Lycium barbarum extract promotes M2 polarization and reduces oligomeric amyloid-β-induced inflammatory reactions in microglial cells

Lycium barbarum(LB)is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been demonstrated to exhibit a wide variety of biological functions,such as antioxidation,neuroprotection,and immune modulation.One of the main mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease is that microglia activated by amyloid beta(Aβ)transform from the resting state to an M1 state and release pro-inflammatory cytokines to the surrounding environment.In the present study,immortalized microglial cells were pretreated with L.barbarum extract for 1 hour and then treated with oligomeric Aβfor 23 hours.The results showed that LB extract significantly increased the survival of oligomeric Aβ-induced microglial cells,downregulated the expression of M1 pro-inflammatory markers(inducible nitric oxide synthase,tumor necrosis factorα,interleukin-6,and interleukin-1β),and upregulated the expression of M2 anti-inflammatory markers(arginase-1,chitinase-like protein 3,and interleukin-4).LB extract also inhibited the oligomeric Aβ-induced secretion of tumor necrosis factorα,interleukin-6,and interleukin-1βin microglial cells.The results of in vitro cytological experiments suggest that,in microglial cells,LB extract can inhibit oligomeric Aβ-induced M1 polarization and concomitant inflammatory reactions,and promote M2 polarization.     

N-三甲基壳聚糖对促进阿昔洛韦滴眼液眼部滞留性的体内外考察

目的对不同季铵化程度(DQ)的N-三甲基壳聚糖(TMC)促进阿昔洛韦(ACV)滴眼液眼部滞留性进行考察。方法将浓度为0.5%,DQ分别为20%、40%及60%的TMC(TMC20,TMC40,TMC60)加入ACV滴眼液中;以同浓度壳聚糖(CS)ACV滴眼液为阳性对照,以普通ACV滴眼液为阴性对照,选用家兔为实验动物,采用悬挂泡技术和束缚泡技术进行离体眼球表面接触角及解吸附动力学进行研究,同时在各种ACV滴眼液中分别加入0.05%的荧光素钠为示踪剂,在体研究各种ACV滴眼液在家兔眼部的滞留性。结果与普通ACV滴眼液相比,含CS及TMC的滴眼液在角膜表面的接触角明显降低,解吸时间及在体滞留时间明显延长(P<0.05);与同浓度的CS ACV阳性对照相比,TMC20促进滞留作用较弱,而TMC40作用差异无显著性(P>0.05),而TMC60的作用明显较强(P<0.05)结论 TMC可显著增加ACV的眼部滞留性,且与其DQ呈正相关。     

Biomechanical behavior of brain injury caused by sticks using finite element model and Hybrid-III testing

Objective: To study the biomechanical mechanism of head injuries beaten with sticks, which is common in the battery or assaultive cases. Methods: In this study, the Hybrid-III anthropomorphic test device and finite element model (FEM) of the total human model for safety (THUMS) head were used to determine the biomechanical response of head while being beaten with different sticks. Total eight Hybrid-III tests and four finite element simulations were conducted. The contact force, resultant acceleration of head center of gravity, intracranial pressure and von Mises stress were calculated to determine the different biomechanical behavior of head with beaten by different sticks. Results: In Hybrid-III tests, the stick in each group demonstrated the similar kinematic behavior under the same loading condition. The peak values of the resultant acceleration for thick iron stick group, thin iron stick group, thick wooden stick group and thin wooden stick group were 203.4 g, 221.1 g, 170.5 g and 122.2 g respectively. In finite element simulations, positive intracranial pressure was initially observed in the frontal comparing with negative intracranial pressure in the contra-coup site. Subsequently the intracranial pressure in the coup site was decreasing toward negative value while the contra-coup intracranial pressure increasing toward positive values. Conclusions: The results illustrated that the stiffer and larger the stick was, the higher the von Mises stress, contact force and intracranial pressure were. We believed that the results in the Hybrid-III tests and THUMS head simulations for brain injury beaten with sticks could be reliable and useful for better understanding the injury mechanism.     

Risk factors and ankle brachial indexes in cerebral infarction combined with peripheral arterial disease

