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Context: Aneuploidy screening is done in the early second trimester of pregnancy among all pregnant women as compulsory, with a special focus on those who had abnormal ultrasound parameters, higher dual marker risk, or other comorbidities. Recently, all individual quad markers of conventional trisomy screening have been suggested as useful in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) such as preeclampsia, preterm labor, small for gestational age, and placental abruptions. However, similar studies on Indian pregnant women are limited. Hence, this study was intended to find the relation of quadruple markers with any other APO than aneuploidy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a Tertiary Care multi-specialty hospital in North India. Data from 252 pregnant women's quadruple test was analyzed. The association of abnormal value of quadruple markers (human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG]/ alpha-fetoprotein/uE3/Inhibin A) with adverse outcomes was evaluated. Multiple logistic regression analysis and classification and regression tree were used to predict the significant risk factor in high-risk pregnancies. Results: In the study, a total (n = 252) of pregnant women, 190 were screened as high-risk pregnancies, whereas the remaining 62 were reported as low-risk using trisomy screening in the quadruple test. Baby birth weight was observed to be significantly associated with Inhibin-A, and HCG (P < 0.001), whereas Corrected (Corr)-multiple of median (MoM)-HCG (>1.415) and Inhibin-A Corr-MoM (>364.175) were the suitable predictor for the LBW. Both parameters were significantly higher in the high-risk group as compared to the low-risk group (each P < 0.05). Conclusion: Abnormal deviation of biochemical markers from aneuploidy screening assessment could help predict other perinatal adverse outcomes such as low birth weight babies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Nilay. Mitash, Shalini. Agnihotri, Swasti. Tiwari, Vinita. Agrawal, Anil. Mandhani Introduction: High relapse rate of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a major challenge. Overexpression of microRNA-21 (miR-21) which [...]

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 298: F187-F195, 2010. First published November 4, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00088.2009.--An increase in blood pressure (BP) due to angiotensin II (ANG II) infusion or other means is associated with adaptive pressure natriuresis due to reduced sodium reabsorption primarily in proximal tubule (PT) and thick ascending limb (TAL). We tested the hypothesis that male and female mice would show differential response to ANG II infusion with regard to the regulation of the protein abundance of sodium transporters in the PT and TAL and that these responses would be modulated by aging. Young (~3 mo) and old (~21 mo) male and female mice were infused with ANG II at 800 ng x kg body [wt.sup.-1] x [min.sup.-1] by osmotic minipump for 7 days or received a sham operation. ANG II increased mean arterial pressure (MAP), measured by radiotelemetry, significantly more in male mice of both ages (increased ~30-40 mmHg), compared with females (increased ~ 15-25 mmHg). On day 1, MAP was also significantly increased in old mice, relative to young (P = 0.01). ANG II infusion was associated with a significant decline in plasma testosterone (to renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; testosterone; hypertension; gender differences; sodium phosphate cotransporter; sodium hydrogen exchanger; Na-K-2Cl cotransporter

Insulin resistance is associated with hypertension by mechanisms likely involving the kidney. To determine how the major apical sodium transporter of the thick ascending limb, the bumetanide-sensitive Na-K-2C1 cotransporter (NKCC2) is regulated by high-fat feeding, we treated young male, Fischer 344 X Brown Norway (F344BN) rats for 8 wk with diets containing either normal (NF, 4%) or high (HF, 36%) fat, by weight, primarily as lard. HF-fed rats had impaired glucose tolerance, increased urine excretion of 8-isoprostane (a marker of oxidative stress), increased protein levels for NKCC2 (50-125%) and the renal outer medullary potassium channel (106%), as well as increased natriuretic response to furosemide (20-40%). To test the role of oxidative stress in this response, in study 2, rats were fed the NF or HF diet plus plain drinking water, or water containing [N.sup.G]-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (100 mg/l), or tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic (1 mmol/l). The combination of tempol with HF nullified the increase in medullary NKCC2, while L-NAME with HF led to the highest expression of medullary NKCC2 (to 498% of NF mean). However, neither of these drugs dramatically affected the elevated natriuretic response to furosemide with HF. Finally, L-NAME led to a marked increase in blood pressure (measured by radiotelemetry), which was significantly enhanced with HF. Mean arterial blood pressure at 7 wk was as follows (mmHg): NF, 100 [+ or -] 2; NF plus L-NAME, 122 [+ or -] 3; and HF plus L-NAME, 131 [+ or -] 2. Overall, HF feeding increased the abundance of NKCC2. Inappropriately high sodium reabsorption in the thick ascending limb via NKCC2 may contribute to hypertension with insulin resistance. kidney; renal; BSC1; renal outer medullary potassium channel; oxidative stress; insulin resistance; obesity

The obese Zucker rat reportedly has increased activity of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which conceptually could contribute to elevated salt sensitivity and blood pressure (BP). Our aim was to determine whether there was increased angiotensin II type 1 receptor (A[T.sub.1]R)-mediated upregulation of expression or activity of the bumetanide-sensitive Na-K-2Cl cotransporter, the thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC), and/or the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in obese vs. lean Zucker rats. Male obese and lean Zucker rats (10-wk old) were fed either 1) control chow (1% NaC1) or 2) chow with candesartan (CAN), an A[T.sub.1]R antagonist (25 mg/kg*diet) for 14 wk (n = 8/treatment/body type). BP measured by radiotelemetry, was markedly reduced by CAN (~20-25 mmHg) in both lean and obese rats with no body-type differences. Obese rats had significantly greater net natriuretic response to single injections of hydrocblorothiazide and benzamil, suggesting increased activity of NCC and ENaC, respectively; however, only the response to benzamil was reduced by CAN. CAN led to a significant reduction in whole kidney levels of NCC and [gamma]-ENaC (70-kDa band) in both lean and obese rats. However, it significantly increased [alpha]-ENaC and Na-K-2Cl cotransporter levels, and these increases were greater in obese rats. These studies suggest that relatively increased ENaC, but not NCC activity, in obese rats is due to enhanced A[T.sub.1]R activity. CAN attenuated the reduction of several renal transporters in the obese rat kidney. Finally, differences in intrarenal A[T.sub.1]R activity do not seem directly responsible for BP differences between lean and obese rats. insulin resistance; type 2 diabetes; thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter; bumetanide-sensitive Na-K-2Cl cotransporter

Byline: Nilay. Mitash, Swasti. Tiwari, Shalini. Agnihotri, Anil. Mandhani Introduction: Bladder cancer (BC) has varied clinical behavior in terms of recurrence and progression. Current pathological characteristics are insufficient to prognosticate [...]