Impact of an Okinawa/Nordic based diet on endocrinological and periodontal conditions in individuals with type 2 diabetes. A randomized case-control study.

Objectives: To assess if the results following intake of a diet using an Okinawan-based Nordic diet (OBND) over one month differs in endocrinological, periodontal clinical outcome, and serum cytokine levels compared to a standard hospital care diet in individuals with diabetes type 2 (T2D) (control group).

Background: Scientific evidence suggests that the use of diet for individuals with T2D may be beneficial.

Methods: Participating individuals with T2D were randomly assigned to a test (OBND) (n = 14), or control group (n = 16).

Development and prevention of ischemic contracture ("stone heart") in the pig heart.

Stone heart (ischemic contracture) is a rare and serious condition observed in the heart after periods of warm ischemia. The underlying mechanisms are largely unknown and treatment options are lacking. In view of the possibilities for cardiac donation after circulatory death (DCD), introducing risks for ischemic damage, we have investigated stone heart in pigs.

Excitation and contraction of cardiac muscle and coronary arteries of brain-dead pigs.

Excitability and contraction of cardiac muscle from brain-dead donors critically influence the success of heart transplantation. Membrane physiology, Ca-handling, and force production of cardiac muscle and the contractile properties of coronary arteries were studied in hearts of brain-dead pigs. Cardiac muscle and vascular function after 12 h brain death (decapitation between C2 and C3) were compared with properties of fresh tissue.

Robust LC3B lipidation analysis by precisely adjusting autophagic flux.

Autophagic flux can be quantified based on the accumulation of lipidated LC3B in the presence of late-stage autophagy inhibitors. This method has been widely applied to identify novel compounds that activate autophagy. Here we scrutinize this approach and show that bafilomycin A1 (BafA) but not chloroquine is suitable for flux quantification due to the stimulating effect of chloroquine on non-canonical LC3B-lipidation.

Intact coronary and myocardial functions after 24 hours of non-ischemic heart preservation.

The aim of this study was to investigate endothelium dependent relaxation (EDR) in coronary artery and the myocardial contractility after 24 h of non-ischemic heart preservation (NIHP). Explanted cardioplegic hearts from six pigs were preserved by NIHP for 24 h. The perfusion medium consisted of an albumin containing hyperoncotic cardioplegic nutrition-hormone solution with erythrocytes to a hematocrit of 10%.