Evaluation of adherence to a daily progestin-only pill in a simulated over-the-counter setting.

Objective: The Adherence with Continuous Dose Oral Contraceptive: Evaluation of Self-Selection and Use (ACCESS) study assessed whether consumers can adhere to the regimen for a progestin-only pill (norgestrel 0.075 mg) in an over-the-counter (OTC) setting.

Study Design: An actual use study in a simulated OTC environment assessed adherence to directions to take norgestrel 0.

Evaluation of consumer self-selection of a proposed over-the-counter, progestin-only daily oral contraceptive.

Objectives: In an effort to switch a norgestrel 0.075 mg progestin-only pill (Opill) from prescription to over-the-counter, we conducted this study to assess whether consumers can use the drug facts label alone to guide appropriate self-selection.

Study Design: Two studies assessed self-selection: (1) an all-comers, actual-use study evaluating self-selection before purchasing and using norgestrel 0.

Molecular effects of autoimmune-risk promoter polymorphisms on expression, exon choice, and translational efficiency of interferon regulatory factor 5.

The rs2004640 single nucleotide polymorphism and the CGGGG copy-number variant (rs77571059) are promoter polymorphisms within interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5). They have been implicated as susceptibility factors for several autoimmune diseases. IRF5 uses alternative promoter splicing, where any of 4 first exons begin the mRNA.

Insulin suppresses ischemic preconditioning-mediated cardioprotection through Akt-dependent mechanisms.

It is believed that the diabetic myocardium is refractory to cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning (IPC) mainly because of impaired insulin signaling to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (PKB or Akt). However, human as well as animal studies have clearly showed that the hearts of type 2 diabetic humans and animals may exhibit increased signaling through PI3K-Akt but yet are resistant to cardioprotection by IPC or ischemic post-conditioning. Therefore, this study was designed to determine whether activation of insulin signaling prior to IPC is detrimental for cardioprotection and to assess the role of insulin receptors (IRs) and Akt in mediating this effect.

UCP3 regulates cardiac efficiency and mitochondrial coupling in high fat-fed mice but not in leptin-deficient mice.

These studies investigate the role of uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) in cardiac energy metabolism, cardiac O(2) consumption (MVO(2)), cardiac efficiency (CE), and mitochondrial uncoupling in high fat (HF)-fed or leptin-deficient mice. UCP3KO and wild-type (WT) mice were fed normal chow or HF diets for 10 weeks. Substrate utilization rates, MVO(2), CE, and mitochondrial uncoupling were measured in perfused working hearts and saponin-permeabilized cardiac fibers, respectively.