Association of aortic atherosclerosis with cerebral beta-amyloidosis and learning deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

High fat/high cholesterol diets exacerbate beta-amyloidosis in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been impossible, however, to study the relationship between atherosclerosis and beta-amyloidosis in those models because such mice were on atherosclerosis-resistant genetic backgrounds. Here we report the establishment of AD model mice, B6Tg2576, that are prone to atherosclerosis. B6Tg2576 mice were produced by back-crossing Tg2576 mice, an AD mouse model overexpressing human amyloid beta-protein precursor with the Swedish double mutation, to C57BL/6 mice, a strain susceptible to diet-induced atherosclerosis. An atherogenic diet induced aortic atherosclerosis and exacerbated cerebral beta-amyloidosis in B6Tg2576 mice. Compared with age-matched non-transgenic littermates, B6Tg2576 mice developed significantly more diet-induced aortic atherosclerosis. Unexpectedly, normal diet-fed B6Tg2576 mice also developed fatty streak lesions (early atherosclerosis) in the aorta. The aortic atherosclerotic lesion area positively correlated with cerebral beta-amyloid deposits in B6Tg2576 mice on both atherogenic and normal diets. Furthermore, behavioral assessments demonstrated that B6Tg2576 mice fed an atherogenic diet had more spatial learning impairment than those fed a normal diet. Our results suggest that synergistic mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and AD. These findings may have important implications in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases as well as AD.     

钛颗粒负荷对切应力作用下骨髓间质干细胞F-actin表达和DNA含量的影响

假体磨损碎屑颗粒是引起假体一骨界面无菌性炎症和骨溶解而致全关节置换术失败的主要原因之一。磨屑颗粒所诱发的骨溶解须有周围骨组织中成骨细胞分泌足够的骨基质以弥补丢失的骨量，而成骨细胞正常的数量和质量有赖于其来源骨髓祖细胞—骨髓问质干细胞的正常增殖分化能力的维持。为了探讨磨屑钛颗粒对大鼠骨髓间质干细胞(Rat MSCs，rMSCs)产生细胞毒性的可能细胞分子机制，选用健康3月龄SD雄性大鼠，采用Percoll等密度梯度离心法分离获取rMSCs，经体外传代纯化培养后，与不同直径、不同负荷浓度、不同负荷作用时间的钛颗粒悬液共孵育，再采用精准的流室系统对钛颗粒负荷的rMSCs施加一定的流体剪切应力(Fluid shear stress，FSS)后立刻固定细胞，经免疫荧光抗体染色，结合激光共聚焦显微镜技术和图像分析软件定性定量分析rMSCs F—actin表达和DNA含量的变化情况。同时设置相应的未经钛颗粒孵育的rMSCs细胞为对照组细胞。结果显示，切应力作用可上调rMSCs胞内F—actin的表达。亚微(Submieron)直径(0．9μm)的钛颗粒负荷对rMSCs F—actin表达和DNA含量的抑制作用最为显著，并伴有凋亡小体出现；直径为2．7μm的钛颗粒负荷产生的抑制作用略为减弱，而较大直径(6．9μm)的抑制效应最弱。相同条件下，钛颗粒负荷对F—actin的抑制效应有一定的时间和浓度依赖性：以0．1wt％浓度对F—actin表达和DNA含量的抑制效应最为明显，亦有凋亡小体的出现；随着浓度的降低，抑制作用亦减弱，以0．01wt％浓度最弱；随着作用时间的延长，F—actin表达和DNA含量逐渐降低，至实验中的32h达到最低值。提示：磨屑颗粒对rMSCs活力的抑制作用是假体无菌性松动的可能分子机制，对其具体细胞分子机制进行深入研究，必将有助于有效防治假体松动药物的研发应用以及人工关节材料的优化设计，从而为全关节置换术患者真正带来福音。     

Descending vasa recta pericytes express voltage operated Na+ conductance in the rat

We studied the properties of a voltage-operated Na⁺ conductance in descending vasa recta (DVR) pericytes isolated from the renal outer medulla. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed a depolarization-induced, rapidly activating and rapidly inactivating inward current that was abolished by removal of Na⁺ but not Ca⁺ from the extracellular buffer. The Na⁺ current ( I _Na) is highly sensitive to tetrodotoxin  (TTX, K _d= 2.2 n m )  . At high concentrations, mibefradil (10 μ m ) and Ni⁺ (1 m m ) blocked I _Na. I _Na was insensitive to nifedipine (10 μ m ). The L-type Ca⁺ channel activator FPL-64176 induced a slowly activating/inactivating inward current that was abolished by nifedipine. Depolarization to membrane potentials between 0 and 30 mV induced inactivation with a time constant of ∼1 ms. Repolarization to membrane potentials between −90 and −120 mV induced recovery from inactivation with a time constant of ∼11 ms. Half-maximal activation and inactivation occurred at −23.9 and −66.1 mV, respectively, with slope factors of 4.8 and 9.5 mV, respectively. The Na⁺ channel activator, veratridine (100 μ m ), reduced peak inward I _Na and prevented inactivation. We conclude that a TTX-sensitive voltage-operated Na⁺ conductance, with properties similar to that in other smooth muscle cells, is expressed by DVR pericytes.     

HCV-specific CD27- CD28- memory T cells are depleted in hepatitis C virus and Schistosoma mansoni co-infection

Factors that influence the generation and maintenance of memory CD8+ T cells are not fully understood. The homeostasis of memory T cells is highly dynamic and tightly regulated by various stimuli, including cytokines and antigen-major histocompatibility complex ligands. We characterized the hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in a cohort of HCV-infected individuals with or without Schistosoma mansoni co-infection from Egypt. We observed a significantly decreased CD27- CD28- (late differentiated) memory T-cell population in the HCV co-infected individuals compared to those with HCV infection alone. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the CD27+ CD28+ (early differentiated) memory T cells between the two groups. Analysis of human cytomegalovirus-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in the same individuals failed to reveal a similar pattern of altered memory T-cell differentiation. Thus, S. mansoni co-infection targets a specific subset of memory CD8+ T cells in HCV infection.     

HLA diversity, differentiation, and haplotype evolution in Mesoamerican Natives

Genetic variation of the Human Leukocyte Antigen region (HLA) in three Amerindian populations from the Southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, the Zapotec, Mixtec and the Mixe is examined. Individuals were typed using PCR-SSOP for four class II loci (DRB1, DQA1, DQB1, DPB1) and three class I loci (HLA-A, -B, and -C). Based on known HLA distributions, European admixture ranged from 1% to 10%. Individuals with European alleles were excluded from subsequent analysis. New alleles were revealed at each of the class I loci. In general, genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, although some deviations were detected. Allele frequency distributions at the DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 and HLA-A loci in all populations were more even than expected under neutrality, supporting a model of balancing selection at these loci. A history of directional selection for DPB1 in all three populations was indicated, as homozygosity values were significantly above expected values. Allele frequency distributions at HLA-B and HLA-C did not differ significantly from neutrality expectations. The data also provide evidence from linkage disequilibrium that strong haplotypic associations are present across the entire HLA region in each of the populations. Significant overall linkage disequilibrium exists between all pairs of loci typed in these populations, except those which include the DPB1 locus. These associations exist despite the fact that the recombination fraction between HLA-A, in the class I region, and DQB1, in the class II region, may exceed 0.02. One explanation is that selective pressures are maintaining the relationships between particular alleles at these loci in these populations. These relationships are maintained in general across the entire HLA region in the Oaxacan Amerindians, with the exception of DPB1.     

The deltaccr5 mutation conferring protection against HIV-1 in Caucasian populations has a single and recent origin in Northeastern Europe

The chemokine receptor CCR5 is encoded by the CMKBR5 gene located on the p21.3 region of human chromosome 3, and constitutes the major co- receptor for the macrophage-tropic strains of HIV-1. A mutant allele of the CCR5 gene, Delta ccr5 , was shown to provide to homozygotes with a strong resistance against infection by HIV. The frequency of the Delta ccr5 allele was investigated in 18 European populations. A North to South gradient was found, with the highest allele frequencies in Finnish and Mordvinian populations (16%), and the lowest in Sardinia (4%). Highly polymorphic microsatellites (IRI3.1, D3S4579 and IRI3.2, D3S4580 ) located respectively 11 kb upstream and 68 kb downstream of the CCR5 gene deletion were used to determine the haplotype of the chromosomes carrying the Delta ccr5 variant. A strong linkage disequilibrium was found between Delta ccr5 and specific alleles of the IRI3.1 and IRI3.2 microsatellites: >95% of the Delta ccr5 chromosomes carried the IRI3.1-0 allele, while 88% carried the IRI3.2-0 allele. These alleles were found respectively in only 2 or 1.5% of the chromosomes carrying a wild-type CCR5 gene. From these data, it was inferred that most, if not all Delta ccr5 alleles originate from a single mutation event, and that this mutation event probably took place a few thousand years ago in Northeastern Europe. The high frequency of the Delta ccr5 allele in Caucasian populations cannot be explained easily by random genetic drift, suggesting that a selection advantage is or has been associated with homo- or heterozygous carriers of the Delta ccr5 allele.      

ASSESSMENT OF URINE SATURATION AND INHIBITORY INDEX IN PATIENTS WITH CALCIUM OXALATE KIDNEY STONE AND NORMALS

The formation of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis can be estimated by measuring the concentration of calcium oxalate versus the inhibitory role of crystal formation in the urine. In recent studies, the calcium oxalate saturation index and the inhibitory activity (by modified Sarig's method) of the urine during fasting and after oral calcium loading in normal subjects and in patients with calcium nepliro- lithiasis were determined. It was shown that, in normal comrols after calcium loading the inhibitory activity of the urine increased in parallel with the increase in urinary excretion of calcium oxalate; in contrast, in patients with kidney stones, it remained unchanged or fell slightly. This abnormal response might result in a disturbance of the saturation-inhibi- tion balance and formation of kidney stone. In normal individuals, there may be a "protective re- sponse" to prevent the precipitation of calcium oxalate when the urrine is oversaturated with calcium oxalate while a defect of the "protective response" in patients may be an important factor in calcium oxalate stone formation.     

高频重复经颅磁刺激联合认知行为治疗对脑卒中后焦虑和抑郁共病状态患者的影响

目的观察高频重复经颅磁刺激(rTMS)联合认知行为治疗对脑卒中后焦虑(PSA)、脑卒中后抑郁(PSD)共病状态患者的影响。 方法采用随机数字表法将160例脑卒中后焦虑抑郁状态患者分为对照组和观察组。两组患者均给予脑卒中常规治疗、抗抑郁药物治疗和认知行为治疗,对照组同时给予高频rTMS假刺激治疗,观察组则给予高频rTMS真刺激治疗。观察4周后2组患者抑郁症状、焦虑症状、睡眠质量、日常生活能力改善情况。 结果两组患者汉密尔顿抑郁量表(HAMD)评分、汉密尔顿焦虑量表(HAMA)评分、匹兹堡睡眠指数量表(PSQI)、改良Barthel指数(MBI)在治疗前差异无统计学意义(P均>0.05)。治疗4周后,对照组和观察组的HAMD评分、HAMA评分、PSQI较治疗前下降,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05),其中观察组下降更为明显,与对照组相比,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。对照组和观察组MBI与治疗前相比,均有明显提高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),而观察组和对照组相比,观察组分数提高更显著,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组治疗有效率为87.50%,高于对照组的71.25%。两组之间差异有统计学意义(Uc＝－3.45,P<0.001)。 结论高频rTMS治疗联合认知行为治疗和认知行为治疗均能有效改善PSA+PSD患者的焦虑抑郁症状、睡眠质量及日常生活能力,但高频rTMS治疗联合认知行为治疗的效果更加明显。     

基于胸痛中心急救流程在急性心肌梗死患者救治中的应用

目的探讨基于胸痛中心急救流程在急性心肌梗死(AMI)患者救治中的应用效果。 方法选取镇江市急救中心2017年8月至2021年8月接诊的94例AMI患者为研究对象,其中男性50例,女性44例;年龄42~81岁,平均(60.37±4.31)岁。根据就诊顺序分为对照组和研究组,每组各47例,对照组患者接受常规急救流程,研究组患者接受基于胸痛中心基础上的急救流程,比较两组患者急救各环节时间、不良心血管事件发生率及患者满意度。 结果研究组患者急救各环节时间较对照组更短,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);研究组患者不良心血管事件发生率显著低于对照组(6.38%比23.40%),两组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);研究组患者满意度显著高于对照组(93.62%比78.72%),两组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。 结论基于胸痛中心急救流程可有效缩短急救过程中各环节时间,最大限度降低不良心血管事件发生风险,患者满意度高,对提高AMI患者救治效果、改善预后具有积极意义。     

妊娠期糖尿病患者产后糖代谢异常转归影响因素分析

目的探讨妊娠期糖尿病(GDM)患者产后糖代谢异常(AGM)转归及其影响因素。方法选择2019年1月至12月,于四川大学华西第二医院孕期被诊断为GDM,并于产后4~12周进行75 g口服葡萄糖耐量试验(OGTT)筛查的1175例单胎妊娠产妇为研究对象。根据其产后糖代谢是否正常,将其分为研究组(n=361,产后AGM者)与对照组(n=814,产后糖代谢正常者)。采用回顾性分析方法,收集受试者一般临床资料及孕期与产后4~12周75 g OGTT结果等,并采用成组t检验或χ^(2)检验进行统计学分析。对GDM患者产后AGM转归相关影响因素进行单因素分析与多因素非条件logistic回归分析,探讨其AGM转归的独立影响因素。本研究遵循的程序符合病例收集医院伦理委员会制定的伦理学标准,得到该伦理委员会批准[审批文号:医学科研2021伦审批第(181)号]。结果①24~28孕周时,1175例GDM患者75 g OGTT结果提示,空腹血糖(FPG)及OGTT 1、2 h血糖指标中,1、2、3项升高者分别为639例(54.4%)、373例(31.7%)与163例(13.9%)。②产后4~12周时,1175例GDM患者75 g OGTT结果提示,产后糖代谢正常者为814例(69.3%),AGM为361例(30.7%),包括空腹血糖受损(IFG)为19例(1.6%),糖耐量受损(IGT)为294例(25.0%),IFG+IGT为23例(2.0%),疑似2型糖尿病(T2DM)患者为25例(2.1%)。③产后AGM转归影响因素的单因素分析结果显示,研究组GDM患者年龄、糖尿病家族史发生率,24~28孕周OGTT 1、2 h血糖值,以及2项血糖指标(OGTT 1、2 h血糖)均升高与3项血糖指标(FPG及OGTT1、2 h血糖)均升高者所占比例,均显著高于对照组,而研究组仅1项血糖指标(FPG或OGTT 1 h血糖)升高者所占比例,则显著低于对照组,2组比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。④多因素非条件logistic回归分析结果:模型1将受试者年龄、糖尿病家族史及24~28孕周OGTT 1、2 h血糖值进行多因素logistic回归分析结果显示,糖尿病家族史及24~28孕周OGTT 1、2 h血糖值,均为GDM患者产后AGM转归的独立危险因素(OR=1.693、1.205、1.355,95%CI:1.208~2.373、1.088~1.335、1.204~1.524,P=0.002、<0.001、<0.001)。模型2将受试者年龄、糖尿病家族史、24~28孕周OGTT血糖指标升高项目进行多因素logistic回归分析结果显示,糖尿病家族史及24~28孕周OGTT 2项血糖指标(OGTT 1、2 h血糖)升高与3项血糖指标均升高,均为GDM患者产后AGM转归独立危险因素(OR=1.668、1.421、1.747,95%CI:1.192~2.333、1.035~1.952、1.195~2.553,P=0.003、0.030、0.004);24~28孕周仅FPG或OGTT 1 h血糖升高为其独立保护因素(OR=0.401、0.646,95%CI:0.240~0.670、0.418~0.997,P<0.001、=0.048)。结论对于GDM患者产后AGM转归,临床应关注其年龄、糖尿病家族史、孕期OGTT结果等指标。对GDM高危人群进行上述指标持续监测与规范干预,是健全GDM孕前-孕期-产后全程管理的重要环节。