Determination of Fatty Acid Levels in Erythrocyte Membranes of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness characterized by persistent and relapsing fatigue, often accompanied by numerous symptoms involving various systems of whole body. The etiology of CFS remains unclear. Literature reported whether the concentrations of the essential fatty acids in red cell membranes of CFS patients were decreased is controversial. In our study, Forty-two patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Thirty-seven age- and sex-matched controls were selected from healthy medical staffs and volunteers. After lipid analysis, we found that the levels of the arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) were decreased in patients suffered from CFS. However, the levels of the palmitic acid and oleic acid were increased. We speculated that there are two possible mechanisms--one of which is that oxidative stress has led to an excessive oxidation and resulting in the above fatty acids. Alternatively, insufficiency of ingestion of fatty acids might not be the major cause.     

Docosahexaenoic acid prevents resistance to antiepileptic drugs in two animal models of drug-resistant epilepsy

Objectives: One-third of epileptic patients are resistant to antiepileptic drugs. Few clinical studies with small sample size indicate that polyunsaturated fatty acids could control drug-resistant epilepsy. We examined the efficacy of acute and chronic administration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in two animal models of drug-resistant epilepsies, i.e. 6-Hz psychomotor seizures in mice and lamotrigine (LTG)-resistant kindled rats.

Methods: Mice received a single injection of DHA (300?µM, i.c.v.) along with phenytoin (PHT) or LTG (i.p.). Six-Hz electroshock (0.2?milliseconds rectangular pulse width, 3?seconds duration, 44?mA current) was given 15 minutes after DHA, and seizure behaviors were recorded. In LTG-resistant kindled rats, a single dose of DHA (300?µM, i.c.v.) was administered with LTG, and seizure parameters were measured. In chronic treatment, mice received DHA (0.1?g/day, orally) for 30 days. Then, a single dose of LTG or PHT was administered to mice and 6-Hz-induced seizures were recorded. In rats, DHA (1?µM, i.c.v.) was administered during kindling development and effect of LTG in DHA-pretreated LTG-resistant kindled rats was verified.

Results: LTG and PHT did not inhibit 6-Hz seizures in mice after single injection of DHA. However, LTG and PHT inhibited 6-Hz seizures in mice that received DHA for 1?month. Acute or chronic administration of DHA to LTG-resistant kindled rats led to the suppression of kindled seizure parameters by LTG.

Discussion: DHA removes the ‘inherent resistance’ of 6-Hz seizures to PHT and LTG, and prevents the development of pharmacodynamic tolerance to LTG in LTG-resistant kindled rats. DHA might have potential to be used as add-on therapy in patients with refractory epilepsy.     

Central microinjection of phytohormone abscisic acid changes feeding behavior,decreases body weight,and reduces brain oxidative stress in rats

Objectives: Natural products have a potential role on food intake in mammals. It has been reported that phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) has a regulatory role on metabolic processes. Here, the effects of ABA on feeding behavior and brain oxidative stress were investigated in male Wistar rats.

Methods: ABA was injected intracerebroventricularly. Experimental groups were included (n = 9): control (received no injection), ABA vehicle (received normal saline), and ABA-treated groups were injected with different doses of ABA (2.5, 5, and 10 μg/rat for 7 days). Daily cumulative daytime and nighttime food consumption, meal frequency, meal duration, and alteration in body weight were recorded. At the end of behavioral experiment, catalase and peroxidase activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels were assayed.

Results: The results showed that ABA (5 and 10 μg) increased the meal frequency. Moreover, ABA could decrease body weight and MDA and H₂O₂ levels and increased the catalase and peroxidase activities in diencephalon. It also decreased the MDA concentration in the brain stem.

Discussion: Taken together, ABA has an important effect on feeding behavior and body weight in rats likely via increasing antioxidant capacity. However, further studies are still required to determine the underlying mechanisms of ABA on the feeding behavior.     

Leptin in the Anterior Piriform Cortex Affects Food Intake in Rats

Leptin administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) or intrahypothalamically inhibits food intake (FI), however, to our knowledge the effects of leptin administration have only been examined in one extrahypothalamic site (dorsal raphe nucleus). Our objectives were t. (1) determine the FI effects of leptin administration into the anterior piriform cortex (APC), an area linked to the control of FI in amino acid (AA) deficiency, (2) examine leptin action during short term anorexia that develops in response to AA deficiency. Bilateral injections of leptin (0.25 μ) into the APC suppressed FI of a balanced diet between 6 and 12 h by 36% (p < 0.01) and over the first 12 and 24 h by 15% (p < 0.05). Bilateral administration of leptin (0.1 μg) inhibited FI between 12 and 24 h by approximately 48% (p < 0.05) on a threonine-imbalanced diet without significantly affecting FI on a threonine-corrected diet. The increase of plasma leptin concentrations in response to feeding a threonine-basal diet was greater than that following an AA imbalanced diet, suggesting that suppression of FI by an AA imbalanced diet is not mediated by an increase of leptin. Our results suggest that (1) administration of leptin into a brain area outside the hypothalamus suppresses FI, and (2) leptin is unlikely to play a selective role in the short term anorectic response to AA deficiency. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that endogenous leptin can act within the APC to modulate FI.     

Loss of activities and its effect on the well-being of substance abusers

Abstract

Aims. Participation in everyday activities positively influences well-being, but few have studied how participation in activities influences well-being among patients with substance use disorders. The authors examined the number of past, recent, and desired future activities of patients being admitted to five units for inpatient substance abuse treatment at a Norwegian university hospital. Major findings. The total number of activities had dropped significantly compared with before the respondents started abusing substances, and the respondents desired an increase in activities in the future. A lower level of well-being as measured by the WHO-5 was predicted by a more pronounced drop in number of activities from past to recent and by more severe use of alcohol and other substances. Principal conclusion. Substance abuse is associated with a change in number of activities. Losing activities may contribute to a decrease in well-being. Helping substance abuse patients regain positive activities could improve well-being.     

肺功能测定的临床应用

本文通过论述肺功能检测的意义,重点阐述了肺功能在呼吸内科及外科等临床上的应用,使大家充分了解在临床上应该如何应用肺功能,以及应用肺功能的临床应用范围。     

丙戊酸钠抑制肿瘤细胞增殖及阻滞肿瘤细胞周期的作用

目的 探讨不同浓度丙戊酸钠对人消化系统肝癌SMMOL/LC-7721细胞株及胰腺癌PaTu8988细胞株细胞增殖和细胞周期的影响.方法 将肝癌SMMOL/LC-7721细胞株及胰腺癌PaTu8988细胞株分别接种于培养板,常规培养于DMEM培养基中,分别用丙戊酸钠干预48 h,根据丙戊酸钠的浓度分为0.2 mmol/L组、1.0 mmol/L组和5.0 mmol/L组;另设对照组,其DMEM培养基中加入等量的二甲亚砜.使用酶联免疫检测仪测定吸光度值,计算抑制率;流式细胞仪检测细胞周期.结果 5.0 mmol/L组肝癌SMMOL/LC-7721细胞株和胰腺癌PaTu8988细胞株吸光度值均明显低于对照组和0.2 mmol/L组(0.569±0.059比0.706±0.033和0.760±0.020,2.068±0.178比2.793±0.144和2.663±0.078),差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);1.0 mmol/L组胰腺癌PaTu8988细胞株吸光度值(2.432±0.084)明显低于对照组和0.2 mmol/L组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).随丙戊酸钠浓度升高,肿瘤细胞抑制率逐渐增强,5.0 mmol/L组肝癌SMMOL/LC-7721细胞株和胰腺癌PaTu8988细胞株细胞抑制率分别为23.5％和25.9％.与对照组比较,0.2、1.0、5.0 mmol/L组随丙戊酸钠浓度升高,肝癌SMMOL/LC-7721细胞株G1期细胞比例逐渐增多[(49.25±1.63)％、(65.26±2.34)％、(83.13±1.78)％比(49.22±4.35)％],S期细胞比例逐渐减少[(26.84±2.30)％、(17.76±3.90)％、(3.38±0.65)％比(29.21±2.35)％],细胞周期发生G1期阻滞,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).与对照组和0.2 mmol/L组比较,1.0、5.0 mmol/L组胰腺癌PaTu8988细胞株的G2期细胞比例明显增多[(26.80±1.50)％、(36.58±3.78)％比(12.00±4.62)％、(16.54±2.26)％],细胞周期发生G2期阻滞,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 丙戊酸钠可显著抑制肝癌SMMOL/LC-7721细胞株及胰腺癌PaTu8988细胞株的细胞增殖,诱导细胞周期阻滞,为临床有前景的抗肿瘤药物.     

超声在慢性附睾炎治疗中的应用价值

目的 观察慢性附睾炎治疗的临床效果和治疗前后超声图像的改变情况,为临床诊断提供参考.方法 2007年1月至2009年2月采用中西医结合治疗的慢性附睾炎患者78例,给予口服司帕沙星片,0.1g/片,3片/次,1次/d,同时采用中药丹红通精方,1剂/d,开水煎,分早晚服.治疗30 d后观察疗效,并采用超声观察治疗前、治疗中(治疗15d时)、治疗后患者附睾大小、内部回声强度、血流阻力指数(RI)、最大与最小血流速度(Vmax及Vmin)、动脉收缩压与舒张压的比值(S/D)、彩色超声多普勒(CDFI)血流变化情况.结果 治愈50例,好转20例,无效8例.有效(治愈+好转)患者治疗中、治疗后附睾大小、Vmax及Vmin、RI和S/D均较治疗前显著改善[附睾大小:尾部厚度:(1.14±0.19)、(0.75±0.13) cm比(1.68±0.25) cm,体部厚度:(0.54±0.17)、(0.46±0.11) cm比(0.63±0.12) cm,头部厚度:(1.12±0.16)、(0.80±0.15) cm比(1.53±0.27) cm;Vmax:(0.22±0.12)、(0.19±0.10)m/s比(0.28±0.13) m/s;Vmin:(0.14±0.05)、(0.07±0.02) m/s比(0.19±0.08) m/s;RI:0.64±0.13、0.52±0.10比0.89±0.17;S/D:3.64±1.40、2.78±1.26比4.35±1.62],差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 超声能够较为准确地检测到慢性附睾炎患者治疗前后附睾大小、内部回声强度、RI、Vmax、Vmin及S/D、CDFI血流分级等指标的显著变化,能够给出预后判断,指导临床治疗,在慢性附睾炎的诊治中有重要的应用价值.     

The kynurenine pathway as a therapeutic target in cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders

Understanding the neurochemical basis for cognitive function is one of the major goals of neuroscience, with a potential impact on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. In this review, the focus will be on a biochemical pathway that remains under-recognized in its implications for brain function, even though it can be responsible for moderating the activity of two neurotransmitters fundamentally involved in cognition – glutamate and acetylcholine. Since this pathway – the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism – is induced by immunological activation and stress, it also stands in a unique position to mediate the effects of environmental factors on cognition and behaviour. Targeting the pathway for new drug development could, therefore, be of value not only for the treatment of existing psychiatric conditions, but also for preventing the development of cognitive disorders in response to environmental pressures.