Cinética de degradación ruminal in situ de ensilado de rastrojo de maíz (Zea mays) con niveles crecientes de urea

Se estudió el efecto de la inclusión de urea sobre la composición y cinética de degradación ruminal in situ en el ensilado de rastrojo de maíz. Se partió de cuatro de tratamientos al adicionar el 0, 1, 2 y 3% de urea a una mezcla de rastrojo de maíz con el 10% de melaza. Se elaboraron 128 microsilos (3 kg/unidad y 4 repeticiones por tratamiento). La apertura de los silos se realizó a los 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 y 56 días. Se determinó el contenido de la materia seca (MS), materia orgánica (MO), proteína bruta (PB), FND y FAD. La degradabilidad in situ se obtuvo mediante el método de Mehrez y Orskov y la degradabilidad de MS y PB mediante el análisis de los residuos con el método Kjeldhal. Los datos se analizaron con el procedimiento GLM y el test de Tukey (P±

Permeation kinetics of active drugs through lanolin-based artificial membranes

Skin-penetration studies play an essential role in the selection of drugs for dermal or transdermal application. In vivo experiments in humans are not always possible for ethical, practical, or economic reasons, especially in the first part of the drug development. It is necessary to develop alternative methods using accessible and reproducible surrogates for in vivo human skin. The in vitro methodologies using biological membranes (human and animal skin) are recognized and well accepted as an alternative but present high inter- and intra-individual variability. Therefore, the formation of synthetic membranes has been studied to obtain skin- mimicking models for permeation studies. The aim of this work is to create lanolin-based artificial membranes that can mimic the absorption through the skin of compounds applied topically. A series of synthetic membranes using two different types of lanolin (water-extracted (WE) and solvent-extracted (SE)) were prepared. Next, the in vitro release test of three drugs (diclofenac sodium, ibuprofen and lidocaine) was performed on artificial membranes and on porcine skin placed on Franz cells. The percentage of release, flux, permeability coefficient, lag time, area under the curve, maximal concentration and time were determined for each compound in the different types of membrane. The results showed that lanolin membranes presented a strong diminution of permeability compared to most artificial membranes, leading to a very similar permeability to that of skin. The SE and WE membranes showed a diminution of transepidermal water loss and permeability of compounds compared with membranes alone. The results from WE membranes were similar to those found for the skin. The lanolin membranes were not capable of perfectly mimicking permeation through the skin, but they did have the same rank order of drug penetration as the skin. It may be deduced from these tests that these systems provide more reliable results for compounds with low to medium lipophilicity. The results demonstrated that new lanolin-based artificial membranes have the potential to be exploited as screening models for determining the permeability of a compound destined to be topically delivered.

Ultra-High-Field Targeted Imaging of Focal Cortical Dysplasia: The Intracortical Black Line Sign in Type IIb

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Conventional MR imaging has limitations in detecting focal cortical dysplasia. We assessed the added value of 7T in patients with histologically proved focal cortical dysplasia to highlight correlations between neuropathology and ultra-high-field imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 2013 and 2019, we performed a standardized 7T MR imaging protocol in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. We focused on 12 patients in whom postsurgical histopathology revealed focal cortical dysplasia and explored the diagnostic yield of preoperative 7T versus 1.5/3T MR imaging and the correlations of imaging findings with histopathology. We also assessed the relationship between epilepsy surgery outcome and the completeness of surgical removal of the MR imaging-visible structural abnormality.

RESULTS

We observed clear abnormalities in 10/12 patients using 7T versus 9/12 revealed by 1.5/3T MR imaging. In patients with focal cortical dysplasia I, 7T MR imaging did not disclose morphologic abnormalities (n = 0/2). In patients with focal cortical dysplasia II, 7T uncovered morphologic signs that were not visible on clinical imaging in 1 patient with focal cortical dysplasia IIa (n = 1/4) and in all those with focal cortical dysplasia IIb (n = 6/6). T2*WI provided the highest added value, disclosing a peculiar intracortical hypointense band (black line) in 5/6 patients with focal cortical dysplasia IIb. The complete removal of the black line was associated with good postsurgical outcome (n = 4/5), while its incomplete removal yielded unsatisfactory results (n = 1/5).

CONCLUSIONS

The high sensitivity of 7T T2*-weighted images provides an additional tool in defining potential morphologic markers of high epileptogenicity within the dysplastic tissue of focal cortical dysplasia IIb and will likely help to more precisely plan epilepsy surgery and explain surgical failures.

