Decrease In Sodium Concentration Research Articles

Hemodynamic Changes in Intrarenal Blood Flow are Associated With Poor Prognosis in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

To evaluate a potential role of different patterns of intrarenal blood flow using Doppler ultrasound as a part of determining the severity of venous congestion, predicting impairment of renal function and an unfavorable prognosis in patients with acute decompensated chronic heart failure (ADCHF). This prospective observational single-site study included 75 patients admitted in the intensive care unit for ADCHF. Upon admission all patients underwent bedside renal venous Doppler ultrasound to determine the blood flow pattern (continuous, biphasic, monophasic). In one hour after the initiation of intravenous diuretic therapy, sodium concentration was measured in a urine sample. The primary endpoint was the development of acute kidney injury (AKI). The secondary endpoints were the development of diuretic resistance (a need to increase the furosemide daily dose by more than 2 times compared with the baseline), decreased natriuretic response (defined as urine sodium concentration less than 50-70 mmol/l), and in-hospital death. According to the data of Doppler ultrasound, normal renal blood flow was observed in 40 (53%) patients, biphasic in 21 (28%) patients, and monophasic in 14 (19%) patients. The monophasic pattern of intrarenal blood flow was associated with the highest incidence of AKI: among 14 patients in this group, AKI developed in 100% of cases (OR 3.8, 95% CI: 2.5-5.8, p<0.01), while among patients with normal and moderate impairment of renal blood flow, there was no significant increase in the risk of developing AKI. The odds of in-hospital death were increased 25.77 times in patients with monophasic renal blood flow (95% CI: 5.35-123.99, p<0.001). Patients with a monophasic intrarenal blood flow pattern were also more likely to develop diuretic resistance compared to patients with other blood flow patterns (p<0.001) and had a decreased sodium concentration to less than 50 mmol/l (p<0.001) in a spot urine test obtained one hour after the initiation of furosemide administration. Patients with monophasic intrarenal blood flow are at a higher risk of developing AKI, diuretic resistance with decreased natriuretic response, and in-hospital death.

Enhancing electrical and optical properties in layered NaxCoO2 through sodium non-stoichiometry: Insights into surface band bending and oxygen vacancies

The concentration of sodium ions (Na+) in layered sodium cobaltite (NaxCoO2) is a pivotal determinant influencing its physical and chemical properties. This study focused on NaxCoO2 with varying sodium content (x = 1, 0.9, 0.7, 0.5, 0.3, 0.1) to establish a correlation between the sodium concentration and the substantial modulation of the structural and electrical properties. X-ray diffraction and Raman studies confirmed the formation of hexagonal structured NaxCoO2 prepared by the sol-gel method, while a reduction in Na content increased the percentage of the Co3O4 phase. Notably, as the Na content was lowered, the Raman peak shifted towards a lower wavenumber due to the lattice alignment along the c-axis of the crystal plane. Morphological analysis displayed the growth of distinct plate-like structures, with a thickness ranging from 10 to 15 μm, which gradually decreased on lowering Na content. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies revealed an increase in the relative concentration of Co4+/Co3+ with a decrease in sodium content implying a lattice distortion in CoO6 octahedra which led to the creation of additional oxygen vacancies in Na0.7CoO2 (NCO7). Optical studies highlighted a band bending phenomenon in the NCO7, while photoluminescence studies indicated an increase in emission intensity, suggesting the presence of oxygen vacancies in NCO7. Electrical measurements demonstrated the highest conductivity for NCO7 emphasizing the significance of the optimal lattice distortion, generation of oxygen vacancies, and surface band bending effect for efficient charge carrier transportation. This study highlights the crucial role of the sodium ion content between the CoO2 layers in precise tuning of the structural, electronic structure/distortion, optical, and electrical properties of NaxCoO2. The insights gained particularly in optimizing the optical and electrical properties through sodium non-stoichiometry, may hold significant implications for diverse energy conversion and storage devices, catalysis, and even optoelectronics devices.

The sodium correction factor for dogs undergoing treatment for a hyperglycemic crisis is a 1.6-mEq/L decrease in sodium per 100-mg/dL increase in glucose.

