Propagating population activity patterns during spontaneous slow waves in the thalamus of rodents.

Slow waves (SWs) represent the most prominent electrophysiological events in the thalamocortical system under anesthesia and during deep sleep. Recent studies have revealed that SWs have complex spatiotemporal dynamics and propagate across neocortical regions. However, it is still unclear whether neuronal activity in the thalamus exhibits similar propagation properties during SWs. Here, we report propagating population activity in the thalamus of ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized rats and mice visualized by high-density silicon probe recordings. In both rodent species, propagation of spontaneous thalamic activity during up-states was most frequently observed in dorsal thalamic nuclei such as the higher order posterior (Po), lateral posterior (LP) or laterodorsal (LD) nuclei. The preferred direction of thalamic activity spreading was along the dorsoventral axis, with over half of the up-states exhibiting a gradual propagation in the ventral-to-dorsal direction. Furthermore, simultaneous neocortical and thalamic recordings collected under anesthesia demonstrated that there is a weak but noticeable interrelation between propagation patterns observed during cortical up-states and those displayed by thalamic population activity. In addition, using chronically implanted silicon probes, we detected propagating activity patterns in the thalamus of naturally sleeping rats during slow-wave sleep. However, in comparison to propagating up-states observed under anesthesia, these propagating patterns were characterized by a reduced rate of occurrence and a faster propagation speed. Our findings suggest that the propagation of spontaneous population activity is an intrinsic property of the thalamocortical network during synchronized brain states such as deep sleep or anesthesia. Additionally, our data implies that the neocortex may have partial control over the formation of propagation patterns within the dorsal thalamus under anesthesia.

[Role of the diet in urinary stone formation and prevalence]. / Az étrend szerepe a húgyúti kövek kialakulásában és megelozésében.

In Hungary and in the developed countries urinary stones occur more often due to nutritional habits, obesity and sedentary lifestyle beside the endocrine and metabolic causes. In the daily urological and family doctor practice prevention should have an important role. Prevention is based not only on body weight control, physical exercise and medical treatment, but on proper diet as well. The nutritional components can change the consistence of urine, causing supersaturation, which is essential in stone formation. Specific nutritional components can either prevent stone formation (increased fluid intake, citrate, magnesium, fruits and vegetables) or either increase stone formation (decreased fluid intake, proteins, carbohydrates, oxalate, salt, increased calcium intake, ascorbic-acid etc). We summarized evidence-based practical dietary suggestions on the primary and secondary prevention of urinary stones. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(22): 851-855.

Influence of local exposure to static magnetic field on pain perception and bone turnover of osteoporotic patients with vertebral deformity - a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Static magnetic field (SMF) could improve pain sensation and bone turnover. In a single-center randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study we investigated the effects of SMF exposure on subjective pain and bone turnover. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postmenopausal osteoporotic women (aged 50-70 years) with bone deformity and back pain were randomized to 10 weekly visits of 30-min SMF (n = 6) or treatment with non-magnetized pads (n = 5) on the back. Primary and secondary outcomes were changes in pain sensation on a visual analogue scale (VAS) during each visit and over 10 weeks, respectively. Tertiary outcomes were changes in osteocalcin and ß-crosslaps. SMF was inhomogeneous with 192 millitesla peak-to-peak value by 19 tesla/meter gradient of the magnetic flux density at 3 mm. RESULTS: Participants randomized to sham had higher VAS at baseline (mean difference: 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-5.2 cm). Both SMF and sham similarly reduced short term pain (sham-SMF: 0.59, 95% CI - 0.31-1.49 cm, p = 0.195). VAS did not change in SMF, while it decreased in the sham group (between-group difference 0.27, 95% CI 0.04-0.50 cm/visit). Bone turnover markers remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: SMF as used in this investigation is not recommended for pain relief in postmenopausal women with vertebral deformity. The finding on long-term pain relief may relate to unbalanced randomization.

Capillary electrochromatography of selected phenolic compounds of Chamomilla recutita.

