褪黑素介导抗炎、抗氧化、抗骨质疏松作用在椎间盘退变修复中的研究进展

目前,椎间盘退行性疾病（disc degeneration disease,DDD）已成为临床上中老年人的常见病,且发病年龄有年轻化趋势。椎间盘退变（intervertebral disc degeneration,IDD）是指椎间盘（intervertebral disc,IVD）在内外部因素共同作用下引起的老化、退化等一系列生理、病理过程,被认为是DDD的基本病理过程,是引发患者腰痛的主要原因,因此修复IDD是治疗DDD的重点。IDD过程中伴随着炎症介质的产生、炎症相关信号通路的活化以及氧化应激的发生。褪黑素作为一种吲哚类激素,具有显著的抗炎及抗氧化作用,近年来受到研究者关注,越来越多的研究表明褪黑素对IVD具有保护作用,对治疗骨质疏松症（osteoporosis,OP）也有一定的作用,其有望成为IDD修复的治疗药物。笔者拟对褪黑素在椎间盘退变修复中的最新研究进展做一综述,以期为后续研究及IDD的早期药物干预和修复治疗策略提供思路。     

红藤汤对小鼠溃疡性结肠炎的保护作用及机制探究

目的:观察红藤汤对葡聚糖硫酸钠(dextran sulphate sodium,DSS)诱导的溃疡性结肠炎小鼠的抗炎和抗氧化作用,分析红藤汤对溃疡性结肠炎的保护机制。方法:SPF级BALB/c小鼠30只,随机分成3组(n=10):对照组(C组)、DSS诱导的溃疡性结肠炎模型组(M组)、红藤汤治疗组(H组)。C组自由饮水,M组和H组采用自由饮用4%的DSS建立溃疡性结肠炎模型,H组从造模第1天起开始给药,连续给药10天后,采集动脉血检测TNF-α和IL-6的浓度,行结肠组织病理学评分,比色法测定MDA量及SOD和GSH-Px活性,Western blotting检测ERK1/2、P-ERK1/2、JNK、P-JNK及GADPH蛋白的表达量。结果:与M组比较,H组的结肠病理学评分和血清中炎症因子(TNF-α和IL-6)含量显著降低(P<0.05);结肠组织中MDA的含量降低(P<0.05),而SOD和GSH-Px活性升高(P<0.05),P-ERK1/2和P-JNK的表达水平也明显下调(P<0.05)。结论:红藤汤对DSS诱导的小鼠溃疡性结肠炎有保护作用,可以上调抗氧化基因,减少自由基的生成,重建氧化还原平衡,其作用机制可能与抑制JNK和ERK1/2信号通路的活化,减少炎症因子生成有关。     

炎琥宁注射液联合双歧三联活菌胶囊对小儿轮状病毒性肠炎心肌酶谱的影响

目的：探讨炎琥宁注射液联合双歧三联活菌胶囊对小儿轮状病毒性肠炎(rotavirus enteritis, RVE)患儿心肌酶谱的影响。方法将符合入选标准的146例RVE患儿采用随机数字表法分为2组,每组73例。对照组在常规治疗基础上服用双歧杆菌三联活菌胶囊;观察组在对照组基础上加用炎琥宁注射液。2组均治疗5 d。采用ELISA法检测血清IL-17、IL-6、TNF-?、LDH、肌酸激酶(creatine kinase, CK)和CKMB,评价临床疗效。结果治疗后,观察组血清IL-17[(22.35±4.21)ng/ml比(30.24±6.07)ng/ml, t＝2.395]、IL-6[(31.26±6.14)ng/ml 比(43.72±8.22)ng/ml,t＝2.347]、TNF-?[(35.62±6.24)ng/ml 比(49.18±8.72)ng/ml,t＝2.421]水平,以及血清 LDH[(135.16±31.25)U/L 比(174.08±40.22)U/L,t＝2.373]、CK[(37.82±7.39)U/L 比(50.21±11.16)U/L , t＝2.385]、CKMB[(90.14±11.63)U/L 比(113.22±18.35)U/L , t＝2.392]水平均低于对照组(P＜0.05)。观察组总有效率为94.5%(69/73)、对照组为83.6%(61/73),2组比较差异有统计学意义(χ2＝2.352,P＝0.047)。结论炎琥宁注射液联合双歧三联活菌胶囊可降低RVE患儿炎症因子水平,减轻心肌损伤,提高临床疗效。     

中西医治疗糖尿病周围神经病变研究进展

对于糖尿病周围神经病变的治疗,中医以"络以通为用"为治疗原则,在改善临床症状,阻止DPN进一步恶化,减少截肢率方面,都有很好的疗效。西医可以有效控制血糖、血压,弥补了中药不能快速降糖降压之不足,对防止DPN的发生和发展起了重要作用。中西医结合治疗具有一定互补优势,疗效确切,但其作用机制尚不明确,需进一步加强实验研究,明确中医药作用机理,提高临床疗效。     

Melatonin prevents deterioration of erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats via sirtuin-1 expression

