BACKGROUND

A percutaneously placed implantable intravascular defibrillator (PICD) has been developed with a right ventricular (RV) single-coil lead and titanium electrodes in the superior vena cava (SVC) and the inferior vena cava (IVC). This study evaluated implant techniques, device stability, and anchor histology of the PICD over 9 months in a canine model.

METHODS

Twenty-four hounds (wt = 30-55 kg) were anesthetized and a custom sheath introduced into the right femoral vein. The PICD was advanced over a wire and positioned with the titanium electrodes (cathodes) in the SVC and the IVC. A nitinol anchor secured the device in the jugular. The RV lead was positioned in the RV apex and screwed into place. The catheters, wires, and sheath were removed with an average implant time of 14 minutes. In one group of animals (n = 13), serial venograms were performed at 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days. In a second group (n = 6) and third group (n = 5), venograms were also performed at 90 days and 270 days, respectively. Six canines were sacrificed and anchor histologic examination done at 90 days.

RESULTS

All implants were successful with no surgical complications observed. Devices (N = 24) remained appropriately positioned with no anchor migration. Histology at 90 days showed 98% endothelialization of the anchor. Venograms revealed patent IVC and jugular veins in all animals at every time point examined.

CONCLUSIONS

The PICD can be rapidly and chronically implanted in animals. Long-term intravascular defibrillator placement is feasible in a canine model.

The so-called contingent negative variation (CNV) is a slow brain potential representing a complex of variously overlapped "endogenous" components of behavior related to different reasonably well-known neurocognitive processes. CNV complex evoked with a standard paradigm (S1-2 sec-S2-motor response) and reaction time (RT) to imperative signal (S2) were recorded and measured in 11 patients with initial presenile idiopathic cognitive decline (PICD), 8 with presenile Alzheimer-type dementia (PAD) and 10 healthy age-matched controls. Significant group differences were obtained for measures of some CNV components, particularly of the late pre-S2 CNV. No significant CNV activity, very prolonged RTs and sometimes characteristic post-imperative negative variation (PINV) were observed in the majority of patients with PAD. These results suggest that CNV complex and RT changes similar to those observed in our patients may constitute a valuable clue for the study of pathophysiological brain functioning in the early stages of presenile idiopathic mental deterioration.

UNASSIGNED

Nonselective β-blockers (NSBB) have been associated with increased incidence of paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction (PICD) and reduced survival in patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites.

UNASSIGNED

To prospectively evaluate a hemodynamic response to NSBB in cirrhotics listed for liver transplantation with refractory ascites undergoing large volume paracentesis (LVP).

UNASSIGNED

Patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites, with an indication to start NSBB in primary prophylaxis for variceal bleeding, were enrolled. During two consecutive LVP, while being, respectively, off and on NSBB, cardiac output (CO), systemic vascular resistances (SVR), peripheral vascular resistances (PVR), and plasma renin activity (PRA) were noninvasively assessed.

UNASSIGNED

Seventeen patients were enrolled, and 10 completed the study. Before NSBB introduction, SVR (1896 to 1348 dyn·s·cm-5; p = 0.028) and PVR (47 to 30 mmHg·min·dl·ml-1; p = 0.04) significantly decreased after LVP, while CO showed an increasing trend (3.9 to 4.5 l/m; p = 0.06). After NSBB introduction, LVP was not associated with a significant increase in CO (3.4 to 3.8 l/m; p = 0.13) nor with a significant decrease in SVR (2002 versus 1798 dyn·s·cm-5; p = 0.1). Incidence of PICD was not increased after NSBB introduction.

UNASSIGNED

The negative inotropic effect of NSBB was counterbalanced by a smaller decrease of vascular resistances after LVP, probably due to splanchnic β2-blockade. This pilot study showed that NSBB introduction may be void of detrimental hemodynamic effects after LVP in cirrhotics with refractory ascites.

