Different intestinal tropism of the G2b Taiwan porcine epidemic diarrhea virus-Pintung 52 strain in conventional 7-day-old piglets.

The group 2b (G2b) porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) that emerged in 2013 has since caused devastating diseases and economic loss. The full-length genome of the G2b Taiwan PEDV-Pintung 52 (PEDV-PT) strain and its intestinal tropism by evaluating the pathological changes in the original PEDV-PT infected field piglet and orally inoculation of either 10, 103, or 105 50% tissue culture infective dose/mL (TCID50/mL) of the plaque-purified PEDV-PT-Passage 5 (P5) in 7-day-old conventional piglets were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of the full-length genome indicated that the G2b Taiwan PEDV-PT strain was closely related to the North American G2b PEDV strains. Some pathological features of the G2b Taiwan PEDV-PT infection, including the absence of lesions and antigen signal in the crypt epithelial cells of the jejunum and ileum and in the villus enterocytes of the duodenum and colon, were different from those of infections by the North American G2b PEDV strains. This difference in the intestinal tropism of the G2b Taiwan PEDV-PT strain highlights the importance of studying the pathogenicities of different PEDV variants. Moreover, similar distributions of PEDV antigens and lesions in the G2b Taiwan PEDV-PT infected field piglet and its plaque-purified isolate, PEDV-PT-P5, inoculated piglets indicating that the plaque-purified PEDV-PT-P5 viral stock could facilitate the preclinical evaluation of vaccines and other interventions aimed at preventing the G2b PEDV infection.

Plasma indoxyl sulfate concentration predicts progression of chronic kidney disease in dogs and cats.

Indoxyl sulfate is a protein-bound uremic toxin that increases as the severity of impaired renal function increases in humans, laboratory animals, dogs and cats. An elevation of indoxyl sulfate is related to prognosis among people with chronic kidney disease. However, whether indoxyl sulfate is able to predict the progression of chronic kidney disease in dogs and cats has not been previously studied. In the present study, 58 cats and 36 dogs with chronic kidney disease were enrolled. Plasma indoxyl sulfate was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Renal progression was defined as an increase by one International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stage and/or a rise in serum creatinine concentration of 0.5mg/dL during the same stage within a 3-month period. Compared with the non-progression groups, across different stages of renal failure, the baseline plasma indoxyl sulfate concentration was increased in the renal progression group (P<0.05), especially for IRIS stages 2 and 3 animals. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curves of indoxyl sulfate, when predicting renal progression, was above 0.75 for both dogs and cats. Indoxyl sulfate concentrations were also correlated with the increase of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and phosphate and the decrease of hematocrit among cats; while in dogs, concentrations were only correlated with the increase of phosphate concentrations. Indoxyl sulfate served as a biomarker of progression risk in dogs and cats with chronic kidney disease.

Long-term allopurinol use decreases the risk of prostate cancer in patients with gout: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical observations indicated an increased risk of developing prostate cancer in gout patients. Chronic inflammation is postulated to be one crucial mechanism for prostate carcinogenesis. Allopurinol, a widely used antigout agent, possesses potent anti-inflammation capacity. We elucidated whether allopurinol decreases the risk of prostate cancer in gout patients. METHODS: We analyzed data retrieved from Taiwan National Health Insurance Database between January 2000 and December 2012. Patients diagnosed with gout during the study period with no history of prostate cancer and who had never used allopurinol were selected. Four allopurinol use cohorts (that is, allopurinol use (>365 days), allopurinol use (181-365 days), allopurinol use (91-180 days) and allopurinol use (31-90 days)) and one cohort without using allopurinol (that is, allopurinol use (No)) were included. The study end point was the diagnosis of new-onset prostate cancer. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and propensity score-adjusted Cox regression models were used to estimate the association between the risk of prostate cancer and allopurinol treatment in gout patients after adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 25 770 gout patients (aged between 40 and 100 years) were included. Multivariable Cox regression analyses revealed that the risk of developing prostate cancer in the allopurinol use (>365 days) cohort was significantly lower than the allopurinol use (No) cohort (adjusted hazard ratio (HR)=0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.45-0.9, P=0.011). After propensity score adjustment, the trend remained the same (adjusted HR=0.66, 95% CI=0.46-0.93, P=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term (more than 1 year) allopurinol use may associate with a decreased risk of prostate cancer in gout patients.

