Chronic vitamin E treatment prevents defective endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetic rat aorta

Summary We examined the effect in rats of 2 months of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus on relaxation and contraction of aortas in vitro. A further diabetic group was treated from time of diabetes induction with a 1% dietary supplement of vitamin E. Diabetes caused a 26.5% deficit (p<0.001) in maximum endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine in phenylephrine-precontracted aortas. This was 64.3% attenuated (p<0.01) by vitamin E treatment; maximum relaxation was not significantly altered compared to non-diabetic rats. Vitamin E treatment of non-diabetic rats did not significantly affect acetylcholine-induced relaxation. Diabetes or treatment did not significantly alter acetylcholine sensitivity. Endothelium-independent relaxation response to glyceryl trinitrate was not affected by diabetes or vitamin E treatment, indicating that vascular smooth muscle responses to nitric oxide remained unaltered. There was a 35.4% reduction in the maximum contractile response to phenylephrine with diabetes (p<0.05) which was unaffected by vitamin E treatment. The data suggest that the chronic deficit in nitric oxide-mediated endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetes depends largely upon excess activity of reactive oxygen species. Treatment with vitamin E to increase free radical scavenging specifically protected vascular endothelium although it had no effect on deficits in vascular smooth muscle contractile responses.Abbreviations NO Nitric oxide - ARI aldose reductase inhibitor - ACH acetylcholine - GTN glyceryl trinitrate - GSH reduced form of glutathione - EC₅₀ effective concentration for 50% of the maximal response     

Anti-Oxidative Therapy with Oral Dapsone Improved HCV Antibody Positive Annular Elastolytic Giant Cell Granuloma

A 72-year-old fisherman who was positive for the HCV antibody developed an annular, erythematous, infiltrated lesions on sun-exposed areas. The lesions were diagnosed as annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma both clinically and histologically. Topical corticosteroid and cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen for several months failed to improve the lesions. We then started dapsone, a known anti-oxidant, at 50 mg/day. A month later, the margins of the erythematous lesions faded, and the infiltration gradually decreased. No recurrence has been observed for one year after the start of the therapy. Anti-oxidative therapy appears to be effective for annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma and could be an alternate therapy for refractory granulomatous disease.     

失眠症患者心理防御机制与社会支持的相关研究

目的　探讨失眠症患者心理防御特征和社会支持 ,并分析两者的关系。方法　采用心理防御方式问卷 (DSQ )、社会支持评定量表 (SSRS)对失眠症患者和正常健康者各 5 0例进行评定。结果　患者组心理防御方式 (不成熟型、中间型防御因子和掩饰因子的因子分高 ,成熟防御因子分低 )和社会支持 (社会支持总分、主观支持分、对支持利用度低 )与对照组相比差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 5或 0 .0 1) ;相关分析发现 ,患者组不成熟防御机制与SSRS的支持总分、主观支持分、对支持利用度呈负相关 (P均 <0 .0 5 ) ,中间型防御机制与SSRS的主观支持呈负相关 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论　失眠症患者心理防御机制的成熟程度较正常人低 ,社会支持差 ,两者存在一定的关系。     

The behavioral genetics of colony defense in honeybees: Genetic variability for guarding behavior

Guard honeybees stand at the entrance of colonies and facilitate the exclusion of nonnestmates from the colony. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that genetic variability among individuals in colonies might explain variability in guarding activity. To do this, we cross-fostered honey bees between colonies with high-defensive responses and colonies with low-defensive responses in alarm pheromone tests. Individuals from high-defensive colonies were more likely to guard in their own colonies (controls) than cross-fostered bees from low-defensive colonies. Cross-fostered high-defensive bees also were more likely to guard in low-defense colonies. These results support the hypothesis that interindividual differences in guarding behavior are at least partially under genetic control. A positive correlation between number of guards and response to alarm pheromone demonstrates a link between behaviorally separated components of the overall defensive response.This work was supported by NSF Grant BNS 8605604.     

Antioxidant and glutathione-related enzymatic activities in rat sciatic nerve

The present work tries to establish the antioxidant capacity of the peripheral nervous tissue of the rat, in terms of the enzymatic activities present in this tissue that either prevent the formation of activated species as the semiquinone radical (DT-diaphorase), protect against activated oxygen species (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), conjugate natural toxic products or xenobiotics (glutathione S-transferases, especially the activity conjugating 4-hydroxy-nonenal), or complete the glutathione system metabolism (glutathione disulfide reductase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase). All the activities studied are lower in this tissue than they are in liver, except for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase. The relevance of the results obtained and its possible relationship with different neuropathies is discussed. It is concluded that the peripheral nervous tissue is by far less protected than the liver against oxidative damage.     

