The eutectic mixture of liquid crystals E7 is studied in confinement by means of thermal and dielectric measurements. The uniform 1-D confinement provided by self-ordered nanoporous alumina leads to ...a decrease in the nematic to isotropic transition temperature due to interaction with the pore surface,
e.g.
surface anchoring. The prevalence of certain dynamic modes of relaxation is found to depend on the surface properties of the confining pores. The dynamics (
i.e.
, relaxation times) were found to accelerate with increasing confinement, resulting in a decreasing glass temperature, independent of surface treatment. From the pre- and meta-transitional dependence of the dielectric permittivity on temperature we are able to deduce a weakening effect of confinement on the nematic to isotropic (N/I) transition which allows the determination of a critical pore diameter (in the range from 11 nm to 23 nm) below which the transition becomes continuous. Comparison of the N/I transition of E7 to those of its constituent liquid crystals reveals a significantly weaker transition occurring over a widened temperature range. This suggest the importance of concentration fluctuations in rounding first order phase transitions that are triggered by the different length scales and ranges of nematic stability in E7. The results have an impact beyond the present case and for several soft materials (
e.g.
oligomers used as OLEDs, polymers, colloids) as it demonstrates the importance of concentration fluctuations in addition to thermal fluctuation on the strength of phase transitions.
Confinement of the eutectic compound E7 in AAO membranes alters its phase behavior, molecular dynamics and nature of N/I transition.
This study investigated the potential acaricidal and repellent effects of tar obtained from the Lebanon cedar (
A. Rich.) against the brown dog tick species
sensu lato Latreille (Acari: Ixodidae). ...The goal was to find an alternative, safe, and effective way to eliminate ticks. Tar is traditionally extracted from cedar trees in the Antalya region of Türkiye. The composition of the tar is primarily characterized by a diverse mixture of terpenes, with β-himachalene (29.16%), α-atlantone (28.7%), ar-turmerone (8.82%), longifolene-(V4) (6.66%), α-himachalene (5.28%), and β-turmerone (5.12%) emerging as the predominant constituents. The toxic effects of tar on tick larvae were studied through larval immersion tests (LIT), and its repellent activity was evaluated using a new larval repellent activity test (LRAT). The results revealed significant acaricidal effects, with mortality rates of 77.7% and 82.2% for the Konyaalti and Kepez strains of the brown dog tick, respectively, in response to a 1% concentration of tar. LC
and LC
values were determined as 0.47% and 1.52% for the Kepez strain and 0.58% and 1.63% for the Konyaalti strain, respectively. When comparing the repellent effect of tar to the widely used synthetic repellent DEET, repellency rates of up to 100% were observed. As a result, this study establishes, for the first time, the larvicidal and repellent effects of
tar on ticks.
Prevalence of hypertension increases as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) declines. Renalase metabolizes catecholamines and have an important role in blood pressure (BP) regulation. The purpose of the ...study was to evaluate the effect of kidney transplantation on renalase levels and BP in kidney donors and recipients.
Twenty kidney transplant recipients and their donors were included in the study. Serum renalase levels and ambulatory BP values were measured in both donors and recipients before and after transplantation. Factor associated with change in renalase and BP levels were also evaluated.
In donors; mean GFR and hemoglobin levels decreased while night-time systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels and serum renalase levels increased simultaneously after nephrectomy. Day-time SBP and DBP levels did not changed and the night/day ratio of mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased significantly. In recipients, mean GFR increased, while mean serum renalase levels, creatinine and BP levels decreased after transplantation. Correlation analysis revealed that changes in MAP correlated with alteration in serum renalase levels and GFR.
After transplantation, serum renalase levels increased in donors and decreased in recipients. The renalase levels are associated with change in MAP and circadian rhythm of BP in donors and recipients.
La prevalencia de la hipertensión aumenta a medida que la velocidad de filtración glomerular (VFG) disminuye. La renalasa metaboliza las catecolaminas y tiene una función importante en la regulación de la presión arterial (PA). El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto del trasplante de riñón en los niveles de renalasa y PA en donantes y receptores de riñón.
En este estudio se incluyeron veinte receptores de riñón y sus donantes. Se midieron los niveles séricos de renalasa y los valores de PA ambulatorios en donantes y receptores, antes y después del trasplante. También se evaluaron los factores asociados a la alteración de los niveles de renalasa y PA.
