Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

Which Foods Can Alter The Brain And Mood, According To Neuroscience – Nation World News

Food components and their breakdown products can modify the genetic instructions that control the physiology of the human body

loss Foods those that are consumed or the lack of consumption of certain cans affect the mood of people every day. One case that is remembered in the history of nutrition is the long sea voyages of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries: sailors experienced visions of sublime food and lush fields. Finding out that they were nothing more than hallucinations after months at sea was unbearable for them. It was later discovered that the sailors suffered from scurvy, a disease that develops from a severe lack of vitamin C in the diet. Lemon juice was given as a treatment and it was effective.

Scurvy is now rare in many countries, and vitamin C, a micronutrient, can be obtained by eating fruits and vegetables. From neuroscience, efforts are being made to better understand the effect of food on brain health. according to the scientist Monica DusoAssociate Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan in the United States, loss food ingredient and their decomposition products can modify genetic instructions who control the physiology of the human body.

It is already known that a delicate balance of nutrients is key to brain health: deficiencies or excesses of vitamins, sugars, fats and amino acids can affect the brain and behavior in beneficial or harmful ways. it means that Consuming a complete diet, including a balanced supply of all essential vitamins and minerals, is important for brain health.

Vitamin C is important for the production and release of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers used by the brain.

In Vitamin C is important for the production and release of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers used by the brain. Without it, brain cells dont communicate with each other effectively, which can lead to hallucinations, Dr. According to Dus.

Like vitamin C, deficiencies in other vitamins and minerals can also lead to nutritional diseases that negatively affect the brain in humans. For example, Low levels of vitamin B3/niacin in the diet commonly found in meat and fish cause pellagra, a disease in which people develop dementia.

Niacin is essential for the body to convert food into energy and building blocks, protects the genetic blueprint from environmental damage, and controls the amount of certain gene products produced. In the absence of these vital processes, brain cells, that is, neurons, degenerate and die prematurely. This can lead to dementia.

Niacin is a type of B vitamin. Increasing levels of this vitamin benefits patients with neurodegenerative problems / Archive

In animal models, decreasing or blocking niacin production in the brain promotes neuronal damage and cell death. On the other hand, increasing levels of niacin have been shown to reduce the effects of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Huntingtons and Parkinsons. Although the results are not yet conclusive, observational studies in humans indicate that adequate levels of niacin may protect against these diseases, Dus wrote. Conversation, its funnyNiacin deficiency can cause pellagra-like effects due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Another example of how nutritional deficiencies affect brain function Its all about the element iodine, which, like niacin, must be obtained through the diet. It is naturally present in shellfish and algae, and can also be obtained through iodized salt. Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones, signaling molecules that are important for many aspects of human biology, including growth, metabolism, appetite and sleep. Low iodine levels inhibit the production of thyroid hormones in sufficient amounts, impairing these essential physiological processes.

Iodine is particularly important for the development of the human brain. In fact, before table salt was supplemented with this mineral in the 1920s, Iodine deficiency was one of the leading causes of cognitive dysfunction worldwide. The introduction of iodized salt is believed to have contributed to the gradual increase in IQ scores over the past century.

A study in Italy led by Giovanni Ferrello showed thatPeople with drug-resistant epilepsy a condition in which brain cells fire uncontrollably can reduce the number of seizures by adopting a very low-carbohydrate diet, in which 80% to 90% of calories are derived from fat. The work was published in the journal Nutrients,

Carbohydrates are the bodys preferred source of energy. When they are not available whether from fasting or a ketogenic diet your cells get fuel by breaking down fats into compounds called ketones. Using ketones as an energy source causes profound changes in metabolism and physiology, including the levels of hormones circulating in the body, the amount of neurotransmitters produced by the brain, and the types of bacteria that live in the gut.

Researchers believe that these diet-dependent changes, particularly the increased production of brain chemicals that can calm neurons and lower levels of inflammatory molecules, may lead to a ketogenic diet to reduce the number of seizures. capacity can play a role. These changes may also explain the benefits of the ketogenic state either through diet or fasting on cognitive function and mood.

Also, it has been known from various studies that excessive levels of certain nutrients can also have harmful effects on the brain. In humans and animal models, high intakes of refined sugars and saturated fats a combination commonly found in ultra-processed foods deactivate the brain for hormonal signals known to regulate feelings of satiety and satisfaction. Promotes food intake.

A diet containing many highly-processed foods also weakens the taste system: it causes animals and humans to perceive foods as less sweet. These sensory changes can affect food choice, as well as the rewards that come with it. Dr. Ten and a team of colleagues demonstrated this change in a study published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism,

Research shows, for example, that Peoples responses to ice cream in brain regions important for taste and reward blurred when they ate it every day for two weeks. Some scientists believe that this reduction in food reward signals may increase cravings for more fatty and sugary foods, in the same way that smokers crave cigarettes.

Diets rich in fat and processed foods are also associated with reduced cognitive function and memory in humans and animal models, as well as a higher incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. However, scientists do not yet know whether these effects are due to these foods or the weight gain and insulin resistance that develop from long-term consumption of these diets.

The effect of food can also vary over time. Some can profoundly affect brain function and behavior as in hours or days while others take weeks, months or even years to take effect. For example, Eating a piece of cake changes the ketogenic, fat-burning metabolism of a person with drug-resistant epilepsy to a carbohydrate-burning metabolism, increasing the risk of seizures.

other thing, It takes weeks of sugar consumption for the brain to alter taste and reward pathways, and months of vitamin C deficiency to develop scurvy. eventually, When it comes to diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons, the risk is influenced by years of dietary exposure. In combination with other genetic or lifestyle factors such as smoking.

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Physiology

Epicore Biosystems and Denka Partner to Tackle Asia’s Dehydration Crisis Through Sweat-Sensing Wearable Technology – StreetInsider.com

Partnership launches Epicore Biosystems into the Asia market, expanding its global footprint

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Epicore Biosystems, a digital health company developing advanced sweat-sensing wearables that provide real-time personalized health insights for hydration, stress and wellness, today announced a partnership with Denka Corporation, a Japan-based multinational technology and materials company. Under the agreement, Epicore Biosystems and Denka will collaborate on strategic initiatives to pilot and distribute Epicore's portfolio of advanced wearable hydration solutions in Japan and expand into Asia markets.

