The compound effect of irradiation and familial pseudohyperkalemia on potassium leak from red blood cells

BACKGROUND

Familial pseudohyperkalemia (FP) is a rare asymptomatic condition characterized by an increased rate of potassium leak from red blood cells (RBC) on refrigeration. Gamma irradiation compromises RBC membrane integrity and accelerates potassium leakage. Here, we compared the effect of irradiation, applied early or late in storage, on FP versus non-FP RBC.

STUDY DESIGN

Five FP and 10 non-FP individuals from the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge BioResource, UK, and three FP and six non-FP individuals identified by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood consented to the study. Blood was collected according to standard practice in each center, held overnight at 18-24°C, leucocyte-depleted, and processed into red cell concentrates (RCC) in Saline Adenine Glucose Mannitol. On Day 1, RCC were split equally into six Red Cell Splits (RCS). Two RCS remained non-irradiated, two were irradiated on Day 1 and two were irradiated on Day 14. RBCs were tested over cold storage for quality parameters.

RESULTS

As expected, non-irradiated FP RCS had significantly higher supernatant potassium levels than controls throughout 28 days of storage (p < .001). When irradiated early, FP RCS released potassium at similar rates to control. When irradiated late, FP RCS supernatants had higher initial post-irradiation potassium concentration than controls but were similar to controls by the end of storage (14 days post-irradiation). No other parameters studied showed a significant difference between FP and control.

DISCUSSION

FP does not increase the rate of potassium leak from irradiated RBCs. Irradiation may cause a membrane defect similar to that in FP RBCs.

Gamma and X-ray irradiation do not affect the in vitro quality of refrigerated apheresis platelets in platelet additive solution (PAS-E)

BACKGROUND

Platelet refrigeration (cold storage) provides the advantages of an extended shelf life and reduces the risk of bacterial growth, compared to platelets stored at room temperature (RT). However, processing modifications, such as irradiation, may further improve the safety and/or alter the quality of cold-stored platelets. Platelet components are irradiated to prevent transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GvHD) in high-risk patients; and while irradiation has little effect on the quality of RT-stored platelet components, there is no data assessing the effect irradiation has following cold storage.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Triple-dose apheresis platelets were collected in 40% plasma/60% PAS-E, using the TRIMA apheresis platform, and refrigerated (2-6°C) within 8 h of collection. On day 2, one of each component was gamma or X-ray irradiated or remained non-irradiated. Platelets were tested over 21 days.

RESULTS

The platelet concentration decreased by approximately 20% in all groups during 21 days of storage (p > .05). Irradiation (gamma or X-ray) did not affect platelet metabolism, and the pH was maintained above the minimum specification (>6.4) for 21 days. The surface phenotype and the composition of the supernatant was similar in non-irradiated and irradiated platelets, regardless of the source of radiation. Functional responses (aggregation and clot formation) were not affected by irradiation.

DISCUSSION

Gamma and X-ray irradiation do not affect the in vitro quality of platelet components stored in the cold for up to 21 days. This demonstrates the acceptability of irradiating cold-stored platelets, which has the potential to improve their safety for at-risk patient cohorts.

X-irradiation and gamma-irradiation inactivate lymphocytes in blood components

BACKGROUND

Irradiation of selected blood components is standard practice for the prevention of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD). Currently, gamma-irradiation is the most widely used form of irradiation, but there is an increasing interest in X-irradiation, which is considered to be functionally equivalent and safer. However, there is a paucity of contemporary data regarding the ability of X-irradiation to inactivate lymphocytes in blood components. Therefore, the effect of gamma- and X-irradiation on lymphocyte viability and function in blood components was compared.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Lymphocytes were isolated from venous blood by density gradient centrifugation, spiked into plasma/SSP+ to simulate a blood component, and either gamma- or X-irradiated. The phenotype of the isolated lymphocytes was confirmed. Lymphocyte viability was measured using a LIVE/DEAD assay, and function was assessed using mixed lymphocyte culture and CD69 expression post-phorbol-12 myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulation.

