Comparison analysis of nutritional scores for serial monitoring of nutritional status in hemodialysis patients.

Background And Objectives: This study aimed to compare the longitudinal performance of the malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), two nutritional scores for patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Nutritional scores, dietary intake, biochemical markers, and body composition analysis were performed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months after enrollment (which took place from January through December 2006) on 75 prevalent hemodialysis patients (43% women, mean age 64.8 ± 11.

Effect of timing of the first cannulation on survival of arteriovenous hemodialysis grafts.

The use of an arteriovenous graft as vascular access for hemodialysis is associated with a high rate of patency loss. The influence of timing of the first cannulation of the graft on graft survival has not been sufficiently studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate an association between the timing of the first cannulation of the polytetrafluoroethylene arteriovenous graft and the incidence of 12-month failure.

Hyperglycaemia, inflammation, RAS activation: three culprits to blame for acute kidney injury emerging in healthy rats during general anaesthesia.

Aim: Major surgery under general anaesthesia might evoke acute kidney injury (AKI), sometimes culminating in end stage renal disease. We investigated the roles of hyperglycaemia, inflammation and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activation in induction of AKI following anaesthesia by different anaesthetic drugs and/or regimens.

Methods: Ninety-four Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 1 h-anaesthesia by various protocols, including repeated blood glucose and insulin measurements.

N-acetylcysteine use for amelioration of aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity in dialysis patients.

Use of aminoglycoside antibiotics is associated with significant ototoxicity, especially on patients with decreased renal function. The risk of aminoglycoside ototoxicity may approach 60%. Oxidative stress has been suggested as a general mechanism of aminoglycoside ototoxicity and is prevalent in dialysis population.

N-acetylcysteine may improve residual renal function in hemodialysis patients: a pilot study.

Clinical outcomes in chronic dialysis patients are highly dependent on preservation of residual renal function (RRF). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may have a positive effect on renal function in the setting of nephrotoxic contrast media administration. In our recent study, we showed that NAC may improve RRF in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Hyperglycaemia emerging during general anaesthesia induces rat acute kidney injury via impaired microcirculation, augmented apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation.

Aim: Major surgery under general anaesthesia frequently triggers acute kidney injury by yet unknown mechanisms. We investigated the role of anaesthesia-triggered systemic hyperglycaemia in impairment of renal functioning, renal tissue injury, intra-renal Angiotensin-II synthesis and endogenous insulin production in anaesthetized rats.

Methods: Eighty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats underwent general anaesthesia for 1 h by different anaesthetic compounds.

IL-6 levels, nutritional status, and mortality in prevalent hemodialysis patients.

Background And Objectives: The influence of serum IL-6 levels on nutritional status in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients remains to be elucidated. The present report describes a prospective longitudinal study of IL-6 levels and nutritional parameters to determine whether high IL-6 levels are independently associated with nutritional status over time in a cohort of prevalent hemodialysis patients.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: 85 clinically stable hemodialysis patients (37.

Longitudinal study of leptin levels in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background: The influence of serum leptin levels on nutritional status and survival in chronic hemodialysis patients remained to be elucidated. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study of leptin levels and nutritional parameters to determine whether changes of serum leptin levels modify nutritional status and survival in a cohort of prevalent hemodialysis patients.

Methods: Leptin, dietary energy and protein intake, biochemical markers of nutrition and body composition (anthropometry and bioimpedance analysis) were measured at baseline and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months following enrollment, in 101 prevalent hemodialysis patients (37% women) with a mean age of 64.

N-acetylcysteine improves residual renal function in peritoneal dialysis patients: a pilot study.

Background: Preservation of peritoneal membrane function and residual renal function is important for the optimal care of peritoneal dialysis patients. N-Acetylcysteine may ameliorate oxidative stress, which is thought to be involved in peritoneal membrane dysfunction. In addition, N-acetylcysteine may have a positive effect on renal function in the setting of nephrotoxic contrast media administration.

Bowel preparation: comparing metabolic and electrolyte changes when using sodium phosphate/polyethylene glycol.

Background: Many patients with various types of colonic pathology undergo invasive procedures that require mechanical bowel preparation. The most commonly used medications for bowel preparation include phosphate-containing drugs which are low cost and enable this procedure to be performed in an outpatient setting, as opposed to other medications, such as polyethylene glycol. Recent studies have suggested that freely using phosphate-containing drugs might lead to renal function impairment in a small group of patients.

Objective Score of Nutrition on Dialysis (OSND) as an alternative for the malnutrition-inflammation score in assessment of nutritional risk of haemodialysis patients.

Background: Evaluation of nutritional risk, one of the strongest predictors of morbidity and mortality in maintenance haemodialysis (HD) patients, is a difficult process especially in patients with compounding conditions that prevent subjective assessment by subjective global assessment or malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS).

Methods: In this study, we developed and characterized a score for the assessment of nutritional status in dialysis patients based solely on objectively measurable criteria. Our prospective observational cohort included 81 prevalent HD patients (53 men and 28 women) with a mean age of 64.

Association between rosiglitazone use and decline in renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Use of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has recently become a matter of major controversy regarding their cardiovascular and renal safety. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between rosiglitazone use and renal function in diabetic patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study conducted on a population of patients with T2DM treated at a large public health service organization.

Homozygous SLC2A9 mutations cause severe renal hypouricemia.

Hereditary hypouricemia may result from mutations in the renal tubular uric acid transporter URAT1. Whether mutation of other uric acid transporters produces a similar phenotype is unknown. We studied two families who had severe hereditary hypouricemia and did not have a URAT1 defect.

The cyclin kinase inhibitor p57kip2 regulates TGF-beta-induced compensatory tubular hypertrophy: effect of the immunomodulator AS101.

Background: Compensatory tubular cell hypertrophy following unilateral nephrectomy is a cell cycle-dependent process. Our previous study showed that treatment of unilaterally nephrectomized rats with the immunomodulator AS101 partially inhibits compensatory hypertrophy of the remaining kidneys through the inhibition of IL-10-induced TGF-beta secretion by mesangial cells. The present study is focused on understanding the intracellular mechanism(s) of this phenomenon.

Nutritional and inflammatory status of hemodialysis patients in relation to their body mass index.

Objective: The study tested whether obese hemodialysis (HD) patients have a better nutritional and inflammatory state than those with overweight or normal body mass index (BMI).

Design: This was a single-center, cross-sectional study.

Setting And Patients: Ninety-six stable HD patients from a local HD unit were divided into 3 groups according to BMI (normal, overweight, and obese).

Hyperglycemia alters renal cell responsiveness to pressure in a model of malignant hypertension.

Objective: Poor glycemic control contributes to development of diabetic nephropathy. However, for a majority of clinical situations, the mechanisms responsible for high glucose-induced aggravation of renal tissue injury are not fully elucidated. We investigated responsiveness to pressure of various renal cell subsets subjected to hyperglycemic environment in an in-vitro model of malignant hypertension.

Rosiglitazone treatment attenuates renal tissue inflammation generated by urinary tract obstruction.

Aim: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma activation by rosiglitazone decreases manifestation of intrarenal inflammatory hallmarks. Inflammation significantly aggravates renal injury following urinary tract obstruction. The effect of rosiglitazone on renal inflammation following unilateral ureteral obstruction was investigated.

Carotid atherosclerotic disease following childhood scalp irradiation.

Objective: During the first half of the 20th century, scalp irradiation was a standard treatment for children suffering from Tinea Capitis. These children are now more than 50 years old, reaching the age when manifestations of atherosclerosis are common. We investigated the possible association between childhood low dose scalp irradiation and development of carotid atherosclerosis in adulthood.

Differential effects of N-acetylcysteine, theophylline or bicarbonate on contrast-induced rat renal vasoconstriction.

Background: Vasoconstriction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation following contrast media (CM) injection are the key factors triggering CM-induced nephropathy. We compared the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), theophylline or sodium bicarbonate on intrarenal vasoconstriction and ROS generation in a rat model of CM-induced nephropathy.

Methods: Following a 3-day dehydration, Sprague-Dawley rats received CM (Telebrix) or sham 'CM' injection of 0.

Application of normobaric hyperoxia therapy for amelioration of haemorrhagic shock-induced acute renal failure.

Background: Hypoxia resultant from haemorrhagic shock is the primary cause of kidney damage. Application of normobaric hyperoxia therapy (NHT) is an acceptable treatment for acute haemorrhagic shock. We investigated the effect of NHT on amelioration of haemorrhagic shock-induced rat renal failure.

Rosiglitazone treatment attenuates expression of inflammatory hallmarks in the remaining kidney following contralateral nephrectomy.

Background/aims: Following kidney donation, living kidney donors have been reported to develop anemia and pronounced inflammation. Therapeutic strategies for ameliorating unilateral nephrectomy-induced inflammation would be beneficiary for the living donors. We applied rosiglitazone to attenuate inflammatory processes ongoing within the remaining kidney following contralateral nephrectomy.

PPAR-gamma activation inhibits angiotensin II synthesis, apoptosis, and proliferation of mesangial cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Background/aim: The angiotensin II level is elevated in subjects genetically prone to develop hypertension, triggering renal hypercellularity, cytokine production, and matrix deposition. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and/or angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade attenuate renal damage. Rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist possessing antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory properties, was demonstrated to provide better renal protection than angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

Enhanced angiotensin II production by renal mesangium is responsible for apoptosis/proliferation of endothelial and epithelial cells in a model of malignant hypertension.

Objective: The systemic renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of malignant hypertension. However, the intrarenal RAS might be at least equally important. We investigated the relationship between intrarenal RAS and mesangial, epithelial and endothelial cell proliferation/apoptosis in a model of malignant hypertension.

N-acetylcysteine attenuates NSAID-induced rat renal failure by restoring intrarenal prostaglandin synthesis.

Background: Renal failure is a threatening side-effect of NSAID administration, consequent to NSAID-mediated abrogation of prostaglandin synthesis and resultant renal ischaemia. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has renoprotective properties. We examined effects of NAC in a rat model of NSAID-induced renal failure.