This article explores the use of capillary electrochromatography for the analysis of chamomile (Chamomilla recutita L.) extracts. After a thorough study of analytical parameters such as mobile and stationary phase composition, applied voltage, and temperature, a methodology to determine 11 bioactive phenolic compounds (coumarins: herniarin, umbelliferone; phenylpropanoids: chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid; flavones: apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside; flavonols: quercetin, rutin and flavanone: naringenin) in chamomile extracts was proposed. The method was performed in a Hypersil SCX/C18 column with pH 2.8 phosphate buffer at 50 mmol L(-1) containing 50% acetonitrile (pH adjusted before the addition of the organic solvent). All compounds were separated in less than 7.5 min under isocratic conditions. Figures of merit include linearity (peak area versus apigenin concentration) from 50.0-1000 microg/mL (r2=0.995), and intra-day precision of retention time and peak area better than 1.3% CV and 15%, respectively. The limits of detection and quantification for apigenin were 35.0 microg/mL and 150.0 microg/mL, respectively. This article also describes an NMR 1H study, carried out to monitor a new clean-up procedure for extracts containing propyleneglycol, whose components are poorly retained in conventional octadecyl silica cartridges.

Increased bone fracture prevalence in postmenopausal women suffering from pollen-allergy.

INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to investigate whether pollen-allergy can affect bone mass and fractures in postmenopausal women. METHODS: A total of 125 postmenopausal pollen-allergic women (mean age: 61.26 yr) were split into four groups: (1) treated with neither H1 histamine receptor (H1R) antagonist nor inhaled corticosteroid (n=43); (2) treated only with H1R antagonist (n=53); (3) treated with both H1R antagonist and inhaled corticosteroid (n=17); (4) treated with only inhaled corticosteroid (n=12). Treatment, in the appropriate groups, had occurred for at least 5 years, seasonally. One-hundred non-allergic postmenopausal subjects matched for age, body mass index (BMI), and age at menopause served as controls. RESULTS: Overweight and obesity (25 kg/m(2) < or =BMI) were common among the allergic women (76%). Allergic patients without treatment had a slightly lower bone density than their non-allergic counterparts. The rate (34.9%) of prevalent low-energy fractures (distal forearm, hip, and clinical vertebral fractures) in untreated allergic patients was almost triple that observed in non-allergic women (13%, chi(2) p=0.003). Bone fracture occurred more often in H1R-only treated patients (30.19%) than in controls (chi(2) p=0.01); however, clinical vertebral or hip fractures developed neither in those treated only with H1R antagonist nor in those who received both H1R antagonist and inhaled corticosteroid. Bone fractures were more frequent among patients with inhaled steroid treatment than among patients with a combined treatment of inhaled steroid and antihistamine (50 versus 29.4%). BMI predicted prevalent fractures at 1.278 (95% CI: 1.047-1.559, p=0.016) for a 1 kg/m(2) increase among untreated allergic patients. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we found a high prevalence of low-energy fractures among pollen-allergic postmenopausal women which was associated with obesity. It is possible that the H1R antagonists compensate for both the negative effect of pollen-allergy and the adverse effect of inhaled corticosteroid treatment on bone fracture risk.

[The role of adrenal and gonadal hormones in the pathogenesis of autoimmune polyarthritis]. / Az adrenalis és a gonadális hormonok szerepe az autoimmun polyarthritisek patogenezisében.

A growing body of recently published results suggest the role of adrenal androgens in the onset and development of chronic inflammatory process due to autoantigens. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA)--the major androgen products of the adrenal gland--have immunosuppressive effect inhibiting interleukin-6 production and substantially determining acute phase reaction. Decreased serum levels of DHEA and DHEAS has been observed in most of autoimmune diseases. Recent data suggest that adrenal hypoandrogenism comes from disturbed neuroendocrine, regulation due to hypothalamic effect of the inflammatory cytokines. On the other side, decreased adrenal androgen activity negatively influences the anabolic tonus of steroid hormone system while a relative enhancement of catabolic pressure occurs by the glucocorticoids. Moreover, the hypothalamus-hypophysis-gonadal axis can also be involved, resulting shifts in serum levels of prolactin, estrogens and gonadal androgens. All these hormonal changes can be summarised in decreasing the immunosuppressive tonus. This hypothesis connects the endocrine dysregulation with the development of autoimmune disorders. The new results promise not only a basically different theory of chronic inflammation but they will permit using new diagnostic tools as well as inducing substantially new and more effective therapeutic approaches.