Pioglitazone Adjunctive Therapy for Moderate-to-Severe Major Depressive Disorder: Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

Thiazolidinediones have shown antidepressant effect in animal studies, as well as in some uncontrolled studies evaluating human subjects with concurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) and metabolic syndrome. Although these drugs are insulin sensitizers, they also have important anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-excitotoxic properties. Thus, we hypothesized that they would show antidepressant effect in patients with MDD even if it was not accompanied by metabolic disturbances. In this double-blind placebo-controlled study, 40 patients with MDD (DSM-IV-TR) and Hamilton depression rating scale-17 (Ham-D) score ⩾22 were randomized to citalopram plus pioglitazone (15 mg every 12 h) (n=20) or citalopram plus placebo (n=20) for 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated using Ham-D (weeks 0, 2, 4, 6). Repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance were used for comparison of scores between the two groups. Treatment response (⩾50% reduction in Ham-D score), remission (Ham-D score⩽7), and early improvement (⩾20% reduction in Ham-D score within the first 2 weeks) were compared between the two groups using Fisher''s exact test. Pioglitazone showed superiority over placebo during the course of the trial (F(1, 38)=9.483, p=0.004). Patients in the pioglitazone group had significantly lower scores at all time points than the placebo group (P<0.01). Frequency of early improvement, response (week 6), and remission was significantly higher in the pioglitazone group (95%, 95%, 45%, respectively) than in the placebo (30%, 40%, 15% respectively) group (P<0.001, <0.001, 0.04, respectively). Frequency of side effects was similar between the two groups. Pioglitazone is a safe and effective adjunctive short-term treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe MDD even in the absence of metabolic syndrome and diabetes (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/{"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01109030","term_id":"NCT01109030"}}NCT01109030).     

基于PPAR-γ探讨人参皂苷Rg1对大鼠心肌缺血再灌注后心律失常的调节作用

目的基于过氧化体增殖物激活型受体γ(PPAR-γ)探讨人参皂苷Rg1对大鼠心肌缺血再灌注(I/R)后心律失常的调节作用。方法 72只SD大鼠随机分为假手术组(SO组)、缺血再灌注组(I/R组)、人参皂苷Rg1组(Rg1组)、人参皂苷Rg1+罗格列酮组(Rg1+ROS组),后三组采用冠状动脉左前降支结扎的方法建立I/R模型;SO组和I/R组给予生理盐水干预、Rg1组给予40 mg/kg人参皂苷Rg1干预、Rg1+ROS组给予40 mg/kg人参皂苷及6 mg/kg罗格列酮干预。再灌注6 h的过程中进行心电图监测,再灌注6 h后检测心肌I/R面积、心肌酶、炎症细胞因子的含量及核因子κB (NF-κB)、NF-κB抑制因子(I-κB)、PPAR-γ的表达水平。结果与SO组比较,I/R组的心律失常明显加剧,心肌I/R面积、磷酸肌酸激酶(CK)、磷酸肌酸激酶同工酶(CK-MB)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素1β(IL-1β)、P选择素、E选择素含量及NF-κB、PPAR-γ表达水平均明显增加,I-κB表达水平明显减少。与I/R组比较,Rg1组的心律失常明显改善,心肌I/R面积、CK、CK-MB、LDH、TNF-α、IL-1β、P选择素、E选择素含量及NF-κB、PPAR-γ表达水平均明显减少,I-κB表达水平明显增加。与Rg1组比较,Rg1+ROS组的心律失常明显加剧,心肌I/R面积、CK、CK-MB、LDH、TNF-α、IL-1β、P选择素、E选择素含量及NF-κB、PPAR-γ表达水平均明显增加,I-κB表达水平明显减少(P均0.05)。结论人参皂苷Rg1通过抑制PPAR-γ介导的炎症反应来改善大鼠心肌I/R后心律失常。     

Antinociceptive and antiallodynic effects of Momordica charantia L. in tibial and sural nerve transection-induced neuropathic pain in rats

Objective

This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative potential of Momordica charantia L. (MC) in tibial and sural nerve transection (TST)-induced neuropathic pain in rats.

