Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) plays an important role in mucosal immunity, and salivary levels change in response to social, psychological and physical stress. However, little is understood about how surgical stress affects salivary sIgA. The results of the present study showed that mouse salivary IgA concentration was significantly elevated immediately after surgery and returned to pre-surgical levels after 24 h. Thus, the surgery did not suppress IgA secretion under our experimental conditions, suggesting that mucosal immunity was not perturbed. Since the role of α-adrenergic receptors involved in IgA secretion has remained unclear under surgical stress, we further examined the effects of either α₁-adrenergic (prazosin) or α₂-adrenergic antagonist (yohimbine) on the salivary sIgA. Yohimbine, but not prazosin, antagonized the surgically induced salivary IgA enhancement, indicating mediation by α₂-receptor stimulation. The mRNA for IgA was not altered in the salivary gland after surgery, suggesting that surgical stress did not stimulate IgA synthesis in the salivary gland cells. In conclusion, it is suggested that the surgical stress does not perturb mucosal immunity in our experimental model, although a transient increase of concentration of salivary IgA was observed immediately after surgical insult.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of feline bartonellosis and the associated clinicopathological findings in cats presented to the University Veterinary Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia from 2013–2014. Out of 284 cats examined, Bartonella DNA was detected in 48 (16.9%) cats using a specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer of Bartonella species. Bartonella henselae strain Houston was identified through BLAST analyses of randomly selected amplicons. Univariable analysis showed significant association of feline bartonellosis with cats < 2 years of age (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.982–1.927, p = 0.036) and those presenting with ocular discharge (OR 3.211, 95% CI 1.422–7.248, p = 0.003). Significant associations of neutrophilia (OR 2.244, 95% CI 1.131–4.452, p = 0.019) and monocytosis (OR 2.476, 95% CI 1.154–5.312, p = 0.017) with bartonella infection in cats were observed. This study reports for the first time the prevalence (approximately 17%) of feline bartonellosis in Malaysia and highlights several clinicopathological factors associated with the disease.

BACKGROUND: Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a rare causative pathogen of brain abscess that is often found in immunocompromised patients. Although patients with supratentorial listerial abscesses showed a longer survival with surgical drainage, the standard therapy for patients with subtentorial lesions has not been established. CASE REPORT: We report herein a patient with supra- and subtentorial brain abscesses caused by L. monocytogenes infection. These abscesses did not respond to antibiotics, and his symptoms gradually worsened. Drainage was not indicated for subtentorial lesions, and the patient was additionally treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which dramatically reduced the volume of abscesses and improved the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of drastic therapy for a patient with listerial brain abscesses involving combined antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a good option for treating patients with deep-seated listerial abscesses and for who surgical drainage is not indicated.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anti-Infective Agents* ; Brain Abscess* ; Drainage ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation* ; Immunocompromised Host ; Listeria monocytogenes

The excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a public health concern worldwide. Several clinical trials examining the effects of consuming sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup demonstrated the link between this consumption and increased risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases. In this issue of Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, Li et al. examined the sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among undergraduate students and evaluated the relationship between this consumption and the "late" chronotype, sleep duration, and weight increase. They concluded that the sugar-sweetened beverage intake might mediate the associations among sleep duration, late chronotype, and weight gain and that the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in the evening may be a risk factor for the development of overweight/obesity. A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials provided evidence that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages promotes weight gain in both children and adults. The World Health Organization guideline highly recommends reducing the intake of sugars to less than 10% of one's total energy intake. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and the Mediterranean diet were shown to help individuals refrain from sweets and sugar-containing beverages. A global evaluation revealed how much disability during accumulated lifetime hours is due to sugar-sweetened beverages. Interventions are necessary, but many individuals find it quite difficult to reduce or eliminate their high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. The taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages was demonstrated to have a significant positive influence on individuals' planned purchases and the probability of the purchase of healthy beverages. Western countries are working on the social regulation of sugar-sweetened beverages, but Japan has not implemented any similar regulations. The social regulation of sugar-sweetened beverages is necessary to stop the increase of diabetes morbidity and the increase in dementia that often accompanies this morbidity.
Adult ; Beverages ; Child ; Energy Intake ; Humans ; Japan ; Life Expectancy ; Prospective Studies ; Sugars