Housing in pyramid counteracts neuroendocrine and oxidative stress caused by chronic restraint in rats

The space within the great pyramid and its smaller replicas is believed to have an antistress effect. Research has shown that the energy field within the pyramid can protect the hippocampal neurons of mice from stress-induced atrophy and also reduce neuroendocrine stress, oxidative stress and increase antioxidant defence in rats. In this study, we have, for the first time, attempted to study the antistress effects of pyramid exposure on the status of cortisol level, oxidative damage and antioxidant status in rats during chronic restraint stress. Adult female Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: normal controls (NC) housed in home cage and left in the laboratory; restrained rats (with three subgroups) subject to chronic restraint stress by placing in a wire mesh restrainer for 6 h per day for 14 days, the restrained controls (RC) having their restrainers kept in the laboratory; restrained pyramid rats (RP) being kept in the pyramid; and restrained square box rats (RS) in the square box during the period of restraint stress everyday. Erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) and plasma cortisol levels were significantly increased and erythrocyte-reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were significantly decreased in RC and RS rats as compared to NC. However, these parameters were maintained to near normal levels in RP rats which showed significantly decreased erythrocyte MDA and plasma cortisol and significantly increased erythrocyte GSH levels, erythrocyte GSH-Px and SOD activities when compared with RS rats. The results showed that housing in pyramid counteracts neuroendocrine and oxidative stress caused by chronic restraint in rats.     

Colitis-induced alterations in adrenergic control of circular smooth muscle in vitro in rats

The present study investigated inflammation-induced changes in adrenergic regulation of smooth muscle. Colitis was induced in rats by intrarectal administration of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid in ethanol. After 4 h (acute) or 7 days (chronic), in vitro isometric tension was measured in strips of circular smooth muscle taken from the distal colon. In controls, the major inhibitory control of smooth muscle responses to nerve stimulation was mediated by nitric oxide and beta adrenergic receptors. There was less evidence of alpha adrenergic control. Studies with the beta3 receptor antagonist cyanopindolol and the beta3 receptor agonist BRL37344 revealed that beta adrenergic regulation of spontaneous contractions and responses to nerve stimulation were mediated primarily by the beta3 adrenoreceptor. Both acute and chronic colitis significantly increased responses to electrical field stimulation. This effect was attributed to a loss of inhibitory nitrergic regulation as well as to selective changes in the beta adrenergic control of colonic circular smooth muscle. Inflammation did not alter alpha adrenergic control. Chronic colitis also decreased the sensitivity to nerve stimulation and pharmacological contractile agents. Acute and chronic inflammation reduced the ability of BRL37344 to inhibit contractions in response to nerve stimulation. In addition, in inflamed colon, BRL37344 was less effective in relaxing carbachol-induced precontractions. Finally, inflammation resulted in a loss of the ability of the cyanopindolol to increase the amplitude of both spontaneous contractions and contractions in response to nerve stimulation. These effects indicated that colitis induced a down-regulation of inhibitory beta3 adrenergic control of colonic smooth muscle function. This loss of adrenergic regulation may contribute to the diarrhea in inflammatory bowel disease.     

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of dark-germinated soybeans in response to salt stress

Soybean germination under stressful conditions, especially salt stress, has been verified to be an effective way of accumulating gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in dark-germinated soybeans. In this study, a combination of physiological characteristics and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) in a proteomic-based approach was used to investigate the protein changes in dark-germinated soybeans under salt stress. A total of 201 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified and divided into 13 functional groups. Under salt stress, 20 metabolic pathways were significantly enriched in dark-germinated soybeans. GABA content and antioxidase activity were increased while the growth and development of soybeans were inhibited by the salt stress. Promoting the synthesis of ROS-scavenging enzymes, maintaining the protein metabolic balance and re-establishing cellular homeostasis were very important strategies for growth stimulation in response to salt stress. In summary, these results showed comprehensive proteome coverage of dark-germinated soybeans in response to salt treatment, and increased our understanding of the molecular processes involved in plant networks responding to stresses.