P04.08 The role of SCN1A in glioblastomas and mixed neuronal glial tumors of pediatric age

BACKGROUND

Low and high grade gliomas, are the most common pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors and they show an extremely broad range of clinical behavior. Pediatric glioma is distinct from its adult counterpart with different genetic/epigenetic profile and biological features. Recently, several studies have shown the involvement of voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSC) in different types of cancer, including gliomas. VGSC are multimeric transmembrane complexes, responsible for membrane depolarization in excitable cells playing an important role also in cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and differentiation. VGSC are therapeutic targets in cardiovascular and neurological disorders and, in cancers, they could be a novel target for the development of promising anticancer therapy

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Firstly, we explored the genetic background of 9 pediatric glioblastomas (1–9 pGBMs), through whole-exome sequencing (WES) using HiSeq1000 platform (Illumina) with paired-end approach. On the basis of our results, we extended our study in another group of 16 epileptogenic mixed neuronal-glial tumors of pediatric age, (WHO grade I and II), through an amplicon approach (TSCA) using MiniSeq System platform (Illumina)

RESULTS

We identified variants in SCN1A gene in 3/9 pGBMs: case 3 had c.5782C>G in tumor and blood; case 5 showed c.2278G>T and two mosaic variants (c.5933C>T, 22% and c.4942C>T, 14%); case 6 showed c.667G>T variant only in tumor, and not in other non tumoral tissues (blood, urine and buccal swab). No variants in SCN1A were identified in a group of 16 pediatric mixed gliomas

CONCLUSION

In this study, we explore the genetic background of two groups of pediatric neuroepithelial brain tumors, through Next generation sequencing approach. We identified only in pGBMs variants in SCN1A gene that encoded for VGSCs and is involved in a spectrum of early-onset epileptic encephalopathies. None of our mutated patients showed history of epilepsy. Now, it is not clear the significance of these variants in pGBMs but interestingly, these variants are present in pGBM and not in mixed gliomas. Further studies on a big cohort of patients are needed to establish if they could play a role in pGBMs aggressiveness, migration and progression. Moreover, VGSCs could be a pharmacological target in pGBMs treatment

Caffeine delivery in porcine skin: a confocal Raman study

Confocal Raman microscopy is a novel optical method for studies of pro-drug and drug delivery. This method is a promising technique that enables non-destructive measurement of the permeation profile through skin layers. Peaks of compounds are usually normalised to skin peaks (amino-acid and amide I) for semi-quantitative evaluation. The present study seeks to optimise a methodology for complete quantitative measurement of the amount of an active compound at different depths. Caffeine was used as a tracer to evaluate compound's skin penetration using confocal Raman microscopy. A semi-quantitative depth profile of caffeine was obtained with normalisation of the Raman intensities. These ratios of Raman intensities were correlated with the caffeine concentration using an external calibration curve. The calibration curve was carried out with porcine skin incubated in different concentrations of caffeine; afterwards, each skin sample was analysed by confocal Raman microscopy and HPLC to determine the relation between the Raman signal intensity and the caffeine concentration per skin mass and to create a depth profile. These correlation curves allow the full quantification of the caffeine in skin from Raman intensity ratios at different depths.

A novel splicing mutation in GALT gene causing Galactosemia in Ecuadorian family

Classic Galactosemia (OMIM 230400) is an autosomal recessive disorder of galactose metabolism caused by mutations in the galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) gene. This disease caused by the inability to metabolize galactose is potentially life-threatening but its pathophysiology has not been clearly defined. GALT gene presents high allelic heterogeneity and around 336 variations have been identified. Here, we report the case of a patient with Classic Galactosemia who was detected during a neonatal screening in Ecuador. Molecular study revealed a mutation in GALT gene intron 1, c.82+3A>G in homozygous condition, this mutation has not been previously reported. This gene variation was not found in any of the 119 healthy Ecuadorian individuals used as control. Furthermore, the mutation was the only alteration detected in the propositus's GALT after sequencing all exons and introns of this gene. In silico modeling predicted that the mutation was pathogenic.

Skin permeation and antioxidant efficacy of topically applied resveratrol

The permeation of resveratrol was assessed by in vitro and in vivo experiments 24 h after topical administration. The in vitro profile of resveratrol was assessed by Raman spectroscopy. Human skin permeation was analysed in vivo by the tape stripping method with the progressive removal of the stratum corneum layers using adhesive tape strips. Moreover, the free radical scavenging activity of resveratrol after its topical application was determined using the DPPH assay. The Raman spectra indicated that the topically applied resveratrol penetrates deep into the skin. The results showed high amounts of resveratrol in the different stratum corneum layers close to the surface and a constant lower amount in the upper layers of the viable epidermis. The concentration of resveratrol present in the outermost stratum corneum layers was obtained by tape stripping after in vivo application. The results demonstrated that resveratrol mainly remained in the human stratum corneum layers. After topical application, resveratrol maintained its antiradical activity. The antioxidant efficacy of the compound was higher in the inner layers of the stratum corneum. As these results have demonstrated, topically applied resveratrol reinforces the antioxidant system of the stratum corneum and provides an efficient means of increasing the tissue levels of antioxidants in the human epidermis.

