AN IN-DEPTH ASSESSMENT OF THE TUMOR'S IMPACT ON SARCOPENIA

Loss of muscle mass is a typical symptom of cancer and it is strongly correlated with poor prognosis. Cancer-related Sarcopenia is unresponsive to conventional dietary changes and exercise, in contrast to age-associated muscle atrophy. This particular type of weakness differs from different kinds of muscle loss in that it is triggered by a number of interrelated mechanisms, notably inflammatory processes, abnormal metabolic processes, proteolysis, and autophagy. This research is to examine evidence supporting the theory that tumors have a causal role in causing muscular atrophy. It seeks to investigate the precise regulators that the tumour generates and how they affect the processes that result in muscle waste. The evaluation looks for new directions for further studies and medical treatments. The analysis is based on a thorough examination of the scientific literature and research that shows how tumor and muscle atrophy are related. It concentrates on studies that clarify the numerous strategies by which malignancies cause the loss of muscle. This article highlights particular mechanisms by which these tumor-derived substances affect the development of muscle loss, including inflammatory processes, metabolic disturbance, proteolysis, and autophagy. The discovery of such targets offers hope for the creation of efficient treatment strategies that can enhance the long-term outlook and quality of life of cancer sufferers who are experiencing muscle loss.

AN EVALUATION OF ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIPTION PRACTICES: PERSPECTIVES OF VETERINARY TRAINEES AND PRACTICING VETERINARIANS

Antibiotic resistance is a major worldwide problem that has an impact on the well-being of humans as well as animals. Antibiotic resistance is caused by the misuse and excessive use of antibiotics. The key to reducing this issue lies in educating veterinary medical learners on the proper and accountable utilization of antibiotics for the care of animals. Objective - using awareness-raising and instruction as the foundation, this research of Indian veterinary learners can help resolve the issue of antibiotic resistance throughout the care of animals. The questionnaire survey was taken between June and July 2022 and it was aimed at learners registered in veterinary medical studies at academic and research institutions in India. The study included 500 pupils overall. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about students' knowledge of antibiotics, including antibiotic resistance, as well as their feelings on the consequences of antibiotic resistance on the globe at large and their acquaintance with the one health ideology. According to this study's findings, 83.3 percent of respondents thought antibiotic resistance was a serious problem. 57.92 percent of respondents understood the issue's worldwide consequences and its one health ideology. The study emphasizes the significance of expanding the veterinary educational program to include thorough instruction on prudent antibiotic usage and the concepts of one health.

Minimally invasive radioguided surgery for parathyroid adenomas (MIRP)

BACKGROUND

Parathyroid adenoma is the most common cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. Conventional surgical management includes bilateral neck exploration with removal of the adenoma(s) and biopsy of one of the other glands with visualization of all glands. It is associated with a risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism. Radioguided excision of parathyroid adenoma is a widely accepted technique which provides accurate localization and complete excision of the lesion with low morbidity. We report our experience with this technique.

METHODS

We performed radioguided excision of parathyroid adenomas in 15 patients. All of them had preoperative localization of the adenoma using a dual tracer, dual phase 99mTc-Sestamibi scan. A dose of 8-10 mCi of 99mTc-Sestamibi was injected intravenously 2 hours before surgery. Under local anaesthesia, surgical excision of the lesion was done after localizing it using a hand-held gamma probe. Complete excision was confirmed by frozen. section of the excised lesion and an intraoperative quick parathormone assay.

RESULTS

The 99mTc-Sestamibi scan revealed an increased uptake by the adenoma in all patients and complete excision was possible in all the patients. Frozen section confirmed the diagnosis and the quick parathormone assay (within 15 minutes) revealed a drop in parathormone levels to < 50% after excision in all of them. Three patients developed hypocalcaemia postoperatively and were treated with intravenous calcium supplementation. At a follow up of 2-29 months, all the patients were normocalcaemic. The renal functions improved in 2 of 6 patients who had renal failure.

