Study protocol to investigate biomolecular muscle profile as predictors of long-term urinary incontinence in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and rectus abdominis muscles (RAM) of pregnant diabetic rats exhibit atrophy, co-localization of fast and slow fibers and an increased collagen type I/III ratio. However, the role of similar PFM or RAM hyperglycemic-related myopathy in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains poorly investigated. This study aims to assess the frequency of pelvic floor muscle disorders and pregnancy-specific urinary incontinence (PS-UI) 12 months after the Cesarean (C) section in women with GDM. Specifically, differences in PFM/RAM hyperglycemic myopathy will be evaluated. METHODS: The Diamater is an ongoing cohort study of four groups of 59 pregnant women each from the Perinatal Diabetes Research Centre (PDRC), Botucatu Medical School (FMB)-UNESP (São Paulo State University), Brazil. Diagnosis of GDM and PS-UI will be made at 24-26 weeks, with a follow-up at 34-38 weeks of gestation. Inclusion in the study will occur at the time of C-section, and patients will be followed at 24-48 h, 6 weeks and 6 and 12 months postpartum. Study groups will be classified as (1) GDM plus PS-UI; (2) GDM without PS-UI; (3) Non-GDM plus PS-UI; and (4) Non-GDM without PS-UI. We will analyze relationships between GDM, PS-UI and hyperglycemic myopathy at 12 months after C-section. The mediator variables to be evaluated include digital palpation, vaginal squeeze pressure, 3D pelvic floor ultrasound, and 3D RAM ultrasound. RAM samples obtained during C-section will be analyzed for ex-vivo contractility, morphological, molecular and OMICS profiles to further characterize the hyperglycemic myopathy. Additional variables to be evaluated include maternal age, socioeconomic status, educational level, ethnicity, body mass index, weight gain during pregnancy, quality of glycemic control and insulin therapy. DISCUSSION: To our knowledge, this will be the first study to provide data on the prevalence of PS-UI and RAM and PFM physical and biomolecular muscle profiles after C-section in mothers with GDM. The longitudinal design allows for the assessment of cause-effect relationships between GDM, PS-UI, and PFMs and RAMs myopathy. The findings may reveal previously undetermined consequences of GDM.

GM1 produces attenuation of short-term memory deficits in Hebb-Williams maze performance after unilateral entorhinal cortex lesions.

The Hebb-Williams maze was used to examine spatial abilities of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with unilateral electrolytic entorhinal cortex lesions. The injured rats were treated for 14 days with either saline or ganglioside GM1. Testing was begun 7 weeks following injury, and involved 12 maze problems with independent configurations, with immediate starting replacement used for the six trials per problem. Compared to sham-operated counterparts, the rats with lesion plus saline treatment were impaired in total number of errors, initial entry errors, and repeat errors over 12 consecutive problems. GM1-treated rats showed improved performance, making significantly fewer total and repeat errors, indicating that this substance may be potentially useful as therapy after entorhinal cortex injury.

Diagnosis of bacterial meningitis and septicemia by serum counterimmunoelectrophoresis.

We compare the results obtained by counterimmunoelectrophoresis in samples of serum and cerebrospinal fluid with microbiologic methods for 3,298 patients suspected of bacterial meningitis and/or septicemia at Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, in a retrospective study of the period from July 1998 to July 1994. Of the 415 patients (12.6% of the total cases studied) who were positive by the serum test, only 249 (7.6% of the total cases studied) were also positive when cerebrospinal fluid was assayed. Thus, 40% of the positives (5.6% of the total) were identifiable by analysis of serum but not of cerebrospinal fluid. Neisseria meningitidis accounted for 77.7% (129) and Haemophilus influenzae for 22.3% (37) of the positive results obtained only when serum was examined. These data show that although sensitivity and specificity of serum counterimmunoelectrophoresis are relatively low compared to cerebrospinal fluid counterimmunoelectrophoresis, the serum test is necessary to complement cerebrospinal fluid counterimmunoelectrophoresis data.

Ethanol and erythrocyte membrane interaction: a hemorheologic perspective.

Previous studies have documented structural and functional changes induced by ethanol-erythrocyte membrane interaction. In order to perform an in vitro study on the effect of different ethanol concentrations on erythrocyte hemorheologic properties, blood samples were collected from 21 male donors at the Hospital of Santa Maria. Whole blood aliquots were incubated with ethanol solutions of rising concentrations. The following parameters were measured: erythrocyte aggregation, haemoglobin, carboxyhaemoglobin and methaemoglobin concentrations, hematocrit, plasma osmolality and erythrocyte membrane fluidity (fluorescence polarisation probes TMA-DPH and DPH). With ethanol blood concentrations of 45 mM a rise in plasma osmolality (0.352 Osm/kg H2O vs 0.310 Osm/kg H2O; p < 0.001) was verified. With 67 mM concentration a decrease of erythrocyte aggregation (11.03 vs 12.81; p < 0.05) and an increase in plasma osmolality (0.380 Osm/kg H2O vs 0.310 Osm/kg H2O; p < 0.001) were obtained. In conclusion, ethanol only changes erythrocyte aggregation for a concentration of 67 mM. These data could lead to future changes in therapeutic approaches to situations such as alcoholic coma.