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis reveals the molecular mechanisms of dark-germinated soybeans in response to salt stress.     

Acid-base induced alterations in glutamine metabolism and ureogenesis in perfused muscle and liver of the rat

The effects of altered acid-base balance on the production of urea and the metabolism of glutamine were investigated in the isolated perfused liver and hindquarter of the rat. In the isolated perfused rat liver, lowering of perfusate pH without altering bicarbonate concentration significantly reduced urea production and increased net glutamine synthesis, although the converse did not obtain. In the isolated perfused rat hindquarter when perfusate pH and bicarbonate were simultaneously reduced glutamine synthesis was significantly increased. The combined hepatic and muscle increase in glutamine synthesis accounted for 89% of the decrease in hepatic urea synthesis under these experimental conditions. These changes in nitrogen metabolism are interpreted in terms of adaptations which offset the initial alterations in hydrogen ion homeostasis.     

Oxidative stress and vascular smooth muscle cell function in liver disease

Reactive oxygen species and reactive nitroxy species are now being recognized as regulatory molecules in signaling pathways influencing contractile and noncontractile functions of healthy vascular smooth muscle cells. In liver disease, oxidative stress is a systemic phenomenon, whose extent correlates with the severity of disease. A role for oxidative stress in the development of the hyperdynamic circulation in portal hypertension has been proposed. Evaluation of the limited available data indicates that it is premature to conclude that oxidative stress per se impacts on vascular smooth muscle cell function in liver disease.     

预防战斗应激减员的资料分析

目的:分析战斗应激减员的基本特点及其规律。方法:采用回顾性分析的方法,于2004-09/2005-03通过查阅国内外书籍及杂志(包括解放军预防医学杂志、解放军卫勤杂志和国防卫生论坛等),以及上网检索ScienceDirect(Elsevier)和PubMed网站,收集、整理、归纳有关现代战争战斗应激减员的资料,并应用SPSS11.0统计软件对所收集的数据进行统计分析。结果:①现代常规战争战斗应激减员可分为2类:第1类有战争神经症、中毒性精神障碍、战争后创伤应激失调。第2类有精神分裂症、躁狂抑郁症等战争精神病和变态人格。②战斗应激减员的致病因素为:与战争相关的因素;心理学因素;生理因素;生物学因素。③战斗应激减员的分布特点有4种:发病强度与病种分布特点;时间特征特点;地区分布特点和人群分布特点。结论:未来高科技局部战争中战斗应激减员率将呈上升趋势。及时、就近和对症治疗原则以及加强社会心理支持力度等措施是治疗精神疾病,预防战斗应激减员的关键所在。     

Strenuous exercise-induced alterations of muscle fiber cross-sectional area and fiber-type distribution in steroid myopathy rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of exercise intensity on the muscle histopathology in steroid myopathy rats. DESIGN: Eight-week-old male Wistar rats (n=40) were divided into four groups: a control group (n=4), steroid-only group (n=12), moderate exercise + steroid group (n=12), and a high-intensity exercise + steroid group (n=12). Five weeks after triamcinolone injection, the soleus muscle (SOL) and extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL) were removed and stained for adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase). The muscle fiber area and fiber type distribution of each fiber type were measured. RESULTS: In the high-intensity exercise group, the type I fibers in the SOL and the type IIb fibers in the EDL showed significant atrophy. In the fiber distribution of the SOL, type I fibers decreased in the steroid-only group and high-intensity exercise group as compared with the control, whereas there was a significant increase in the moderate exercise group vs. the steroid-only group. In the EDL, type I fibers were significantly greater in the moderate- and high-intensity exercise groups, whereas type IIb fibers significantly decreased in the moderate-exercise group as compared with the steroid-only group. CONCLUSIONS: In rats with steroid myopathy, high-intensity exercise caused changes such as muscle atrophy. The fiber type distribution of the SOL changed from type II fibers to type I fibers in the moderate exercise group. Intensive exercise, however, resulted in transformation from type I to type II in the fiber type distribution. For the EDL, no significant fiber type changes were observed with high-intensity exercise when compared with moderate exercise.     