En donantes; la VFG media y los niveles de hemoglobina disminuyeron, mientras que la presión arterial sistólica (PAS) y diastólica (PAD) y los niveles séricos de renalasa durante la noche aumentaron simultáneamente después de la nefrectomía. Los niveles de PAS y PAD no cambiaron durante el día y el cociente noche/día de la presión arterial media (PAM) aumentó significativamente. En los receptores, la VFG media aumentó, mientras que los niveles séricos de renalasa, la creatinina y los niveles de PA disminuyeron después del trasplante. El análisis de correlación reveló que los cambios de la PAM se correlacionaron con la alteración de los niveles séricos de renalasa y la VFG.
Tras el trasplante, los niveles séricos de renalasa aumentaron en los donantes y disminuyeron en los receptores. Los niveles de renalasa se asocian a cambios en la PAM y al ritmo circadiano de la PA en donantes y receptores.
Introduction
We aimed to investigate the effect of a standard hemodialysis prescription in hyponatremic patients requiring hemodialysis on the development of osmotic demyelination syndrome.
Methods
...Ninety‐nine patients who were treated with hemodialysis for the first time and had a pre‐dialysis sodium value of ≤125 meq/L included in the study. Standard hemodialysis treatment was applied to all patients. Biochemical data before, immediately after and 24 h after hemodialysis were recorded retrospectively. All patients followed up for 2 weeks and magnetic resonance imaging was performed in patients with neurological symptoms.
Results
Eight patients had a sodium increase of more than 12 meq/L at 24‐h after hemodialysis. Although hyponatremia was corrected rapidly with hemodialysis, none of the 99 azotemic patients developed osmotic demyelination syndrome.
Conclusion
We did not observe osmotic demyelination syndrome in hyponatremic patients with azotemia treated with standard protocol hemodialysis. However, caution should still be exercised in high‐risk patients for osmotic demyelination.
•Diarrhea is a common adverse effect of mycophenolate treatment in renal transplant recipients.•Switching to azathioprine improves diarrhea except in patients with amyloidosis.•Switching to ...azathioprine increases the risk of graft loss, especially in patients with already impaired renal function.
Diarrhea is a common adverse effect of mycophenolate treatment in renal transplant recipients. In patients with mycophenolate-induced diarrhea, one option is to switch to mycophenolate to azathioprine. In this study, we aimed to define the safety and efficacy of switching from mycophenolate to azathioprine for mycophenolate-related diarrhea in renal transplant recipients.
A total of 177 patients, 59 of whom were switched to azathioprine because of diarrhea and 118 of whom comprised a matched control group without diarrhea and continued mycophenolate treatment participated in this study. We analyzed the effect of switching to azathioprine from mycophenolate on amelioration of diarrhea and graft survival.
We observed that 89.8% of patients who switched to azathioprine because of diarrhea had improved diarrhea complaints. Patients switched to azathioprine because of diarrhea had lower glomerular filtration rates (P < .001) and higher proteinuria (P < .001) compared with the control group before the switch. Patients switched to azathioprine compared with a subgroup of 59 control patients were matched to patients switched to azathioprine in terms of baseline renal function and proteinuria in addition to demographic parameters had higher 10-year graft loss compared with patients who continued mycophenolate (P = .03). Particularly in patients with a glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min at the time of conversion, the risk of early graft loss was high.
Although switching from mycophenolate to azathioprine was an effective approach to improve diarrhea, this approach is associated with increased risk of graft loss.
Canakinumab, an IL-1 blocking drug, decreases the frequency and severity of the attacks and decreases the proteinuria level in colchicine resistant/intolerant familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) ...patients. However, it is not known whether patients with impaired or preserved renal functions respond differently to IL-1 blocking therapies in terms of proteinuria reduction and progression of kidney dysfunction which was the aim of this study.
Adult FMF subjects with biopsy proven amyloidosis who had 24-h urine protein excretion>150mg/day before initiation of canakinumab were divided into two groups as patients with preserved renal function (GFR≥60mL/min) and patients with impaired renal function (GFR<60mL/min). The response in proteinuria and renal functions are compared between two groups in this cross-sectional study.
A total of 18 patients (11 with preserved and 7 with impaired renal function) were included in this study. Although proteinuria levels of both groups were similar at the baseline and at six months after initiation of canakinumab, proteinuria at 12 months was significantly lower for patients with preserved renal function compared to patients with impaired renal function (2462±1760mg/day vs. 7065±3035mg/day respectively, p=0.02). All of the patients with preserved renal function had more than 50% decrease in proteinuria at 12 months compared to baseline values, while none of the patients with impaired renal function had more than 50% decrease in proteinuria.
