Yang C-C, Chien C-T, Wu M-H, Ma M-C, Chen C-F. NMDA receptor blocker ameliorates ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal dysfunction in rat kidneys. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 294: F1433-F1440, 2008. First published February 13, 2008 doi:10.1152 doi:10. /ajprenal.00481.2007 receptor activated by glutamate/glycine is located in the kidneys. The NMDA receptor subunit NR1 is increased in damaged renal tissue. This study explored the role of NMDA receptors in ischemiareperfusion-induced renal dysfunction in rats. With Western blot analysis and renal functional assay, NMDA receptor expression was evaluated, as well as its functional role in female Wistar rat kidneys after 45 min of unilateral ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion. The effects of intrarenal NMDA receptor agonist and antagonist on renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine volume (UV), sodium (U NaV), and potassium (UKV) excretion were determined. NMDA NR1 was present in the glomeruli, brush-border membrane, and outer medulla but not in the cortex and inner medulla. Homogenous distribution of non-NMDA GluR2/3, sparse kainate KA1, and undetectable group I of metabotropic glutamate receptor were noted in the control kidneys. Ischemia-reperfusion kidneys showed enhanced renal NR1, but not NR2C and GluR2/3 expression, and were associated with decreased GFR/RBF and natriuretic/diuretic responses. Intrarenal NMDA agonists significantly reduced GFR, UV, U NaV, and UKV but had no effect on blood pressure and RBF in sham control and ischemia-reperfusion kidneys. NMDA antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (D-AP-5) treatment completely abolished NMDA-induced renal dysfunction. D-AP-5 treatment significantly ameliorated ischemia-reperfusion-induced glomerular and tubular dysfunction by restoring decreased GFR, UV, and U NaV levels. Ischemia-reperfusion upregulates renal NMDA NR1 receptor expression, leading to reduced glomerular and tubular function in the kidneys. The NMDA antagonist can ameliorate ischemia-reperfusioninduced renal dysfunction.ischemia-reperfusion; kidney; glutamate; renal function GLUTAMATE HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It could bind to ionotropic (iGluR) and metabotropic (mGluR) glutamate receptors to mediate synaptic transmission and integrity (7, 37). The iGluR, including N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA, such as ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA)/kainate, receptors, function as calcium channel membranes, and their activation results in an influx of intracellular calcium (17,38,39,42,43). This leads to neuronal cell death by calcium toxicity or by the activation of calcium-dependent type I nitric oxide synthase (NOS-I) (5, 16). Among these functions are the suppression of peripheral sympathetic reflex discharges (28, 37) and cerebral vasodilatation (49).The NMDA receptor is composed of various subunits, including NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C, and NR2D (2, 24, 29). The NR1 subunit is the main subunit of the NMDA receptor (2,...

This article demonstrates how technical efficiency and the impact of environmental regulations of Taiwanese farrow-to-finish swine production can be estimated in the presence of undesirable outputs. The issue of measuring technical efficiencies while considering undesirable outputs has been addressed by past studies. But the proper method of including undesirable outputs has always been a subject of debate. This article develops a data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based model that includes undesirable outputs. The technologies of desirable output production and undesirable output control are considered simultaneously. This allows one to transform undesirable output into desirable output, whereby a traditional Shephard distance function can be used to measure technical efficiencies. An approach to measuring the impacts due to environmental regulations is then derived. Empirical results show that larger farms are more technically efficient than small-sized farms, but no clear conclusions can be reached for the measures of regulatory impact among farms with different sizes. On average, the sample farms incurred an opportunity cost due to environmental regulations equivalent to 9.8% of market value. Opportunity costs rise with efficiency. Copyright (c) 2008 International Association of Agricultural Economists.

Background/Aims: Sexual dysfunction in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) is highly prevalent, but studies addressing this issue are scarce. This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate sexual dysfunction and the determinants among PD patients. Methods: All chronic PD patients in 8 PD centers were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire – the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) for men and the Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF) for women – so that sexual function could be assessed. They also answered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to measure depressive symptoms. Results: Among 294 patients invited for study, 54 men (mean age 48.8 ± 10.8 years) and 45 women (mean age 43.6 ± 7.4 years) were willing to and completed the sexual function questionnaires. The median IIEF score in the men was 56.25. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction, identified by the score in erectile domain of IIEF ≤25, was 51.9%. Older age and higher fasting glucose levels were independently associated with a decreased IIEF score. In women, IFSF score (with a median 27) was significant lower than in healthy peri- or postmenopausal control women. Factors of higher BDI score, receiving automated PD, and older age independently associated with a decreased IFSF score. Conclusions: Sexual dysfunction is clinically relevant and multi-dimensional among PD patients. Gender differences exist in the attributing factors of sexual functioning. These warrant more awareness and investigation in the global health care of dialysis patients.

The increase in non-performing loans around the world has had quite a negative impact on many nations’ banking systems. To address these problems, many creative regulatory solutions and well-designed risk techniques have been utilized in the hope of reducing non-performing loans to an acceptable level. The purpose of this study is to apply a newly developed data envelopment analysis model to suggest the most efficient plan (called Plan 4) to reduce non-performing loans that can maximize the efficiency of the entire banking industry’s control over the bad debts. For comparison purpose, three other reduction plans are also represented. The four plans are presented using data from Taiwan’s banking industry. The empirical results show that among the plans presented, Plan 4 shows the most effective allocation of the industry-wide reduction target. The plan focuses on a finite number of banks, helping identify the key units to improve industry-wide efficiency. The findings implicitly suggest that the regulator should devise more incentive measures to encourage target banks to perform the non-performing loan reduction task. Our results also suggest that for the regulator, forcing banks to cut their non-performing loans by the same ratio will not help improve the relative efficiency of the industry.

During continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, the peritoneal mesothelial cell layer is under continuous sloughing and regeneration processes. Agents unfavorable for mesothelial cell growth may be harmful to the peritoneal membrane. We investigated whether frequent intraperitoneally instilled agents affect mesothelial cell growth. Peritoneal mesothelial cells were cultured from the human omentum. The proliferation was assessed by using a modified methyltetrazolium assay and confirmed by Coulter cell counting. The results showed that a high-glucose medium and heparin inhibited mesothelial cell growth. Cephalothin at the usual intraperitoneal loading and maintenance doses is toxic to mesothelial cells. Ceftazidime is toxic to mesothelial cells at its loading dose and inhibits growth at its maintenance dose. Aminoglycosides including netilmicin, gentamicin, and amikacin all had inhibitory effects at the loading and maintenance dose ranges. Vancomycin had no effect. The usual combinations of heparin and cephalothin with netilmicin or gentamicin as the initial treatment regimen for bacterial peritonitis are toxic to mesothelial cells. These results suggest that some intraperitoneal agents potentially may hamper mesothelial cell regeneration. The judicious use of heparin and the proper choice of antibiotic combinations may be warranted from the point of view of peritoneal protection.