The partnership comes at a critical time as rising heatwaves continue to spread across Asia with no signs of slowing down as experts warn the world could hit a climate high by 2024. As a result, many Asia residents are experiencing excessive heat exposure and dehydration, which can have harmful effects on cognitive and physical performance, as well as physiological function. In June 2022 alone, more than 15,000 people needed hospital care across Japan. These issues are more notably visible among individuals in sports, industrial work, and military training, among others.

"As temperatures continue to rise in countries around the globe, dehydration has become a leading cause of concern," said Roozbeh Ghaffari, CEO and co-founder of Epicore Biosystems. "There is now an enormous demand to address these challenges and identify personalized solutions for tackling hydration problems before they impact long-term health. Our collaboration with Denka enables us to unlock new opportunities and address hydration challenges head-on within the Asia market."

Epicore Biosystems develops advanced wearable solutions that measure sweat biometrics and provide customized recovery insights about hydration, including sweat rate, total sweat loss, sodium chloride concentration and total sodium chloride loss all captured with an unobtrusive wearable sweat sensor, analyzed through a proprietary cloud engine, and delivered directly to the wearer through a smartphone application and cloud portal. Denka and Epicore Biosystems will first survey the needs of those within the sports and wellness industries in Asia, with plans to expand into industrial and medical applications, such as identifying dehydration and fatigue in elderly patients, soon after.

"Recent summers in Japan have been extremely hot, and countermeasures against heat stroke and dehydration are an urgent issue," said Nobuyuki Yoshino, managing executive officer at Denka. "This partnership will enable us to leverage Epicore Biosystems' wearable hydration solutions to address the needs of athletes, as well as industrial workers, who are impacted most by the rising temperatures. Through collaboration with Epicore Biosystems, we hope to contribute to solving various health issues."

Epicore Biosystems' suite of sweat-sensing wearables includes the Gx Sweat Patch created in partnership with PepsiCo and Gatorade, the Discovery Patch Sweat Collection System, and the Connected Hydration wearable hydration sensor and mobile application tailored for industrial athletes and sports.

The technology has been developed and tested with leading sports physiology labs and research hospitals, including the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Korey Stringer Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Human Health and Performance, and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.

Denka and Epicore Biosystems' partnership officially went into effect this month with the goal to bring personalized hydration products to the Asia markets in the next 18 months.

To learn more about the company and its solutions, visit https://www.epicorebiosystems.com/.

About Denka

Denka is a chemical manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company specializes in developing business activities on a global scale across a wide range of fields from inorganic and organic chemicals to electronic materials and pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1915, Denka has steadily continued to develop and manufacture products that contribute to the development of society by fully utilizing its unique concepts and technological capabilities. To learn more, visit https://www.denka.co.jp/eng/

About Epicore Biosystems

Founded in 2017, Epicore Biosystems is a digital health company developing advanced sweat-sensing wearables that provide real-time personalized health insights for hydration, stress and wellness. Their clinically validated products are deployed globally and licensed by leading Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense and the National Institute of Health in the sports and fitness, occupational safety and clinical trials industries.

Epicore Biosystems was co-founded by leading scientists from Northwestern University's Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics. The founding team has several decades of experience launching science-backed medical wearables and consumer health products. To learn more, visit https://www.epicorebiosystems.com/.

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SOURCE Epicore Biosystems, Inc.

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Epicore Biosystems and Denka Partner to Tackle Asia's Dehydration Crisis Through Sweat-Sensing Wearable Technology - StreetInsider.com

Physiology

An expanded whole-cell model of E. coli links cellular physiology with mechanisms of growth rate control | npj Systems Biology and Applications -…

An expanded whole-cell model of E. coli links cellular physiology with mechanisms of growth rate control | npj Systems Biology and Applications  Nature.com

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Physiology

From plant biology 2022: following the light – hortidaily.com

As explained by the symposium chair, Prof. Andreas Madlung (University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington), summarizing the Responses to Light concurrent symposium, presented Sunday, July 10 at Plant Biology 2022, is quite challenging as, in very simple words, plants use light for many things. This blog post discusses the enlightening results shared during that sunny Sunday by the leading lights in the fields of shade avoidance, seedling establishment, and photosynthesis.

Le Thuy Do | Dreamstime.com

Respiration in the lightPlants are able to convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis. They capture CO2 from the atmosphere to generate glucose and release O2. At night, when photosynthesis cannot occur, plants remobilize the energy stored during the day through respiration. Respiration can be simplified as the opposite of photosynthesis, where plants capture O2 and release CO2. Although respiration mostly occurs during nighttime, this process can also occur (to a lesser extent) during the day. Respiration in the light is still poorly understood as it is tricky to measure it accurately. Dr. Stephanie Schmiege, postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University and University of Western Ontario East Lansing, explained that current tools and models used to estimate respiration in the light need serious optimization. Dr. Schmiege demonstrated that respiration in the light depends on light intensity, a parameter often not included in prediction models and tools but could be a key parameter to accurately quantify CO2 fluxes on Earth and potentially better evaluate the impact of climate change on our planet.

In addition to utilizing sunlight for photosynthesis, plants can distinguish the color composition of sunlight through photoreceptors, a set of specialized proteins that detect different wavelengths of light. During this session, we have mostly heard about phytochromes (phys), sensors of red and far red light, and the coolest photoreceptors ever discovered in plants.

Gene duplication and evolution in tomatoA wonderful talk from the chair, Prof. Andreas Madlung, focused on the evolution of phys function in tomatoes. Through evolution, the duplication of certain genes may result in the creation of pairs of genes of different functions (also called sub- or neofunctionalization). In tomatoes, two Phys B genes are known as PhyB1 and PhyB2. By using transcriptome profiling and co-expression network analysis coupled with physiological experiments, Prof. Andreas Madlung elegantly demonstrated that PhyB1 and PhyB2 in tomatoes, although showing some overlapping functions, seem to regulate distinct light-mediated responses as a result of subfunctionalization. Prof. Madlungs research is a good example of how coupling different techniques such as phylogeny and transcriptome profiling and plant physiology are essential to understanding and learning how plants use light to grow.

