Lycopene is a natural carotenoid antioxidant that is present in tomatoes and tomato products. The pharmacologic function of lycopene in platelets is not yet understood. Therefore, in this study we sought to systematically examine the effects of lycopene in the prevention of platelet aggregation and thrombus formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTitin, an elastic and giant myofibrillar protein, is responsible for generating passive tension and maintaining sarcomere structure in striated muscles. Several studies have reported attenuation of passive tension and disorganization of sarcomere in atrophic muscles, but the changes of titin have not been investigated after denervation. For this purpose, we used sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunofluorescent staining to examine titin in innervated and denervated tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of the rat.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHHS' Medicaid Commission presented its first proposal for cutting $10 billion from the Medicaid program while still keeping it viable. Questions remain about how well the recommendations will work and some, like John Goodman, left, of the Washington-based National Center for Policy Analysis, said the proposal is a short-term solution for a program that needs a "complete overhaul."
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychopharmacology (Berl)
November 2005
Rationale: Methamphetamine dependence is a growing problem for which no medication treatments have proven effective.
Objectives: We evaluated bupropion, an antidepressant with beneficial effects for the treatment of nicotine dependence, in patients with methamphetamine dependence, to assess the safety and tolerability of methamphetamine administration during bupropion treatment.
Methods: Twenty-six participants entered the study and 20 completed the protocol.
RDP58 is the first lead compound in a series of immunomodulating decapeptides discovered through activity-based screening and computer-aided, rational design. RDP58 disrupts cellular responses signaled through the Toll-like and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor families and occludes important signal transduction pathways involved in inflammation, inhibiting the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and IL-12. These pro-inflammatory cytokines are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpecific interactions of human melanocortin-4 receptor (hMC4R) with its nonpeptide and peptide agonists were studied using alanine-scanning mutagenesis. The binding affinities and potencies of two synthetic, small-molecule agonists (THIQ, MB243) were strongly affected by substitutions in transmembrane alpha-helices (TM) 2, 3, 6, and 7 (residues Glu(100), Asp(122), Asp(126), Phe(261), His(264), Leu(265), and Leu(288)). In addition, a I129A mutation primarily affected the binding and potency of THIQ, while F262A, W258A, Y268A mutations impaired interactions with MB243.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper examines 16-year trends in the utilization of hospital and physician services by Manitobans aged 75 and more, using data from the Manitoba Population Health Research Data Repository. Trends are examined across five measures of hospital services (separations, short-stay days, long-stay days, cataract surgeries, and hip/knee replacements) and two measures of physician care (overall visit rate, and proportion having seven or more visits). Results show changes in the utilization of these services among older adults living in Manitoba over time, with the extent of change varying with the service under consideration, age, and location of residence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicare and Medicaid were born 40 years ago, offering the first federally funded safety net for senior citizens, the uninsured and the disabled. While President Theodore Roosevelt, left, first proposed a national health insurance program in 1912, it took decades of political infighting before a program could be created. A look at the past, present and possible future of these important programs begins on Page 6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: RDP58 is a novel anti-inflammatory d-amino acid decapeptide that inhibits synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines by disrupting cell signaling at the pre-MAPK MyD88-IRAK-TRAF6 protein complex. We therefore evaluated its efficacy and safety in parallel multicenter, double-blind, randomized concept studies in ulcerative colitis (UC).
Methods: In the first trial, 34 patients with mild to moderate active UC were randomized (1:2) to placebo (n = 13) or RDP58 100 mg (n = 21).