ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of N(2)-L-alanyl-L-glutamine (Ala-Glu) on perioperative insulin resistance in patients undergoing radical colon cancer operation.MethodsSixty ASA Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients of both sexes aged 35-75 yr with BMI of 18.5-25.0 kg/m2 undergoing redical colon cancer operation under general anesthesia were randomly divided into 3 groups ( n =20 each):control group(group C) ; vehicle group (group Ⅴ) and group Ala-Glu.Ala-Glu 22.5 ml/kg was administered iv at 24 h before and 1 h after operation in group AlaGlu,while in groups C and V equal volume of normal saline and vehicle were given iv instead of Ala-Glu.Venous blood samples were taken at 24 h before operation (T1),30 main before ( T2 ) and 3 h after induction of anesthesia (T3) and 1 and 24 h after operation (T4,T5 ) for determination of blood concentrations of glucose (BG),insulin ( INS)-,TNF-α and free fatty acid (FFA).Insulin resistance ( HOMA-IR =BG × INS ÷ 22.5) and insulin sensitivity index (ISI =1 ÷ (lgBG + lgINS) ) were calculated.The time when the patients passed flatus,the days of hospitali-zation after operation,and the incidence of insulin resistance were recorded.ResuitsAla-Glu significantly decreased blood concentrations of BG,INS,TNF-α,FFA and HOMA-IR and increased ISI in group Ala-Glu as compared with groups C and V.The patients passed flatus earlier after operation and postoperative hospital stay was shorter and the incidence of insulin resistance was lower in group Ala-Glu than in groups C and V.There was no significant difference in all the indexes between group C and group V.ConclusionN (2)-L-alanyl-L-glutamine can attenuate perioperative insulin resistance in patients undergoing colon cancer resection and is helpful to patient' s recovery,and the decrease in the concentrations of TNF-α and FFA may be involved in the mechanism.

Objective To observe the effects of swimming in cold water on the functioning and structure of the peripheral nerves of diabetic rats,and to compare the effects of seawater and fresh water. Methods Forty SD rats weighing ( 250 ± 20) g were randomly divided into a normal control group (A),a diabetic model group ( B ),a seawater swimming group (C) and a fresh water swimming group (D) with 10 rats in each group.The swimming training was carried on 5 times a week for 8 weeks.At the end of the 4th and 8th week of training,caudal nerve conduction velocity (CNCV) was measured.The nerve structure of the caudal nerves was observed at the end of the 8th week. Results By the 4th week,CNCV had slowed significantly in group B compared with group A,but not in groups C and group D.Compared with group B,CNCV had increased significantly in group C.There was no significant difference in CNCV between groups C and D.At the 8th week,compared with group A,CNCV had slowed in groups B and C.Compared with group B,CNCV was significantly faster in groups C and D.However,there was no significant difference between group C and group D with regard to CNCV.At the end of the 8th week demyelination was observed in the caudal nerves under a light microscope and an electron microscope in groups B,C and D,but the demyelination was milder in groups D and C. Conclusion Swimming in cold water can prevent or delay diabetic neuropathy in diabetic rats.There was no significant difference between seawater and fresh water swimming in terms of its effect on CNCV.

Objective To analyze the changes in peripheral blood monocyte subpopulations in patients with primary, secondary and latent syphilis. Methods Flow cytometry was used to detect CD14highCD16- and CD14+CD16+ monocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood from 58 patients with untreated syphilis, including 36 cases of latent syphilis,8 cases of primary syphilis and 14 cases of secondary syphilis, as well as from 65 normal human controls. Restflts Compared with the normal controls, the proportion of CD14+CD16+ monocytes among total monocytes was significantly elevated (12.0% ± 5.0% vs 6.0% ± 3.3%, t = 7.25, P < 0.01), while that of CD14highCD16- monocytes was down-regulated (88.0% ± 5.1% vs 94.0% ± 3.5%, t = -7.20, P < 0.01). No statistical difference was observed in the proportion of CD14+CD16+ or CD14hhighCD16- monocytes among the patients with primary syphilis, secondary syphilis and those with latent syphilis (all P > 0.05). Conclusions The changes in peripheral blood monocyte subpopulation in patients with untreated syphilis may be associated with the permanent infection of Treponema pallidum, but have no obvious correlation with clinical stage of syphilis.

