A case of sudden cardiac death due to mitochondrial disease

A 25-year-old, emaciated man without medical treatment was found to have died suddenly at home by his mother. At autopsy, there were no injuries to his body, but significant circulatory insufficiency was observed. Electron microscopy revealed abnormal mitochondria in cells of the cardiac conduction system. The conduction system was filled with mitochondrial size abnormalities and mitochondrial cristae abnormalities. No notable abnormal findings were observed in other organs. Genetic examination of the blood revealed the mitochondrial pathogenetic variant m.3243A>G. Epileptic seizures, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state were unlikely to be the cause of sudden death. The cause of death was diagnosed as arrhythmia possibly induced by the failure of the cardiac conduction system due to mitochondrial disease. This is a rare case of sudden death caused by an accumulation of abnormal mitochondria in the cardiac conduction system.     

高乳酸血症-卒中样发作综合征型线粒体脑肌病一家系两代四例报告

线粒体脑肌病属于罕见性母系遗传病，本文回顾性分析了1家4例高乳酸血症-卒中样发作综合征（MELAS）型线粒体脑肌病患者，其主要表现为卒中样发作、头痛、癫痫、高乳酸血症、肌肉不耐受疲劳、高级智能下降、听力下降和身材矮小等，结合特征性影像学变化、基因检测及肌肉活检明确诊断，并结合文献对只有女儿能将其线粒体DNA（mt-DNA）传递给下一代的母系遗传MELAS型线粒体脑肌病临床特点进行了总结分析，旨在帮助临床认识此病，进一步提高MELAS型线粒体脑肌病的临床诊断率。     

褪黑素和6-羟褪黑素保护神经细胞抗缺血再灌注损伤比较研究

目的研究褪黑素(Mel)和6-羟褪黑素(6-OHMel)神经保护作用及作用机理。方法体外培养N2a细胞,模拟缺血再灌注(OGSD),加入Mel和6-OHMel,检测以下指标:①细胞生存能力:MTT法、乳酸脱氢酶释放;②细胞凋亡分析:DNA片断化,细胞色素C,Caspase3活性;③活性氧(ROS)和线粒体跨膜电位。结果①Mel和6-OHMel都能减轻OGSD诱导的N2a细胞损伤,Mel的作用强于6-OHMel。②Mel和6-OHMel均能抑制细胞色素C释放,但6-OHMel强于Mel。③Mel和6-OHMel都能稳定线粒体跨膜电位,但Mel作用时间比6-OHMel长。④Mel和6-OHMel能清除ROS,6-OHMel表现为直接作用,Mel表现为间接作用。⑤Mel和6-OHMel均能抑制caspase3的活性,但是作用时间不同。6-OHMel表现在OGSD后12h,Mel在OGSD后24h。结论Mel和6-OHMel的神经保护作用与其抗氧化、稳定线粒体功能相关,Mel的作用机制更复杂。     

消炎痛治疗宫内放环后出血

积极治疗节育手术并发症是搞好计划生育的一个重要环节。月经异常是宫内放置节育环的主要并发症，也是节育环停止使用的主要原因。近几年来本人采用消炎痛治疗官内放环后月经异常，取得了良好的效果。     

Nonspecific mitochondrial disease with epilepsy in children: diagnostic approaches and epileptic phenotypes

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize epileptic phenotypes in children with nonspecific mitochondrial disease (MD) and to evaluate MD diagnostic approaches. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical, electroencephalogram, and laboratory records of 142 patients with epilepsy was performed. The patients were evaluated for MD, and 124 patients were included in the final cohort. The MD criteria used included an oral glucose lactate stimulation test (OGLST) and urine organic acid/plasma amino acid (UOA/PAA) assays as metabolic indicators of modified Walker criteria, as suggested by Bernier et al. (Neurology 59:1406-1411, 2002). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were classified as having definite MD (9), probable MD (5), possible MD (6), or pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) deficiency (3), including one patient which showed a respiratory chain (RC) defect and PDH deficiency. Seven out of eight patients in whom significant RC defects were observed showed complex I defects. In 14 patients, epileptic seizures start at infantile ages. Of 17 patients who substantially presented generalized seizures, 4 patients started with partial seizures. Five patients consistently presented only partial seizures. The OGLST and UOA/PAA assays were useful for a more precise diagnosis of MD, although low positive predictive value of the OGLST was regrettable. No patient was classified as definite MD by Walker's original criteria, but the use of our revised MD criteria resulted in the classification of nine additional patients as definite MD. CONCLUSIONS: MD manifested considerable diverse epileptic phenotypes and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of epilepsy in children with unexplained encephalomyopathy and progressive and fluctuating clinical courses.     

Histopathological characterisation of effects of the mouse Pax6 missense mutation on eye development

Mutations in PAX6/Pax6 lead to a variety of ocular anomalies in humans and mice. The aim of the study was to characterise the ocular abnormalities caused by the missense Pax6^Leca4 mutation and compare them to published observations on Pax6 alleles that are functionally equivalent to Pax6⁻ null alleles (such as Pax6^Sey and Pax6^Sey-Neu) and human inherited eye diseases. Ocular features of homozygous Pax6^Leca4/Leca4 and heterozygous Pax6^Leca4/+ embryos at E12.5-E18.5, heterozygous Pax6^Leca4/+ young mice at P18 and heterozygous Pax6^Leca4/+ adults at 12 weeks were analysed histologically with their wild-type Pax6^+/+ littermates. Homozygous Pax6^Leca4/Leca4 fetuses died perinatally with no eyes although an optic cup rudiment with pigmented cells developed. Pax6^Leca4/+ mice were microphthalmic and a range of other severe ocular phenotypes affected both the anterior and the posterior segments. In contrast to Pax6^+/−, the Pax6^Leca4/+ eyes had no goblet cells in the corneal epithelium, the iris was not hypoplastic and there was no lens-corneal epithelial plug. However, microphthalmia was more severe, corneal vascularisation occurred earlier (during fetal stages), pigmented cells were present in the vitreous and corneal stroma and the ciliary body was malformed or abnormal. These results show that, although Pax6^Leca4/+ lacked some eye abnormalities commonly seen in Pax6^Sey/+ and Pax6^Sey-Neu/+ eyes, in most respects their eyes were more severely affected. These differences probably reflect both differences between the Pax6^Leca4 and the Pax6^Sey-Neu mutations and differences in modifier gene expression in different genetic backgrounds. The presence of pigmented cells in the cornea is a novel observation. Some Pax6^Leca4/+ ocular abnormalities were similar to those present in human Peters' anomaly and persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV) so Pax6^Leca4/+ mice provide a useful model for some inherited eye diseases.     

可吸收性医用珊瑚人工骨的致突变性研究

目的评价珊瑚人工骨的遗传毒性。方法采用Ames试验;细胞染色体畸变试验和小鼠骨髓细胞微核试验。结果不同浓度的浸提液加与不加S9mix条件下Ames试验;细胞染色体畸变试验以及微核试验与阴性对照组比较无显著差异,结果为阴性。结论在本试验系统条件下,可吸收性珊瑚人工骨无致突变作用。