Regulating phytochrome-interacting factorsAt the molecular level, phys inhibit the activity of a set of transcription factors called phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) by promoting PIF phosphorylation. PIFs act as a signaling node, linking the variation of light cues with elongation responses. Although the kinases that phosphorylates PIF are well studied, little is known about the phosphatases that mediate the opposite reaction. Xingbo Cai, a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas at Austin, identified two phosphatases that mediate PIF dephosphorylation and stability and are necessary to regulate hypocotyl elongation in red light.

Regulation of cell membranes by light signalsIf we think about an example of how phys shape plant physiology, the first thing popping into our minds is shade avoidance. Under a high risk of competition for light, plants trigger a set of changes in their morphology, typically enhancing the elongation of internodes and petioles, and in the case of seedlings, the hypocotyl. Prof. Christian Fankhauser (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) presented the latest results from his lab about the regulation of cell membranes by light signals. If you are going to elongate, you need more membranes, he said after showing how shade promotes lipid biosynthesis and autophagy to enhance hypocotyl elongation.

Source: http://www.blog.aspb.org.

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From plant biology 2022: following the light - hortidaily.com

Physiology

Heat Waves Are Feeling Hotter, And We’re Measuring Them Wrong, Too – ScienceAlert

While we all know things on Earth are generally getting hotter, heat isn't the only factor influencing how hot we actually feel.

Due to changing environmental conditions and quirks of our physiology, heatwaves are feeling up to 10C (18F) hotter than traditional measures imply, new research discovered.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) uses apparent temperature also called the heat index to measure what these environmental conditions feel like to us physiologically.

But the new weather extremes we're facing today have pushed the system's fringes to breaking point. In turn, the physiological responses of sweating and cooling would influence our brain's estimates of the relative temperature.

Physicist Robert Steadman calculated the heat index scale in 1979 by measuring how different temperatures impact the blood flow in our skin under different levels of humidity.

So at an average humidity of around 70 percent, a typical human body in the shade would experience 20C as 20C.

At higher temperatures, the body would increasingly rely on its evaporating sweat to cool down, making it feel hotter than it really was.

A temperature of around 30C, for example, might seem more like 34.5C. At elevated humidities, this disparity only worsens.

The humidity factor is one of the reasons the UK struggled with its recent heatwaves, even though it only reached temperatures other places in the world would consider fairly standard for summer.

The higher the humidity, the harder it is for our bodies to use sweat to cool us down through evaporative cooling. Our bodies also flush our blood through veins closer to our skin's surface to dissipate heat.

A study earlier this year found that we're even worse at tolerating combinations of high heat and humidity than we previously thought, with an upper-temperature limit of just 31C at full humidity.

And unfortunately for us, for every degree Celsius our atmosphere is warming, water vapor also increases by around 7 percent.

The NSW relies on the heat index to issue public warnings on a regular basis, and researchers use it to estimate the physiological impacts of future warming.

Under most circumstances, this measure accurately represents how these environmental conditions affect us. However, the heat index was never designed for the extremes of both heat and humidity we're facing today extremes that are becoming more severe and increasing in frequency.

For example, a relative humidity of 80 percent was only mapped physiologically for temperatures between 15-31C, but temperatures now rise above 32C for weeks at a time in some parts of the US.

Simply extending the calculations by applying the same formula to the more extreme conditions unfortunately does not match what happens physically to our bodies.

"Most of the time, the heat index that the National Weather Service is giving you is just the right value. It's only in these extreme cases where they're getting the wrong number," explains climate physicist David Romps from the University of California, Berkeley.

"When you start to map the heat index back onto physiological states and you realize, oh, these people are being stressed to a condition of very elevated skin blood flow where the body is coming close to running out of tricks for compensating for this kind of heat and humidity. So, we're closer to that edge than we thought we were before."

For the most sweltering days, we're now experiencing this measure is up to 10C off.

So earlier this year, Romps and UC Berkeley physicist Yi-Chuan Lu extended the heat index for all temperatures and all humidity levels by considering our physiology too.

"The original table had a very short range of temperature and humidity and then a blank region where Steadman said the human model failed," says Lu. "Steadman had the right physics. Our aim was to extend it to all temperatures so that we have a more accurate formula."

Steadman's model breaks when 100 percent humidity at the skin's surface prevents us from sweating further. By recognizing that we continue to replace the sweat that drips free as well, the formulae Steadman devised could be pushed into new limits of temperature and humidity.

"I'm no physiologist, but a lot of things happen to the body when it gets really hot," says Romps. "Diverting blood to the skin stresses the system because you're pulling blood that would otherwise be sent to internal organs and sending it to the skin to try to bring up the skin's temperature. The approximate calculation used by the NWS, and widely adopted, inadvertently downplays the health risks of severe heat waves."

In their newest paper, the team applied their updated heat index to the top 100 heat waves between 1984 and 2020. They identified the Midwest as the home to the most physiologically hazardous heat in the US, not the South as previously reported.

The soils of the Midwest were known to be moist during its most severe heatwaves, including a particularly severe one in July 1995 indicative of the high humidity that helped cause 465 deaths.

The old index suggested people would have experienced a 90 percent increase in their skin blood flow, whereas the new index now shows that it was more like a 170 percent increase. And this was for people in the shade.

As heat waves are already the top weather-related cause of death in the US, particularly impacting older adults and those who must work outside, and the conditions are only set to worsen, the heat index is a vital measure to get right.

"A 200F [93C] heat index is an upper bound of what is survivable," says Romps. "But now that we've got this model of human thermoregulation that works out at these conditions, what does it actually mean for the future habitability of the United States and the planet as a whole? There are some frightening things we are looking at."

This research was published in Environmental Research Letters.