Previous studies suggested that right ventricular pacing was associated with pacing-induced cardiac dysfunction (PICD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics including the incidence of undiagnosed cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) in patients with atrioventricular block (AVB) who manifest PICD. We retrospectively investigated consecutive patients with permanent pacemaker (PPM) undergoing a first-generator replacement surgery with a new PPM or an upgrade procedure to a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device between December 1, 2011 and June 30, 2017. Patients with AVB showing normal echocardiographic findings before PPM implantation were included and divided into 2 groups: patients with post-PPM left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40% and/or undergoing an upgrade procedure to CRT (PICD group) and patients with post-PPM LVEF ≥ 40% who underwent replacement surgery with a new PPM (no-PICD group). There were 15 and 41 patients in the PICD and no-PICD groups, respectively. A wider-paced QRS duration just after the PPM implantation and/or lower pre-PPM LVEF was observed in the PICD group. Furthermore, 46.7% of the PICD patients (7/15) satisfied the diagnostic criteria for CS according to the guideline of the Japanese Circulation Society, although no patients fulfilled these criteria before PPM implantation. In conclusion, a high incidence of CS was observed in patients with AVB who had PICD. However, none of these patients was diagnosed with CS before PPM implantation.

Cyclodextrin and its derivatives are widely used as selectors of chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) due to their unique molecular structure and resolution capability. Three mono(6(A)-N-(ω-alkenylamino)-6(A)-deoxy)perphenylcarbamoylated β-cyclodextrin (PICD) based CSPs with different length spacers have been prepared, with their enantioseparation abilities evaluated with 10 model racemates including aromatic alcohols, flavanone compounds, amine and non-protolytic compounds under normal-phase conditions. The effect of spacer length and surface loading on the enantioseparation performance of CSPs is investigated herewith. The results indicate that higher surface loading 6C-PICD displays the best enantioselectivities towards selected racemates under normal-phase conditions.

Protection from physical noxae must include multiple approaches; physical irritant contact dermatitis develops most likely when the cumulative exposure to several physical factors, such as climatic environmental conditions and friction, pressure or occlusion is given. The additive effect of these conditions, frequently found in modern working environments, not only provokes barrier disturbances, but also inflammatory reactions of the deeper layers of the skin. This review reflects on some examples of occupational physical irritant contact dermatitis (PICD) and the current understanding of its possible pathomechanism. On the one hand, the literature reveals epidemiological studies and case reports and on the other hand murine studies. The combination of both views may permit new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of PICD and its prevention.

UNASSIGNED

The purpose of this study was to characterize the pulsatile motion of trabecular meshwork (TM) in normal subjects and demonstrate its changes in accommodation with phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PhS-OCT).

UNASSIGNED

A new PhS-OCT laboratory prototype was designed to measure pulsatile TM motion in 13 healthy humans. Two sets of images were captured in 10 subjects, first with best corrective refraction and the other with an additional 3.0 diopters of accommodation. In each image, both maximum velocity (MV) and cumulative displacement (CD) in two selected regions of TM, the internal (IMV and ICD) and external (EMV and ECD) region, were measured.

UNASSIGNED

For all parameters the intraclass correlation coefficient was >0.75. Neither MV nor CD was significantly different between eyes in individual subjects (PIMV = 0.967, PEMV = 0.391, PICD = 0.603, PECD = 0.482). In 26 eyes, with best corrective refraction, the EMV was higher than the IMV (23.9 ± 9.8 vs. 18.9 ± 8.08 μm/s; P = 0.0001), as was the ECD compared with the ICD (0.340 ±0.125 vs. 0.264 ± 0.111 μm; P = 0.000004). With accommodation, MV and CD significantly increased (PIMV = 0.0003, PEMV = 0.0003, PICD = 0.019, and PECD = 0.007), whereas MV and CD in the external region were still larger than those in the internal area (PEMV vs. IMV = 0.009, PECD vs. ICD = 0.023).

