Ultrastructural effects of cigarette smoke on rat testis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural changes taking place in the testicular tissue of adult male Wistar rats following exposure to cigarette smoke. Twenty rats were exposed to smoke in a smoking machine for 2 h daily for 60 days; 10 control rats were placed in the machine for the same amount of time but were exposed to room air. After ether anesthesia and dissection of the animals, the testes were removed and fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde. The sections were examined under a transmission electron microscope. Evident degeneration and dissociation of the spermatogenetic cells were common findings. Basal lamina of the tubuli seminiferi contorti was thickened and significantly irregular. Cigarette smoke inhalation damaged the seminiferous epithelium. The primary spermatocytes as well as Sertoli cells appeared to be targets for the smoke. The results indicated that cigarette smoke inhalation could cause specific lesions in the development of spermatozoon, and it might be either directly or indirectly toxic to spermatogenesis.     

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury of the peripheral nerve: An experimental study

Although the neuropathology of ischaemic fibre degeneration is relatively well known, its pathogenesis is poorly understood. One of the presumed mechanisms is oxidative stress, causing the breakdown of the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) and ending in lipid peroxidation. We evaluated the effect of ischaemia and reperfusion on the sciatic-tibial nerve of the rat and investigated the biochemical, pathological, and functional evidence of BNB disruption and lipid peroxidation. The distal portion and trifurcation of the sciatic nerve were rendered ischaemic by clamping the femoral vessels for 3 h and followed by varying durations of reperfusion. Reperfusion resulted in an increase in lipid peroxidation beginning from the first hour and increasing until the seventh day, followed by a gradual decline over the following weeks. Nerve oedema and ischaemic fibre degeneration (IFD) consistently became more severe and prominent with reperfusion, indicating that oxidative stress damages the BNB and causes IFD. Results of functional testing by the sciatic function index correlated with other parameters as walking track analysis results got worse as reperfusion periods increased. Impairment of walking patterns was more striking after the first day and continued up to the third week. These data indicate that severe ischaemia of the peripheral nerve results in reperfusion injury, functional impairment, and disruption of the BNB. Microvascular events, which may occur during reperfusion, may be important in amplifying the nerve fibre degeneration that initiated during ischaemia.     

Prospective validation of consensus criteria for the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity of a clinical diagnosis of probable or possible dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) made using International Consensus criteria. BACKGROUND: Validation studies based on retrospective chart reviews of autopsy-confirmed cases have suggested that diagnostic specificity for DLB is acceptable but case detection rates as low as 0.22 have been suggested. METHODS: We evaluated the first 50 cases reaching neuropathologic autopsy in a cohort to which Consensus clinical diagnostic criteria for DLB, National Institute for Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria for AD, and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences criteria for vascular dementia (VaD) had been prospectively applied. RESULTS: Twenty-six clinical diagnoses of DLB, 19 of AD, and 5 of VaD were made. At autopsy, 29 DLB cases, 15 AD, 5 VaD, and 1 progressive supranuclear palsy were identified. The sensitivity and specificity of a clinical diagnosis of probable DLB in this sample were 0.83 and 0.95. Of the five cases receiving a false-negative diagnosis of DLB, significant fluctuation was present in four but visual hallucinations and spontaneous motor features of parkinsonism were generally absent. Thirty-one percent of the DLB cases had additional vascular pathology and in two cases this contributed to a misdiagnosis of VaD. No correlations were found between the distribution of Lewy bodies and clinical features. CONCLUSION: The Consensus criteria for DLB performed as well in this prospective study as those for AD and VaD, with a diagnostic sensitivity substantially higher than that reported by previous retrospective studies. DLB occurs in the absence of extrapyramidal features and in the presence of comorbid cerebrovascular disease. Fluctuation is an important diagnostic indicator, reliable measures of which need to be developed further.     

One year follow-up of parkinsonism in dementia with Lewy bodies

The progression of parkinsonism over 1 year was evaluated in a prospective cohort of patients (n = 338), suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Alzheimer's disease (AD) or vascular dementia (VaD). Parkinsonism was assessed using the modified Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Significant parkinsonism was significantly commoner in DLB sufferers (71%) than amongst patients with AD (7%) or VaD (10%). DLB patients with established parkinsonism had an annual increase in severity of 9%, but progression was more rapid (49% in 1 year) in patients with early parkinsonism. Parkinsonism was frequent at all severities in DLB patients, but usually only present in other dementias when MMSE <10.     

Neuropathological substrates of dementia and depression in vascular dementia, with a particular focus on cases with small infarct volumes

The neuropathological substrates of dementia and depression were evaluated in 30 patients with cerebrovascular disease and significant cognitive impairment (VaD), with a particular focus on patients with small infarct volumes (<15 ml). VaD patients with small infarct volumes had a similar degree of cognitive impairment to those with larger infarct volumes (>15 ml) but were significantly more likely to be depressed and to have areas of microinfarction. A review of individual cases with small infarct volumes suggested that the combination of microinfarction, diffuse white matter disease and perivascular changes, or the overlap of neurodegenerative pathologies and microvascular changes were particularly important. Microinfarction was also significantly associated with major depression.     