To determine the sodium correction factor for clinical use in hyperglycemic diabetic dogs. Retrospective analysis of 76 hospitalization episodes from 67 different dogs presenting to the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital between January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2023. For each hospitalization episode, paired blood sodium and glucose concentration measurements were recorded from the time of presentation until glucose concentration was ≤ 201 mg/dL. Therapies administered, primary diagnosis, and concurrent diseases were also recorded for each episode. A linear mixed model was used to determine the sodium correction factor per 100-mg/dL increase in glucose. Piecewise linear mixed models were also constructed for blood glucose measurements ≤ 400 mg/dL and > 400 mg/dL to explore potential correction factor differences between low and high glucose concentrations. A sodium correction factor of a 1.6-mEq/L (95% CI, 1.3 to 1.9 mEq/L) decrease in sodium concentration per 100-mg/dL increase in blood glucose concentration was calculated. Differences in the correction factor between conditions of low and high glucose concentrations could not be determined due to a small sample size of blood glucose values > 400 mg/dL. Most dogs received similar treatments throughout the study period, including balanced isotonic crystalloids (97% [74/76]), electrolyte supplementation (84% [64/76]), and regular insulin (97% [74/76]). Almost all patients (93% [71/76]) had 1 or more concurrent diseases. A sodium correction factor of 1.6 mEq/L (decrease in sodium per 100-mg/dL increase in glucose) is recommended for clinical use in hyperglycemic diabetic dogs.

Peptide Sodium Channels Modulator Mu-Agatoxin-Aa1a Prevents Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury of Cells

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is an irreversible functional and structural injury. Restoration of normal oxygen concentration exacerbates the emergence and development of deadly cells. One of the possible moments of reperfusion damage to cells is an increase in the intracellular concentration of sodium ions. In this article, we study the mu-agatoxin-Aa1a, a modulator of sodium channels, on the processes of IRI cells damage. The toxin was synthesized using an automatic peptide synthesizer. Hypoxia was induced by reducing the content of serum and oxygen in the CHO-K1 culture. The influence of the toxin on the level of apoptosis; intracellular concentration of sodium, calcium, and potassium ions; intracellular pH; totality of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), and ATP; and changes in the mitochondrial potential were studied. The experiments performed show that mu-agatoxin-Aa1a effectively prevents IRI of cells. Toxin reduces the level of apoptosis and prevents a decrease in the intracellular concentration of sodium and calcium ions during IRI. Mu-agatoxin-Aa1a contributes to the maintenance of elevated intracellular pH, reduces the intracellular concentration of ROS, and prevents the decrease in intracellular NO concentration and mitochondrial potential under conditions of reoxygenation/reperfusion. An analysis of experimental data shows that the mu-agatoxin-Aa1a peptide has adaptogenic properties. In the future, this peptide can be used to prevent ischemia/reperfusion tissue damage different genesis.

Effects of bupleurum extract on the haematological, mineral, and hormonal profiles of heat-stressed dairy cows

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Bupleurum extract (BE) on the haematological profiles, the mineral and hormone levels of heat stressed dairy cows. Forty Holstein cows (75 ± 15 days in milk, 37.5 ± 1.8 kg of milk/d, and 1.7 ± 0.4 parity) with heat stress were randomly assigned to four treatments, which consisted of 0, 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 g BE/kg DM (Dry Matter). Compared with the control group, cows that were fed 0.5 g/kg BE had a higher red blood cell count, haemoglobin, haematocrit, and white blood cell count. Compared with the control group, the supplementation of 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg BE decreased creatine kinase levels. Compared with the cows that were fed 0 or 1.0 g/kg BE, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase activities were lower in those given 0.5 g/kg BE, while serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase was lower in those given 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg BE. Compared with the control group, the supplementation of 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg BE decreased sodium concentrations and increased potassium and calcium concentrations. In addition, the supplementation of 1.0 g/kg BE decreased phosphorus concentrations, while that of 0.5 g/kg BE increased chloride concentrations. As for hormone levels, triiodothyronine and prolactin levels increased in cows given 1.0 g/kg BE, while cortisol levels were lower in cows given 0.5 g/kg BE. Further, growth hormone levels were elevated in cows fed 0.25 g/kg BE. These findings suggest that supplemental BE at 0.5 g/kg could have positive effects on the blood metabolism of heat-stressed cows. HIGHLIGHTS Supplementation of 0.5 g/kg Bupleurum extract improved the haematological parameters of heat stressed dairy cows; Bupleurum extract can be used as a feed additive for cows.

