RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To investigate if maternal folic acid supplementation (5 mg) is associated with a reduction of cleft palates, umbilical hernias, stillbirths and caesarean sections in a guide dog breeding colony. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and Labrador/golden Crosses from the breeding colony of a professional guide dog training organisation were eligible for inclusion. Dams in the treatment group (n = 137) received 5 mg oral folic acid supplementation daily from the start of pro-oestrous through day 40 of gestation. A historical control group (n = 134) was selected from the previous calendar year for comparison. A logistic regression model identified the relative risk of disease (cleft palates, umbilical hernias, stillbirths and caesarean sections) for puppies whose dams did or did not receive folic acid supplementation. RESULTS: A total of 1917 puppies (890 control, 1027 treatment; from 294 litters) were produced during the entire study period, with 994 puppies (494 control, 500 treatment; from 144 litters) born to the subset of dams (n = 72) who produced litters during both the control and treatment periods. All 95% highest posterior densities of relative risk included 1.0, failing to detect differences between the treatment and control groups on incidence rate of cleft palate (control: 2.25%; treatment: 2.34%), umbilical hernias (control: 1.91%; treatment: 3.12%), stillbirths (control: 3.26%; treatment: 2.92%) and caesarean sections (control: 1.45%; treatment: 1.28%). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: There was no observable reduction of cleft palate, umbilical hernia, stillbirth or caesarean section associated with folic acid supplementation during pregnancy in the study colony. For a domestic dog cohort with a low tendency of hereditary malformations, such as this study colony, 5 mg dietary folic acid supplementation should not be expected to drastically improve or eradicate these diseases.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades de los Perros , Mortinato , Animales , Cesárea/veterinaria , Suplementos Dietéticos , Enfermedades de los Perros/tratamiento farmacológico , Enfermedades de los Perros/epidemiología , Enfermedades de los Perros/prevención & control , Perros , Femenino , Ácido Fólico , Embarazo , Animales de Servicio , Mortinato/veterinariaRESUMEN
Objective: The objective of this study was to examine patient-provider relationships among American Indians and Alaska Native (AI/AN) patients by examining associations between patient activation, perceived provider weight bias and working alliance. Patient activation is generally defined as having the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage one's health. Methods: Among a sample of 87 AI/AN adults presenting for general medical care at an urban clinic in the north-west region of the USA, ordinary least squares regression analysis was completed to examine associations. Results: Better working alliance scores were associated with increased patient activation, while perceived provider weight bias was associated with reduced patient activation. In addition, those with class II obesity had decreased patient activation. Conclusion: These findings point to the importance of a positive patient-provider relationship in AI/ANs. Optimal patient engagement and subsequent health outcomes warrant additional consideration of patients' perceptions of provider weight bias within the context of health promotion and interventions.
RESUMEN
In the central nervous system, angiotensin II (AngII) binds to angiotensin type 1 receptors (AT(1)Rs) to affect autonomic and endocrine functions as well as learning and memory. However, understanding the function of cells containing AT(1)Rs has been restricted by limited availability of specific antisera, difficulties discriminating AT(1)R-immunoreactive cells in many brain regions and, the identification of AT(1)R-containing neurons for physiological and molecular studies. Here, we demonstrate that an Agtr1a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse line that expresses type A AT(1)Rs (AT1aRs) identified by enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) overcomes these shortcomings. Throughout the brain, AT1aR-EGFP was detected in the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells, most of which were neurons. EGFP often extended into dendritic processes and could be identified either natively or with immunolabeling of GFP. The distribution of AT1aR-EGFP cells in brain closely corresponded to that reported for AngII binding and AT1aR protein and mRNA. In particular, AT1aR-EGFP cells were in autonomic regions (e.g., hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, central nucleus of the amygdala, parabrachial nucleus, nuclei of the solitary tract and rostral ventrolateral medulla) and in regions involved in electrolyte and fluid balance (i.e., subfornical organ) and learning and memory (i.e., cerebral cortex and hippocampus). Additionally, dual label electron microscopic studies in select brain areas demonstrate that cells containing AT1aR-EGFP colocalize with AT(1)R-immunoreactivity. Assessment of AngII-induced free radical production in isolated EGFP cells demonstrated feasibility of studies investigating AT1aR signaling ex vivo. These findings support the utility of Agtr1a BAC transgenic reporter mice for future studies understanding the role of AT(1)R-containing cells in brain function.
Asunto(s)
Química Encefálica/genética , Encéfalo/citología , Cromosomas Artificiales Bacterianos/genética , Receptor de Angiotensina Tipo 1/metabolismo , Animales , Arginina Vasopresina/inmunología , Arginina Vasopresina/metabolismo , Sistema Nervioso Autónomo/citología , Sistema Nervioso Autónomo/metabolismo , Proteínas Fluorescentes Verdes/genética , Proteínas Fluorescentes Verdes/inmunología , Humanos , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Técnicas para Inmunoenzimas , Inmunohistoquímica , Ratones , Ratones Transgénicos , Microscopía Electrónica , Microscopía Inmunoelectrónica , ARN Mensajero/biosíntesis , ARN Mensajero/genética , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Tirosina 3-Monooxigenasa/metabolismo , Equilibrio Hidroelectrolítico/genética , Equilibrio Hidroelectrolítico/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Steroid hormones largely exert their actions by activating nuclear receptors, which, as transcription factors, powerfully influence fundamental processes of neural development. Often, steroid receptor action demonstrates remarkable specificity under different developmental, anatomical or hormonal conditions. Yet, the mechanisms underlying such specificity are poorly understood. The present study examined the anatomically-specific regulation of progestin receptor (PR) expression by oestrogen receptor (ER) activation in the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus and the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) of the neonatal female rat brain, using the selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), tamoxifen and ICI 182780 (ICI), in the presence or absence of oestradiol benzoate (EB) treatment. The results demonstrate that PR immunoreactivity (PR-ir) in the neonatal female MPN was significantly increased by EB and this increase was abolished by either tamoxifen or ICI treatment. In contrast, within the VMN of the same animals, EB had no effect on PR-ir and the SERMs only modestly decreased PR-ir. Interestingly, ICI acted as a true antagonist regardless of EB treatment, whereas tamoxifen acted as an ER agonist in the absence of EB in the MPN, but not the VMN, representing one of the first in vivo demonstrations of tissue-specific and oestradiol-independent effects of tamoxifen on ER activation. The present results indicate that PR expression is highly dependent on oestradiol and its receptor in the MPN, although it is independent of both oestradiol and ER activation within the neonatal VMN. These findings demonstrate the anatomically-specific actions of oestradiol and its receptor to induce PR in two brain regions controlling different aspects of female reproductive behaviours in adulthood.