Bowel function and quality of life after local excision or total mesorectal excision following chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Local excision for rectal cancer is expected to offer a better functional outcome than conventional surgery. The aim of the present study was to compare quality of life and bowel function in patients with rectal cancer who underwent either local excision or conventional surgery after chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

This was a retrospective multicentre study. Patients who underwent local excision were compared with those who had mesorectal excision. Quality of life and bowel function were investigated using validated questionnaires (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-CR29 and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Bowel Function Instrument) at a median follow-up of 49 (range 13-95) months. Further analysis was undertaken of data from patients who underwent local excision alone compared with those requiring subsequent radical surgery. Statistical significance was set at P < 0·010.

RESULTS

The mean constipation score was significantly better in the local excision group than in the mesorectal excision group (3·8 (95 per cent c.i. 0·3 to 7·2) versus 19·8 (12·1 to 27·4); P < 0·001). Compared with patients who underwent mesorectal excision, those who had local excision had less sensation of incomplete emptying (mean score 3·7 (3·4 to 4·0) versus 2·8 (2·5 to 3·1); P < 0·001) and second bowel movements within 15 min (mean score 3·6 (3·3 to 3·9) versus 3·0 (2·7 to 3·3); P = 0·006). Patients who underwent local excision alone scored better than those who had mesorectal excision, particularly for bowel function, who, in turn, scored better than patients requiring subsequent radical surgery following local excision.

CONCLUSION

Patients who underwent local excision had a better quality of life and bowel function than those who underwent mesorectal excision.

Caracterización de la producción de ovino de carne del estado de Hidalgo, Mexico

La ovinocultura es la principal actividad pecuaria en el Estado de Hidalgo (México), siendo el segundo productor a nivel nacional y el principal proveedor de carne de ovino para la Ciudad de México apoyado también por su cercanía. Sin embargo, se desconocen los aspectos socioeconómicos y tecnológicos de los actores de la cadena agroalimentaria, por esta razón se planteó este trabajo que tiene como objetivo conocer las características de los productores de ovinos y de sus unidades de producción, así como caracterizar los actores y los procesos de transformación y consumo de carne en el estado de Hidalgo. Se diseñaron y aplicaron tres cuestionarios a 114 productores, a 56 transformadores y a 421 consumidores, clasificando en tres clases cada uno de los grupos. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron que existen productores con variantes en uso de tecnología, siendo los sistemas de pastoreo los de menor desarrollo y con mayor empleo familiar, el principal producto consumido es la carne destinada a barbacoa, plato tradicional que se consume principalmente en fiestas y fines de semana. La información generada es de gran utilidad para el diseño de política de apoyo a la producción de ovinos en el estado de Hidalgo.

Viabilidad del caracol terrestre (Cantareus aspersus) durante la época de descanso

Los periodos de estivación e hibernación del caracol son periodos críticos de en la producción helicícola y su conocimiento contribuye decisivamente a la organización productiva y los resultados económicos de las granjas. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la evolución del peso vivo y la viabilidad del caracol terrestre (Cantareus aspersus), en condiciones semicontroladas durante el periodo de reposo. La experiencia tuvo una duración de 32 semanas, desde septiembre de 2013 hasta mayo del 2014. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una disminución del peso vivo del 13,57 % y una perdida de la viabilidad en torno al 20 %. Este estudio abre nuevas líneas de investigación orientadas al conocimiento de la fase de hibernación de los caracoles que manejados adecuadamente permite establecer distintas estrategias reproductivas y de manejo en la producción industrial del caracol terrestre C. aspersus.