递增负荷运动对大鼠心房肌蛋白质组研究的影响

目的：通过探讨递增负荷运动对大鼠心房肌蛋白质组的影响，以筛选出心房肌组织中对运动应激具有重要意义的差异性表达的目标蛋白质，在蛋白质组学水平上研究运动对心脏功能与结构影响的规律。方法：10只雄性SD大鼠，分为运动组（n=5）和对照组（n=5）。递增负荷运动训练7周，力竭运动后6h，运动组和对照组同时麻醉处死。提取心房肌组织的全蛋白，依次对样品蛋白进行pH梯度-SDS双向凝胶电泳分离蛋白、改良考马斯亮蓝方法染色、基质辅助激光解吸离子化飞行时间串联质谱分析。结果：运动组和对照组蛋白质斑点数目分别是354±40个和382±24个；共获得具有两倍以上差异性表达的蛋白质点104个；运动后上调两倍以上的蛋白质点66个，运动后下调两倍以上的蛋白质点38个。选择差异性表达5倍以上的蛋白质点为目标蛋白进行质谱分析，共鉴定出5个蛋白质点。结论：在运动应激状态下，大鼠心房肌蛋白质发生了明显的差异性表达，这些差异性表达的蛋白质点为进一步深入运动对心脏结构与功能影响的新的目标蛋白提供了实验依据。     

Severe liver steatosis correlates with nitrosative and oxidative stress in rats

Background Little is known about nitric oxide (NO) metabolism and redox changes with hepatocyte adipocytic transformation. The aims of this study were to investigate the changes occurring in plasma and hepatic NO metabolites and redox balance in a rat experimental model of simple fatty liver, and to relate plasma with hepatic and mitochondrial changes at different degrees of steatosis. Materials and methods Circulating and hepatic redox active and nitrogen regulating molecules thioredoxin, glutathione, protein thiols (PSH), mixed disulfides (PSSG), NO metabolites nitrosothiols, nitrite plus nitrate (NOx), and lipid peroxides (TBARs) were measured in rats fed a choline deprived (CD) diet for 30 days. Results At histology, the CD diet resulted in hepatocellular steatosis (75% of liver weight at day 30) with no signs of necro‐inflammation. In plasma, thioredoxin, nitrosothiols and NOx were unchanged, while TBARs levels increased significantly and were positively related with hepatic TBARs (r = 0·87, P < 0·001) and lipid content (r = 0·90, P < 0·001). In the liver, glutathione initially increased (day 3) and then decreased. From day 14, PSH decreased and NO derivatives increased. Thioredoxin 1 had initially increased (days 7–14) and then decreased. In the mitochondria, on day 14, nitrosothiols were inversely related to thioredoxin 2 (r = 0·988, P < 0·05); on day 30, PSH were decreased by 70%, PSSG were doubled and related with nitrosothiols levels (r = 0·925, P < 0·001). Conclusion Adipocytic transformation of hepatocytes is accompanied by major interrelated modifications of redox parameters and NO metabolism especially at mitochondrial level, suggesting an early adaptive protective response but also an increased predisposition towards pro‐oxidant insults.     

Identification of transthyretin variants by sequential proteomic and genomic analysis