CONCLUSION

Minimally invasive radioguided excision of parathyroid adenomas is a simple, safe and effective technique associated with a low morbidity and can be done as a day-care procedure.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor as an adjuvant to hepatitis B vaccination in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) have poor seroconversion rate after hepatitis B vaccination. The present study was designed to test the efficacy of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as an adjuvant to hepatitis B vaccination for improving seroconversion rate in maintenance HD patients. Twelve chronic HD patients were randomly assigned to receive either hepatitis B vaccination alone or hepatitis B vaccination 24 h after 1 dose of GM-CSF for primary immunization. A group of 16 chronic HD patients who had not seroconverted after a standard two-dose hepatitis B vaccination were randomly assigned either to a booster dose of hepatitis B vaccine alone or a booster dose given 24 h after one dose of GM-CSF. In the primary immunization group only 2 of 6 patients (33%) who had received vaccination alone, versus 5 of 6 patients (83%) who had received hepatitis B vaccine after one dose of GM-CSF, developed seroprotective antibody titers. Moreover, seroprotective antibody titers (IU/ml) were significantly higher in the latter group (275 +/- 286.5 vs. 14 +/- 22, p < 0.05). In patients who had not seroconverted with prior hepatitis B vaccination, GM-CSF adjuvant therapy significantly increased the seroconversion rate versus booster dose alone (87.5 vs. 25%, respectively, p < 0.02), with significantly higher seroprotective antibody titers (84 +/- 80 vs. 19 +/- 33 IU/ml, respectively, p < 0. 05). These findings suggest that administration of one dose of GM-CSF, as adjuvant therapy, prior to primary or booster dose hepatitis B vaccination may significantly increase seroconversion rate and seroprotective antibody titers in chronic HD patients.

Clinical significance of erosive azotemic osteodystrophy: a prospective masked study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationship between joint symptoms and radiographically identifiable erosions in patients on maintenance hemodialysis for 4 or more years.

PATIENTS AND DESIGN

A prospective study was carried out on 21 patients, who underwent rheumatological evaluation and radiographic surveys of all clinically examined joints. The radiologist was masked to the clinical information and the clinicians were masked to the radiographic findings. Cuprophane dialyzers were used on all patients. The statistical analysis was performed by unpaired t-test and Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Ten men and 11 women comprised the 21 patients, of whom 10 had joint symptoms and clinical signs whereas 11 did not. Age, gender, and duration of hemodialysis did not differ significantly between the symptomatic and asymptomatic group. Of the 21 patients, 10 had radiological evidence of erosions and 11 did not. The average age of patients with erosions was 64.9 years; this was significantly different from the age of the group without erosions, which was 54.1 years. The group with radiographic evidence of erosions had been on dialysis for an average of 9.6 years, while those without erosions had received dialysis for an average of 6.4 years. Of the 11 patients without radiographic evidence of erosions, three were symptomatic. Of the 10 patients with erosions, seven had musculoskeletal symptoms, but only in four was there concordance between radiological findings and symptoms of the corresponding joints. The positive predictive value of radiographic erosions in predicting clinically significant disease was 40%. There was poor correlation between the presence of radiographic erosions and clinical signs and symptoms of joint disease.

Pediatric renal transplantation--Indian experience

OBJECTIVE

To analyze our experience with renal transplantation in children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in India.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

METHODS

Over the last 7.5 years, 27 renal transplants were performed on children below 12 years of age, 8 children were less than 6 years old, 19 were between 6 and 12 years of age. Sixteen children had underlying glomerular disease while eleven had tubulointerstitial renal disease. Transperitoneal approach was used in smaller recipients weighing less than 12 kg. Extraperitoneal approach was used in the remainder. Triple immunosuppression with Cyclosporine, Azathioprine and Steroids was used in all cases.

RESULTS

Follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 7.5 years (mean 3.7 years). There were 10 episodes of acute rejection. Three cases of acute rejection failed to respond to therapy. No surgical complications were encountered. Graft survival was 73.2% at one year and 71% at two years. Satisfactory rehabilitation was achieved in children with functioning grafts.

CONCLUSIONS

Renal transplantation in children in India offers an acceptable choice in ESRD as anywhere in the world.

Cyclosporine experience in nephrotic syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the use of Cyclosporine (CyA) in nephrotic syndrome.

METHODS

Thirty five children of mean age of 5.9 years with steroid dependent (n = 26) or steroid resistant (n = 9) primary nephrotic syndrome with normal renal functions and who received CyA were studied. CyA was used at a dosage of 6-7 mg/kg/day orally in two divided doses. The mean duration of therapy was 9.6 weeks. All received a minimum of 8 weeks of CyA therapy. In a few who received longer therapy, the dose was reduced to 4 mg/kg/day. All patients were monitored serially for hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. The nephrotic state was evaluated serially with biochemical tests and followed up for a mean period of 2.55 years.