Phylogenetic Analysis of the Spike (S) Gene of the New Variants of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus in Taiwan.

New variants of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV), which emerged in Taiwan in late 2013, have caused a high morbidity and mortality in neonatal piglets. To investigate the molecular characteristics of the spike (S) gene of the emerging Taiwan PEDV strains for a better understanding of the genetic diversity and relationship among the Taiwan new variants and the global PEDVs, full-length S genes of PEDVs from nine 1-7 day-old piglets from three pig farms in the central and southern Taiwan were sequenced and analysed. The result of phylogenetic analysis of the S gene showed that all the Taiwan PEDV strains were closely related to the non-S INDEL strains from US, Canada and China, suggesting a common ancestor for these strains. As compared with the historic PEDVs and CV777-based vaccine strains, the nine Taiwan PEDV variants shared almost the same genetic signatures as the global non-S INDEL strains, including a series of insertions, deletions and mutations in the amino terminal as well as identical mutations in the neutralizing epitopes of the S gene. The high similarity of the S protein among the Taiwan and the globally emerged non-S INDEL PEDV strains suggests that the Taiwan new variants may share similar pathogenesis and immunogenicity as the global outbreak variants. The development of a novel vaccine based on the Taiwan or the global non-S INDEL strains may be contributive to the control of the current global porcine epidemic diarrhoea outbreaks.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture to reduce cancer-related pain.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on malignancy-related, chemotherapy (CT)- or radiation therapy (RT)-induced, surgery-induced, and hormone therapy (HT)-induced pain. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of acupuncture on cancer-related pain were reached from the EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Airiti library, Taiwan Electrical Periodical Service, Wanfang Data (a Chinese database) and China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database from inception through June 2014. Heterogeneity, moderator analysis, publication bias and risk of bias associated with the included studies were examined. A total of 29 RCTs yielding 36 effect sizes were included. The overall effect of acupuncture on cancer-related pain was -0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.63 to -0.26]. The subanalysis indicated that acupuncture relieved malignancy-related and surgery-induced pain [effect size (g) = -0.71, and -0.40; 95% CI = -0.94 to -0.48, and -0.69 to -0.10] but not CT- or RT-induced and HT-induced pain (g = -0.05, and -0.64, 95% CI = -0.33 to 0.24, and -1.55 to 0.27). Acupuncture is effective in relieving cancer-related pain, particularly malignancy-related and surgery-induced pain. Our findings suggest that acupuncture can be adopted as part of a multimodal approach for reducing cancer-related pain.

An abbreviated Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale for Chinese-speaking population with colorectal cancer after surgery: cultural adaptation and item reduction.

No instrument is available to assess the impact of faecal incontinence (FI) of quality of life for Chinese-speaking population. The purpose of the study was to adapt the Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQL) for patients with colorectal cancer, assess the factor structure and reduce the items for brevity. A sample of 120 participants were enrolled. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and contrasted-groups validity were assessed. Construct validity was analysed using an exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). The internal consistency (Cronbach's α of the total scale and four subscales = 0.98 and 0.97, 0.96, 0.92, 0.82 respectively), test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ≥.98 for all scales with p < .001) and significant correlations of all scales with selected subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey and the Wexner scale suggested satisfactory reliability and validity. The severe FI group (with a Wexner score ≥9) scored significantly lower on the scale than the less severe FI group (with a Wexner score <9) did (p < .001). The CFA supported a two-factor structure and demonstrated an excellent model fit of the 15-item abbreviated version of the FIQL-Chinese. The FIQL-Chinese has satisfactory validity and reliability and the abbreviated version may be more practical and applicable.