AIMTo investigate the effects of oxygen-glucose deprivation on cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

METHODSThe hippocampal neurons cultured for 12 d were exposed to combined oxygen-glucose deprivation for 0.5 - 4 h and then cultured with original medium in normoxia for 28 h. Necrotic neurons were identified by 0.4% trypan blue staining and apoptotic neurons were detected by a TUNEL technique. Meanwhile, the area, perimeter and circle diameter of cell bodies were measured respectively by a photography analysis system.

RESULTSThe percentage of necrotic cells in cultured hippocampal neurons increased significantly during oxygen-glucose deprivation, but the percentage of apoptotic cells increased significantly after 28 h oxygen-glucose recovery. Photography analysis showed that area, perimeter and circle diameter of the necrotic cell bodies were larger than those of the apoptotic ones.

CONCLUSIONOxygen-glucose deprivation can lead to severe damage of cultured hippocampal neurons. The necrosis is major during acute oxygen-glucose deprivation, while the apoptosis is major 28 h after oxygen-glucose recovery.

Animals ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Glucose ; deficiency ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

We reported a women with omithine carbamoyltransferase deficiency who delivered a healthy boy after two pregnancies with adverse outcome with the help of a multidiscipline team.The woman was admitted to Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine with an acute prenatal hyperammonemic episode at 28 gestational weeks of her first pregnancy in 2013 and was diagnosed with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.Her hyperammonemic complications were controlled under a well-planned multidisciplinary management including a low-protein diet and appropriate medications assisting nitrogen removal.A boy was delivered by cesarean section at 32 weeks of gestation but died three days later.Mutation analysis revealed a hemizygous c.583G＞A (G195R) mutation in the neonatal omithine carbamyltransferase gene and his mother was a heterozygous carrier with the same mutation.Two years later in 2015,the patient was pregnant spontaneously.However,she received an induced abortion at 21 weeks of gestation because amniocentesis and DNA analysis showed that the male fetus had the same omithine transcarbamylase gene mutation.The index pregnancy was assisted by in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer and preimplantation genetic diagnosis in 2017 and the woman delivered a healthy boy with the management ofa multidisciplinary team.

BACKGROUNDThe receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) gene has been recently shown to play important roles in palatal development in animal models and resides in the chromosomal region linked to non syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between ROR2 gene and non-syndromic oral clefts.

METHODSHere we tested 38 eligible single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ROR2 gene in 297 non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate and in 82 non-syndromic cleft palate case parent trios recruited from Asia and Maryland. Family Based Association Test was used to test for deviation from Mendelian inheritance. Plink software was used to test potential parent of origin effect. Possible maternally mediated in utero effects were assessed using the TRIad Multi-Marker approach under an assumption of mating symmetry in the population.

RESULTSSignificant evidence of linkage and association was shown for 3 SNPs (rs7858435, rs10820914 and rs3905385) among 57 Asian non-syndromic cleft palate trios in Family Based Association Tests. P values for these 3 SNPs equaled to 0.000068, 0.000115 and 0.000464 respectively which were all less than the significance level (0.05/38 = 0.0013) adjusted by strict Bonferroni correction. Relevant odds ratios for the risk allele were 3.42 (1.80 - 6.50), 3.45 (1.75 - 6.67) and 2.94 (1.56 - 5.56), respectively. Statistical evidence of linkage and association was not shown for study groups other than non-syndromic cleft palate. Neither evidence for parent-of-origin nor maternal genotypic effect was shown for any of the ROR2 markers in our analysis for all study groups.

CONCLUSIONOur results provided evidence of linkage and association between the ROR2 gene and a gene controlling risk to non-syndromic cleft palate.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Cleft Lip ; genetics ; Cleft Palate ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors ; genetics