甘草和糖皮质激素对吸烟大鼠血清IL-8的影响

目的:探讨中药甘草及糖皮质激素对吸烟大鼠血清白细胞介素-8(IL-8)水平的影响。方法:健康SD大鼠72只,随机分为甘草组、激素组、等渗盐水组和未吸烟对照组,其中前三组大鼠每天吸烟1 h并分别用甘草、强的松和等渗盐水灌胃,各组大鼠于实验第4、8、12周分别处死取心脏血,测血清IL-8。结果:等渗盐水组大鼠各时间段血清IL-8水平明显高于未吸烟对照组,P<0.01。激素组大鼠血清IL-8水平第4周、第8周与等渗盐水组相似,第12周明显低于等渗盐水组[(10.58±9.24)pg/m lvs(26.18±4.21)pg/m l,P<0.01]。甘草组大鼠各时间段血清IL-8水平与未吸咽对照组相似(P>0.05),明显低于激素组和等渗盐水组,但第12周甘草组血清IL-8水平与激素组的差异无显著统计学意义[(1.92±0.72)pg/m lvs(10.58±9.24)pg/m l,P>0.05]。结论:吸烟导致大鼠血清IL-8水平升高;甘草和糖皮质激素均能降低吸烟大鼠的血清IL-8水平,但糖皮质激素的作用出现较晚,而甘草的作用出现早、维持时间长,且强于糖皮质激素。     

创伤性休克大鼠中性粒细胞CD18,糖皮质激素受体的变化及纳洛酮治疗？…

目的 探讨中性粒细胞粘附分子ＣＤ１８（ＰＭＮ－ＣＤ１８）、中性粒细胞糖皮质激素受体（ＰＭＮ－ＧＲ）在大鼠生休克早期的动态变化及盐酸纳洛酮（ＮＬＸ）的治疗作用。方法 动物模型采用软组织损伤加颈动脉放血法，分别采用流式细胞仪和放射配体结合法测定ＰＭＮ－ＣＤ１８、ＰＭＮ－ＧＲ的表达值。结果 休克组休克４５ｍｉｎＰＭＮ＿ＣＤ１８表达值明显增高，随后放射配体结合法测定ＰＭＮ－ＣＤ１８、ＰＭＮ－ＧＲ的表达值。     

Long-term brain metabolic alterations in exogenous Cushing’s syndrome as monitored by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The effects of exogenous Cushing’s syndrome on the brain metabolism were investigated by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Thirteen patients having been treated for 2 to 22 years with prednisone were recruited. On the average, none of the metabolites (NAA, Cr, Cho and mI) were significantly different from those of 40 normal subjects in any of the three regions studied: frontal area, thalamus and temporal area. However, the Cho/H₂O ratios were found to decrease significantly in the thalamic area as a function of treatment period (−1.3%/year). In the frontal and temporal areas, decreases of the Cho/H₂O ratios were measured with treatment period but they did not reach statistical significance. Effects on Cho levels can be related to those observed for patients with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome and suggest an impairment at the membrane level. The Cho/H₂O reductions were not found to be dose- or age-dependent. Other metabolite ratios did not vary with treatment period, dose or age.     

Differences in hip quantitative computed tomography (QCT) measurements of bone mineral density and bone strength between glucocorticoid-treated and glucocorticoid-naïve postmenopausal women

Chronic treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) leads to significant bone loss and increased risk of fractures. In chronically GC-treated patients, hip fracture risk is nearly 50%. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there are differences in the quantities of trabecular and cortical bone and bone strength of the hip between GC-treated osteoporotic patients and controls. Methods: Study subjects were GC-treated osteoporotic postmenopausal women, and controls were postmenopausal women, recruited for separate clinical trials. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the hip were obtained from all subjects. QCT outcome variables measured included total, cortical, and trabecular BMD of hip subregions (femoral neck and trochanter) and total hip. In addition, finite element modeling (FEM) was performed on a subset of 19 cases and 38 controls, matched on age (± 5 years), weight (± 5 kg), and history of hormone replacement (>1 year use) to assess failure load in stance and fall loading conditions. Generalized linear models were used to adjust the QCT variables for covariates between groups. Multiple regression was performed to identify independent predictors of bone strength from the QCT variables. Results: Compared with controls, GC-treated subjects were significantly (p<0.05) younger, weighed less, and had more years of hormone replacement. QCT of the hip in GC-treated subjects for total femoral integral, cortical, and trabecular BMD averaged 4.9–23.2% (p<0.002) less than controls, and similar results were seen by hip subregion including the trochanter and femoral neck. DXA of the total hip was 17% lower in GC subjects than controls (p<0.05). Compared with controls, FEM failure load in GC subjects was 15% (p<0.05) and 16% (p=0.07) lower for stance and fall loading conditions, respectively. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a combination of QCT measures was correlated with bone strength as measured by FEM. Conclusions: Chronic GC treatment in postmenopausal women resulted in significantly decreased BMD of the hip, measured by QCT, with loss of both trabecular and cortical bone. In addition, GC treatment decreased bone strength as determined by FEM. The reduced cortical and trabecular bone mass in the hip may contribute to the disproportionately high hip fracture rates observed in GC-treated subjects.This work was supported by grants from the NIH 1R01AG05407, 1R01AR40431, 1R01AR46197, the Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship (CRF) Program for Medical Students (#20000684) K24AR048841-02 and the Rosalind Russell Arthritis Foundation.     