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Heat Waves Are Feeling Hotter, And We're Measuring Them Wrong, Too - ScienceAlert

Physiology

UMHB’s Strength and Conditioning Education Program is the First in the Country to Receive Accreditation from CASCE – UMHB.edu

UMHBs Strength and Conditioning Education Program is the First in the Country to Receive Accreditation from CASCE

BELTON, TexasThe University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) is honored to announce that its Strength and Conditioning Education Program (SCEP) is the first in the country to receive accreditation from the Council of Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning (CASCE). UMHBs Strength and Conditioning Education Program is a concentration within the exercise physiology major.

According to the official letter from CASCE, this accreditation decision indicates the programs compliance with the CASCE Professional Standards and Guidelines. By achieving initial accreditation, the program has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and demonstrated its commitment to offering a measurable, accountable program, and of the highest quality in preparation for students pursuing careers in strength and conditioning.

At UMHB, the SCEP is offered in a Christian environment led by faculty who teach and mentor with integrity, sensitivity, and a commitment to excellence. The SCEP prepares undergraduate students to serve as leaders who demonstrate excellence in improving human performance, maximizing athlete safety and mastering athletes needs. The program provides an innovative and dynamic curriculum that reflects a scientific basis for understanding, contemporary strength and conditioning practice, exercise testing and technique, program design and program administration.

Its important that as a profession we standardize strength and conditioning education so we can optimize athlete peak performance, but more importantly, ensure athlete safety, explained Dr. Colin Wilborn, UMHBs executive dean for the Mayborn College of Health Sciences and director of the Strength and Conditioning Education Program. We could not be more honored to be recognized as the first program in the country to receive CASCE accreditation. This accreditation opens so many doors for the future of UMHBs exercise physiology graduates.

UMHB is at the forefront of exercise physiology education with its outstanding faculty, facilities and laboratories. Exercise physiology majors have opportunities to assist professors in cutting-edge nutritional, exercise, health and rehabilitation research in UMHBs state-of-the-art laboratories. The universitys exercise physiology major follows the guidelines established by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the leading membership organization for thousands of elite strength coaches, personal trainers and dedicated researchers and educators worldwide.

To learn more, visit Exercise Physiology | Health degree | UMHB.

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Physiology

Mangosteen Peel as Medicine – CU’s Faculty of Veterinary Science is Successful in Replicating Mangosteen Peel Extract, Treatment for Intestinal…

BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University has researched and replicated "Hydroxy-xanthones", the vital extracts rich in antioxidants found in mangosteen peels that kill germs and halt infections in the intestinal mucosa. It hopes to expand to include health products for humans and animals in the future.

Not only is "Mangosteen",the queen of Thai fruits, a delicious and healthy fruit, but its peel is also abundant with beneficial extracts. In days of old, local wisdom deemed mangosteen peel as a good cure for upset stomachs, inflammation on the skin, and cure wounds in animals. Today, there have been efforts to apply mangosteen peel extracts to various medicines and products such as plasters, gels, and surgical masks.

The benefits of mangosteen peel are even greater. Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee Poonyachoti of the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn Universityhas recently been successful in developing a substance that replicates the chemical structure of mangosteen peel extract that helps stall leakages in the intestine. Aside from its health benefits, the extract reduces the need for medication for both humans and animals.

Xanthones a natural substance in the mangosteen peel rich with benefits

Research on mangosteen peel enabled Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee to discover Xanthones, a substance in the Flavanol group that is effective in combatting or halting various types of inflammation with qualities such as anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-malarial and anti-oxidant.

With Xanthones' ability to reduce inflammation and destroy bacteria, a research project in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University was launched to develop and extract Xanthones in the form ofHydroxy XanthonesorHDXwith the highest efficacy for the health of humans and animals.

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"Extractions of mangosteen peels have brought about a variety of substances both beneficial and harmful. Moreover, they must go through a rather complicated process and we cannot control the quality of the extracts since it is dependent upon factors such as planting methods, use of fertilizer, climate, care, etc." Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee enumerated how the research project came about.

"We chose the method of analysis and sought to mimic the chemical structure of Xanthones from mangosteen peels, giving us the desired essential extracts which are easier to apply directly as part of adjuvants in medicines, foods, and other products and to control their efficacy in the best manner possible."

Leaky Gut Syndrome a cause of disease in both humans and animals

The leaky gut syndrome can lead to many diseases especially septicemia that can be hidden in human bodies. This happens when there is an abnormality in the functions of the intestines and the microvilli.

"If you can imagine how the cells in the microvilli work. They line up next to each other and are responsible for screening and controlling toxic substances, and bacteria that enter the bloodstream. When inflammation occurs, the cells cannot line up next to each other and function like a fortress, which makes it possible for toxic or foreign substances to enter the bloodstream. The condition is dangerous and must be treated before it is too late," she explained.

A leaky gut does not always show any symptoms or if it does it could affect other physical ailments such as overtiredness, fatigue, headaches, or other body aches without any clear indication of the causes.

"The cause is not clear but hypothesized to be the result of stress. If the symptom occurs in human beings, they can consult physicians right away. However, if this occurs in animals, it is harder to tell if they are sick."

Developing HDX into health products for humans and animals

This research is at the experimental stage to determine the quality of HDX's performance. It has been used in pig farms first before being experimented on human beings and larger and more diverse types of animals. As Associate Professor Dr. Suthasinee concluded, "In the future, HDX will experiment in adjuvants in a variety of products like medicines and food items to improve the quality of life of both humans and animals."

For the full release and more images, please visit: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/80450/

Read the full article at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464621004631

About Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University sets the standard as a university ofinnovations for society and is listed in the World's Top 100 Universities for Academic Reputation, in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)World University Rankings 2021.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Miss Thanita Wangvanichapan at (+66) 2218 3280 or email thanita.w@chula.ac.th

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Physiology

How long does it take to build muscle? – Livescience.com

Anyone who has ever tried to build their biceps or add bulk to their back will know the process is easier said than done but how long does it take to build muscle?

The answer depends on many variables, from training methods and calorie intake to the macronutrients provided by the foods you eat. Indeed, you can lift the best adjustable dumbbells (opens in new tab) all you want, but if you dont eat enough protein (opens in new tab) and utilize the progressive overload (opens in new tab) principle, then you wont be able to pack on mass.

