Hypermetabolism associated with worse prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Journal of Neurology - Exploration of hypermetabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with different ethnicities is needed to understand its metabolic implications for clinical management....     

Increased Expression of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Reduces Renal Cell Apoptosis During Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury After Hypothermic Machine Perfusion

Hypothermic machine perfusion (MP) can reduce graft's injury after kidney transplantation; however, the mechanism has not been elucidated. In the past decade, many studies showed that aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is a protease which can inhibit cell apoptosis. Therefore, this study aims to explore whether ALDH2 takes part in reducing organ damage after MP. Eighteen healthy male New Zealand rabbits (12 weeks old, weight 3.0 ± 0.3 kg) were randomly divided into three groups: normal group, MP group, and cold storage (CS) group (n = 6). The left kidney of rabbits underwent warm ischemia for 35 min through clamping the left renal pedicle and then reperfusion for 1 h. Left kidneys were preserved by MP or CS (4°C for 4 h) in vivo followed by the right nephrectomy and 24‐h reperfusion, and then the specimens and blood were collected. Finally, concentration of urine creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and 4‐HNE were tested. Renal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining, and the expression of ALDH2, cleaved‐caspase 3, bcl‐2/ bax, MAPK in renal tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry or Western blot; 24 h after surgery, the concentration of Cr in MP group was 355 ± 71μmol/L, in CS group was 511 ± 44 μmol/L (P < 0.05), while the BUN was 15.02 ± 2.34 mmol/L in MP group, 22.64 ± 3.58 mmol/L in CS group (P < 0.05). The rate of apoptosis and expression of cleaved caspase‐3, p‐P38, p‐ERK, and p‐JNK in MP group was significantly lower than that in CS group (P < 0.05), while expression of ALDH2 and bcl‐2/bax in MP group was significantly higher than that in CS group (P < 0.05); expression of cleaved caspase‐3 in both MP and CS group significantly increased as compared with that in normal group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, increased expression of ALDH2 can reduce the renal cell apoptosis through inhibiting MAPK pathway during ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) after hypothermic MP.     

45d-6°头低位卧床对下肢肌萎缩的影响及中药红景天的作用

目的观察模拟失重效应对下肢肌萎缩的影响及中药红景天的干预作用。方法 16名成年男性健康志愿者随机分为对照组(8人)和用药组(8人),进行45 d-6°头低位卧床模拟长期失重效应实验。卧床期间,用药组和对照组每天分别服用红景天(红益胶囊)和安慰剂。卧床前、中、后动态测量小腿围径;并采用MRI技术,测试和分析卧床前、后大腿和小腿肌群最大横截面积和肌肉体积的变化。结果1)卧床期间用药组和对照组小腿围径进行性下降,在卧床30和45 d均显著下降(P0.01),但用药组下降幅度显著减少(P0.05);2)卧床45 d,用药组和对照组大腿和小腿肌肉最大横截面积均显著降低(P0.01),其中小腿比目鱼肌下降幅度最大。用药组肌肉最大横截面积的减少较对照组均有改善作用(P0.05);3)对照组大腿和小腿肌群肌肉体积在卧床45 d均显著下降(P0.01),以比目鱼肌体积下降最为明显,用药组下降幅度显著减少,且比目鱼肌对抗作用最为明显(P0.01)。结论 45 d-6°头低位卧床引起进行性加重的肌萎缩,中药红景天可部分对抗模拟长期失重效应诱导的下肢肌萎缩。     

A randomised comparison of single-incision versus traditional transobturator midurethral sling in women with stress urinary incontinence: results of a 24-month follow-up

Introduction and hypothesis

Midurethral sling procedures have become the principal surgical treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The 1-year results of this international trial comparing the efficacy and morbidity of a single-incision midurethral sling (SIMS; MiniArc) and a transobturator standard midurethral sling (SMUS; Monarc) showed that MiniArc is non-inferior regarding subjective cure and superior with regard to postoperative pain and recovery. The objective was to compare subjective and objective cure, morbidity and surgery-related discomfort following SIMS and transobturator SMUS up to a 24-month follow-up.

Methods

We carried out a non-blinded, randomised, controlled trial. Women with symptomatic SUI were eligible. Primary outcome was subjective cure, defined as an improvement on the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), at 12, 24 and 36 months. Secondary outcomes were objective cure based on the cough stress test, disease-specific quality of life questionnaires, surgical parameters and physical performance during recovery. Analysis was by intent to treat. Differences between the two groups regarding dichotomous variables were Chi-squared tested and presented as relative risks (RR) with corresponding 95 % confidence intervals.

Results

We randomised 97 women to MiniArc and 96 to Monarc. At the 24-month follow-up, subjective cure was 84 % following MiniArc and 89 % following Monarc (RR ?5; 95% CI ?0.17 to 0.06). Objective cure was 93 % following MiniArc and 94 % following Monarc (RR ?1; 95% CI ?0.10 to 0.07). Both procedures have low complication rates.

Conclusions

At the 2-year follow-up, the non-prespecified analysis of this randomised trial showed that the MiniArc, a single-incision sling, had similar subjective and similar objective cure rates, although non-inferiority to Monarc for subjective cure could not be demonstrated.

     

Transurethral enucleation of the prostate versus transvesical open prostatectomy for large benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transurethral enucleation of the prostate (TUEP) versus transvesical open prostatectomy (OP) for the management of large benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing TUEP and OP were identified from PubMed, Embase and Web of Science up to February 28, 2015. A meta-analysis was conducted with the STATA 12.0 software.

Results

Nine RCTs including 758 patients were enrolled in our meta-analysis. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the maximum urinary flow rate at 1, 3, 6 months, 1 and 2 years: postvoiding residual urinary volume, prostate-specific antigen, international prostate symptom score and quality of life score at 1, 3, 6 months and 1 year; or international index of erectile function at 3, 6 months and 1 year. Perioperative outcomes including hemoglobin level drop, catheter period, irrigation length and hospital stay favored TUEP, while operative time and resected prostate weight favored OP. There was significantly less blood transfusion with TUEP, but no significant differences were found in other complications such as recatheterization, urinary tract infection, reintervention for clots and bleeding control, incidence of pneumonia and infarction, transient incontinence, bladder neck contracture, urethral stricture and recurrent adenoma.

Conclusions

TUEP can be performed effectively and safely with functional outcomes and complications similar to OP for large BPH, whereas it has the advantages of a shorter catheter period, shorter hospital stays and less blood transfusion. These findings seem to support TUEP as the next-generation “gold standard” of surgery for large BPH.