BACKGROUND:Apolipoprotein E is one of the important plasma apolipoproteins with polymorphism and involved in lipid metabolism and cholesterol balance modulation, playing also a role in the normal growth and repair of the nervous system.OBJECTIVE: To analyze apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism in patients with vascular dementia (VaD) in comparison with patients with cerebral infarction (CI) patients and healthy controls, so as to elicit the relationship between apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and VaD.DESIGN: Case-control study.SETTING: Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: The participants were recruited from the inpatients and outpatients with cerebrovascular diseases and healthy subjects for routine physical examination in the General Hospital of Jinan Military Area Command of Chinese PLA between August 2001 and October 2003, including 35 cases of VaD, 36 CI cases and 40 healthy controls.METHODS: Four milliliters of venous blood was collected from the elbow vein form all participants after fasting for 12 hours for detection of apolipoprotein E genotype using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Blood lipids and apolipoprotein contents were also examined.of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as apolipoprotein A and aoplipoprotein B.RESULTS: Data of 35 VaD 36 CI patients and 40 healthy controls were all VaD group and CI group had higher ε4 allele frequency were higher (22.86% and 22.22% vs 7.5%, respectively, P ＜ 0.05) but lower ε3 allele frequency (70% and 69.45% vs 86.25%, respectively, P ＜ 0.05); the frequencies of all alleles were basically comparable between VaD and CI groups er in E ε4 allele carriers [(5.85±L03), (4.73±0.29), (4.96±0.87) mmol/L, respectively] than in E ε2 [(3.91±0.87), (3.12±0.65), (3.06±0.33) mmol/L] and ε3 [(1.34±0.21), (1.00±0.28), (0.94±0.32) g/L] allele carriers in VaD group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism is closely associated with the onset of VaD, for which ε4 allele might be a risk factor with similar impact in CI.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of iNOS in the middle and late stage of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the effect of L-Arginine(L-Arg) on these stage.MethodsThirty healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups.All rats except those in control group were injected intraperitoneally (ip) with a single dose (50 mg/kg) of MCT to induce PH.Then the L3 and L5 groups were injected ip with 500 mg/kg L-Arg daily for 3 weeks and 5weeks respectively,the M3 and M5groups received a daily ip injection of the same amount of saline as L-Arg for 3 weeks and 5 weeks respectively; the same amount of saline was injected ip daily in control group for 5 weeks.Right ventricular systolic pressure(RVSP) was measured before lungs were excised for immunohistochemistry at the end of experiments. ResultsThe expressions of iNOS and elastin in M3 and M5 were higher compared to the control group,but L-Arg partly reduced the expressions of iNOS and elastin both at 3weeks and 5 weeks post-MCT.The reduction of eNOS expression in L3 and L5 groups were lower compared to M3 and M5 groups,but the eNOS expression in L3 and L5 groups were still lower than control group.ConclusionDuring the middle and late stage of PH,the expression of eNOS was decreased.The expression of iNOS was induced,which would produce numerous NO.However,these NO had no benefit on the development of PH.L-Arg could restore the balance of eNOS and iNOS,and could inhibit the development of PH,which may provide a new clues to explore the pathogenesis and treatment of PH.