Lysophosphatidylcholine‐induced cytotoxicity and protection by heparin in mouse brain bEND.3 endothelial cells

A pathological feature in atherosclerosis is the dysfunction and death of vascular endothelial cells (EC). Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), known to accumulate in the atherosclerotic arterial walls, impairs endothelium‐dependent relaxation and causes EC apoptosis. A major bioactive ingredient of the oxidized LDL is lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), which at higher concentrations causes apoptosis and necrosis in various EC. There is hitherto no report on LPC‐induced cytotoxicity in brain EC. In this work, we found that LPC caused cytosolic Ca²⁺ overload, mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, p38 activation, caspase 3 activation and eventually apoptotic death in mouse cerebral bEND.3 EC. In contrast to reported reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by LPC in other EC, LPC did not trigger ROS formation in bEND.3 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of p38 alleviated LPC‐inflicted cell death. We examined whether heparin could be cytoprotective: although it could not suppress LPC‐triggered Ca²⁺ signal, p38 activation and mitochondrial membrane potential drop, it did suppress LPC‐induced caspase 3 activation and alleviate LPC‐inflicted cytotoxicity. Our data suggest LPC apoptotic death mechanisms in bEND.3 might involve mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and p38 activation. Heparin is protective against LPC cytotoxicity and might intervene steps between mitochondrial membrane potential drop/p38 activation and caspase 3 activation.     

中医药治疗慢性前列腺炎研究概况

综述近年中医药治疗慢性前列腺炎的临床研究,认为本病病因病机之核心在于脾肾亏虚为本,湿热、痰浊、瘀毒为标,病久则伤及脾肾,由实转虚。中医内治法主要以辨证论治、辨病论治或单方验方为主,外治法以中药洗浴、中药灌肠、肛门给药、针灸为主。中医药治疗本病优势明显。应继续完善对中医药作用机制的认识,制订统一的辨证论治及疗效评价标准,针对效果显著的名方开展研究。     

Kontrazeption bei Frauen mit angeborenen Herzfehlern

Die Gynäkologie - Frauen im Erwachsenenalter mit einem angeborenen Herzfehler (EMAH) werden in Zukunft aufgrund des medizinischen Fortschritts eine immer größere Patientinnengruppe...     

Efficacy and safety of herbal medicines for idiopathic Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.

The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines (HMs), as a monotherapy or adjunct therapy, compared to placebo or conventional approaches in the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials from both conventional and alternative medicine sources. Outcome measures were overall improvement, quality of life, reduction of levodopa dose, and adverse events. Nine studies were included, each testing a different HM. Six of the trials had limited internal validity due to major flaws in design, including the lack of proper randomization; insufficient blinding; unclear inclusive criteria in terms of diagnostic criteria, baseline staging, and duration of disease; lack of proper sample size calculation; and insufficient data analysis. Imbalances in gender and ethnicity among the patients in the included trials were observed. No major adverse events emerged, and no specific pattern was detected from the trials describing such data. In addition to major methodological defects, heterogeneity in (1) HM tested, (2) control treatment, and (3) outcome measure hindered in-depth data analysis and synthesis. Current evidence is insufficient to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various HMs. Further studies with improved trial design and reporting, with assessment on cost-effectiveness, quality of life, and qualitative data are warranted.     

Blood transfusions and the development of cytotoxic antibodies in dialyzed patients

In our work we investigated factors which can influence the alloimmunization and especially the ranges of cytotoxic antibodies that develop in patients on dialysis awaiting their first graft. Up to 15 liters of administered blood the proportion of immunized patients is rather stabile, not exceeding 50%. After further transfusions the percentage of immunized patients is growing rapidly reaching about 85%. Hyperimmunization, marked by cytotoxic antibodies with more than 80% panel reactivity is significantly more frequent in patients who obtained 15 and more liters of blood. In females the hyperimmunization is about 4 times more frequent than in males.     

猫颈部食管的交感神经支配—HRP法

用5只猫于左侧颈部食管壁内注入 HRP 溶液,通过 HRP 逆行追踪法研究颈部食管的交感神经支配,结果表明:1.长轴突型交感节前神经元直接分布到食管壁内,其标记细胞位于双侧脊髓的胸1～3节段,以胸2节段最多(占标记细胞总数的66.45％),注射侧占优势。标记细胞主要位于中间带外侧核(约占95.02%),其次为侧索、中介核、前角腹后外侧核。其细胞形态不一,以中小型细胞为主(占标记细胞总数的90.4％)。2.支配颈部食管的交感节后神经元主要位于星状神经节(约占61.99％),余者位于双侧颈前、中和2～5胸交感节内、以小细胞最多。     

"Lysostrip" experiments with HLA class-II antigens. I. Independent surface mobility of DQ and DR molecules

We report on results of lysostrip experiments designated to analyse the molecular relations between DQ and DR antigens. The purpose of lysostrip application was to determine whether these antigens can independently be redistributed on B-cell surface by incubation with a specific antibody followed by incubation with F(ab')2 fragments of rabbit antihuman Ig. The obtained results have clearly shown that DQ antigens, and supertypic and narrow DR antigens, move independently, indicating that they are located on separate molecules, supporting the concept of different DQ and DR loci.     

高血压性脑出血血肿周围脑组织细胞间粘附分子-1的表达

目的探讨急性高血压性脑出血患者细胞间粘附分子-1(ICAM-1)在血肿周围脑组织和正常脑组织中的表达及其意义。方法选择30例行开颅手术治疗的急性高血压性脑出血患者,采用免疫组化技术检测ICAM-1在血肿周围脑组织及正常脑组织中的表达。结果实验组血肿周围脑组织可见ICAM-1的表达水平上调,其表达水平明显高于正常脑组织的表达水平(P<0.01)。神经元和血管内皮细胞共同表达ICAM-1,且神经元表达较明显。结论ICAM-1在人类高血压性脑出血血肿周围脑组织的表达水平上调,其表达上调可能参与了血肿周围脑组织的白细胞浸润,最终引发炎性反应和继发性脑损伤。