BACKGROUND: Learning and memory disorder exist in diabetic rats,which can be improved by APP 17-mer peptide. However, it is unclear whether learning and memory disorder in diabetes mellitus is caused by influencing neuronal mitochondrial transmembrane potentials and apoptosis in hippocampus or not and what is the related action mechanism of APP17-mer peptide.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of APP17-mer peptide on neuronal mitochondrial transmembrane potentials (△ψm) and apoptosis in hippocampal area of diabetic rats.DESIGN: A completely randomized, grouping and controlled trial.SETTING: Beijing Research Laboratory for Brain Aging, Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences; the Department of Endocrine, the First Central Hospital of Baoding.MATERIALS: The data measurement of the experiment was carried out in the Instrument Testing Center, the General Hospital of Chinese PLA between May 2002 and August 2002. The modeling and intervention of the experiment was carried out in the Animal Laboratory of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences. Eighteen male Wistar rats were enrolled and randomized into control group, model group and APP17-mer peptide group with 6 rats in each group.METHODS: ① Diabetic models in the model and APP17-mer peptide groups were established by intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin (pH=4.4) in fasted rats(fasting for 12 hours). Three days later, modeling was successful if blood sugar level in caudal vein was more than 15 mmol/L. Rats in the control group were not subjected to modeling.Then, the rats in the APP17-mer peptide group were subjected to the subcutaneous injection of APP17-mer peptide (3.4 μg for each rat once) three times a week and totally for ten weeks, whereas rats in the other groups were given saline of the same volume. ② After ten weeks, rats were anesthetized and decapitated to take out brain tissues, and then hippocampal tissues were isolated in ice bath for preparation of single cell suspension.JC-1 labeled mitochondrial transmembrane potentials and cell apoptosis in hippocampal area were measured by means of flow cytometry. ③ One-way analysis of variance was adopted in the comparison among groups.RESULTS: Eighteen rats were involved in the results analysis. ①Neuronal mitochondrial transmembrane potential was lower in the model group as compared with the control group [(551.91±53.36) vs (809.88±82.41) △ψm,P＜0.01] while it was higher in the APP17-mer peptide group as compared with the model group [(705.99±89.92) vs (551.91±53.36) △ψm, P ＜ 0.05].There was no difference between the APP17-mer peptide group and control group (P=0.146). ②) Apoptotic percentage of single cell in hippocampus was significantly higher in the model group than in the control and APP17-mer peptide groups [(5.32±1.37)%, (1.03±0.55)%, (2.80±0.92)%, P＜0.01, 0.05].CONCLUSION: Neuronal mitochondrial transmembrane potential and cell apoptosis in hippocampus may be involved in the occurrence and development of diabetes mellitus, and APP17-mer peptide plays an improved role in the process.

Humans ; Occupational Health ; Workplace ; statistics & numerical data

Fibroma, Desmoplastic ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nose Neoplasms ; pathology

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of the diameter of the esophageal hiatus on multislice spiral CT(MSCT)and to present the MSCT manifestations of esophageal hiatus hernia (EHH).Methods(1)The distance between diaphragmatic crura(DDC),which indicated the diameter of esophageal hiatus,was measured in 140 normal adult patients on their thoracic and/or abdomenal CT images.(2)The DDC of 56 patients with EHH diagnosed by barium examination was measured on MSCT, and the MSCT findings were analyzed retrospectively.Results(1)The DDC of 140 normal adult cases were(13.44?4.41)mm on average and increased with age.The mean DDCs of patients under the age of 59 year-old(80 cases)and over 60-year-old(60 cases)were 11.03?2.10 mm and 16.67?4.64 mm respective]y,there was a significant difference(t=8.762,P

OBJECTIVETo compare between micro-endoscopic discectom) (MED) and open decompression discectomy, and assess the clinical value of MED.

METHODSTwo hundreds and sixty-one cases who suffered from lumbar disc herniation had a retrospective study. One hundred and twenty-one of 261 patients were treated with MED including 72 male and 52 female with an average age of 37.6 years ranging 26 to 63, the segment of herniated discs were at L4.5 in 66 and at L5S1 in 58. The other 137 patients were treated with decompression by fenestration and discectomy including 66 male and 71 female with an average age of 44.5 years ranging 25 to 71, the segment of herniated discs were at L4.5 in 64 and at L5S1 in 73. MED was performed via a scopes. Open decompression discectomy was performed decompression by fenestration and discectomy.

RESULTSMED group were followed up for 14.5 months on average, the operative time was (85 +/- 15) minutes and blood loss was (50 +/- 10) ml, time of laying in bed after operation was (50 +/- 8) hours. Open decompression group were followed up for 15.5 months on average, operative time was (60 +/- 15) minutes and blood loss was (80 +/- 20) ml, time of laying bed after operation was (150 +/- 24) hours. MED group needed significantly less narcotic medication after operation than open decompression group. According to modified Macnab criteria, the results were excellent in 94, good in 25, fair in 5 in MED group and excellent in 101, good in 28, fair in 8 in open decompression group.

CONCLUSIONAs compared with open decompression group, MED offers a similar short-term clinical outcome, but with smaller incision, less tissue trauma and quicker recovery.

Adult ; Decompression, Surgical ; Diskectomy ; methods ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; surgery ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

AIM AND METHODSUsing double immunohistochemical method for Fos and tyrosine hydroxylase(TH) to examine the effects of intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of adrenomedullin (AM) on catecholaminergic neurons and the expression of c-fos gene in rat brain nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation in order to define whether the effects of central administration of adrenomedullin (AM) were induced by activating the catecholaminergic neurons.