RESULTS

Lymphocyte viability and CD69 expression following PMA stimulation were significantly reduced by both gamma-irradiation and X-irradiation in simulated blood components. Allorecognition and allostimulation were also significantly reduced by both gamma-irradiation and X-irradiation.

CONCLUSION

Lymphocyte viability and function are reduced to a similar extent by gamma- and X-irradiation in simulated blood components. As such, X-irradiation is suitable for the irradiation of blood components and, in terms of lymphocyte inactivation, could be used instead of gamma-irradiation.

X- and gamma-irradiation have similar effects on the in vitro quality of stored red cell components

BACKGROUND

Blood components are irradiated to inactivate lymphocytes to prevent transfusion-associated graft versus host disease. As there are little data regarding the effects of X-irradiation on red blood cell components (RBCs), the in vitro quality of stored red cells (standard, pediatric, washed, and intra-uterine transfusion [IUT]) following X- or gamma-irradiation was compared.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

RBCs were pooled, split, and processed to produce standard (<14 days and < 5 days post-collection), pediatric (<5 days post-collection), washed (<14 days post-collection), or IUT RBCs (<5 days post-collection). Standard RBCs were either X- or gamma-irradiated (n = 10 pairs). A further 10 replicates were prepared by pooling and splitting three matched RBCs (X-, gamma-, and non-irradiated). All other RBCs were either X- or gamma-irradiated (n = 20 pairs). Red cell indices, hemolysis, potassium release, metabolism, microparticles, ATP, and 2,3-DPG were measured pre-irradiation and 6 h, 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days post-irradiation, depending on the component type. Data were analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in any in vitro quality measurements, with the exception of marginally higher potassium release in washed, IUT, and RBCs <5 days old (p < .0001) following X-irradiation. Both irradiation types increased generation of microvesicles, particularly in components that were older at the time of irradiation or stored for longer post-irradiation.

CONCLUSION

X- and gamma-irradiation have similar effects on the in vitro quality of RBCs, indicating that either technology is suitable for blood component irradiation.

Examining Organizational, Cultural, and Individual-Level Factors Related to Workplace Safety and Health: A Systematic Review and Metric Analysis

One major gap in existing health communication research is that few studies have synthesized findings from the literature to map out what are the key factors related to workplace (a) safety awareness, (b) safety risks, (c) health awareness, and (d) health risks. This study bridges the gap by systematically reviewing what these organizational, cultural, and individual-level factors are, and examine the impact of workplace safety and health publications using traditional and alternative metrics in academic and non-academic settings. Through an iterative process of coding, the results revealed six categories of organizational (management commitment, management support, organizational safety communication, safety management systems, physical work environment, and organizational environment), two cultural (interpersonal support and organizational culture), and four individual-level (perception, motivation, attitude, and behavior) factors. In terms of impact, articles that were most impactful in academia (e.g., high citation count) may not necessarily receive the same amount of online attention from the public. Theoretical and practical implications for health communication were discussed.

Acid Phosphatase and Zinc Tests Are Effective for Semen Examination and Identification to Prove Intercourse

The presence of spermatozoa in vagina is a definite sign of sexual intercourse. However, sometimes microscopic examination does not find spermatozoa or reveals a false negative result. This is influenced by many factors, including the absence of ejaculate in the vaginal canal. In addition, there are other factors such as oligo/azoospermia, vasectomy, degeneration of sperm due to time, incorrect sampling, and improper storage. Therefore, examination of the other components of the ejaculate, ie. the enzyme acid phosphatase, choline and spermin, is important. Compared with spermatozoa, the enzyme phosphatase, choline and spermin have lower evidentiary value because these three components are less specific. However, the level of phosphatase enzyme found in the vagina is much lower than phosphatase enzyme that comes from prostate gland. In this study, as many as 192 samples in the form of patches with sperm/semen stains were tested with acid phosphatase test and zinc test through direct and indirect examination. In the first method, washing was carried out on day 1, day 7, and month 3, and testing was carried out after each washing. In the second method, washing was carried out simultaneously and testing was carried out on day 1, day 7 and month 3. Washing was carried out using 7 types of detergent for each 4 patch samples, and washing using water as control. The results showed very low sensitivity (0.186) and very high specificity (100%). This showed that both tests had high specificity values. Acid phosphatase test specifically showed the presence of the enzyme phosphatase, while zinc test specifically showed the presence of zinc in semen. This phosphohydrolase-phosphatase enzyme is easily degraded due to external factors, including temperature, humidity, and chemicals, ie. the element SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) that has the ability to cut enzymes. The weakness of the acid phosphatase test is that this enzyme is easily degraded, either partially or completely, due to external factors, such as temperature, humidity, heat, and the presence of chemicals.

