Effects of chronic amitriptyline administration on saliva from the parotid and submandibular glands of the rat

The effect of prolonged treatment with amitriptyline on the secretory activity of rat salivary glands evoked by parasympathetic nerve stimulation and isoprenaline administration has been studied. Low doses of amitriptyline (10 mg/kg per day for 2 or 4 weeks), did not significantly affect salivary flow evoked by either parasympathetic nerve or isoprenaline stimulation. Higher doses of amitriptyline (50 mg/kg/day for 2 or 4 weeks) however, markedly decreased parasympathetic-evoked salivary secretion (flow and volume) from both parotid and submandibular glands, while isoprenaline-evoked secretions were unaffected. Sodium, potassium, and calcium concentrations of nerve-elicited or isoprenaline-evoked saliva were not significantly altered by amitriptyline treatment. Protein concentration and amylase activity of nerve-elicited parotid saliva were, however, greatly increased by chronic amitriptyline administration. Possible mechanisms for drug-induced increase in nerveelicited salivary protein concentration include changes in cholinergic receptor binding, release of neuropeptides and variations in phosphatidylinositol turnover, which need further study.     

Differential effects of luminol,nickel, and arsenite on the rejoining of ultraviolet light and alkylation-induced DNA breaks

When Chinese hamster ovary cells were treated with ultraviolet (UV) light or methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), a large number of DNA strand breaks could be detected by alkaline elution. These strand breaks gradually disappeared if the treated cells were allowed to recover in a drug-free medium. The presence of nickel or arsenite during the recovery incubation retarded the disappearance of UV-induced strand breaks, whereas the disappearance of MMS-induced strand breaks was retarded by the presence of arsenite or of luminol, a new inhibitor for poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase. Luminol, however, had no apparent effect on the repair of UV-induced DNA strand breaks, and nickel had no effect on the repair of MMS-induced DNA strand breaks. When UV- or MMS-treated cells were incubated in cytosine arabinofuranoside (AraC) plus hydroxyurea (HU), a large amount of low molecular weight DNA was detected by alkaline sucrose sedimentation. The molecular weight of these DNAs increased if the cells were further incubated in a drug-free medium. This rejoining of breaks in cells pretreated with UV plus AraC and HU was inhibited by nickel and by arsenite, but not by luminol. The rejoining of breaks in cells pretreated with MMS plus AraC and HU was inhibited by luminol and by arsenite, but not by nickel. These results suggest that different enzymes may be used in DNA resynthesis and/or ligation during the repairing of UV- and MMS-induced DNA strand breaks, and that nickel, luminol, and arsenite may have differential inhibitory effects on these enzymes. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Potential contribution of nuclear factor-kappaB to cerebral vasospasm after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbits.

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays a key role in inflammation, which is involved in the development of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In the present study, we assessed the potential role of NF-kappaB in regulation of cerebral vasospasm. Nuclear factor-kappaB DNA-binding activity was measured in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) treated with hemolysate and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, 80 micromol/L), an inhibitor of NF-kappaB. Forty-two rabbits were divided into three groups: control, SAH, and PDTC groups (n=14 for each group). The caliber of the basilar artery was evaluated. Nuclear factor-kappaB DNA-binding activity and the gene expression levels of cytokines and adhesion molecules in the basilar artery were measured. Immunohistochemical study was performed to assess the expression and localization of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and myeloperoxidase (MPO). It was observed that NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity was significantly increased by treatment with hemolysate in cultured VSCMs, but this increase was suppressed by pretreatment with PDTC. Severe vasospasm was observed in the SAH group, which was attenuated in the PDTC group. Subarachnoid hemorrhage could induce increases of NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity and the gene expression levels of TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, ICAM-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, which were reduced in the PDTC group. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated that the expression levels of TNF-alpha, ICAM-1, and MPO were all increased in the SAH group, but these increases were attenuated in the PDTC group. Our results suggest that NF-kappaB is activated in the arterial wall after SAH, which potentially leads to vasospasm development through induction of inflammatory response.     

老年2型糖尿病患者胰岛素抵抗相关指标的检测和意义

目的:探讨老年2型糖尿病胰岛素抵抗(IR)及其相关性,为老年2型糖尿病的合理防治提供临床依据。方法:选择120例老年2型糖尿病患者,按胰岛素敏感指数(HOMA)胰岛素抵抗(HOMA-IR)50百分位点将患者分为两组:胰岛素相对敏感组(HOMA-IR<3.56)和胰岛素相对抵抗组(HOMA-IR≥3.56),比较体重指数(BMI)、腰/臀比(WHR)、血压、血生化学检查等指标。用年龄>40岁,<60岁的2型糖尿病患者做对照组。结果:两组老年患者在年龄、性别、舒张压、空腹血糖、胆固醇、高密度脂蛋白、糖化血红蛋白、HOMA胰岛β细胞功能方面无差异;但BMI、WHR、收缩压、甘油三脂、空腹胰岛素、HOMA-IR差异具有显著性。多线性回归分析后,只有腰/臀比、收缩压、甘油三脂、HOMA-IR存在统计学差异。老年患者与对照组相比,IR发生率明显增加,且两者腰/臀比、收缩压、甘油三脂方面也差异显著。结论:IR与老年2型糖尿病密切相关,是临床防治糖尿病的重要靶点。     

急性脑梗死后血浆NO、NOS、ET含量的动态变化及尼莫地平对其影响

目的　观察急性脑梗死 (ACI)后血浆一氧化氮 (NO)、一氧化氮合成酶 (NOS)、内皮素 (ET)含量的动态变化 ,以及尼莫地平治疗后对其影响。方法　ACI患者 110例 ,随机分成尼莫地平组 (5 0例 ) (在常规治疗基础上用尼莫地平 )和常规治疗组 (6 0例 )。在发病后不同时点动态观察血浆NO、NOS、ET含量 ,并设 5 0例脑动脉硬化患者为对照组。结果　脑梗死后血浆ET含量显著升高 ,直至恢复期 ;NO、NOS先增高后下降 ;尼莫地平组和常规组比较ET有显著差异 (P <0 .0 1) ,NO、NOS差别不显著 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论　NO、NOS、ET参与并影响了ACI后复杂的病理生理过程 ;尼莫地平部分通过对ET含量的影响发挥其对脑梗死的治疗作用     

Computerized tomography based on DEI refraction information.

Conventional computerized tomography (CT) technique is based on the absorption contrast. In recent years, X-ray phase-contrast CT (PCCT) has been developing rapidly. It uses the phase information to reconstruct the object and provide high contrast and spatial resolution. Diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) method is one of the three phase-sensitive X-ray imaging techniques. DEI method employs an analyzer crystal to extract the object's refraction information which can be used for CT. However, when DEI refraction CT is combined with the conventional CT algorithm, it should be satisfied that the refraction information of an arbitrary point in the object is invariable at every projection view. In this paper, the invariance condition of refraction information is analyzed and two feasible methods are provided for reconstruction. Using these two methods, two samples of weak absorption are reconstructed with the experimental data obtained at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF).