Objective: To investigate the change of plasma ghrelin level and explore the related factors of ghrelin alteration in elderly hypertensive patients with psychological distress. Methods: A total of 300 elders, who were screened with Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) for psychological stress and somato-psychological manifestations respectively, were divided into hypertension group (n = 148) and non-hypertension group (n = 152). Their blood samples were collected to measure the plasma level of ghrelin and total cortisol on the same day. Results: The incidences of anxiety and depression were 27.7 % and 11.7 %, respectively, in all the enrolled elders. However, the rates of psychological distress, particularly anxiety, were significantly higher in the hypertensive elders than in the non-hypertensive ones (43.2 % vs. 12.5 %). Anxiety was positively related to the cortisol level but negatively related to the plasma ghrelin level, and the latter two were negatively correlated with each other. Conclusion: Chronic increase of plasma cortisol induced by long-term anxiety can lead to the reduction of ghrelin level, which then adversely affects blood pressure in elders with psychological distress. Therefore, ghrelin might be a selective antihypertensive medicine for hypertensive elders with anxiety.

Objective: To investigate the change of plasma ghrelin level and explore the related factors of ghrelin alteration in elderly hypertensive patients with psychological distress. Methods: A total of 300 elders, who were screened with Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) for psychological stress and somato-psychological manifestations respectively, were divided into hypertension group (n = 148) and non-hypertension group (n = 152). Their blood samples were collected to measure the plasma level of ghrelin and total cortisol on the same day. Results: The incidences of anxiety and depression were 27.7 % and 11.7 %, respectively, in all the enrolled elders. However, the rates of psychological distress, particularly anxiety, were significantly higher in the hypertensive elders than in the non-hypertensive ones (43.2 % vs. 12.5 %). Anxiety was positively related to the cortisol level but negatively related to the plasma ghrelin level, and the latter two were negatively correlated with each other. Conclusion: Chronic increase of plasma cortisol induced by long-term anxiety can lead to the reduction of ghrelin level, which then adversely affects blood pressure in elders with psychological distress. Therefore, ghrelin might be a selective antihypertensive medicine for hypertensive elders with anxiety.

OBJECTIVETo observe clinical therapeutic effect of the needling method of selecting time on stroke.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of stroke were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each group. The observation group were treated with acupuncture between 7:00-11:00 and the control group with acupuncture at any time. Their therapeutic effects, blood lipids and blood coagulation indexes were observed.

RESULTSThe cured-markedly effective rate and the total effective rate were 53.3% and 93.3% in the observation group, which were significantly higher than 35.0% and 78.3% in the control group, respectively; total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) significantly decreased and HDL-C significantly raised, fibrinogen (FG) significantly reduced in the observation group (all P < 0.01), the lipids regulating and anti-coagulation effects were significantly better than the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture between 7:00-11:00 achieves significant effect on stroke through increasing the lipids-decreasing and anticoagulation effects.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; therapy ; Time Factors

Adenovirus transfection technique was used in the current study to show if thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) overexpression can induce cell apoptosis and injury in H9C2 cardiomyocytes cultured in normal glucose condition. And the mechanisms were then investigated. Briefly, H9C2 cardiomyocytes in logarithmic growth phase were randomly divided into three groups: normal cultured group, empty adenovirus vector group (Ad-eGFP) and TXNIP overexpression group (Ad-TXNIP-eGFP). All cells were cultured in DMEM containing normal concentration of glucose (5 mmol/L) and lipid. 72 h after adenovirus transfection, cells and culture mediums were collected for further assay. The results showed that Ad-eGFP and Ad-TXNIP-eGFP adenovirus transfected H9C2 cells successfully, and the transfection efficiency reached the peak at 72 h. Compared with Ad-eGFP group, Ad-TXNIP-eGFP transfection significantly increased TXNIP mRNA (P < 0.05) and protein expression level (P < 0.01). TXNIP overexpression induced remarkable cell apoptosis and injury as evidenced by increased caspase-3 activity (P < 0.05), apoptotic rate (P < 0.01) and LDH activity (P < 0.01). To further analysis the mechanisms of TXNIP-induced cell apoptosis, we also determined Trx activity, Trx related free radical injury and p38 kinase activation, which are involved in free radical induced apoptosis. The results showed that, compared with those in Ad-eGFP group, Trx activity was significantly decreased (P < 0.01), while malondialdehyde (MDA), 3-nitrotyrosine contents and p38 kinase activity were significantly increased (P < 0.01) in TXNIP overexpression group. These results suggest that TXNIP overexpression alone can induce severe apoptosis and injury in H9C2 cardiomyocytes even they are cultured in normal glucose and lipid concentration conditions. The mechanism involved is that overexpressed TXNIP can bind and inhibit Trx, impairs its antioxidative and antiapoptotic function, and then increases free radical induced injury and p38 kinase dependent apoptosis.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Genetic Vectors ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; Rats ; Thioredoxins ; metabolism

Perilipin and adipophilin, two significant lipid droplet (LD)-specific proteins, participate in storing fat or ectopic lipid deposition and fat mobilization in many types of mammalian cells. Acylation stimulating protein (ASP) is a novel adipocyte-derived hormone known for a major determinant for triglyceride synthesis (TGS) and lipid metabolism. The present study was aimed to investigate: (1) whether ASP, rather than insulin, is a powerful potentiator which could physiologically and directly influence TGS during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation; (2) whether ASP exposure at indicated time points during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation could influence the gene/protein expression of adipophilin and perilipin. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated by traditional hormone cocktail and divided into control, ASP and insulin groups according to the treatment of ASP (1 mmol/L) or insulin (100 nmol/L). ASP-stimulated and insulin-stimulated TGS rate at indicated time points (0 d, 3 d, 6 d, 9 d) were assayed by measuring the incorporation of [(3)H]-oleic acid into TG, and the corresponding glucose transport was assayed by [(3)H]-2-DG uptake. The effects of ASP or insulin on gene/protein expression of adipophilin and perilipin at indicated time points were evaluated by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. The results obtained were as follows: (1) on the 3rd and 6th day of differentiation, ASP dramatically enhanced TGS rate compared with control group (P<0.05, P<0.01); There was no significant difference in TGS rate between insulin group and control group; (2) on the 6th and 9th day of differentiation, both ASP and insulin promoted glucose uptake (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the promoting effect in ASP group was greater than that in insulin group; (3) ASP elevated adipophilin gene and protein expression at the very early stage of differentiation (P<0.05, P<0.001) and had no significant effect from the 4th day of differentiation. Perilipin gene and protein expression increased throughout preadipocyte differentiation and its expression was up-regulated following ASP stimulation from the 3rd day of differentiation (P<0.05, P<0.001) to the end of differentiation (P<0.05); (4) Insulin did not affect gene and protein variation pattern of adipophilin and perilipin. Taken together, this study provides evidence that ASP-evoked changes in gene and protein expression of adipophilin and perilipin correlate with ASP-stimulated TGS acceleration, and adipophilin and perilipin are involved in the molecular mechanism of ASP-induced adipogenesis and LD formation.
3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes ; cytology ; Animals ; Carrier Proteins ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; Complement C3a ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression ; Insulin ; pharmacology ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Mice ; Perilipin-1 ; Perilipin-2 ; Phosphoproteins ; metabolism

