Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids predict accelerated decline of peripheral nerve function in older persons.

Pre-clinical studies suggest that both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on peripheral nerve function. Rats feed a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) showed modification of phospholipid fatty acid composition in nerve membranes and improvement of sciatic nerve conduction velocity (NCV). We tested the hypothesis that baseline plasma omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids levels predict accelerated decline of peripheral nerve function. Changes between baseline and the 3-year follow-up in peripheral nerve function was assessed by standard surface ENG of the right peroneal nerve in 384 male and 443 female participants of the InCHIANTI study (age range: 24-97 years). Plasma concentrations of selected fatty acids assessed at baseline by gas chromatography. Independent of confounders, plasma omega-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid were significantly correlated with peroneal NCV at enrollment. Lower plasma PUFA, omega-6 fatty acids, linoleic acid, ratio omega-6/omega-3, arachidonic acid and docosahexanoic acid levels were significantly predicted a steeper decline in nerve function parameters over the 3-year follow-up. Low plasma omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids levels were associated with accelerated decline of peripheral nerve function with aging.

[Nutritional status of patients with alcoholic liver diseases: comparison of the situation in the seventies and at present]. / Stato nutrizionale in pazienti con epatopatia etilica: confronto tra la situazione degli anni '70 e l'attuale.

AIMS. 1) To evaluate the nutritional status of a group of alcohol abusers, relatively to their liver function and morphology, and 2) to compare these data with those of a previous study carried out by out team ten years ago. According to their body weight, 135 alcohol abusers were divided into three groups: normal-weight, over-weight and under-weight. The severity of their hepatopathy was defined as: 1. slight hepatopathy; 2. alcohol-induced hepatitis; 3. alcohol-induced hepatitis plus cirrhosis; 4 child A cirrhosis; 5. child B cirrhosis. RESULTS. 1. The overweight group was homogeneously distributed among the several degrees of compensated hepatopathy. 2. There was a marked reactivity to skin tests (Multitest) in patients with alcohol hepatitis without cirrhosis, independently of nutritional disorders. 3. Only decompensated cirrhosis may cause caloric-protein malnutrition; consequently, nutritional disorders due to alcohol abuse appear late and they are unlikely to play a leading role in the pathogenesis of liver disease due to alcohol abuse. Obesity, on the other hand, may facilitate the onset of liver steatosis.

Antagonistic effect between histamine and norepinephrine on isolated guinea-pig right atrium.

Norepinephrine (NE) and histamine (His) cause a dose related increase in the rate of the guinea pig isolated right atria. The rate increase induced by both amines has been shown to be mediated by pharmacologically different receptors. His shifted the NE CEC to the right in a non parallel fashion. Cimetidine (10(-4) mol/l) abolished this antagonism. Norepinephrine (3 X 10(-7) mol/l) shifted to the right the His CEC also in a non parallel fashion. Practolol (10(-4) mol/l) abolished this antagonism. Theophylline (10(-4) mol/l) reverted both: the antagonistic action of His related to the NE chronotropic effect and the antagonistic action of NE related to the His chronotropic effect. The reversal of the antagonism could be the result of the block of purinergic P1-receptors by theophylline. This block impairs the chronotropic effect of adenilic compounds which can function as a modulater of cardiac rate through a negative feed back mechanism.

Is executive function associated with symptom severity in schizophrenia?

This paper reports on a study that was designed to investigate the relationship between psychopathology and executive functions in schizophrenia. Correlations were sparse and mostly weak. The most robust finding was the association between letter fluency and negative symptoms; however, most other applied tasks were not associated with symptom level. Our results support previous findings of differential relationships between impaired executive functions and symptom level.

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in alcohol and nonalcohol abusers with liver disease.

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) has been demonstrated to be a marker of prolonged heavy alcohol consumption. We compared this marker with gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in alcohol and nonalcohol abusers with liver disease. Our results confirm that the sensitivity of CDT in alcoholics is high, although lower than that of GGT and MCV; however, the specificity of CDT was higher than that of the other two markers. This finding supports the notion that CDT is only partially influenced by the presence of liver damage, whereas increases of GGT and MCV are greatly affected by several factors, including liver damage and drugs. Moreover, we observed that the sensitivity and the specificity of CDT were greater than those of GGT and MCV in younger drinkers.