Anesthetic practice for Caesarean section and factors influencing anesthesiologists' choice of anesthesia: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: We examined the change in anesthetic practice for Caesarean section (CS) during the past decade and determined factors influencing anethesiologists' decisions. METHODS: The cases were identified from data retrieved from Longitudinal Health Insurance Database released by the Taiwan National Health Research Institute in 2008. Trend analysis was performed using logistic regression models. The decision tree analysis was performed using the chi-squared automatic interaction detector method and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of general anesthesia. RESULTS: A total of 25,606 women undergoing CS were studied. Logistic regression analyses revealed an upward trend of spinal anesthesia from 2000 to 2008 [57.8-67.5%, adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-1.07, P < 0.001] and a decreasing trend across time for both general and epidural anesthesia (5.5-3.9% and 36.7-28.6%; both OR < 1, both P < 0.001). Patterns of change in anesthetic practice across time for emergency and non-emergency CS were similar (all P < 0.05). Our data further demonstrated that early or threatened labor, a history of preeclampsia, antepartum hemorrhage, emergency CS, and previous CS were important predictors that influenced the anesthesiologists' choice of general anesthesia versus neuraxial anesthesia for women undergoing CS. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anesthesia was the most common mode of anesthesia for CS deliveries in Taiwan during the past decade. Early or threatened labor, antepartum hemorrhage, emergency CS, previous CS, and preeclampsia are significant determinants of general anesthesia in CS deliveries.

Interferon-based therapy reduces risk of stroke in chronic hepatitis C patients: a population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance and carotid atherosclerosis. AIM: To investigate the association between HCV infection and stroke, and the effect of interferon-based therapy (IBT) on stroke risk in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that followed up 3113 subjects with a newly detected HCV infection and 12 452 age- and gender-matched subjects without HCV infection selected from a random sample of 10(6) beneficiaries from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program up to 5 years. Use of IBT was defined as treatment with interferon alpha, pegylated interferon alpha-2a or pegylated interferon alpha-2b for at least 3 months. The hazard ratio (HR) for newly detected stroke was calculated for subjects with HCV compared to those without HCV, and for IBT-treated HCV patients compared to non-IBT-treated HCV patients while adjusting for possible confounding factors. RESULTS: The overall person-years of follow-up were 8624.11 in patients with HCV, 54,533.69 in patients without HCV, 666.65 in IBT-treated patients, and 7886.49 in nontreated patients. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for newly detected stroke was 1.23 for subjects with HCV compared to the age- and sex-matched subjects without HCV (adjusted HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.06-1.42, P = 0.008). Moreover, use of IBT significantly reduced the risk of stroke in HCV patients (adjusted HR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.16-0.95, P = 0.039) after adjusting for known prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Interferon-based therapy may reduce the long-term risk of stroke in patients with chronic HCV infection.

General anaesthesia is associated with increased risk of surgical site infection after Caesarean delivery compared with neuraxial anaesthesia: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: This study compared the odds ratio (OR) of surgical site infection (SSI) within 30 days after operation with general anaesthesia (GA) or neuraxial anaesthesia (NA) in Taiwanese women undergoing Caesarean delivery (CD). METHODS: An epidemiologic design was used. The study population was based on the records of all deliveries in hospitals or obstetric clinics between January 2002 and December 2006 in Taiwan. Anonymized claim data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) were analysed. Women who received CD were identified from the NHIRD by Diagnosis-Related Group codes. The mode of anaesthesia was defined by order codes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the OR and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) of post-CD SSIs for GA when compared with NA. The outcome was whether a woman had been diagnosed as having an SSI during the hospitalization or was re-hospitalized within 30 days after CD for the treatment of SSIs using five or 81 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. RESULTS: Among the 303 834 Taiwanese women who underwent CD during the 5 yr observation period, the 30 day post-CD SSI rate was 0.3% or 0.9% based on five or 81 ICD-9-CM codes. The multivariate-adjusted OR of having post-CD SSIs in the GA group was 3.73 (95% CI, 3.07-4.53) compared with the NA group (P<0.001) using five ICD-9-CM codes for the definition of SSI. CONCLUSIONS: GA for CD was associated with a higher risk of SSI when compared with neuraxial anaesthesia.

