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Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress and inflammation play major roles in diabetes mellitus and its complications. Furthermore, hyperg lycemia increases the produc tion of free radicals, resulting in oxidative stress. Minocycline presents potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, as evaluated by in vivo and in vitro models. In the present study, the minocycline anti-diabetic effect was assessed in the model of alloxan-induced diabetes. Alloxan was injected to male Wistar rats (50 mg/kg, intravenously), and their blood was collected 48 h later and also after treatments, for measurements of glycemia, triglycerides, cholesterol and liver transaminases. Groups of untreated diabetic controls and diabetic treated with minoc ycline (1 to 50 mg/kg, peritoneally, p.o.) or glibenclamide (5 mg/kg, p.o., as reference), for different periods, were used. Furthermore, slices of pancreas, liver and kidney were submitted to hi stological and immunohistochemical analyses. While significant decreases in glucose and triglycerides were shown at the 5th and mainly at the 30th days after minocycline treatments, as compared to the untreated diabetic group, no changes were observed in total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. Histological analyses of pancreas, liver and kidney showed that minocycline significantly reversed tissue alterations, as those seen in untreated diab etic animals. Besides, minocycline also reduced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions. The beneficial minocycline effects in diabet es could be due, at least partly, to its anti- inflammatory and antioxidant properties, indicating that this drug may be a therapeutic alternative in diabetes mellitus and other pathological condition s where inflammation plays a significant role.

For several years the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) decided not to produce their own guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension but to endorse the guidelines on hypertension issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Society of Hypertension (ISH)1,2 with some adaptation to reflect the situation in Europe. However, in 2003 the decision was taken to publish ESH/ESC specific guidelines3 based on the fact that, because the WHO/ISH Guidelines address countries widely varying in the extent of their health care and availability of economic resource, they contain diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations that may be not totally appropriate for European countries. In Europe care provisions may often allow a more in-depth diagnostic assessment of cardiovascular risk and organ damage of hypertensive individuals as well as a wider choice of antihypertensive treatment. The 2003 ESH/ESC Guidelines3 were well received by the clinical world and have been the most widely quoted paper in the medical literature in the last two years.4 However, since 2003 considerable additional evidence on important issues related to diagnostic and treatment approaches to hypertension has become available and therefore updating of the previous guidelines has been found advisable. In preparing the new guidelines the Committee established by the ESH and ESC has agreed to adhere to the principles informing the 2003 Guidelines, namely 1) to try to offer the best available and most balanced recommendation to all health care providers involved in the management of hypertension, 2) to address this aim again by an extensive and critical review of the data accompanied by a series of boxes where specific recommendations are given, as well as by a concise set of practice recommendations to be published soon thereafter as already done in 2003; …

ABI : ankle–brachial index ACCORD : Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes ADVANCE : Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation AGREE : Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation AHA : American Heart Association apoA1 : apolipoprotein A1 apoB : apolipoprotein B CABG : coronary artery bypass graft surgery CARDS : Collaborative AtoRvastatin Diabetes Study CCNAP : Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions CHARISMA : Clopidogrel for High Athero-thrombotic Risk and Ischemic Stabilisation, Management, and Avoidance CHD : coronary heart disease CKD : chronic kidney disease COMMIT : Clopidogrel and Metoprolol in Myocardial Infarction Trial CRP : C-reactive protein CURE : Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events CVD : cardiovascular disease DALYs : disability-adjusted life years DBP : diastolic blood pressure DCCT : Diabetes Control and Complications Trial ED : erectile dysfunction eGFR : estimated glomerular filtration rate EHN : European Heart Network EPIC : European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition EUROASPIRE : European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention through Intervention to Reduce Events GFR : glomerular filtration rate GOSPEL : Global Secondary Prevention Strategies to Limit Event Recurrence After MI GRADE : Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation HbA1c : glycated haemoglobin HDL : high-density lipoprotein HF-ACTION : Heart Failure and A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise TraiNing HOT : Hypertension Optimal Treatment Study HPS : Heart Protection Study HR : hazard ratio hsCRP : high-sensitivity C-reactive protein HYVET : Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial ICD : International Classification of Diseases IMT : intima-media thickness INVEST : International Verapamil SR/Trandolapril JTF : Joint Task Force LDL : low-density lipoprotein Lp(a) : lipoprotein(a) LpPLA2 : lipoprotein-associated phospholipase 2 LVH : left ventricular hypertrophy MATCH : Management of Atherothrombosis with Clopidogrel in High-risk Patients with Recent Transient Ischaemic Attack or Ischaemic Stroke MDRD : Modification of Diet in Renal Disease MET : metabolic equivalent MONICA : Multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease NICE : National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence NRT : nicotine replacement therapy NSTEMI : non-ST elevation myocardial infarction ONTARGET : Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial OSA : obstructive sleep apnoea PAD : peripheral artery disease PCI : percutaneous coronary intervention PROactive : Prospective Pioglitazone Clinical Trial in Macrovascular Events PWV : pulse wave velocity QOF : Quality and Outcomes Framework RCT : randomized clinical trial RR : relative risk SBP : systolic blood pressure SCORE : Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation Project SEARCH : Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and SHEP : Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program STEMI : ST-elevation myocardial infarction SU.FOL.OM3 : SUpplementation with FOlate, vitamin B6 and B12 and/or OMega-3 fatty acids Syst-Eur : Systolic Hypertension in Europe TNT : Treating to New Targets UKPDS : United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study VADT : Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial VALUE : Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use VITATOPS : VITAmins TO Prevent Stroke VLDL : very low-density lipoprotein WHO : World Health Organization ### 1.1 Introduction Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a chronic disorder developing insidiously throughout life and usually progressing to an advanced stage by the time symptoms occur. It remains the major cause of premature death in Europe, even though CVD mortality has …

We present an empirical analysis of the European electronic interbank market of overnight lending (e-MID) during the years 1999–2009. The main goal of the paper is to explain the observed changes of the cross-sectional dispersion of lending/borrowing conditions before, during and after the 2007–2008 subprime crisis. Unlike previous contributions, that focused on banks’ dependent and macro information as explanatory variables, we address the role of banks’ behaviour and market microstructure as determinants of the credit spreads.

