Genotype correlates with clinical course and outcome of children with tight junction protein 2 (TJP2) deficiency-related cholestasis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The study aimed to describe the clinical course and outcomes, and analyze the genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with tight junction protein 2 (TJP2) deficiency. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Data from all children with chronic cholestasis and either homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in TJP2 were extracted and analyzed. The patients were categorized into 3 genotypes: TJP2-A (missense mutations on both alleles), TJP2-B (missense mutation on one allele and a predicted protein-truncating mutation [PPTM] on the other), and TJP2-C (PPTMs on both alleles). A total of 278 cases of genetic intrahepatic cholestasis were studied, with TJP2 deficiency accounting for 44 cases (15.8%). Of these, 29 were homozygous and 15 were compound heterozygous variants of TJP2 . TJP2-A genotype was identified in 21 (47.7%), TJP2-B in 7 cases (15.9%), and TJP2-C in 16 cases (36.4%), respectively. Patients with the TJP2-C genotype were more likely to experience early infantile cholestasis (87.5% vs. 53.5%, p =0.033), less likely to clear jaundice (12.5% vs. 52.2%, p =0.037), more likely to develop ascites, and had higher serum bile acids. Patients with the TJP2-C genotype were more likely to die or require liver transplantation (native liver survival: 12.5% vs. 78.6%, p <0.001), with a median age at death/liver transplantation of 2.5 years. Cox regression analysis revealed that TJP2-C mutations ( p =0.003) and failure to resolve jaundice ( p =0.049) were independent predictors of poor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with the TJP2-C genotype carrying PPTMs in both alleles had a rapidly progressive course, leading to early decompensation and death if they did not receive timely liver transplantation.

Outbreaks of Salmonella illness associated with frozen raw breaded chicken products in Canada, 2015-2019.

Frozen raw breaded chicken products (FRBCP) have been identified as a risk factor for Salmonella infection in Canada. In 2017, Canada implemented whole genome sequencing (WGS) for clinical and non-clinical Salmonella isolates, which increased understanding of the relatedness of Salmonella isolates, resulting in an increased number of Salmonella outbreak investigations. A total of 18 outbreaks and 584 laboratory-confirmed cases have been associated with FRBCP or chicken since 2017. The introduction of WGS provided the evidence needed to support a new requirement to control the risk of Salmonella in FRBCP produced for retail sale.

Correction: Neutron diffraction studies on the thermal expansion and anomalous mechanics in the perovskite-type [C(ND2)3]Me2+(DCOO)3 [Me = Cu, Mn, Co].

Correction for 'Neutron diffraction studies on the thermal expansion and anomalous mechanics in the perovskite-type [C(ND2)3]Me2+(DCOO)3 [Me = Cu, Mn, Co]' by M. Viswanathan et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, DOI: 10.1039/c8cp01245h.

Disorder in the hydrogen-atoms uninvolved in hydrogen bonds in a metal-organic framework.

Organic and hybrid materials are emerging classes of materials with interesting properties inclusive of ferroelectric and magnetic ordering. They also offer the possibility of proton disorder that is of fundamental importance and useful for applications. In materials that exhibit proton disorder, such disordered-protons usually participate in the hydrogen bonds. Unlike the cations that host the disordered-sites, it is discovered in metal guanidinium formates (C(NH2)3M2+(HCOO)3) that the proton disorder is in the anionic framework. This study based on single-crystal neutron diffraction uncovers the presence of disorder in the formato-hydrogens of metal guanidinium formates regardless of their symmetry. The target materials exhibit various types of potential energy surfaces. Here the proton disorder for the first time is identified in the hydrogen atoms that neither participate in the hydrogen bonds nor in physisorption. A future challenge is to understand the influence of this phenomenon on the physicochemical properties of various classes of materials.

Neutron diffraction studies on the thermal expansion and anomalous mechanics in the perovskite-type [C(ND2)3]Me2+(DCOO)3 [Me = Cu, Mn, Co].