Differential impacts of modes of anaesthesia on the risk of stroke among preeclamptic women who undergo Caesarean delivery: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: This study compared the stroke-free survival rates and hazard ratios (HRs) for stroke between preeclamptic women who received general anaesthesia and those who received neuraxial anaesthesia for Caesarean section (CS). METHODS: This study used 2002-7 data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The stroke-free survival rate was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to examine the difference in the stroke-free survival rates between general, spinal, and epidural anaesthesia. The Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the HR for general anaesthesia. RESULTS: A total of 303 862 women underwent CS of which 8567 had preeclampsia (75 stroke cases) and 295 295 did not (303 stroke cases). The stroke-free survival rate was significantly lower in the preeclamptic women who received general anaesthesia when compared with those who received epidural (P=0.008) or spinal anaesthesia (P<0.001) within the 6 yr period after the index delivery. There was no statistically significant difference between spinal and epidural anaesthesia in terms of stroke rate (P=0.143). The unadjusted HR of stroke for general anaesthesia was 2.81 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.69-4.64; P<0.001]. After adjusting for potential confounders, the adjusted HR for general anaesthesia was 2.38 (95% CI, 1.33-4.28; P=0.004) compared with neuraxial anaesthesia over a 1-6 yr follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, general anaesthesia for CS delivery was associated with increased risk of stroke when compared with neuraxial anaesthesia in preeclamptic women.

Compound deficiencies in multiple fibroblast growth factor signalling components differentially impact the murine gonadotrophin-releasing hormone system.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurones control the onset and maintenance of fertility. Aberrant development of the GnRH system underlies infertility in Kallmann syndrome [KS; idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) and anosmia]. Some KS patients harbour mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) and Fgf8 genes. The biological significance of these two genes in GnRH neuronal development was corroborated by the observation that GnRH neurones were severely reduced in newborn transgenic mice deficient in either gene. In the present study, we hypothesised that the compound deficiency of Fgf8 and its cognate receptors, Fgfr1 and Fgfr3, may lead to more deleterious effects on the GnRH system, thereby resulting in a more severe reproductive phenotype in patients harbouring these mutations. This hypothesis was tested by counting the number of GnRH neurones in adult transgenic mice with digenic heterozygous mutations in Fgfr1/Fgf8, Fgfr3/Fgf8 or Fgfr1/Fgfr3. Monogenic heterozygous mutations in Fgfr1, Fgf8 or Fgfr3 caused a 30-50% decrease in the total number of GnRH neurones. Interestingly, mice with digenic mutations in Fgfr1/Fgf8 showed a greater decrease in GnRH neurones compared to mice with a heterozygous defect in the Fgfr1 or Fgf8 alone. This compounding effect was not detected in mice with digenic heterozygous mutations in Fgfr3/Fgf8 or Fgfr1/Fgfr3. These results support the hypothesis that IHH/KS patients with digenic mutations in Fgfr1/Fgf8 may have a further reduction in the GnRH neuronal population compared to patients harbouring monogenic haploid mutations in Fgfr1 or Fgf8. Because only Fgfr1/Fgf8 compound deficiency leads to greater GnRH system defect, this also suggests that these fibroblast growth factor signalling components interact in a highly specific fashion to support GnRH neuronal development.

