Cannabinoid withdrawal is dependent upon PKA activation in the cerebellum

Region-specific up-regulation of the cyclic AMP pathway is considered an important molecular mechanism in the origin of the somatic manifestations of the withdrawal syndrome to known drugs of abuse. Nevertheless, the existence of a withdrawal syndrome after prolonged cannabinoid administration has long been a controversial issue. Recent studies, in different species, have shown that withdrawal to prolonged cannabinoid exposure precipitated by the cannabinoid antagonist SR141716A is characterized by physical signs underlying impairment of motor coordination. Interestingly, cannabinoid withdrawal is accompanied by an increase of adenylyl cyclase activity in the cerebellum. Here, we investigate the functional role of the cyclic AMP pathway in the cerebellum in the establishment of cannabinoid withdrawal. We show that after SR141716A precipitation of cannabinoid withdrawal, basal and calcium-calmodulin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities as well as active PKA in the cerebellum increase in a transient manner with a temporal profile which matches that of the somatic expression of abstinence. Selectively blocking the up-regulation of the cyclic AMP pathway in the cerebellum, by microinfusing the cyclic AMP blocker Rp-8Br-cAMPS in this region, markedly reduced both PKA activation and the somatic expression of cannabinoid withdrawal. Our results (i) directly link the behavioural manifestations of cannabinoid withdrawal with the up-regulation of the cyclic AMP pathway in the cerebellum, pointing towards common molecular adaptive mechanisms for dependence and withdrawal to most drugs of abuse; (ii) suggest a particular role for the cerebellum as a major neurobiological substrate for cannabinoid withdrawal.     

卵巢异位囊肿囊内液中VEGF、IL-8的测定及其意义

目的了解卵巢子宫内膜异位症患者异位囊肿囊内液中血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)、白细胞介素8(IL-8)的水平。方法收集13例卵巢异位囊肿的囊内液为内异症组,以12例卵巢单纯囊肿为对照,应用酶联免疫吸附分析法(ELISA)分别测定VEGF、IL-8水平。结果①内异症组分别为82.6±17.6ng/L和207.3±33.3ng/L,高于对照组的19.4±10.0ng/L和80.2±11.3ng/L,有显著性差异(P<0.01);②IL-8水平与异位囊肿直径呈负相关,VEGF水平与囊肿直径无相关性(r=-0.401,P>0.05);③VEGF、IL-8水平与RAS评分无相关性,P>0.05。结论VEGF和IL-8两种血管生成因子可能是卵巢子宫内膜异位症发病机制中的一个重要因素。     

神阙穴敷贴对原发性骨质疏松症骨钙素的影响

目的　观察神阙穴贴补血益精透皮贴对原发性骨质疏松症骨钙素 (BGP)的影响。方法　选择原发性骨质疏松症患者130名 ,分神阙穴贴药组 (补血益精穴位透皮贴剂 )、西药组 (羟乙磷酸钠片 )、中药组 (补血益精药丸 )、空白对照组。结果和结论　穴位敷贴组能显著提高骨钙素 (7.69± 1.65 )。穴位敷贴组与中药组 (7.82± 0 .99)和西药对照组 (7.13± 0 .89)对原发性骨质疏松症的骨钙素调整作用基本一致 (P>0 .0 5 )。     

新生儿缺氧缺血性脑病血浆Th2 源细胞因子水平的研究

目的　研究新生儿缺氧缺血性脑病 (HIE)患儿辅助性T淋巴细胞亚群 2 (Th2 )细胞功能变化及其与HIE间的关系。　方法　采用ELISA法和单克隆抗体间接免疫荧光法 ,检测 4 6例HIE患儿不同病期血浆和外周血单个核细胞 (PBMC)体外分别产生白细胞介素 (IL) 6、IL 8、IL 10水平和T细胞IL 2受体 (IL 2R)表达率 ,并与正常足月新生儿脐血 (2 0例 )进行对照。　结果　HIE病程第 1天血浆及PBMC体外产生IL 6 [分别为 6 6 .3、80 4 .5ng L(中位数 ,以下同 ) ]、IL 8(4 10 .5、1983.6ng L)和IL 10 (2 7.9、14 0 .1ng L) ,明显高于正常脐血对照组 (分别为 1.9、187.7;91.0、76 6 .8;2 .6、16 .4ng L) (Z =4 .6 5 3～ 5 .85 6 ,P <0 .0 1) ;中重度组及并发多器官功能损害 (MOD)的HIE患儿血浆及PBMC体外产生IL 6 (分别为 86 .0、12 36 .4 ;111.3、174 6 .9ng L)、IL 8(分别为5 79.5、2 812 .2 ;5 32 .8、2 94 3.3ng L) ,分别高于轻度组 (分别为 5 2 .6、5 83.4 ;335 .3、15 2 8.9ng L)及无MOD组 (分别为 5 6 .6、713.8;35 2 .4、15 72 .4ng L)患儿 (Z =2 .2 2 8～ 2 .70 1,P <0 .0 5 ;Z =2 .877～4 .187,P <0 .0 1) ,而IL 10差异无显著性 (Z =0 .4 5 0～ 1.85 0 ,P >0 .0 5 ) ;T细胞IL 2R表达率 [(5 2 .8± 13.4 ) % ]明显     