Infant leukaemia is an embryonal disease in which the underlying MLL translocations initiate in utero. Zebrafish offer unique potential to understand how MLL impacts haematopoiesis from the earliest embryonic timepoints and how translocations cause leukaemia as an embryonal process. In this study, a zebrafish mll cDNA syntenic to human MLL spanning the 5' to 3' UTRs, was cloned from embryos, and mll expression was characterized over the zebrafish lifespan. The protein encoded by the 35-exon ORF exhibited 46·4% overall identity to human MLL and 68-100% conservation in functional domains (AT-hooks, SNL, CXXC, PHD, bromodomain, FYRN, taspase1 sites, FYRC, SET). Maternally supplied transcripts were detected at 0-2 hpf. Strong ubiquitous early zygotic expression progressed to a cephalo-caudal gradient during later embryogenesis. mll was expressed in the intermediate cell mass (ICM) where primitive erythrocytes are produced and in the kidney where definitive haematopoiesis occurs in adults. mll exhibits high cross species conservation, is developmentally regulated in haematopoietic and other tissues and is expressed from the earliest embryonic timepoints throughout the zebrafish lifespan. Haematopoietic tissue expression validates using zebrafish for MLL haematopoiesis and leukaemia models.

Рабочая группа по лечению артериальной гипертонии Европейского общества гипертонии (ESH) и Европейского общества кардиологов (ESC). Авторы (члены рабочей группы): G. Mancia (сопредседатель), G. De Backer (сопредседатель), A. Dominiczak, R. Cifkova, R. Fagard, G. Germano, G. Grassi, A. M. Heagerty, S. E. Kjeldsen, S. Laurent, K. Narkiewicz, L. Ruilope, A. Rynkiewicz, R. E. Schmieder, H.A.J. Struijker Boudier, A. Zanchetti. Оригинальный текс опубликован в European Heart Journal (2007) 28, 1462-1536. © 2007 Европейское общество кардиологови Европейское общество гипертонии. Адаптированный переводс английского языка и тиражирование произведеныс согласия Европейского общества кардиологов

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare the automation and diagnostic performance in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) of the 4DMSPECT (4DM), Emory Cardiac Toolbox (EMO), and QPS systems for automated quantification of myocardial perfusion. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 328 patients referred for rest/stress Tc-99m sestamibi imaging, 140 low-likelihood patients and 188 with angiography. Contours were corrected when necessary. All other processing was fully automated. A 17-segment analysis was performed, and a summed stress score (SSS) > or =4 was considered abnormal. The average SSSs (+/-SD) for 4DM, EMO, and QPS were 10.5 +/- 9.4, 11.1 +/- 8.3, and 10.1 +/- 8.9, respectively (P = .02 for QPS versus EMO). The receiver operator characteristics areas-under-the-curve for the detection of CAD (+/-SEM) were 0.84 +/- 0.03, 0.76 +/- 0.04, and 0.88 +/- 0.03 for 4DM, EMO, and QPS, respectively (P = .001 for QPS versus EMO, and P = .03 for 4DM versus EMO). Normalcy rate was higher for QPS and 4DM versus EMO, at 91% and 94% versus 77%, respectively (P = .02). Sensitivity was higher for QPS (87%) versus 4DM (80%) (P = .045). Specificity was higher for QPS (71%) versus EMO (49%) (P = .01). The accuracy rate was higher for QPS versus 4DM and EMO, at 83% versus 77% and 76%, respectively (P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in myocardial-perfusion quantification, diagnostic performance, and degree of automation of software packages.

CT-based attenuation correction (AC) for myocardial perfusion PET studies is challenging because of respiratory motion. Our study aimed to compare the transmission CT (TCT)-based and CT-based AC for myocardial perfusion PET/CT images with a direct semiquantitative approach comparing differences in segmental count distribution. METHODS: Stress and rest (82)Rb PET scans from 54 consecutive patients acquired on a PET/CT scanner with dual CT-based and TCT-based AC were considered. TCT- and CT-based AC images were automatically registered to each other, and direct voxel-based and American Heart Association segment-based estimation of positive and negative changes between these scans was performed. Additionally, visual quality control (QC) of CT map alignment with PET emission data was performed by 2 expert observers, and studies with significant (>/=5 mm) misalignment were reprocessed with corrected CT alignment. RESULTS: We used the 17-segment American Heart Association model for TCT-to-CT regional change analysis in all patients and found that 4 segments on rest and 4 segments on stress scans differed more than 3% between CT- and TCT-corrected images for studies without significant misalignments (

An 18-month-old girl was diagnosed with pre-pre-B ALL/t(4;11) leukemia, which during the treatment and after matched bone marrow transplantation (BMT), underwent two consecutive switches from lymphoid to myeloid lineage and vice versa. The high expression of HOXA9 and FLT3 genes remaining genotypically stable in a leukemia throughout phenotypic switches, suggests that this leukemia may have originated as a common B/myeloid progenitors.