No / Although ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel openers, e.g., minoxidil and diazoxide, can induce hair growth, their mechanisms require clarification. Improved drugs are needed clinically. but the absence of a good bioassay hampers research. K(ATP) channels from various tissues contain subtypes of the regulatory sulfonylurea receptor, SUR, and pore-forming, K(+) inward rectifier subunits, Kir6.X, giving differing sensitivities to regulators. Therefore, the in vitro effects of established potassium channel openers and inhibitors (tolbutamide and glibenclamide), plus a novel, selective Kir6.2/SUR1 opener, NNC 55-0118, were assessed on deer hair follicle growth in serum-free median without streptomycin. Minoxidil (0.1-100 microM, p<0.001), NNC 55-0118 (1 mM, p<0.01; 0.1, 10, 100 microM, p<0.001), and diazoxide (10 microM, p<0.01) increased growth. Tolbutamide (1 mM) inhibited growth (p<0.001) and abolished the effect of 10 microM minoxidil, diazoxide and NNC 55-0118; glibenclamide (10 microM) had no effect, but prevented stimulation by 10 microM minoxidil. Phenol red stimulated growth (p<0.001), but channel modulator responses remained unaltered. Thus, deer follicles offer a practical, ethically advantageous in vitro bioassay that reflects clinical responses in vivo. The results indicate direct actions of K(ATP) channel modulators within hair follicles via two types of channels, with SUR 1 and SUR 2, probably SUR2B, sulfonylurea receptors.

Syfte: Att genom en litteraturstudie jämföra Schirmers tårtest (STT) och fenolröd tråd (PRTT), för att se hur god korrelation det är mellan de två testerna vid diagnostisering av torra ögon. Metod: Analysera och jämföra studier med hjälp av olika artiklar. Dessa artiklar har hittats genom sökning i databasen Google scholar med sökfraserna schirmer´s test versus phenol red thread och tear test correlations. Fem relevanta artiklar valdes ut för närmare granskning. Resultat: Det har framkommit varierande resultat angående huruvida det finns en god korrelation mellan Schirmers tårtest och fenolröd tråd. Slutsats: Efter att ha tittat närmare på de fem studierna så kan man konstatera att det behövs ytterligare studier av testerna Schirmers tårtest och fenolröd tråd, dessutom behövs det gemensamma gränser för vad som är torra ögon. När det gäller korrelationen mellan Schirmers tårtest och fenolröd tråd så är det svårt att ta ställning till det eftersom alla studier har olika urvalskriterier. / Objective: This literature review is a comparison of the Schirmer's tear test (STT) and the Phenol Red Thread Test (PRTT). The aim of the review is to find out if there was a good correlation between the two tests regarding diagnosing dry eye disease. Method: Analyze and compare studies using different articles. These articles were found by searching the Google Scholar. The search phrases were Schirmer´s test versus phenol red thread and tear test correlations. Five relevant articles were selected for further review. Results: There have been varying results regarding whether there is a good correlation between Schirmer's tear test and Phenol Red Thread. Conclusion: After a closer look at the five studies, it can be concluded that further studies of the Schirmer's tear test and Phenol Red Thread are required, in addition, there is a need of common cutoffs for diagnosing dry eye disease. It is hard to find a correlation between Schirmer's tear test and Phenol Red Thread, since all studies use different criteria for inclusion.

Amoebic dysenteri is a problem in developing countries and is caused by Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and in worse case extra intestinal manifestation. Currently there are difficulties to diagnose E. histolytica infections in developing countries because PCR requires advanced and expensive and microscopy cannot distinguish E. histolytica from other harmless species of amoebas. The aim of this study was therefore to develop loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), which is similar to PCR but is performed at a single temperature and amplifies the target gene in less than an hour. LAMP was also compared to real time PCR. With a commercial kit, DNA were extracted from cultivated trophozoites and for the LAMP reaction, a colorimetric mastermix and six primers were used designed from 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. With phenol red positive LAMP reactions showed a color change from pink to yellow and negative LAMP reactions remained pink. The sensitivity of LAMP for detection of E. histolytica was determined to be 80 pg/µl, which was ten times less sensitive than real time-PCR. The method was also shown to work on trophozoites with no DNA extraction and no non-specific amplifications were seen with DNA from G. lamblia, which showed some specificity. LAMP proved to be sensitive and easy to work with, but requires tightly closed tubes to avoid contamination and false positive results. To develop and evaluate the method LAMP for detection of E. histolytica, more studies are needed, including clinical samples and optimization.