UNASSIGNED

This study demonstrates the differences in TM motion between the internal and external regions of TM and displays its change with accommodation. The findings and good reproducibility suggest PhS-OCT helps to understand TM function in regulation of IOP, and, with further refinements, it may be useful in clinical management of glaucoma.

Neonates are highly susceptible to microbial infections which is partially attributable to fundamental phenotypic and functional differences between effector cells of the adult and neonatal immune system. The resolution of the inflammation is essential to return to tissue homeostasis, but given that various neonatal diseases, such as periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, are characterized by sustained inflammation, newborns seem predisposed to a dysregulation of the inflammatory response. Targeted apoptosis of effector cells is generally known to control the length and extent of the inflammation, and previous studies have demonstrated that phagocytosis-induced cell death (PICD), a special type of apoptosis in phagocytic immune cells, is less frequently triggered in neonatal monocytes than in adult monocytes. We concluded that a rescue of monocyte PICD could be a potential therapeutic approach to target sustained inflammation in neonates. The EGFR ligand amphiregulin (AREG) is shed in response to bacterial infection and was shown to mediate cellular apoptosis resistance. We hypothesized that AREG might contribute to the reduced PICD of neonatal monocytes by affecting apoptosis signaling. In this study, we have examined a cascade of signaling events involved in extrinsic apoptosis by using a well-established in vitro E. coli infection model in monocytes from human peripheral blood (PBMO) and cord blood (CBMO). We found that CBMO shows remarkably higher pro-AREG surface expression as well as soluble AREG levels in response to infection as compared to PBMO. AREG increases intracellular MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels and induces cleavage of membrane-bound FasL through engagement with the EGF receptor. Our results demonstrate that loss of AREG rescues PICD in CBMO to the level comparable to adult monocytes. These findings identify AREG as a potential target for the prevention of prolonged inflammation in neonates.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes the relapse of illness in immunocompromised patients, leading to prolonged hospitalization, increased medical expense, and death. In this report, we show that PA invades natural killer (NK) cells and induces phagocytosis-induced cell death (PICD) of lymphocytes. In vivo tumor metastasis was augmented by PA infection, with a significant reduction in NK cell number. Adoptive transfer of NK cells mitigated PA-induced metastasis. Internalization of PA into NK cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, PA invaded NK cells via phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation, and the phagocytic event led to caspase 9-dependent apoptosis of NK cells. PA-mediated NK cell apoptosis was dependent on activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These data suggest that the phagocytosis of PA by NK cells is a critical event that affects the relapse of diseases in immunocompromised patients, such as those with cancer, and provides important insights into the interactions between PA and NK cells.

Both the ICD-11 and the DSM-5 (Section III) classification systems introduced dimensional models of personality disorders, with five broad domains called the Pathological Big Five. Nevertheless, despite large congruence between the two models, there are also substantial differences between them, with the most evident being the conceptualization of the fifth dimension: Anankastia in the ICD-11 vs. Psychoticism in the DSM-5. The current paper seeks an answer to the question of which domain is structurally better justified as the fifth trait in the dimensional model of personality disorders. For this purpose, we provided both a conceptual and empirical comparison of the ICD-11 and the DSM-5 models, adopting the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits-a comprehensive model of personality structure built on the basis of the higher-order factors of the Big Five-as a reference framework. Two studies were conducted: the first on a sample of 242 adults (52.9% female; M _age = 30.63, SD _age = 11.82 years), and the second on a sample of 355 adults (50.1% female; M _age = 29.97, SD _age = 12.26 years) from the non-clinical population. The Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), and the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits Questionnaire-Short Form (CPM-Q-SF) were administered in both studies, together with the PID-5BF+M algorithm for measuring a common (ICD-11 + DSM-5) six-domain model. Obtained empirical findings generally support our conceptual considerations that the ICD-11 model more comprehensively covered the area of personality pathology than the DSM-5 model, with Anankastia revealed as a more specific domain of personality disorders as well as more cohesively located within the overall personality structure, in comparison to Psychoticism. Moreover, the results corroborated the bipolar relations of Anankastia vs. Disinhibition domains. These results also correspond with the pattern of relationships found in reference to the Big Five domains of normal personality, which were also included in the current research. All our findings were discussed in the context of suggestions for the content and conceptualization of pathological personality traits that flow from the CPM as a comprehensive model of personality structure including both pathological and normal poles of personality dimensions.