Materials and methods

TST was performed by sectioning tibial and sural nerve portions (2 mm) of the sciatic nerve, and leaving the common peroneal nerve intact. Acetone drop, pin-prick, hot plate, paint-brush, and walking track tests were performed to assess cold allodynia, mechanical and heat hyperalgesia, and dynamic mechanical allodynia and tibial functional index, respectively. The levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and thio-barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured in the sciatic nerve as an index of inflammation and oxidative stress. MC (all doses, orally, once daily) was administered to the rats for 24 consecutive days.

Results

TST led to significant development of cold allodynia, mechanical and heat hyperalgesia, dynamic mechanical allodynia, and functional deficit in walking along with rise in the levels of TBARS and TNF-alpha. Administration of MC (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) significantly attenuated TST-induced behavioural and biochemical changes. Furthermore, pretreatment of BADGE (120 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) abolished the protective effect of MC in TST-induced neuropathic pain.

Conclusions

Collectively, it is speculated that PPAR-gamma agonistic activity, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative potential is critical for antinociceptive effect of MC in neuropathic pain.     

高血压对大鼠血管内皮细胞PPAR-gamma表达水平的影响

目的：探讨高血压对大鼠血管内皮细胞（ECs ）PPAR-gamma蛋白质和mRNA表达水平的影响。 方法：应用免疫组织化学法结合图像信号分析技术,以WKY大鼠为正常对照,检测4周,16周自发性高血压大鼠(SHR) ECs核内PPAR-gamma蛋白质表达水平,原代培养ECs并传代(≤3代),应用蛋白质免疫印迹和RT-PCR技术,检测ECs PPAR-gamma蛋白质和mRNA表达水平。 结果：4周 SHR血压较同龄WKY大鼠轻度升高（P＜0.05）,其ECs PPAR-gamma的蛋白质和mRNA水平略高于同龄WKY大鼠,但差异均无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。16周 SHR血压与16周 WKY大鼠相比明显增高（P＜0.01）,16周 SHR ECs PPAR-gamma的蛋白质和mRNA水平约为16周 WKY的1.5倍（P＜0.01）,且16周 SHR PPAR-gamma蛋白质和mRNA水平约为4周 SHR的2.5倍（P＜0.01）,而对照组16周 WKY大鼠PPAR-gamma水平较4周 WKY仅升高不到1倍（P＜0.01）。 结论：随SHR血压的升高和高血压病程的延长,ECs PPAR-gamma蛋白质和mRNA的表达水平均显著增高。     

Computer-aided identification of novel protein targets of bisphenol A

The xenoestrogen bisphenol A (2,2-bis-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propane, BPA) is a known endocrine-disrupting chemical used in the fabrication of plastics, resins and flame retardants, that can be found throughout the environment and in numerous every day products. Human exposure to this chemical is extensive and generally occurs via oral route because it leaches from the food and beverage containers that contain it. Although most of the effects related to BPA exposure have been linked to the activation of the estrogen receptor (ER), the mechanisms of the interaction of BPA with protein targets different from ER are still unknown. Therefore, the objective of this work was to use a bioinformatics approach to identify possible new targets for BPA. Docking studies were performed between the optimized structure of BPA and 271 proteins related to different biochemical processes, as selected by text-mining. Refinement docking experiments and conformational analyses were carried out using LigandScout 3.0 for the proteins selected through the affinity ranking (lower than −8.0 kcal/mol). Several proteins including ERR gamma (−9.9 kcal/mol), and dual specificity protein kinases CLK-4 (−9.5 kcal/mol), CLK-1 (−9.1 kcal/mol) and CLK-2 (−9.0 kcal/mol) presented great in silico binding affinities for BPA. The interactions between those proteins and BPA were mostly hydrophobic with the presence of some hydrogen bonds formed by leucine and asparagine residues. Therefore, this study suggests that this endocrine disruptor may have other targets different from the ER.