Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Are Differentially Affected by Atorvastatin,Pravastatin, Rosuvastatin,and Simvastatin on Lungs from Mice Exposed to Cigarette Smoke

Our aim was to investigate the effects of four different statins on acute lung inflammation induced by cigarette smoke (CS). C57BL/6 male mice were divided into a control group (sham-smoked) and mice exposed to CS from 12 cigarettes/day for 5 days. Mice exposed to CS were grouped and treated with vehicle (i.p.), atorvastatin (10 mg/kg), pravastatin (10 mg/kg), rosuvastatin (5 mg/kg), or simvastatin (20 mg/kg). Treatment with statins differentially improved the pulmonary response when compared to the CS group. Atorvastatin and pravastatin demonstrated slightly effects on inflammation and oxidative stress. Rosuvastatin demonstrated the best anti-inflammatory effect, whereas simvastatin demonstrated the best antioxidant response.     

The effect of subscapularis tenotomy in athletes operated on for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation

Purpose

Some authors consider preservation of the subscapularis tendon as one of the most important elements for a successful long-term outcome in patients operated on with open capsulorrhaphy for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether vertical tenotomy of the subscapularis tendon might affect internal rotation strength recovery in patients operated on with open capsulorrhaphy for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation.

Methods

Ninety-six patients were retrospectively followed up at a mean of 72.5 months. They underwent clinical evaluation, Rowe and Walch–Duplay scoring scales, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and dynamometric measurements (side-to-side) of internal and external rotation, forward elevation, and abduction. All patients were athletes: 25% were practising risk-free sports, 44% contact sports, 14.5% sports with cocking of the arm, and 14.5% high-risk sports activities.

Results

Five (5.2%) recurrences were registered, and all patients returned to pre-operative sports activity. The Rowe score was 98.12, the Walch–Duplay score 92.25, and the VAS score 0.1. Dynamometric assessment showed no significant differences (side-to-side) in internal rotation (p = 0.34), external rotation (p = 0.9), flexion (p = 0.7), and abduction (p = 0.7). Dominant arms showed better results than non-dominant arms (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Complete tenotomy of the subscapularis tendon does not seem to negatively affect internal rotation strength recovery or external rotation movement in athletes.

     

Failure of blood pressure to increase following erythropoietin therapy in the renoprival status.

Two anephric patients in the course of one year erythropoietin therapy improved their anemic status without changes in Mean Arterial Blood Pressure. The discordant time course behaviour of hematocrit and blood pressure points to the importance of residual renal tissue for blood pressure to develop during erythropoietin therapy in the renoprival status.     

Toxicity in uremia. 2. Correlation between PTH levels and impaired aspecific immunity

The role of PTH in depressing polynuclear leucocyte (PMN) phagocytosis in uremia was investigated. The hydrophobicity and phagocytic activity of normal PMN was tested in presence of uremic patients' serum with low (Group A) or high (Group B) levels of plasma PTH. The PMN phagocytic index was lowered by serum of both groups, but more in presence of Group B serum (p A vs B less than 0.002). Similarly, the contact angle of cells was affected more in presence of serum of patients with high PTH levels (p B vs A less than 0.003; p B vs C less than 0.002).     

Effects of oleanolic acid on pulmonary morphofunctional and biochemical variables in experimental acute lung injury

We analysed the effects of oleanolic acid (OA) on lung mechanics and histology and its possible mechanisms of action in experimental acute lung injury (ALI). BALB/c mice were randomly divided into Control (saline, ip) and ALI (paraquat, 25 mg/kg, ip) groups. At 1 h, both groups were treated with saline (SAL, 50 μl ip), OA (10 mg/kg ip), or dexamethasone (DEXA, 1 mg/kg ip). At 24 h, lung static elastance, viscoelastic pressure, and alveolar collapse reduced more after OA compared to DEXA administration. Tumour necrosis factor-α, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, interleukin-6, interferon-γ, and transforming growth factor-β mRNA expressions in lung tissue diminished similarly after OA or DEXA. Conversely, only OA avoided reactive oxygen species generation and yielded a significant decrease in nitrite concentration. OA and DEXA restored the reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio and catalase activity while increasing glutathione peroxidase induced by paraquat. In conclusion, OA improved lung morphofunction by modulating the release of inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress.     

Light cigarette smoke-induced emphysema and NFkappaB activation in mouse lung

Light cigarette (LC) exposure is supposed to be less hazardous with a decreased incidence of cancer and tobacco-associated diseases. C57BL/6 mouse groups were subjected to smoke from 3, 6 or 12 LC for 60 days and compared with mice exposed to ambient air (EAA) in order to study lung injury by morphometrical and biochemical methods. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis and histology and stereology were performed. Tissue from the right lung was used for measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and Western blot analysis. One way anova was performed followed by the Student-Newman Keuls post-test (P < 0.05). The cellular content of BAL was 95% alveolar macrophages in all groups except in mice exposed to 3 LC, where 23% neutrophils were observed. Emphysema was not observed in three and 6 LC, but it was found in 12 LC parallel to increased volume density (Vv) of airspaces from 61.0 +/- 0.6 (EAA) to 80.9 +/- 1.0 (12 LC) and decreased Vv of elastic fibres from 17.8 +/- 0.9 (EAA) to 11.8 +/- 0.6 (12 LC). All exposed groups to LC showed low TBARS levels compared with mice EAA. Lung tissue from animals exposed to 12 LC showed decreased tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-2 and increased matrix metalloprotease-12 detection, which suggests an imbalance in extracellular matrix (ECM). Increased tumour necrosis factor-alpha and nuclear factor-kappaB detection were observed in exposed groups to LC when compared with mice EAA. The data suggest that LC is so dangerous to lungs as full-flavour cigarettes inducing ECM imbalance and emphysema.     

Alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid supplementation reduced acute lung inflammatory response by cigarette smoke in mouse

OBJECTIVE: Short-term cigarette smoke (CS) exposure leads to acute lung inflammation through its influence over oxidants/antioxidants imbalance. Antioxidant vitamins such as ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol interact with oxidizing radicals. It is not clear if antioxidant supplementation can reduce inflammatory lung responses. Thus our aim was to analyze the effects of vitamin supplementation on the lungs of mice exposed to six cigarettes per day with histologic, cytological, and biochemical methods. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were exposed to ambient air (control) or CS from 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 cigarettes daily for up to 5 d. Mice alveolar macrophages and polymorphonuclear cells were counted in the bronchoalveolar lavage. Groups of CS animals received 50 mg/kg of ascorbic acid daily and/or 50 mg/kg of alpha-tocopherol daily as an oral supplementation (CS+C, CS+E, CS+C+E, respectively) 12 h before CS exposure. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were detected and western blot to nuclear factor-kappaB were performed in lung extracts; metalloprotease-12 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha positive alveolar macrophages were quantified in the lungs processed for immunohistochemistry of the animals exposed to the smoke from six cigarettes daily for 5 d. RESULTS: The number of alveolar macrophages and polymorphonuclear cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (cells x 10(3)/mL) in mice exposed to CS were increased and CS with vitamin supplementation groups presented bronchoalveolar lavage cells similar to those of control. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances values were reduced in vitamin supplementation groups when compared with CS and the lower value was found in the CS+C+E group. Metalloprotease-12 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were more evident in CS as much as nuclear factor-kappaB activation when compared with control and vitamin supplementation groups. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that CS induced acute lung inflammation. The inflammatory process after cigarette exposures was reduced by ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, or more efficiently by both vitamin supplementations.