Surgical procedures suppress autophagic flux in the kidney

Many surgical models are used to study kidney and other diseases in mice, yet the effects of the surgical procedure itself on the kidney and other tissues have not been elucidated. In the present study, we found that both sham surgery and unilateral nephrectomy (UNX), which is used as a model of renal compensatory hypertrophy, in mice resulted in increased mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1/2 (mTORC1/2) in the remaining kidney. mTORC1 is known to regulate lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy. Genes associated with lysosomal biogenesis and function were decreased in sham surgery and UNX kidneys. In both sham surgery and UNX, there was suppressed autophagic flux in the kidney as indicated by the lack of an increase in LC3-II or autophagosomes seen on immunoblot, IF and EM after bafilomycin A1 administration and a concomitant increase in p62, a marker of autophagic cargo. There was a massive increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are known to activate ERK1/2, in the serum after sham surgery and UNX. There was a large increase in ERK1/2 in sham surgery and UNX kidneys, which was blocked by the MEK1/2 inhibitor, trametinib. Trametinib also resulted in a significant decrease in p62. In summary, there was an intense systemic inflammatory response, an ERK-mediated increase in p62 and suppressed autophagic flux in the kidney after sham surgery and UNX. It is important that researchers are aware that changes in systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines, ERK1/2 and autophagy can be caused by sham surgery as well as the kidney injury/disease itself.

Debunking three rape myths

BACKGROUND

Stereotypes and prejudicial misconceptions are prevalent regarding sexual assaults and victims' responses. These are collectively referred to as rape myths. This study examines three rape myths purporting that sexual assault victims (1) immediately report the crime, (2) experience severe physical and/or anogenital injuries, and (3) forcefully resist their assailant.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study examining presence of physical or anogenital injury, level of physical resistance during a sexual assault, and time to sexual assault report. Study subjects were female sexual assault victims examined by a sexual assault nurse examiner at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2011 and 2012.

RESULTS

Sexual assault nurse examiner reports for 317 subjects met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Twelve (4%) victims experienced physical injury requiring medical intervention. Thirty-four (11%) sustained anogenital injuries requiring medical intervention. Overall, 253 (81%) victims did not actively resist at some point during the assault, with 178 (57%) victims never actively resisting. Nearly half (129, 43%) did not appear in the emergency department for 12 or more hours from the time of the assault.

CONCLUSION

Women who seek emergency department assistance after a sexual assault take a variable amount of time to present to the emergency department, rarely experience moderate or severe physical or anogenital injury, and commonly do not exert strong physical resistance against their attacker during at least part of the assault.

Ligand-tetrahydrofuran coupling in chelated aluminum phosphinates

When the reagents LAlMe (L = N,N'-(alkylene or arylene)bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl)salicylideneimine (alkylene = ethylene (Salen(tBu))(1), propylene (Salpen(tBu))(2), and butylene (Salben(tBu)) (3); arylene = phenylene (Salophen(tBu) (4), 3,4-dimethylphenylene (Salomphen(tBu) (5)) are combined with Ph(H)P(O)OH in tetrahydrofuran (thf) the unique aluminophosphinate compounds, [L(tBu)Al[O(2)P(H)Ph]](n) with L, n = Salen,(infinity)(6), Salpen, 2 (7), Salben, 2 (8), Salophen, (infinity)(9) and Salomphen, (infinity)(10) are produced. The yields for the latter two reactions are low, and it was subsequently found that the unique thf-coupled compounds appear in the thf filtrates of the original reaction mixture. These compounds are, [L-thf(tBu)Al[O(2)P(H)Ph]](2), L = Salophen (13) and Salomphen (14). The thf connects through an alpha-carbon to only one of the two possible imine carbons of the ligand. While trying to determine how this coupling proceeds, the six-coordinate, solution-state species LAlMe(thf) (L = Salophen (11) and Salomphen (12) were discovered and implicated as intermediates. All of the compounds are characterized by melting point, NMR, IR, and X-ray analyses for 5-8, 13, and 14. A possible mechanism for the thf coupling event is presented.