The effect of exogenous peroxiredoxin 6 on morphofunctional state of isolated rat kidney

Objective: to investigate the role of peroxiredoxin 6 (PRX6) in preserving the morphofunctional state of ischemic isolated kidney during perfusion.Materials and methods. The model of an isolated perfused rat kidney was used. Ischemia time was 5 and 20 minutes, perfusion was 50 minutes. To evaluate the effectiveness of PRX6 at different ischemia times, we used the conventional criteria of kidney function and histological methods.Results. During short warm ischemia times, exogenous PRX6 improves the morphofunctional state of an isolated kidney during perfusion. During this period, the main criteria for functioning of the isolated ischemic kidney reach acceptable values, renal parenchyma is without severe damage. By the end of perfusion, there was an increase in urine flow rate, glomerular filtration rate, fractional glucose reabsorption, urine urea concentration and proportion of primary urine from 1.5 to 2 times compared with the control lesion. At 20-minute ischemia, the isolated kidney can be recognized as non-viable according to the functioning criteria; the positive effect of PRX6 is leveled.Conclusion. The use of recombinant peroxiredoxin 6 for preserving the morphofunctional state of isolated kidneys can be an effective approach in preventing ischemia–reperfusion injury.

Evaluation of a New Topical Treatment for the Control of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Leishmania major (L. major) causes cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World. The infection mostly induces a localized lesion restricted to the sand fly bite. The costs and the side effects of current treatments render imperative the development of new therapies that are affordable and easy to administrate. Topical treatment would be the ideal option for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. MF29 is a 3-haloacetamidobenzoate that was shown in vitro to inhibit tubulin assembly in Leishmania. Here, we tested a topical cream formulated with MF29. BALB/c mice were infected in the ear dermis with L. major metacyclic promastigotes and once the lesion appeared, mice were treated with different concentrations of MF29 and compared to the control group treated with the cream used as the vehicle. We observed that topical application of MF29 reduced the progression of the infection while control groups developed an unhealing lesion that became necrotic. The treatment decreased the type 2 immune response. Comparison with SinaAmphoLeish, another topical treatment, revealed that MF29 treatment once a day was sufficient to control lesion development, while application SinaAmphoLeish needed applications twice daily. Collectively, our data suggest that MF-29 topical application could be a promising topical treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Detection, diagnosis, and recording in the clinic

In Chapter 1 it was stressed that while all dental biofilms exhibit intense metabolic activity, only biofilms where a shift in metabolic activity towards an enhanced acid production over longer periods of time, will result in a net loss of mineral from the underlying tooth surface. The reflection or symptom of this is what can be detected with the naked eye and classified as the caries lesion on the tooth surface. It was pointed out that lesions may be active (if nothing changes in the oral environment, they will progress) or arrested (if nothing changes they will stay as they are). Thus, the things it is necessary to know in order to make an appropriate treatment decision are: ◆ Is a lesion present? This is detection of the lesion. ◆ Is the lesion judged to be active or arrested? This decision, adding the aspect of activity to detection, is diagnosis. ◆ Is the surface of the lesion intact or is a cavity present? If there is a cavity, can the lesion be cleaned by the patient? Diagnosis has been called a ‘mental resting place on the way to a treatment decision’. For instance, grading a lesion as active implies that the clinician considers that, if nothing is done, the demineralization will progress. Figure 3.1 is a decision tree showing how the diagnostic decision may guide the treatment. Thus, the diagnosis detects and excludes disease, assesses prognosis (considering the entire oral condition of the mouth), and forms the basis for the treatment decision. Lesions where the tooth surface is intact can be managed by the patient’s caries control measures. However, a cavity in a tooth may prevent access for the toothbrush. In addition, it may be unsightly and the tooth may be sensitive. These lesions may require restorations as a part of caries control. It is the duty of the professional to discuss with the patient whether any action is required in order to control lesion progression. Finally, the diagnosis should allow the clinical course of the disease to be monitored at subsequent visits.

Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases Using Only 3 Pins

BACKGROUND: Removal of a pin during Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GK-SRS) may be necessary to prevent collision and allow treatment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate outcomes after GK-SRS for treatment of brain metastases using a head frame immobilized to the skull with only 3 pins. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2014, we retrospectively reviewed the records of 1971 patients and identified 20 patients with multiple brain metastases treated with GK-SRS in which 1 anterior pin was removed immediately before treatment of a single posterior lesion. GK-SRS was also delivered to 116 other lesions in these 20 patients using the standard 4 pins during the same session, serving as an internal control for comparison. Endpoints included local control, dosimetric parameters, toxicity, and overall survival. RESULTS: The median number of lesions treated per session was 6 (range, 2-14). The lesions treated using 3 pins were located in the occipital lobe (n = 14) or the cerebellum (n = 6). Median follow-up was 12.3 months. There was 1 local failure involving a control lesion. Lesions treated using 3 pins had a lower prescription isodose line. GK-SRS of a lesion using 3 pins did not cause any clinical toxicities or increase in radiographic edema or hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: Treating posteriorly located brain metastases with GK-SRS using only 3 pins provided excellent local control and no difference in treatment toxicity, which may make it a safe and reasonable option for lesions that may otherwise be difficult to treat.

Bilateral peripheral vestibular lesions produce long-term changes in spatial learning in the rat

In order to investigate whether bilateral peripheral vestibular lesions cause long-term impairment of spatial learning, rats were tested in a reference memory radial arm maze learning task at least 5 weeks following a bilateral labyrinthectomy (BL) or sham control lesion. All control rats reached criterion (i.e., 1 error or less, averaged across 7 trials for 3 consecutive days of training) but only 4 of the 8 BL rats had reached criterion by day 21 of the training sessions. The control rats reached criterion more quickly than the lesioned rats (Control, 7.0 ± 0.63 days, Lesioned, 15.8 ± 1.4 days, t 10 = 5.84, p < 0.0001). This difference resulted from the greater number of errors made by the BL animals. However, the latency to respond was comparable as a result of the increased locomotor activity of the BL group (i.e., ’hyperkinesis), and the overall rate of acquisition of the task, as indicated by analysis of the exponential decrease in errors over the entire training period, was not significantly different between the 2 groups. The results of this study demonstrate that BL in rats produces long-term changes in performance in a spatial reference memory task, which are not simply due to the inability to move but may relate to the way that the brain uses vestibular information to create spatial representations and determines behavioural strategies on the basis of these representations.

The Influence of Spray Adjuvants on Exacerbation of Citrus Bacterial Spot

The effect of adjuvants on the spread of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citrumelo applied to nursery plots of citrus (Citrus spp.) rootstock trees in simulated wind-blown rain was studied. Commercial adjuvants tested included a penetrant-surfactant, the penetrant or surfactant components of the penetrant-surfactant alone, an antitranspirant, a surfactant, or 1 of 3 formulations of a spreader-binder. Individual rows were treated with the adjuvants or water alone as a control. Bacterial dispersal gradients in all rows were similar and extended the entire 7 m of the nursery rows. Disease incidence, number of lesions per plant, and lesion diameters were determined at selected assay points in each row 28 days after the event. The penetrant-surfactant and its surfactant component significantly increased the total number of lesions per plant and mean lesion diameters compared to the water control. The disease gradient slopes associated with the penetrant-surfactant and its surfactant component were significantly flatter and more extensive than the water control. The penetrant component of the penetrant-surfactant, the antitranspirant, and two spreader-binders adjuvants did not significantly alter the disease gradient compared to the water control. Lesion sizes and numbers were also increased by a surfactant product and the surfactant component of the penetrant-surfactant, but not by the penetrant component of the penetrant-surfactant, the antitranspirant, or the three spreader-binder formulations. These results suggest that surfactants which induce stomatal flooding may enhance infection and exacerbate citrus bacterial epidemics.