Keywords: Big Five; Circumplex of Personality Metatraits; DSM-5; ICD-11; personality disorders.

Neonates are extremely susceptible to bacterial infections, and evidences suggest that phagocytosis-induced cell death (PICD) is less frequently triggered in neonatal monocytes than in monocytes from adult donors. An insufficient termination of the inflammatory response, leading to a prolonged survival of neonatal monocytes with ongoing proinflammatory cytokine release, could be associated with the progression of various inflammatory diseases in neonates. Our previous data indicate that amphiregulin (AREG) is increasingly expressed on the cell surface of neonatal monocytes, resulting in remarkably higher soluble AREG levels after proteolytic shedding. In this study, we found that E. coli-infected neonatal monocytes show an increased phosphorylation of ERK, increased expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X_L, and reduced levels of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 compared to adult monocytes. In both cell types, additional stimulation with soluble AREG further increased ERK activation and expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X_L and reduced levels of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 in an EGFR-dependent manner. These data suggest that reduced PICD of neonatal monocytes could be due to reduced intrinsic apoptosis and that AREG can promote protection against PICD. This reduction of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in neonatal monocytes could be relevant for severely prolonged inflammatory responses of neonates.

Two methods of laser-induced mass-selective chiral analysis based on circular dichroism have been reported in the literature: photo-ion circular dichroism (PICD) and photo-electron circular dichroism (PECD). In PICD, a difference in total ion yields upon multiphoton ionization with circular polarized light is measured, whereas in PECD, the circular dichroism is observed in the angular distribution of the photoelectrons. Here, we report the first coincident measurement of the PICD and PECD effects. A home-built photoion-photoelectron coincidence spectrometer has been used to measure both the PICD and the PECD effects simultaneously under the same measurement conditions. Pure samples of R- and S-methyloxirane have been photo-ionized using a femtosecond laser operation at 396 nm.

Early diagnosis of presenile Alzheimer's disease (AD), which would serve for prognosis and for guiding choices of treatment, is still an important, difficult task for the clinical neurologist. We studied 24 patients, 12 of whom had minor cognitive impairment or questionable dementia (PICD) and 12 who met NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for presenile AD (PAD). Using clinical, neuropsychological, neurophysiological and neuroradiological methods, we followed the patients up to two disease end-points: death or untestable condition. This paper concentrates on the main clinical and neuropsychological findings relative to these two end-points. All PAD patients evolved into clinically evident Alzheimer-type dementia, became untestable within 60 months and died within 72 months. Only 3 of the PICD patients became demented; 2 of them died during the follow-up and 1 died eight months later. The other 9 PICD patients showed only moderate cognitive decline, compatible with normal aging processes. Neurophysiological and neuroradiological findings might be an important tool for arriving at a correct early diagnosis, when they are assessed with clinical neuropsychological data.

BACKGROUND

An intravascular, percutaneously placed implantable defibrillator (InnerPulse percutaneous intravascular cardioverter-defibrillator [PICD]) with a right ventricular (RV) single-coil lead and titanium electrodes in the superior vena cava (SVC) and the inferior vena cava (IVC) has been developed.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare defibrillation thresholds (DFTs) of the PICD to those of a conventional implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in canines.

