Calcimimetics in the chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder.

Mineral and bone disorders (MBD) are both an early and very common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is now accepted that they represent a significant risk factor, explaining the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in CKD patients. During the last decade, we have been witnessing many advances in the nomenclature, classification, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of CKD and some of its complications, such as CKD-MBD.

Update on the treatment of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Mineral metabolism disturbances appear to contribute to the high mortality rate. A CKD-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) has recently been defined as a systemic disorder manifested by one or a combination of abnormalities in bone biopsy, laboratory parameters and/or vascular or other soft-tissue calcifications.

RNA editing of the serotonin 2C receptor and expression of Galpha(q) protein: genetic mouse models do not support a role for regulation or compensation.

The serotonin 2C (5-HT(2C)) receptor undergoes RNA editing at five bases in a region of the pre-mRNA encoding the second intracellular loop, generating many unique 5-HT(2C) receptor isoforms. Mechanisms regulating in vivo expression of different edited 5-HT(2C) receptor isoforms are poorly understood, as are the adaptive consequences of variation in editing profiles. Recent findings suggest a putative relationship between expression levels of Galpha(q/11) protein and the degree of editing of 5-HT(2C) receptor transcripts.

Two-dimensional strain fields on the cross-section of the bovine humeral head under contact loading.

The objective of this study was to provide a detailed experimental assessment of the two-dimensional cartilage strain distribution on the cross-section of immature and mature bovine humeral heads subjected to contact loading at a relatively rapid physiological loading rate. Six immature and six mature humeral head specimens were loaded against glass and strains were measured at the end of a 5s loading ramp on the textured articular cross-section using digital image correlation analysis. The primary findings indicate that elevated tensile and compressive strains occur near the articular surface, around the center of the contact region.

Studies on antibacterial dressings obtained by fluorinated post-discharge plasma.

Surface modification of wool, polyamide 6 and cotton fabrics was investigated with an Ar-CF(4) post-discharge plasma. The radical F, as determined by optical emission spectroscopy, is considered to be the main active species acting on the fabrics and producing different effects as a function of the textile substrate. Fluorination of the surface is achieved on the three materials studied, but only wool and polyamide 6 fluorinated surfaces become hydrophobic at long treatment times, and show antibacterial properties.

Intra-amygdala injections of CREB antisense impair inhibitory avoidance memory: role of norepinephrine and acetylcholine.

Infusions of CREB antisense into the amygdala prior to training impair memory for aversive tasks, suggesting that the antisense may interfere with CRE-mediated gene transcription and protein synthesis important for the formation of new memories within the amygdala. However, the amygdala also appears to modulate memory formation in distributed brain sites, through mechanisms that include the release of norepinephrine and acetylcholine within the amygdala. Thus, CREB antisense injections may affect memory by interfering with mechanisms of modulation, rather than storage, of memory.

[Tables estimating glomerular filtration rate from plasma creatinine].

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its related complications have become an important health and social problem. Very expensive resources are required in end-stage renal disease, and both complications of CKD as well as the important associated cardiovascular risk demand for interventions long before renal substitution therapies are needed. Thus, early diagnosis of CKD is currently considered of paramount importance, and it is based essentially upon the estimation of the glomerular filtration rate by formulae such as the abbreviated equation of the MDRD study.

Molecular diagnosis of Salmonella species in captive psittacine birds.

Cloacal swabs were collected from 280 captive psittacine birds belonging to 13 species. Samples of dna were tested by PCR using a pair of primers that amplify a 284 base pair fragment of the Salmonella genus invA gene, and the PCR-positive samples were tested by standard microbiological techniques. Thirteen per cent of the samples were positive by PCR, but negative by microbiological techniques.

[Pregnancy in recipients of kidney transplantation: effects on mother and child].

When the field of transplantation was first developing, physicians worried about the teratogenicity of immunosuppressive medications and considered pregnancy ill-advised. The purpose of this study is to analyze pregnancy after kidney transplantation and their consequences on mother, graft and child. We review ten pregnant women with kidney transplantation, average of 29 years old and 44 months post-kidney transplantation.

Diagnostic procedures and rationale for specific therapies in chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased mortality. Non-traditional risk factors, such as mineral metabolism disturbances, seem to contribute to the unexpected high mortality rate. A chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) has recently been defined as a systemic disorder manifested by one or a combination of abnormalities in bone biopsy, laboratory parameters, and/or vascular or other soft tissue calcifications.

Natural infection of turkeys by infectious laryngotracheitis virus.

The infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) is an important respiratory pathogen of chickens that also infects pheasants and peafowl. Epidemiologically non-related commercial turkey flocks with clinical signs such as tracheitis, swollen sinuses, conjunctivitis and expectoration of bloody mucus were examined for the presence of the virus. Laboratory ILTV detection was performed by virus isolation in embryonated eggs and cell cultures, PCR and sequencing of amplification products, histopathology, indirect immunofluorescence and electron microscopy.

Different temporal profiles of amnesia after intra-hippocampus and intra-amygdala infusions of anisomycin.

Systemic or intra-hippocampal administration of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin generally leads to impairments in memory tested 24 hr or more after training but spares memory for a few hours after training. Thus, amnesia does not appear immediately after training but develops with time, findings most often interpreted as evidence for distinct short- and long-term memory processes. However, time courses for the onset of amnesia vary substantially after treatment with protein synthesis inhibitors.

Amnesia produced by altered release of neurotransmitters after intraamygdala injections of a protein synthesis inhibitor.