Associations of breakfast skipping with obesity and health-related quality of life: evidence from a national survey in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the associations of breakfast skipping with obesity and health-related quality of life (QOL). We also tested the hypothesis that there is a dose-dependent relationship between frequency of breakfast consumption and prevalence of obesity. SUBJECTS AND DESIGN: This cross-section study used a national representative sample (n=15 340) from the 2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey. Breakfast skippers were defined as those who ate breakfast about once a week or less often and those who never ate breakfast. Individuals were classified as 'obese' if their body mass index was >or=27. Health-related QOL was assessed using the Medical Outcome Studies 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) Health Survey. Logistic regression was used to examine the odds ratio of obesity and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in breakfast skippers compared with breakfast eaters. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to adjust all risk estimates for covariates. RESULTS: The unadjusted odds ratio of obesity in breakfast skippers was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.43). The odds of developing obesity for breakfast skippers was 1.34 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.56) controlling for age, sex, marital status, educational level, monthly income, smoking, alcohol, betel nut chewing and exercise habit. The Cochran-Armitage trend test revealed that the prevalence rate of obesity decreased as the frequency of breakfast consumption increased (P=0.005). Breakfast skippers had significantly worse health-related QOL than breakfast eaters (P<0.001). Moreover, breakfast skippers had significantly lower scores in 5 out of 8 domain scores of the SF-36, namely general health perceptions (P<0.001), vitality (P<0.001), social functioning (P=0.036), emotional role (P<0.001) and mental health (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings from this study add support to the potential role of breakfast eating in obesity prevention.

L-type calcium channels are involved in mediating the anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium sulphate.

BACKGROUND: Magnesium sulphate (MgSO(4)) has potent anti-inflammatory capacity. It is a natural calcium antagonist and a potent L-type calcium channel inhibitor. We sought to elucidate the possible role of calcium, the L-type calcium channels, or both in mediating the anti-inflammatory effects of MgSO(4). METHODS: RAW264.7 cells, an immortalized murine macrophage-like cell line, were treated with phosphate buffered saline, MgSO(4), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS plus MgSO(4), LPS plus MgSO(4) plus extra-cellular supplement with calcium chloride (CaCl(2)), or LPS plus MgSO(4) plus the L-type calcium channel activator BAY-K8644. After harvesting, the production of inflammatory molecules was evaluated. Because the production of endotoxin-induced inflammatory molecules is regulated by the crucial transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB, we also evaluated the expression of NF-kappaB. RESULTS: LPS significantly induced the production of inflammatory molecules, including macrophage inflammatory protein-2, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, nitric oxide/inducible nitric oxide synthase, and prostaglandin E(2)/cyclo-oxygenase-2. LPS also induced NF-kappaB activation, as inhibitor-kappaB degradation, NF-kappaB nuclear translocation, and NF-kappaB-DNA binding activity were significantly increased in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. MgSO(4), in contrast, significantly inhibited the LPS-induced inflammatory molecules production and NF-kappaB activation. Moreover, the effects of MgSO(4) on inflammatory molecules and NF-kappaB were reversed by extra-cellular calcium supplement with CaCl(2) and L-type calcium channel activator BAY-K8644. CONCLUSIONS: MgSO(4) significantly inhibited endotoxin-induced up-regulation of inflammatory molecules and NF-kappaB activation in activated RAW264.7 cells. The effects of MgSO(4) on inflammatory molecules and NF-kappaB may involve antagonizing calcium, inhibiting the L-type calcium channels, or both.

Molecular kinetics of proteins at the surface of porcine sperm before and during fertilization.

Fertilization is a decisive moment in life and enables the combination of the DNA from two gametes to ultimately form a new organism. The sperm surface, especially the head area, has distinguishable subdomains that are involved in distinct fertilization processes. It is known that the sperm head surface undergoes constant remodelling during epididymal maturation and migration in the male and female genital tract. But intriguingly, the identity, origin and spatial ordering of proteins at the sperm surface that are involved in mammalian fertilization are essentially unknown. This review deals with sperm surface protein modifications that are under somatic cell control. As soon as the sperm is released from the seminiferous tubules it is subjected to these modifications. These surface reorganisations continue until the sperm reside in the fallopian tube where they meet the oocyte and may fertilize it. Most likely, a selective process allows only functionally mature and intact sperm to optimally interact and fertilize the oocyte. Recent data suggest that even the perivitelline fluid is involved in sperm surface remodelling as it contains factors which could facilitate the first penetrating sperm to fertilize the oocyte. In this contribution, the kinetics of proteins at the sperm surface will be overviewed. Better understanding of this would help to design strategies to improve male fertility or to devise novel contraceptives.

