Suitability of 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6NX) for the induction of interstitial renal fibrosis in rats--influence of sex, strain, and surgical procedure.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is a serious clinical problem and currently there are no adequate therapeutic strategies for treatment. Many possible treatment strategies have been tested in rats with CRF induced by subtotal nephrectomy. However, reports in the literature concerning the consequences of this procedure on rat kidney function are contradictory. For instance, such an intervention in male Sprague-Dawley rats apparently initiates the development of interstitial renal fibrosis, while in our similar studies on female Wistar rats (HW) there was minimal renal fibrosis. Therefore, we carried out experiments in adult rats to investigate the long-term consequences of 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6NX) in relation to (1) sex, (2) strain, and (3) two methods of surgical ablation. Ten weeks after 5/6NX, body weight gain, systolic blood pressure, creatinine clearance, and urinary protein were measured, along with renal hydroxyproline concentration determinations to assess the deposition of extracellular matrix. Also, light microscopic investigations were done to characterize renal damage. The functional parameters clearly indicated the development of CRF, while morphologic investigations showed only moderate fibrotic areas containing atrophic tubules and lymphocytic infiltrates. However, 45-60% of glomeruli were sclerotic. In summary, 5/6NX, using either method of partial nephrectomy, induces signs of moderate glomerulonephritis preferentially in female HW rats. Thus 5/6NX in female HW rats can be recommended as a suitable model in the induction of renal fibrosis.

Efficacy of the Stendo Pulsating suit in patients with leg lymphedema: a pilot randomized study.

BACKGROUND: The "shear stress like" effect of pulsating suit sessions at 65 mm Hg (Stendo(®) device), evidenced in healthy volunteers, might stimulate venous return and act as a physiological pump in lymphedema patients. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the lower limb total volume (TV) decrease induced by a pulsating suit versus intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) sessions during a five-day complex decongestive physiotherapy (CDP) treatment. MATERIALS & METHODS: Twenty-four leg lymphedema patients were randomized into a CDP group according to the current practices and a CDP group where IPC was replaced by the pulsating suit. Daily care consisted of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), one hour IPC or Stendo sessions, and bandaging. The Stendo inflatable suit generates heart rate synchronized compression/decompression applied to the lower part of the body. The IPC device was TP05/TP07 (Eureduc Company). Efficacy was assessed by leg TV changes after 5 days' CDP treatment. RESULTS: TV decreases were more pronounced in the Stendo than the IPC group when adjusted to the baseline TV; TV decrease was 14.2 L (11.2%) in the Stendo group, 11.0 L (8.8%) in the IPC group (p = 0.052 - %TV change p = 0.08). A trend in improved quality of life was reported in favor of the Stendo group over the IPC groups (14.2% [SD: 23.4%] and 6.7% [SD:31.5%], respectively). No adverse event related to the Stendo device was reported. CONCLUSION: The promising Stendo results open the way to larger clinical studies targeting CDP maintenance and moderate lymphedema in outpatient settings.

Cytotoxic withanolides from Acnistus arborescens.

Three cytotoxic withanolides, two with new structures, were isolated from the leaves of Acnistus arborescens and their structures determined by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR, mass spectral, and molecular modeling studies. Dereplication analysis of the ethyl ether extract was useful for evaluating the components showing significant cytotoxic activity.

Molecular modeling, NOESY NMR, and the structure of nicandrenone isolated from Nicandra physalodes (Solanaceae).

The configuration and conformation of nicandrenone, isolated from Nicandra physalodes, are described using molecular modeling and NMR NOESY techniques. Amsterdam Density Functional (ADF) software was used, and the structures were those reduced to minimum energy molecular models, utilizing B3LYP executions and Density Functional Theory (DFT). The first spectral proof that this withanolide has a 22-R configuration is also provided. This method may be adaptable to other natural products.