Association between hydrogen sulfide and OSA-associated hypertension: a clinical study

Purpose

We sought to unravel the role of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in the development of hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods

The study sample included 80 patients with OSA and 45 healthy controls. All subjects underwent measurement of blood pressure (BP) and serum H₂S level in the morning. Twentynine of the 39 patients with OSA and concomitant hypertension and 23 of the 41 patients with OSA but no concomitant hypertension received continuous positive alveolar pressure (CPAP) therapy for 4 weeks. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP and serum H₂S were determined before and after CPAP. Respiratory indices including apnea hypopnea index (AHI), lowest oxygen saturation (SaO₂), and length of time < 90% saturated (T90) were determined by polysomnography.

Results

Associations between H₂S, BP, respiratory indices, and changes with CPAP were analyzed. OSA patients had significantly higher systolic BP (p = 0.003) and diastolic BP (p = 0.009) and lower H₂S levels (p = 0.02) compared to healthy controls. H₂S negatively correlated with AHI (p = 0.005), T90 (p = 0.009), morning systolic BP (p = 0.02), and morning diastolic BP (p = 0.03). All respiratory indices were significantly improved (p < 0.05) after CPAP in OSA patients with or without hypertension. BP was significantly reduced and H₂S significantly increased after CPAP in OSA patients with hypertension (p < 0.05) but not in OSA patients without hypertension (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that 24h systolic BP and 24h diastolic BP correlated with H₂S as well as their changes after CPAP treatment. Reduction in H₂S may play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension in patients with OSA.

     

红树秋茄提取物抗氧化及抗紫外活性研究

目的:研究秋茄总黄酮的体外抗氧化活性及抗紫外线辐射作用。方法:采用DPPH法、ABTS法、FRAP法,考察秋茄总黄酮的体外抗氧化活性;采用UV扫描、光溶血试验考察秋茄抗紫外辐射活性。结果:DPPH法、ABTS法、FRAP法均显示秋茄总黄酮有较强的抗氧化活性,秋茄总黄酮在UV-A区和UV-B区均表现出良好的抗紫外辐射能力;光溶血实验中,随着总黄酮浓度的增大,溶血率的下降幅度变大。结论:秋茄总黄酮具有广谱抗紫外线能力和良好的体外抗氧化活性。     

小组制排班模式在麻醉恢复室管理中的应用

目的:探讨科学有效的麻醉恢复室排班模式,提升麻醉科护理管理品质。方法:对比分析麻醉恢复室传统排班模式和组长负责制小组排班模式两种排班模式下护理质量督导评分、低年资护士操作考核评分、护理交接班满意度调查的差异。结果:小组制排班模式下护理质量督导评分、低年资护士操作考核评分、护理交接班满意度调查结果均高于传统排班模式,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05或P<0.01)。结论:小组制排班模式可有效保障术后苏醒期患者安全,规范低年资护士培训,提高麻醉恢复室护理管理质量。     

海南省西部地区莱姆病血清学调查

目的 了解海南省西部地区关节炎或神经性疾病患者的莱姆病感染状况。方法 在东方市收集莱姆病疑似病例血清400份,儋州市收集莱姆病疑似病例血清500份,均为关节炎或神经性疾病患者。采用间接免疫荧光法(IFA)对血清标本进行莱姆病抗体初筛检测;并采用免疫印迹法(WB)对IFA检测阳性的血清标本进行确诊实验。结果 IFA方法检测血清样本900份,35份阳性,阳性率为3.89％。应用 WB法对上述35份IFA阳性血清样本进行检测,结果15份阳性, 阳性率为1.67％。不同年龄人群均有莱姆病螺旋体感染,其中,≤20岁阳性率最高,为11.76%(4/34),差异有统计学意义(χ²=24.108,P<0.001);莱姆病螺旋体感染在性别和症状间差异无统计学意义 (χ²=0.001,P=0.975;χ²=0.011,P=0.917)。结论 证实了海南省西部地区人群中存在莱姆病,建议当地医生在诊治关节炎和神经性疾病患者时,应排除莱姆病的可能。     

Production of recombinant orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in single-chain form and dimer form by Pichia pastoris and their biological activities

FSH is a key regulator of steroidogenesis and gonadal growth in teleosts. However, function of FSH is elusive in grouper due to the lack of purified and native FSH. In the present study, we reported production of bioactive orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) FSH in dimer form and single-chain form by Pichia pastoris. Dimer form of recombinant grouper FSH (rgFSHba) was accomplished by co-expressing mature FSHb-subunit and a-subunit genes. Fusion of mature FSHb-subunit and a-subunit genes together linking with a polypeptide (4×(Gly-Ser)-Gly-Thr) gene generated single-chain form of recombinant grouper FSH (rgFSHb-a). Recombinant grouper common α-subunit (rgCga) and FSHb-subunit (rgFSHb) were also separately produced. Recombinant proteins were verified by Western blot and mass spectrometry assays, and characterized by deglycosylation analysis. Deglycosylation assay suggested that glycosylation of recombinant FSH mainly occurred on common a-subunit. Bioactivities of recombinant proteins were initially evaluated by activating grouper FSH receptor, and further demonstrated by incubating ovarian fragments of adult grouper and intraperitoneal injection in juvenile female grouper. Two forms of recombinant FSH presented similar biological activities of activating FSH receptor and stimulating in vitro testosterone (T) and estradiol-17β (E2) secretion, though the dimer form functioned slightly weaker than the single-chain form. However, injections of rgFSHb-a or rgFSHba could significantly increase serum T and E2 levels, induce early ovarian development, reduce hypothalamic gnrh1 mRNA level, and increase hypothalamic cyp19a1b mRNA level. Data in this study suggested that recombinant gonadotropin could be produced in dimer form or single-chain form by P. pastoris, and FSH could regulate steroidogenesis and early ovarian development in juvenile grouper.     

Knockdown of leptin A expression dramatically alters zebrafish development

Using morpholino antisense oligonucleotide (MO) technology, we blocked leptin A or leptin receptor expression in embryonic zebrafish, and analyzed consequences of leptin A knock-down on fish development. Embryos injected with leptin A or leptin receptor MOs (leptin A or leptin receptor morphants) had smaller bodies and eyes, undeveloped inner ear, enlarged pericardial cavity, curved body and/or tail and larger yolk compared to control embryos of the same stages. The defects persisted in 6-9days old larvae. We found that blocking leptin A function had little effect on the development of early brain (1day old), but differentiation of both the morphant dorsal brain and retinal cells was severely disrupted in older (2days old) embryos. Despite the enlarged pericardial cavity, differentiation of cardiac cells appeared to be similar to control embryos. Formation of the morphants' inner ear is also severely disrupted, which corroborates existing reports of leptin receptor expression in inner ear of both zebrafish and mammals. Co-injection of leptin A MO and recombinant leptin results in partial rescue of the wild-type phenotype. Our results suggest that leptin A plays distinct roles in zebrafish development.