RESULTS

Thirty one patients completed the study. The response to therapy was categorized into 5 groups-no response (4 patients), good response (4 patients), partial response (4 patients), cyclosporine dependence (16 patients), and infrequent relapsers (3 patients). Good response was defined as complete remission lasting for at least one year after cessation of therapy. Patients who showed partial response had reduction in quantitative proteinuria and needed less diuretics. Sixteen patients went into complete remission while on therapy but relapsed within 3 months of discontinuation (CyA dependence). The response to CyA correlated more with steroid-responsiveness than with the underlying histopathology. The drug was well tolerated.

CONCLUSION

In steroid-dependent or steroid-resistant nephrotic children with normal renal functions, CyA therapy may be considered as one of the possible therapeutic options. Our results suggest that a longer duration of CyA therapy may possibly be indicated in these cases.

Solitary, spontaneous cervical and large bone fractures in aluminum osteodystrophy

Aluminum-induced bone disease in uremic patients receiving dialysis was first described a little more than 10 years ago. The epidemic form of the disease was seen in centers where there was a high aluminum content in the water dialysate. Although this problem has been corrected, sporadic forms of the disease continue to be noted in dialyzed and nondialyzed patients. Multiple fractures are a radiological feature of aluminum-related bone disease. Fractures of the ribs and hips and vertebral crush fractures are the usual manifestations. We present four patients whose nontraumatic fractures involved large bones, without evidence of multiple fractures. In two of the patients symptoms were vague and subacute; a third patient with a subcapital fracture was ambulatory. Only in one patient (fractured dens) were symptoms acute enough to warrant immediate radiography. One of the patients had no symptoms pertaining to a fracture of C5 with retrolisthesis. Rib fractures are common in this condition but were seen in only one patient, in whom they were detected 8 years previously. Healing was not seen in any of the fractures. In patients receiving dialysis the presence of spontaneous fractures of large bones or cervical vertebrae, which may be clinically silent or vaguely symptomatic, should raise the possibility of aluminum-induced osteomalacia even if these fractures are solitary.

Renal handling of 5-nitrofuran nephrotoxins in the rat

Formic acid 2-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl)-hydrazide (FNT) and 3-hydroxymethyl-1-([3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-allydidene]amino)hydantoin (HMN) were investigated to determine whether differences in the renal handling of these two chemicals might provide evidence to explain their different patterns of toxicity and carcinogenicity. The isolated perfused rat kidney and whole animal were used. In the isolated perfused rat kidney, both FNT and HMN had similar half-lives (t1/2) but the urinary excretion and renal clearance of HMN (2.1 +/- 0.4 greater than those of FNT (0.2 +/- 0.1 nmol/min and 0.06 +/- 0.01 ml/min, respectively). Probenecid increased the t1/2 and decreased the metabolic clearance of HMN but did not have any effect on FNT t1/2 or clearance. These differences in excretion of FNT and HMN could not be explained on the basis of protein binding. The total clearances of FNT and HMN were similar and significantly higher than that of the 5-nitrofuran bladder carcinogen ANFT. In the whole animal, the urinary excretion of HMN was about 10-fold greater than that of FNT. The t1/2 of both FNT and HMN was less than 5 min in the whole animal. Probenecid decreased the urinary excretion of HMN from 9.7 +/- 1.4% to 4.4 +/- 1.0% (p less than 0.05). Compared with HMN, FNT has less urinary excretion but a similar elimination t1/2, suggesting a greater nonrenal clearance. HMN but not FNT has tubular excretion. Thus, alterations in substituents of 5-nitrofurans markedly alter their renal handling and may partially explain their diverse toxic effects.

Renal metabolism of formic acid 2-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]-hydrazide

Formic acid 2-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]-hydrazide (FNT) is a potent renal carcinogen in the rat. This study assessed the metabolism of FNT by the isolated perfused rat kidney and whole rat. The glomerular filtration rate and the fractional excretion of sodium for the isolated perfused kidney indicated that under the conditions of these experiments FNT did not alter these renal parameters. The half-life (t1/2) for FNT in the isolated perfused kidney was 67 +/- 8 min. Using HPLC, a metabolite of FNT was observed in urine from the isolated perfused kidney. This metabolite had absorbance at 385 nm but not 254 nm and could not be detected electrochemically at +500 mV. While the excretion of FNT decreased with time of perfusion, the metabolite excretion increased. Whole animal studies demonstrated that FNT is rapidly cleared from blood within the first 5 min of administration. The FNT metabolite was excreted at approximately the same rate from 0-30 and 30-60 min after FNT administration. The metabolite was not observed in media from FNT perfused kidneys or plasma from animals administered FNT. Analysis of purified metabolite by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) determined the structure to be 5-nitro-2-furonitrile. This structure assignment was verified by chemical synthesis. Results demonstrate target organ metabolism of carcinogen.