The Relationship between the Plasma Concentration of Electrolytes and Intensity of Sleep Bruxism and Blood Pressure Variability among Sleep Bruxers.

Plasma sodium plays a major role in regulating blood pressure (BP). An augmented variability of BP is considered a risk factor for the development of arterial hypertension, which is prevalent among patients with suspected sleep bruxism (SB). The aims of this study were to assess the plasma concentration of electrolytes and their effect on the intensity of SB and BP variability among sleep bruxers. A total of 51 patients were enrolled in this prospective, observational study. A single full-night polysomnographic examination was conducted in the Wroclaw Medical University Sleep Laboratory, Poland, and based on the guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the results were analyzed. The monitoring of ambulatory BP was performed the next day, and the plasma levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium were measured. The mean age of the studied group was 33.9 ± 11.2 years, and the mean bruxism episode index (BEI) was 4.94 ± 3.53. The study revealed statistically significant differences in the plasma concentrations of sodium in the SB group. A decreased sodium concentration was observed in the group of mild bruxers (2 ≤ BEI < 4) (139.7 ± 1.4 vs. 142.8 ± 3.2, p = 0.002) and severe bruxers (BEI ≥ 4) (140.5 ± 2.0 vs. 142.8 ± 3.2, p = 0.016) compared to nonbruxers (BEI < 2). A statistically significant positive linear correlation was found between plasma sodium concentration and daytime systolic BP variability (r = 0.32, p < 0.05) as well as between plasma sodium concentration and nighttime diastolic BP variability (r = 0.31, p < 0.05). The preliminary results suggest the probable relationship between the lower plasma concentration of sodium and increased intensity of SB and BP variability among suspected sleep bruxers.

Lipidomic response of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana to pyrethroids

Pyrethroids are chemical insecticides that are widely used to control pests. Entomopathogenic fungi are considered environmentally safe alternatives to these compounds. Pyrethroids and entomopathogenic fungi not only co-exist in the environment but can also be applied together in pest control. They are often found in contact with each other, and thus, it seems important to understand their interactions at the cellular level. In this study, we analyzed whether pyrethroids could influence the phospholipid profile of Beauveria bassiana and whether membrane changes are one of the mechanisms by which these fungi adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions. The results of our study revealed that pyrethroids changed the phospholipid profile and increased the cell membrane permeability of B. bassiana, which enabled them to enter and accumulate within the fungal cells, resulting in oxidative stress. Pyrethroids influenced the amount of neutral lipids, caused a decrease in sodium content, and also temporarily lowered the level of the secondary metabolite oosporein in the studied fungi. These findings indicate that the effect of pyrethroids on entomopathogenic fungi may be more complex than originally thought and that lipidomic studies can aid in fully understanding the influence of these chemicals on the mentioned group of fungi.

Fetuin-A and sodium concentrations are independently associated with all-cause mortality in patients awaiting heart transplantation.

End‑stage heart failure (HF) is a clinical condition with complex pathophysiology and poor prognosis. This study aimed to identify factors associated with mortality during a 1.5‑year follow‑up in patients with end‑stage HF. We prospectively analyzed 72 patients hospitalized with end‑stage HF. During right heart catheterization, 10 ml of coronary sinus (CS) blood was collected. The endpoint was all‑cause mortality during a 1.5‑yearfollow‑up. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to find factors associated with all‑cause mortality. We created 2 separate models for CS fetuin and peripheral blood (PB) fetuin. The median (interquartile range) age of the patients was 58 (50-61.50) years. During the follow‑up, 43.1% of the patients died. Lower levels of fetuin‑A in the CS (OR, 1.103; 95% CI, 1.045-1.164; P <0.001, per 10-unit decrease in fetuin concentration) and PB samples (OR, 1.098; 95% CI, 1.046-1.153; P <0.001, per 10-unit decrease in fetuin concentration), along with lower plasma sodium levels (OR, 1.563; 95% CI, 1.134-2.156; P = 0.006 in the first model and OR, 1.639; 95% CI, 1.209-2.227; P = 0.002 in the second model; per 1-unit decrease in sodium concentration) were independently associated with death during the follow‑up period. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) indicated a good prognostic power of CS and PB fetuin‑A levels (AUC, 0.917 and AUC, 0.850, respectively) and an acceptable prognostic power of sodium concentration (AUC, 0.788). Lower levels of CS and PB fetuin‑A, as well as lower sodium levels, are associated with an increased risk of death in patients with end‑stage HF.

