肝素、黄芪注射液、卡托普利治疗原发性肾病综合征的临床对照研究

目的比较单用常规激素治疗和联用肝素抗凝疗法、黄芪注射液、卡托普利治疗原发性PNS的疗效差异.方法选择2000年1月～2 002年1月肾功能正常的60例PNS住院患者,治疗组、对照组各30例,分别观察各自治疗后病情缓解情况及并发症.结果两组在TP、ALB、ESR、CHO TG、24小时尿蛋白定量指标方面均有显著性差异(p＜0.05),经卡方检验两组在感染复发、临床治愈方面存在显著差异(P＜0.05),复发率:治疗组20%,对照组53.3%;治愈率:治疗组80%,对照组56.7%;与治疗组相比,对照组病程延长,并发症增多,感染、复发率增高.结论肝素抗凝疗法联用黄芪注射液、卡托普利治疗PNS能明显改善血液高凝状态、降低血胆固醇、减轻肾损害、促进PNS的早期缓解,减少复发.     

Verapamil, diltiazem and nifedipine inhibit vascular responses to noradrenaline, acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in human saphenous vein

Verapamil (0.02-2 microM), diltiazem (0.22-8.14 microM) and nifedipine (0.29-8.96 microM) produced concentration-dependent relaxation of human isolated saphenous vein. Based on the EC50 values of the calcium entry blockers, verapamil (relative potency = 1) was 7 and 5 times as potent as nifedipine and diltiazem, respectively, in producing relaxation of the human saphenous vein. In addition, verapamil, diltiazem and nifedipine inhibited the vascular responses (i.e. contractions) produced by noradrenaline (0.03-36 microM), acetylcholine (0.05-55 microM) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (0.02-25 microM) and to KCl (10-100 mM). It was concluded that verapamil, diltiazem and nifedipine relaxed the human isolated saphenous vein, verapamil being more potent than diltiazem or nifedipine, and modified the vascular response to vasoconstrictor agents, e.g. noradrenaline, acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and KCl. Thus verapamil, diltiazem and nifedipine may inhibit calcium influx through both potential and receptor-operated calcium ion channels.     

Two closely related RecQ helicases have antagonistic roles in homologous recombination and DNA repair in Arabidopsis thaliana

RecQ helicases are involved in the processing of DNA structures arising during replication, recombination, and repair throughout all kingdoms of life. Mutations of different RecQ homologues are responsible for severe human diseases, such as Blooms (BLM) or Werner (WRN) syndrome. The loss of RecQ function is often accompanied by hyperrecombination caused by a lack of crossover suppression. In the Arabidopsis genome seven different RecQ genes are present. Two of them (AtRECQ4A and 4B) arose because of a recent duplication and are still nearly 70% identical on a protein level. Knockout of these genes leads to antagonistic phenotypes: the RECQ4A mutant shows sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents, enhanced homologous recombination (HR) and lethality in a mus81 background. Moreover, mutation of RECQ4A partially suppresses the lethal phenotype of an AtTOP3alpha mutant, a phenomenon that had previously been demonstrated for RecQ homologues of unicellular eukaryotes only. Together, these facts strongly suggest that in plants RECQ4A is functionally equivalent to SGS1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the mammalian BLM protein. In stark contrast, mutants of the closely related RECQ4B are not mutagen-sensitive, not viable in a mus81 background, and unable to suppress the induced lethality caused by loss of TOP3alpha. Moreover, they are strongly impaired in HR. Thus, AtRECQ4B is specifically required to promote but not to suppress crossovers, a role in which it differs from all eukaryotic RecQ homologues known.     

Experimental hypothyroidism delays field excitatory post-synaptic potentials and disrupts hippocampal long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus of hippocampal formation and Y-maze performance in adult rats

Manipulations of thyroid hormones have been shown to influence learning and memory. Although a large body of literature is available on the effect of thyroid hormone deficiency on learning and memory functions during the developmental stage, electrophysiological and behavioural findings, particularly on propylthiouracil administration to adult normothyroid animals, are not satisfactory. The experiments in the present study were carried out on 12 adult male Wistar rats aged 6-7 months. Hypothyroidism was induced by administering 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil in their drinking water for 21 days at a concentration of 0.05%. The spatial learning performance of hypothyroid and control rats was studied on a Y-maze. The rats were then placed in a stereotaxic frame under urethane anaesthesia. A bipolar tungsten electrode was used to stimulate the medial perforant path. A glass micropipette was inserted into the granule cell layer of the ipsilateral dentate gyrus to record field excitatory post-synaptic potentials. After a 15-min baseline recording of field potentials, long-term potentiation was induced by four sets of tetanic trains. The propylthiouracil-treated rats showed a significantly attenuated input-output (I/O) relationship when population spike (PS) amplitudes and field excitatory post-synaptic potentials (fEPSP) were compared. fEPSP and PS latencies were found to be longer in the hypothyroid group than in the control group. The PS amplitude and fEPSP slope potentiations in the hypothyroid rats were not statistically different from those in the control rats, except for the field EPSP slope measured in the post-tetanic and maintenance phases. The hypothyroid rats also showed lower thyroxine levels and poor performance in the spatial memory task. The present study provides in vivo evidence for the action of propylthiouracil leading to impaired synaptic plasticity, which might explain deficit in spatial memory tasks in adult hypothyroid rats.     

