How Fragile Are Clinical Trial Outcomes That Support the CHEST Clinical Practice Guidelines for VTE?

Background: VTE remains a health concern for global populations. Clinical practice guidelines are necessary to guide physicians in the prophylaxis and treatment of VTE.

Methods: Our investigation assessed the robustness of the underlying evidence in 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) used to support treatment recommendations in the 2016 update of the CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report on Antithrombotic Therapy for VTE Disease.

Acute and subchronic toxicity of inhaled toluene in male Long-Evans rats: Oxidative stress markers in brain.

The effects of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are of concern to the EPA, are poorly understood, in part because of insufficient characterization of how human exposure duration impacts VOC effects. Two inhalation studies with multiple endpoints, one acute and one subchronic, were conducted to seek effects of the VOC, toluene, in rats and to compare the effects between acute and subchronic exposures. Adult male Long-Evans rats were exposed to toluene vapor (n=6 per group) at a concentration of 0 or 1019 ± 14 ppm for 6h in the acute study and at 0 ± 0, 10 ± 1.

Toluene effects on oxidative stress in brain regions of young-adult, middle-age, and senescent Brown Norway rats.

The influence of aging on susceptibility to environmental contaminants is not well understood. To extend knowledge in this area, we examined effects in rat brain of the volatile organic compound, toluene. The objective was to test whether oxidative stress (OS) plays a role in the adverse effects caused by toluene exposure, and if so, if effects are age-dependent.

Changes in mitogen-activated protein kinase in cerebellar granule neurons by polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as additive flame retardants and have been detected in human blood, adipose tissue, and breast milk. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that the effects of PBDEs are similar to the known human developmental neurotoxicants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on a molar basis. Previously, we reported that PBDE mixtures and congeners, perturbed calcium homeostasis which is critical for the development and function of the nervous system.