scholarly journals Potassium Homeostasis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakuntala S. Patil ◽  
Sachin M. Patil
Keyword(s):  
Renal Function ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
The United States ◽  
Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Resting Membrane Potential ◽  
Potassium Homeostasis ◽  
Extracellular Compartment ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Cardiac Muscles ◽  
Total Body

The average potassium intake in the United States population ranges from 90 to 120 mEq/day. About 98% of the total body\'s potassium is intracellular, and only 2% is present in the extracellular compartment. This distributional proportion is essential for cellular metabolic reactions and maintaining a gradient for resting membrane potential. A loss of this gradient results in hyper- or hypopolarization of the cell membrane, especially in cardiac muscles leading to life-threatening arrhythmias. Multiple mechanisms in human maintain homeostasis. Transient initial changes are due to transcellular shifts activating sodium-potassium ATPase pumps on the cell membrane. The kidneys essentially take part in excess potassium excretion, maintaining total body stores constant within normal range. Gastrointestinal secretion of potassium is insignificant in individuals with normal renal function, however plays an essential role in individuals with compromised renal function. So far, a classic feedback mechanism was thought to maintain potassium homeostasis; however, a recently recognized feedforward mechanism acting independently also helps preserve potassium homeostasis. Hence, potassium homeostasis is vital for humans to function at a normal level.

A Fatal Case of Powassan Virus Encephalitis

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 1239-1243
Author(s):  
Qiqi Yu ◽  
Eduard Matkovic ◽  
Sarah Reagan-Steiner ◽  
Amy M Denison ◽  
Rebecca Osborn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Neuronal Degeneration ◽  
Fatal Case ◽  
Central Nervous System Involvement ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Powassan Virus ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Autopsy Tissues

Abstract Powassan virus (POWV) is a flavivirus of the tick-borne encephalitis serogroup that causes a rare and potentially life-threatening neuroinvasive disease. Viral transmission occurs during zoonotic spillover from mammals by the bite of an infected tick in endemic regions of North America. The number of reported POWV cases has recently increased in the United States. We report a fatal case of POWV meningoencephalomyelitis in Northern Wisconsin following a documented tick bite. Histologic examination of the brain demonstrated widespread intraparenchymal and perivascular lymphohistocytic infiltration, microglial nodule formation, and marked neuronal degeneration, most severely involving the substantia nigra, anterior horn of spinal cord and cerebellum. Although no viral inclusions were seen in routine light microscopy, electron microscopy identified multiple neurons containing cytoplasmic clusters of virus particles ∼50 nm in diameter. POWV infection was confirmed using immunohistochemical analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. This report demonstrates in detail regional central nervous system involvement and ultrastructural characteristics of Powassan viral particles by transmission electron microscopy, while highlighting the utility of evaluating fixed autopsy tissues in cases of unexplained meningoencephalomyelitis.

Safety and Efficacy of Argatroban in the Management of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. CMBD.S5118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Saugel ◽  
Roland M. Schmid ◽  
Wolfgang Huber
Keyword(s):  
Arterial Thrombosis ◽  
Pharmacokinetic Profile ◽  
The United States ◽  
Heparin Therapy ◽  
Direct Thrombin Inhibitor ◽  
Thrombin Inhibitor ◽  
Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia ◽  
Safety And Efficacy ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Life Threatening

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a life-threatening adverse reaction to heparin therapy that is characterized by thrombocytopenia and an increased risk of venous and arterial thrombosis. According to guidelines, in patients with strongly suspected or confirmed HIT all sources of heparin have to be discontinued and an alternative, nonheparin anticoagulant for HIT treatment must immediately be started. For both the prophylaxis of thrombembolic events in HIT and the treatment of HIT with thrombosis the direct thrombin inhibitor argatroban is approved in the United States. The objective of this review is to describe the mechanism of action and the pharmacokinetic profile of argatroban, to characterize argatroban regarding its safety and therapeutic efficacy and to discuss its place in therapy in HIT.

