A retrospective analysis of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in long-term care facility residents with recurrent falls.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 50 % of residents in long-term care facilities fall yearly and orthostatic hypotension accounts for a significant portion of them. Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension - a subtype of orthostatic hypotension - is important to be recognized as its management is far more complex; undertreatment of these older adults can lead to recurrent falls, high healthcare cost burden, and increased morbidity and mortality. The primary purpose of our study was to describe the rate of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in older adults in a long-term care facility, with a secondary purpose to describe risk factors for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in this population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control study of residents with recurrent falls at the Dayton Veteran's Affairs long-term care facility. Charts were manually reviewed. Inclusion criterion was three or more falls and age 65 or greater; we did not have exclusion criteria. ICD10 codes and most recent primary care physician notes were used to identify comorbidity diagnoses. Recent orthostatic vitals were used to assess orthostatic hypotension or neurogenic orthostatic hypotension diagnoses. RESULTS: Of our sample of 224 residents, we observed a prevalence of 20.5 % for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension and 32.1 % for orthostatic hypotension. Neither of them had diagnosis of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension documented. Parkinson's disease was associated with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (OR-4.3; p = 0.002). Hypertension was prevalent in 69.6 % of residents with orthostatic vitals suggestive of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. CONCLUSION: Older adults with recurrent falls at a long-term care facility meet criteria for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension diagnosis far more often than is documented. Common comorbidities associated with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in this population include Parkinson's disease.

Takotsubo pathophysiology and complications: what we know and what we do not know.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or stress cardiomyopathy (SCM), was first described in 1990 and initially, it was thought to be only associated with short-term complications and mortality with a benign long-term prognosis comparable to a healthy population. However recent investigations have proven otherwise and have shown SCM patients might have comparable long-term morbidity and mortality to ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Many emotional, or physical stressors can trigger SCM, and have been able to describe an interplay of neurohormonal and inflammatory mechanisms as the pathophysiology of this disease. Additionally, given the significantly higher prevalence of SCM in post-menopausal women, estrogen levels have been thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Furthermore, there is an elusive disparity in prognosis depending upon different triggers. Currently, many questions remain unanswered regarding the long-term management of these patients to reduce morbidity, mortality, and improve quality of life, such as the need for long-term anticoagulation. In this paper, we review the findings of most recent published investigations regarding etiologies, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, prognosis, short-term and in more detail, long-term complications of SCM. Finally, we will discuss what future research is needed to learn more about this disease to improve the long-term prognosis, even though as of now, data for long-term management is still lacking.

Observations on spontaneous tumor formation in mice overexpressing mitotic kinesin Kif14.

The KIF14 locus is gained and overexpressed in various malignancies, with prognostic relevance. Its protein product, a mitotic kinesin, accelerates growth of normal mammary epithelial cells in vitro and retinoblastoma tumours in a mouse model, while KIF14 knockdown blocks growth of brain, liver, ovarian, breast, prostate, and other tumour cells and xenografts. However, the tumour-initiating effects of Kif14 overexpression have not been studied. We aged a cohort of Kif14-overexpressing transgenic mice and wild-type littermates and documented survival, cause of death, and tumour burden. The Kif14 transgene was expressed in all tissues examined, and was associated with increased proliferation marker expression. Neither mouse weights nor overall survival differed between genotypes. However, Kif14 transgenic mice showed a higher incidence of fatal lymphomas (73 vs. 50%, p = 0.03, Fisher's exact test), primarily follicular and diffuse B-cell lymphomas. Non-tumour findings included a bilateral ballooning degeneration of lens in 12% of Kif14 transgenic mice but no wild-type mice (p = 0.02). Overall, this work reveals a novel association of Kif14 overexpression with lymphoma but suggests that Kif14 does not have as prominent a role in initiating cancer in other cell types as it does in accelerating tumour development in response to other oncogenic insults.

Ferrochelatase is a therapeutic target for ocular neovascularization.