Effect of Soil Applied Silicon on Gas Exchange Parameters, Growth and Ion Content of Maize under Alkaline Stress

A pot experiment was conducted to understand the effect of soil applied silicon on maize crop growth under alkaline stress. The treatment consists of silicon levels (kg ha-1) – 0, 100 and 150 and alkaline stress levels (mM) – 0, 25, 50, 75. The pots were arranged in completely randomized block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. The result revealed that the shoot and root length and chlorophyll content of maize were reduced with increasing alkaline stress. The percent reduction due to alkaline stress on shoot and root length was to tune of 3.6 to 15.8 and 8.9 to 35.8, respectively and chlorophyll content 11.2 to 35.7. The sodium ion content increased, but potassium content and K Na-1 ratio decreased with alkaline stress. The gas exchange parameters viz., photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were significantly decreased with alkalinity levels. The adverse effect of alkalinity on maize was turnround with intervention of soil applied silicon. The percent increase due to silicon intervention ranged from 4.3 to 12.6 in photosynthetic rate, 4.5 to 14.5 in stomatal conductance, 6.3 to 21.4 in transpiration rate, 7.0 to 20.9 and 8.4 to 29.3 in shoot and root potassium, 19.4 to 33.5 and 20.6 to 55.9 in shoot and root K Na-1. The percent decrease in sodium concentration in shoot and root ranged from 8.6 to 14.2 and 4.3 to 23.7. Between 100 and 150 kgs of silicon applied, the desired result was achieved with 150 kg Si ha-1. It is recommended to apply 150 kg Si ha-1 to maneuver the ill effects of alkalinity on maize.

Preoperative Serum Sodium Level as a Prognostic and Predictive Biomarker for Adjuvant Therapy in Esophageal Cancer.

BackgroundLow serum sodium has been associated with unfavorable outcome in several cancers. The prognostic value of serum sodium in esophageal carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate preoperative serum sodium in association with outcome and survival benefit of adjuvant therapy for patients with EC.MethodsPreoperative serum sodium and clinicopathological indexes were retrospectively analyzed in 2155 patients who underwent esophagectomy at Sichuan cancer hospital. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed by using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. Benefit of adjuvant therapy was estimated by using Propensity Score Matching.ResultsThe incidence of hyponatremia and hypernatremia were 2% (43/2155) and 3.5% (76/2155) in treatment-naive patients. Both sodium disorders indicated unfavorable OS (hyponatremia, adjusted HR[95% CI] = 1.78[1.2–2.62]; hypernatremia, adjusted HR = 1.52[1.1–2.11]) and DFS (hyponatremia, adjusted HR[95% CI] = 1.52[1.03–2.23]; hypernatremia, adjusted HR = 1.45[1.06–1.99]). Decreased sodium concentrations within the normal range were associated with poor OS and DFS. Postoperative adjuvant therapy was associated with improved three-year OS (56.6 vs. 40%; adjusted HR = 0.55 [95% CI, 0.41–0.73]) and DFS (51.9 vs. 36.2%; adjusted HR = 0.63 [95% CI, 0.48–0.83]) versus surgery alone in patients with low serum sodium (Na < 139.6 mmol/liter), but not in other sodium subgroups. Meanwhile, serum sodium was inversely correlated with cell counts of leukocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and C-reactive protein levels.ConclusionsThese results suggested that low preoperative serum sodium is associated with poor outcome in EC patients, and may predict survival benefit of adjuvant therapy.

Spent coffee grounds influence on Pleurotus ostreatus production, composition, fatty acid profile, and lignocellulose biodegradation capacity

ABSTRACT The capacity of Pleurotus ostreatus to degrade the lignocellulose of spent coffee grounds (SCG) and its resultant nutrient composition is not yet studied. The study tested four SCG/wheat straw mixtures, containing 0, 33, 67, or 100% SCG. Initial lignin content was higher, and lignin loss was lower in mixtures containing SCG, compared to control revealing lower substrate degradation. Biological yield was negatively correlated with initial lignin content, and positively with the lignin loss from substrates. The nutritional value of mushrooms was improved by a general increase in carbohydrates, a decrease in sodium content with 33% and 67% SCG, and lower fat content with 33% SCG. Polyunsaturated fatty acids of mushrooms (PUFA) increased with 67% SCG; while saturated ones (SFA) increased with 33 and 67% SCG. All mushrooms had a close PUFA/SFA, ranging between 7.4 and 8.1. The study suggests using SCG as a nutritional supplement to the commercial wheat straw.

Vomiting of first pregnancy trimester: how to estimate?

Objective of the study: to study changes of electrolyte balance and hematocrit in the first trimester vomiting and in uncomplicated pregnancy.Material and methods. 109 women in the first trimester of pregnancy were divided into 2 groups. Group I consisted of 58 patients with complaints on vomiting from 1 to 10 times a day, group II – 51 women without complaints of nausea and vomiting. At the beginning of the study and at 20 weeks the concentrations of the main electrolytes in the serum, as well as the hematocrit index, were determined in all study participants. Groups were compared basing not only modern concentration level, but also distribution of each meaning in total.Results. Despite the loss of fluid and electrolytes with vomiting, patients in group I did not differ from women with uncomplicated pregnancy in average ion concentrations and hematocrit. However, the distribution of the study participants by the indicators showed that the majority of women in group II had high levels of serum sodium and hematocrit. In addition, the dynamics of pregnancy progression in women of group I showed a decrease in sodium concentration and in pregnant women in group II – on the contrary, the tendency to increase this indicator.Conclusion. Vomiting of the first trimester does not lead to significant changes in electrolyte balance. However, with the progression of pregnancy, such patients show adequate hemodilution, which implies a decrease in sodium concentration and hematocrit. At the same time, in some patients with uncomplicated course of the first trimester of pregnancy, there is a tendency for defective hemodilution. This can lead to endothelial dysfunction and associated obstetric complications, by the time patients with first pregnancy vomiting have more favorable changes of blood circulation

Influence of Silica Gel on Ion Homeostasis in Salt Stressed Wheat Varieties of Balochistan

Wheat belongs to Gramineae family and it is called as silicon accumulator. Utilizing the saline lands is one of the critical techniques introduced to increase the production of wheat in the world. Application of silicon can reduce the adverse effects of salinity in wheat grown under salt stress. Therefore, in this research effect of silica gel as a common source of silicon was investigated on wheat grown under salt stress. Seeds of four varieties, two salt sensitive (Sariab & Pir-sabaq) & two salt tolerant (Zarlashta & Zardana) were treated with silicon in the form of silica gel (SiO2) in the presence & absence of salt. After harvesting of the wheat, sodium and potassium concentrations were observed in the wheat plants. The dried wheat plants were acid digested and sodium and potassium were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that salt stress suppressed not only the growth but also increased the sodium concentration in plants. Sodium concentration was increased from 12.87 to 19.63 mg/Kg under salt stress of 100 mM of NaCl. Whereas, potassium concentration decreased from 102.61 to 92.92 mg/Kg under salt stress. When silica gel was applied to salt stressed plants, the sodium concentration decreased (16 mg/Kg) with an increase in potassium concentration (114.73 mg/Kg). Silica gel as a source of silicon positively affected ion homeostasis by increasing potassium and decreasing sodium concentration in wheat varieties grown under salt stress. It is, therefore, suggested that application of silicon must be included in salt stress alleviation techniques.