RESULTS(1) Following icy administration of AM (3 nmol/kg), Fos-like immunoreactivity neurons were markedly increased in several brain areas of the rat, including the brainstem, the hypothalamus and the forebrain. (2) Following icy administration of AM (3 nmol/kg), double-labeled neurons for Fos and TH increased significantly in the area postrema (AP), the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), the nucleus paragigantocellularis lateralis (PGL) and the locus coeruleus (LC). (3) Pretreatment with calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonism CGRP (8-37) (30 nmol/kg) significantly reduced the action of AM (3 nmol/kg) in the brain.

CONCLUSIONAM activates the nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation in the forebrain, the hypothalamus and the brainstem, and that the central actions of AM are induced by activating the catecholaminergic neurons of brainstem nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation. CGRP receptor can mediate the effects of AM in brain.

Adrenomedullin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Brain Stem ; drug effects ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; metabolism ; Hypothalamus ; drug effects ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Peptide Fragments ; metabolism ; Prosencephalon ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; metabolism

The phytoestrogen genistein has been shown to relax agonist-preconstricted arteries in vitro, the mechanism of this relaxation remains incompletely understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of phytoestrogen genistein on the tension of rabbit femoral arteries in vitro and to determine the mechanism of such relaxation. The results are as follows: (1) genistein (10~40 micromol/L) relaxed femoral arterial rings in a concentration-dependent manner under the condition of precontraction induced by phenylephrine (PE, 1 micromol/L); (2) removal of the endothelium significantly inhibited genistein-induced relaxation; (3) pretreatment with NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 micromol/L) also significantly inhibited this relaxation by genistein, implying that the concentration-dependent vasorelaxation caused by genistein is endothelium-dependent and involved nitric oxide; and (4) pretreatment with an L-type calcium channel agonist, Bay K 8644 (0.5 micromol/L), also significantly inhibited the genistein-induced relaxation in both endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded rings. The results suggest that the genistein-induced vascular relaxation of these rabbit arteries is partially endothelium-dependent and involves calcium antagonistic mechanism.
Animals ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Femoral Artery ; drug effects ; physiology ; Genistein ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Vasodilation ; drug effects

Objective To develop urine AD7C-NTP diagnostic kit,analyze and evaluate its application value on AD.Methods Immunogenicity AD7C-NTP peptide fragments had synthesized by solidphase methods.The animals immunized to prepare antibodies.After matching screening.mouse antibody was uesed as coating antibody.biotin-labeled rabbit antibody wag used as testing antibody,and horseradish peroxidase was labeied with avidin.The urine AD7C-NTP ELISA detective method was established.The AD7C-NTP levels in morning urine samples of 121 AD patients and 118 age-matched controls were collected.Results AD7C-NTP antibodies were identified.Mouse anti-AD7C-NTP antibody titer in ELISAwas 1:8 000,and rabbit anti-AD7C-NTP antibody titer in ELISA was 1:32 000:WB was uesd to detect human brain specimens and there was a single band with molecular weight of 41 000.The lowst detection limit of ELISA methodology was 0.5μg/L The linear range was 0-10μg/L,normal reference value ≤1.5μg/J,the average recovery rate was 100.2%.The intra and inter of CV were 3.8%,4.5%,7.6%,6.8% respectively.The AD7C-NTP levels[2.25(0.43-8.62)μg/L]of urine in AD group was higher than those in contorl group[0.82(0.47-2.77)μg/L,P<0.01].The positive rates in AD group and control group were 89.3% and 15.3% respectively.The sensitivity Was 89.3%and specificity was 84.7%.Conclusions The animals are immunized with the self-designed synthetic peptide fragment to prepare AD7C-NTP antibodies successfully.The established ELISA method for detection of urine AD7C-NTP with high sensitivity,and precision can be used as an assistant examination in clinical diagnosis of AD.

Objective To study the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)on production of pulmonary surfactants.Method Fetal rat lungs were obtained at 19-day gestation.Primary culture of typeⅡalveolar epithelial cells(AECⅡ)was performed using IgG panning technique.The rats was divided into groups: VEGF,Dexamethasone,VEGF plus Dexamethasone and a control.Total phospholipids,phosphatidylcholine (PC),phosphatidyl glycerol(PG)and sphingornyelin(SM)were determined.Results expressed as mean?SEM. Comparison between groups were made with LSD-t test and one -way ANOVA.Result VEGF,Dexamethasone and VEGF plus Dexamethasone groups showed increased amount of total phospholipids and its compositions on the first day of culture.Conclusions VEGF-165 promotes the production and secretion of pulmonary surfactant. VEGF and Dexamethason may go through different mechanism for enhancement of synthesis of pulmonary surfactant,thereby improve biological function of AECⅡ.

Objective To study the influence of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) on development of alveolar epithelial cell Ⅱ (AECⅡ) and expression of pulmonary surfactant protein B(SP-B) in premature rats.Methods Wistar rats at 19 days gestation were paunched to get embryo and primary AECⅡculture.The rats were divided into 4 groups ,VEGF-165 group,Dexamethasone group,VEGF and Dexamethason group,control group. AECⅡ and SP-B expression were measured by immunology histochemistry.Results SP-B had positive expression in VEGF group, Dexamethason group, VEGF and Dexamethason group. SP-B had negative expression in control group.Conclusion VEGF-165 can increase SP-B positive expression and secret of AECⅡ.VEGF promotes lung maturity.