The feasibility of hyperpolarized [2-13C, 3-2H3]pyruvate for probing gluconeogenesis in vivo was investigated in this study. Whereas hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate has clear access to metabolic pathways that convert pyruvate to lactate, alanine, and bicarbonate, its utility for assessing pyruvate carboxylation and gluconeogenesis has been limited by technical challenges, including spectral overlap and an obscure enzymatic step that decarboxylates the labeled carbon. To achieve unambiguous detection of gluconeogenic products, the carbonyl carbon in pyruvate was labeled with 13C. To prolong the T1 relaxation time, [2-13C, 3-2H3]pyruvate was synthesized and dissolved with D2O after dynamic nuclear polarization. The T1 of [2-13C, 3-2H3]pyruvate in D2O could be improved by 76.9% (79.6 s at 1 T and 74.5 s at 3 T) as compared to [2-13C]pyruvate in water. Hyperpolarized [2-13C, 3-2H3]pyruvate with D2O dissolution was applied to rat livers in vivo under normal feeding and fasting conditions. A gluconeogenic product, [2-13C]phosphoenolpyruvate, was observed at 149.9 ppm from fasted rats only, highlighting the utility of [2-13C, 3-2H3]pyruvate in detecting key gluconeogenic enzyme activities such as pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in vivo.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD) and depression in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. METHODS: A total of 110 NMO patients and 112 healthy individuals were included as a control group, and their SD was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) for women and men, respectively. The FSFI categorizes female sexual dysfunction into six subscores, including libido, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, sexual satisfaction, and pain, while the IIEF categorizes male sexual dysfunction into five subscores, including sexual desire, erection, orgasm, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction. RESULTS: SD was prevalent among NMO patients, with 78% of female patients and 63.2% of male patients reporting SD in at least one subscore. The severity of the disease, as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), was found to be significantly correlated with SD in all subscores, while the duration of the disease was only correlated with the overall satisfaction subscore in men and the pain subscore in women. Furthermore, SD was found to be significantly correlated with depression in these patients. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of addressing SD and depression in NMO patients, as they adversely affect the quality of life. The findings suggest that the physical aspects of SD are mostly affected by the severity of the disease, while psychological aspects are highly correlated with the chronicity of the disease.
Pneumonia is one of the most common complications in intensive care units and is the most common nosocomial infection in this setting. Patients with neurocritical conditions who are admitted to ICUs are no exception, and in fact, are more prone to infections such as pneumonia because of factors such as swallow dysfunction, need for mechanical ventilation, longer length of stay in hospitals, etc. Common central nervous system pathologies such as ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, neuromuscular disorders, status epilepticus, and demyelinating diseases can cause long in-hospital admissions and increase the risk of pneumonia each with a mechanism of its own. Brain injury-induced immunosuppression syndrome is usually considered the common mechanism through which patients with critical central nervous system conditions become susceptible to different kinds of infection including pneumonia. Evaluating the patients and assessment of the risk factors can lead our attention toward better infection control in this population and therefore decrease the risk of infections in central nervous system injuries.
BACKGROUND: Mucormycosis is a rare and invasive fungal infection, affecting almost exclusively immunocompromised individuals. Immunosuppressive effects of corticosteroids which are widely prescribed in COVID-19 patients might be a predisposing factor for opportunistic infections even though the other factors should also be considered. Case Presentation. A middle-aged man without any significant past medical history was admitted to the hospital due to a severe COVID-19 infection. He received a high dose of corticosteroids as a part of the treatment. Five days after discharge, he presents with a headache and fever. Eventually, orbital mucormycosis was diagnosed for him and he was treated with antifungal medications. CONCLUSION: Opportunistic infections should be considered during the current pandemic of COVID-19, during which corticosteroids are widely prescribed.
