Ultrasound-guided injection technique of the equine cervical nerve roots.

Radiculopathy in horses is often a diagnosis of exclusion because of the non-specific clinical signs related to neck pain and possible forelimb lameness. There are no reported treatment options in the equine veterinary literature. The purpose of the study was to describe an ultrasound-guided injection of the cervical nerve root C3 to C8, to evaluate accuracy, time and safety and to anticipate possible complications on clinical cases.

GLUT4-overexpressing engineered muscle constructs as a therapeutic platform to normalize glycemia in diabetic mice.

Skeletal muscle insulin resistance is a main defect in type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is associated with impaired function and content of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4). GLUT4 overexpression in skeletal muscle tissue can improve glucose homeostasis. Therefore, we created an engineered muscle construct (EMC) composed of GLUT4-overexpressing (OEG4) cells.

Family members' experience of intensive care unit support group: qualitative analysis of intervention.

Background: Family members of intensive care unit patients develop anxiety, depression and/or symptoms suggestive of risk for post-traumatic stress. Nurse-led support groups have been recommended and used in a variety of settings as a mechanism to help meet family needs and overcome challenges. These groups have been reported to increase the members' understanding of complex medical issues involved in their situations and to be helpful in identifying practical coping mechanisms.

PPARγ gene expression is autoregulated in primary adipocytes: ligand, sumoylation, and isoform specificity.

Being a key-factor in glucose homeostasis, PPARγ transcriptional activity (TA) is of high importance. However, its mediation by ligands and post-translational modifications in insulin target tissues are unclear. We investigated effects of rosiglitazone (Rg) and sumoylation on PPARγ-TA by overexpressing expression vectors and promoter-reporters for PPARγ1 and PPARγ2 in primary rat adipocytes.

AHNAK KO mice are protected from diet-induced obesity but are glucose intolerant.

AHNAK is a 700 KD phosphoprotein primarily involved in calcium signaling in various cell types and regulating cytoskeletal organization and cell membrane architecture. AHNAK expression has also been associated with obesity. To investigate the role of AHNAK in regulating metabolic homeostasis, we studied whole body AHNAK knockout mice (KO) on either regular chow or high-fat diet (HFD).