Cortical reorganization in multiple sclerosis after intrathecal baclofen therapy

Our objective was to assess the role of Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy (ITB) in the cortical reorganization in a patient affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) undergoing physical therapy. We reported a case of a woman affected by MS and severe spasticity, who performed an fMRI examination, before and after the ITB implantation. The subject showed controlateral motor cortex activation after motor task. After a month of ITB implantation, patient showed ipsilateral and controlateral motor cortex activation although with a broader extension. fMRI examination supported the hypothesis of a central influence in patients who undergo physiotherapy and therapy with ITB.

Differences between conventional and nonconventional MRI techniques in Parkinson's disease

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an in vivo assessment of cortical and subcortical regions affected in Parkinson's disease (PD). This review summarizes the most important conventional and non-conventional MRI techniques applied in this field. Standard neuroimaging techniques have played a marginal role in the diagnosis and follow-up of PD, essentially being used only to discriminate atypical syndromes from PD, to exclude secondary causes such as vascular lesions, and to confirm the absence of specific imaging features found in atypical parkinsonisms. However, non-conventional MRI techniques, i.e. new neuroimaging approaches such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, and functional MRI, may allow the detection of structural, functional and metabolic changes useful not only for differential diagnosis, but also for early diagnosis and outcome and treatment monitoring in PD. In addition, we illustrate the advantages of high-field MRI over lower magnetic fields, highlighting the great potential of advanced neuroimaging techniques.

Degradation of pyrimethanil in soil: influence of light, oxygen, and microbial activity

The research was carried out in order to verify the influence that light, oxygen, and microbial activity have on the degradability of pyrimethanil (PYR) in soil. The products of degradation were also identified and their evolution in time evaluated. The results indicate that the molecule is more persistent in the absence of light, oxygen, and microbial activity. The order of importance of these three factors is as follows: light < microbial activity < oxygen. The following products of degradation were identified: (1) benzoic acid, (2) cis,cis-muconic acid, (3) hydroxyl-4,6-dimethyl-2-pirimidinamine, (4) N'-ethyl-N-hydroxyformamidine, and (5) 4,6-dimethyl-2-piridinamine, which appeared different from those reported in literature for the degradation of PYR in abiotic conditions. This result suggests that the degradation in soil is mainly biotic.

A high-protein meal exceeds anabolic and catabolic capacities in rats adapted to a normal protein diet

The postprandial fixation of dietary nitrogen in splanchnic and peripheral tissues as well as its dynamic transfer to the nitrogen pools of the body were quantified in rats subjected to an acute augmentation of dietary protein. For this purpose, we traced the dietary protein and studied the immediate fate of exogenous nitrogen in many tissues and biological fluids. Rats were adapted to a diet providing an adequate protein level (14 g/100 g), and then fed a meal containing either 0.42 g (Group A) or 1.50 g (Group H) of [(15)N]-labeled milk protein. The amounts of exogenous nitrogen transferred to urea (0.32 +/- 0.04 vs. 2.46 +/- 0.25 mmol, respectively), incorporated in splanchnic (0.41 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.87 +/- 0.10 mmol) and peripheral (1.65 +/- 0.84 vs. 2.36 +/- 0.49 mmol) tissue protein were higher in group H than in group A. Individual plasma amino acids (AA) [(15)N]-enrichments showed that AA respond differentially to an acute augmentation of dietary intake. This work provides new descriptive and quantitative information on the metabolic fate of dietary nitrogen in the postprandial state. It highlights the higher integration of a surplus of dietary nitrogen in the tissues even if it is rapidly limited by saturation of the protein synthesis capacities. The main metabolic response remains the stimulation of AA degradation, leading to a large rise in urea production. However, both anabolic and catabolic systems are exceeded, resulting in an elevation of peripheral AA and negative feedback on the gastric emptying rate.