3-硝基丙酸预处理诱导沙土鼠脑缺血耐受与海马星形胶质细胞的激活

目的：探讨海马区星形胶质细胞的激活与3－硝基丙酸（3－NPA）预处理诱导脑缺血耐受的关系。方法：阻断沙土鼠双侧颈总动脉造成前脑缺血模型，通过HE染色和免疫组化观察海马锥体细胞死亡和星形胶质细胞的反应。结果：对照组海马CA1区已失去正常结构，锥体细胞大部分丧失，存活神经元计数显低于假手术组。3－NPA预处理组存活神经元减少，但高于对照组，假手术组海马CA1区仅见少量胶质原纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）阳性细胞，染色较弱，突起不明显，对照组海马CA1区GFAP阳性细胞增多，多为弱阳性。3－NPA预处理组海马CA1区GFAP阳性细胞数目明显增多，染色较深，突起增粗。结论：星形胶质细胞形态和机能的改变可能与3－硝基丙酸预处理诱导脑缺血耐受有关。     

Contradictory effects of chlorpromazine on endothelial cells in a rat model of endotoxic shock in association with its actions on serum TNF-alpha levels and antioxidant enzyme activities.

We examined the effects of the phenothiazine derivative, chlorpromazine on thoracic aortic endothelial cell histology (14 h after LPS challenge) in a model of endotoxic shock in rats. Since excessive formation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and oxygen-derived free radicals contribute to endothelial injury in endotoxemia, we also evaluated the effect of the drug on the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in liver tissue in this model and tried to find out whether this possible effect was associated with a change in serum TNF-alpha levels (measured 90 min after chlorpromazine administration). Endotoxemia was induced by a single i.p. injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg kg(-1) in 1.5 ml of saline; LPS from Escherichia coli serotype 055:B5, L-2880, Sigma Chemical Company). Electron microscopic evaluation of the aortas revealed that chlorpromazine (administered 30 min prior to LPS challenge), in smaller doses (3 mg kg(-1)) ameliorated the endothelial cell injury caused by LPS, whereas it caused deterioration of endothelial cell morphology in higher doses (10 and 25 mg kg(-1)). Chlorpromazine administration caused a significant reduction in serum TNF-alpha levels, which was correlated well with an increase in SOD activity in all drug doses (3, 10 and 25 mg kg(-1)). Catalase activity was increased only in the 25 mg kg(-1) chlorpromazine group.     

O-羧甲基N-半乳糖化壳聚糖衍生物的设计、合成和表征

目的：合成和表征O-羧甲基-N-半乳糖化壳聚糖衍生物作为潜在的肝靶向基因载体。方法：以天然聚合物壳聚糖为原料，首先制备得O-羧甲基壳聚糖，然后在其2-NH2上和乳糖酸反应，制得O-羧甲基-N-乳糖酰化壳聚糖；或与乳糖反应，用KB}14还原，制得O-羧甲基-N-乳糖胺化壳聚糖。结果与结论：分别用VF-IR、^1H NMR、^13C NMR和元素分析对其进行了表征。用粉末X-衍射、DSC、TG对其物理性质进行了分析。制得的O-羧甲基-N-乳糖酰化壳聚糖O-羧甲基-N-乳糖胺化壳聚糖有望作为潜在的肝靶向基因载体。     

Clinical study on therapeutic mechanism of Sini Decoction in treating post-percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ischemia-reperfusion injury in terms of syndrome typing of TCMin treating post-percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ischemia-reperfusion injury in terms of syndrome typing of TCM

Objective: To study the mechanism of Sini Decoction (SND) in prevention and treatment of post-percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) ischemia-reperfusion injury with different Syndrome typing of TCM.Methods: Forty patients who received PTCA were randomly divided equally into the SND group and the control group, there were 10 of Excess Syndrome (ES) and 10 of Deficiency Syndrome (DS)in each group. 25 ml SND was given daily to the SND group from 3 days before operation to the third day after operation. The blood Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) content of patients were determined before PTCA, and 1 hr, 12 hrs, 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 72 hrs after PTCA.Results: Before PTCA, the cases with DS were characterized by low SOD activity and high MDA content, as compared with the patients with ES, P<0.05. SND could relieve the post-PTCA deprivation of SOD activity and NO content and the elevation of MDA level in both ES and DS patients, the amplitude of elevation of SOD activity in DS patients was higher than that in ES patients (P<0.05).Conclusion: SND has antagonizing effect on post-PTCA ischemia-reperfusion injury, which is more effective in treating patients with DS.