Publications by authors named "Frank Ma"

Diphenhydramine (DPH), a readily available first-generation H1 receptor antihistamine, can have severe consequences when taken in excessive amounts and can lead to grave outcomes such as seizures, dysrhythmias, coma, and death. Recognizing the early signs and symptoms of DPH toxicity is crucial. Fortunately, fatal adult cases of DPH overdose are rare.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease, emphasizing the challenge in current animal models that require severe injury to initiate renal fibrosis.
  • Researchers developed a new method using a gradient approach to induce ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice while keeping kidney function relatively stable.
  • The findings revealed that while short-term kidney damage was apparent, only the lower kidney pole showed persistent damage leading to renal fibrosis, highlighting the model's ability to demonstrate "silent" fibrosis over time.
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Non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) poses significant risks during pregnancy, particularly in patients with underlying conditions such as β-thalassemia. We present a case of a 29-year-old pregnant woman with a history of β-thalassemia minor who experienced NSVT at 27 weeks gestation. Despite initial concerns for structural heart disease, the workup was unrevealing.

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Senescence of kidney tubules leads to tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF). Proximal tubular epithelial cells undergo stress-induced senescence during diabetes and episodes of acute kidney injury (AKI), and combining these injuries promotes the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Since TIF is crucial to progression of DKD, we examined the therapeutic potential of targeting senescence with a senolytic drug (HSP90 inhibitor) and/or a senostatic drug (ASK1 inhibitor) in a model of TIF in which AKI is superimposed on diabetes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Seizure duration is a key factor in prognosis, making timely administration of antiepileptic drugs essential for patients experiencing seizures.
  • This study evaluated the safety of administering undiluted intravenous levetiracetam quickly, involving 250 adult patients and monitoring for adverse events as well as the drug's effectiveness in stopping seizures.
  • Results showed that 5.6% of patients experienced adverse effects, primarily related to injection sites, and 79% of actively seizing patients reached seizure cessation within an average of 12 minutes post-medication.
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Hyperkalemia is a medical emergency with potentially severe consequences that can be avoided by early recognition and effective treatment. Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes can help elucidate hyperkalemia prior to obtaining lab results and assist in early decisions on treatment, especially in the prehospital setting. ECG changes commonly associated with hyperkalemia are peaked T-waves, PR prolongation, P-wave flattening, QRS widening, or a sine-wave pattern at severely elevated potassium levels.

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Pantopaque was an oil-based positive contrast media used in central nervous system imaging before the use of water-soluble contrast agents. It is no longer used due to side effects, including arachnoiditis. Prior studies have indicated that remnants of pantopaque can be seen in modern radiographic imaging, including CT and MRI.

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Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, is a central source for renewable energy and functionalized materials. synthesis of cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) has become possible using purified cellulose synthase (CESA) isoforms from and hybrid aspen. The exact nature of these fibrils remains unknown.

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Patients with diabetes are at an increased risk for acute kidney injury (AKI) after renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). However, there is a lack preclinical models of IRI in established diabetes. The current study characterized renal IRI in mice with established diabetes and investigated potential therapies.

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The plant-derived toxin, aristolochic acid (AA), is the cause of Chinese Herb Nephropathy and Balkan Nephropathy. Ingestion of high dose AA induces acute kidney injury, while chronic low dose ingestion leads to progressive kidney disease. Ingested AA is taken up by tubular epithelial cells of the kidney, leading to DNA damage and cell death.

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Background: The question whether lymphocyte radiosensitivity is representative of patients' response to radiotherapy (RT) remains unsolved. We analyzed lymphocyte cytogenetic damage in patients who were homogeneously treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy (RCT) for rectal cancer within clinical trials. We tested for interindividual variation and consistent radiosensitivity after in-vivo and in-vitro irradiation, analyzed the effect of patients' and RCT characteristics on cytogenetic damage, and tested for correlations with patients' outcome in terms of tumor response, survival and treatment-related toxicity.

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Aristolochic acid (AA) is a toxin that induces DNA damage in tubular epithelial cells of the kidney and is the cause of Balkan Nephropathy and Chinese Herb Nephropathy. In cultured tubular epithelial cells, AA induces a pro-fibrotic response the c-Jun amino terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. This study investigated the role of JNK signaling with a JNK inhibitor (CC-930) in mouse models of acute high dose AA-induced kidney injury (day 3) and renal fibrosis induced by chronic low dose AA exposure (day 22).

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Activation of the JUN amino-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway is prominent in most forms of acute and progressive tubulointerstitial damage, including acute renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Two forms of JNK, JNK1 and JNK2, are expressed in the kidney. Systemic administration of pan-JNK inhibitors suppresses renal IRI; however, the contribution of JNK1 versus JNK2, and the specific role of JNK activation in the proximal tubule in IRI, remains unknown.

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Increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to health. The AMR profile of bacteria isolated from domesticated animals and free-ranging wildlife has been studied, but there are relatively few studies of bacteria isolated from captive wild animals. Understanding the dynamics of AMR in different populations is key to minimizing emergence of resistance and to preserve the efficacy of antimicrobials.

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Cyclophilins have important homeostatic roles, but following tissue injury, cyclophilin A (CypA) can promote leukocyte recruitment and inflammation, while CypD can facilitate mitochondrial-dependent cell death. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of a selective cyclophilin inhibitor (GS-642362), which does not block calcineurin function, in mouse models of tubular cell necrosis and renal fibrosis. Mice underwent bilateral renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) and were killed 24 h later: treatment with 10 or 30 mg/kg/BID GS-642362 (or vehicle) began 1 h before surgery.

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Background: The risk of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) after thrombolysis is low but severe. Lower dose of alteplase may reduce the risk of sICH. We aim to identify subsets of patients who could benefit from lower dose of alteplase compared with standard dose.

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Cyclophilin A (CypA) is a highly abundant protein in the cytoplasm of most mammalian cells. Beyond its homeostatic role in protein folding, CypA is a Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern which can promote inflammation during tissue injury. However, the role of CypA in kidney disease is largely unknown.

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Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP3K) family which acts as an upstream regulator for the activation of p38 MAPK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Experimental studies have demonstrated a pathogenic role for p38 MAPK and JNK activation in a number of kidney disease models; however, clinical studies targeting these kinases directly have been problematic due to their role in homeostatic functions. In comparison, ASK1 is activated in pathological states and is not essential for homeostatic functions, suggesting that ASK1 may be a safe and effective therapeutic target to inhibit p38 MAPK and JNK signaling in disease.

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Aim: Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) has been implicated in the development of renal inflammation and fibrosis. In particular, activation of PAR2 in cultured tubular epithelial cells induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase signalling and secretion of fibronectin, C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2 (CCL2) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), suggesting a role in tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis. We tested this hypothesis in unilateral ureteric obstruction (UUO) in which ongoing tubular epithelial cell damage drives tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis.

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Glomerular crescent formation is a hallmark of rapidly progressive forms of glomerulonephritis. Thrombosis and macrophage infiltration are features of crescent formation in human and experimental kidney disease. Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) is a G-protein coupled receptor that links coagulation and inflammation.

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Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a widely established alternative to surgery in intermediate- and high-risk patients. TAVR program development within the Veterans Affairs (VA) system has been previously described. However, national TAVR registries do not capture VA outcomes data, and few data have been reported regarding TAVR outcomes at lower-volume federal institutions.

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Objective: To describe the drug utilization profile used by pediatric cystic fibrosis patients.

Methods: A transversal study comprising the analysis of records and interviews with caregivers of pediatric patient in a reference center of Southern Brazil. We collected information about patients' clinical condition, medication used and household therapy.

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Oxidative stress is an underlying component of acute and chronic kidney disease. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a widely expressed redox-sensitive serine threonine kinase that activates p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases, and induces apoptotic, inflammatory, and fibrotic signaling in settings of oxidative stress. We describe the discovery and characterization of a potent and selective small-molecule inhibitor of ASK1, GS-444217, and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of ASK1 inhibition to reduce kidney injury and fibrosis.

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Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun amino terminal kinase (JNK) is prominent in human crescentic glomerulonephritis. p38 and JNK inhibitors suppress crescentic disease in animal models; however, the upstream mechanisms inducing activation of these kinases in crescentic glomerulonephritis are unknown. We investigated the hypothesis that apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1/MAP3K5) promote p38/JNK activation and renal injury in models of nephrotoxic serum nephritis (NTN); acute glomerular injury in SD rats, and crescentic disease in WKY rats.

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