There is increasing evidence that acupuncture is useful in treating somatic and psychological disorders caused by stress; however, the physiological basis of the effect remains unclear. In the ...present study, we evaluated the effect of acupuncture on psychological conditions (i.e., anxiety) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. We studied 10 patients with anxiety disorders and measured anxiety levels by means of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), including state anxiety (STAI-1) and trait anxiety (STAI-2). Employing a two-channel NIRS device, we measured oxy-Hb concentration in the bilateral PFC at rest, and evaluated asymmetry of the PFC activity by calculating the Laterality Index at Rest (LIR). The patients were treated by acupuncture at Yui Clinic in Osaka. The treatment significantly decreased the STAI-1 score (p<0.001), but not the STAI-2 score (p>0.05). The NIRS measurements indicated the presence of spontaneous oscillations of oxy-Hb in the bilateral PFC at rest before and after the treatment. Notably LIR decreased significantly in 7 out of the 10 subjects (p<0.01), while 3 subjects showed an increasing tendency. The present pilot study indicates that acupuncture is effective in decreasing anxiety levels in patients with anxiety disorders. Our NIRS data suggest that acupuncture may alter the balance of PFC activity at rest, resulting in relaxation effects. Our NIRS data suggest that acupuncture changes the balance of PFC activity toward left-dominant, resulting in relaxation effects on the patients.
Basic information related to the pharmacokinetics of sildenafil in dogs is scarce. This study aimed to describe the pharmacokinetic properties of oral sildenafil and determine the effect of feeding ...and dose proportionality. The effect of feeding on pharmacokinetics of sildenafil (1 mg/kg) was investigated using a crossover study with six dogs. In addition, the dose proportionality of sildenafil ranging 1–4 mg/kg was evaluated using five dogs in the fasted states. The plasma concentrations of sildenafil were determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a noncompartmental analysis. Sildenafil administrations were well tolerated in all studies. Feeding reduced the area under the curve extrapolated to infinity (AUCinf) and the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) significantly. The elimination half‐life (T1/2) did not differ between the fasted and the fed states. For dose proportionality, nonproportional increases in AUCinf and Cmax at 1–4 mg/kg doses were detected by a power model analysis.
Persistent neuron production in the adult CNS (adult neurogenesis) has been implicated in various brain functions such as learning/memory and mood control. Despite the widespread occurrence of neural ...stem/progenitor cells, active adult neurogenesis has been established only in two restricted regions. We explored in this study a previously overlooked neurogenic region in the adult rat brain and detected the evidence of neuron production within the subcortical white matter. Dividing Pax6- and Olig2-positive neural progenitor cells continually gave rise to doublecortin-positive new neurons in this region. However, the vast majority of newborn neurons were lost within a week of their birth. Accumulated apoptotic cells indicated the ongoing cell death in this area. In addition to providing the evidence of newborn cell migration to the hippocampus, these results suggest that cell genesis, death, and migration persist in a restricted subregion of the adult white matter.
The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) guidelines suggest that pimobendan should be initiated in dogs which meet all criteria of stage B2 myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD): ...murmur intensity ≥ 3/6, left atrial-to-aortic ratio ≥ 1.6, normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole ≥ 1.7, and vertebral heart size > 10.5. Recently, a new radiographic index for left atrial enlargement, vertebral left atrial size (VLAS), was proposed. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether VLAS is useful in staging MMVD and if it can distinguish between ACVIM stages B1 and B2.
Ninety-seven client-owned dogs with MMVD were evaluated and classified as ACVIM stage B1, B2, or C-D.
The echocardiographs and radiographs of all the dogs were retrospectively evaluated to obtain left atrial-to-aortic ratio, normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole, and VLAS values. The data were analyzed to assess the correlation between these measurements and VLAS, and the optimal cutoff value of VLAS was determined.
A VLAS cutoff value of 2.6 provided the greatest diagnostic accuracy for identification of dogs with ACVIM stage B2 MMVD (area under the curve, 0.96; sensitivity, 95%; specificity, 84%). A VLAS ≥2.5 exhibited the highest sensitivity (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 78%), and a VLAS ≥ 3.1 exhibited the highest specificity (sensitivity, 47%; specificity, 100%).