But even optimizing the muscle-building (or hypertrophy (opens in new tab)) process isnt enough. Age, gender and genetics play their part in deciding how successful your bodybuilding exploits will be.

We spoke to exercise physiologist Bianca Grover to find out how long it takes to build muscle and to get advice on how to do it.

Bianca Grover is a certified exercise physiologist, medical exercise specialist and personal trainer. She holds several certifications and specializations from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association. Her specialities include functional training, strength training and orthapedic considerations.

There's no strict timeframe for how long it takes to build muscle. It all depends on the training regimen followed, nutritional adherence, rest, and so on, Grover says.

But, for a rough figure, she points to a 2018 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (opens in new tab) which explores the role of skeletal muscle damage and muscle protein synthesis.

According to this study, muscle growth can be seen after about 10 sessions, but only after about 18 sessions is significant muscle hypertrophy observed, says Grover.

The study says that increases in the size of the muscle in the early phase of resistance training (four or less sessions) is attributed to muscle damage-induced swelling. After 10 sessions, a modest magnitude of muscle hypertrophy ensues, and after around 18 workouts true muscle hypertrophy is observed.

However, 2017 research also published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (opens in new tab) concluded that significant increases in lean mass could be seen after just seven workout sessions, performed over the course of four weeks.

The study tasked 13 untrained men with performing dumbbell curls and shoulder presses twice per week for four weeks. They would complete 8 to 12 repetitions, working until they could not perform any more, and the weight was increased where appropriate as they progressed from session to session. Subjects also drank 500 milliliters of whole milk during training.

(You can also train different muscle fiber types to improve other elements of performance like endurance and power. To find out more, read our feature: What are the different muscle fiber types? (opens in new tab))

After the graft you put in to grow your hard-earned muscle, the last thing you want to consider is losing it (also known as atrophy). Unfortunately, a lack of muscle use, insufficient nutrient intake, or both can lead to that. Thankfully, though, it will take more than a missed gym session for this to occur.

Rates of atrophy typically vary depending on your current physical condition, says Grover. The more in shape you are, the longer it will take to atrophy, and the slower the rate will be.

However, typically after one week of little to no activity you can start to notice signs of atrophy.

A 2014 study into the impact of disuse on muscle size and strength - published in the Acta Physiologica (opens in new tab) journal found that even short periods of muscle disuse can cause substantial loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength.

This does refer to complete inactivity of the muscle, though, with the 24 study participants subjected to either five or 14 days of on-legged knee immobilization using a full leg cast. After just five days, leg lean mass had decreased.

If you're trying to bulk up, its important to know how to gain muscle (opens in new tab) in general.

When performing resistance training, small tears in the muscles are created by moving them through a range of motions under load, Grover explains. These tears are then repaired and built upon, using amino acids (protein) as building blocks.

In other words, muscle building relies on muscular effort (which is usually achieved through resistance or weight training (opens in new tab)) as well as adequate protein intake. We asked Grover to give some more insight on the best ways to target and grow muscle.

If you are looking to grow a specific muscle or group of muscles, also known as hypertrophy, you need to perform exercises that target them, says Grover.

The best approach is to remove the guesswork from your exercise program. You may think an exercise is focused on a specific muscle or group of muscles, but do you know for sure? Taking the time to do a little research into the exercises you are performing can make a big difference.

Grover gives the example of performing the leg press for glute muscle (opens in new tab) gains.

You may think your leg press routine is targeting your glutes, but the positioning of your feet may be targeting another muscle group altogether. If your feet are too low on the surface of the leg press, youre actually working primarily on your quads. Sliding your feet up will help readjust your focus on the intended muscle.

If you want to target your shoulder muscles, try these best exercises for shoulders (opens in new tab) recommended by Mitch Raynsford, a qualified strength and conditioning coach.

In order to grow muscles, you must put them under the proper amount of load, Grover says.

Or in other words, if the weight youre lifting or the number of repetitions you are completing does not challenge your muscles with the appropriate stimulus, they will not grow as efficiently.

When exercising for hypertrophy, generally you want to increase the weight and reduce the amount of repetitions. When talking about the weight used to exercise, also known as the load, fitness professionals measure it as a percentage of your one-rep max.

For muscle growth, you want to train using 75% of your one-rep max. This is a resistance that should allow you to complete eight to 10 reps at a time. If you cannot complete at least eight, or if the weight feels too light, adjust accordingly.

Training at higher and lower loads can stimulate muscle growth, but it is generally accepted that this load and an eight to 12 rep range is optimal for hypertrophy.

An American College of Sports Medicine (opens in new tab)review states: It is recommended that loads corresponding to one to 12 repetition maximum (RM) be used in periodized fashion with emphasis on the six to 12 RM zone using one to two minute rest periods between sets at a moderate velocity. Higher volume, multiple-set programs are recommended for maximizing hypertrophy.

Nutrition is a critical aspect of recovery and will play a big role in helping you build muscle, says Grover. There are several factors that come into play, including your protein source, protein quantity, carbohydrate intake, supplements and when you take all of these in.

Muscle hypertrophy occurs when muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown and results in positive net protein balance in cumulative periods, a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health says.

From the nutrition point of view, protein intake alongside resistance training is a potent stimulus for muscle protein synthesis.

Information published by the American College of Sports Medicine (opens in new tab) adds: People that exercise regularly also need to eat more protein than the recommended daily intake.

To increase muscle mass in combination with physical activity, it is recommended that a person that lifts weights regularly or is training for a running or cycling event eat a range of 1.2 to 1.7grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.

But other research suggests this figure could be higher. A 2017 study in The Journal of Nutrition (opens in new tab)looking at the protein needs of young male bodybuilders found the estimated average requirement of protein was 1.7g per kilogram of bodyweight, and the upper limit was 2.2g per kilo of bodyweight.

It's possible to get most of the protein you need from regular food sources, but if you need a helping hand you can look through our list of the best protein powders (opens in new tab).

