The heat shock/oxidative stress connection

Involvement of free-radical oxidations in the aging process has been a topic of interest since Harman's original contribution. Because of the close association between aging and Alzheimer disease (AD) and the qualitative similarity in the neuropathology of both conditions, it has been proposed by many investigators that oxidative stress may be important in AD. If such modality of injury was indeed involved, one should expect to find markers of oxidation and heat shock (since free radicals are key mediators of heat-shock induction) in brains of patients with AD. In fact, several studies documented abnormal expression of antioxidant enzymes and heat-shock proteins (HSP) along with other markers of oxidation in AD brains. We showed that abnormally expressed antioxidant enzymes are topographically associated with senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, and that the activity of these enzymes is (contrary to what one would expect) markedly reduced. These findings have recently been confirmed by other investigators. Despite a large amount of evidence that suggests an association between oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of AD, it is not yet known whether oxidative stress is a cause or consequence of the disorder. Future research efforts regarding the oxidative stress hypothesis of AD should include attempts, at generating AD pathology by oxidative means in laboratory animals, determining the role and integrity of the heat-shock response in AD, as well as that of various antioxidant systems, growth factors, and hormones with antioxidant and neuroprotective properties.     

玻璃熔窑蜂窝状窑顶的节能机理及效果

根据窑顶辐射率，内表面积和角系数的变化，窑顶，胸墙和玻璃液面温度的改变，以及火焰－窑顶－胸墙－玻璃液面四者之间的辐射热交换，阐明了熔窑蜂状窑顶的节能机理。用计算机通过实例计算，定量表明了蜂窝状窑顶的节能效果。     

Alcohol and sauna bathing: effects on cardiac rhythm, blood pressure, and serum electrolyte and cortisol concentrations.

The effect of heavy drinking and sauna bathing on cardiac rhythm, blood pressure, and serum electrolyte and cortisol concentrations was studied in 10 healthy male volunteers. Sauna bathing induced a comparable, significant increase in heart rate with and without alcohol consumption. During sauna bathing without alcohol, systolic blood pressure remained at the baseline level, whereas sauna and alcohol together decreased systolic blood pressure markedly from 136 +/- 4 to 113 +/- 3 mmHg (P less than 0.01). Neither sauna alone, nor sauna combined with alcohol intake, increased the frequency of premature ventricular complexes. Serum potassium, calcium and cortisol concentrations changed slightly during sauna, but alcohol consumption did not contribute further to this. In conclusion, sauna bathing, even in combination with heavy drinking, does not appear to provoke cardiac arrhythmias in healthy young men. However, the risk of hypotension is increased when sauna bathing is combined with alcohol consumption.     

人食管癌组织中热休克蛋白70和糖调节蛋白94的表达

为探讨人食管癌组织中热休克蛋白 70 (HSP70 )和糖调节蛋白 94( grp94)的表达及意义 ,采用SABC法检测人食管癌组织HSP70和grp94的表达 ,镜下观察HSP70和 grp94在癌组织及癌旁组织中的表达特点。结果 :92 .6%( 5 0 /5 4)食管癌组织中存在HSP70的表达 ,癌细胞存在胞质、胞核表达强度及部位的差异 ;而 grp94的表达阳性率为70 .4% ( 3 8/5 4) ,以胞质表达为主 ,而癌旁组织表达较少。提示 :人食管癌组织存在HSP70和 grp94的表达异质性 ,呈现了胞质、胞核的表达差异 ,HSP70和 grp94在人食管癌组织的表达特点为以后肿瘤抗原肽肿瘤疫苗的提取和实验奠定了基础。     

A prospective study of allergy development in 158 children and 128 adults with new extensive exposure to furred animals

