Rat models of cardiometabolic diseases: baseline clinical chemistries,and rationale for their use in examining air pollution health effects

Abstract

Individuals with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (CVD) are shown to be more susceptible to adverse health effects of pollutants. Rodent models of CVD are used for examining susceptibility variations. CVD models developed by selective inbreeding are shown to represent the etiology of human disease and metabolic dysfunction. The goal of this article was to review the origin and the pathobiological features of rat models of varying CVD with or without metabolic syndrome and healthy laboratory rat strains to allow better interpretation of the data regarding their susceptibility to air pollutant exposures. Age-matched healthy Sprague–Dawley (SD), Wistar (WIS) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY), and CVD-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SH), Fawn-Hooded hypertensive (FHH), SH stroke-prone (SHSP), SHHF/Mcc heart failure obese (SHHF) and insulin-resistant JCR:LA-cp obese (JCR) rat models were considered for this study. The genetics and the underlying pathologies differ between these models. Normalized heart weights correlated with underlying cardiac disease while wide differences exist in the number of white blood cells and platelets within healthy strains and those with CVD. High plasma fibrinogen and low angiotensin converting enzyme activity in FHH might relate to kidney disease and associated hypertension. However, other obese strains with known kidney lesions do not exhibit decreases in ACE activity. The increased activated partial thromboplastin time only in SHSP correlates with their hemorrhagic stroke susceptibility. Increases plasma lipid peroxidation in JCR might reflect their susceptibility to acquire atherosclerosis. These underlying pathologies involving CVD and metabolic dysfunction are critical in interpretation of findings related to susceptibility variations of air pollution health effects.     

冠状动脉再狭窄的动物模型

在冠脉支架应用的时代,再狭窄仍然制约着经皮冠脉介入治疗。许多动物模型被用于研究冠状动脉再狭窄的病理生理机制,并探讨其防治途径。现就近年来冠脉再狭窄动物模型研究的相关进展作一综述。     

Adjuvant treatment with tumor-targeting Salmonella typhimurium A1-R reduces recurrence and increases survival after liver metastasis resection in an orthotopic nude mouse model

Colon cancer liver metastasis is often the lethal aspect of this disease. Well-isolated metastases are candidates for surgical resection, but recurrence is common. Better adjuvant treatment is therefore needed to reduce or prevent recurrence. In the present study, HT-29 human colon cancer cells expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) were used to establish liver metastases in nude mice. Mice with a single liver metastasis were randomized into bright-light surgery (BLS) or the combination of BLS and adjuvant treatment with tumor-targeting S. typhimurium A1-R. Residual tumor fluorescence after BLS was clearly visualized at high magnification by fluorescence imaging. Adjuvant treatment with S. typhimurium A1-R was highly effective to increase survival and disease-free survival after BLS of liver metastasis. The results suggest the future clinical potential of adjuvant S. typhimurium A1-R treatment after liver metastasis resection.     

Attenuation of auditory N1 results from identity‐specific action‐effect prediction

The auditory N1 event‐related potential has previously been observed to be attenuated for tones that are triggered by human actions. This attenuation is thought to be generated by motor prediction mechanisms and is considered to be important for agency attribution. The present study was designed to rigorously test the notion of action prediction‐based sensory attenuation. Participants performed one of four voluntary actions on each trial, with each button associated with either predictable or unpredictable action effects. In addition, actions with each hand could result in action effects that were either congruent or incongruent with hand‐specific prediction. We observed no significant differences in N1 amplitude between predictable and unpredictable tones. When contrasting action effects that were congruent or incongruent with hand‐specific prediction, we observed significant attenuation for prediction‐congruent compared to prediction‐incongruent action‐effects. These novel findings suggest that accurate action‐effect prediction drives sensory attenuation of auditory stimuli. These findings have important implications for understanding the mechanisms of action‐effect prediction and sensory attenuation, and may have clinical implications for studies investigating action awareness and agency in schizophrenia.     

An individual differences perspective on change in psychotherapy: The case of health care utilization

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore systematic interindividual variation in change of a number of health care utilization variables (HCUVs) during psychotherapy and identify patient characteristics associated with this variation. Three-wave panel data from 420 patients were analyzed with nonparametric latent class regression followed by chi-square interaction analyses among patient variables. For the various HCUVs, three to six classes were identified, with widely different patterns of change during treatment. Axis I diagnosis, chronicity, functional impairment, gender, and level of education were among the patient characteristics that differentiated the classes. It was concluded that main effects analyses seriously distort heterogeneity of change and that health care utilization, unless it is a specific therapeutic aim, may be irrelevant as an indication of outcome of psychotherapy.     