Severe pulmonary complications in Japanese patients after bortezomib treatment for refractory multiple myeloma

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (9) ◽  
pp. 3492-3494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigesaburo Miyakoshi ◽  
Masahiro Kami ◽  
Koichiro Yuji ◽  
Tomoko Matsumura ◽  
Masaaki Takatoku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Japanese Patients ◽  
The United States ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Pulmonary Complications ◽  
Bortezomib Treatment ◽  
Toranomon Hospital ◽  
Life Threatening

Bortezomib is a novel proteasome inhibitor with significant antimyeloma activity. Its frequent adverse effects are manageable, including gastrointestinal symptoms, peripheral neuropathy, and thrombocytopenia. Severe lung toxicity has not previously been reported. Between June 2004 and September 2005, 13 Japanese patients with multiple myeloma were treated with bortezomib in Toranomon Hospital, Juntendo University School of Medicine, and Jichi Medical School. Four of them developed severe pulmonary complications, and 2 died of respiratory failure without progression of underlying disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report on life-threatening pulmonary adverse effects after bortezomib therapy. Previous clinical studies on bortezomib, mostly in the United States and Europe, have shown low incidences of pulmonary adverse effects. Our study suggests that bortezomib can cause serious lung injury, and that its incidence might vary among different ethnicities. Clinicians need to be alert to the possibility.

scholarly journals Profound Hypokalaemia Resulting in Maternal Cardiac Arrest: A Catastrophic Complication of Hyperemesis Gravidarum?

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Walch ◽  
Madeline Duke ◽  
Travis Auty ◽  
Audris Wong
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Hyperemesis Gravidarum ◽  
Extracellular Fluid ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Normal Limits ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Anuric Renal Failure ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest ◽  
In Pregnancy

We present a case of a 39-year-old G8P6 Pacific Islander woman who at 15+5 weeks’ gestation had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest secondary to profound hypokalaemia which was associated with severe hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Her clinical course after arrest was complicated by a second 5-minute cardiac arrest in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (pre-arrest potassium 1.8), anuric renal failure requiring dialysis, ischaemic hepatitis, and encephalopathy and unfortunately fetal demise and a spontaneous miscarriage on day 2 of admission. Despite these complications, she was discharged home 4 weeks later with a full recovery. Following a plethora of inpatient and outpatient investigations, the cause of her cardiac arrest was determined to be profound hypokalaemia. The hypokalaemia was presumed second to a perfect storm of HG with subsequent nutritional deficiencies causing electrolyte wasting, extracellular fluid (ECF) volume reduction, and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis (RAAS). This combined with the physiological changes that promote potassium wasting in pregnancy including volume expansion, increased renal blood flow, increased glomerular filtration rate, and increase in cortisol contributed to the patient having a profoundly low total body potassium level. This diagnosis is further strengthened by the fact that her pre- and post-pregnancy potassium levels were within normal limits in the absence of supplementary potassium. This case highlights the potentially life-threatening electrolyte imbalances that can occur with HG and the importance of recognising the disease, comprehensive electrolyte monitoring, and aggressive management in pregnancy.

Caregivers’ role in managing hereditary angioedema and perceptions of treatment-related burden

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. S11-S16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Craig ◽  
Aleena Banerji ◽  
Marc A. Riedl ◽  
Jessica M. Best ◽  
Jinky Rosselli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hereditary Angioedema ◽  
Genetic Disease ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Psychosocial Impacts ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Familial Caregivers

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease that results in recurrent, debilitating, and potentially life-threatening swelling episodes in the extremities, genitals, gastrointestinal tract, and upper airway. Patients can experience significant burdens related to their disease. Informal or familial caregivers often support patients with HAE and likely share in the disease-related burdens, although there are limited HAE caregiver‐focused reports in the scientific literature. In the United States, we conducted an online survey of adults caring for an individual with HAE to better understand their experiences with the disease and identify psychosocial impacts of providing care for a patient with HAE. Thirty caregivers provided responses to the survey. Most caregivers were family members of the care recipient and many had HAE themselves. Caregivers reported participating in a number of medical-related tasks and experiencing some burdens as a result of caring for a person with HAE.