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of diacetyl hexamethylene diamine (CAHB) for patients with high risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and to explore the effect of CAHB on HL-60 cells in vitro and its possible mechanism. 8 patients with high risk MDS were treated with CAHB by continuous intravenous infusion for 10 days, and repeated once after an interval of 28 days. The count of the granulo- and mono-blasts in bone marrow (BM) aspirate was measured before and after treatment. HL-60 cells were treated with different concentrations of CAHB for 72 hours in vitro. The inhibitory effect of CAHB on proliferation of HL-60 cells in vitro was measured by MTT assay. Differentiation of HL-60 cells was detected by the changes of CD11b and CD14 expression on cell surface. Apoptosis of HL-60 cells was detected by double staining of Annexin V and PI. The cell cycle distribution change of HL-60 cells was analyzed by flow-cytometry. The results indicated that the granulo- and mono-blasts in BM decreased in all the 8 patients after CAHB treatment. The main side effect of CAHB on hematological system was thrombocytopenia. After being treated with 1, 2, 3, 4 mmol/L CAHB for 72 hours in vitro, the result of MTT assay showed the inhibitory effect of CAHB on the proliferation of HL-60 cells in dose-dependent manner. After being treated manner 1, 2, 3, 4 mmol/L CAHB for 72 hours, the CD11b positive HL-60 cells were 22.39+/-3.97%, 33.12+/-4.46%, 49.25+/-5.27%, 78.05+/-5.66%, respectively, which were significantly different from the control group (CD11b positive HL-60 cells was 5.89+/-2.94%) (p<0.01). The CD14 expression was negative in all the 5 groups. These results suggested that CAHB could induce HL-60 cells to differentiate into mature granulocytes, and the effect of CAHB appeared in dose-dependent manner. After being treated for 72 hours by 1, 2, 3, 4 mmol/L CAHB, the apoptotic cells (Annexin V(+)/PI(-) cells) increased mildly, which suggested that CAHB only weakly induces HL-60 cells to apoptosis at the concentration of 1 to 4 mmol/L. Along with the concentration increase of CAHB, the ratio of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase increased, and ratio of cells in S phase and G(2)/M phase decreased correspondingly, it indicated that CAHB could arrest HL-60 cells in G(0)/G(1) phase in a dose-dependent manner. It is concluded that induction of cell differentiation may be the primary effect of CAHB on MDS. Cell cycle arrest may be essential to the effect of CAHB as well. Side effect of CAHB on platelet count may correlated with its inhibitory effect on hematopoiesis.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Diamines ; therapeutic use ; Female ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; drug therapy

Objective To analyze the efficacy of ponatinib as salvage therapy in relapse chronic myeloid leukemia with T315I mutation (CML-T315D after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).Methods Twelve patients with CML-T315I (10 cases of T315I mutation before transplantation and 2 cases of T315I mutation at the time of relapse after transplantation) were included in this retrospective analysis.Ponatinib was used as single agent or combined with chemotherapy and/or donor lymphocyte infusion.The samples obtained for RTQ-PCR were also analyzed for the BCR ABL1 mutation by direct sequencing.Scanning of the ABL KD (amino acids 219-506) for the presence of mutations was sequenced by Sanger.Results In 12 patients with relapse after transplantation,2 patients with molecular relapse were treated with only single-agent ponatinib,and among 10 patients with hematologic relapse,1 patient was treated with single-agent ponatinib and 3 patients were given ponatinib combined with donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI),the remaining 6 patients were treated with ponatinib combined with chemotherapy and DLI.After the treatment with ponatinib,11 patients had a good response,10 patients obtained complete hematologic remission (CHR),1 patient obtained partial hematologic remission (PHR) and 1 patient had no response (NR).For cytogenetic response,10 patients obtained complete cytogenetic response (CCyR),1 patient obtained partial cytogenetic response (PCyR) and one patient had no cytogenetic response.For the molecular biological response,9 patients obtained complete molecular response (CMR),1 patient obtained majore molecular response (MMR) and 2 patients had no molecular biological response.The median time to obtain CHR was 36 days (29-96 days),the median time to obtain CCyR was 63 days (32-127 days),and the median time to obtain CMR was 89 days (27-152 days).The median follow-up time after treatment with ponatinib was 598 (range,93-1470) days,9 patients survived and 3 died.Causes of deaths included leukemia relapse (n =2)and ineffective treatment (n =1).The 2-year overall and disease-free survival rate after relapse in 12 patients was 75.0％ ± 12.5％ and 31.7％ ± 14.9％,respectively.Conclusion This small sample data suggested that ponatinib as salvage therapy had a good response to the relapse CML-T315I after allo-HSCT.

