Amygdala ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Kindling, Neurologic ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Aim To study the effect of high salt diet during pregnancy on the development of renal vessels in offspring rats and its mechanism.Methods Natural pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into high-salt group and control group.The pregnant rats in the high-salt group were given high-salt diet of 8% NaCl content , while the control group normal diet with 1% NaCl content.In both groups, pregnant rats were given normal drinking water.After delivery, all mothers returned to normal diet and all neonatal rats were breast-fed until one month old.The adult male off springs were used as experimental animals.The vessel tone of renal interlobar arteries and electrophysiological behavior of single vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were detected respectively.Results The contractile response of renal arteries to phenylephrine(Phe) in high-salt group was stronger than that in the control group(P<0.05).The effect of protein kinase C(PKC) non selective blocker GF109203X on Phe-induced contraction in two groups also showed significant difference(P<0.05).In electrophysiology experiments, Phe inhibited high-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel(BK channel) currents in renal arteriolar smooth muscle cells in two groups, and the inhibitory effect was more pronounced in high-salt offsprings (P<0.05).GF109203X could eliminate the response of Phe on BK currents in both groups(P>0.05).Conclusions High-salt diet during pregnancy could increase the sensitivity of renal interlobar arterial contractile response to Phe in adult male offsprings, which is associated with PKC-mediated BK channels pathway.Maternal high-salt diet during pregnancy may increase the risk of renal vascular diseases in adult offsprings.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Bushen Yizhi Recipe (BSYZR) on neurotransmitter release in A beta segment neurotoxin induced NG108-15 cellular model of Alzheimer disease (AD).

METHODSThe levels of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, synapsin and functional synapse formation rate in the cellular model treated with BSYZR containing serum were determined by Western blot analysis, immunoradiometric assay and electrophysiologic technique.

RESULTSBSYZR containing serum treatment could cause increase of ChAT activity and synapsin level in model cells, as compared with those in normal control model cells treated with non-drug containing serum, it also could regulate the release capacity of transmitter and raise the functional synapse formation.

CONCLUSIONBSYZR could reduce the reaction of cell to A beta neurotoxin, indicating that it could be antagonistic to the pathological development of AD by means of raising the neurotransmitter release capacity.

Alzheimer Disease ; metabolism ; pathology ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Choline O-Acetyltransferase ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Neurotoxins ; pharmacology ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Synapsins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

METHODSThe clinical data of 221 RCC patients who received nephron-sparing surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Open surgery was performed for 203 cases and laparoscopic surgery for 18 cases. The renal arteries were blocked and ice fragments were used for 115 patients. Biopsy was performed on renal tissue adjacent the tumor for 136 patients. After operation 156 patients were treated with interferon and interleukin II. Among these 221 patients, 132 patients (59.7%) were followed for 3-56 months (mean: 28 months).

RESULTSThe mean distance from the edge of normal tissue to the tumor was 0.4 cm (0.2-1.0 cm). The mean volume of blood loss was 180 ml (50-1 000 ml). Pathological examination showed clear cell carcinoma (n = 195), chromophobe renal carcinoma (n = 12), papillary renal carcinoma (n = 7), cystic renal carcinoma (n = 6), and sarcomatoid clear cell carcinoma (n = 1). Biopsies in 136 patients showed negative results. Post-operative complications included leakage of urine (n = 1), hemorrhage or hematuria (n = 5), and infarction of blood vessel of lower limbs (n = 2). During the follow-up, no patients died for this reason, although tumor recurrence (n = 4, 1.8%) and metastasis (n = 3, 1.4%) were noted.

CONCLUSIONNSS is a safe and effective method to treat carefully selected RCC patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; methods ; Nephrons ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors of intrauterine hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the impact of HBV DNA on the infection.

METHODSThe serum levels of HBsAg, HbsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcAb and HBV DNA were determined in blood samples from 230 HBsAg-positive pregnant women and their newborns by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR), respectively. The newborns acquiring HBV infection via intrauterine transmission were selected as the case group and others as the control group. The risk factors for intrauterine HBV infection were analyzed by non-conditional logistic regression model.