THE EFFECT OF INTERMITENT FASTING DIET ON KIDNEY FUNCTION

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-70
Author(s):  
Esa Indah Ayudia ◽  
Huntari Harahap ◽  
Irfannuddin Irfannuddin
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Renal Function ◽  
Kidney Function ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Intermittent Fasting ◽  
Early Prevention ◽  
Total Body Fat ◽  
Restriction Method ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Renal Function Tests

  Obesity is a condition in which the ratio of body weight and height exceeds the specified standards. Obesity is an increase in total body fat, that is, if you are found to be overweight> 20% in men and 25% in women because of fat. The intermittent fasting diet is a calorie restriction method that is widely used for health or weight loss reasons. Overall kidney function is based on nephron function and impaired function is caused by decreased nephron action. Several laboratory tests have been developed to evaluate kidney function and identify the disorder early on. This can help clinicians to take early prevention and management in order to prevent the progression of kidney disorders to kidney failure. Renal function tests are carried out by examining the levels of urea and cretinin.    

Neuroscience20 (BRAIN20, SPINE20, and MENTAL20) Health Initiative: A Global Consortium Addressing the Human and Economic Burden of Brain, Spine, and Mental Disorders Through Neurotech Innovations and Policies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-39
Author(s):  
Kevin Morris ◽  
Mohammad Nami ◽  
Joe F. Bolanos ◽  
Maria A. Lobo ◽  
Melody Sadri-Naini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Disease Burden ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fast Tracking ◽  
The World ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Neurological disorders significantly impact the world’s economy due to their often chronic and life-threatening nature afflicting individuals which, in turn, creates a global disease burden. The Group of Twenty (G20) member nations, which represent the largest economies globally, should come together to formulate a plan on how to overcome this burden. The Neuroscience-20 (N20) initiative of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) is at the vanguard of this global collaboration to comprehensively raise awareness about brain, spine, and mental disorders worldwide. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the various brain initiatives worldwide and highlight the need for cooperation and recommend ways to bring down costs associated with the discovery and treatment of neurological disorders. Our systematic search revealed that the cost of neurological and psychiatric disorders to the world economy by 2030 is roughly $16T. The cost to the economy of the United States is $1.5T annually and growing given the impact of COVID-19. We also discovered there is a shortfall of effective collaboration between nations and a lack of resources in developing countries. Current statistical analyses on the cost of neurological disorders to the world economy strongly suggest that there is a great need for investment in neurotechnology and innovation or fast-tracking therapeutics and diagnostics to curb these costs. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, SBMT, through this paper, intends to showcase the importance of worldwide collaborations to reduce the population’s economic and health burden, specifically regarding neurological/brain, spine, and mental disorders.

scholarly journals Recent advances in understanding and managing chronic constipation

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O. Prichard ◽  
Adil E. Bharucha
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Empiric Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Molecular Physiology ◽  
High Resolution Manometry ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Bile Acid Transporters ◽  
Life Threatening

