Decline in Kidney Function among Apparently Healthy Young Adults at Risk of Mesoamerican Nephropathy.

Epidemic levels of CKD of undetermined cause, termed Mesoamerican nephropathy in Central America, have been found in low- and middle-income countries. We investigated the natural history of, and factors associated with, loss of kidney function in a population at high risk for this disease. We conducted a 2-year prospective, longitudinal study with follow-up every 6 months in nine rural communities in northwestern Nicaragua and included all men (=263) and a random sample of women (=87) ages 18-30 years old without self-reported CKD, diabetes, or hypertension.

Rationale, description and baseline findings of a community-based prospective cohort study of kidney function amongst the young rural population of Northwest Nicaragua.

Background: An epidemic of Mesoamerican Nephropathy (MeN) is killing thousands of agricultural workers along the Pacific coast of Central America, but the natural history and aetiology of the disease remain poorly understood. We have recently commenced a community-based longitudinal study to investigate Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Nicaragua. Although logistically challenging, study designs of this type have the potential to provide important insights that other study designs cannot.

Camelid heavy chain only antibody fragment domain against β-site of amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 inhibits β-secretase activity in vitro and in vivo.

Unlabelled: Accumulation and aggregation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ is generated from the amyloid precursor protein by the successive action of two membrane-associated processing enzymes: β-secretase or β-site of amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and γ-secretase. Inhibition of one or both of these enzymes prevents Aβ generation and the accompanying Aβ accumulation.

Simple colorimetric trypanothione reductase-based assay for high-throughput screening of drugs against Leishmania intracellular amastigotes.

Critical to the search for new anti-leishmanial drugs is the availability of high-throughput screening (HTS) methods to test chemical compounds against the relevant stage for pathogenesis, the intracellular amastigotes. Recent progress in automated microscopy and genetic recombination has produced powerful tools for drug discovery. Nevertheless, a simple and efficient test for measuring drug activity against Leishmania clinical isolates is lacking.