Skin penetration and antioxidant effect of cosmeto-textiles with gallic acid

In this work, the antioxidant gallic acid (GA) has been encapsulated in microspheres prepared with poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) and incorporated into polyamide (PA) obtaining the cosmeto-textile. The topical application of the cosmeto-textile provides a reservoir effect in the skin delivery of GA. The close contact of the cosmeto-textile, containing microsphere-encapsulated GA (ME-GA), with the skin and their corresponding occlusion, may be the main reasons that explain the crossing of active principle (GA) through the skin barrier, located in the stratum corneum, and its penetration into the different compartments of the skin, epidermis and dermis. An ex vivo assessment was performed to evaluate the antioxidant effect of the ME-GA on the stratum corneum (SC) using the thiobarbituric acid-reactive species (TBARS) test. The test is based on a non-invasive ex vivo methodology that evaluates lipid peroxides formed in the outermost layers of the SC from human volunteers after UV radiation to determine the effectiveness of an antioxidant. In this case, a ME-GA cosmeto-textile or ME-GA formulation were applied to the skin in vivo and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the horny layer were determined after UV irradiation. This methodology may be used as a quality control tool to determine ex vivo the percentage of LPO inhibition on human SC for a variety of antioxidants that are topically applied, in this case GA. Results show that LPO formation was inhibited in human SC when GA was applied directly or embedded in the cosmeto-textile, demonstrating the effectiveness of both applications. The percentage of LPO inhibition obtained after both topical applications was approximately 10% for the cosmeto-textile and 41% for the direct application of microspheres containing GA. This methodology could be used to determine the effectiveness of topically applied antioxidants encapsulated in cosmeto-textiles on human SC.

Focal dysplasia of the cerebral cortex and infantile spasms associated with somatic 1q21.1-q44 duplication including the AKT3 gene

Somatic and germline duplications or activating mutations of AKT3 have been reported in patients with hemimegalencephaly and megalencephaly. We performed array comparative genomic hybridization on brain tissue and blood in 16 consecutive patients with symptomatic epilepsy due to focal or multilobar malformations of cortical development who underwent surgical treatment of epilepsy. One patient with infantile spasms and a dysplastic left frontal lobe harboured a somatic trisomy of the 1q21.1-q44 chromosomal region, encompassing the AKT3 gene, in the dysplastic brain tissue but not in blood and saliva. Histopathology revealed severe cortical dyslamination, a thin cortex in the premotor area with microgyri and microsulci, immature neurons with disoriented dendrites and areas of cortical heterotopia in the sub-cortical white matter. These cytoarchitectural changes are close to those defining type Ib focal cortical dysplasia. Immunohistochemistry in brain specimens showed hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. These findings indicate that AKT3 upregulation may cause focal malformations of cortical development. There appears to be an etiologic continuum between hemimegalencephaly and focal cortical dysplastic lesions. The extent of brain malformations due to AKT3 upregulation may be related to the embryonic stage when the post-zygotic gene alteration occurs.

Ultra-high-field MR imaging in polymicrogyria and epilepsy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Polymicrogyria is a malformation of cortical development that is often identified in children with epilepsy or delayed development. We investigated in vivo the potential of 7T imaging in characterizing polymicrogyria to determine whether additional features could be identified.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ten adult patients with polymicrogyria previously diagnosed by using 3T MR imaging underwent additional imaging at 7T. We assessed polymicrogyria according to topographic pattern, extent, symmetry, and morphology. Additional imaging sequences at 7T included 3D T2* susceptibility-weighted angiography and 2D tissue border enhancement FSE inversion recovery. Minimum intensity projections were used to assess the potential of the susceptibility-weighted angiography sequence for depiction of cerebral veins.

RESULTS

At 7T, we observed perisylvian polymicrogyria that was bilateral in 6 patients, unilateral in 3, and diffuse in 1. Four of the 6 bilateral abnormalities had been considered unilateral at 3T. While 3T imaging revealed 2 morphologic categories (coarse, delicate), 7T susceptibility-weighted angiography images disclosed a uniform ribbonlike pattern. Susceptibility-weighted angiography revealed numerous dilated superficial veins in all polymicrogyric areas. Tissue border enhancement imaging depicted a hypointense line corresponding to the gray-white interface, providing a high definition of the borders and, thereby, improving detection of the polymicrogyric cortex.

CONCLUSIONS

7T imaging reveals more anatomic details of polymicrogyria compared with 3T conventional sequences, with potential implications for diagnosis, genetic studies, and surgical treatment of associated epilepsy. Abnormalities of cortical veins may suggest a role for vascular dysgenesis in pathogenesis.

In vivo and in vitro evaluation of topical formulations containing physiological lipid mixture for replacement of skin barrier function

AIM

The aim of the study was to describe a new in vivo and in vitro approach of the efficacy evaluation of cosmetic emollients to better understand the link between the formulation and the activity of cosmetic products.

METHODS

Two long term in vivo studies were carried out on nine healthy Caucasian volunteers mean age 40±12 years to evaluate the protecting and repairing effects of the two different barrier repair cosmetic formulations. The application of the formulations was repeated once a day during 7 days and biophysical parameters (TEWL and Skin Hydration) were measured before and after Sodium laureth sulphate exposure The in vitro study was carried out by freeze substitution transmission electron microscopy (FSTEM) on stratum corneum samples obtained by sections of fresh skin from young pigs, depleted with a solvent mixture and treated with the two products

RESULTS

The in vivo results demonstrated that daily product application provided a reinforcement of the skin barrier with protecting and repairing effects from chemical injuries the extent of which was dependent on the formulation features (product A>product B) The role of the technical form on the lipid availability was confirmed by the in vitro evaluation tests.

CONCLUSION

The results point out that a daily application of physiological lipid mixture containing emulsion can protect healthy skin and promote the reparing effect on unpaired barrier skin, reducing TEWL and maintaining hydration of the stratum corneum. The efficacy degree is higher when the cosmetic form promotes the availability of active ingredients increasing the product performance.

Rapid recognition of irradiated dry-cured ham by on-line coupling of reversed-phase liquid chromatography with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

The use of on-line coupling of reversed-phase liquid chromatography and gas chromatography (RPLC-GC) with the through oven transfer adsorption desorption (TOTAD) interface and mass spectrometry (MS) was proposed for testing different types of commercial Spanish dry-cured ham for irradiation treatment at various doses (0, 1.5, 2, and 4 kGy). The qualitative analysis of radiation-specific compounds (e.g., n-pentadecane, 1-hexadecene, 1,7-hexadecadiene, n-heptadecane, 8-heptadecene, and 2-dodecylcyclobutanone) can be simultaneously established in a single run with samples that have or have not been irradiated. The overall analysis, which takes less than 100 min, includes a rapid extraction step using a small amount of dichloromethane-methanol (1:1, vol/vol) and anhydrous sodium sulfate, the subsequent fractionation of the sample in the first dimension of the system (RPLC), the transfer of the target fraction to the second dimension, the GC separation, and the MS detection. The calculated limits of detection in ham were lower than 22 ng/g. Repeatability studies provided relative standard deviation values of 0.8 to 13.5%.

Flow cytometry and cytomorphology evaluation of hematologic malignancy in cerebrospinal fluids: comparison with retrospective clinical outcome

An independent clinical assessment was compared with flow cytometry (FCM) and cytomorphology results obtained on 227 cerebrospinal fluids investigated for hematologic malignancy, in a retrospective longitudinal study with a median observation time of 11 months. A combined method assessment (CMA), defining "positive" a sample if at least one method gave "positive" results, was also tested. Eleven out of 55 screening samples and 53 out of 166 follow-up samples resulted positive at clinical evaluation. FCM and CM were concordant with positive clinical assessment in 68.5% and 51.5% of cases, respectively. According to CMA, 10.5% of samples (resulting false negative by either FCM or cytomorphology) were rescued as true positive. FCM retained significantly higher accuracy than cytomorphology (p=0.0065) and 100% sensitivity when at least 220 leukocytes were acquired. CMA accuracy was higher than FCM accuracy and significantly higher than cytomorphology accuracy in the analysis of all samples (p<0.0001), samples from mature B/T cell neoplasms (p=0.0021), and samples drawn after intrathecal treatment (p=0.0001). When acquiring ≤220 leukocytes, FCM accuracy was poor, and combining cytomorphology added statistically significant diagnostic advantage (p=0.0043). Although FCM is the best diagnostic tool for evaluating CSF, morphology seems helpful especially when clinically positive follow-up samples are nearly acellular.

Skin efficacy of liposomes composed of internal wool lipids rich in ceramides

Ceramides from intercellular lipids of skin stratum corneum are known to play an essential role in maintaining and structuring the lipid barrier of the skin. Internal wool lipids (IWL), which are also rich in ceramides, have a composition similar to that of the stratum corneum lipids. IWL extracted with chloroform/methanol azeotrope at the laboratory scale have been shown to be capable of forming liposomes with a stable bilayer structure. Furthermore, topical application of these IWL liposomes on intact and compromised skin has been demonstrated to improve barrier skin properties.In this study we evaluated the effect on human skin repair of different IWL extract compositions obtained by two extraction methodologies. The formation and characteristics of the liposomes prepared were greatly influenced by the IWL composition, primarily the sterol sulfate content. The IWL liposomes improved skin barrier integrity and increased skin hydration when applied onto intact skin. These improvements were slightly enhanced in the case of IWL liposomes that were richer in polar lipids.

An integrated fMRI, SEPs and MEPs approach for assessing functional organization in the malformed sensorimotor cortex

PURPOSE

Malformations of cortical development are often accompanied by an abnormal cortical pattern. Due to its propensity to involve discrete cortical areas, polymicrogyria represents an interesting model for assessing the reorganization of cortical function in relation to the disrupted anatomy. Functional MRI, TMS and SEPs can provide a highly complementary, multimodal approach to map noninvasively the functional rearrangement of sensorimotor functions in the polymicrogyric cortex, and to obtain a coherent modelling. We report here an illustrative case which is included in a patients series under study using a block design 3T fMRI, short-latency SEPs as identified on the basis of their latency, polarity, and scalp distribution and an assessment of the area and volume of the motor maps and the relative position of the center of gravity and hot spot.

RESULTS

A 15 years old girl, with drug-resistant epilepsy and left perisylvian polymicrogyria that was part of a large epileptogenic network including also the mesial aspect of the left frontal lobe, exhibited a normal distribution of somatomotor responses in the expected anatomic sites, with a dissociation between motor functions, which were slightly impaired in the malformed hemisphere, and bilaterally normal sensory responses. In this patient, a large resection of epileptogenic zone, sparing eloquent areas as previously identified, should be planned in order to improve seizure outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

An integrated fMRI, TMS and SEP mapping approach helps defining the relationship between epileptogenic zones and somatomotor areas. Studies of greater number of patients will be necessary in order to identify the general rules that determine the functional representation in the malformed cortex.

Cosmetic effectiveness of topically applied hydrolysed keratin peptides and lipids derived from wool

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Skin moisturisation, elasticity, feel and appearance can all be improved through the topical application of protein hydrolysates. Recent studies suggest that supplementing intercellular lipids of the stratum corneum can enhance the functioning of the skin.

METHODS

In this study, a hydrolysed keratin peptide (molecular weight <1000 Da) was prepared from wool and tested on skin in two different formulations: an aqueous solution and an internal wool lipids (IWL) liposome suspension. In vivo long-term studies were performed to evaluate the water barrier function of the skin after topical application of different formulations. During the treatment period, hydration and elasticity were determined. A sorption-desorption test was also performed to assess the hygroscopic properties and water-holding capacity of the different treated skin sites.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found between the control and treated sites, with the treated areas showing an increase in hydration and elasticity as a result of keratin peptide application. Measurements also indicated that the keratin formulations reinforce the skin barrier integrity, improving its water-holding capacity.

CONCLUSION

A combination of the keratin peptide with the IWL showed beneficial effects, indicating that this combination is suitable for designing new cosmetics products.

The impact of prophylactic treatment on post-traumatic epilepsy after severe traumatic brain injury

AIM

To assess the incidence of late post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) in patients with very severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who either received or did not receive anti-epileptic prophylactic treatment.

METHODS

Two populations were studied: 55 patients retrospectively and 82 subjects prospectively.

RESULTS

Ten patients (18%) in the first population showed late PTE. Although the incidence was lower in patients who did not receive prophylactic treatment, the difference between the treated and the non-treated group was not statistically significant. Sixty-nine patients in the second group (84%) had prophylactic treatment. Twenty-seven patients (39%) suffered from late PTE during the 2-year follow-up period and 17 of them (63%) showed EEG epileptic abnormalities. No patient who did not receive preventive therapy suffered from late PTE during the observation period.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to the negative cognitive effects of anti-epileptic drugs, the preliminary results are of considerable interest for the rehabilitation of patients with very severe TBI.

New depth short-latency somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) component recorded in human SI area

To analyse short and long-latency (SEPs) recorded by chronically stereotactically electrodes implanted in SI area of two epileptic patients. Two drug-resistant epileptic patients (2 females, 38 and 15 years, respectively) suffering from left temporal and right frontal epilepsy respectively, were investigated by an electrode-chronically implanted in SI area. Short and long latency somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded by depth electrodes 10 days after implantation. This is the first study to describe a depth N36 response by an intracerebral recording electrode in the SI area, probably generated by a radially oriented generator, located in area 1. Furthermore, we confirmed a role of SI in the genesis of N60 component. Finally, our present data suggest that the SI area is still active at 120 ms after the stimulus, since in one patient (no. 2) we identified a N120 potential, reaching its maximal amplitude at the same depth as the N20 response.

