Rotavirus infection increases the risk of bacteremia in children with nontyphoid Salmonella gastroenteritis.

To evaluate whether there is any impact of rotavirus infection on nontyphoid Salmonella (NTS) gastroenteritis, a total of 207 diarrheal children who had positive stool culture for NTS and also a stool examination for the rotavirus antigen were retrospectively analyzed. According to the positivity of the stool rotavirus antigen, patients were divided into two groups and compared with regard to demographic data, clinical features, laboratory findings, and complications. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups of patients with regard to demographic data, clinical features, and laboratory findings, except that vomiting was more common in patients with a coinfection of rotavirus (70.4% vs 40.0%, P = 0.003). Complication by bacteremia occurred more frequently in patients with coinfection of rotavirus (32% vs 9.3%, P = 0.004), but none of them developed extraintestinal focal infections, which were observed only in patients with isolated NTS infection. Our study indicated that concomitant rotavirus infection increased the risk of bacteremia in children with NTS gastroenteritis, although the prognosis remained favorable.

Gabapentin toxicity: an important cause of altered consciousness in patients with uraemia.

Gabapentin toxicity should be considered one of the differential diagnoses of altered consciousness in patients with compromised renal function even after a single dose. We report a 57-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus and uraemia on regular haemodialysis who developed severe dizziness and lethargy after a single recommended dose of gabapentin for bilateral leg dysthesia. Because of progressive drowsiness and decreasing level of consciousness, one session of haemodialysis was performed and clinical recovery was dramatic. The adverse effects of gabapentin seem to vary from person to person and should be viewed with a high degree of suspicion, especially in patients taking this drug at the beginning.

The inhibitory actions by lacosamide, a functionalized amino acid, on voltage-gated Na+ currents.

The effect of lacosamide (LCS), a functionalized molecule with anti-convulsant properties, on ion channels was investigated, with the aid of patch clamp technology and simulation modeling. In NSC-34 neuronal cells, LCS was found to block voltage-gated Na(+) current (INa) in a frequency- and concentration-dependent manner. With the two-step voltage protocol, a minimal change in the steady-state inactivation of INa was found in the presence of LCS. However, with repetitive stimulation, the pulse-to-pulse reduction in peak current was shown to be exponential, with a rate linearly related to both the inter-stimulus interval and the LCS concentration. In addition, the frequency-dependent blocking properties were modeled by considering the drug interaction with a voltage-dependent mixture of NaV channels harboring either an accessible or an inaccessible binding site. LCS also increased the dimension of inactivation space of NaV-channel states, thereby producing the adaptive response of neurons to previous firing. LCS (30 µM) had no effects on the non-inactivating component of INa, while it slightly decreased the amplitude of delayed-rectifier K(+) current. Moreover, LCS suppressed the peak amplitude of INa in embryonic cortical neurons. In human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells which expressed SCN5A, LCS attenuated the peak amplitude of INa, in a concentration-dependent fashion. The unique effects of LCS on NaV currents presented here may contribute to its in vivo modulation of cellular excitability.

Mechanisms of resveratrol-induced changes in cytosolic free calcium ion concentrations and cell viability in OC2 human oral cancer cells.

Resveratrol is a natural compound that affects cellular calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis and viability in different cells. This study examined the effect of resveratrol on cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)]i) and viability in OC2 human oral cancer cells. The Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2 was used to measure [Ca(2+)]i, and water-soluble tetrazolium-1 was used to measure viability. Resveratrol evoked concentration-dependent increase in [Ca(2+)]i. The response was reduced by removing extracellular Ca(2+). Resveratrol also caused manganese-induced fura-2 fluorescence quench. Resveratrol-evoked Ca(2+) entry was inhibited by nifedipine and the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF109203X but was not altered by econazole, SKF96365, and the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate. In Ca(2+)-free medium, treatment with the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pump inhibitor 2,5-di-tert-butylhydroquinone (BHQ) abolished resveratrol-evoked [Ca(2+)]i rise. Conversely, treatment with resveratrol inhibited BHQ-evoked [Ca(2+)]i rise. Inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC) with U73122 abolished resveratrol-evoked [Ca(2+)]i rise. At 20-100 µM, resveratrol decreased cell viability, which was not affected by chelating cytosolic Ca(2+)with 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethyl ester. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate staining data suggest that resveratrol at 20-40 µM induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Collectively, in OC2 cells, resveratrol induced [Ca(2+)]i rise by evoking PLC-dependent Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum and by causing Ca(2+) entry via nifedipine-sensitive, PKC-regulated mechanisms. Resveratrol also caused Ca(2+)-independent apoptosis.