A hardware-software system for analysis of video images.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a software/hardware system for the analysis of digitized video images and a number of applications for which it may be used. The system described includes a Macintosh computer, a frame-grabber board, and Image, a public domain software program available at no cost from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. In our clinic and laboratory, this system is routinely used to make quantitative measurements from videofluoroscopic x-ray images of dynamic swallow studies and studies performed to assess velopharyngeal dysfunction in speech. It can also be used to examine various laryngeal parameters obtained from videotaped endoscopic and stroboscopic examinations. With a videocamera attached to a microscope, the system permits quantitative analysis of tissue characteristics, e.g., thickness of epithelial or connective tissue layers of the vocal folds. The relatively low cost and ease of use of the image analysis system make it a particularly attractive option when quantitative assessment of clinical or research materials in video format is desirable.

Structural displacements in normal swallowing: a videofluoroscopic study.

Dynamic videofluoroscopic swallow studies were performed on 60 normal adult volunteers to establish normative data for displacement of upper aerodigestive tract structures during deglutition. Variables evaluated included hyoid bone displacement, larynx-to-hyoid bone approximation, pharyngeal constriction, and the extent of pharyngoesophageal sphincter (PES) opening during liquid swallows of 1, 3, and 20 cc. Results showed direct relationships between bolus size and hyoid displacement, between bolus size and PES opening, and between bolus size and pharyngeal constriction. Only hyoid-to-larynx approximation remained unchanged across bolus sizes. Sex differences were noted for all variables except PES opening. Reliability for most measurement variables was excellent. To our knowledge, normative data for pharyngeal constriction and larynx-to-hyoid approximation have not previously been described.

Timing of events in normal swallowing: a videofluoroscopic study.

Dynamic videofluoroscopic swallow studies were performed on 60 normal adult volunteers to establish normative data for clinically useful timing measures. The relation of swallowing gesture timing to the timing of actual bolus transit was of particular interest because it provides insight into the physiology of larger bolus volume accommodation. Parameters evaluated include the timing of bolus pharyngeal transit, soft palate elevation, aryepiglottic fold elevation and supraglottic closure, arrival of the bolus in the vallecula, hyoid bone displacement onset and duration, arrival of the bolus at the pharyngoesophageal sphincter, maximum pharyngeal constriction, and pharyngoesophageal sphincter opening. These parameters represent events required for normal deglutition, can be used to identify abnormalities in dysphagic patients, and provide a basis for comparison of swallowing performance both within and between patients. In addition, our experience has shown them to be reliably obtained. Other investigators have reported some of the measurements. However, to our knowledge, normative data for timing of aryepiglottic fold elevation, soft palate elevation and closure, and maximum pharyngeal constriction have not been described. Other measures included in the present study may provide alternatives when conventional measures cannot be obtained in selected patients. The relevance and clinical utility of new and alternative measures, in particular, are discussed.

Water Soluble Cyclophosphamide Adducts of Rhodium(II) Keto-Gluconate and Glucuronate. Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Cytostatic Assays.

The synthesis, characterization and biological assays of two new rhodium carboxylate sugar derivatives and respective cyclosphosphamide adducts are described. The compounds, characterized by (13)C and (1)H NMR, infrared and UV-visible spectra, presented high water solubility and hydration grades were confirmed given the concordance between thermal and CHN analyses. The adducts were active in vitro against K-562 cells.

Diagnosis of bacterial meningitis and septicemia by serum counterimmunoelectrophoresis

We compare the results obtained by counterimmunoelectrophoresis in samples of serum and cerebrospinal fluid with microbiologic methods for 3,298 patients suspected of bacterial meningitis and/or septicemia at Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Säo Paulo, in a retrospective study of the period from July 1988 to July 1994. Of the 415 patients (12.6 percent of the total cases studied) who were positive by the serum test, only 249 (7.6 percent of the total cases studied) were also positive when cerebrospinal fluid was assayed. Thus, 40 percent of the positives (5.6 percent of the total) were identifiable by analysis of serum but not of cerebrospinal fluid. Neisseria meningitidis accounted for 77.7 percent (129) and Haemophilus influenzae for 22.3 percent (37) of the positive results obtained only when serum was examined. These...