VLAS is a helpful index for monitoring MMVD using radiography. A VLAS cutoff value of 2.5 could be used to identify dogs that may benefit from echocardiography to determine if they have reached ACVIM stage B2.
In Alzheimer disease (AD), a peculiar regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) abnormality has been reported in the posterior cingulate gyri and precunei, even at a very early stage. We performed a ...multicenter brain perfusion single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) study to evaluate the discrimination ability of an easy Z-score imaging system (eZIS) with a common normal data base between patients with very early AD at the stage of mild cognitive impairment and age-matched healthy controls.
For a multicenter study, SPECT images of 40 patients with AD and 40 healthy volunteers were acquired from 4 gamma camera systems in 4 different institutions. Systematic differences of SPECT images between gamma cameras were corrected by using conversion maps calculated from the SPECT images of the same brain phantom. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to discriminate patients and controls by using a Z-score in the volume of interest (VOI), which had been defined as a region related to AD in subjects other than those in a multicenter study.
Bilateral posterior cingulate gyri, precunei, and parietal cortices were defined as a VOI showing rCBF reduction in very early AD. A new indicator of rCBF abnormality in the VOI provided 86% accuracy for distinction of AD and healthy controls in the multicenter study. The area under the ROC curve was 0.934.
Because an eZIS can use a common normal data base by converting site-specific SPECT data to the core data, the eZIS was useful for automated diagnosis of very early AD in routine studies in multiple institutions.
Using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy, we identify excitation-induced dephasing as a major mechanism responsible for the breakdown of the strong coupling between excitons and photons in a ...semiconductor microcavity. The effects of dephasing are observed on the transmitted probe-pulse spectrum as a density-dependent broadening of the exciton-polariton resonances and the emergence of a third resonance at high excitation density. A striking asymmetry in the energy shift between the upper and the lower polaritons is also evidenced. Using the excitonic Bloch equations, we quantify the respective contributions to the energy shift of many-body effects associated with Coulomb fermion exchange and photon assisted exchange processes and the contribution to collisional broadening.
Background:
Relatively little is known about the risk factors and treatments for postpancreatectomy hepatic steatosis.
Methods:
The records of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy or total ...pancreatectomy between 2005 and 2010 and were followed up by periodic imaging were reviewed retrospectively. Risk factors and treatment for postpancreatectomy hepatic steatosis were analyzed.
Results:
A total of 253 patients were included in the analysis, including 137 males and 116 females, of median (5, 95 percentile) age 67 (47, 81) years. Of these 253 patients, 75 (29.6%) developed postpancreatectomy hepatic steatosis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that female gender (p = 0.005; odds ratio: 2.387; 95% confidence interval: 1.293–4.386), body mass index > 22.5 kg/m2 (p = 0.007; odds ratio: 2.330; 95% confidence interval: 1.261–4.307), operative duration > 540 min (p = 0.018; odds ratio: 2.286; 95% confidence interval: 1.153–4.533), and delayed gastric emptying (p < 0.001; odds ratio: 4.598; 95% confidence interval: 1.979–10.678) were independent risk factors associated with postpancreatectomy hepatic steatosis. Treatment consisted of maintenance- or high-dose digestive enzyme replacement therapy. Of patients without obvious tumor recurrence after 6 months, 12 of 15 treated with high dose and only 6 of 35 treated with maintenance-dose digestive enzyme replacement therapy showed improvements in postpancreatectomy hepatic steatosis (p = 0.006).
Conclusion:
Female gender, obesity, longer operative time, and occurrence of delayed gastric emptying are risk factors for postpancreatectomy hepatic steatosis. High-dose digestive enzyme replacement therapy may improve postpancreatectomy hepatic steatosis.