实验性脑出血6个月内神经行为学和神经胶质细胞的变化

目的观察实验性脑卒中恢复期的神经行为学得分、患侧病灶周围以及健侧相应区域的神经胶质细胞的变化情况,为研究脑出血后遗症期工作打基础。方法用高血压大鼠制作脑出血模型,根据Bederson评定方法记录脑出血后1,3,6个月的神经行为学改变得分;同时在640倍镜下,在患侧脑病灶周围选5个视野对病灶周围的神经胶质细胞进行计数,然后算每个视野的均数和标准差;在健侧脑的同样部位也进行同样的计数和统计。结果(1)3个月内,正常血压脑出血组神经行为学得分从7.2±0.7下降到6.3±1.5(t=3.0689,P<0.01),6个月时下降到5.8±1.8(t=4.0982,P<0.01);高血压脑出血组神经行为学得分3个月内从8.5±0.7下降到7.3±0.9(t=3.5968,P<0.01),6个月时下降到6.1±0.5(t=8.0134,P<0.01)。(2)所有脑出血组术后6个月出现脑萎缩和脑皮质变薄。(3)所有脑出血组1,3,6个月时病灶周围及健侧相应区域的胶质细胞数量均较术前大量增加(P<0.01),且以3个月时为高峰。(4)神经行为学改变与患侧、健侧胶质细胞数变化之间存在明显相关性联系r=0.9879(P<0.01)和r=0.734(P<0.01)。结论(1)脑出血后确实存在着自然恢复的现象。但同时出现的脑萎缩,脑皮质变薄的现象提示似乎神经行为学的改善与脑皮质的功能关系并不大。(2)6个月内病灶周围的胶质细胞的增     

新生儿持续肺动脉高压的危险因素分析

目的探讨新生儿持续肺动脉高压的高危因素及早期预测方法。方法按照病例对照研究设计,对50例新生儿持续肺动脉高压病例和同期无PPHN的相对健康儿50例对照组进行相关因素的回顾性调查,采用Logistic回归方法进行单因素和多因素分析,在此基础上建立新生儿持续肺动脉高压发病的预测模型,并对模型进行初步评价。结果感染性肺炎(OR=43.665)、新生儿窒息(OR=33.682)、先天性心脏病(OR=30.548)、性别(OR=18.337)、宫内窘迫(OR=17.727)、混合性酸中毒(OR=7.975)、出生体重(OR=1.002)为新生儿持续肺动脉高压发病的主要危险因素。预测回归模型P=1/1+Exp∑(-13.511+2.909X1+3.777X2+3.517X3+2.875X4+3.419X5+2.076X6)的适配度的Chi-square检验结果为86.807,提示P0.01,模型有显著性意义。结论新生儿持续肺动脉高压是多因素综合的结果,对高危患儿应尽早采取措施,减少患病率及死亡率。     

Gut–Kidney Axis Investigations in Animal Models of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an incurable disease in which renal function gradually declines, resulting in no noticeable symptoms during the early stages and a life-threatening disorder in the latest stage. The changes that accompany renal failure are likely to influence the gut microbiota, or the ecosystem of micro-organisms resident in the intestine. Altered gut microbiota can display metabolic changes and become harmful to the host. To study the gut–kidney axis in vivo, animal models should ideally reproduce the disorders affecting both the host and the gut microbiota. Murine models of CKD, but not dog, manifest slowed gut transit, similarly to patient. Animal models of CKD also reproduce altered intestinal barrier function, as well as the resulting leaky gut syndrome and bacterial translocation. CKD animal models replicate metabolic but not compositional changes in the gut microbiota. Researchers investigating the gut–kidney axis should pay attention to the selection of the animal model (disease induction method, species) and the setting of the experimental design (control group, sterilization method, individually ventilated cages) that have been shown to influence gut microbiota.     

Finite Element Analysis of Self-Healing Concrete Beams Using Bacteria

Deterioration or crack formation in concrete elements is a phenomenon that cannot be easily avoided, and it has a high cost of repair. A modern technology that needs wider study is the use of the bio-precipitation of calcium carbonate using bacteria to increase a structures’ capacity. The current research presents an analytical study on self-healing concrete beams using bacteria to enhance the beam’s capacity. A Finite Element Analysis on (ANSYS 15.0) was carried out to study the effect of the bacteria concentration (the weight of bacteria to cement weight 1%, 2%, and 3%), the type of bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, and Pseudomonas sps.), and the loading (a one-point load, a two-point load, and a distributed load on four points) on concrete beams. Two beams were chosen from previous experimental research and simulated on the ANSYS before carrying out our parametric study to verify the validity of our simulation. Following this, our parametric study was carried out on eight beams; each beam was loaded gradually up to failure. The results show that the optimum type of bacteria was the Bacillus subtilis, and that the bacteria concentration of 3% for Bacillus subtilis can increase the beam’s capacity by 20.2%. Also, we found that distributing the load to four points led to the increase of the beam’s capacity by 74.5% more than the beam with a one-point load.