Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Eliciting The Low-Activity Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Asian Phenotype By An Antisense Mechanism Results In An Aversion To Ethanol., E Garver, Tu Gc, Q N Cao, M Aini, F Zhou, Y Israel

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

A mutation in the gene encoding for the liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2-2), present in some Asian populations, lowers or abolishes the activity of this enzyme and results in elevations in blood acetaldehyde upon ethanol consumption, a phenotype that greatly protects against alcohol abuse and alcoholism. We have determined whether the administration of antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (ASOs) can mimic the low-activity ALDH2-2 Asian phenotype. Rat hepatoma cells incubated for 24 h with an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO-9) showed reductions in ALDH2 mRNA levels of 85% and ALDH2 (half-life of 22 h) activity of 55% equivalent to a >90% inhibition in ALDH2 …

Impact Of Smoking On The Outcome Of Anterior Cervical Arthrodesis With Interbody Or Strut-Grafting., Alan Hilibrand, Mark A. Fye, Sanford E. Emery, Mark A. Palumbo, Henry H. Bohlman

Rothman Institute Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: An increased rate of pseudarthrosis has been documented following posterolateral lumbar spine grafting in patients who smoke. This same relationship has been assumed for anterior cervical interbody grafting, but to our knowledge it has never been proven. This study compared the long-term radiographic and clinical results of smokers and nonsmokers who had undergone arthrodesis with autogenous bone graft following multi-level anterior cervical decompression for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy, or both.

METHODS: One hundred and ninety patients were followed clinically and radiographically for at least two years (range, two to fifteen years). Fifty-nine of the patients had …