Intravenous iron treatment in pregnancy: comparison of high-dose ferric carboxymaltose vs. iron sucrose

Oral iron substitution has shown to be insufficient for treatment of severe iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy. Ferric carboxymaltose is a new intravenous (i.v.) iron formulation promising to be more effective and as safe as iron sucrose. We aimed to assess side effects and tolerance of ferric carboxymaltose compared to i.v. iron sucrose in pregnant women.

Safety and efficacy of high-dose intravenous iron carboxymaltose vs. iron sucrose for treatment of postpartum anemia

The purpose of this study is to compare the safety and efficacy of intravenous (IV) high-dose iron carboxymaltose (ICM) with iron sucrose (IS) for the treatment of postpartum anemia.

Oral sucrose and "facilitated tucking" for repeated pain relief in preterms: a randomized controlled trial

To test the comparative effectiveness of 2 nonpharmacologic pain-relieving interventions administered alone or in combination across time for repeated heel sticks in preterm infants.

Effect of exercise on the mobilization of retinol and retinyl esters in plasma of sled dogs

Fasting dogs do transport vitamin A (VA) in plasma not only as retinol but predominantly as retinyl esters. Contrary to retinol, nothing is known concerning the effects of athletic performance on plasma retinyl ester concentrations. The aim of this study was therefore to examine whether physical stress because of exercise and modification of the oxidative stress by supplementation of alpha-tocopherol influences the concentrations of retinol and retinyl esters in plasma of sled dogs. The study was carried out on 41 trained adult sled dogs, which were randomly assigned into two groups. One group (19 dogs) was daily substituted with 50 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate per kilogram body weight and the control group (22 dogs) was maintained on a basal diet during 3 months prior to exercise. The plasma concentrations of retinol, retinyl esters, alpha-tocopherol and triglycerides were measured immediately before, directly after and 24 h after exercise. The supplementation of alpha-tocopheryl acetate had no effect on plasma retinol and retinyl ester concentrations at any measurement time point. However, retinyl ester levels doubled in the non-supplemented group immediately after the race (p < 0.001), whereas in the supplemented group similar high levels were observed not until 24 h post-racing (p < 0.001). The high levels of retinyl esters were paralleled to some extent by an increase in plasma triglyceride concentrations, which were significantly higher 24 h post-racing than immediately before (p < 0.001) and after exercise (p < 0.001) in both groups. The increase in retinyl ester concentrations might be indicative of their mobilization from liver and adipose tissue. Whether plasma retinyl esters can be used as an indicator for the extent of nutrient mobilization during and post-exercise in sled dogs remains to be elucidated.

Levels of retinol and retinyl esters in plasma and urine of dogs with urolithiasis

Vitamin A (VA) deficiency and Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP), a protein that binds retinol and retinyl esters in canine urine, might be involved in the pathogenesis of urolithiasis in dogs. In the present study, we assessed levels of retinol, retinyl esters, retinol-binding protein (RBP) and THP in plasma and urine of dogs with a history of urolithiasis (n = 25) compared with clinically healthy controls (n = 18). Plasma retinol concentrations were higher in dogs with uroliths of struvit (P < 0.01), calcium oxalate (P < 0.05), urate (P < 0.01) and cysteine, but there were no differences in the concentrations of plasma RBP and retinyl esters. Excretion of urinary retinol and retinyl esters were tentatively, but not significantly higher in the stone-forming groups, which was accompanied by increased levels of urinary RBP (P < 0.01) and lower excretions in THP (P < 0.01). The results show that VA deficiency may be excluded as a potential cause for canine urolithiasis. However, the occurrence of RBP and a concomitant reduction of THP in urine indicates a disturbed kidney function as cause or consequence of stone formation in dogs.

Determination of fatty acid ethyl esters in dried blood spots by LC-MS/MS as markers for ethanol intake: application in a drinking study.

The forensic utility of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in dried blood spots (DBS) as short-term confirmatory markers for ethanol intake was examined. An LC-MS/MS method for the determination of FAEEs in DBS was developed and validated to investigate FAEE formation and elimination in a drinking study, whereby eight subjects ingested 0.66-0.84 g/kg alcohol to reach blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.8 g/kg. Blood was taken every 1.5-2 h, BAC was determined, and dried blood spots were prepared, with 50 μL of blood, for the determination of FAEEs. Lower limits of quantitation (LLOQ) were between 15 and 37 ng/mL for the four major FAEEs. Validation data are presented in detail. In the drinking study, ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate proved to be the two most suitable markers for FAEE determination. Maximum FAEE concentrations were reached in samples taken 2 or 4 h after the start of drinking. The following mean peak concentrations (c̅ max) were reached: ethyl myristate 14 ± 4 ng/mL, ethyl palmitate 144 ± 35 ng/mL, ethyl oleate 125 ± 55 ng/mL, ethyl stearate 71 ± 21 ng/mL, total FAEEs 344 ± 91 ng/mL. Detectability of FAEEs was found to be on the same time scale as BAC. In liquid blood samples containing ethanol, FAEE concentrations increase post-sampling. This study shows that the use of DBS fixation prevents additional FAEE formation in blood samples containing ethanol. Positive FAEE results obtained by DBS analysis can be used as evidence for the presence of ethanol in the original blood sample. Graphical Abstract Time courses for fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) concentrations in DBS and ethanol concentrations for subject 1 over a period of 7 h. Ethanol ingestion occured during the first hour of the time course.