Influence of handler relationships and experience on health parameters, glucocorticoid responses and behaviour of semi-captive Asian elephants

Declining wild populations combined with accumulating captive populations of e.g. livestock, pets, draught and zoo animals have resulted in some threatened species with substantial proportions of their populations in captivity. The interactions animals have with humans in captivity depend on handler familiarity and relationship quality and can affect animal health, growth and reproduction with consequences for the success of conservation programmes. However, assessments of how specific human-animal relationships affect a range of physiological and behavioural outcomes are rare. Here, we studied semi-captive Asian elephants with detailed records of elephant-handler (mahout) relationships and veterinary management, allowing assessment of multiple welfare indicators in relation to specific mahout-elephant relationship lengths and mahout experience. These included measures of physiological stress (faecal glucocorticoid metabolite [FGM], heterophil:lymphocyte ratio [H:L]), muscle damage (creatine kinase [CK]), immunological health (total white blood cell count [TWBC]) and behaviour (response to mahout verbal commands). We found no evidence that FGM or H:L related to aspects of the mahout-elephant relationship. Longer overall mahout experience (i.e. years of being a mahout) was linked to increased muscle damage and inflammation, but the lengths of specific mahout-elephant relationships were inversely associated with muscle damage in working-age elephants. Elephants responded more to familiar mahouts in behavioural tasks and faster to mahouts they had known for longer. In summary, our results found little evidence that the mahout-elephant relationship affects physiological stress in this population based on FGM and H:L, but mahout experience and relationships were linked to other physiological responses (CK, TWBC), and elephants require behavioural adjustment periods following mahout changes.

Acid Phosphatase and Zinc Tests Are Effective for Semen Examination and Identification to Prove Intercourse

The presence of spermatozoa in vagina is a definite sign of sexual intercourse. However, sometimes microscopic examination does not find spermatozoa or reveals a false negative result. This is influenced by many factors, including the absence of ejaculate in the vaginal canal. In addition, there are other factors such as oligo/azoospermia, vasectomy, degeneration of sperm due to time, incorrect sampling, and improper storage. Therefore, examination of the other components of the ejaculate, ie. the enzyme acid phosphatase, choline and spermin, is important. Compared with spermatozoa, the enzyme phosphatase, choline and spermin have lower evidentiary value because these three components are less specific. However, the level of phosphatase enzyme found in the vagina is much lower than phosphatase enzyme that comes from prostate gland. In this study, as many as 192 samples in the form of patches with sperm/semen stains were tested with acid phosphatase test and zinc test through direct and indirect examination. Washing was carried out using 7 types of detergent for each 4 patch samples, and washing using water as control. The results showed very low sensitivity (0.186) and very high specificity (100%). This showed that both tests had high specificity values. Acid phosphatase test specifically showed the presence of the enzyme phosphatase, while zinc test specifically showed the presence of zinc in semen. This phosphohydrolase-phosphatase enzyme is easily degraded due to external factors, including temperature, humidity, and chemicals, ie. the element SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) that has the ability to cut enzymes. The weakness of the acid phosphatase test is that this enzyme is easily degraded, either partially or completely, due to external factors, such as temperature, humidity, heat, and the presence of chemicals.

A single meal has the potential to alter brain oxylipin content

Our objective was to determine whether consumption of a single meal has the potential to alter brain oxylipin content. We examined the cerebrum of mice fed a single high-fat/high-sucrose Western meal or a low-fat/low-sucrose control meal, as well as fasted mice. We found no changes in fatty acid composition of cerebrum across the groups. The cerebral oxylipin profile of mice fed a Western meal is distinct from the profile of mice fed a low-fat/low-sucrose meal. Cerebral gene expression of cyclooxygenase 1, cyclooxygenase 2, and epoxide hydrolase 1 were elevated in Western meal-fed mice compared to low-fat/low-sucrose meal-fed mice. Mice that consumed either meal had lower gene expression of cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily j, polypeptide 12 than fasted mice. Our data in this hypothesis-generating study indicates that the composition of a single meal has the potential to alter brain oxylipins and the gene expression of the enzymes responsible for their production.

Analysing researchers' outreach efforts and the association with publication metrics: A case study of Kudos

With the growth of scholarly collaboration networks and social communication platforms, members of the scholarly community are experimenting with their approach to disseminating research outputs, in an effort to increase their audience and outreach. However, from a researcher's point of view, it is difficult to determine whether efforts to make work more visible are worthwhile (in terms of the association with publication metrics) and within that, difficult to assess which platform or network is most effective for sharing work and connecting to a wider audience. We undertook a case study of Kudos (https://www.growkudos.com), a web-based service that claims to help researchers increase the outreach of their publications, to examine the most effective tools for sharing publications online, and to investigate which actions are associated with improved metrics. We extracted a dataset from Kudos of 830,565 unique publications claimed by authors, for which 20,775 had actions taken to explain or share via Kudos, and for 4,867 of these full text download data from publishers was available. Findings show that researchers are most likely to share their work on Facebook, but links shared on Twitter are more likely to be clicked on. A Mann-Whitney U test revealed that a treatment group (publications having actions in Kudos) had a significantly higher median average of 149 full text downloads (23.1% more) per publication as compared to a control group (having no actions in Kudos) with a median average of 121 full text downloads per publication. These findings suggest that performing actions on publications, such as sharing, explaining, or enriching, could help to increase the number of full text downloads of a publication.

Fine particulate matter from urban ambient and wildfire sources from California's San Joaquin Valley initiate differential inflammatory, oxidative stress, and xenobiotic responses in human bronchial epithelial cells

Environmental particulate matter (PM) exposure has been correlated with pathogenesis of acute airway inflammatory disease such as asthma and COPD. PM size and concentration have been studied extensively, but the additional effects of particulate components such as biological material, transition metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons could also impact initial disease pathogenesis. In this study, we compared urban ambient particulate matter (APM) collected from Fresno, California with wildfire (WF) particulate matter collected from Escalon, California on early transcriptional responses in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE). Global gene expression profiling of APM treated HBE activated genes related to xenobiotic metabolism (CYP 1B1), endogenous ROS generation and response genes (DUOX1, SOD2, PTGS2) and pro-inflammatory responses associated with asthma or COPD such as IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-8, and CCL20. WF PM treatments also induced a pro-inflammatory gene response, but elicited a more robust xenobiotic metabolism and oxidative stress response. Inhibitor studies targeting endotoxin, ROS, and trace metals, found endotoxin inhibition had modest selective inhibition of inflammation while inhibition of hydrogen peroxide and transition metals had broad effects suggesting additional interactions with xenobiotic metabolism pathways. APM induced a greater inflammatory response while WF PM had more marked metabolism and ROS related responses.