This article is not meant to offer medical advice and readers should consult their doctor or healthcare professional before adopting any diet or exercise regime.

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How long does it take to build muscle? - Livescience.com

Physiology

New NSF-funded institute will probe biology in the absence of water – Carnegie Institution for Science

Palo Alto, CA Water is inextricably linked to our understanding of lifeit makes up most of our planets surface and organisms across the tree of life depend on it to function. Yet the ability to survive extremely dry conditions for long periods is crucial to the life cycles of many speciesincluding in plants, which can reproduce from desiccated pollen grains and grow from dried-out seeds.

There are some desert plants and micro-animals, like tardigrades, which can lose up to 90 percent of their water and resume normal biological function within hours of being rehydrated. We want to know how they do it, said Carnegies Sue Rhee, who was just awarded a $12.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to create a cross-disciplinary institute that will investigate this question.

Understanding the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms by which they accomplish this incredible hardiness could inform strategies for surviving climate change with minimal impact to the food supply and help identify conditions that could support life on other planets.

Called the Water and Life Interface Institute, or WALII (pronounced as wally), this new Carnegie-led initiative involving scientists from nine institutions will examine the interface of water and life among plants, animals, and fungi across four key areas:

Institute scientists will hail from a wide range of fields including molecular biophysics, computer science, genomics, and cellular and evolutionary biology, as well as plant biologists with expertise in seed physiology. Senior scientists, early career researchers, and both graduate and undergraduate students will comprise the team with a goal of producing a new generation of scientific leadership.

In addition to Carnegie, scientists from California State University Channel Islands, University of California Merced, the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Michigan State University, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Wyoming, and the Baylor College of Medicine are already committed to joining the institute.

WALII will prioritize inclusion of individuals from a diversity of backgrounds, which will bring an array of perspectives to the table and enhance our ability to undertake creative problem solving and tackle big questions from novel angles, Rhee said.

The initiative will also spearhead outreach and education activities to raise awareness of drought, water quality impairments, and climate change. Carnegie and University of Wyoming colleagues have already completed a pilot program teaching San Francisco-area children about tardigrades, which are among the most resilient animals in the world.

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New NSF-funded institute will probe biology in the absence of water - Carnegie Institution for Science

Physiology

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) as a Predictor of Severity of Sepsis in Patients Admitted to an Intensive Care Unit: A Cross-Sectional Study From North India -…

Background: Sepsis is a common clinical syndrome in critical patients in the medical intensive care unit. Many scoringsystems and biomarkers are introduced to detect unfavorable outcomes in sepsis patients. This study aims to identify pentraxin 3 (PTX3) as a predictor of sepsis in patients who are critically ill and admitted to intensive care units.

Materials and methods: This prospective observational survey purposively included 100 patients with sepsis identified by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines in the medical intensive care unit at one of the apex care centers in North India. Socio-demographic and clinical profiles were collected using a structured and validated checklist. Simple and multi-linear regression analyses were used to determine PTX3 as a predictor of sepsis.

Results: A total of 100 patients were prospectively observed. Among them, 61% were males, and 39% were females, with a mean age of 50.78 (13.53) years. From nine potential predictors, lactate (95% CI: 1.048-1.890, B: 1.469, p < 0.001), procalcitonin (95% CI: 0.136-0.270, B: 0.203, p < 0.001), andSOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) scores (95% CI: 0.112-0.450, B: 0.281, p = 0.001) significantly predictthe changes in PTX3 level (R-square: 0.842, adjusted R-square:0.826) in patients.

Conclusions: PTX3was found to correlate with the severity of sepsis as SOFA scoreand other markers like lactate, procalcitonin, and APACHE-II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) score.

Sepsis is one of the most common clinical syndromes caused by systemic infection and often leads to a lethal outcome in critically ill patients. The Global Sepsis Alliance recommendation defined sepsis as a condition of life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by the dysregulated host response to infection. It has been a significant cause of intensive care unit admission worldwide.Sepsis results from the complicated interactions between the host immune system and infecting viruses and bacteria [1]. The mortality associated with sepsis is significant around the globe and is more than breast and lung cancer altogether. Furthermore, a lack of specific treatment for sepsis results in higher incidence and many complications, including septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and death. Multiorgan dysfunction and septic shock are the most common cause of mortality in patients with sepsis [2].

Further, diagnosing sepsis remains a significant challenge for health professionals considering concurrent organ support, organ dysfunction, treatment before admission, and lack of a "gold standard" diagnostic test. Over the advancement in medical sciences, many scoring systems were introduced as a surrogate for organ dysfunction risk prediction for patients with proven or suspected infection, including SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) and APACHE-II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II), to determine the degree of organ dysfunction and severity of disease in chronically ill patients [3-5]. Likewise, many biomarkers have been proposed for risk prediction in severely ill patients. Procalcitonin (PCT) [6], serum lactate [7], and cytokines are studied in patients with sepsis and shock. The inflammatory process in the body leads cytokines to produce higher PCT from the liver and mononuclear cells and subsequently increases the level in the body [8].

Higher levels of plasma lactate have been considered an essential indicator of hemodynamic stability. Breakthrough work has been conducted on the role of serum lactate on the survival of critically ill patients, reflecting a higher level of lactate decreases survival. Earlier research on hemodynamically stable patients reported a higher lactate level in non-survivors of emergencies. A higher lactate level is common among chronically ill patients and is recommended as a reliable marker of illness severity and death [9,10].

Pentraxin 3(PTX3) isan acute-phase protein that represents the subfamily of long pentraxin [11]. Ithas been found to have a strong association with the severity of infection and inflammation. The inflammatory process initiates the secretion of PTX3 in monocytes, endothelial cells, and dendritic or neutrophils [12].

Numerous studies done to date have noticed that PTX3 has an excellent diagnostic value in sepsis. PTX3 as a biomarker of sepsis, and its diagnostic utility in northern Indian tertiary care setup, would help us evaluate the future scope in patients with sepsis. A crunch of studies, none to the best of our knowledge, in the Indian subcontinent further emphasizes the need to assess the diagnostic utility of PTX3 inpatients with sepsis. Therefore, we decided to conduct a survey to correlate serum PTX3 levels with the severity of sepsis.