Association between serum total and lipid-bound sialic acid concentration and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis

Serum total sialic acid has recently been shown to be a cardiovascular risk factor. Increased levels of this substance are associated with higher cardiovascular mortality and with cerebrovascular disease. It has also been shown that serum concentrations of total and lipid-associated sialic acid are significantly increased in hypertriglyceridemia. On the other hand, several circulating lipoproteins have been suggested to be related to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis, but contradictory results have been reported in the possible relationship between the concentrations of sialic acid and the severity of coronary lesions in patients with coronary heart disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between serum total sialic acid concentration, recently shown to be a cardiovascular risk factor, and serum lipid-bound sialic acid concentration and the severity of coronary lesions. The study comprised 90 subjects, divided into three subgroups according to angiography results: 30 patients with no vessel disease, 30 patients with single-vessel disease, and 30 patients with double/triple-vessel disease. Serum total sialic acid determination was carried out with the thiobarbituric acid method of Warren; lipid-associated sialic acid was assayed with the method of Katopodis. Mean serum total sialic acid levels in patients with single-vessel disease (P <.05) and patients with double/triple-vessel disease (P <.001) were found to be significantly increased compared with that in patients with no vessel disease, whereas mean serum lipid-bound sialic acid levels were found to be significantly different between patients with double- or triple-vessel disease and patients with no vessel disease (P <.001). We also noted a significant difference between the levels of serum total sialic acid (P <.001) and lipid-bound sialic acid (P <.001) in patients with single-vessel disease and patients with double/triple-vessel disease. We found a significant correlation only between serum lipid-bound sialic acid and coronary angiographic score in patients with double/triple-vessel disease (r = 0.425, P <.05). Although the concentration of serum total sialic acid is increased proportionally with the number of diseased coronary arteries, only the concentration of serum lipid-bound sialic acid is related to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis, especially in patients with double/triple-vessel disease.     

The evaluation of the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on new bone formation obtained by distraction osteogenesis in terms of consolidation periods

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on new bone formation obtained by distraction osteogenesis in long- or short-term consolidation periods.

Materials and methods

Twenty-four rabbits were used. The animals were divided into two groups of 12 animals each, and vertical mandibular distraction osteogenesis was performed. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was administered in the first group. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups according to the 30- and 60-day consolidation period. The acquired bone amounts were compared according to their radiographic density and histopathology.

Results

Histopathologically, in the experimental group, callus formation was increased and the new bone was more mineralized. According to the radiographic densitometry analyses, there were no statistically significant differences between the 30-day consolidated subgroups of the experimental group and the 60-day consolidated subgroup of the control group (p?=?0.873).

Conclusion

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used to increase the quality and the quantity of bone and to decrease the maturation time which may shorten the consolidation period of vertical distraction osteogenesis.

Clinical relevance

The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on vertical distraction osteogenesis procedure according to consolidation periods has been determined. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may increase the quality and the quantity of bone and shorten the consolidation period.     

两种氧疗方法对心力衰竭患者氧疗依从性的影响

目的探讨两种给氧方法对心力衰竭患者氧疗依从性的影响. 方法将心力衰竭需要给氧治疗的215例患者随机分为观察组(113例)和对照组(112例),观察组用双侧鼻导管给氧法并用复方薄荷油滴鼻,对照组给予鼻塞给氧法.观察吸氧过程中患者的主观感觉和客观反应(鼻黏膜干燥、疼痛、鼻出血等不适),并比较两组患者对吸氧治疗的依从情况.结果观察组鼻黏膜干燥、疼痛、鼻出血的发生率明显低于对照组,而依从性则显著高于对照组.结论对心力衰竭患者实施双侧鼻导管给氧法加复方薄荷油滴鼻优于鼻塞给氧法,可提高患者氧疗依从性.