American ginseng berry juice intake reduces blood glucose and body weight in ob/ob mice

Diabetes is a serious chronic metabolic disease and has a significant impact on patients' lives and the health care system. We previously observed that the organic solvent extract of American ginseng berry possessed significant antidiabetic effects in obese diabetic ob/ob mice after intraperitoneal injection. If American ginseng berry is useful as a dietary supplement, simple preparation and oral intake would be a convenient, safe, and practical means for consumers. In this study, the simply prepared berry juice was first analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, and then administered orally in the ob/ob mice. The animals received daily berry juice 0.6 mL/kg or vehicle for 10 consecutive days. The results indicated that oral juice administration significantly lowered fasting blood glucose levels, and this effect continued for at least 10 d after cessation of the treatment. Data from intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test demonstrated that there was a notable improvement in glucose tolerance in the juice treated group. In addition, the berry juice significantly reduced body weight. Our data suggest that ginseng berry juice, as a dietary supplement, may have functional efficacy in consumers with diabetes.

Tocopherol transfer protein deficiency modifies nuclear receptor transcriptional networks in lungs: Modulation by cigarette smoke in vivo

Dietary factors and environmental pollutants initiate signaling cascades that converge on AhR:Nrf2:NF-kappaB transcription factor (TF) networks and, in turn, affect the health of the organism through its effects on the expression of numerous genes. Reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) have been hypothesized to be common mediators in these pathways. alpha-Tocopherol (AT) is a potent, lipophilic, scavenger of ROMs in vitro and has been hypothesized to be a major chain-breaking anti-oxidant in lipoproteins and biological membranes in vivo. The lung offers a vital organ to test the various postulated actions of AT in vivo. Lung AT concentrations can be manipulated by several methods that include dietary and genetic techniques. In this study we have used mice with severe AT deficiency inflicted at birth by the deletion of AT transfer protein (ATTP) which is abundantly expressed in the liver and regulates systemic concentrations of AT. Mice and humans deficient in ATTP are AT deficient. Female ATTP-deficient (ATTP-KO) mice and their congenic ATTP normal (WT) mice fed a diet containing 35 IU AT/kg diet were used to test our hypothesis. The mice (n=5/group) were exposed to either air or cigarette smoke (CS, total suspended particles 60 mg/m(3), 6h/day), a source of ROM, for 3 or 10 days. Post-exposure lung tissue was dissected, RNA extracted from each lung and it was pooled group-wise and processed for GeneChip analysis (Affymetrix 430A 2.0). Differential analysis of the transcriptomes ( approximately 16,000 mRNAs) identified CS sensitive genes that were modulated by lung AT-concentration. CS activated AhR driven genes such as cyp1b1 whose induction was augmented in CS-exposed, AT-deficient lungs. However, CS-induced expression of some of the Nrf2 driven genes was not potentiated in the AT-deficient lungs. Largest clusters of CS-AT sensitive genes were lymphocyte and leukocyte specific genes. These gene-clusters included those encoding cytokines and immunoglobulins, which were repressed by CS and were modulated by lung AT concentrations. Our genome-wide analysis suggests reciprocal regulation of xenobiotic and immune response genes by CS and a modulatory role of lung AT concentration on the expression of these clusters of genes. These data suggest that in vivo network of AT, AT-metabolites and ATTP affects the transcription of genes driven by AhR, Nrf2 and NF-kappaB, transcription factor networks that transduce cellular metabolic signals and orchestrate adaptive responses of lungs to inhaled environmental pollutants.

Anti-hyperglycemic effect of the polysaccharides fraction from American ginseng berry extract in ob/ob mice

In this study, we evaluated the anti-hyperglycemic effect of a polysaccharides fraction from American ginseng berry extract in diabetic ob/ob mice. All animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of polysaccharides at 150 mg/kg body wt. (n = 5), polysaccharides at 50 mg/kg body wt. (n = 5), or vehicle (n = 5) for 10 consecutive days. On Day 5, as compared to the vehicle-treated mice (230.5 +/- 13.5 mg/dl, mean +/- S.E), mice from both treated groups showed significantly lower fasting blood glucose levels (187.4 +/- 20.5 mg/dl and 187.4 +/- 17.1 mg/dl), respectively (both P < 0.05). On Day 10, compared to the vehicle group (240.1 +/- 12.3 mg/dl), the 50 mg/kg dose group were at 188.4 +/- 12.6 mg/dl (P < 0.05), and the 150 mg/kg dose group were normoglycemic (148.8 +/- 17.6 mg/dl, P < 0.01). Those ob/ob mice treated with vehicle did not, however, show significant changes in fasting blood glucose levels. Data from the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) showed that, compared to Day 0, there was a significant improvement in glucose tolerance in animals who received the 50 and 150 mg/kg polysaccharide doses, and the area under the curve (AUC) decreased 15.5% (P < 0.05) and 28.2% (P < 0.01), respectively. Interestingly, after cessation of polysaccharide treatment, the fasting blood glucose levels stayed lower, and returned to control concentration on Day 30. We also observed that the polysaccharides fraction did not affect body weight changes in ob/ob mice. Our data suggest that the polysaccharides fraction from American ginseng berry extract has a potential clinical utility in treating diabetic patients.

