The ability to identify medical reversals and other low-value medical practices is an essential prerequisite for efforts to reduce spending on such practices. Through an analysis of more than 3000 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in three leading medical journals (the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine), we have identified 396 medical reversals. Most of the studies (92%) were conducted on populations in high-income counties, cardiovascular disease was the most common medical category (20%), and medication was the most common type of intervention (33%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: GPR119 is a G protein-coupled receptor that may be the endogenous target for 2-oleoylglycerol (2-OG), a lipid related to the endocannabinoid family of neuromodulators. Interest in GPR119 has centered on its role in regulating insulin secretion; however, the role of GPR119 has not been examined in the eye. The purpose of this study was to explore a potential GPR119-based signaling system in the murine eye.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a fibrotic lung disease that occurs in a variety of clinical settings, including toxin exposures, autoimmunity and lung or bone marrow transplant. Despite its increasing clinical importance, little is known regarding the underlying disease mechanisms due to a lack of adequate small animal BO models. Recent epidemiological studies have implicated exposure to diacetyl (DA), a volatile component of artificial butter flavoring, as a cause of BO in otherwise healthy factory workers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThirteen-week studies were conducted to investigate potential differences in rat strain susceptibility to 1,2-dichloroethane toxicity. F344/N rats, Sprague Dawley rats, Osborne-Mendel rats, and B6C3F1 mice (10 animals of each sex) were exposed to 1,2- dichloroethane in drinking water at 0, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, or 8,000 ppm for 13 weeks. In addition, Groups of 10 F344/N rats of each sex were administered 1,2-dichloroethane in corn oil by gavage to compare toxicity resulting from bolus administration with that of continuous exposure in drinking water.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF