Readmission for infection after blunt splenic injury: A national comparison of management techniques.

Background: As nonoperative management (NOM) of blunt splenic injury (BSI) increases, understanding risks, especially infectious complications, becomes more important. There are no national studies on BSI outcomes that track readmissions across hospitals. Prior studies demonstrate that infection is a major cause of readmission after trauma and that a significant proportion is readmitted to different hospitals.

The Importance of Melanocortin Receptors and Their Agonists in Pulmonary Disease.

Melanocortin agonists are ancient neuropeptides that have steroidogenesis and anti-inflammatory properties. They activate melanocortin receptors (MCR), a family of five seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors. MC1R and MC3R are mainly involved in immunomodulatory effects.

Underestimation of Unplanned Readmission after Colorectal Surgery: A National Analysis.

Background: A significant proportion of postoperative readmission occurs at a different hospital and is therefore missed by current benchmarking. There are no national studies tracking readmission at different hospitals after colorectal surgery. This study aimed to determine the national burden of postoperative colorectal readmission, including readmission to a different hospital.

Hypothalamic Leptin Gene Therapy Reduces Bone Marrow Adiposity in ob/ob Mice Fed Regular and High-Fat Diets.

Low bone mass is often associated with elevated bone marrow adiposity. Since osteoblasts and adipocytes are derived from the same mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) progenitor, adipocyte formation may increase at the expense of osteoblast formation. Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone known to regulate energy and bone metabolism.

The effects of a novel hormonal breast cancer therapy, endoxifen, on the mouse skeleton.

Endoxifen has recently been identified as the predominant active metabolite of tamoxifen and is currently being developed as a novel hormonal therapy for the treatment of endocrine sensitive breast cancer. Based on past studies in breast cancer cells and model systems, endoxifen classically functions as an anti-estrogenic compound. Since estrogen and estrogen receptors play critical roles in mediating bone homeostasis, and endoxifen is currently being implemented as a novel breast cancer therapy, we sought to comprehensively characterize the in vivo effects of endoxifen on the mouse skeleton.

Acute exposure to high dose γ-radiation results in transient activation of bone lining cells.

The present studies investigated the cellular mechanisms for the detrimental effects of high dose whole body γ-irradiation on bone. In addition, radioadaptation and bone marrow transplantation were assessed as interventions to mitigate the skeletal complications of irradiation. Increased trabecular thickness and separation and reduced cancellous bone volume fraction, connectivity density, and trabecular number were detected in proximal tibia and lumbar vertebra 14days following γ-irradiation with 6Gy.

Peripheral leptin regulates bone formation.

Substantial evidence does not support the prevailing view that leptin, acting through a hypothalamic relay, decreases bone accrual by inhibiting bone formation. To clarify the mechanisms underlying regulation of bone architecture by leptin, we evaluated bone growth and turnover in wild-type (WT) mice, leptin receptor-deficient db/db mice, leptin-deficient ob/ob mice, and ob/ob mice treated with leptin. We also performed hypothalamic leptin gene therapy to determine the effect of elevated hypothalamic leptin levels on osteoblasts.