Ocular neovascularization underlies major blinding eye diseases such as "wet" age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Despite the successes of treatments targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, resistant and refractory patient populations necessitate discovery of new therapeutic targets. Using a forward chemical genetic approach, we identified the heme synthesis enzyme ferrochelatase (FECH) as necessary for angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo FECH is overexpressed in wet AMD eyes and murine choroidal neovascularization; siRNA knockdown of Fech or partial loss of enzymatic function in the Fechm1Pas mouse model reduces choroidal neovascularization. FECH depletion modulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase function and VEGF receptor 2 levels. FECH is inhibited by the oral antifungal drug griseofulvin, and this compound ameliorates choroidal neovascularization in mice when delivered intravitreally or orally. Thus, FECH inhibition could be used therapeutically to block ocular neovascularization.

Kif14 overexpression accelerates murine retinoblastoma development.

The mitotic kinesin KIF14 has an essential role in the recruitment of proteins required for the final stages of cytokinesis. Genomic gain and/or overexpression of KIF14 has been documented in retinoblastoma and a number of other cancers, such as breast, lung and ovarian carcinomas, strongly suggesting its role as an oncogene. Despite evidence of oncogenic properties in vitro and in xenografts, Kif14's role in tumor progression has not previously been studied in a transgenic cancer model. Using a novel Kif14 overexpressing, simian virus 40 large T-antigen retinoblastoma (TAg-RB) double transgenic mouse model, we aimed to determine Kif14's role in promoting retinal tumor formation. Tumor initiation and development in double transgenics and control TAg-RB littermates were documented in vivo over a time course by optical coherence tomography, with subsequent ex vivo quantification of tumor burden. Kif14 overexpression led to an accelerated initiation of tumor formation in the TAg-RB model and a significantly decreased tumor doubling time (1.8 vs. 2.9 weeks). Moreover, overall percentage tumor burden was also increased by Kif14 overexpression. These data provide the first evidence that Kif14 can promote tumor formation in susceptible cells in vivo.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Homoisoflavonoids for Retinal Neovascularization.

Eye diseases characterized by excessive angiogenesis such as wet age-related macular degeneration, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity are major causes of blindness. Cremastranone is an antiangiogenic, naturally occurring homoisoflavanone with efficacy in retinal and choroidal neovascularization models and antiproliferative selectivity for endothelial cells over other cell types. We undertook a cell-based structure-activity relationship study to develop more potent cremastranone analogues, with improved antiproliferative selectivity for retinal endothelial cells. Phenylalanyl-incorporated homoisoflavonoids showed improved activity and remarkable selectivity for retinal microvascular endothelial cells. A lead compound inhibited angiogenesis in vitro without inducing apoptosis and had efficacy in the oxygen-induced retinopathy model in vivo.

Optical coherence tomography enables imaging of tumor initiation in the TAg-RB mouse model of retinoblastoma.

PURPOSE: Retinoblastoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in children. Although significant advances in treatment have decreased mortality in recent years, morbidity continues to be associated with these therapies, and therefore, there is a pressing need for new therapeutic options. Transgenic mouse models are popular for testing new therapeutics as well as studying the pathophysiology of retinoblastoma. The T-antigen retinoblastoma (TAg-RB) model has close molecular and histological resemblance to human retinoblastoma tumors; these mice inactivate pRB by retinal-specific expression of the Simian Virus 40 T-antigens. Here, we evaluated whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging could be used to document tumor growth in the TAg-RB model from the earliest stages of tumor development. METHODS: The Micron III rodent imaging system was used to obtain fundus photographs and OCT images of both eyes of TAg-RB mice weekly from 2 to 12 weeks of age and at 16 and 20 weeks of age to document tumor development. Tumor morphology was confirmed with histological analysis. RESULTS: Before being visible on funduscopy, hyperreflective masses arising in the inner nuclear layer were evident at 2 weeks of age with OCT imaging. After most of these hyperreflective cell clusters disappeared around 4 weeks of age, the first tumors became visible on OCT and funduscopy by 6 weeks. The masses grew into discrete, discoid tumors, preferentially in the periphery, that developed more irregular morphology over time, eventually merging and displacing the inner retinal layers into the vitreous. CONCLUSIONS: OCT is a non-invasive imaging modality for tracking early TAg-RB tumor growth in vivo. Using OCT, we characterized TAg-positive cells as early as 2 weeks, corresponding to the earliest stages at which tumors are histologically evident, and well before they are evident with funduscopy. Tracking tumor growth from its earliest stages will allow better analysis of the efficacy of novel therapeutics and genetic factors tested in this powerful mouse model.