September 12, 2007, 8:30 PM CT

How To Isolate Stem Cells In Womb Tissue

Researchers in Australia have found a way of identifying probable stem cells in the lining of womens wombs. The finding opens up the possibility of using the stem cells for tissue engineering applications such as building up natural tissue to repair prolapsed pelvic floors. Pelvic floor prolapse is a common condition, affecting over 50% of women after childbirth; around one in ten women have surgery and a third of these women require repeated operations to correct the problem.

In research published online today (Thursday 13 September) in the journal Human Reproduction [1], Dr Caroline Gargett describes how she and her PhD student, Ms Kjiana Schwab, identified two markers, CD146 and PDGF-R, which they were able to use to isolate mesenchymal stem-like cells (MSC) from endometrial tissue using a high speed cell sorting machine (fluorescence activated cell sorting FACS). Only 1.5% of the endometrial cells sorted in this way expressed both markers and, therefore could be MSC.

They then investigated the properties of the MSC to discover whether they really were stem cells, capable of differentiating into a variety of different cell types. They found the cells were able to produce clones to form colonies of new cells at a rate that was 15 times greater than produced by the other endometrial cells. Furthermore, the MSC were able to differentiate into fat, bone, cartilage and smooth muscle cells in the culture dish. The MSC also appeared to be located around blood vessels in the endometrium (perivascular region)......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

September 12, 2007, 6:05 PM CT

Leveraging learning for artificial respiration

MIT scientists have observed that the body's innate ability to adapt to recurring stimuli could be leveraged to design more effective and less costly artificial respirators. The new approach could minimize the need for the induced sedation or paralysis currently necessary for some patients on mechanical ventilation.

Nonassociative learning, or our innate ability to adapt to recurring stimuli, is the focus of work to be described in the September 12 issue of PLoS ONE, the online, open-access journal from the Public Library of Science.

Specifically, Chi-Sang Poon, a research scientist at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST), and his colleagues examined rats under mechanical ventilation to see how they applied different forms of nonassociative learning to adapt to the rhythm imposed by the respirator.

Existing respirators do not consider the adaptive nature of breathing in their design. Some ignore the patient's natural rhythm and pump air in and out of the lungs on set intervals. As a result, doctors often must sedate or paralyze patients to prevent them from fighting an unfamiliar rhythm. Other respirator designs rely entirely on the patient to trigger the airflow. These systems, however, are costly and tend to be unreliable for weak patients such as newborns or those in critical care......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

September 3, 2007, 12:53 AM CT

Warning Signs Of Pregnancy Danger

Warnings signs such as increased stress could indicate that pregnancy-induced hypertension is reaching life-threatening levels, found Temple University researcher Kathleen Black, DNSc, RNC, the author of a study in the September/recent issue of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing.

The condition is variable and can change quickly. We need to be aware of symptoms changing from mild to worse. A higher number of symptoms could also mean [pregnancy-induced hypertension] is getting worse, Black said.

Also known as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, pregnancy-induced hypertension occurs at about 20 weeks in 6 percent to 8 percent of pregnancies. The exact cause is not known. Severe forms of these conditions can play a role in perinatal developmental issues of the fetus or even death for both the mother and fetus. The perinatal period is defined as the time of birth (five months before and one month after).

Women should call their doctor if theyre experiencing headaches, dizziness, frequent vomiting and malaise, Black said.

Usually, the blood vessels expand during pregnancy to increase blood flow, but high blood pressure causes them to clamp down, Black explained.

Nurses currently monitor the condition on an outpatient basis by checking in regularly with their patients. They generally look for the symptoms of persistent headache, blurred vision and abdominal pain as signs that it could be getting worse. In the study, Black suggests also assessing for other symptoms such as perceived stress, vertigo, inability to concentrate and mental changes......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 12:30:32 GMT

What Doctors Should All Home Based Business Owners Visit Often?