This is a cross-sectional studyconducted over 18 months at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh, a tertiary healthcare center in Uttarakhand, India.

The minimum sample size required for the study was estimated by using Fishers transformation formula, which came out to be 95. However, the authors decided to enroll 100 patients consecutively at the in-patient department of general medicine. The patients fulfilling the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines and willing to write consent were included till the sample size was achieved. Patients who were on steroid therapy, diagnosed with immunodeficiency disorders, pregnant, and diagnosed with tuberculosis and acute coronary artery disease were excluded from the study (Figure 1).

Socio-demographic details and baseline investigations were recorded using a structured and validated checklist. SOFA score and APACHE-II scores were calculated. PCT was measured by chemiluminescence on the Advia Centaur instrument (Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany), and lactate was measured by arterial blood sample using a blood gas analyzer (ABL800, Radiometer, Copenhagen, Denmark). Blood samples were collected into plain and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) vials. All the blood samples were subjected to centrifugation at 2500g for 10 minutes at 4C within 30 minutes of blood sampling.Plasma and serum got separated and aliquoted. The aliquoted samples were collected and stored until analysis at -80C. Pentraxin was analyzed by Sandwich ELISA (ImmunoTag, St. Louis, MO) following the manufacturers instruction after obtaining a satisfactory standard curve.

The Institutional Ethics Committee of All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh (AIIM/IEC) approved the project (AIIMS/IEC/20/575). Written informed consent was obtained from each participant before enrolling in the study. Participants were ensured to protect privacy and confidentiality at each stage of research.

Data were transferred to a Microsoft Excel sheet (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA) and analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Frequency, percentage, means, and standard deviation(SD) were used to describe the patients characteristics. Categorical variables were represented as proportions. Continuous or discrete variables were reported using means and SD. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to find the correlation between PTX3 and other continuous variables considering the non-normal distribution of the variables. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the distribution of mean PTX3 levels with genders. Simple andmultivariate regression analyses were done to find out whether PTX3 is a predictor of sepsis level. All test statistics were measured at p < 0.05 level (two-tailed).

A total of 100 participants were included in the study; among them, 61.0% were males and 39% were females. The mean age of the patients was 50.78 (SD = 13.53) years. Of the participants, 63% had one or more comorbidities, 21% had only diabetes mellitus, 21% had only hypertension, and 21% had both hypertension and diabetes mellitus (Appendix A). The mean SOFA score was 8.94 (SD = 2.86), the mean APACHE-II score was 14.48 (SD = 5.05), and the mean PXT3 value was 5.24 (SD = 3.38) ng/ml. Further, the PXT3 level did not show any significant difference with comorbidity status (p = 0.134) (Appendix B). Similarly, results show no significant difference in PXT3 levels among males and females (U = 982, p = 0.142). Serum lactate (r = 0.661, p < 0.001) and PCT (r = 0.663, p < 0.001) reported significant association with SOFA scores (Table 1).

Considering the non-normal distribution of PXT3 among patients, Spearmans rho test was applied to find an association with the SOFA scores. The findings show a significant positive correlation of PXT3 with the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2), lactate, PCT, and blood urea. Further, the PXT3 level reported a significant positive relationship with the SOFA score (r = 0.722) and APACHE-II scores (r = 0.393) (Table 2).

Simple linear regression analysis depicted that out of nine potential variables, seven variables, includingFiO2 (p < 001), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) (p = 0.004), PCO2 (p = 0.034), PCT(p < 0.001, R-square, 0.657), lactate (R-square, 0.635), SOFA (p < 0.001, R-square 0.610), and APACHE-II(p < 0.001), highly predicted the change in PXT3 (Table 3 and Figure 2).

Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to combine the cumulative effect of significant variables of simple linear regression. Findings reported that lactate (95% CI: 1.048-1.890, B: 1.469, p <0.001), PCT (95% CI: 0.136-0.270, B: 0.203, p < 0.001), and SOFA score (95% CI: 0.112-0.450, B: 0.281, p = 0.001) significantly predictthe change in PXT3 level (R-square: 0.842; adjusted R-square: 0.826)(Table 4).

Sepsis is a major cause of mortalityworldwide, especially in developing countries, including India, considering the lack of protocolized care and crunch of resources [13]. It remains the major cause of mortality among critically ill patients. It has been demonstrated in previous work that early identification and protocol-based treatment of severe sepsis can improve the survival of patients.In recent years, there are many novel biomarkers, including PTX3, C-reactive protein (CRP), PCT, and plasma PTX3, that are identified to early anticipate sepsis and plan treatment [14]. However, none of the single biomarkers is ideal and helpful in identifying critically ill patients with their respective drawbacks.This study analyzed the PTX3 level in critically ill patients with sepsis and its correlation with lactate and PCT and critical illness index, includingSOFA score and APACHE-II score.

The mean age of participants (n = 100) was 50.78 (13.524) years with a predominantly male population. The proportion of participants with either hypertension or diabetes only was equal. The mean arterial blood pressure of the patients was 67.01 (10.518) mmHg. Most patients had lungs as the source of infection, followed by abdominal infection and urinary tract infection. These findings were in line with most of the trials,including those byChatterjee et al., which were done in India where 53% of participants had lungs as the primary source [15]. Other sites included skin, bacteremia, etc., which were less commonly seen in our setting. Of 100 participants, only 68 had positive cultural results. Most of them had gram-negative bacteria in their culture, which included Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella species.

The relevant laboratory parameters were measured, and the SOFA score and APACHE-II score were calculated. We analyzed the relationship between PTX3 and various laboratory parameters. We observed that blood pH and PaO2have a negative correlation with PTX3, whereas FiO2, PCO2, lactate, PCT, and blood urea had a positive correlation with PTX3.

The primary objective of the study was toanalyze PTX3 levelsand see the correlation with SOFA scores.The study findings reported that lactateand PCT show a significant correlation with PTX3 in the studied cohort. These findings are in accord with several previously published studies that reported a significant relationship of PTX3 with lactate and PCT[16,17].