The thermomechanical characteristics of [C(ND2)3]Me2+(DCOO)3 [Me = Cu, Co, Mn] have been evaluated by single-crystal and powder neutron diffraction. [C(ND2)3]Cu2+(DCOO)3, presenting with the polar space group Pna21, exhibits lattice expansion along the a and c axes, while the b-axis shows a crossover from negative to positive thermal expansion. The relative change in lattice parameters is independent in all directions, resulting in anisotropic thermal characteristics. The thermomechanical response is a collective effect of hingeing and deformation, with the former as the dominant factor. In this study, every individual hinge and strut are evaluated, unlike the conventional averaging of the mechanical units. The Mn cousin displays a higher magnitude of octahedral tilting than the Co-twin. Such an effect has direct consequences on higher expansivity for manganese guanidinium formate along all directions. Hingeing is the dominant factor in both Mn and Co-twins, with their relative values much closer than reported earlier.

Enhancement of the guest orderliness in a low-symmetric perovskite-type metal-organic framework influenced by Jahn-Teller distortion.

Copper guanidinium formate (CuGF) is an ABX3-type metal-organic framework bearing a polar space group, housing a guest-host connectivity between the guanidinium and formate ions. With the maiden data-set based on single-crystal neutron diffraction, we report the discovery of the guest orderliness which surprisingly accommodates an enhancement for low-symmetric CuGF, while the scenario is contrasting for the high-symmetric Mn cousin. We provide an in-depth evaluation of the inter-guanidinium scheme and thus propose the mechanism behind this unusual effect.

Practice Recommendations for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease by the Indian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ISPGHAN).

JUSTIFICATION: There has been an alarming increase in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and it is now the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, in both adult and pediatric populations. The lack of regional guidelines has hampered the formulation of national policies for prevention and management of MASLD in children. Therefore, we formulated recommendations for steatotic liver disease in children. OBJECTIVES: To review the existing literature on the burden and epidemiology of pediatric MASLD and formulate recommendations for diagnostic evaluation, prevention, and management strategies. PROCESS: The Indian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition invited national and international stakeholders to participate in a consensus meeting held on April 20, 2024, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Various aspects of pediatric steatotic liver disease were deliberated upon and a consensus document and recommendations were formulated after several rounds of discussion. RECOMMENDATIONS: Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) should be used as the preferred term in place of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). There is a high prevalence of steatotic liver disease (SLD) among Indian children and adolescents, especially those who are overweight or obese. This condition may be progressive in childhood and associated with increased morbidity and mortality in adulthood. Various lifestyle, dietary, and genetic factors may predispose individuals to MASLD, including an increased intake of calorie-dense processed foods, sweetened sugar beverages, excessive screen time, higher sedentary time and lack of moderate to vigorous physical activity. MASLD is usually asymptomatic or presents with mild, non-specific symptoms and therefore, a high degree of suspicion is required for early diagnosis. MASLD is usually associated with cardiometabolic factors (hypertension, insulin resistance/diabetes mellitus, and/or dyslipidemia) and secondary causes should be excluded in all cases, particularly in the presence of red flag signs. Screening for MASLD should be considered in all obese children (body mass index or BMI ≥ 95th percentile) and in all overweight children (BMI ≥ 85th and <95thpercentile) with additional risk factors, such as prediabetes/diabetes, dyslipidemia, positive family history of metabolic syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypopituitarism. Abdominal ultrasound in combination with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels should be used as a screening test for MASLD in Indian children as per the proposed algorithm. Diet (any hypocaloric diet) and exercise (aerobic, resistance, or a combination of both; moderate to high intensity; regular in frequency) remain the cornerstones of pediatric MASLD management. Pharmacotherapy and/or endoscopic/surgical techniques for obesity should be considered as adjuncts and should be considered only after a failed adequate trial of lifestyle modifications.

Diagnosis and management of pediatric acute liver failure: consensus recommendations of the Indian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ISPGHAN).

Timely diagnosis and management of pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is of paramount importance to improve survival. The Indian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition invited national and international experts to identify and review important management and research questions. These covered the definition, age appropriate stepwise workup for the etiology, non-invasive diagnosis and management of cerebral edema, prognostic scores, criteria for listing for liver transplantation (LT) and bridging therapies in PALF. Statements and recommendations based on evidences assessed using the modified Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system were developed, deliberated and critically reappraised by circulation. The final consensus recommendations along with relevant published background information are presented here. We expect that these recommendations would be followed by the pediatric and adult medical fraternity to improve the outcomes of PALF patients.

Surgical and Survival Outcomes of Operable Gastric Cancer-Experience from a Tertiary Care Center in South India.

