therapy for SNHL, understanding of the pharmacokinetics of mAbs after local application into the middle ear is crucial. To reveal the fundamental characteristics of mAb pharmacokinetics following local application...
Source: Hearing Research - January 13, 2024 Category: Audiology Authors: Tomoko Kita Yoshiyuki Yabe Yuki Maruyama Yuki Tachida Yoshitake Furuta Naotoshi Yamamura Ichiro Furuta Kohei Yamahara Masaaki Ishikawa Koichi Omori Taro Yamaguchi Takayuki Nakagawa Source Type: research
Mannitol and hyponatremia regulate cardiac ventricular conduction in the context of sodium channel loss of function
CONCLUSION: Loss of EpC through either hyponatremia or mannitol alone results in slowed or disrupted conduction in a genetic model of Nav1.5 LOF. However, combination of these interventions attenuates conduction slowing.PMID:38214908 | DOI:10.1152/ajpheart.00211.2023 (Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology)
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology - January 12, 2024 Category: Physiology Authors: Grace A Blair Xiaobo Wu Chandra Bain Mark Warren Gregory S Hoeker Steven Poelzing Source Type: research
Nitrate fertilization enhances manganese phytoextraction in Tanzania guinea grass: a novel hyperaccumulator plant?
The objective was to evaluate the Mn hyperaccumulator potential of Tanzania guinea grass grown as affected by proportions of nitrate/ammonium (NO3-/NH4+). An experiment in a growth chamber with nutrient solution, combining NO3-/NH4+ proportions (100/0 and 70/30) and Mn rates (10, 500, 1500, and 3000 μmol L-1), was carried out. The highest Mn concentration was verified in plants grown with 100/0 NO3-/NH4+ and Mn at 3000 μmol L-1, reaching up to 5500 and 21,187 mg kg-1 in shoots and roots, respectively, an overall concentration of 13,345 mg kg-1. These numbers are typically seen in hyperaccumulators. At that combination, M...
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International - January 9, 2024 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Jo ão Cardoso de Souza Junior Francisco Antonio Monteiro Source Type: research
