Regeneration of intestinal stem/progenitor cells following doxorubicin treatment of mice.

The intestinal epithelium is in a constant state of renewal. The rapid turnover of cells is fed by a hierarchy of transit amplifying and stem/progenitor cells destined to give rise to the four differentiated epithelial lineages of the small intestine. Doxorubicin (Dox) is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent that preferentially induces apoptosis in the intestinal stem cell zone (SCZ).

Continuous-infusion beta-lactam antibiotics during continuous venovenous hemofiltration for the treatment of resistant gram-negative bacteria.

Objective: To describe the rationale, principles, and dosage calculations for continuous-infusion beta-lactam antibiotics to treat multidrug-resistant bacteria in patients undergoing continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH).

Data Sources: A MEDLINE search (1968-November 2008) of the English-language literature was performed using the terms continuous infusion and Pseudomonas or Acinetobacter; hemofiltration or CVVH or hemodiafiltration or CVVHDF or continuous renal replacement therapy or pharmacokinetics; and terms describing different beta-lactam antibiotics.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: In vitro, in vivo, and human studies were evaluated that used continuous-infusion beta-lactam antibiotics to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii infections.

[Review: common pediatric emergencies].

Pediatric emergencies are exceptional challenges for every emergency doctor. Referring to the complete spectrum of all emergencies the percentage of pediatric cases amounts 5-10%. In adulthood cardiovascular diseases represent the major cause for emergencies whereas in childhood respiratory disturbances and seizures prevail.

The role of the visceral mesoderm in the development of the gastrointestinal tract.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract forms from the endoderm (which gives rise to the epithelium) and the mesoderm (which develops into the smooth muscle layer, the mesenchyme, and numerous other cell types). Much of what is known of GI development has been learned from studies of the endoderm and its derivatives, because of the importance of epithelial biology in understanding and treating human diseases. Although the necessity of epithelial-mesenchymal cross talk for GI development is uncontested, the role of the mesoderm remains comparatively less well understood.

Structure analysis of N-glycoproteins.

General mass spectrometry-based strategies for analysis of N-glycosylated peptides are described. The well-established method utilizes Peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) for in-gel or in-solution release of N-linked glycans from the polypeptide chains (along with the conversion of the formerly N-glycosylated Asn to Asp), thus allowing separate analysis of glycan moieties and deglycosylated peptides. However, no assignment of individual glycans to a glycosylation site can be realized.

Early but not late administration of glucagon-like peptide-2 following ileo-cecal resection augments putative intestinal stem cell expansion.

Expansion of intestinal progenitors and putative stem cells (pISC) occurs early and transiently following ileo-cecal resection (ICR). The mechanism controlling this process is not defined. We hypothesized that glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) would augment jejunal pISC expansion only when administered to mice immediately after ICR.

Circulating fatty acids and prostate cancer risk in a nested case-control study: the Multiethnic Cohort.

Objective: Dietary fat, including specific fatty acids, has been proposed to contribute to prostate cancer pathogenesis, but findings from the studies based on biomarkers have been conflicting.

Methods: We examined the association between erythrocyte membrane fatty acid composition and prostate cancer risk in a nested case-control study within a multiethnic cohort of African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and Whites. Analyses included 376 cases and 729 matched controls.

Pomegranate extract inhibits androgen-independent prostate cancer growth through a nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent mechanism.

Constitutive nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation is observed in androgen-independent prostate cancer and represents a predictor for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Dietary agents such as pomegranate extract (PE) have received increasing attention as potential agents to prevent the onset or progression of many malignancies, including prostate cancer. Here, we show that PE inhibited NF-kappaB and cell viability of prostate cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion in vitro.

Using early language outcomes to predict later language ability in children with cochlear implants.

The increased access to sound that cochlear implants have provided to profoundly deaf children has allowed them to develop English speech and language skills more successfully than using hearing aids alone. The purpose of this study was to determine how well early postimplant language skills were able to predict later language ability. Thirty children who received a cochlear implant between the years 1991 and 2000 were study participants.

Bacterial-dependent up-regulation of intestinal bile acid binding protein and transport is FXR-mediated following ileo-cecal resection.

Background: Bile acid (BA) reclamation following ileo-cecal resection (ICR) may prevent colonic mucosa from chronic injury. In this study, we hypothesized that in a murine model of ICR the remnant colon would upregulate the cellular machinery necessary for BA reclamation and would do so in an FXR- and bacteria-dependent manner.

Methods: Conventional (WT), conventional FXR knockout (FXR null) and germ-free (GF) mice were randomized to undergo either ICR or sham operation.

Nongallated compared with gallated flavan-3-ols in green and black tea are more bioavailable.

Green tea and black tea (BT) contain gallated [(-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate] and nongallated [(-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC)] tea polyphenols (PP). During BT production, PP undergo oxidation and form larger polymers such as theaflavins (THE) and thearubigins, which contribute to the health benefit of BT. This article gives an overview of the role of chemical characteristics and endogenous metabolism of tea PP and their bioavailability in humans and describes attempts to increase their bioavailability.

Pomegranate juice and extracts provide similar levels of plasma and urinary ellagitannin metabolites in human subjects.

Pomegranate juice (PJ), a rich source of polyphenols including ellagitannins, has attracted much attention due to its reported health benefits. This has resulted in the consumption of liquid and powder pomegranate extracts as alternatives to PJ. Therefore establishing the bioavailability of polyphenols from these extract preparations is necessary.

The competency continuum: expanding the case manager's skill sets and capabilities.

Purpose/objectives: To describe the methodology of developing a competency assessment process and tools for case management associates in a large multifacility acute care setting.

Primary Practice Setting(s): Nurse case managers practice in a variety of settings and may function in teams that include the medical social workers, utilization review specialists, appeals coordinators, and language interpreters. As professionals and licensed associates, case managers are responsible for their own professional and clinical development.

Comparison of antioxidant potency of commonly consumed polyphenol-rich beverages in the United States.

A number of different beverage products claim to have antioxidant potency due to their perceived high content of polyphenols. Basic and applied research indicates that pomegranate juice (PJ), produced from the Wonderful variety of Punica granatum fruits, has strong antioxidant activity and related health benefits. Although consumers are familiar with the concept of free radicals and antioxidants, they are often misled by claims of superior antioxidant activity of different beverages, which are usually based only on testing of a limited spectrum of antioxidant activities.

Ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract inhibits angiogenesis in prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Angiogenesis is critical to tumor growth and is stimulated by tissue hypoxia due to poor oxygen delivery. In turn, cellular hypoxia leads to angiogenesis via the induction of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at a cellular level. Pomegranate juice and extracts, which are rich sources of ellagitannins, have been shown to have chemopreventive potential against prostate cancer, but there have been no studies on the effects of an ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract on angiogenesis.

Molecular properties of side population-sorted cells from mouse small intestine.

The high rate of turnover of the intestinal epithelium is maintained by a group of stem cells that reside at the base of the crypts of Lieberkuhn. Whereas the existence of these intestinal epithelial stem cells has been well established, their study has been limited due to the inability to isolate them. Previous work has utilized side population (SP) sorting of the murine small intestine to isolate a viable fraction of cells enriched for putative intestinal epithelial stem cells.

Safety and antioxidant activity of a pomegranate ellagitannin-enriched polyphenol dietary supplement in overweight individuals with increased waist size.

The consumption of pomegranate juice (PJ), a rich source of antioxidant polyphenols, has grown tremendously due to its reported health benefits. Pomegranate extracts, which incorporate the major antioxidants found in pomegranates, namely, ellagitannins, have been developed as botanical dietary supplements to provide an alternative convenient form for consuming the bioactive polyphenols found in PJ. Despite the commercial availability of pomegranate extract dietary supplements, there have been no studies evaluating their safety in human subjects.

Structure elucidation of glycoproteins by direct nanoESI MS and MS/MS analysis of proteolytic glycopeptides.

Bovine ribonuclease B (RNAse B) and asialofetuin (FETUA) were subjected to in-capillary tryptic digest (Pohlentz et al. Proteomics. 2005, 5, 1758-1763) and the obtained glycopeptides were analyzed, respectively, by nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry and collision-induced dissociation (CID) during the ongoing digest.

Effect of application of ammonium chloride and calcium chloride on alfalfa cation-anion content and yield.

A major factor predisposing the cow to periparturient hypocalcemia, or milk fever, is being fed a prepartum ration with a high dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD). The DCAD can be favorably altered to prevent milk fever by decreasing K and Na or increasing Cl and S in forages for cows in late gestation. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that application of Cl to alfalfa could increase Cl in forage, thereby lowering DCAD.

Expansion of intestinal stem cells associated with long-term adaptation following ileocecal resection in mice.

Sustained increases in mucosal surface area occur in remaining bowel following massive intestinal loss. The mechanisms responsible for expanding and perpetuating this response are not presently understood. We hypothesized that an increase in the number of intestinal stem cells (ISC) occurs following intestinal resection and is an important component of the adaptive response in mice.

Pomegranate ellagitannin-derived metabolites inhibit prostate cancer growth and localize to the mouse prostate gland.

Our group has shown in a phase II clinical trial that pomegranate juice (PJ) increases prostate specific antigen (PSA) doubling time in prostate cancer (CaP) patients with a rising PSA. Ellagitannins (ETs) are the most abundant polyphenols present in PJ and contribute greatly towards its reported biological properties. On consumption, ETs hydrolyze to release ellagic acid (EA), which is then converted by gut microflora to 3,8-dihydroxy-6H-dibenzo[b, d]pyran-6-one (urolithin A, UA) derivatives.

Intestine-specific ablation of mouse atonal homolog 1 (Math1) reveals a role in cellular homeostasis.

Background & Aims: Math1 (Atoh1) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor important for intestinal secretory cell differentiation. We hypothesized that Math1 is important in cell fate commitment, and therefore mediates proliferative homeostasis and the adaptive response following intestinal resection in the adult intestine.

Methods: We generated mice with an intestine-specific mosaic deletion of Math1 (Math1(Delta intestine)) using the Cre/loxP system.

Feasibility of a low-fat/high-fiber diet intervention with soy supplementation in prostate cancer patients after prostatectomy.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and long-term compliance with a low-fat diet supplemented with soy protein in men at increased risk for recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Design: Randomized, control study.

Setting: Academic center in USA.

Pomegranate juice ellagitannin metabolites are present in human plasma and some persist in urine for up to 48 hours.

Ellagitannins (ETs) from pomegranate juice (PJ) are reported to have numerous biological properties, but their absorption and metabolism in humans are poorly understood. To investigate the pharmacokinetics of pomegranate ETs, 18 healthy volunteers were given 180 mL of PJ concentrate, and blood samples were obtained for 6 h afterwards. Twenty-four-hour urine collections were obtained on the day before (-1), the day of (0), and the day after (+1) the study.