Gastric cancer is one of the leading cancers in Southern India. Data regarding the gastric cancers among the Indian population is sparse. Most patients in our country have locally advanced gastric cancers due to delayed presentation. In this article, we present our data regarding the presentation patterns, epidemiological demographics, surgical outcomes, and survival patterns from a tertiary care center in South India. This is a retrospective analysis of gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy in our institution between January 2015 and November 2021 (n = 102). The data regarding patient characteristics, histopathology, and perioperative outcomes were analysed from medical records. The adjuvant treatment received and survival details were collected from the follow-up records and by telephonic interviews. A total of 128 patients were assessable, 102 patients underwent gastrectomy in a period of 6 years. The median age of presentation was 60 years and males were more commonly affected (70.6%). Most common presentation was pain abdomen followed by gastric outlet obstruction. Adenocarcinoma NOS (93%) was the most common histological type. Most of the Patients had antropyloric growths (79.4%) and subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy was the most common surgery performed. Majority of the tumors were T4 tumors (55.9%) and nodal metastases were detected in 74% of the specimens. Predominant morbidity was wound infection (6.1%) followed by anastomotic leak (5.9%) with a combined overall morbidity of 16.7% and 30-day mortality of 2.9%. Seventy five (80.5%) patients were able to complete all planned 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. The median time of survival calculated by Kaplan-Meier method was 23 months with 2-year and 3-year overall survival rates of 31% and 22%, respectively. Lymphovascular invasion (LVSI) and lymph nodal burden were the risk factors associated with recurrences and deaths. The patient characteristics, histological factors, and perioperative outcomes revealed most of our patients presented in locally advanced stages with poor risk histological types and increased nodal burden contributing to the lower survival in our population. Inferior survival outcomes suggest the need to explore perioperative and neoadjuvant chemotherapy options in our population.

Clinical relevance of double-arm blood pressure measurement and prevalence of clinically important inter-arm blood pressure differences in Indian primary care.

Hypertension guidelines recommend measuring blood pressure (BP) in both arms at least once. However, this is seldom done due to uncertainties regarding measurement procedure and the implications of finding a clinically important inter-arm BP difference (IAD). This study aimed to provide insight into the prevalence of clinically important IADs in a large Indian primary care cohort. A number of 134 678 (37% female) unselected Indian primary care participants, mean age 45.2 (SD 11.9) years, had BP measured in both arms using a standardized, triplicate, automated simultaneous measurement method (Microlife WatchBP Office Afib). On average, there were clinically minor differences in right and left arm BP values: systolic BP 134.4 vs 134.2 mmHg (p < .01) and diastolic BP 82.7 vs 82.6 mmHg (p < .01), respectively. Prevalence of significant mean systolic IAD between 10 and 15 mmHg was 7,813 (5.8%). Systolic IAD ≥ 15 mmHg 2,980 (2.2%) and diastolic IAD ≥ 10 mmHg 7,151 (5.3%). In total, there were 7,595 (5.6%) and 8,548 (6.3%) participants with BP above the 140/90 mmHg threshold in only the left or right arm, respectively. Prevalence of participants with elevated BP on one arm only was highest in patients with a systolic IAD ≥ 15 mmHg; 19.1% and 13.7%, for left and right arm, respectively. This study shows that a substantial prevalence of IAD exists in Indian primary care patients. BP is above the diagnostic threshold for hypertension in one arm only for 6% of participants. These findings emphasize the importance of undertaking bilateral BP measurement in routine clinical practice.

Clinical relevance of double-arm blood pressure measurement and prevalence of clinically important inter-arm blood pressure differences in Indian Primary Care.

