胶质瘤组织UCH37表达水平与病人预后的相关性

目的 探讨胶质瘤组织泛素化羧基末端水解酶37（UCH37）表达水平与病人预后的相关性。方法 选取2017年6月至2019年6月手术切除的脑胶质瘤组织104例和瘤旁脑组织64例,采用免疫组化法检测组织UCH37表达水平,根据免疫组化染色评分分成高表达组、低表达组;采用PCR法检测组织UCH37 mRNA水平。术后随访18个月,记录死亡、生存情况。结果 104例中,死亡20例,存活84例;UCH37高表达62例,低表达42例。脑胶质瘤组织UCH37高表达率（59.62%）明显高于瘤旁组织（17.19%;P<0.05）,而且脑胶质瘤组织UCH37 mRNA表达量明显高于瘤旁组织（P<0.05）。多因素logistic回归分析显示UCH37高表达是脑胶质瘤术后死亡的独立危险因素（P<0.05）。UCH37高表达组中位生存期（9个月）较低表达组（13个月）明显缩短（P<0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示,UCH37 mRNA评估病人术后死亡的最佳界值为2.725,曲线下面积为0.797（95%置信区间0.695~0.899）,敏感度为70.00%,特异度为70.10%。结论 脑胶质瘤UCH37呈高表达,表达水平越高,预后越差。肿瘤组织UCH37 mRNA水平检测对病人预后有一定评估价值。     

阴道毛滴虫粘附大鼠阴道的超微结构与组织化学研究

目的　研究阴道毛滴虫与生殖道上皮的关系 ,探讨虫体的致病机制。　方法　应用透射与扫描电镜技术 ,结合光镜免疫组织化学等技术 ,观察在动物模型中虫体对大鼠阴道粘膜的粘附作用。　结果　虫体为PAS阳性 ,成群虫体粘附于阴道的中上段表面的富含粘多糖棱柱状上皮细胞 ;虫体组织蛋白酶阳性 ,常见释放水解酶破坏上皮细胞膜 ;虫体肌动蛋白阳性 ,显示微丝束在阿米巴样虫体内呈网络状。虫体可呈阿米巴样穿钻于上皮细胞间 ,其微丝状伪足可伸入上皮细胞微绒毛间包绕蚕食微绒毛 ,其指状伪足可插入上皮细胞间包绕局部。少量虫体附着在阴道下段粘膜褶皱间的角化上皮。　结论　虫体嗜好寄生阴道穹窿等处 ,是因表层上皮细胞内富含粘原颗粒 ,表面有较多微绒毛。虫体在粘附后释放水解酶消化并吞噬上皮细胞 ,可直接损伤生殖道寄生部位的上皮 ,且大量摄取粘多糖 ,影响阴道自洁 ,继而引起组织炎症。虫体的细胞骨架、细胞衣、多形性伪足和溶酶体 ,分别在变形、粘附、包绕、吞噬与消化过程中起重要作用。     

The future potential for cocaine vaccines

Introduction: Addiction to cocaine is a major problem around the world, but especially in developed countries where the combination of wealth and user demand has created terrible social problems. Although only some users become truly addicted, those who are often succumb to a downward spiral in their lives from which it is very difficult to escape. From the medical perspective, the lack of effective and safe, non-addictive therapeutics has instigated efforts to develop alternative approaches for treatment, including anticocaine vaccines designed to block cocaine’s pharmacodynamic effects.

Areas covered: This paper discusses the implications of cocaine pharmacokinetics for robust vaccine antibody responses, the results of human vaccine clinical trials, new developments in animal models for vaccine evaluation, alternative vaccine formulations and complementary therapy to enhance anticocaine effectiveness.

Expert opinion: Robust anti-cocaine antibody responses are required for benefit to cocaine abusers, but since any reasonably achievable antibody level can be overcome with higher drug doses, sufficient motivation to discontinue use is also essential so that the relative barrier to cocaine effects will be appropriate for each individual. Combining a vaccine with achievable levels of an enzyme to hydrolyze cocaine to inactive metabolites, however, may substantially increase the blockade and improve treatment outcomes.     

Variations in the human soluble epoxide hydrolase gene and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation

Background

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of EPHX2 alter sEH activity and are associated with increased [rs41507953 (K55R)] or reduced [rs751141 (R287Q)] cardiovascular risk via modulation of fibrosis, inflammation or cardiac ion channels. This indicates an effect on development and therapy response of AF. This study tested the hypothesis that variations in the EPHX2 gene encoding human soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation.