Canakinumab, an IL-1 blocking agent, is not effective in decreasing proteinuria in FMF patients with already impaired renal functions and should be started early in the course of disease to prevent renal impairment.
El canakinumab, un fármaco bloqueante de la IL-1, disminuye la frecuencia y la gravedad de los ataques y reduce el nivel de proteinuria en pacientes con fiebre mediterránea familiar (FMF) resistentes o intolerantes a la colchicina. Sin embargo, se desconoce si los pacientes con función renal deteriorada o preservada responden de forma diferente a los tratamientos de bloqueo de la IL-1 en cuanto a la reducción de la proteinuria y la progresión de la disfunción renal, que era el objetivo de este estudio.
Los sujetos adultos con FMF y amiloidosis demostrada por biopsia que tenían una excreción de proteínas en orina de 24 h > 150 mg/día antes de iniciar el tratamiento con canakinumab, se dividieron en dos grupos: pacientes con función renal preservada (TFG ≥ 60 mL/min) y pacientes con función renal deteriorada (TFG < 60 mL/min). En este estudio transversal se comparan la respuesta en la proteinuria y las funciones renales entre dos grupos.
En este estudio se incluyeron 18 pacientes (11 con función renal preservada y siete con función renal deteriorada). Aunque los niveles de proteinuria de ambos grupos fueron similares al inicio y a los seis meses de iniciar el tratamiento con canakinumab, la proteinuria a los 12 meses fue significativamente menor en los pacientes con función renal preservada, en comparación con los pacientes con función renal deteriorada (2.462 ± 1.760 mg/día vs. 7.065 ± 3.035 mg/día, respectivamente, p = 0,02). Todos los pacientes con función renal preservada presentaron una disminución de la proteinuria superior al 50% a los 12 meses, en comparación con los valores iniciales, mientras que ninguno de los pacientes con función renal deteriorada presentó una disminución de la proteinuria de más del 50%.
El canakinumab, un fármaco bloqueante de la IL-1, no es eficaz en la disminución de la proteinuria en pacientes con FMF que ya tienen la función renal deteriorada, y el tratamiento debe iniciarse en una fase temprana de la evolución de la enfermedad para prevenir una insuficiencia renal.
Sirolimus is an immunosuppressive drug used to prevent graft rejection. Therapeutic drug monitoring is required as with other immunosuppressive drugs. Previous studies have shown the interactions ...between sirolimus and drugs that affect the activity of cytochrome P450 3A4 and P-glycoprotein. There is an increasing tendency for the use of herbal remedies in many countries. Medicinal herbs are rich sources of natural bioactive compounds that could interact with drugs. Parsley, Petroselinum crispum, is a food, spice, and also a medicinal herb. We report a case of a renal transplant recipient who had a supratherapeutic blood level of sirolimus due to consuming excessive parsley to highlight a possible herb–drug interaction. This is the first case report describing sirolimus–parsley interaction. Herb–drug interactions are especially important for drugs with a narrow therapeutic window. For this reason, healthcare professionals should question all patients, especially transplant patients, about the use of herbs or herbal products and report interactions.
Plain Language Summary
Parsley, a commonly consumed food, affects the level of an important drug in a renal transplant recipient: A case report
Sirolimus is a drug that suppresses the immune response used to prevent organ rejection in people who have had kidney transplants. In order to reach the optimum balance between therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects, sirolimus blood levels should be closely monitored. Previous studies have shown the interactions between sirolimus and drugs that affect the activities of metabolizing enzymes and transporter proteins. Parsley is a food, spice, and also a medicinal herb. Medicinal herbs are rich sources of natural bioactive compounds that could interact with a prescription drug. We report a case of a renal transplant recipient who had a rise in the blood level of sirolimus due to the ingestion of an excessive amount of parsley to highlight possible herb–drug interaction.
High dietary salt intake was reported to increase blood pressure by numerous studies, but no study has investigated the effect of dietary salt intake on blood pressure variability (BPV). This study ...aimed to determine if daily salt intake is related to ambulatory BPV. The study included 136 primary hypertensive patients (92 male, 44 female) with a mean age of 50.7±11.1 years. All the patients underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to determine both the 24-h systolic and 24-h diastolic BPV. 24-h urine sodium was measured. The correlation between BPV and 24-h urinary sodium was investigated. Logarithmic transformation of 24-h urinary sodium log(24-h urinary sodium) was positively correlated with the mean 24-h systolic ARV, and nighttime systolic ARV (r=0.371 and p=0.001, r=0.329 and p=0.028, respectively). Similarly, log(24-h urinary sodium) was positively correlated with mean 24-h diastolic ARV and nighttime diastolic ARV (r=0.381 and p=0.001, r=0.320 and p=0.020 respectively). Log(24-h urinary sodium) was an independent predictor of BPV based on multivariate regression analysis. Dietary salt intake might play a role in the pathogenesis of ambulatory BPV.