Objective:To investigate the effect of NRG-1 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative damage under hypoxia reox-ygenation.Methods:The myocardial cell HCM was taken as the object of study.The hypoxia reoxygenation of myocardial cell model was established,and NRG-1 at dose of 0.8 mg/L was added before hypoxia.The cell viability was measured by MTT assay and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.The level of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in the supernatant was detected by 2,4-dinitrophe-nylhydrazine colorimetry assay,DCFH-DA method was used to detected ROS level,the level of MDA was measured by thiobarbituric acid method,the level of SOD was detected by xanthine oxidase method,and the protein levels of Akt and p-AktThr308were determined by Western blot.Results:The A values of the myocardial cells after hypoxia reoxygenation were changed from 0.66±0.03 to 0.36±0.04, the rate of apoptosis increased from (4.62±0.97)% to (29.07±3.43)%,the level of ROS increased from 69.29±7.96 to 280.84± 20.52,the levels of LDH and MDA also increased,and the levels of SOD and p-AktThr308/Akt decreased.After NRG-1 treatment,the A values of the cells were from 0.36±0.04 to 0.47±0.05,the rate of apoptosis decreased from (29.07±3.43)% to (19.76±3.41)%, the ROS levels decreased from 280.84±20.52 to 128.23±12.32,the levels of LDH and MDA also decreased,and the levels of SOD and p-Akt/Akt increased.Conclusion: NRG-1partly inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative damage induced by hypoxia reoxygenation by affecting the protein levels of p-Akt/Akt in the cardiomyocytes.

Objective:To investigate the effect of up regulation of GDF-15 expression on the proliferation,apoptosis and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway of H9C2 cardiomyocytes induced by H2O2.Methods:CCK8 method was used to detect the proliferation of H9C2 cardiomyocytes treated with different concentrations of H2O2;H9C2 cells were divided into Control group,NC group,H2O2group,GDF-15+H2O2group,the cells were treated for 24 h,mRNA and protein expression of GDF-15 in each group were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot;the proliferation and apoptosis of the cells were detected by CCK8 and flow cytometry respectively;DCFH-DA probe was used to detect the level of ROS;the expression of Ki67,Bcl-2,Bax,PI3K and p-AKT protein was detected by Western blot.H9C2 cells were treated with 10 μmol/L LY294002(a PI3K/AKT signal pathway inhibitor),cell viability and apoptosis rate were detected by CCK8 assay and flow cytometryin espectively.Ki67,Bcl-2,Bax,PI3K and p-AKT protein expression were detected by Western blot.Results:Cell viability was inhibited after different concentrations H2O2treated H9C2 myocardial cells,which was concentration de-pendent (P<0.05),due to H9C2 cardiomyocytes treated with 200 μmol/L H2O2inhibited nearly half of cell proliferation,and were chosen as subjects.Compared with control group,mRNA and protein expression of GDF-15 in H2O2group were significantly increased, cell proliferation was decreased significantly,the apoptosis rate was increased,ROS level was increased,the expression of Ki67,Bcl-2, PI3K,p-AKT protein were decreased,Bax protein expression was increased(P<0.05).Compared with H2O2group,mRNA and protein expression of GDF-15 in GDF-15+H2O2group were significantly increased,cell proliferation was significantly increased,the apoptosis rate was decreased,ROS level was decreased,the expression of Ki67,Bcl-2,PI3K,p-AKT protein were increased,and Bax protein expression was decreased (P<0.05).The cell viability and protein expression of Bcl-2,PI3K and p-AKT in PI3K/AKT inhibitor group were significantly lower than those in GDF-15+H2O2group,and the apoptosis rate and Bax protein expression were significantly higher than those in GDF-15+H2O2group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Up regulation of GDF-15 expression promote the proliferation of H9C2 car-diomyocytes induced by H2O2and reduce apoptosis,and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of ROS levels,Ki67,Bcl-2,Bax expression and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of neonatal asphyxia and possible contributing factors for the development of severe asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, China. METHODS: A total of 16 hospitals in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture were selected as research centers. A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 22 294 live births in these 16 hospitals from January to December, 2016 to investigate the incidence rate of neonatal asphyxia and possible contributing factors for the development of severe asphyxia. RESULTS: Of the 22 294 neonates born alive, 733 (3.29%) were diagnosed with neonatal asphyxia, among whom 627 had mild asphyxia and 106 had severe asphyxia. The neonates with low maternal education level, maternal anemia during pregnancy, chorioamnionitis, abnormal amniotic fluid, abnormal umbilical cord, placenta previa, placental abruption, Tujia Minority, preterm birth, and low birth weight had a higher incidence of severe asphyxia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The incidence rate of neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is higher. Low maternal education level, maternal anemia during pregnancy, chorioamnionitis, abnormal amniotic fluid, abnormal umbilical cord, placenta previa, placental abruption, Tujia Minority, preterm birth, and low birth weight may be related to the development of severe neonatal asphyxia.
Asphyxia Neonatorum ; epidemiology ; China ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies