Association of plasma viscosity with cardiovascular risk factors in obesity: an old marker, a new insight

OBJECTIVE: Although obesity is related with cardiovascular disease, the exact mechanism of the relationship is not fully understood. We aim to examine the relationship between plasma viscosity and obesity as a cardiovascular disease risk factor in obese and non-obese groups. METHODS: We recruited 75 obese subjects (mean age: 40.2+/-8.4 years, Body Mass Index: 33.61+/-2.57 kg/m(2)) who were admitted to the Clinic of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty. As a non-obese group (n=70, mean age: 41.78+/-9.7 years, Body Mass Index: 21.84+/-3.42 kg/m(2)) healthy subjects from medical and laboratory staff were selected. Plasma viscosity and lipid profile were measured and atherogenic index was calculated as atherogenic risk factors. RESULTS: Plasma viscosity, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels and atherogenic index were significantly increased in obese group compared to non-obese group for each p<0.001. We found no significant difference in plasma fibrinogen, insulin, albumin and HDL-cholesterol levels between obese and non-obese groups. Plasma viscosity was correlated with total cholesterol and atherogenic index only in the obese group (p<0.05 and p<0.05 respectively). In the non-obese group regarding PV, we determined a positive correlation with triglycerides (r: 0.470, p<0.05) and negative correlation with HDL-C (r: -0.518, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Plasma viscosity, an early atherosclerotic risk factor, might be helpful in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in obese subjects along with classical cardiovascular risk factors such as plasma cholesterol and atherogenic index.     

维吾尔药核桃分心木不同提取物对肾阳虚模型小鼠的实验研究

目的探讨维吾尔药核桃分心木对肾阳虚小鼠模型作用的有效溶剂部位。方法以大剂量氢化可的松造成小鼠肾阳虚模型后,分别以分心木不同溶剂提取部位高、中、低剂量组给予干预,观察小鼠体质量增长率、各相关脏器系数等指标变化以及下丘脑、肾脏的病理组织学变化。结果 (1)肾阳虚组小鼠出现大剂量皮质激素所致的全身耗竭现象,分心木乙醇提取物、正丁醇提取物以及水提取物组小鼠的全身耗竭现象出现不同程度的改善;(2)在小鼠体质量变化和脏器系数方面,各提取部位组与空白组、肾阳虚组比较均在不同程度上表现出改善作用;(3)正丁醇高剂量组、95%乙醇低剂量组降低肾小球毛细血管通透性,对毛细血管扩张起到拮抗作用;95%乙醇低剂量组、水煎液中剂量组改善肾小管上皮细胞水肿现象;正丁醇高中低剂量组、水煎液高中剂量组对胶质细胞水肿表现出改善作用。结论核桃分心木95%乙醇提取物、正丁醇提取物以及水提取物各剂量组均不同程度地改善了小鼠模型肾阳虚症状。     

应用螺旋CT三维重建鼻骨形态鼻内镜下歪鼻矫正术

目的 探讨应用螺旋CT三维重建鼻骨形态鼻内镜下矫正歪鼻畸形的手术治疗方法.方法 对66例歪鼻畸形患者术前行螺旋CT三维重建鼻骨形态,了解歪鼻畸形的局部形成状况.先在鼻内镜下行鼻中隔偏曲的矫正术,后经鼻前庭前小切口在鼻内镜辅助下行歪鼻畸形矫正.结果 术后1周、1个月、3个月及半年后随访,观察外鼻形状,并测量其偏离值.66例歪鼻中矫正效果优为53例,良好为11例,不满意2例.结论 螺旋CT三维重建鼻骨形态可在术前充分了解歪鼻畸形局部及周围情况;采用鼻内镜能充分暴露骨折畸形愈合部位,避免破坏整体框架,使得手术创伤小,手术时间短,术后反应轻,皮肤坏死可能性减小等,因此应用螺旋CT三维重建鼻骨形态鼻内镜下矫正歪鼻畸形效果更具优势.     

Attenuation of ischemia/reperfusion injury by N-acetylcysteine in a rat hind limb model

BACKGROUND: Ischemia/reperfusion is a complex set of events with severe pathologic consequences. Reperfusion initiates both the local and systemic damage in part through rapid oxygen generation. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a scavenger of free radical species, inhibits neutrophil accumulation, acts as a vasodilator and also improves microcirculation. In present study, we examined the protective effect of NAC in a rat hind limb ischemia/ reperfusion model. Dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO), a well-known antioxidant was also tested for comparison. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ischemia was induced for 4 h by vascular clamping and followed by 1 h of reperfusion. Muscle injury was evaluated in 3 groups as a saline group (control), DMSO group, and NAC group. Plasma levels of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and blood HCO(3), as well as muscle tissue TBARS, were measured at the end of reperfusion. Muscle tissue samples were taken for histological evaluation. RESULTS: DMSO and NAC group showed significant amelioration of plasma CPK (P < 0.05, P < 0.05), plasma TBARS (P < 0.05, P < 0.05), and muscle tissue TBARS (P < 0.05, P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Similarly, neutrophil infiltration in DMSO and NAC groups were significantly less prominent than the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that NAC improved effectively ischemia reperfusion injury in a rat hind limb model.     

The effect of prostate cancer and antianrogenic therapy on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant systems

In living organism, excessive free radicals oroxidative damage which occur as a result of deficient antioxidant defensive mechanisms by the effect of endogenous and exogenous factors, influences especially developmental steps of chemically induced cancers [1, 2]. In our study, plasma malondialdehyde level (MDA) as an indicator of lipid peroxidation, erythrocyte glutathione (GSH) level as an indicator of antioxidant state, glutathione reductase (GSH-Red), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) as an antioxidant enzymes and plasma vitamin E level were detected in patients with prostate cancer (21 males; age, 69.4 ± 4.8 years) before and after three months of antiandrogenic therapy with goserelin acetate as luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue. Healthy people evaluated as a control group (20 males; age, 63.7 ± 3.9). Erythrocyte GSH levels, the activities of GSH-Red and GSH-Px and plasma vitamin E levels were found significantly low in patients with prostate cancer when compared with the healthy subjects (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p ≤ 0.001 and p ≤ 0.001 respectively). Plasma MDA level and erythrocyte GST activity of patient group were significantly higher than the levels of control group (p ≤ 0.001 and p ≤ 0.001 respectively). After antiandrogenic therapy erythrocyte GSH level, GSH-Red, GSH-Px activity and plasma vitamin E level were found unchanged. Significant decrease in plasma MDA level and significant increase in erythrocyte GST activity were detected in patient group (p < 0.05 and p ≤ 0.01 respectively). The study has revealed the shift in the oxidant-antioxidant balance towards oxidative state in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Our results showed that antiandrogenic therapy increased in GST activity, decreased in lipid peroxidation. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in maternal and cord blood

The present study was undertaken to determine the change of blood lipid peroxide and antioxidant status in healthy nonpregnant women (n = 20), pregnant women in the third trimester (n = 20), pregnant women during delivery (n = 26) and fetal cord blood. Plasma and erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were found to be significantly higher and erythrocyte glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly lower in pregnant women in the third trimester than in nonpregnant women (p < 0.02, p < 0.03 and p < 0.001, respectively). The highest plasma and erythrocyte MDA levels and the lowest GSH levels were obtained from the pregnant women during delivery (6.99 +/- 2.35 nmol/ml, 283.20 +/- 43.81 nmol/g Hb, 6.73 +/- 2.34 micromol/g Hb, respectively). Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH-P) and glutathione reductase (GSH-R) activities were not different between the groups. Maternal plasma and erythrocyte MDA levels were significantly correlated with cord blood plasma and erythrocyte MDA levels (r = 0.63, p < 0.001, and r = 0.41, p < 0.001, respectively). There was a significant positive correlation in GSH-R and in GSH-P activities between maternal and cord blood erythrocytes (r = 0.81, p < 0.001, and r = 0.79, p < 0.001, respectively). A significant correlation was found between maternal erythrocyte GSH-P and both cord blood erythrocyte GSH-R activities (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) and cord erythrocyte GSH levels (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). There was also a significant negative correlation between maternal erythrocyte MDA and cord erythrocyte GSH-R levels (r = -0.9, p < 0.001). Our results suggest that lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status may be changed during delivery, and these changes may affect the fetus by creating oxidative stress.