Methods and results

A total of 218 consecutive patients who underwent catheter ablation for drug refractory AF and 268 controls were included. Two SNPs, rs41507953 and rs751141, were genotyped by direct sequencing. In the ablation group, holter recordings 3, 12 and 24 months after ablation were used to detect AF recurrence. No significant association of the SNPs and AF at baseline was detected. In the ablation group, recurrence of AF occurred in 20% of the patients 12 months after ablation and in 35% 24 months after ablation. The presence of the rs751141 polymorphism significantly increased the risk of AF recurrence 12 months (odds ratio [OR]: 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.237 to 8.276, p = 0.016) and 24 months (OR: 6.076, 95% CI: 2.244 to 16.451, p < 0.0001) after catheter ablation.

Conclusions

The presence of rs751141 polymorphism is associated with a significantly increased risk of AF recurrence after catheter ablation. These results point to stratification of catheter ablation by genotype and differential use of sEH-inhibitory drugs in the future.     

Valpromide is a poor inhibitor of the cytosolic epoxide hydrolase

The effect of the antiepileptics valpromide and sodium valproate on the cytosolic epoxide hydrolase was studied in human fetal liver, kidneys and adrenals and from human adult liver and kidneys. Trans-stilbene oxide was used as substrate. Valpromide (10 mM) lowered the activity of the epoxide hydrolase to one half of the control in all organs studied. Sodium valproate (10 mM) was less powerful as an inhibitor than valpromide; however, it exerted a significant inhibition in all tissues studied.     

Detoxication Strategy of Epoxide Hydrolase��The Basis for a Novel Threshold for Definable Genotoxic Carcinogens

From our recent work on the three-dimensional structure of epoxide hydrolases we theoretically deduced the likelihood of a two-step catalytic mechanism that we and others have subsequently experimentally confirmed. Analysis of the rate of the two steps by us and by others show that the first step—responsible for removal of the reactive epoxide from the system—works extraordinarily fast (typically three orders of magnitude faster than the second step), sucking up the epoxide like a sponge. Regeneration of the free enzyme (the second step of the catalytic mechanism) is slow. This becomes a toxicological problem only at doses of the epoxide that titrate the enzyme out. Our genotoxicity work shows that indeed this generates a practical threshold below which no genotoxicity is observed. This shows that—contrary to old dogma—practical thresholds exist for definable genotoxic carcinogens.     

Carbamazepine-Valnoctamide Interaction in Epileptic Patients: In Vitro/In Vivo Correlation

Six patients stabilized with carbamazepine (CBZ) therapy received an 8-day “add-on” supplement of valnoctamide (VCD), a tranquilizer available over the counter (OTC) in several European countries that exhibits promising anticonvulsant activity in animal models. During VCD intake, serum levels of the active CBZ metabolite, carbamazepine-10,ll-epoxide (CBZ-E), increased fivefold from 1.5 ± 0.7 μg/ml at baseline to 7.4 ± 4.4 μg/ml after 4 days of VCD therapy and 7.7 ± 3.1 ^g/ml after 7 days of VCD therapy (means ± SD, p < 0.01). In 4 patients, the increase in serum CBZ-E levels was associated with clinical signs of CBZ intoxication. CBZ-E levels returned to baseline after VCD therapy was discontinued. Serum CBZ levels remained stable throughout the study. The interaction observed in this study is similar to that described in patients treated with CBZ and valpromide (VPD, an isomer of VCD). In a mechanistic study, therapeutic concentrations of VCD inhibited hydrolysis of styrene oxide in human liver mi-crosome preparations. Thus, VCD is a potent inhibitor of microsomal epoxide hydrolase (IC₅₀ 15 μM). There was a striking similarity between in vitro and in vivo inhibition potencies. In this study, VCD clearance was higher in epileptic patients (treated with CBZ) than in healthy subjects.     

蜗牛酶在聚(N-异丙基丙烯酰胺)中的固定化及应用

将蜗牛酶固定到聚(N—异丙基丙烯酰胺)上得到一种热可逆的固定化酶。研究了固定化酶的性能和对几种不同底物的作用情况。结果表明蜗中酶对羧甲基纤维素钠、甲壳胺和可溶性棉花都有较好的降解活性。