Although oxytocin (OT) and oxytocin receptor (OTR) are known for roles in parturition and milk let‐down, they are not hypothalamus‐restricted. OT is important in nurturing and opposition to stress. Transcripts encoding OT and OTR have been reported in adult human gut, and OT affects intestinal motility. We tested the hypotheses that OT is endogenous to the enteric nervous system (ENS) and that OTR signaling may participate in enteric neurophysiology. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction confirmed OT and OTR transcripts in adult mouse and rat gut and in precursors of enteric neurons immunoselected from fetal rats. Enteric OT and OTR expression continued through adulthood but was developmentally regulated, peaking at postnatal day 7. Coincidence of the immunoreactivities of OTR and the neural marker Hu was 100% in the P3 and 71% in the adult myenteric plexus, when submucosal neurons were also OTR‐immunoreactive. Co‐localization with NeuN established that intrinsic primary afferent neurons are OTR‐expressing. Because OTR transcripts and protein were detected in the nodose ganglia, OT signaling might also affect extrinsic primary afferent neurons. Although OT immunoreactivity was found only in ∼1% of myenteric neurons, extensive OT‐immunoreactive varicosities surrounded many others. Villus enterocytes were OTR‐immunoreactive through postnatal day 17; however, by postnatal day 19, immunoreactivity waned to become restricted to crypts and concentrated at crypt‐villus junctions. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed plasmalemmal OTR at enterocyte adherens junctions. We suggest that OT and OTR signaling might be important in ENS development and function and might play roles in visceral sensory perception and neural modulation of epithelial biology. J. Comp. Neurol. 512:256–270, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

A trio of genes might potentially distinguish doxorubicin-responsive from nonresponsive tumors, but further validation by a larger number of samples is still needed.

No abstract

SummaryBackgroundBlood tests of liver injury are less well validated in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) than in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.AimsTo improve the validation of three blood tests used in NAFLD patients, FibroTest for fibrosis staging, SteatoTest for steatosis grading and ActiTest for inflammation activity grading.MethodsWe pre‐included new NAFLD patients with biopsy and blood tests from a single‐centre cohort (FibroFrance) and from the multicentre FLIP consortium. Contemporaneous biopsies were blindly assessed using the new steatosis, activity and fibrosis (SAF) score, which provides a reliable and reproducible diagnosis and grading/staging of the three elementary features of NAFLD (steatosis, inflammatory activity) and fibrosis with reduced interobserver variability. We used nonbinary‐ROC (NonBinAUROC) as the main endpoint to prevent spectrum effect and multiple testing.ResultsA total of 600 patients with reliable tests and biopsies were included. The mean NonBinAUROCs (95% CI) of tests were all significant (P < 0.0001): 0.878 (0.864–0.892) for FibroTest and fibrosis stages, 0.846 (0.830–0.862) for ActiTest and activity grades, and 0.822 (0.804–0.840) for SteatoTest and steatosis grades. FibroTest had a higher NonBinAUROC than BARD (0.836; 0.820–0.852; P = 0.0001), FIB4 (0.845; 0.829–0.861; P = 0.007) but not significantly different than the NAFLD score (0.866; 0.850–0.882; P = 0.26). FibroTest had a significant difference in median values between adjacent stage F2 and stage F1 contrarily to BARD, FIB4 and NAFLD scores (Bonferroni test P < 0.05).ConclusionsIn patients with NAFLD, SteatoTest, ActiTest and FibroTest are non‐invasive tests that offer an alternative to biopsy, and they correlate with the simple grading/staging of the SAF scoring system across the three elementary features of NAFLD: steatosis, inflammatory activity and fibrosis.

BACKGROUND:In this study, the authors evaluated the effect of denosumab versus zoledronic acid (ZA) on pain in patients with advanced breast cancer and bone metastases. METHODS: The prevention of pain, reduction in pain interference with daily life activities, and the proportion of patients requiring strong opioid analgesics were assessed in a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy phase 3 study comparing denosumab with ZA for preventing skeletal-related events in 2046 patients who had breast cancer and bone metastases. Patients completed the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form at baseline and monthly thereafter. RESULTS: Fewer patients who received denosumab reported a clinically meaningful worsening of pain severity (!2-point increase) from baseline compared with patients who received ZA, and a trend was observed toward delayed time to pain worsening with denosumab versus ZA (denosumab, 8.5 months; ZA, 7.4 months; P ¼ .08). In patients who had no/mild pain at baseline, a 4-month delay in progression to moderate/severe pain was observed with denosumab compared with ZA (9.7 months vs 5.8 months; P ¼ .002). Denosumab delayed the time to increased pain interference by approximately 1 month compared with ZA (denosumab, 16.0 months; ZA, 14.9 months; P ¼ .09). The time to pain improvement (P ¼ .72) and the time to decreased pain interference (P ¼ .92) were similar between the groups. Fewer denosumab-treated patients reported increased analgesic use from no/low use at baseline to strong opioid use. CONCLU-SIONS: Denosumab demonstrated improved pain prevention and comparable pain palliation compared with ZA. In addition, fewer denosumab-treated patients shifted to strong opioid analgesic use. Cancer 2013;119:832-8.