I know that you know as a freelancer or a home based business owner yourself that your chosen career may not be as healthy as you thought it was. There are a wide variety of health problems that can stem from our long stay in front of the computer or simply from staying secluded in our home offices the whole day. To get rid or to avoid these health problems, here is a list of types of doctors we all should meet regularly:

Chiropractor - for forgetting or pretending to forget to buy a new ergonomic computer table and chair. If you'd like to avoid saying hi to carpal tunnel syndrome and say goodbye to those back pains or keep them manageable, at least, don't avoid your chiropractor!

Optometrician - for being too stubborn staying up late at night without even bothering to place a filter on your computer screen. Spreadsheets and the Internet is making us neglect the health of "the windows of our souls". (Pun intended).

Nutritionist - for always relying on ramen during crunch time. Even successful business owners still need to get to a nutritionist regularly. If you are a home business person who's wearing all the hats to get work done, it's easy to forget about eating well.

Oh one more.... A psychiatrist - for those illusions that you're actually achieving work/life balance. Just kidding! Posted by: noel      Read more     Source

August 27, 2007, 9:44 PM CT

Methamphetamine and HIV transmission

New findings that one in 20 North Carolina men who have sex with men (MSM) reported using crystal methamphetamine during the prior month suggests increased risk for spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), as per scientists from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and his colleagues.

The rate of methamphetamine use among 1,189 MSM was 30 times higher than levels published in the general U.S. population over the same period. Methampehtamine, or meth, is a highly addictive stimulant that has been found to impair judgment, decrease inhibition, increase impulsivity and enhance sexual sensitivity which can all increase the potential for transmitting HIV.

The studys authors observed that participants who reported using methamphetamines were more likely to report inconsistent condom use during anal sex within the past three months, a history of STD infection, being HIV-positive and using medications designed to treat erectile dysfunction.

Until now, there has been little data on meth use in the Southeast, said lead author Scott D. Rhodes, Ph.D. M.P.H., associate professor in the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy. Our findings, including that meth users were more likely to be HIV-positive, suggest that prevention, intervention and therapy efforts are urgently needed......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

August 21, 2007, 5:25 PM CT

Four agents decoction for primary dysmenorrhea

New research by researchers in Taiwan has shown that an 800-year-old formula, Four-Agents Decoction (Si Wu Tang), does not significantly reduce menstrual pain after three cycles of therapy; however, a beneficial effect may be present after a longer therapy. The dosage regimen and therapy length used in this study are not linked to adverse reactions. The results are reported in the August 15 issue of the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE.

Four-Agents Decoction is composed of dry roots of four plants native to China: prepared Radix Rehmanniae praeparata (Soe Dee Huang), Radix Paeoniae Alba (Bai Sau), Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Guay), and Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong (Tsuan Chyong). This formula is originally listed in the Prescriptions of Peoples Welfare Pharmacy (in Chinese) as a remedy for nourishing the blood and has been used as a basic formula in traditional Chinese medicine for treating womens illnesses since the Song dynasty (twelfth century). Eventhough a number of analgesics are available, this formula is worth studying, as non-specified dysmenorrhoea is still one of the most common gynecological complaints in young women worldwide.

The participants in the study were 78 primary dysmenorrheic women in the Taipei, Taiwan, metropolitan area. At the end of therapy, both menstrual overallpain- and peak-pain-intensity did not differ significantly between the Four-Agents-Decoction group and the placebo group. But statistically significant pain-reducing effect appeared in the first follow-up cycle......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

August 1, 2007, 9:25 PM CT

Ibuprofen restores learning ability

Cognitive impairment is one of the neurological effects in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (abnormal brain function due to severe liver disease). For the first time, a new study showed that therapy with an anti-inflammatory improves cognitive function in rats induced with chronic liver failure.

The results of this study appear in the August 2007 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hepatology is available online via Wiley InterScience at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/hepatology.