METHODS

Eight Bluetick hounds were randomized to initial placement of either a PICD or a conventional ICD. For PICD DFTs, a single-coil RV defibrillator lead was placed in the RV apex, and the device was positioned in the venous vasculature with electrodes in the SVC and IVC. With the conventional ICD, an RV lead was placed in the RV apex and an SVC coil was appropriately positioned. The ICD active can (AC) was implanted in a subcutaneous pocket formed in the left anterior chest wall and connected to the lead system. DFT was determined by a three-reversal, step up-down method to estimate the 80% success level. Two configurations were tested for the conventional ICD (#1: RV to SVC+AC; #2: RV to AC). A single configuration (RV to SVC+IVC) was evaluated for the PICD.

RESULTS

Mean PICD DFT was 14.8 ± 1.53 (SE) J. Conventional #1 configuration demonstrated mean DFT of 20.2 ± 2.45 J and #2 of 27.5 ± 1.95 J. The PICD had a significantly lower DFT than the better conventional ICD configuration (#1; mean difference 5.4 ± 2.1 J, P <.05, paired t-test, N = 8).

CONCLUSIONS

The new intravascular defibrillator had a significantly lower DFT than the conventional ICD in this canine model.

OBJECTIVE

For many cardiac clinics, list-mode PET is impractical. Therefore, separate dynamic and ECG-gated acquisitions are needed to detect harmful stenoses, indicate affected coronary arteries, and estimate stenosis severity. However, physicians usually order gated studies only because of dose, time, and cost limitations. These gated studies are limited to detection. In an effort to remove these limitations, we developed a novel curve-fitting algorithm [incomplete data (ICD)] to accurately calculate coronary flow reserve (CFR) from a combined dynamic-ECG protocol of a length equal to a typical gated scan.

METHODS

We selected several retrospective dynamic studies to simulate shortened dynamic acquisitions of the combined protocol and compared (a) the accuracy of ICD and a nominal method in extrapolating the complete functional form of arterial input functions (AIFs); and (b) the accuracy of ICD and ICD-AP (ICD with a-posteriori knowledge of complete-data AIFs) in predicting CFRs.

RESULTS

According to the Akaike information criterion, AIFs predicted by ICD were more accurate than those predicted by the nominal method in 11 out of 12 studies. CFRs predicted by ICD and ICD-AP were similar to complete-data predictions (PICD=0.94 and PICD-AP=0.91) and had similar average errors (eICD=2.82% and eICD-AP=2.79%).

CONCLUSIONS

According to a nuclear cardiologist and an expert analyst of PET data, both ICD and ICD-AP predicted CFR values with sufficient accuracy for the clinic. Therefore, by using our method, physicians in cardiac clinics would have access to the necessary amount of information to differentiate between single-vessel and triple-vessel disease for treatment decision making.

BACKGROUND

A percutaneously placed, totally intravascular defibrillator has been developed that shocks via a right ventricular (RV) single-coil and titanium electrodes in the superior vena cava (SVC) and the inferior vena cava (IVC). This study evaluated the defibrillation threshold (DFT) with this electrode configuration to determine the effect of different biphasic waveform tilts and second-phase durations as well as the contribution of the IVC electrode.

METHODS

Eight Bluetick hounds (wt = 30-40 kg) were anesthetized and the RV coil (first-phase anode) was placed in the RV apex. The intravascular defibrillator (PICD®, Model no. IIDM-G, InnerPulse Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA) was positioned such that the titanium electrodes were in the SVC and IVC . Ventricular fibrillation was electrically induced and a Bayesian up-down technique was employed to determine DFT with two configurations: RV to SVC + IVC and RV to SVC. Three waveform tilts (65%, 50%, and 42%) and two second-phase durations (equal to the first phase [balanced] and truncated at 3 ms [unbalanced]) were randomly tested. The source capacitance of the defibrillator was 120 μF for all waveforms.

RESULTS

DFT with the IVC electrode was significantly lower than without the IVC electrode for all waveforms tested (527 ± 9.3 V [standard error], 14.5 J vs 591 ± 7.4 V, 18.5 J, P < 0.001). Neither waveform tilt nor second-phase duration significantly changed the DFT.

