New MRI Technique Detects Genetic Condition That Attacks the Heart, Brain, Nerves

Radiology and imaging update

New MRI Technique Detects Genetic Condition That Attacks the Heart, Brain, Nerves

Oct. 2, 2013 — A genetic condition that attacks multiple organs and usually results in fatal heart problems can be detected using a new MRI technique that was developed at the University of Alberta. The discovery of this new diagnostic tool has resulted in updated clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Fabry disease in Canada.

Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry researchers Gavin Oudit and Richard Thompson worked with Faculty colleagues Kelvin Chow and Alicia Chan on the discovery, as well as Aneal Khan from the University of Calgary. The findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal, Circulation -- Cardiovascular Imaging, and involved 31 Alberta patients who have the disease.

Thompson and trainee Chow developed the MRI technique known as T1 mapping which can detect heart damage and changes at early stages -- earlier than regular MRI scans or ultrasound. When this type of MRI is used on patients with Fabry disease, the scans can detect both the disease and the severity of damage to the heart. The T1 mapping method developed by Thompson's group can be easily programmed onto MRIs around the world.

"This test can uniquely identify Fabry disease by detecting microscopic changes in the heart muscle structure that are not visible on regular images," says Thompson, who works in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. "Fabry disease can look like other diseases if you only look at the whole heart structure or function, but this T1 mapping test, that can detect the tiniest changes in the heart, could identify all the patients with Fabry disease."

Oudit added: "It is very likely that this technique will become a key part in clinical examination of patients with Fabry disease. This finding will advance the clinical care of these patients around the world. The implications will be widespread.

"Heart disease is the number one cause of death for patients with Fabry disease. The earlier the disease can be pinpointed, the sooner treatment can start. The treatment for the disease halts the condition and prevents serious damage to the heart."

Fabry disease is a genetic metabolic condition that destroys the enzyme involved in fat metabolism. This enzyme breaks down fat so without it, those with the disease accumulate deadly fat deposits in their heart, kidneys and brain. The condition affects 1 in 1,500 to 3,000 people, but was originally thought to be a rare disease. Some countries now screen newborns for the condition that costs $200,000 a year to treat through monthly infusions called enzyme replacement therapy. Symptoms of the disease include: heart failure, thickened walls of the heart, exercise intolerance, fluid buildup in the legs, blackouts, inability to lie down, strokes, tingling in the hands and feet, and changes in skin pigmentation.

It is estimated that about 1,000 Albertans are living with the disease but not everyone who has the condition has been diagnosed. Sometimes people will see scores of kidney and heart specialists for years before anyone diagnoses the condition. Men can have a blood test to identify the condition, while women -- who may also carry the disease without showing symptoms -- need to undergo genetic testing. The T1 mapping test can both pinpoint the disease and assess damage to the heart.

Oudit says the discovery of the new MRI technique "is a wonderful story of collaboration -- of patients, clinicians, scientists and industry working together to find a new diagnostic tool." Oudit is a heart failure specialist who works in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute.

"As an organization, we are excited to be part of these developments through the research from the University of Alberta," says Mauro Chies, acting vice-president of clinical supports for Alberta Health Services. "This is a significant advancement in the detection of disease in a non-invasive environment for our patients. We hope to be able to advance these sequences on our MRIs in the near future, and look for ways to use it to evaluate and detect other disease conditions."

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Hypertension-new drug-S-amlodipine

Hypertension-new drug-S-amlodipine

S-Amlodipine 2.5 mg

new drug for mild to moderate hypertension

Multicentric, clinical trial of S-Amlodipine 2.5 mg versus Amlodipine 5 mg in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension--a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

uses-treatment of mild to moderate hypertension

There was no statistically significant change in the levels of serum creatinine, SGOT, SGPT, HDL, LDL, triglyceride and total cholesterol in patients receiving Amlodipine 5 mg. The reduction in total cholesterol as well as triglyceride level in the S-Amlodipine 2.5 mg treatment group was found to be greater but it failed to show any statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSION:

S-Amlodipine 2.5 mg is found to be equivalent in its efficacy and tolerability when compared to Amlodipine 5 mg in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension.