BACKGROUND: There is still controversy over whether exposure to furred animals increases or decreases the risk of developing sensitization and allergic symptoms to such animals, and there is a need for further knowledge on this subject. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to follow allergy development in relation to new extensive exposure to furred animals in adults and children. METHODS: A total of 286 individuals, 128 parents and 158 children, were recruited from 68 families who intended to buy a dog or a cat, or where one child of the family intended to start riding a horse. Subjects were examined before the new allergen exposure and once a year thereafter for 5 years, in all at six occasions, and they also completed questionnaires covering allergy symptoms. Serum IgE antibodies to cat, dog and horse were determined each year, and fur allergens from beds and living rooms were analysed. RESULTS: Two-hundred and fifty-six study subjects remained for evaluation, 37 of whom showed signs of allergic sensitization at the start of the study. Four children (11%) in this pre-sensitized group developed IgE antibodies to their new animal and six (16%) to another animal. Among the 219 participants who were not sensitized when entering the study, one male adult (0.4%) developed a sensitization to his new animal, and nobody developed sensitization to other animals. Pre-sensitized individuals had significantly more allergic symptoms at the study start, but the symptom scores did not change over time. CONCLUSIONS: When the first year of a human's life has passed, we have no strong evidence to recommend avoidance of a domestic animal in order to prevent new allergy development, even if there are known allergies in the family or if the individual is sensitized and has allergic symptoms to another allergen. Five years exposure to new fur allergens does not seem to influence sensitization to these animals in either sensitized or non-sensitized children and adults.     

冠心病患者血浆D-二聚体水平测定及其临床意义

目的:探讨D-二聚体(D-dimer)含量与冠心病(CHD)临床类型、病变程度的关系,以了解D-二聚体在冠心痛诊断和预后判断方面的临床意义。方法:用Liatest法检测急性心肌梗死(AMI)21例、不稳定型心绞痛(UA)27例、稳定型心绞痛(SA)22例、健康者30例的血浆D-二聚体水平。结果:D-二聚体阳性发生率与含量在UA和AMI组明显高于SA组和对照组(P<0.01),且AMI组的D-二聚体含量明显高于UA组(P<0.01),SA组的D-二聚体无明显增高。结论:冠心病患者存在凝血和纤溶功能异常,且异常程度与病情严重程度密切相关。     

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with chronic daily headache: relationship with nerve growth factor and glutamate levels

Little has been done to investigate the biochemical basis of chronic daily headache (CDH). Our group has recently demonstrated an increase in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) in CDH patients, supporting the involvement of this growth factor in the abnormal processing of head pain in this pathological condition. Other members of the neurotrophin family, especially brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have been hypothesized as being involved in the development of chronic head pain in patients affected by CDH, but so far no data are available on this subject. BDNF, NGF and glutamate levels were determined in the CSF of 25 patients affected by CDH with a previous history of migraine. These levels were compared with those of a group of 20 control subjects, for whom the CSF examination and other instrumental investigations excluded diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Significantly higher levels of BDNF, NGF and glutamate were found in CDH patients compared with control subjects (p<0.0001, p<0.0002 and p<0.001, respectively). A significant positive correlation emerged between CSF values of BDNF and those of NGF (r=0.61, p<0.001) and glutamate (r=0.44, p<0.025) in CDH patients. No significant differences were detected in BDNF, NGF and glutamate levels between CDH patients with analgesic overuse and those without. These results support the involvement of BDNF in CDH through the potentiation of glutamatergic transmission involved in the processing of head pain. The significant correlation between BDNF and NGF levels suggests that NGF-mediated up-regulation of BDNF in central sites involved in long-term sensitization plays a key role in persistent head pain in CDH patients. Correspondence to P. Sarchielli     

The feasibility of sensitization studies using fewer test animals

The possibility of reducing the number of animals in sensitization studies (maximization method) is discussed on the basis of results from 20 sensitization tests. It appears that the number of test animals in sensitization studies may be reduced to ten treated animals and five control animals without prejudice to the quality of the test.     

Testing for skin sensitization according to the notification procedure for new chemicals: the Magnusson and Kligman test

The notification procedure for new chemicals in the European Union (called the Chemicals Act in Germany) requires a skin sensitization test when the amount of a new chemical produced exceeds 100 kg/year. The preferred test is that of Magnusson and Kligman; more than 90% of the tests submitted are performed with it. Though the Magnusson and Kligman test is described in the literature, and in the test guidelines of the European Union and of the OECD, discrepancies do occur in the performance of the test between test laboratories. In this paper, recommendations are given for standardized performance of the Magnusson and Kligman test.