Ictal clinical and scalp-EEG findings differentiating temporal lobe epilepsies from temporal 'plus' epilepsies

Temporal 'plus' epilepsies are characterized by seizures involving a complex epileptogenic network including the temporal lobe and the closed neighboured structures such as the orbito-frontal cortex, the insula, the frontal and parietal operculum and the temporo-parieto-occipital junction. Temporal 'plus' epilepsies are currently identified by means of intracerebral electrodes but whether their diagnosis can be suspected non-invasively has not been evaluated yet. The aim of this retrospective study was to address this issue in 80 consecutive patients who were thought to suffer from non-lesional temporal lobe seizures which finally proved, on the basis of stereotactic intracerebral EEG (SEEG) recordings, to be 'purely' temporal (TL group, n = 58) or temporal 'plus' (T+ group, n = 22). Our results showed that the two groups of patients were difficult to differentiate on the basis of general clinical features or MRI data. Even the presence of hippocampal sclerosis did not distinguish the two groups. Conversely, both ictal clinical symptoms and scalp-EEG findings significantly differentiated TL from T+ patients. Patients with TL epilepsies more frequently presented an ability to warn at seizure onset (P = 0.003), an abdominal aura (P = 0.05), gestural automatisms (P = 0.04) and a post-ictal amnesia (P = 0.02). Patients suffering from T+ epilepsies more frequently had gustatory hallucinations (P = 0.02), rotatory vertigo (P = 0.02) and auditory illusions (P = 0.02) at seizure onset; they exhibited more frequently contraversive manifestations of the eyes and/or head (P = 0.001), piloerection (P = 0.03) and ipsilateral tonic motor signs (P = 0.05), and they were more often dysphoric in the post-ictal phase (P = 0.0001). Cluster analysis mainly indicated that some associations of symptoms were relevant for differentiating TL cases from T+ cases. Interictal EEG of T+ patients more frequently exhibited bilateral or precentral abnormalities, while ictal EEG more frequently pointed over the anterior frontal, temporo-parietal and precentral regions. Neither TL interictal spikes, nor TL ictal EEG onset, allowed us definitely to rule out the possibility of T+ epilepsies. Our findings may be useful for identifying, among patients suffering from 'atypical' non-lesional TL epilepsies, those who should undergo invasive recordings before surgery.

Wool peptide derivatives for hand care

Hands experience much greater wear and tear during normal daily routines compared with most other parts of the body, and thereby demand specific needs from cosmetics targeted at hand care. Keratin proteins are the major structural component of the outer layers of the skin. In this work a novel keratin fraction from wool, which has high cystine content present in the S-sulphonated form, has been developed to target hand care applications. In vivo long-term studies were performed to evaluate the water-holding capacity and elasticity of hand skin following topical application of keratins. Moreover, protection of healthy skin against detergent-induced dermatitis was evaluated after topical application of the keratin-active formulation. Significant results in the measured biophysical parameters were found, which indicated an improvement in the skin's water-holding capacity, hydration, and elasticity for volunteers with dry skin as a result of the keratin peptide treatment. Results also indicated that the keratin peptide treatment can prevent some of the damaging effects associated with surfactant exposure.

Transient MRI abnormalities in a case of occipital lobe epilepsy with favorable outcome

We describe the case of a 13-year-old boy, in good health, with transient occipital MRI abnormalities just after one generalized seizure and the appearance of macropsia. The EEG showed a 3-5 Hz sub-continuous left occipital activity, with sporadic sharp waves. Macropsia disappeared in 2 years. This case may suggest that the presence of transient MRI abnormalities does not exclude a favorable prognosis.

Short and middle-latency Median Nerve (MN) SEPs recorded by depth electrodes in human pre-SMA and SMA-proper

OBJECTIVE

To analyse waveforms, latencies and amplitudes of Median Nerve (MN) SEPs recorded by stereotactically electrodes implanted in the SMA of 14 epileptic patients (9 in pre-SMA,3 in SMA-proper, 2 in both) in order to evaluate which short and middle-latency SEPs are generated in this area and which could be the physiological relevance of these responses.

METHODS

Short and middle-latency MN SEPs were recorded by chronically implanted electrodes in the fronto-temporal cortex and in particular in the mesial frontal region of 14 drug-resistant epileptic patients. MN stimulations of 100 micros were delivered by skin electrodes at the wrist; stimulus intensity was adjusted slightly above the motor threshold.