(S)-amlodipine treatment was associated with significantly less edema than racemic amlodipine

Ref;

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15636308

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X1000007X

Sleep Deprivation- Food Purchasing the Next Day increase

Sleep Deprivation- Food Purchasing the Next Day increase

Sleep Deprivation Increases Food Purchasing the Next Day

Sep. 5, 2013 — People who were deprived of one night's sleep purchased more calories and grams of food in a mock supermarket on the following day in a new study published in the journal Obesity, the official journal of The Obesity Society. Sleep deprivation also led to increased blood levels of ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger, on the following morning; however, there was no correlation between individual ghrelin levels and food purchasing, suggesting that other mechanisms -- such as

impulsive decision making -- may be more responsible for increased purchasing.

Researchers in Sweden were curious as to whether sleep deprivation may impair or alter an individual's food purchasing choices based on its established tendency to impair higher-level thinking and to increase hunger.

"We hypothesized that sleep deprivation's impact on hunger and decision making would make for the 'perfect storm' with regard to shopping and food purchasing -- leaving individuals hungrier and less capable of employing self-control and higher-level decision-making processes to avoid making impulsive, calorie-driven purchases," said first author Colin Chapman, MSc, of Uppsala University.

On the morning after one night of total sleep deprivation, as well as after one night of sleep, Chapman, along with Christian Benedict, PhD, and their colleagues, gave 14 normal-weight men a fixed budget (approximately $50). The men were instructed to purchase as much as they could out of a possible 40 items, including 20 high-caloric foods and 20 low-calorie foods. The prices of the high-caloric foods were then varied to determine if total sleep deprivation affects the flexibility of food purchasing. Before

the task, participants received a standardized breakfast to minimize the effect of hunger on their purchases.

Sleep-deprived men purchased significantly more calories (+9%) and grams (+18%) of food than they did after one night of sleep. The researchers also measured blood levels of ghrelin, finding that the hormone's concentrations were higher after total sleep deprivation; however, this increase did not correlate with food purchasing behavior.

"Our finding provides a strong rationale for suggesting that patients with concerns regarding caloric intake and weight gain maintain a healthy, normal sleep schedule," said Chapman.

Follow up studies are needed to address whether these sleep deprivation-induced changes in food purchasing behavior also exist under partial sleep deprivation, though.

Additional research should also look into sleep deprivation's potential impact on purchasing behavior in general, as it may lead to impaired or impulsive purchasing in a variety of other contexts.

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Nasal Inhalation of Oxytocin Improves Face Blindness

Nasal Inhalation of Oxytocin Improves Face Blindness

Sep. 5, 2013 — Prosopagnosia (face blindness) may be temporarily improved following inhalation of the hormone oxytocin.

This is the finding of research led by Dr Sarah Bate and Dr Rachel Bennetts of the Centre for Face Processing Disorders at Bournemouth University that will be presented

today, Friday 6 September, at the British Psychological Society's Joint Cognitive and Developmental annual conference at the University of Reading.

Dr Bate explained: "Prosopagnosia is characterised by a severe impairment in face recognition, whereby a person cannot identify the faces of their family or friends, or even their own face"

The researchers tested twenty adults (10 with prosopagnosia and 10 control participants). Each participant visited the laboratory on two occasions, approximately two weeks apart. On one visit they inhaled the oxytocin nasal spray, and on the other visit they inhaled the placebo spray. The two sprays were prepared by an external pharmaceutical company in identical bottles, and neither the participants nor the researchers knew the identity of the sprays until the data had been analysed.

Regardless of which spray the person inhaled, the testing sessions had an identical format. Participants inhaled the spray, then sat quietly for 45 minutes to allow the spray to take effect. They then participated in two face processing tests: one testing their ability to remember faces and the other testing their ability to match faces of the same identity.

The researchers found that the participants with prosopagnosia achieved higher scores on both face processing tests in the oxytocin condition. Interestingly, no improvement was observed in the control participants, suggesting the hormone may be more effective in those with impaired face recognition systems.

The initial ten participants with prosopagnosia had a developmental form of the condition. Individuals with developmental prosopagnosia have never experienced brain

damage, and this form of face blindness is thought to be very common, affecting one in 50 people. Much more rarely, people can acquire prosopagnosia following a brain injury. At a later date, the researchers had the opportunity to test one person with acquired prosopagnosia, and also observed a large improvement following oxytocin inhalation in this individual.

Dr Bate said: "This study provides the first evidence that oxytocin may be used to temporarily improve face recognition in people with either developmental or acquired prosopagnosia. The effects of the hormone are thought to last 2-3 hours, and it may be that the nasal spray can be used to improve face recognition on a special occasion.

However, much more research needs to be carried out, as we don't currently know whether there are benefits or risks associated with longer-term inhalation of the hormone."

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Diabetes-Leptin can replace insulin in future

Diabetes-Leptin  can replace insulin in future

Life Without Insulin Is Possible, Study Suggests

Sep. 3, 2013 — Several millions of people around the world suffer from insulin deficiencies. Insulin is a hormone, secreted by the beta cells in the pancreas, which plays a major role in the regulation of energy substrates such as glucose. This insufficiency, primarily caused by diabetes (types 1 and 2), has lethal consequences if it is not treated. As of now, only daily insulin injections allow patients to survive.This approach, however, brings on serious side effects. Thanks to their research which was published in the journal Cell Metabolism, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) scientists identified the underlying mechanisms, proving that life without insulin is possible, and paving the way for new diabetes treatments.

While life without insulin was inconceivable, a group of researchers, led by Roberto Coppari, professor in the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism at UNIGE, has just demonstrated that insulin is not vital for survival. By eliminating this dogma, scientists are now considering alternatives to insulin treatment, which poses many risks to patients. An error in dosage may cause hypoglycemia, i.e., a decrease in the level of glucose in the blood, which can lead to a loss of consciousness. In addition, about 90% of patients over 55 who have been undergoing treatment for several years develop cardiovascular disease due to elevated levels of cholesterol brought on by the lipogenic properties of insulin.

Leptin leads to an essential discoveryResearchers from UNIGE's Faculty of Medicine conducted experiments on rodents devoid of insulin, to which they administered leptin, a hormone that regulates the body's fat reserves and appetite. Thanks to the leptin, all the subjects survived their insulin deficiency. Using leptin offers two advantages: it does not provoke hypoglycemia and it

has a lipolytic effect. 'Through this discovery, the path to offering an alternative to insulin treatment is emerging. Now we need to understand the mechanisms through which leptin affects glucose level, regardless of insulin level,' explains Professor Coppari.

The studies were able to verify whether the neurons involved in the mediation of leptin's anti-diabetic action in healthy mammals played a similar role in rodents suffering from an insulin deficiency. The results showed that this was not the case. In fact, to the scientists' surprise, GABAergic neurons located in the hypothalamus were identified as the main mediators of leptin's action on glucose level in the context of insulin deficiency. These neurons' influence on glucose had never been considered substantial before.

Additionally, the researchers detected the peripheral tissues that are affected by leptin during insulin deficiency. They consist mainly of the liver, the soleus muscle, and brown adipose tissue, which could be directly targeted by future treatments.

Through this discovery, scientists now know where to look for the answer to an insulin-free diabetes treatment. Understanding the functioning and effect of leptin on the body will enable scientists to identify the areas of the body that are involved, and ultimately the molecules that will form the basis of a new treatment.

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Meaning for mm people

-inconceivable ■ adj
● မယုံၾကည္ႏုိင္ေလာက္ေအာင္။ စိတ္ကူး၍ပင္မရႏုိင္ေသာ။ inconceivably adv မယုံၾကည္ႏုိင္ေလာက္ေအာင္။

-dogma ■ n [C, U]  တရားေသလက္ခံ ထားေသာဝါဒ။