Флюидные включения в «сливном» кварце Ока-Урикского блока (Восточный Саян)

«Compact» quartz of the Oka-Urik block is a new source of ultra-pure quartz raw materials. Large bodies of «compact» quartz are located in the south-western part of the block. The samples are opaque, gray-white, but translucent in thin chips and have the form of a clouded single crystal of quartz. Quartz grains are slightly elongated in one direction. There are two generations of quartz grains. There are single needles and scales of sericite. A distinctive feature of the «compact» quartz from other quartzites of the Oka-Urik block is that fluid inclusions were widely distributed here inside the quartz grains, and only rarely within intergranular spaces. Size of fluid inclusions is to 40 microns. Three types of fluid inclusions by composition were found in the sample of «compact» quartz: water-salt, water and carbon-containing-water. The concentration of salts in fluid inclusions of water-salt composition corresponds to 7—9 wt % NaCl equiv. Chemical enrichment of quartz concentrates showed that the main part of high-temperature water, carbon dioxide and sodium is in fluid inclusions. Based on the data obtained, an enrichment scheme was proposed. Calcination of quartz grits in vacuum at a temperature of 1450 °C for three hours led to a decrease in sodium concentration, as there is an opening of the fluid inclusions inside the grain.

Effects of fluorination on the structure, magnetic and electrochemical properties of the P2-type NaxCoO2 powder

The main goal of this research has been to investigate for the first time the effects of fluorination on the crystal structure, magnetic, and electrochemical properties of the P2-type NaxCoO2 powder. Sodium cobalt oxide with a P2-type structure is synthesized by a modified solid-state reaction consisting of alternating processes of rapid heating up to 750 °C and rapid cooling to the room temperature. The obtained powder is fluorinated using a gas-solid reaction with NH4HF2 as fluorinating agent. Fluorination causes a decrease of sodium content in the parent phase with the concurrent formation of the minor phases of Na2CO3 and NaF. The structure of NaxCoO2 in both powders is refined in P63/mmc space group. The results of the Rietveld refinement combined with the findings from the XPS measurements confirm the Na0.76CoO2 and Na0.44CoO1.96F0.04 stoichiometries for the pristine and fluorinated powders, respectively, which indicates that 4 at.% of fluorine ions per formula unit are incorporated in the structure. Preliminary electrochemical investigations have revealed an improved charge/discharge performance. The influence of fluorination on morphology and magnetic properties has also been examined.

Preprocedural Prediction Model for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy Patients.

BackgroundSeveral models have been developed for prediction of contrast‐induced nephropathy (CIN); however, they only contain patients receiving intra‐arterial contrast media for coronary angiographic procedures, which represent a small proportion of all contrast procedures. In addition, most of them evaluate radiological interventional procedure‐related variables. So it is necessary for us to develop a model for prediction of CIN before radiological procedures among patients administered contrast media.Methods and ResultsA total of 8800 patients undergoing contrast administration were randomly assigned in a 4:1 ratio to development and validation data sets. CIN was defined as an increase of 25% and/or 0.5 mg/dL in serum creatinine within 72 hours above the baseline value. Preprocedural clinical variables were used to develop the prediction model from the training data set by the machine learning method of random forest, and 5‐fold cross‐validation was used to evaluate the prediction accuracies of the model. Finally we tested this model in the validation data set. The incidence of CIN was 13.38%. We built a prediction model with 13 preprocedural variables selected from 83 variables. The model obtained an area under the receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.907 and gave prediction accuracy of 80.8%, sensitivity of 82.7%, specificity of 78.8%, and Matthews correlation coefficient of 61.5%. For the first time, 3 new factors are included in the model: the decreased sodium concentration, the INR value, and the preprocedural glucose level.ConclusionsThe newly established model shows excellent predictive ability of CIN development and thereby provides preventative measures for CIN.