A chimeric opioid peptide with mixed μ agonist/δ antagonist properties

Abstract: There is evidence to indicate that opioid compounds with mixed μ agonist/δ antagonist properties are analgesics with low propensity to produce tolerance and physical dependence. A chimeric peptide containing the potent and selective μ agonist H‐Dmt‐D‐Arg‐Phe‐Lys‐NH₂ ([Dmt¹]DALDA) (Dmt = 2′,6′‐dimethyltyrosine) and the potent and selective δ antagonist H‐Tyr‐TicΨ[CH₂‐NH]Cha‐Phe‐OH (TICP[Ψ]) (Cha = cyclohexylalanine), connected ‘tail‐to‐tail’ via a short linker, was synthesized using a combination of solid‐phase and solution techniques. The resulting peptide, H‐Dmt→D‐Arg→Phe→Lys‐NH‐CH₂‐CH₂‐NH‐Phe←Cha[NH‐CH₂]ΨTic←Tyr‐H, showed the expected μ agonist/δ antagonist profile in the guinea‐pig ileum and mouse vas deferens assays. Its μ and δ receptor binding affinities were in the low nanomolar range, as determined in rat brain membrane binding assays.     

Quantitative Detection of Interleukin 8 Gene Expression in Lung Cancer by Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To develop a method for absolute quantification of interleukin 8 (IL—8) mRNA by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods The IL —8 mRNA and protein expression in 2 human lung cancer cell lines, H460 and A549, were evaluated by real-time PCR and ELISA. The IL-8 mRNA expression in 9 cases of normal lung tissue and 44 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were examined. Results The IL—8 mRNA copy number in a given sample can be measured by real-time PCR. The gene expression of IL—8 is correlated with its protein secretion. The normalized value of IL—8 expression was 4.87±1.69 (copies/ 10⁴ GAPDH copies) in normal lung tissue and 17.04 ±23.96 in NSCLC, respectively. The difference between these two groups is statistically significant (P=0.002). Using 9.74 and 19.48 as cut-off points for positive expression and overexpression of IL—8, 52.3%(23/44cases) of NSCLC were found to express an increased level of IL-8, among which 29.5% (13/ 44cases) were defined as positive expression and 22.7%(10/44cases) as overexpression. Statistical analysis indicated that IL—8 overexpression was significantly increased in female cancers, squamous carcinoma, and in late stages of disease (P<0.05). Conclusion The IL—8 gene expression can be determined by a real-time PCR technique. IL -8 overexpression is correlated with gender, histopathology and stages of the disease.     

Le syndrome de Smith-Magenis

Smith-Magenis syndrome is caused by a 17p11.2 deletion. It associates mental retardation, facial dysmorphism and brachydactyly; aberrant behavior and major sleep problems are present in 70% of the cases. It is probably under-diagnosed because the facial abnormalities are mild and the behavioral problems with hyperactivity and self-injuries are dominant, leading to the diagnosis of psychiatric pathology. However these behavioral problems are sufficiently characterized to allow the diagnosis of the syndrome and look for a 17p11.2 microdeletion. Otorhinolaryngologic, ophtalmologic, cardiac and renal abnormalities can be associated and their evaluation is necessary. Smith-Magenis syndrome is considered as a contiguous gene syndrome. Genes have been mapped and isolated to the critical region, but their participation in the pathogenesis of the syndrome remains unclear.     

Depression of long term potentiation in gerbil hippocampus following postischemic hypothermia

To investigate the mechanism of chronic cell death following postischemic hypothermia, the change of N-methyl- -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) were examined by immunohistochemistry of NMDAR1 and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 subfield of the gerbil hippocampus. At 1 week following postischemic hypothermia (32°C×4 h), all CA1 neurons survived; however, immunoreactivity of NMDAR1 increased in neuronal perikarya whereas decreased in dendrites in the CA1 neurons. The abnormality was still observed in remaining CA1 neurons at 1 month after hypothermia. LTP was also significantly depressed at 1 week after hypothermia. These results suggest that some abnormalities in the glutamate receptor may be caused by ischemia; such abnormality would persist in spite of hypothermia treatment, resulting in the depression of LTP.     

血清孕酮、IL-8、TNF-α在先兆流产中的意义

目的:探讨血清孕酮、IL-8和TNF-α在判断先兆流产预后中的价值。方法:①选择101例患者,分为先兆流产组(47例)、难免流产组(21例)和正常早孕组(33例)。均抽取静脉血检查血清孕酮、IL-8和TNF-α。②根据治疗结果将先兆流产患者分为成功组和失败组,运用受试者工作特性曲线(ROC曲线),确定用以预测治疗成功与否的血清孕酮临界值。结果:①3组患者的血清孕酮、IL-8、TNF-α水平差异有显著性(P<0.01)。②运用ROC曲线,我们推荐血清孕酮39.6 nmol/L作为预测先兆流产治疗成功与否的临界值。③IL-8和TNF-α随病情的好转而降低。结论:①血清孕酮、IL-8和TNF-α可以作为判断先兆流产预后的参考指标。②IL-8和TNF-α可能参与了先兆流产的发生发展。