CONCLUSIONS

In canines, a totally intravascular implantable defibrillator with electrodes in the RV apex, SVC, and IVC had a DFT similar to that of standard nonthoracotomy lead systems. No significant effect was noted with changes in tilt or with balanced or unbalanced waveforms.

Ultrafast high-density photonic integrated circuit devices (PICDs) are not easily obtained using traditional index-guiding mechanisms. In this paper, photonic bandgap crystal resonator enhanced, laser-controlled modulations of optical interconnect PICDs were achieved in slab-type mix-guiding configuration - through developed CMOS-compatible processing technologies. The devices, with smallest critical dimensions of 90 nm have footprints of less than 5 x 5 microm(2). Quality-factors an order larger than previously realized was achieved. Through use of effective coupling structures; simultaneous alignment for probing and pumping laser beams, optical measurements of both instantaneous free carriers induced device modulations were obtained together with thermo-optical effects characterizations.

Picolinic acid (PA) is a natural toxic pyridine derivative. Microorganisms can degrade and utilize PA for growth. However, the full catabolic pathway of PA and its physiological and genetic foundation remain unknown. In this study, we identified a gene cluster, designated picRCEDFB4B3B2B1A1A2A3, responsible for the degradation of PA from Alcaligenes faecalis JQ135. Our results suggest that PA degradation pathway occurs as follows: PA was initially 6-hydroxylated to 6-hydroxypicolinic acid (6HPA) by PicA (a PA dehydrogenase). 6HPA was then 3-hydroxylated by PicB, a four-component 6HPA monooxygenase, to form 3,6-dihydroxypicolinic acid (3,6DHPA), which was then converted into 2,5-dihydroxypyridine (2,5DHP) by the decarboxylase PicC. 2,5DHP was further degraded to fumaric acid through PicD (2,5DHP 5,6-dioxygenase), PicE (N-formylmaleamic acid deformylase), PicF (maleamic acid amidohydrolase), and PicG (maleic acid isomerase). Homologous pic gene clusters with diverse organizations were found to be widely distributed in Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria Our findings provide new insights into the microbial catabolism of environmental toxic pyridine derivatives.IMPORTANCE Picolinic acid is a common metabolite of l-tryptophan and some aromatic compounds and is an important intermediate in organic chemical synthesis. Although the microbial degradation/detoxification of picolinic acid has been studied for over 50 years, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unknown. Here, we show that the pic gene cluster is responsible for the complete degradation of picolinic acid. The pic gene cluster was found to be widespread in other Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the catabolic mechanisms of picolinic acid in bacteria.

Annually, 10% of cirrhotic patients with ascites develop refractory ascites for which large-volume paracentesis (LVP) is a frequently used therapeutic procedure. LVP, although a safe method, is associated with circulatory dysfunction in a significant percentage of patients, which is termed paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction (PICD). PICD results in faster reaccumulation of ascites, hyponatremia, renal impairment, and shorter survival. PICD is diagnosed through laboratory results, with increases of >50% of baseline plasma renin activity to a value ≥4 ng/mL/h on the fifth to sixth day after paracentesis. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology and prevention of PICD.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of low dose Albumin i.e. 4 grams per litre of ascitic fluid after large volume paracentesis (LVP) for the prevention of paracentesis induced circulatory dysfunction (PICD) related renal impairment in cirrhosis.

METHODS

Case records of all patients with cirrhosis who underwent LVP from January 12(th), 2011 till December 29(th), 2013 were reviewed. Patients were excluded if they had spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, creatinine >1.5 mg/dl, hepatoma or if volume of ascitic fluid removed was <5 litres. Data including age, gender, cause of cirrhosis, CTP score and volume of ascitic fluid drained were noted. In addition serum creatinine and serum sodium at baseline and one week post paracentesis were recorded.