Association between human opioid receptor genes polymorphisms and pressure pain sensitivity in females*.

This study examined the association between pressure pain sensitivity and various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of human micro-, kappa-, and delta-opioid receptor (i.e. OPRM1, OPRK1, and OPRD1) genes in 72 healthy adult Taiwanese women of Han Chinese race. Pressure pain threshold and tolerance were measured by an algometer and polymorphisms of the opioid receptor genes determined from blood samples. Our data revealed that pressure pain threshold, but not tolerance, in subjects with the minor allele (termed 'GA') genotype of the IVS2+31G>A polymorphism of the OPRM1 gene was significantly higher than those with major allele (termed 'GG') genotype. Neither pressure pain threshold nor tolerance between major and minor alleles of other SNPs of the OPRM1, OPRK1, and OPRD1 genes were significantly different. These data suggest an association between the IVS2+31G>A SNP of the OPRM1 gene and pressure pain sensitivity in healthy adult females.

Capacitation-dependent reorganization of microdomains in the apical sperm head plasma membrane: functional relationship with zona binding and the zona-induced acrosome reaction.

For sperm to successfully fertilize an oocyte, it needs to pass through certain steps prior to, during and after initial recognition of the zona pellucida (ZP). During capacitation, the surface of the sperm head becomes remodelled, priming it to bind to the ZP and subsequently to undergo the ZP-induced acrosome reaction. During capacitation, sperm ZP-binding proteins are ordered in functional protein complexes that only emerge at the apical tip of the sperm head plasma membrane; this is also functionally the exclusive sperm surface area involved in primary ZP binding. After primary ZP binding, the same area is probably involved in the induction of the acrosome reaction. A combination of biochemical and proteomic membrane protein techniques have enabled us to dissect and highly purify the apical sperm plasma membrane area from control and capacitated sperm cells. The actual ZP-binding proteins identified predominantly belonged to the sperm membrane-associated family members of spermadhesins (AQN-3) and were present in the aggregating lipid ordered membrane microdomains (lipid rafts) that emerged during in vitro capacitation in the apical ridge area of the sperm head plasma membrane. This clustering of these rafts was dependent on the presence of bicarbonate (involved in protein kinase A activation) and on the presence of albumin (involved in cholesterol removal). Remarkably, cholesterol removal was restricted to the non-raft membrane fraction of the sperm plasma membrane, but did not cause any depletion of cholesterol in the raft membrane fraction. Interestingly, sperm SNARE proteins (both VAMP from the outer acrosomal membrane, as well syntaxin from the apical sperm head plasma membrane) shared lateral redistribution properties, along with the ZP-binding protein complex and raft marker proteins. All of these were recovered after capacitation in detergent-resistant membrane preparations from sperm thought to represent membrane lipid rafts. We inferred that the capacitation-dependent formation of an aggregated lipid ordered apical ridge surface area in the sperm head plasma membrane was not only relevant for ZP-binding, but also for the ZP-induced acrosome reaction.

Bupivacaine inhibits COX-2 expression, PGE2, and cytokine production in endotoxin-activated macrophages.

BACKGROUND: Upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and resultant prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) overproduction has been shown to play a crucial role in initiating a systemic inflammatory response during sepsis. Sepsis also induces robust production of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and IL-6 as well as anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. We sought to elucidate the effects of bupivacaine on COX-2 expression and production of PGE(2) and cytokines using an endotoxin-activated murine macrophages model. METHODS: Confluent murine macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 ng/ml) or LPS plus bupivacaine (1, 10, or 100 microM). Bupivacaine was added immediately after LPS. After reacting for 18 h, cell cultures were harvested for subsequent analysis. RESULTS: LPS significantly upregulated COX-2 transcription and PGE(2) production in macrophages. LPS also significantly increased the production of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-10 in macrophages. Bupivacaine significantly inhibited the effects of LPS on COX-2 transcription and PGE(2) production in a dose-dependent manner. In a dose-dependent manner, bupivacaine also significantly inhibited the effects of LPS on the production of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6. However, bupivacaine exerted no significant effects on LPS-induced IL-10 production. CONCLUSION: Bupivacaine significantly inhibited COX-2 expression, PGE(2) and cytokine production in endotoxin-activated macrophages.