Prior studies suggested that high ammonia levels and inflammation may cooperate in the brain alterations seen in hepatic encephalopathy. Led by Vicente Felipo, of the Centro de Investigacin Prncipe Felipe in Valencia, Spain, the current study examined whether alterations linked to inflammation are involved in learning impairment in rats who had chronic liver failure due to insertion of a porta-caval shunt (PCS). The PCS rats showed a decreased ability to learn a Y maze, but after administration of ibuprofen, their ability to learn the maze was completely restored. The results also showed that these results were due to ibuprofens ability to restore the function of a pathway in the brain known as the glutamate-NO-cGMP pathway. In addition, the scientists observed that ibuprofen normalized the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX), two enzymes that play a role in inflammation in the cerebral cortex. They also observed that ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that can potentially be toxic to the kidneys, did not significantly affect sodium or urea levels, eventhough it caused a slight increase in creatinine levels......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

July 25, 2007, 5:16 AM CT

Use of pulmonary artery catheter decreases

Use of the pulmonary artery catheter decreased by 65 percent in the U.S. between 1993 and 2004, possibly due to growing evidence that this invasive procedure does not reduce the risk of death for hospitalized patients, as per a research studyin the July 25 issue of JAMA.

The pulmonary artery (PA) catheter (a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a pulmonary artery) first became available as a practical diagnostic tool in 1970 and was rapidly embraced by critical care physicians, as per background information in the article. The PA catheter made measurements such as cardiac output and pressure within the small vessels in the lungs accessible to physicians at the bedside. A number of physicians assumed that these numbers could guide therapy and ultimately reduce mortality in critically ill patients. Within several years, PA catheterization was widely used throughout the United States. In the 1980s, 20 percent to 43 percent of seriously ill patients who were hospitalized were reported to undergo the procedure, the authors write.

In the mid and late 1980s, there were challenges to the benefits of this procedure. A turning point occurred in September 1996 when a multicenter observational study suggested an increased risk of death with PA catheterization, with an editorial calling for a moratorium on PA catheter use until a randomized controlled trial could be conducted. In the past 5 years multiple randomized trials and a meta-analysis have shown that this technology has no impact on the risk of death in diverse populations of critically ill patients. But it is not known how this information has changed the use of this procedure......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

July 25, 2007, 5:13 AM CT

Drug protects brain cells in Huntington's disease model

A drug used in some countries to treat the symptoms of Huntingtons disease prevents death of brain cells in mice genetically engineered to mimic the hereditary condition, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have found.

The research sheds light on the biochemical mechanisms involved in the disease and suggests new avenues of study for preventing brain-cell death in at-risk people before symptoms appear.

The drug can actually prevent brain cells from dying, said Dr. Ilya Bezprozvanny, associate professor of physiology at UT Southwestern. Its much more important than people thought.

The study, of which Dr. Bezprozvanny is senior author, appears in the July 25 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience

The drug, called tetrabenazine (TBZ), is commercially distributed as Xenazine or Nitoman and blocks the action of dopamine, a compound that some nerve cells use to signal others. TBZ is approved for use in several countries, but not the U.S., to treat uncontrollable muscle movements in Huntingtons and other neurological conditions.

Huntingtons is a fatal genetic condition that commonly manifests around ages 30 to 45, as per the Huntingtons Disease Society of America. About one in 10,000 people in America have the disease, with another 200,000 at risk. One of the most famous people with Huntingtons was folk singer Woody Guthrie, who died in 1967......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source

July 17, 2007, 10:53 PM CT

Reducing smoking -- mixed messages and poor markers

Some people are unwilling or unable to stop smoking, but are prepared to try and reduce the numbers of cigarettes they smoke each day. After studying healthcare literature, a team of Cochrane Scientists could find only a few reports that assessed methods aimed at helping people reduce use. It is also unclear whether cutting down the number of cigarettes delivers clear health benefits.

The main effort in therapies aimed at smokers has been at helping them to stop smoking completely. Little attention has been given to the idea of helping them reduce their use. This is partly for the fear of creating the false impression that reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke a day will lead to an equivalent reduction in a persons risk of smoking-related disease.

Even so, the team of Cochrane Scientists observed that they could glean some useful pointers from the currently published data.

Firstly, they observed that between 6% and 9% of people using nicotine replacement treatment delivered by either chewing gum or inhaler managed to reduce their use of cigarettes. This may not seem like a large result, but it is a significantly greater proportion than the 1-3% of people who reduced use in control groups where no NRT was given, says lead researcher Lindsay Stead, who works at the Department of Primary Care at Oxford University......... Posted by: Rose      Read more         Source