Digestion patterns of endogenous and different exogenous proteins affect the composition of intestinal effluents in humans

The purpose of this work was to determine if endogenous luminal proteins are stimulated differently by various dietary proteins and if their digestibility differs from that of dietary proteins. Intestinal effluents were collected from the jejunum of four volunteers who had previously fasted or ingested either casein or soybean proteins. After separating the jejunal digested fraction (nonprotein nitrogen) by dialysis, the protein nitrogen fractions of the effluents and of the protein sources were further hydrolyzed in vitro in a digestion cell with simultaneous dialysis of the digestion by-products. The results indicated a higher (P < 0.05) gastrojejunal absorption of casein (64.5 +/- 2.5%) compared with soybean protein (49.9 +/- 4.1%) in humans. Compared with fasting conditions, protein ingestion increased both the total nitrogen and protein nitrogen of the endogenous nitrogen fraction slightly (P < 0.05) but had no effect on the nonprotein nitrogen fraction. The amino acid profiles of the nonprotein nitrogen in the effluents differed from those of both the protein sources and their mixtures with endogenous secretions. This was attributed to the specific release of amino acids by pancreatic enzymes as measured in vitro. The hydrolysis patterns of amino acids were determined by the structure of food proteins and their interaction with endogenous proteins. Soybean and endogenous nitrogen had equivalent digestibilities when measured in vitro.

Gastro-jejunal digestion of soya-bean-milk protein in humans

In order to determine how soya-bean proteins are digested and metabolized in the human intestine before colonic bacterial fermentation and to estimate their true digestibility, the gastro-jejunal behaviour of soya-bean proteins in water and in two other forms (a concentrated soya-bean-protein solution (isolate) and a drink composed of crude soya-bean proteins (soymilk)) was studied in humans. Experiments were carried out in eight healthy volunteers using a double-lumen steady-state intestinal perfusion method with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) as a non-absorbable volume marker. Gastric emptying and N and electrolyte contents of the jejunal digesta were analysed. Gastric half-emptying time (min) of the liquid phase after water ingestion (12.59 (SE 0.12)) was shorter (P < 0.05) than those for soymilk (37.74 (SE 11.57)) and isolate (36.52 (SE 11.23)). Electrolytic balances showed that for all meals, Na+, Cl- and K+ were secreted when Ca2+ was efficiently absorbed from the jejunal lumen. Gastro-jejunal N absorption for isolate and soymilk were 63 and 49% respectively, and were not significantly different from one another; after water ingestion, endogenous N was estimated to be 21 mmol. An estimate of the exogenous:endogenous values for the effluents was obtained from the amino acid compositions of soymilk and effluents after water or soymilk ingestion, indicating that 70% of the total N was exogenous and 30% endogenous. Under these conditions the endogenous fraction represented 31 mmol after soymilk ingestion and the gastro-jejunal N balance indicated that 54% of the soymilk was absorbed. This finding indicates that the true gastrojejunal digestibility of soya-bean proteins is similar to that of milk proteins.

True exogenous and endogenous nitrogen fractions in the human jejunum after ingestion of small amounts of 15N-labeled casein

The purpose of this work was to determine exogenous and endogenous contributions to the overall nitrogen flux in the upper jejunum in humans. After the ingestion of water or 8 g of [15N]casein, the behavior of gastro-jejunal nitrogen and electrolyte (Na+, K+, Cl-) movements were studied in seven volunteers using the "slow marker" perfusion technique. The jejunal flow-rate of the chyme peaked during 0-20 min and 20-40 min periods following water and casein ingestion, respectively. Osmolarity, Cl- and Na+ concentrations decreased significantly (P < 0.05) during the first 20 min following meal ingestion and returned to the basal levels in the 20-60 min period. The gastric half-emptying times (min) of the liquid phase differed significantly (P < 0.05) for water (7.9 +/- 0.4) and casein (21.4 +/- 9.1). The basal flow rate of endogenous nitrogen was 9 +/- 3.3 mmol/h in the jejunum. After casein ingestion, the total nitrogen content reached maximum values in the 20-40 min period and then progressively returned to the initial level. The gastro-jejunal casein absorption was 58% and the remaining amount of casein in the jejunum was degraded more than 80% to alcohol-soluble compounds. After the ingestion of a low amount of casein no significant increase in the endogenous nitrogen fraction was observed. The 15N-dilution technique is an appropriate method in humans for the direct measurement of endogenous and exogenous contributions to the intestinal nitrogen fraction.