A review of the literature indicated that sirtuin-1 expression, a regulator of nitric oxide bioavailability in erectile dysfunction (ED) after melatonin therapy, has not yet been investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of melatonin for erectile function with sirtuin-1 protein expression in type 1 diabetic rat models. Fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were placed into five groups. Except for those in the control group (C), each animal received a single dose (60 mg/kg) of streptozotocin to induce diabetes. The animals were placed into the diabetes (D) group, insulin (I) group (6 U/kg/day), melatonin (Mel) group (10 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) and combined treatment (I + Mel) group. Ten weeks later, the serum testosterone levels, intracavernosal pressure (ICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), malondialdehyde (MDA), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (c-GMP), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), caspase-3 activity, sirtuin-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression and histological findings were assessed. The mean ICP/MAP ratio for the D group was lower than the mean ratios for the other groups. The treatment groups, particularly the I + Mel group, exhibited lower 8-OHdG and MDA levels and caspase-3 activity than the D group. The sirtuin-1 and eNOS expression and cavernosal tissue (CT) histology seemed to have been preserved by the melatonin and/or insulin therapy. These results were indicative of a profound protective effect of melatonin by the activation of sirtuin-1 protein expression against hyperglycemia-induced oxidative CT injury.     

Identification of phenolic constituents and antioxidant activity of Aloe barbadensis flower extracts

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) has been used as topical and oral therapeutic. This research highlights the phenolic constituents’ profile and antioxidant activity of 70% ethanol extracts of Aloe vera flower for the first time. The ethanol-based extracts showed the inhibition for linoleic acid oxidation and free radical-induced DNA damage. Among about 11 phenolic constituents of the extract, identified by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the content of vanillic acid was highest, corresponding to strong antioxidant activities of the extract. The extracts elevated superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase enzymes activities in the liver tissue of hydrogen peroxide-treated BALB/c mice. The radical-scavenging activities of the extracts were well-correlated to the total phenolic content. Therefore, Aloe bardadensis flower might be an effective source of natural antioxidant.     

Impaired oxidative status as a potential predictor in clinical manifestations of herpes zoster

Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants, is related to many dermatologic diseases. Increased reactive oxygen species is also associated with various decreased T‐cell immune responses. The incidence and severity of herpes zoster (HZ), which is caused by the reactivation of varicella ‐ zoster virus, increase with age because of declining cell‐mediated immunity. The main purpose of this study was to assess the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with HZ compared with control subjects. In this case‐control study, the serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and total polyphenol content (TPC) in 43 patients with HZ and 47 age‐matched controls were determined, and their biomarker patterns were compared. TAC and TPC levels were significantly lower in patients with HZ; however, TOS and oxidative stress index levels were significantly higher in comparison with the control (P < .001). In addition, a signi?cantly strong negative correlation was found between TAC and TPC with TOS levels in patients with HZ (r = ?.79, P < .001; r = ?.81, P < .001, respectively). Our findings showed an oxidative stress imbalance in HZ. Whether this change correlates with HZ pathogenesis or is a consequence of the inflammatory response to HZ needs more investigation.     

Human phagocytic cell response to histamine derived from potential probiotic strains of Lactobacillus reuteri

Histamine derived from lactobacilli isolates is considered to be a potential immunomodulator able to interact with the host immune system. We tested the effect of pure histamine (0.413?mM) together with the effect of cell-culture supernatants (CCS) containing different concentration of histamine produced by two of Lactobacillus reuteri isolates on the activities of antioxidant enzyme, as well as on the phagocytic activity of human leucocytes (HL). Phagocytic activity represents the non-specific immune response of HL homogenate, in vitro. Analysed histamine-producers were represented by a goatling isolate named L. reuteri KO5 and a lamb isolate named L. reuteri E and histamine production was determined using HPLC method connected with UV detection. Concretely, the samples contained the mixture of isolated HL and the addition of lactobacilli CCS at three different final concentrations of histamine ～ 0.1, 1.8 and 5.4?mM. It was found that pure histamine (0.413?mM) did not significantly influence the oxidant-antioxidant balance in HL demonstrated by unchanged degree of HL lipid peroxidation. However, at the same time, the final activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase were significantly changed (p?≤?0.001).Moreover, the phagocytic index (p?≤?0.01), lysozyme (p?≤?0.05) and peroxidase activity (p?≤?0.001), and production of IL-1β significantly decreased. CCS containing different concentration of produced histamine were also able to modulate the host non-specific immune response together with the enzymatic activity of SOD and catalase too. However, our findings indicated that the impact of lactobacilli histamine is strictly strain-dependent and concentration dependent. Moreover, it seems that histamine is not the only one lactobacilli metabolite, which may play an important role in overall immunomodulatory and antioxidant potential of tested lactobacilli.     

Vitamin B12 and hepatic enzyme serum levels correlate with interleukin-6 in alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease

Alcohol abuse is a major cause of liver cirrhosis as well as chronic liver disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible correlation, between liver dysfunction biological markers and vitamin B12, with interleukin-6, in the serum of alcohol-dependent individuals without liver disease (AWLD). In a sample of 43 alcohol abusing/dependent subjects (33 males and 10 females) treated on an inpatient basis according to a standard detoxification protocol, the serum activities of the hepatic enzymes (ASAT, ALAT, gamma-GT), as well as the concentration of B12 and IL-6, were determined on admission. A strong positive correlation has been observed between IL-6 and B12, ASAT, ALAT, and gamma-GT at the beginning of the detoxification period. The results confirmed that in alcohol-dependent individuals, the median serum concentration of IL-6, before the beginning of the treatment, had a significant positive correlation with the liver dysfunction biological markers and B12. In conclusion, IL-6 might be used as an additional diagnostic marker for the degree of liver dysfunction in alcohol dependent individuals.