Phenolic constituents from the leaves of the carnivorous plant Nepenthes gracilis

Plumbagin, isoshinanolone, epishinanolone, shinanolone, quercetin and kaempferol were isolated from the leaves of Nepenthes gracilis. Spectral data of shinanolone are presented.

Anatomical study of the obturator internus, gemelli and quadratus femoris muscles with special reference to their innervation

The manner of innervation of the obturator internus, superior and inferior gemelli, and the quadratus femoris in humans (101 pelvic halves) and in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta: 8 pelvic halves) were investigated. In most specimens, the inferior gemellus originated from the lateral surface of the ischial tuberosity and also from the medial surface (intrapelvic origin) just beneath the obturator internus and was covered by the falciform process of the sacrotuberous ligament. The superior gemellus was frequently innervated by the nerve to the obturator internus and the nerve to the quadratus femoris (60.4%), and the inferior gemellus was innervated by the obturator internus nerve in two specimens. The quadratus femoris nerve originated from more cranial segments than the obturator internus nerve, however these nerves had various communication patterns inside and outside the muscles. According to the intramuscular nerve distribution, in some specimens the branches to the superior gemellus from the quadratus femoris nerve extended to the inferior gemellus, and the branches to the inferior gemellus were distributed to the obturator internus. The present findings revealed that the positional relationships among the branches to the obturator internus and gemelli muscles are relatively constant, although the branching patterns and innervation patterns were varied. The various patterns and routes are considered to reflect the variability of the differentiation patterns of the anlage of the muscles. A possible schematic model of the positional relationships between the muscles and the nerves is proposed.

A case of an aberrant branch from the posterior brachial cutaneous nerve to the latissimus dorsi: a vestigeal part of the dorsoepitrochlearis?

During dissection, an aberrant muscular nerve to the small part of the latissimus dorsi arising from the posterior brachial cutaneous nerve was found. Based on the findings of the form and the innervation, the small part is considered to be a vestige of the dorsoepitrochlearis in mammals. It is suggested that the posterior brachial cutaneous nerve is derived from the nerve to the dorsoepitrochlearis (Kasai et al., 1989, Acta Anat Nippon 64: 255-266). This case may be indirect evidence indicating one of the patterns of development of cutaneous nerves in man.

Plasma membrane Ca2+ pump in rat brain. Patterns of alternative splices seen by isoform-specific antibodies

The expression at the protein level of plasma membrane calcium pump (PMCA) isoforms in rat brain was detected by new antibodies that distinguished the four gene products and their alternatively spliced variants. All four gene products were distributed throughout hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum, but the alternate splices showed more distinct distribution patterns. The b splice of isoform 1 was not detectable in any of the brain regions, which makes it unlikely that this isoform performs an essential housekeeping role as is frequently proposed. The b splices of isoforms 3 and 4, although expressed in all three regions, showed evidence of proteolysis, which removed a portion of the carboxyl terminus. In contrast, isoform 2b retained its full length, indicating that PMCA2b is more resistant to proteolysis than the other b forms. Whereas substantial amounts of isoforms 1a, 2a, and 3a were expressed in all regions, 4a was found only in frontal cortex. The distinct patterns of expression of the PMCA isoforms in brain suggest that some of them play a special role in intracellular Ca regulation.