Salt controls feeding decisions in a blood-sucking insect

Salts are necessary for maintaining homeostatic conditions within the body of all living organisms. Like with all essential nutrients, deficient or excessive ingestion of salts can result in adverse health effects. The taste system is a primary sensory modality that helps animals to make adequate feeding decisions in terms of salt consumption. In this work we show that sodium and potassium chloride salts modulate the feeding behavior of Rhodnius prolixus in a concentration-dependent manner. Feeding is only triggered by an optimal concentration of any of these salts (0.1–0.15M) and in presence of the phagostimulant ATP. Conversely, feeding solutions that do not contain salts or have a high-salt concentration (>0.3M) are not ingested by insects. Notably, we show that feeding decisions of insects cannot be explained as an osmotic effect, because they still feed over hyperosmotic solutions bearing the optimal salt concentration. Insects perceive optimal-salt, no-salt and high-salt solutions as different gustatory information, as revealed the electromyogram recordings of the cibarial pump. Moreover, because insects do a continuous gustatory monitoring of the incoming food during feeding, sudden changes beyond the optimal sodium concentration decrease and even inhibit feeding. The administration of amiloride, a sodium channel blocker, noticeably reduces the ingestion of the optimal sodium solution but not of the optimal potassium solution. Salt detection seems to occur at least through two salt receptors, one amiloride-sensitive and another amiloride-insensitive. Our results confirm the importance of the gustatory system in R. prolixus, showing the relevant role that salts play on their feeding decisions.

Silver nanoparticle toxicity is related to coating materials and disruption of sodium concentration regulation

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been increasingly commercialized and their release into the environment is imminent. Toxicity of AgNP has been studied with a wide spectrum of organisms, yet the mechanism of toxicity remains largely unknown. This study systematically compared toxicity of 10 AgNPs of different particle diameters and coatings to Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) larvae to understand how characteristics of AgNP relate to toxicity. Dissolution of AgNPs was largely dependent on particle size, but their aggregation behavior and toxicity were more dependent on coating materials. 96 h lethal concentration 50% (LC50) values correlated with AgNP aggregate size rather than size of individual nanoparticles. Of the AgNPs studied, the dissolved Ag concentration in the test suspensions did not account for all of the observed toxicity, indicating the role of NP-specific characteristics in resultant toxicity. Exposure to AgNP led to decrease of sodium concentration in the tissue and increased expression of Na+/K+ ATPase. Gene expression patterns also suggested that toxicity was related to disruption of sodium regulation and not to oxidative stress.

Blood glucose, acid–base and electrolyte changes during loading doses of alpha2-adrenergic agonists followed by constant rate infusions in horses

The aim of the present study was to investigate changes in blood glucose concentration ([Glu]B), acid–base status and electrolyte concentrations during constant rate infusions (CRI) of two alpha2-adrenergic agonists in seven horses treated in a blinded, randomised, crossover design with xylazine or romifidine. An intravenous (IV) bolus of xylazine (1mg/kg) or romifidine (80μg/kg) was administered followed by an IV CRI of xylazine (0.69mg/kg/h) or romifidine (30μg/kg/h) for 2h. Blood samples were collected from the pulmonary artery before and after loading doses, during the CRI, and for 1h after discontinuing drugs.Blood glucose, base excess (BE), pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pv¯CO2), strong ion difference (SIDest) and bicarbonate concentration ([HCO3std-]B) increased significantly during the CRI with both alpha2-adrenergic agonists. Chloride concentration ([Cl−]B) and anion-gap (AG) decreased significantly compared to baseline. The decrease in sodium concentration ([Na+]B) was only significant with xylazine. From 1h after starting the CRI onwards, [Glu]B was significantly higher with romifidine compared to xylazine. Except [Glu]B, SIDest, and Pv¯CO2, all variables returned to normal values 1h after discontinuing xylazine. After stopping romifidine, all variables except pH remained altered for at least 1h.It was concluded that loading doses of alpha2-adrenergic agonists followed by CRIs produce [Glu]B, acid–base and electrolyte changes. The clinical significance of the reported changes remains to be investigated and absolute values should be interpreted with caution, as fluid boli were used for cardiac output measurements, but may become important during prolonged infusion and in critically ill patients.

Low-temperature fabrication of fine structures on glass using electrical nanoimprint and chemical etching

Periodic structures were imprinted on a soda lime glass surface below its glass transition temperature (Tg) using a carbon-coated SiO2 mold under application of DC voltage. The structure height increased with the applied DC voltage, although no significant increase with pressure was found. At a temperature around Tg, the height reached saturation. Chemical etching using 55% KOH solution at 70 °C increased the structure height to eight times the height before etching. Noticeable alternating depression patterns and rapid chemical etching are closely related with the selective decrease in sodium concentration, which occurred only in the surface areas that were pressurized by the mold.