Underlying mechanism of regulatory actions of diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, on neuronal potassium channels and firing: an experimental and theoretical study.

Diclofenac (DIC), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is known to exert anti-nociceptive and anti-convulsant actions; however, its effects on ion currents, in neurons remain debatable. We aimed to investigate (1) potential effects of diclofenac on membrane potential and potassium currents in differentiated NSC-34 neuronal cells and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons with whole-cell patch-clamp technology, and (2) firing of action potentials (APs), using a simulation model from hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons based on diclofenac's effects on potassium currents. In the NSC-34 cells, diclofenac exerted an inhibitory effect on delayed-rectifier K⁺ current (I(KDR)) with an IC50 value of 73 µM. Diclofenac not merely inhibited the I(KDR) amplitude in response to membrane depolarization, but also accelerated the process of current inactivation. The inhibition by diclofenac of IK(DR) was not reversed by subsequent application of either naloxone. Importantly, diclofenac (300 µM) increased the amplitude of M-type K⁺ current (I)(KM)), while flupirtine (10 µM) or meclofenamic acid (10 µM) enhanced it effectively. Consistently, diclofenac (100 µM) increased the amplitude of I(KM) and diminished the I(KDR) amplitude, with a shortening of inactivation time constant in DRG neurons. Furthermore, by using the simulation modeling, we demonstrated the potential electrophysiological mechanisms underlying changes in AP firing caused by diclofenac. During the exposure to diclofenac, the actions on both I(KM) and I(KDR) could be potential mechanism through which it influences the excitability of fast-spiking neurons. Caution needs to be made in attributing the effects of diclofenac primarily to those produced by the activation of I(KM).

Gabapentin toxicity: an important cause of altered consciousness in patients with uraemia.

Gabapentin toxicity should be considered one of the differential diagnoses of altered consciousness in patients with compromised renal function, even after a single dose. We report a 57-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus and uraemia on regular haemodialysis who developed severe dizziness and lethargy after a single recommended dose of gabapentin for bilateral leg dysthesia. Because of progressive drowsiness and decreasing level of consciousness, one session of haemodialysis was performed and clinical recovery was dramatic. The adverse effects of gabapentin seem to vary from person to person and should be viewed with a high degree of suspicion, especially in patients taking this drug at the beginning.

Fused-silica focusing lens for deep UV laser processing.

A simple four-element fused-silica lens is presented that has a focal length of 31.2 mm and a relative aperture of f/1 for use as a focusing lens for deep UV laser processing. The curvature of the lens is designed with a practical design method to match the curvature of existing optical tools. By applying an 8.5-mm beam diameter Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 266 nm through the lens, we can easily achieve the percussion drilled into samples of 25-microm-thick tantalum foil with a hole diameter of <6 microm. When the lens and/or the sample is tilted, the shape of the drilled hole is in agreement with the Gaussian beam spot simulation.

Ganglionic hamartoma of the intracanalicular acoustic nerve causing sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: This article highlights the clinical presentation and treatment issues of ganglionic hamartoma of the internal auditory canal and emphasizes the similarity of this lesion to acoustic neuroma regarding its audiologic and radiographic characteristics. STUDY DESIGN: This article is composed of case reports and a literature review. SETTING: The study was performed at a university hospital/tertiary referral center. PATIENT: A patient with biopsy-proven ganglionic hamartoma of the acoustic nerve was studied. INTERVENTION: Intervention consisted of surgical therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measure was clinical evaluation. RESULTS: The result was successful removal of lesions with facial nerve preservation. CONCLUSIONS: An intracanalicular ganglionic hamartoma resulted in progressive sensorineural hearing loss and magnetic resonance imaging findings suggestive of small acoustic neuroma. This lesion, composed of an admixture of ganglion cells, fibroadipose-tissue, and normal myelinated axons, although rare, should be added to the differential diagnosis of internal auditory canal lesions.

