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Least Threefold (least + threefold)
Selected AbstractsComparison of plain ice and flavoured ice for preventing oral mucositis associated with the use of 5 fluorouracilJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2005Sue Nikoletti RN Aims and objectives., The study aimed to compare the use of plain ice, flavoured ice and standard care, to evaluate the effect on mucositis and to determine patients' perceptions of the two forms of oral cryotherapy. Background., Despite evidence that oral cryotherapy is useful in preventing mucositis in patients receiving 5-fluorouracil, concerns have been expressed about its clinical utility, due to potential side effects and negative perceptions. Design., A randomized, controlled, crossover trial was conducted in the outpatient chemotherapy department of an acute care teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia. Patients were randomized to receive each of three interventions across three cycles of chemotherapy: standard care alone; standard care plus plain ice; and standard care plus flavoured ice. Methods., Oral mucositis was assessed by nurses prior to each of the three chemotherapy cycles and 15 days after each intervention. Two assessment tools were used, the Oral Assessment Guide, and the Western Consortium Cancer Nursing Research Scale. Participants completed a questionnaire to determine their comfort and satisfaction with oral cryotherapy, as well as factors affecting compliance. Results., Findings from 67 patients revealed that when participants used standard care alone, they were significantly more likely to experience symptoms of mucositis than when they used either plain or flavoured ice. Odds ratios were at least threefold higher for standard care alone, varying according to the instrument used. The two main concerns reported were the taste of flavoured ice and the time required to complete the cryotherapy interventions. Side effects such as nausea, sensitivity and headache were reported more frequently for flavoured ice (n = 11) compared with plain ice (n = 5) and standard care (n = 1). Conclusions., Both forms of oral cryotherapy were effective in reducing the severity of oral mucositis after chemotherapy and were more effective than standard care alone. Flavoured ice was associated with the highest frequency of side effects. Relevance to clinical practice., The benefits of cryotherapy appear to outweigh the problems in this sample of patients. The intervention should be tailored to individual patients, based on preferences for plain versus flavoured ice and small chips vs. larger blocks. Unsweetened frozen fruit juices should be evaluated. Time constraints could be addressed by providing transportable containers of ice. [source] Hepatoprotective effect of oleuropein in mice: Mechanisms uncovered by gene expression profilingBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 9 2010Yunjung Kim Abstract Oleuropein, an active constituent of olive leaf, has a variety of pharmacological activities associated with its capacity to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Oleuropein is also reported to have protective effects against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in vivo. In this study, gene expression profiling of hepatic tissues was examined, and transcription factors (TFs) with target genes that were modulated by oleuropein were identified to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms for the hepatoprotective action of this compound. C57BL/6N mice were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or 0.03% oleuropein-supplemented HFD for 10 weeks, after which their livers were subjected to oligo DNA microarray analysis. The oleuropein with which the HFD was supplemented reduced the hepatic mRNA level of the genes that encoded the key regulators of the hepatic fatty acid uptake and transport. In addition, the oleuropein reduced the expression of a number of hepatic genes involved in the oxidative stress responses and detoxification of lipid peroxidation products and proinflammatory cytokine genes. The (putative) candidate TFs that bound to the promoters of the genes regulated at least threefold (both up and down) by oleuropein were implicated in the lipogenesis, inflammation, insulin resistance, fibrosis, and cell proliferation and differentiation, which implies that the mechanisms that underlie the beneficial effects of oleuropein on NAFLD may be multifactorial. [source] Wnt signaling in caudal dysgenesis and diabetic embryopathyBIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 10 2008Gabriela Pavlinkova Abstract BACKGROUND: Congenital defects are a major complication of diabetic pregnancy, and the leading cause of infant death in the first year of life. Caudal dysgenesis, occurring up to 200-fold more frequently in children born to diabetic mothers, is a hallmark of diabetic pregnancy. Given that there is also an at least threefold higher risk for heart defects and NTDs, it is important to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms for aberrant embryonic development. METHODS: We have investigated gene expression in a transgenic mouse model of caudal dysgenesis, and in a pharmacological model using situ hybridization and quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: We identified altered expression of several molecules that control developmental processes and embryonic growth. CONCLUSIONS: The results from our models point towards major implication of altered Wnt signaling in the pathogenesis of developmental anomalies associated with embryonic exposure to maternal diabetes. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 82:710,719, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] MODULATION OF SIGNAL TRANSDUCERS AND ACTIVATORS OF TRANSCRIPTION (STAT) FACTOR PATHWAYS DURING FOCAL CEREBRAL ISCHAEMIA: A GENE EXPRESSION ARRAY STUDY IN RAT HIPPOCAMPUS AFTER MIDDLE CEREBRAL ARTERY OCCLUSIONCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 11 2007Sheng-Li Sun SUMMARY 1Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) factors are a family of transcription factors that mediate intracellular signalling initiated at cytokine cell surface receptors and transmitted to the nucleus. In the present study, we determined the global changes in STAT gene expression in the hippocampus of rats after focal cerebral ischaemia and reperfusion using microarray analysis. 2The present study used middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to induce ischaemia and reperfusion in Sprague-Dawley rats. Using superarray Q series Janus tyrosine kinases (Jak)/STAT signalling pathway gene array, a total of 96 genes was screened in adult male rat hippocampus after transient focal cerebral ischaemia. 3The results showed that 23 genes were upregulated at least twofold by ischaemia treatment and that 12 genes were downregulated at least threefold by ischaemia treatment compared with controls. 4After confirmation by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, the data suggest that the gene expression of STAT2, 5a, 5b, 6 and suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS) 4 was increased by ischaemia, probably due to a compensatory response of the brain, which may play a protective role in damaged brain tissue. 5The results of the present study provide evidence on global changes in STAT gene expression in the hippocampus of rats after focal cerebral ischaemia and reperfusion, in which STAT2, 5a, 5b, 6 and SOCS4 were confirmed to be significantly modulated during focal cerebral ischaemia. 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