Amnesia produced by protein synthesis inhibitors such as anisomycin provides major support for the prevalent view that the formation of long-lasting memories requires de novo protein synthesis. However, inhibition of protein synthesis might disrupt other neural functions to interfere with memory formation. Intraamygdala injections of anisomycin before inhibitory avoidance training impaired memory in rats tested 48 h later.

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolated from pigs in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

This study aimed to investigate the relatedness of porcine Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (S.) serovar Typhimurium strains isolated in Southern Brazil.

Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Brazilian chicken anaemia virus.

Chicken anaemia virus (CAV) was detected by a Nested-PCR assay in field samples from different regions of Brazil. The 539 bp amplified fragments of vp1 gene from 44 field samples were sequenced and 10 new nucleotide sequences of CAV were observed. These sequences were phylogenetically analysed by Mega2 using neighbour joining distance methods with 1000 bootstrap replications.

Modulation of memory with septal injections of morphine and glucose: effects on extracellular glucose levels in the hippocampus.

The concentration of glucose in the extracellular fluid (ECF) of the hippocampus decreases substantially during memory testing on a hippocampus-dependent memory task. Administration of exogenous glucose, which enhances task performance, prevents this decrease, suggesting a relationship between hippocampal glucose availability and memory performance. In the present experiment, spontaneous alternation performance and task-related changes in hippocampal ECF glucose were assessed in rats after intraseptal administration of morphine, which impairs memory on a spontaneous alternation task, and after co-administration of intraseptal glucose, which attenuates that impairment.

Meroterpenes from the ascidian Aplidium aff. densum.

Chemical investigation of the ascidian Aplidium aff. densum collected at Masirah Island, Oman, has resulted in the isolation of five meroterpenes: two new ones, methoxyconidiol (1) and didehydroconicol (2), and three related, known compounds, 3-5. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by a combination of mass spectrometry and one- and two-dimensional high-field NMR techniques.

Glucose injections into the dorsal hippocampus or dorsolateral striatum of rats prior to T-maze training: modulation of learning rates and strategy selection.

The present experiments examined the effects of injecting glucose into the dorsal hippocampus or dorsolateral striatum on learning rates and on strategy selection in rats trained on a T-maze that can be solved by using either a hippocampus-sensitive place or striatum-sensitive response strategy. Percentage strategy selection on a probe trial (P(crit)) administered after rats achieved criterion (nine of 10 correct choices) varied by group. All groups predominately exhibited a response strategy on a probe trial administered after overtraining, i.

Isolation and characterization of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from chickens in Brazil.

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) is a recently described species of bacterium associated with respiratory disease, growth retardation, mortality, and decreased egg production in chickens and turkeys. Pneumonia, pleuritis, and airsacculitis characterise the infection. ORT has been isolated in many countries but it is still considered exotic in Brazil.

Increases in extracellular fluid glucose levels in the rat hippocampus following an anesthetic dose of pentobarbital or ketamine-xylazine: an in vivo microdialysis study.

Using in vivo microdialysis, we examined glucose levels in the extracellular fluid (ECF) of the hippocampus and in the blood prior to and during pentobarbital (45 mg/kg) or ketamine-xylazine (66 mg/kg, 7 mg/kg) anesthesia. Anesthesia with either pentobarbital or ketamine-xylazine significantly increased hippocampal ECF glucose levels (mean peak increases of +71% and +85%, respectively). In addition, there were substantial increases in blood glucose levels (mean peak increases of +24% and +30%, respectively).

B-F DNA sequence variability in Brazilian (blue-egg Caipira) chickens.

A total of 100 chickens from the Brazilian (blue-egg Caipira) native breed were studied in relation to exon 2 of the B-F genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region. After a first screening on 100 birds, 22 animals were selected for amplification, cloning and sequencing experiments of exons 2-4 (a total of 1048 bp) of their DNA. Twenty-three sequences were obtained, of which at least 10 appear novel.

Serological characterization and prevalence of spvR genes in Salmonella isolated from foods involved in outbreaks in Brazil.

Salmonella strains (n = 75) isolated from foods involved in foodborne outbreaks occurred in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, during 1999 and 2000 were studied. Strains were serotyped and submitted to PCR analysis to verify the prevalence of Salmonella plasmid virulence (spvR) regulatory gene. Among the 75 isolates, 73 (97%) were classified as Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis.

Prevalence of antibodies against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale in broilers and breeders in Southern Brazil.

In this investigation, we determined the prevalence of the Ornithobacerium rhinotracheale (ORT) infection in broilers and broiler breeders in southern Brazil. We also correlated the presence of antibodies in broilers with performance. Sera from 1550 broilers from 50 flocks were collected during the slaughter time in nine companies with federal veterinary inspection of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Evaluation of selective and non-selective enrichment PCR procedures for Salmonella detection.

Aims: To compare PCR combined with enrichment media with the standard microbiological techniques (SMT) and to determine the most sensitive method for the detection of Salmonella and the identification of Salm. typhimurium (ST), Salm. enteritidis (SE), Salm.

Presence of avipoxvirus DNA in avian dermal squamous cell carcinoma.

Dermal squamous cell carcinoma (DSCC; avian keratoacanthoma) is a neoplastic skin lesion of broiler chickens of unknown aetiology. In previous studies, the possibility of the involvement of pox viruses in the cause of DSCC was considered. In this work, a sensitive and specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed that could amplify a 419 base pair DNA fragment of fowlpox virus with a detection limit of less than one infectious unit.