Cholecystokinin regulates satiation independently of the abdominal vagal nerve in a pig model of total subdiaphragmatic vagotomy

The vagal nerve and gut hormones CCK and GLP-1 play important roles in the control of food intake. However, it is not clear to what extent CCK and GLP-1 increase satiation by stimulating receptors located on abdominal vagal nerve endings or via receptors located elsewhere. This study aimed to further explore the relative contribution of the...

Skin and urine pentosidine weakly correlate with joint damage in a cohort of patients with early signs of osteoarthritis (CHECK)

Objectives: Age-related changes in articular cartilage are likely to play a role in the aetiology of osteoarthritis (OA). One of the major age-related changes in cartilage is the accumulation of advanced-glycation-endproducts (AGEs). Since, cartilage tissue is not readily available from patients for studying AGE levels, alternative approaches...

Respiratory irritation associated with inhalation of boron trifluoride and fluorosulfonic acid

The objectives of this study were to examine the respiratory irritancy of boron trifluoride (BF3) and fluorosulfonic acid (FSA) following acute inhalation exposure. Testing was conducted using groups of 10 male and 10 female rats (BF3) or groups of 6 male rats (FSA). Rats were exposed for a single 4-h period (BF3) or a single 1-h period (FSA)...

Mdm2, but not Mdm4, protects terminally differentiated smooth muscle cells from p53-mediated caspase-3-independent cell death

p53 is a potent inhibitor of cell growth and an inducer of apoptosis. During embryonic development, Mdm2 and Mdm4 inhibit the growth suppressive activities of p53. However, whether tight surveillance of p53 activity is required in quiescent cells is unknown. To test this, conditional inactivation of mdm2 and mdm4 was carried out in smooth muscle...

Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity study with neohesperidin dihydrochalcone in rats

The embryotoxicity/teratogenicity of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC) was examined in Wistar Crl:(WI)WU BR rats. NHDC was fed at dietary concentrations of 0, 1.25, 2.5 or 5 to groups of 28 mated female rats from day 0 to 21 of gestation. At Cesarean section 25, 22, 23, and 23 rats were found to be pregnant in the control, low-, mid-, and...

Postmortem time estimation using body temperature and a finite-element computer model

In the Netherlands most murder victims are found 2-24 h after the crime. During this period, body temperature decrease is the most reliable method to estimate the postmortem time (PMT). Recently, two murder cases were analysed in which currently available methods did not provide a sufficiently reliable estimate of the PMT. In both cases a study...

Een onverwacht overleden zuigeling: Wiegendood?

Wiegendood is een ingrijpende gebeurtenis voor ouders en hulpverleners. Als een kind jonger dan 2 jaar plotseling levenloos wordt aangetroffen, vraagt iedereen zich af: ‘Hoe kon dit gebeuren?’ Kennis over oorzaken van wiegendood is enerzijds gebaseerd op epidemiologische analyse van de gevallen, anderzijds op bevindingen verkregen bij...

Degenerated human articular cartilage at autopsy represents preclinical osteoarthritic cartilage: Comparison with clinically defined osteoarthritic cartilage

Changes in the nasal epithelium of rats exposed by inhalation to mixtures of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein

Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein are well-known upper respiratory tract irritants and occur simultaneously as pollutants in many indoor and outdoor environments. The upper respiratory tract, and especially the nose, is the prime target for inhaled aldehydes. To study possible additive or interactive effects on the nasal epithelium we...

Pressure-diameter relationships of segments of human finger arteries

Pressure-diameter relationships of segments of human finger arteries, aged 57-85 years, were measured in vitro. The arteries, obtained at autopsy within 48 h after death, were stored in glucose-free Tyrode at 4 degrees C. Experiments began within 40 h after autopsy. The diameter responses to various transmural pressure changes, with and without...