Constipation, a condition characterized by heterogeneous symptoms, is common in Western society. It is associated with reduced physical health, mental health, and social functioning. Because constipation is rarely due to a life-threatening disease (for example, colon cancer), current guidelines recommend empiric therapy. Limited surveys suggest that fewer than half of treated individuals are satisfied with treatment, perhaps because the efficacy of drugs is limited, they are associated with undesirable side effects, or they may not target the underlying pathophysiology. For example, although a substantial proportion of constipated patients have a defecatory disorder that is more appropriately treated with pelvic floor biofeedback therapy than with laxatives, virtually no pharmacological trials formally assessed for anorectal dysfunction. Recent advances in investigational tools have improved our understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of colonic and defecatory functions. In particular, colonic and anorectal high-resolution manometry are now available. High-resolution anorectal manometry, which is increasingly used in clinical practice, at least in the United States, provides a refined assessment of anorectal pressures and may uncover structural abnormalities. Advances in our understanding of colonic molecular physiology have led to the development of new therapeutic agents (such as secretagogues, pro-kinetics, inhibitors of bile acid transporters and ion exchangers). However, because clinical trials compare these newer agents with placebo, their efficacy relative to traditional laxatives is unknown. This article reviews these physiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic advances and focuses particularly on newer therapeutic agents.

scholarly journals Similarly Lethal Strains of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Trigger Markedly Diverse Host Responses in a Zebrafish Model of Sepsis

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia E. Barber ◽  
Brittany A. Fleming ◽  
Matthew A. Mulvey
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Host Responses ◽  
Inflammatory Condition ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Care Costs ◽  
Variable Impact ◽  
Degree Of Heterogeneity

ABSTRACT Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition that is initiated by the presence of microorganisms in the bloodstream. In the United States, sepsis due to ExPEC and other pathogens kills well over a quarter of a million people each year and is associated with tremendous health care costs. A high degree of heterogeneity in the signs and symptomology of sepsis makes this disease notoriously difficult to effectively diagnose and manage. Here, using a zebrafish model of sepsis, we find that similarly lethal but genetically distinct ExPEC isolates can elicit notably disparate host responses. These variances are in part due to differences in the levels and types of flagellin that are expressed by the infecting ExPEC strains. A better understanding of the variable impact that bacterial factors like flagellin have on host responses during sepsis could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these often deadly infections. In individuals with sepsis, the infecting microbes are commonly viewed as generic inducers of inflammation while the host background is considered the primary variable affecting disease progression and outcome. To study the effects of bacterial strain differences on the maladaptive immune responses that are induced during sepsis, we employed a novel zebrafish embryo infection model using extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) isolates. These genetically diverse pathogens are a leading cause of sepsis and are becoming increasingly dangerous because of the rise of multidrug-resistant strains. Zebrafish infected with ExPEC isolates exhibit many of the pathophysiological features seen in septic human patients, including dysregulated inflammatory responses (cytokine storms), tachycardia, endothelial leakage, and progressive edema. However, only a limited subset of ExPEC isolates can trigger a sepsis-like state and death of the host when introduced into the bloodstream. Mirroring the situation in human patients, antibiotic therapy reduced ExPEC titers and improved host survival rates but was only effective within limited time frames that varied, depending on the infecting pathogen. Intriguingly, we find that phylogenetically distant but similarly lethal ExPEC isolates can stimulate markedly different host transcriptional responses, including disparate levels of inflammatory mediators. These differences correlate with the amounts of bacterial flagellin expression during infection, as well as differential activation of Toll-like receptor 5 by discrete flagellar serotypes. Altogether, this work establishes zebrafish as a relevant model of key aspects of human sepsis and highlights the ability of genetically distinct ExPEC isolates to induce divergent host responses independently of baseline host attributes. IMPORTANCE Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition that is initiated by the presence of microorganisms in the bloodstream. In the United States, sepsis due to ExPEC and other pathogens kills well over a quarter of a million people each year and is associated with tremendous health care costs. A high degree of heterogeneity in the signs and symptomology of sepsis makes this disease notoriously difficult to effectively diagnose and manage. Here, using a zebrafish model of sepsis, we find that similarly lethal but genetically distinct ExPEC isolates can elicit notably disparate host responses. These variances are in part due to differences in the levels and types of flagellin that are expressed by the infecting ExPEC strains. A better understanding of the variable impact that bacterial factors like flagellin have on host responses during sepsis could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these often deadly infections. Podcast: A podcast concerning this article is available.

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