Plasma N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations increase in dogs with azotemia. However, the correlation between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and NT-proBNP ...concentrations in dogs has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between GFR and plasma NT-proBNP concentrations in dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this retrospective cross-sectional study, plasma creatinine (Cre) and NT-proBNP concentrations, plasma iohexol clearance (PCio) values and blood pressure were measured in dogs with CKD. Dogs were classified according to PCio values into D group (dogs with decreased PCio values), and N group (dogs with normal PCio values). Dogs were further categorized on the basis of their systolic blood pressure and PCio values into NT-D group (normotensive dogs with decreased PCio values), NT-N group (normotensive dogs with normal PCio values), HT-D group (hypertensive dogs with decreased PCio values) and HT-N group (hypertensive dogs with normal PCio values).
Significant correlations were observed between plasma NT-proBNP and Cre concentrations (r=0.360, P<0.05) and PCio values (r=−0.470, P<0.01). Plasma NT-proBNP concentrations were significantly higher in the D group than in the N group (P<0.001). Plasma NT-proBNP concentrations were significantly higher in the HT-D group than in the other three groups (P⩽0.007). No differences in plasma NT-proBNP concentrations were observed between the NT-D and HT-N groups (P=0.28). Plasma NT-proBNP concentrations were significantly lower in the NT-N group than in the other three groups (P⩽0.043). Our findings suggest that decreased GFR might be associated with increased plasma NT-proBNP concentrations in dogs, similar to that in humans. In addition, the complication of hypertension in CKD might be associated with further increases in plasma NT-proBNP concentrations. In conclusion, the effects of GFR and blood pressure on the plasma NT-proBNP concentration were small, but it could be necessary to consider the effects when this marker is used to evaluate canine cardiac disease.
This study examined whether the angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan had inhibitory effects on drug-induced renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation in normal dogs.
Five healthy ...laboratory beagles were used in this study.
Each dog received amlodipine (0.5 mg/kg, q12h, PO) alone for 14 days. Starting on the next day, animals received both amlodipine and telmisartan (1.0 mg/kg, q24h, PO) for 84 days. Systolic blood pressure, heart rate, plasma biochemical variables (blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and electrolytes), plasma renin activity, and 24-h urinary aldosterone elimination (U-Aldo) were measured before amlodipine administration; at day 0; and at days 1, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 84 of telmisartan treatment.
Telmisartan was associated with significant decreases in systolic blood pressure on day 56 (p=0.046), whereas heart rate did not significantly change during this treatment (p=0.061). Plasma renin activity was significantly increased on days 1, 7, 28, 56, and 84 during telmisartan administration (all p=0.04). No change in median U-Aldo was detected following telmisartan administration (p=0.241). When U-Aldo was evaluated in individual animals, two dogs displayed evidence of aldosterone breakthrough.
Telmisartan administration did not suppress RAAS activation. The appearance of aldosterone breakthrough supports the incomplete blockade of RAAS activation.
To determine if alacepril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, has a long duration of action for inhibition of drug-induced renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) activation in normal ...dogs.
Five healthy laboratory dogs were used in this study.
Each dog received amlodipine (0.5 mg/kg, q12h, p.o.) for 14 days, followed by amlodipine (0.5 mg/kg, q12h, p.o.) and alacepril (1.5 mg/kg, q12h, p.o.) for 56 days. Blood pressure (systolic blood pressure SBP; mean blood pressure; and diastolic blood pressure), heart rate, and urinary aldosterone-to-creatinine ratio (UAld:Cre), as an indicator of RAAS activation, were measured on days −14, 0 (baseline BL), 1, 7, 14, 28, and 56.
SBP decreased by 10% (p=0.08), and UAld:Cre increased significantly (p=0.04) relative to the BL level after administration of amlodipine. SBP increased after 14 days of alacepril administration relative to BL (p=0.97), and statistically significant increase was first observed on day 28 (p=0.02). Heart rate significantly decreased after alacepril administration on days 14, 28, and 56 (p=0.02). UAld:Cre significantly decreased after alacepril administration on days 14 and 28 (p≤0.03) relative to the BL level but increased on day 56 such that the difference was no longer significant (p=0.32).
These incomplete and temporary pharmacological blockade of RAAS activation by alacepril suggest that aldosterone breakthrough may have occurred.
Alacepril inhibited activation of RAAS in the short term but is not expected to have a long duration of action.
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