Hypertension guidelines recommend measuring blood pressure (BP) in both arms at least once. However, this is seldom done due to uncertainties regarding measurement procedure and the implications of finding a clinically important inter-arm BP difference (IAD). This study aimed to provide insight into the prevalence of clinically important IADs in a large Indian primary care cohort. A number of 134678 (37% female) unselected Indian primary care participants, mean age 45.2 (SD 11.9) years, had BP measured in both arms using a standardized, triplicate, automated simultaneous measurement method (Microlife WatchBP Office Afib). On average, there were clinically minor differences in right and left arm BP values: systolic BP 134.4 vs. 134.2 mmHg (p<0.01) and diastolic BP 82.7 vs. 82.6 mmHg (p<0.01), respectively. Prevalence of significant mean systolic IAD between 10 and 15 mmHg was 7813 (5.8%). Systolic IAD ≥ 15 mmHg 2980 (2.2%) and diastolic IAD ≥ 10 mmHg 7151 (5.3%). In total, there were 7595 (5.6%) and 8548 (6.3%) participants with BP above the 140/90 mmHg threshold in only the left or right arm, respectively. Prevalence of participants with elevated BP on one arm only was highest in patients with a systolic IAD ≥ 15 mmHg; 19.1% and 13.7%, for left and right arm, respectively. This study shows that a substantial prevalence of IAD exist in Indian primary care patients. BP is above the diagnostic threshold for hypertension in one arm only for 6% of participants. These findings emphasise the importance of undertaking bilateral BP measurement in routine clinical practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Restoration of cytomegalovirus-specific CD4+ T-lymphocyte responses after ganciclovir and highly active antiretroviral therapy in individuals infected with HIV-1.

Recent studies of subjects infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) have produced conflicting results about the extent of reconstitution possible in the CD4+ lymphocyte repertoire after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The effect of HAART on the incidence of opportunistic infections will probably depend on reconstitution of antigen-specific CD4+ lymphocyte responses to important pathogens, including cytomegalovirus (CMV), the leading cause of blindness in AIDS. Several studies have demonstrated an important role for CD4+ lymphocytes in controlling CMV replication in vitro and in clinical studies. It is now possible to quantitate antigen-specific CD4+ lymphocyte responses by flow cytometry. Using this method, we studied CMV-specific CD4+ lymphocyte responses in individuals infected with HIV-1 with and without a history of active CMV-associated end organ disease (EOD), and in those with quiescent CMV EOD after ganciclovir therapy and HAART. The presence of active CMV-associated EOD strongly correlated with loss of CMV-specific lymphocyte responses (P = 0.0004). In contrast, patients with no history of CMV-associated EOD and most patients with quiescent EOD after HAART demonstrated strong CMV-specific CD4+ lymphocyte responses. These data indicate that the loss of CMV-specific CD4+ lymphocyte responses in individuals infected with HIV-1 who have active CMV EOD may be restored after ganciclovir therapy and HAART, which provides evidence for functional immune reconstitution to an important pathogen.

Direct evidence for thymic function in adult humans.

The understanding of human thymic function and evaluation of its contribution to T cell homeostasis are matters of great importance. Here we report the development of a novel assay to quantitate the frequency and diversity of recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) in the peripheral blood of humans. Such cells were defined by the presence of T cell receptor (TCR) rearrangement deletion circles (DCs), episomal byproducts of TCR-beta V(D)J rearrangement. DCs were detected in T cells in the thymus, cord blood, and adult peripheral blood. In the peripheral blood of adults aged 22 to 76 years, their frequency was highest in the CD4(+)CD45RA(+) CD62L(+) subpopulation of naive T cells. TCR DCs were also observed in other subpopulations of peripheral blood T cells, including those with the CD4(+)CD45RO(-)CD62L(+) and CD4(+)CD45RO(+)CD62L(+) phenotypes. RTEs were observed to have more than one Vbeta rearrangement, suggesting that replenishment of the repertoire in the adult is at least oligoclonal. These results demonstrate that the normal adult thymus continues to contribute, even in older individuals, a diverse set of new T cells to the peripheral circulation.

Oncological Outcomes After Radical Esophagectomy from a Tertiary Cancer Center.

Although esophageal cancers have poor survival outcomes, evidence suggests that preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgery have improved survival outcomes. Minimally invasive surgery has equivalent oncological outcomes with less complication compared with open surgery, but there is insufficient data available in South Indian population. Our aim was to analyze the perioperative outcome and survival between minimally invasive and open transhiatal esophagectomy group. Data from patients operated for esophageal cancer in our department from the year 2015 to 2018 were collected retrospectively using medical records. Among 55 carcinoma esophagus patients, squamous histology (67%) and lower third location (57%) being predominant. Twenty-six patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)-assisted esophagectomy and 18 patients underwent open transhiatal esophagectomy. Eleven patients were inoperable. Sixteen patients in VATS arm and three patients in transhiatal arm received preoperative chemoradiation. VATS arm has lesser intraoperative blood loss, early pulmonary recovery with early intercostal drain removal, and lesser hospital stay but longer mean operating time of 171 min versus 140 min (P < 0.01). It has higher mean nodal harvest of 15 versus 7 nodes (P 0.01) and higher overall median survival of 36 months (95% CI, 29.3 to 42.7) as against 23 months (95% CI, 17.8 to 29.2) for transhiatal arm (P < 0.01). VATS-assisted esophagectomy is less morbid procedure with early postoperative recovery, better oncological outcomes, and improved survival compared with transhiatal arm which is equivalent to apex centers in India.