BACKGROUND: Ankle brachial index(ABI)is widely involved in researches and clinical application of peripheral vascular injury of patients with diabetes (DM);however ,the application in cerebral infarction(CI)is rare.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible risk factor of cerebral infarction plus peripheral arterial disease(PAD),compare metabolic characteristics of patients who having CI plus PAD or only having CI,and understand the significance of ABI on screening and diagnosing CI plus PAD of lower limb.DESIGN: Contrast observation based on CI patients.SETTING: Deparment of Neurology,Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region.PARTICIPANTS:A total of 124 CI patients were selected from Department of Neurology.Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from July 2005 to April 2006,including 72 males and 52 females aged from 45 to 88 years.All patients met the diagnostic criteria of cerebrovascular disease established by National Academic Conference of Cerebrovascular Diseases in 1995 and determined as cerebral infarction with MRI or CT examination.All patients provided informed consent.There were 46 cases(37.2%)with CI plus PAD and 78 cases(62.8%)only with CI.METHODS: Blood pressure of bilateral ankles and upper extremities was measured at plain clinostatism with DINAMAP blood pressure monitor(GE Company).The ratio between average systolic pressure of lateral ankle and average systolic pressure of both upper extremities was regarded as ABI.The normal ABI was equal to or more than 0.9.If ABI＜0.9 occurred at one side,patients were diagnosed as PAD.On the second morning after hospitalization,blood was collected to measure fasting blood glucose(FBG),2-hour postprandial blood glucose(PBG2h),glycosylated hemoglobin(HbAlc),triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C).Among them,blood glucose.lipid and other biochemical markers were measured with enzyme chemistry assay and HbA1c was measured with HbA1c meter based on high liquid phase.Measurement data and enumeration data were compared with t test and Chi-square test.and multiple factors were deat with Logistic regression analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Results of correlation between ABI and metabolic markers with multivariate linear regression analysis;risk factors of CI plus PAD with Logistic regression analysis;comparisons of metabolic markers between PAD and non-PAD patients.RESULTS:All 124 patients with acute CI were involved in the final analysis.①Comparisons of metabolic markers:Levels of serum LDL-C and uric acid(UA)were higher of PAD patients than those of non-PAD patients(t=2.051 9,3.339 1,P＜0.05);however,there were no significant differences among other metabolic markers(P＞0.05).②Results of multivariate linear regression analysis:PBG2h,LDL.C and UA were obvious correlation with ABI of posterior tibial artery of lower limb and dorsal pedis artery rpartial regression coefficient:-0.231 to-1.010,P＜0.05).③Risk factors of CI plus PAD with Logistic regression analysis:Age.Smoking history,sum of CI focus(≥3)and LDL-C were independent risk factor of CI plus PAD(OR=1.524-5.422,P＜0.05-0.01 ).CONCLUSION:①Levels of serum LDL-C and UA of patients with CI plus PAD are high.②ABI of lower limbs is correlation with PBG2h,LDL-C and UA.In addition,measuring ABI is beneficial for early diagnosing PAD of lower limbs of patients who have poorly controlled blood glucose,abnormal lipid and poor renal function.③Age,LDL-C and sum of CI focus(≥3)are independent risk factors of CI plus PAD.It is of significance for screening non-PAD patients to evaluate risk degrees and prognosis and select therapeutic methods based on ABI measurement.     

ISOLATION OF VIRULENT TREPONEMA PALLIDUM FRQM HUMAN AORTA THIRTY-TWO HOURS AFTER DEATH FROM CARDIOVASCULAR SYPHILIS

After a comprehensive rernew of the literature on syphilitic aortitis, Longcope, (1) stated in 1913; ": . . . the presence of spiro: chetes in these lesions, as might be expected, cannot by any means be constantly demonstrated with Levaaiti stain. . . . . . . That these organisms are ''Treponema pallidum seems almost certain thouS:h actual proof of such by culture from the arterial lesions, a most difficult task, or direct inoculation into animals, has not as yet been accomplished."     

EXPRESSION OF C-MYC AND N-RAS ONCOGENES IN HUMANHEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA AND PANCREATIC ADENOCARCINOMA A BIOCHEMICAL ANDIMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY

WiLh RNA-DNA dot blot technique, the expression of c-myc and N-ras oncogenes in human hepato cellular carcinoma was found to be higher than in tie non-cancerous liver tissue adjacent to the carci noma (p<0.01). The expression of both oncogenes was high in the fetal liver and gradually decreased with age during development, indicating a probable co-operation of c-myc and N-ras. Immunocytochemi- cal analysis showed changes in protein products of c-myc hepatocellular carcinoma and its nan cancerous tissue were similar to those in mRNA expression. The same was true for the fetal liver during its development. A comparable study was also made on the ex pression of c-myc and N-ras oncogenes in limited samples of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its noncancerous tissue. The results are inconclu sive, and further studies are needed.     

Modified Scleral Flap Incision to Reduce Corneal Astigmatism after Intraocular Lens Implantation

To investigate a simple method during extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in order to reduce surgically induced corneal astigmatism.Methods: A modified scleral flap incision was used in the extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation and the postoperative changes in conreal astigmatism was observed.Results: The peak value of postoperative corneal astigmatism was 3. 60 D, and the corneal astigmatism regression was 2. 11 D, surgically induced astigmatism was less significant in modified scleral flap incision group than that in conventional limbal incison group (P<0. 05).Conclusions: The modified scleral flap incision is an ideal incision for cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation when phacoemulsifier is not available. Eye Science 1995; 11-. 136-139.     

Clinical observation of Qi deficiency syndrome in 72 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with Yiqi Mianyi Granule

Seventy-two patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of Qi deficiency syndrome with abnormal immune indices were treated with Yiqi Mianyi Granule (YQMYG) and the efficacy was compared with that of 30 cases treated with Zhenqi fuzheng Granule (ZQFZG) for control. Results showed that the markedly effective rate of symptomatic improvement of Qi deficiency in YQMYG group was 65.3%, the total effective rate 93.1%. 88.6% of the immune indices lower than normal were corrected and 43. 7% of them were normalized, while for indices that were higher than normal the rate were 78.2% and 52.9% respectively. These results suggested that YQMYG could improve symptom of Qi Deficiency markedly, strengthen cellular immunity and regulate immune dysfunction. Its therapeutic efficacy was obviously superior to ZQFZG (P<0.Q5).