Toxicity of different industrial effluents in Taiwan: a comparison of the sensitivity of Daphnia similis and Microtox.

Industrial effluents are known to exhibit toxicity toward different aquatic organisms. In Taiwan management of these discharges still relies on chemical and physical and physical characteristics of water, although various standard method for assessing aquatic toxicity have been proposed by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration. In this study we examined the toxicity and compared the sensitivity of different types of industrial effluents using two proposed toxicity tests: the Daphnia similis acute toxicity test and the Microtox acute assay (Vibrio fischeri). Results showed that electroplating effluents were the most toxic of all the effluents tested, followed by acrylonitrile manufacturing, pulp/paper, and tannery effluents. The EC50 of an electroplating effluent for D. similis and V. fischeri (15 min) was as low as, respectively, 2.9% and 3.9% of the whole effluent. The other effluents were not acutely toxic to either organism tested. However, the tests exhibited different sensitivity toward various discharges. Only the electroplating and acrylonitrile manufacturing effluents had effects on both organisms. These results indicate the importance of the incorporation of aquatic toxicity tests into the management scheme for treated wastewaters.

Alveolar mononuclear cells can develop into multinucleated osteoclasts: an in vitro cell culture model.

Previous studies have shown that osteoclasts are derived from mononuclear cells of hemopoietic bone marrow and peripheral blood. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the presence of multinucleated osteoclasts after adding alveolar mononuclear cells to new-born rat calvaria osteoblasts in vitro. To utilize osteoclast-free bone, fetal calvariae were obtained from newborn Wistar-rats and cultured in DMEM medium for 14 days. On the day of osteoblast culture, alveolar mononuclear cells were isolated from newborn Wistar rats with a serial washing method and then co-cultured with the calvarial osteoblasts. Bone resorption characteristics were observed both with light and scanning electron microscopy. When alveolar mononuclear cells were cultured for 14 days on the calvarial osteoblasts in response to 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, they formed tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive mononuclear and multinucleated cells. Resorption pits were seen in the 7-14 days long-term cultures. These results indicate that osteoclasts can be derived from alveolar mononuclear cells in vitro when a suitable microenvironment is provided by calvarial osteoblasts and vitamin D(3).

The influence of hydroxyapatite particles on osteoclast cell activities.

Aseptic loosening after total joint arthroplasty is a major problem in orthopedic surgery. Small particles from material wear have been reported as the main cause of implant failure. For this reason, investigation into possible wear particles from the materials used in the implant may lead to longevity after arthroplasty. Hydroxyapatite (HA) has been extensively investigated and reported as an excellent biomaterial with excellent biocompatibility. In this study, we used an in vitro osteoblast/osteoclast model to test the biocompatibility of various-sized HA particles. Primary osteoclasts/osteoblasts were co-cultured with different-sized HA particles (0.5-3.0 microm, 37-53 microm, 177-205 microm, and 420-841 microm) for 3 h, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days. Cellular responses to the HA particles were evaluated by changes in cell counts and the secretion of transforming growth factor (TGF-beta1), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), prostaglandin (PGE2), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the supernatant of the culture media. The results showed that osteoblasts/osteoclasts co-cultured with HA particles smaller than 53 microm undergo the most significant changes. Cellular counts significantly decreased, and the changes were more obvious in the osteoblast population. There also was a significant decrease in TGF-beta1 concentration and a significant increase in PGE2 and LDH concentration, but there were no changes in the TNF-alpha or ALP titer. It can be concluded that larger HA particles may be quite compatible with bone cells while smaller-sized HA particles can both activate the osteoclasts and decrease the cell population of the osteoblasts. Justification for the additional expense incurred with the use of hydroxyapatite in primary total hip arthroplasty should be further evaluated.