Complete regression of a thymoma to glucocorticoids, commenced for palliation of symptoms

A patient is presented with Type B1 thymoma that showed complete regression to oral glucocorticoids commenced for palliation of symptoms. The patient has remained symptom free without radiological recurrence after 12 months.     

Dexamethasone enhances serum deprivation-induced necrotic death of rat C6 glioma cells through activation of glucocorticoid receptors

Glucocorticoids have been shown to be neurotoxic and appear to play a role in neuronal cell loss during aging and following neuropathological insults. However, very little is known about the effects of these steroid hormones on glial cells. The effect of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) on glial cell viability was therefore examined by measuring neutral red uptake into rat C6 glioma cells. Serum deprivation markedly reduced cell viability, and this effect was significantly enhanced by DEX. Electrophoretic analysis showed that the cell damage induced by either serum deprivation alone or in combination with DEX was not accompanied by the degradation of DNA into nucleosomic fragments. Electron microscopic studies confirmed that serum deprivation and glucocorticoid treatment caused necrotic cell death. Furthermore, the effect of DEX on cell viability could be mimicked by the glucocorticoid receptor agonist RU28362, and completely prevented by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486. These results indicate that dexamethasone can enhance the necrotic death of glioma cells induced by serum deprivation, suggesting that glucocorticoids may be involved in the chronic alteration of brain function arising from neuropathological damage to glial cells.     

针刺加激素冲击、脱水疗法治疗面神经炎32例疗效观察

面神经炎系指茎乳突孔内面神经的急性非化脓性炎症所致的急性周围性面瘫 ,或称倍耳氏 (Bell)麻痹。为临床常见病多发病之一 ,本病属中医“中风”范畴。近几年我们采用针刺加激素冲击、脱水疗法治疗 3 2例效果良好 ,现报告如下。1　资料与方法1.1　一般资料　 3 2例患者中男 18例 ,女 14例 ,左侧 2 0例 ,右侧 12例 ;年龄最小 12岁 ,最大 62岁 ;病程最短者 2 d,最长者 3个月。1.2　诊断要点1.2 .1　发病突然 ,多有面部受凉或风吹病史。1.2 .2　病后除有耳痛及颜面部不适外 ,多数患者常因说话不便 ,刷牙时口角漏水或被他人发现口角歪斜。1.2 .…     

灰色数列预测模型在糖皮质激素处理后大鼠体重变化研究中的应用

长期应用糖皮质激素可造成大鼠的体重明显下降，本文用生理盐水作对照，应用灰色系统的GM(1，1)模型，对长期灌用泼尼松的大鼠体重变化进行分析和预测，从而探讨糖皮质激素对大鼠体重变化的影响规律。结果发现，GM(1，1)模型对生理盐水和泼尼松两组大鼠体重变化的拟合精度甚好，预测精度高，结果可靠。因此可以推断，糖皮质激素大鼠的体重变化可用灰色GM(1，1)模型进行预测。     

Corticosterone concentrations in free-living spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum)

A non-lethal technique for drawing repeated blood samples from spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) was used to examine sex, seasonal, and capture technique differences in the physiological stress response under natural, undisturbed conditions. Baseline and stress-induced (30 min of handling and restraint) corticosterone (CORT) concentrations were measured at night during the spring migrations into and out of the breeding pond, as well as during the fall migration to over-wintering sites. Females had significantly higher CORT concentrations than males during the spring migration toward the breeding pond, but this difference was not present when animals emerged from the pond post-breeding or during the fall migration. CORT concentrations did not vary seasonally, but during the acute stress response, CORT concentrations nearly doubled during the spring inbound migration, exhibited a nearly significant increase during the spring outbound migration, and did not change in the fall. Allowing animals to sit overnight in the buckets in which they were captured elicited CORT concentrations that tended to be higher (although not statistically significant) than when animals were sampled on the night of capture. The ability to sample blood from spotted salamanders using a non-lethal technique offers an opportunity to better understand both amphibian physiology and ecology.