The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3) recommended measuring lactate levels for septic shock [18]. It has been suggested that serum lactate levels canbe used to screen for sepsis among adults with clinical suspicion of sepsis. Several studies were conducted toassess the use of lactate in this context [19,20]. We have also included lactate in our study, inwhich lactate was found to correlate with SOFA score, which is similar to the study done by Liu et al. in 2019 [16]. In ourstudy, we have also found that PTX3 is positively correlated with lactate (p = 0.000). This is in line with a previous prospective study done byHu et al. [14]. However, serum lactate alone is neither sensitive nor specific to rule in or rule out the diagnosis of sepsis on its own. Thetestingof lactate may not be available in resource-limited settings [21]. Hence, it was given as a weak recommendation to use lactate levels in serum as an adjunctive test to detect the probability of sepsis in patients with suspected but not confirmed sepsis.

PCT fulfills the needfor high diagnostic accuracy in detecting sepsis, which is needed to be used as a biomarker, especially in comparison to conventional. PCT alonecannot identify specific pathogens of sepsis, but the level of PCT might be useful to estimate the probability of severe bacterial infection [22].We measured the level of PCT of all the participants, the mean of which was 9.7 (SD: 6.4), and it was found to correlate with the SOFA score.

A prospective study done by Sudhir et al. depicted thatthere was a significant association between PCTand SOFA score [23]. But in a retrospective cohort study done by Yunus et al., there was a weak correlation between PCT and SOFA score [24].In our study, PTX3 has a significant positive correlation with PCT with a p-valueof 0.000 (r = 0.856), which is similar to the previous study[25].

APACHE-II scoreis one of the scoring systems used to determinethe severity of disease and predict the mortality of sepsis patients. Hillet al., in a pilot study, found thatPTX3 levels were increased in patients with sepsis and are related to APACHE-II scores when plotted according to the APACHE-II score quartile [26]. Our study found that PTX3levels are correlating significantly with the APACHE-II score (p = 0.00).

We didmultistep-wise forward linear regression analysis and interestingly we found that the best individual marker to predict PTX3 is PCT with an R-squareof 0.657 andan adjusted R-square of 0.654, with p = 0.00. The predictability increased with PCT and lactate together with an R-square of 0.808 and an adjustedR-square of0.804 significantly (p = 0.00). The predictability of PTX3 is further increased with PCT, lactate, and SOFA scores together significantly with an R-square of 0.830 and an adjusted R-square of 0.825.

The efficacy of PTX3 as a biomarker tool in sepsis has been demonstrated in the work of many studies. In the Albumin Italian Outcome Sepsis (ALBIOS) trial, which is a multi-centric trial done on 1818 patients,it was found thatPTX3levels areelevated in severe sepsisandcorrelate significantlywith prevalent and incident organ failures [27].Similarly, in a prospective study done by Uusitalo-Seppl et al., it was found that measuring PTX3 level at admission highly predicts severe sepsis and case fatality [28]. Lee et al., in a meta-analysis, found that PTX3 significantly predicts the severity of the diseaseand mortality in sepsis [29].

Hamed et al. conducted the Mannheim Sepsis Study, which is a prospective, monocentric study done on 217 intensive care unit patients, included according to the latest Sepsis-3 definitions. This study demonstrated that PTX3 exhibits potential diagnostic value in comparison to CRPand interleukin-6, and PTX3 is correlating with SOFA score [12].

Albeit, PCT is a promising marker of infectionand due to its early rise and short half-life, the studies are heterogeneous and lackconsensus. Lactate is a marker detecting endogenous catecholamine release. Patients who are maintaining their blood pressure due to a vigorous catecholamine response may have deceptively reassuring vital signs and maskthe catecholamine-dependent shock. Elevated lactate identifies these patients having occult shock who are more at risk of adverse outcomes so each of the three biomarkers plays a crucial role in helping the management of sepsis.

Akin to most of the studies, we found that PTX3 correlates with disease severity scores SOFA and APACHE-II. PTX3 is also correlating significantly with PCT and lactate, biomarkers found to be effective in sepsis for ages. We also found that PCT, lactate, andSOFA scores togetherpredicted PTX3 significantly, and the predictability is better than individual components. Among PCT, lactate, and SOFA score, the best predictor of PTX3 is PCT. PTX3, in combination with established other markers, might improve the correlation with sepsis severity and needs to be studied.

Hence, the novel marker PTX3 with its advantages needs to be considered and to be studied in future studies, as sepsis is one of the most common causes of mortality in humankind, which should be emphasized.

Thisis a single-centerstudy, and we have not included the mortality data; hence, an association between PTX3 and mortality cannot be established. In this survey, we measured PTX3 once, which may not be sufficient to conclude, and the authors recommend a longitudinal large-scale study to understand the exact role of PTX3 in sepsis development and other health consequences. A multi-centric randomized controlled trial might recheck the results of the present work. A study with a higher sample size is recommended to improve generalizability over other similar populations.

Currently, the accuracy of various biomarkers in sepsis and septic shock and their correlation with severity has thrown open wide conflicting results with many studies showing different results. PTX3was analyzed and studied according to the latest Sepsis-3 guidelines in our study and was found to correlate with the severity of sepsis as SOFA scoreand other markers like lactate and PCT along with APACHE-II score.Our study did not permit us to rush to the conclusion of whether PTX3 is a better marker compared to other biomarkers in sepsis in use now. It raised the question of whether PTX3 can be used as a tool in sepsis for early detection. To find a definitive answer, larger randomized control trials are needed.

The study correlated PTX3 levels with PCT and lactate, which are age-old markers established in sepsis, unlike other new markers. Second multi-stepwise forward linear regression analysis was done to see better predictors of PTX3, adjunctively demonstrating its correlation with sepsis. Henceforth, novel biomarkers such as PTX3 in combination with lactate, PCT, and SOFA score might be helpful to improve the risk stratification of patientswith sepsis.

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Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) as a Predictor of Severity of Sepsis in Patients Admitted to an Intensive Care Unit: A Cross-Sectional Study From North India -...