Therapeutic Enteral Formulas in Children.

PURPOSE: A variety of enteral formulas for various diseases have become available in India in the last few years. Awareness among pediatricians about the availability and indications for these therapeutic formulas is low. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in PUBMED and relevant data collected from all English language publications available. Data on the commercial preparations was sourced from the individual companies, the Diet 4 life initiative as well as FSSAI (Food safety and standards authority of India). CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic enteral formulas, which are indicated in various disease states belong to four categories - lactose modified, hydrolyzed, MCT based and metabolic disease specific formulas. Lactose modified formulas which are used in temporary or permanent lactose intolerance and Galactosemia are either casein or soy protein based. Hydrolyzed formulas could be partially hydrolyzed, extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid based. Only extensively hydrolyzed formula should be recommended in milk protein allergy. Amino acid (elemental) formulas are mainly indicated in patients with diffuse intestinal mucosal disease. MCT formulas are used in chronic liver disease with cholestasis, and have 30 to 80% MCT. Formulas for inborn errors of metabolism are free of specific carbohydrate, amino acid or fatty acid. Proprietary formulas presently available in India with their specifications have been listed.

Blood pressure and heart rate related to sex in untreated subjects: the India ABPM study.

Women are underrepresented in groups of patients seeking hypertension care in India. The present paper reports trends in office and ambulatory blood pressure measurement (OBPM, ABPM) and 24-h heart rate (HR) with sex in 14,977 subjects untreated for hypertension (aged 47.3 ± 13.9 years, males 69.4%) visiting primary care physicians. Results showed that, for systolic blood pressure (SBP), females had lower daytime ABPM (131 ± 16 vs. 133 ± 14 mm Hg, P < .001) but higher nighttime ABPM (122 ± 18 vs. 121 ± 16 mm Hg, P < .001) than males. Females had higher HR than men at daytime (80 ± 11 vs 79 ± 11.5 bpm) and nighttime (71 ± 11 vs 69 ± 11), respectively (all P < .001). Dipping percentages for SBP (7.4 ± 7.3 vs 9.3 ± 7.4%), DBP (10.1 ± 8.6 vs. 12.3 ± 8.9%), and HR (10.7 ± 7.9 vs. 12.8 ± 9.2%) were lower (P < .001) for females than for males, respectively. Females more often had isolated nighttime hypertension as compared to males (14.9%, n = 684% vs 10.6%, n = 1105; P < .001). BP patterns and HR showed clear differences in sex, particularly at nighttime. As females were more often affected by non-dipping and elevated nighttime SBP and HR than males, they should receive ABPM, at least, as frequently as men to document higher risk necessitating treatment.

The PAL1 gene product is a peroxisomal ATP-binding cassette transporter in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The PAL1 gene was isolated using PCR and degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to highly conserved amino acid sequence motifs diagnostic of the ATP-binding cassette domain of the superfamily of membrane-bound transport proteins typified by mammalian multidrug resistance transporter 1 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ste6. The deduced PAL1 gene product is similar in length to, has the same predicted topology as, and shares the highest degree of amino acid sequence identity with two human proteins, adrenoleukodystrophy protein and peroxisomal membrane protein (70 kD), which are both presumptive ATP-binding cassette transporters thought to be constituents of the peroxisomal membrane. As judged by hybridization of a PAL1 probe to isolated RNA and by expression of a PAL1-lacZ fusion, a PAL1 transcript was only detectable when cells were grown on oleic acid, a carbon source which requires the biogenesis of functional peroxisomes for its metabolism. A pal1delta mutant grew normally on either glucose- or glycerol-containing media; however, unlike PAL1+ cells (or the pal1delta mutant carrying the PAL1 gene on a plasmid), pal1delta cells were unable to grow on either a solid medium or a liquid medium containing oleic acid as the sole carbon source. Antibodies raised against a chimeric protein in which the COOH-terminal domain of Pal1 was fused to glutathione S-transferase specifically recognized a protein in extracts from wild-type cells only when grown on oleic acid; this species represents the PAL1 gene product because it was missing in pal1delta cells and more abundant in pal1delta cells expressing PAL1 from a multicopy plasmid. The Pal1 polypeptide was highly enriched in the organellar pellet fraction prepared from wild-type cells by differential centrifugation and comigrated upon velocity sedimentation in a Nycodenz gradient with a known component of the peroxisomal matrix, e-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase. As judged by both subcellular fractionation and indirect immunofluorescence, localization of 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase to peroxisomes was unchanged whether Pal1 was present, absent, or overexpressed. These findings demonstrate that Pal1 is a peroxisome-specific protein, that it is required for peroxisome function, but that it is not necessary for the biogenesis of peroxisomes or for the import of 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase (and at least two other peroxisomal matrix proteins).