Acupuncture stimulation of ST-36 (Zusanli) significantly mitigates acute lung injury in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rats.

BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of acupuncture stimulation of ST-36 (Zusanli) on endotoxemia-induced acute lung injury in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rats. METHODS: Sixty rats were randomized into six groups (n = 10): (i) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) control group, (ii) normal saline (N/S) control group, (iii) LPS plus ST-36 group, (iv) N/S plus ST-36 group, (v) LPS plus sham point (Sham) group, and (vi) N/S plus Sham group. Manual acupuncture stimulation of ST-36 (designated as 'ST-36') or a 'non-acupoint' (designated as 'Sham') was performed in lightly immobilized rats for 30 min. Then, LPS injection was employed to induce sepsis. Rats were killed at 6 h after LPS injection and lung injury, nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression were assayed. RESULTS: Significant lung injury, pulmonary iNOS expression and systemic and pulmonary NO biosynthesis were noted in the LPS groups. Rats in the LPS plus Sham group had lung injury, pulmonary iNOS expression, systemic and pulmonary NO biosynthesis similar to those observed in the LPS group. However, the degree of lung injury, pulmonary iNOS expression and pulmonary NO biosynthesis, but not systemic NO biosynthesis, were significantly attenuated in the LPS plus ST-36 group as compared with those in both the LPS group and the LPS plus Sham group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture stimulation of ST-36 may be effective as a prophylaxis measure against sepsis. However, results from this study do not support the use of acupuncture for the treatment of sepsis.

Preparation of silica microspheres encapsulating phase-change material by sol-gel method in O/W emulsion.

Spherical silica microcapsules containing phase-change material (PCM) were prepared by the sol-gel method in O/W emulsion. This is the first time that inorganic encapsulation of PCM with core/shell structure has been studied. The results of this synthesis revealed that micron size (4 - 8 microm) silica microspheres encapsulating n-pentadecane can be successfully created from acidic solutions ([H+] > or = 1.44 N) by using cationic surfactants as the emulsifiers. The identification of the mechanisms for the formation of silica shell at the oil-water interface indicates that it should be the charge-controlled mechanism through S+X-I+ (positively charged surfactant-halide ion-positively charged silica species) electrostatic interactions or the reaction rates-controlled mechanism working on cationic emulsifiers.

Pre-operative measurement of heart rate variability predicts hypotension during general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Peri-operative hymodynamic instability is one of the major concerns for anesthesiologists when performing general anesthesia for individuals with autonomic dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential usage of pre-operative measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) in identifying which individuals, with or without diabetes, may be at risk of blood pressure (BP) instability during general anesthesia. METHODS: We studied 46 patients with diabetes and 87 patients without diabetes ASA class II or III undergoing elective surgery. Participants' cardiovascular autonomic function and HRV were assessed pre-operatively, and hymodynamic parameters were monitored continuously intra-operatively by an independent observer. RESULTS: Only 6% of the participants were classified as having cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) based on traditional autonomic function tests whereas 15% experienced hypotension. Total power (TP, P = 0.006), low frequency (LF, P = 0.012) and high frequency (HF, P = 0.028) were significantly lower in individuals who experienced hypotension compared with those who did not. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that TP [odds ratio (OR) = 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.05-0.47, P = 0.001] independently predicted the incidence of hypotension, indicating that each log ms2 increase in total HRV lowers the incidence of hypotension during general anesthesia by 0.15 times. After stepwise multiple linear regression analysis (R2= 11.5%), HF (beta = -11.1, SE = 2.79, P < 0.001) was the only independent determinant of the magnitude of systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduction at the 15th min after tracheal intubation. CONCLUSIONS: Spectral analysis of HRV is a sensitive method for detecting individuals who may be at risk of BP instability during general anesthesia but may not have apparent CAN according to traditional tests of autonomic function.