RESULTS

Two hundred and fourteen patients with cirrhosis underwent LVP during the study period. One hundred and thirty nine patients met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the amount of albumin given. The amount of albumin given was 25 grams and 50 grams while the volume of ascitic fluid removed were 6.2±1 litres and 10.4±1.5 litres in groups A and B respectively. One hundred and eight patients were in group A while thirty one patients were in group B respectively. Both groups received albumin at a dose of 4 grams per litre of ascitic fluid removed. Mean age in both groups were 53 years. Hepatitis C was the commonest etiology in both the groups, followed by Hepatitis B. More than 70% patients in both the groups were in child class C. Serum creatinine at baseline and one week post LVP was 1.04±0.24 mg/dl and 1.07±0.35 mg/dl in GROUP A while 1.11±0.23 mg/dl and 1.41±0.94 mg/dl in GROUP B. (P value 0.35). Similarly, serum sodium at baseline and one week post LVP was 130 ±5.6 meq/lit and 129.6±5.9 meq/lit in GROUP A while 127.6±5.8 meq/lit and 128±6.2 meq/lit in GROUP B respectively. (P value 0.14).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that 4 grams of albumin per litre of ascitic fluid drained is effective in preventing the PICD related renal impairment following large volume paracentesis in cirrhosis.

Optimal innate immune response to infection includes eradication of potential pathogens, resolution of associated inflammation, and restitution of homeostasis. Phagocytosing human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (hPMN) undergo accelerated apoptosis, a process referred to as phagocytosis-induced cell death (PICD) and an early step in their clearance from inflammatory sites. Among human pathogens that modulate hPMN apoptosis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae delays PICD, which may contribute to the exuberant neutrophilic inflammation that characterizes gonorrhea. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying delayed PICD, we compared features of hPMN cell death that followed phagocytosis of N. gonorrhoeae FA1090 wild-type (GC) or serum-opsonized zymosan (OPZ), a prototypical stimulus of PICD. Phosphatidylserine externalization required NADPH oxidase activity after ingestion of GC or OPZ, and annexin V staining and DNA fragmentation were less after phagocytosis of GC compared to OPZ. Caspase 3/7 and caspase 9 activities after phagocytosis of GC were less than that seen after ingestion of OPZ, but caspase 8 activity was the same after ingestion of GC or OPZ. When hPMN sequentially ingested GC followed by OPZ, both caspase 3/7 and 9 activities were less than that seen after OPZ alone, and the inhibition was dose dependent for GC, suggesting that ingestion of GC actively inhibited PICD. Sequential phagocytosis did not block caspase 8 activity, mitochondrial depolarization, or annexin V/propidium iodide staining compared to responses of hPMN fed OPZ alone, despite inhibition of caspases 3/7 and 9. Taken together, these data suggest that active inhibition of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis contributes to the delay in PICD after hPMN ingestion of N. gonorrhoeae.

Keywords: apoptosis; caspase 3; caspase 8; caspase 9; intrinsic pathway; mitochondrial depolarization.

Three novel chiral stationary phases (CSPs) were prepared by regioselective chemical immobilization of mono(6(A)-N-allylamino-6(A)-deoxy)perphenylcarbamoylated (PICD) α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins (CDs) onto silica support via hydrosilylation. Their enantioseparation properties in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were evaluated with a large spectrum of racemates including flavanone compounds, β-adrenergic blockers, amines and non-protolytic compounds. The effect of CD's cavity size on enantioseparation abilities was studied and discussed. The results indicated that CD's surface loading at silica support played an important role in the enantioseparation on these CSPs under normal-phase conditions while inclusion phenomena contributed the major driving force under reverse-phase conditions. As expected, α-PICD demonstrated the best resolutions towards flavonone and most aromatic alcohols under normal-phase conditions with the highest surface loading; while Fujimura's competitive inclusion model can be applied to explain the better enantioseparations towards β-adrenergic blockers, amines and non-protolytic compounds with α- and β-PICD CSPs. γ-PICD CSP showed superior enantioseparation ability for sterically encumbered analytes like flavanone compounds under both normal-phase and reversed phase conditions.