Behavioral conditioning of endotoxin-induced plasma iron alterations

The cascade of physiologic mechanisms in response to infection, the acute-phase response, is recognized as playing a major role in host defence. One such response is the hypoferremia that is consistently reported to occur during bacterial infection. This study aimed to determine whether the alterations in plasma iron were conditionable using the conditioned taste aversion (CTA) paradigm. The regime involved the pairing of a novel-tasting saccharin solution with bacterial endotoxin. Seven days after the initial pairing of these stimuli (the test day), the saccharin solution was represented. Animals exposed to this condition displayed a significant reduction in the level of plasma iron. Animals treated with an intraperitoneal dose of 400 μg/Kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) displayed lower conditioned iron levels than rats infused with 100 μg/Kg LPS; however, this difference was not significant. These results showed that in addition to other acute-phase responses (fever and anorexia), plasma iron alterations are able to be manipulated through behavioral manipulations.     

精神分裂症患者心理防御机制与人格特征的相关性分析

目的　探讨精神分裂症患者心理防御方式和人格特片的特点及二者的相关性。方法　分别运用防御方式问卷 (DSQ)和艾森克个性问卷 (EPQ)对 10 1名精神分裂症患者和 30例正常人群进行防御方式评定和人格测定。结果　与正常对照组相比 ,精神分裂症患者更多采用不成熟和中间型防御方式 (P <0 0 5 )。防御方式与人格特征存在着一定的关联性 (P <0 0 5 )。不成熟型防御方式和中间型防御机制与EPQ的精神质 (P)得分和神经质 (N)得分呈显著正相关 (P <0 0 1) ,成熟防御机制与内外向(E)得分呈显著正相关 (P <0 0 5 )。结论　精神分裂症患者更多地使用不成熟防御机制 ,存在病态人格 ,且者之间存在明显相关性 ,有关结果 ,对于探讨精神分裂症患者的病理心理机制和开展心理治疗有指导意义。     

高等中医药院校贫困生心理健康、防御方式和社会支持的相关分析

目的探讨不同心理健康状况的贫困大学生的防御方式和社会支持特点及其关系。方法采用防御方式问卷(DSQ)、社会支持评定量表、症状自评量表(SCL-90)对302名中医院校贫困大学生进行测评。结果贫困生的心理健康水平低于国内青年常模,但在人口学统计变量上的差异不显著;不同心理健康水平的学生的防御方式和社会支持均具有显著性差异,心理健康状况差的学生较心理健康好的学生更多地使用不成熟的防御策略,且在客观支持、主观支持、对支持的利用度和总分上均显著地低于心理健康状况好的学生;不成熟的防御策略对心理健康具有显著影响。结论贫困生的心理健康与防御方式和社会支持之间具有显著的关联性,应从转导不成熟的防御策略和营造良好社会支持系统两方面对贫困生的心理健康进行维护。     

抗氧化剂等药物联合应用治疗烧伤休克的实验研究

我们用哈白兔以3％凝固气油致25％Ⅲ°烧伤休克持续了3h复苏的动物模型研究了丹参、维生素E、抗氧化剂协同治疗烧伤休克的作用,效果显著。第5天SOD活性和MDA值均达到伤前水平,提高了动物存活时间。各项生化指标和病理证实,该组实验动物脏器无明显病变,说明联合用药,不仅可以有效的清除氧自由基,还能拮抗脂质过氧化作用,对脏器有较好的保护作用。     

Study of the measurement of defense style using Bond's Defense Style Questionnaire

Two hundred and seventy healthy university students were surveyed in December 1995 using Bond's Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) to measure the subjects' defense mechanisms. At the same time, a survey using Byrne's R-S Scale (Repression–Sensitization Scale) of the MMPI (Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory) and five psychiatric symptom indexes (anxiety, sense of inadequacy, sensitivity, depression and impulsive anger) selected from the CMI (Cornell Medical Index-Health Questionnaire) was conducted. Three factors were extracted from the DSQ through factor analysis: immature defenses, neurotic defenses, and mature defenses. The results of analysis of variance revealed the following: (i) for anxiety and anxiety related symptoms, both immature defenses and neurotic defenses indicated principal effect; (ii) for impulsive anger and depression, immature defenses presented principal effect; and (iii) for sensitivity and impulsive anger, interaction between a mature defense style and neurotic defense style was noted. The relationship between defense styles and psychiatric symptoms in healthy people is studied in this paper.