Insights on the Jahn-Teller distortion, hydrogen bonding and local-environment correlations in a promised multiferroic hybrid perovskite.

Perovskite-type formates have recently emerged as potential candidates for multiferroics. Previous ab initio calculations have concluded that copper guanidinium formate (CuGF) is a promising multiferroic. Although ab initio design and characterisation of inorganic multiferroics is at a mature stage, this situation is not true for multiferroic metal-organic frameworks. Regardless of these limitations, such predictions have also been extended to other materials. Here, we present with deeper insights into the structural aspects based on single crystal neutron diffraction studies, questioning such predictions in CuGF. The comparative investigation of the polar CuGF and its centrosymmetric cousin, MnGF, uncovers the differences in the N-H⋯O bonds. Such differences are associated with the Jahn-Teller distortion, which balances its influence on the local-environment of the three sets of ND2 in the guanidinium cation. Hydrogen bonds which were not dealt with in the previous ab initio studies have been carefully treated in this experimental study. Hence, providing a crucial understanding based on which an encouraging platform may be rendered for improving the ab initio calculations for hybrid perovskites catering various applications.

The Effect of Surface Treatments on the Shear Bond Strength of Acrylic Resin Denture Base With Different Repair Acrylic Resin: An In Vitro Study.

BACKGROUND: Fracture of the denture base is a common problem associated with dental prostheses. Fractured denture base surfaces treated with chemical agents and mechanical features have the potential for improved bond strength. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface treatment on the shear bond strength of heat-cured denture base with different repair acrylic resins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 circular specimens (2-cm diameter × 3.3-mm thickness) were fabricated from heat-cured denture resins (DPI) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The heat-cured denture base acrylic resin specimens were divided into two groups: In group 1, auto-polymerizing acrylic resin (DPI) was used as a repair resin, and in group 2, light-cured acrylic resin (VLC) was used as the repair resin. Further, the heat-cured denture base acrylic resin specimens were subdivided into five subgroups. The shear bond strength (in megapascal) was measured in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. The results were subjected for statistical analysis. RESULT: Comparison of mean and standard deviation of shear bond strength between DPI and VLC group using one-way analysis of variance showed that the mean shear bond strength of DPI group is higher than that of VLC group. CONCLUSION: From the study, heat-cured denture base specimens repaired with auto-polymerizing repair resin showed higher mean shear bond strength than the visible light cure resin material.

Balloon angioplasty enhances the expression of angiotensin II AT1 receptors in neointima of rat aorta.

Angiotensin II is a vasoactive peptide and may act as a growth factor in vascular smooth muscle cells. Experimental injury of the rat aorta causes rapid migration of medial smooth muscle cells and their proliferation resulting in the formation of neointima. We have examined, using quantitative autoradiography, the expression of angiotensin II receptor subtypes AT1 and AT2, and angiotensin-converting enzyme, in the neointima formed in the rat thoracic aorta 15 d after balloon-catheter injury. In contrast to the normal aortic wall, which contained both AT1 and AT2 receptors (80% and 20%, respectively), neointimal cells expressed almost exclusively angiotensin II AT1 receptors. The apparent number of these receptors was fourfold higher in the neointima compared to that in the normal aortic wall. The affinities of the neointimal receptors to angiotensin II or to the AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan, were not different from those in the normal aortic wall. Angiotensin-converting enzyme binding in the neointima was not different from that in the media of the uninjured aorta. Our data suggest that angiotensin II AT1 receptors may have a significant role in injury-induced vascular smooth muscle proliferation and migration.