BACKGROUND: Transthyretin-associated hereditary amyloidosis (ATTR) is an inherited disease in which variants in the primary structure of transthyretin (TTR; prealbumin) lead to the extracellular polymerization of insoluble protein fibrils, causing organ failure and ultimately death when major organs are involved. We have developed an integrated approach to molecular diagnosis with initial analysis of intact plasma TTR by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (MS) and referral of positive samples for DNA sequence analysis and real-time PCR to confirm the common Gly6Ser polymorphism. METHODS: Samples from 6 patients previously diagnosed with ATTR and from 25 controls with (n = 15) or without (n = 10) polyneuropathy were analyzed in a blinded fashion for the presence of variant TTR. TTR protein was extracted with an immunoaffinity resin from 20 microL of archived plasma samples. The purified TTR was reduced with tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine and analyzed by MS. The appearance of two peaks (or a single peak shifted in mass indicative of a homozygous variant), including the wild-type mass of 13,761 Da, was indicative of the presence of a variant, and the individual was referred for DNA sequence analysis. RESULTS: MS analysis of intact reduced TTR correctly identified each of six samples known to contain variant TTR. These results were corroborated by subsequent DNA sequence analysis. Additionally, all Gly6Ser polymorphisms were correctly called based on the +30 mass shift and an equal relative abundance of the +30 polymorphism relative to wild-type TTR. No false-positive results were seen. CONCLUSIONS: This referral method eliminates the necessity of sequencing most samples and allows screening for the familial forms of amyloidosis in a broad patient population in a timely fashion. This method correctly identified all previously known variants and also identified a novel variant, Val94Ala.     

复方片仔癀肝宝对酒精诱导的慢性肝损伤氧化应激的保护作用研究

目的:探讨复方片仔癀肝宝对酒精性肝病(Aleoholie Liver Disease,ALD)模型大鼠氧化应激的保护作用。方法:60只SPF级SD大鼠,随机分为正常对照组、模型组、阳性药对照组及肝宝低、中、高剂量组,每组10只。除正常对照组外其余各组用酒精联合高脂饲料喂养2周,造ALD模型,连续给药4周后取材。全自动生化仪检测血清中谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的含量变化;检测肝组织中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、丙二醛(MDA)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)的表达;HE染色,观察肝组织病理变化。结果 :模型组血清中ALT、AST、ALP、LDH的活性较正常对照组均有明显的上升,且肝组织中MDA水平明显上升,SOD、GSH-Px水平明显下降(P0.01)。与模型组相比,肝宝各组ALT、AST、ALP、LDH的活性及MDA水平明显降低,而SOD、GSH-Px水平明显上升(P0.05)。HE染色结果显示复方片仔癀肝宝不同剂量组对肝组织脂肪变性、肝内脂类聚集有明显的改善作用,并且存在剂量效应关系。结论:复方片仔癀肝宝能显著减轻酒精和高脂诱导的肝损伤,其机制可能与提高肝组织的抗氧化能力有关。     

严重肝外伤的外科急诊救治及预后因素分析

目的探讨严重肝外伤的外科急诊救治方法及预后相关因素。方法采用单因素分析18例AASTⅢ级及以上严重肝外伤患者临床资料。结果18例严重肝外伤患者中存活12例,死亡6例。单因素分析结果显示,休克时间、失血量,手术时间等与患者顸后有关。结论严重的肝外伤的外科急诊救治必须遵循个体化治疗原则,快速的绿色通道,恰当的手术方式以及介入技术的协助,往往能够极大提高肝外伤抢救的成功率。     

Neopterin--an early marker of surgical stress and hypoxic reperfusion damage during liver surgery.

Neopterin is elevated in infections, autoimmune diseases and post-transplant. Recently neopterin elevation was linked to stress response and malignancy. To determine early changes of serum neopterin caused by surgical stress and to investigate their association with other inflammatory markers and with malignancy, we measured neopterin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels at four predefined time-points within 24 hours in 27 patients admitted for liver resection. Our results show that neopterin increased during operation and the increase was not related to preoperative neopterin levels. On the first day after surgery neopterin level was not significantly different from postoperative levels. In patients with malignant disease neopterin concentration before operation was higher than in patients with non-malignant disease, however, the increase in neopterin concentration during operation was not different between both patient groups. During surgery CRP and PCT did not increase significantly. On the first postoperative day CRP and PCT were elevated and their levels correlated with neopterin (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=0.51 and r=0.76, respectively). We conclude that neopterin elevation during liver resection contributes major part to the increased levels observed on the first postoperative day. Perioperative neopterin release can/may be related to stress response and hypoxia produced during operation. Using this marker, hypoxic reperfusion damage could be detected earlier and more accurately.