En numerosos estudios se ha señalado que el consumo elevado de sal aumenta la presión arterial; no obstante, no se ha investigado el efecto de la ingesta alimenticia de sal sobre la variabilidad de la presión arterial (VPA). El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar si el consumo diario de sal está relacionado con la VPA ambulatoria. En el estudio se incluyeron 136 pacientes hipertensos esenciales (92 hombres y 44 mujeres) con una edad media de 50,7±11,1años. Todos los pacientes se sometieron a una monitorización ambulatoria de la presión arterial de 24h para determinar la VPA sistólica y diastólica de 24h. Se midió la natriuria de 24h y se estudió la correlación de la misma con la VPA. La transformación logarítmica de la natriuria de 24h (log natriuria 24h) se relacionó con certeza con el índice Average Real Variability (ARV) sistólico de 24h y el ARV sistólico nocturno medios (r=0,371 y p=0,001, r=0,329 y p=0,028, respectivamente). De forma parecida, el log natriuria 24h se relacionó con seguridad con el ARV diastólico de 24h y el ARV diastólico nocturno medios (r=0,381 y p=0,001, r=0,320 y p=0,020, respectivamente). El log natriuria 24h fue una variable independiente de la VPA, según el análisis de regresión multivariante. Es posible que el consumo de sal intervenga en la patogénesis de la VPA ambulatoria.
Renalase, with possible monoamine oxidase activity, is implicated in degradation of catecholamines; which suggests novel mechanisms of cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic kidney ...diseases. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been found to correlate with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in dialysis patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the association of serum renalase levels with EAT thickness and other CVD risk factors in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.
The study included 40 PD patients and 40 healthy controls. All subjects underwent blood pressure and anthropometric measurements. Serum renalase was assessed by using a commercially available assay. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to measure EAT thickness and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in all subjects.
The median serum renalase level was significantly higher in the PD patients than in the control group 176.5 (100–278.3) vs 122 (53.3–170.0)ng/ml (p=0.001). Renalase was positively correlated with C-reactive protein (r=0.705, p<0.001) and negatively correlated with RRF (r=−0.511, p=0.021). No correlation was observed between renalase and EAT thickness or LVMI. There was a strong correlation between EAT thickness and LVMI in both the PD patients and the controls (r=0.848, p<0.001 and r=0.640, p<0.001 respectively).
This study indicates that renalase is associated with CRP and residual renal function but not with EAT thickness as CVD risk factors in PD patients.
La renalasa, posiblemente con actividad monoaminooxidasa, está implicada en la degradación de catecolaminas, lo que indica nuevos mecanismos de complicaciones cardiovasculares en pacientes con enfermedades renales crónicas. Se ha encontrado que el tejido adiposo epicárdico (TAE) se correlaciona con las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) en pacientes de diálisis. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la asociación de los niveles de renalasa sérica con el espesor del EAT y otros factores de riesgo de ECV en pacientes de diálisis peritoneal (DP).
El estudio incluyó a 40 pacientes de DP y a 40 controles sanos. Se tomaron la presión arterial y las medidas antropométricas de todos los individuos. Se evaluó la renalasa sérica mediante un ensayo disponible comercialmente. Se utilizó la ecocardiografía transtorácica para medir el espesor del TAE y el índice de masa ventricular izquierda (IMVI) en todos los individuos.
La mediana del nivel de renalasa sérica fue significativamente mayor en los pacientes de DP que en el grupo control (176,5 100-278,3 frente a 122 5,3-170,0 ng/ml) (p=0,001). La renalasa se correlacionó positivamente con la proteína C reactiva (r=0,705; p<0,001) y negativamente con la FRR (r=-0,511, p=0,021). No se observó correlación entre la renalasa y el espesor del TAE ni el IMVI. Hubo una fuerte correlación entre el espesor del TAE y el IMVI tanto en los pacientes de DP como en los controles (r=0,848; p<0,001 y r=0,640; p<0,001, respectivamente).
Este estudio indica que la renalasa está asociada con la proteína C reactiva y la función renal residual, pero no con el espesor del TAE, como factores de riesgo de ECV en pacientes de DP.
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