RESULTS

The main result of this study is that middle-latency SEPs were originated in pre-SMA but not in SMA-proper as demonstrated by both referential and bipolar recordings. In particular off-line computed bipolar traces between neighbouring contacts implanted in the pre-SMA and in the frontal external regions showed a phase reversal at the deepest contacts located in pre-SMA. Conversely, bipolar recordings between neighbouring contacts implanted in the SMA-proper and in the frontal external regions showed inversion recovery at more superficial contacts, implanted in area 6. Finally, we confirmed that no short-latency MN SEP (and in particular the N30) is originated in the whole SMA.

CONCLUSIONS

Among premotor areas, somatosensory inputs seem to reach pre-SMA and area 6 but not SMA-proper.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study assessed that no scalp SEP in the first 100 ms after MN stimulus could be generated in SMA-proper.

Unusual ipsilateral hyperkinetic automatisms in SMA seizures

PURPOSE

To describe repetitive movements of the right arm possibly originating from the ipsilateral SMA area in two drug-resistant epileptic patients.

METHODS

Two epileptic patients (one female, one male, 35 and 36 years old, respectively) were submitted to pre-surgical evaluation including history, neurological examination, long-term video-EEG monitoring, interictal and ictal SPET, MRI and fMRI, neuropsychological assessment. Invasive recordings (stereoelectroencephalography) were also performed.

RESULTS

In both patients ictal semiology was characterized by very stereotyped repetitive right arm movements, i.e. tapping towards the thorax (movement rate of 6-7 Hz and 3-4 Hz for the two subjects, respectively). Seizures in the first patient, whose epilepsy was cryptogenetic, originated from the right pre-SMA area, which was surgically removed. She is seizure free 2 years after the operation. In the second patient, in whom a right pre-frontal post-abscess porencephaly was disclosed, the epileptogenic zone included the lesion and surrounding areas, while the SMA area was involved less consistently.

CONCLUSIONS

Even if, according to literature, SMA epilepsy is predominantly characterized by postural manifestations, ipsilateral repetitive movements could be a relevant sign in this kind of epilepsy, as showed in our first patient. The presence of similar semiology in the second patient, might suggest that the symptomatogenic zone involved SMA area.

Early clinical predictive factors during coma recovery

In severe brain injury patients few studies have examined the role of early clinical factors emerging before recovery of consciousness. Patients suffering from vegetative state and minimally conscious state in fact may need variable periods of time for recovery of the ability to follow commands. In a previous study we retrospectively examined a population of very severe traumatic brain injury patients with coma duration of at least 15 days (prolonged coma), and we found, as significant predictive factors for the final outcome, the time interval from brain injury to the recovery of the following clinical variables: optical fixation, spontaneous motor activity and first safe oral feeding. Psychomotor agitation and bulimia during coma recovery were also favourable prognostic factors for the final outcome. In a further study, also as for the neuropsychological recovery, the clinical variable with the best significant predictive value was the interval from head trauma to the recovery of safe oral feeding. In the present study the presence of psychomotor agitation diagnosed by means of LCF (score 4 = confused-agitated) at the admission time in rehabilitation predicted a statistically significant better outcome at the discharge time in comparison with patients without agitation.

Effects of vagus nerve stimulation on cortical excitability in epileptic patients

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is used as adjunctive treatment for medically refractory epilepsy, but little is known about its mechanisms of action. The effects of VNS on the excitatory and inhibitory circuits of the motor cortex were evaluated in five patients with epilepsy using single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Patients were examined with the stimulator on and off. VNS determined a selective and pronounced increase in the inhibition produced by paired-pulse TMS with no effects on the excitability by single-pulse TMS.

Parietal generators of low- and high-frequency MN (median nerve) SEPs: data from intracortical human recordings

OBJECTIVE

To identify low and high-frequency median nerve (MN) somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) generators by means of chronically implanted electrodes in the parietal lobe (SI and neighbouring areas) of two epileptic patients.

METHODS

Wide-pass short-latency and long-latency SEPs to electrical MN stimulation were recorded in two epileptic patients by stereotactically chronically implanted electrodes in the parietal lobe (SI and neighbouring areas). To study high-frequency responses (HFOs) an off-line digital filtering of depth short-latency SEPs was performed (500-800 Hz, 24 dB roll-off). Spectral analysis was performed by fast Fourier transform.

RESULTS

In both patients we recorded a N20/P30 potential followed by a biphasic N50/P70 response. A little negative response in the 100 ms latency range was the last detectable wide-pass SEP in both patients. Two HFOs components (called iP1 and iP2) were detected by mere visual analysis and spectral analysis, and were supposed to be originated within the parietal cortex.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the very first study that recorded wide bandpass and high frequency SEPs by electrodes, exploring both the lateral and the mesial part of the parietal lobe and particularly that of the post-central gyrus.