An aerobic physical activity program of 24 weeks in NAFLD postmenopausal women showed improvement in some variables such as waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and cardiopulmonary performance that may be beneficial in improving cardiovascular risk factors in this population.

Objective:To describe the epidemiological characteristics of perinatal deaths by actions of the Public Health System. Methods: Descriptive study of temporal analysis, population composed of perinatal deaths of mothers residing in Recife, 2010Recife, -2014 Used List of causes of preventable deaths to classify avoidance and, EpiInfo version 7 for analysis of variables. Results: There were 1,756 perinatal deaths (1,019 fetal, 737 neonatal premature), reduction of early neonatal deaths (-15.8%), and fetal increase (12.1%). Main causes: fetus and newborn affected by maternal condition and asphyxia/hypoxia at birth. Conclusions: Most deaths were avoidable, concentrating on the adequate grouping of attention given to the woman during pregnancy. Failures in the care given to the woman at birth explain the percentage of asphyxia/ hypoxia. Reduction of preventable perinatal mortality is associated with increased access and quality of care to ensure promotion, prevention, treatment, and specific and timely care. Keywords: Perinatal mortality. Vital statistics. Obstetric nursing. Neonatal nursing. Public health. RESUMOObjetivo: Descrever características epidemiológicas dos óbitos perinatais por ações do Sistema Público de Saúde. Métodos: Estudo descritivo de análise temporal, população composta por óbitos perinatais de mães residentes no Recife, 2010-2014. Utilizado Lista de causas de mortes evitáveis para classificar a evitabilidade e EpiInfo versão 7 para análise das variáveis. Resultados: Ocorreram 1.756 óbitos perinatais (1.019 fetais e 737 neonatais precoce), observou-se redução dos óbitos neonatais precoces (-15,8%) e aumento dos fetais (12,1%). Apresentou como principais causas: feto e recém-nascido afetado por afecção materna e asfixia/hipóxia ao nascer. Conclusões: A maior parte dos óbitos foi evitável, concentrando-se no grupamento de assistência adequada dispensada à mulher na gestação. Lacunas na assistência dispensada à mulher no parto, explicam o percentual de asfixia/hipóxia. Redução da mortalidade perinatal evitável associa-se à ampliação do acesso e qualidade da assistência para garantir promoção, prevenção, tratamento, cuidados específicos e oportunos. Palavras-chave: Mortalidade perinatal. Estatísticas vitais. Enfermagem obstétrica. Enfermagem neonatal. Saúde pública. RESUMEN Objetivo:Describir las características epidemiológicas de las muertes perinatales por acciones del Sistema de Salud Pública. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo del análisis temporal, población compuesta por muertes perinatales de madres residentes en Recife, 2010-2014. Lista de causas de muertes evitables para clasificar la evitación y, EpiInfo versión 7 para el análisis de variables. Resultados: Hubo 1.756 muertes perinatales (1.019 fetales, 737 prematuros neonatos), reducción de muertes neonatales tempranas (-15,8%) y aumento fetal (12,1%). Principales causas: feto y recién-nacido afectados por afección materna y asfixia / hipoxia al nacer. Conclusiones: La mayoría de las muertes fueron evitables, concentrándose en la agrupació...

Integrated control measures against Culex quinquefasciastus have been implemented in a pilot urban area in Recife, Brazil. About 3,000 breeding sites found within the operational area were responsible for very high mosquito densities recorded during the pretrial period. Physical control measures have been applied to cess pits before starting a series of 37 treatments of the other sites with Bacillus sphaericus strain 2362, over 27 months. In spite of the difficulties due to environmental conditions, very significant reductions in preimaginal population of C. quinquefasciatus were achieved and, as a consequence, low adult mosquito densities were maintained for a relatively long period of time. Entomological and environmental data gathered in this pilot project can contribute to design an integrated mosquito control program in Recife city.