RESULTSSix infants were found to be HBsAg-positive, and 18 HBV DNA-positive, and 3 of them were positive for both HBsAg and HBV DNA. The rate of intrauterine HBV infection was 9.6% (22/230). The grade of HBV DNA level was identified as the only risk factor of intrauterine HBV infection by non-conditional logistic regression model, with odds ratio (OR) of 1.57 (95% confidence interval 1.12-2.21). Of the 119 pregnant women positive for HBV DNA, 18 were diagnosed as having intrauterine HBV infection, and the likeliness of the infection significantly increased for a maternal serum HBV DNA level > or =10(7) copies/ml (chi(2)=7.92, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe grade of serum HBV DNA level is the predominant risk factor for intrauterine HBV infection in pregnant women, and for those with serum HBV DNA lever > or =10(7) copies/ml, the chance for intrauterine HBV infection can be significantly increased.

DNA, Viral ; blood ; genetics ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; transmission ; virology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; blood ; virology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy differences between acupoint catgut-embedding combined western medicine (ACCWM) and simple western medicine (WM) for treatment of epilepsy of generalized seizures type.

METHODSFifty-two patients with epilepsy of generalized seizures type were randomly divided into an ACCWM group (n=30) and a WM group (n=22). Dazhui (GV 14), Yaoshu (GV 2), Jiuwei (CV 15), Qihai (CV 6) were selected in the ACCWM group as the main acupoints combined with routine antiepileptic drugs, Valpromide was taken orally, 2.0 g/d for adult, 50 mg/kg x d for child. The WM group was treated with routine antiepileptic drugs. The epilepsy score and the attack frequency one year before the treatment and one year during treatment were observed and the therapeutic effects in the two groups were compared.

RESULTSThe epilepsy score and the attack frequency were both decreased in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the epilepsy score in the ACCWM group decreased significantly (6.57 +/- 3.29 vs 10.73 +/- 2.54, P<0.05). The total effective rate of 90.0% (27/30) in the ACCWM group was superior to that of 68.2% (15/22) in the WM group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of ACCWM is superior to that of simple western medicine in treating epilepsy of generalized seizures type. It can improve significantly the attack symptoms so as to enhance life quality of the patients with epilepsy.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Catgut ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Epilepsy ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seizures ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Valproic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF) and serum soluble CD163.

METHODSA total of 336 patients with heart valve disease were included in this study, including 167 with AF and 169 with sinus rhythm. The clinical data were compared between the two grops, and Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors associated with AF.

RESULTSThe levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL - 6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and left atrial diameter (LAD) all differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.05). Serum soluble CD163 levels in AF patients were significantly higher than those in patients with sinus rhythm (P<0.05). Serum soluble CD163 was positively correlated with TNF (r=0.244, P=0.244), IL-6 (r=0.186, P=0.186), hs-CRP (r=0.183, P=0.183) and LAD (r=0.194, P=0.194) in patients with AF. Logistic regression analysis showed that LAD, IL-6, TNF, hs-CRP and CD163 were all associated with AF. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve of serum soluble CD163 was 0.861 in patients with AF (CI 95%: 0.820-0.901, P<0.01) with a sensitivity and a specificity of 80.8 and 76.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSerum soluble CD163 level may be a risk factor for AF, and an increased soluble CD163 level may indicate active inflammation in AF patients.

Antigens, CD ; blood ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; blood ; Atrial Fibrillation ; blood ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Heart Atria ; pathology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; blood ; Risk Factors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Adult ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First

AIMTo investigate whether mitochondrial calcium uniporter participates in the cardioprotection of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) pretreatment in isolated rat hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion.

METHODSIsolated perfused rat hearts were subjected to 30 min regional ischemia (occlusion of left anterior descending artery) and 120 min reperfusion. The infarct size, coronary flow (CF) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release during reperfusion were measured. The mitochondria of the heart were isolated and suspended in the swelling buffer for measurement of absorbance at 520 nm.

RESULTSPretreatment with TNFa at 10 U/ml for 7 min followed by 10 min washout reduced the infarct size and LDH release, and improved the recovery of CF during reperfusion. Administration of spermine (20 micromol/L), an opener of mitochondrial calcium uniporter, for 10 min during early reperfusion attenuated the reduction of infarct size and LDH release, and improvement of CF induced by TNFalpha. In isolated mitochondria of the heart pretreated with TNFalpha, the absorbance at 520 nm decreased less than that of mitochondria without TNFalpha pretreatment. Administration of spermine (50 micromol/L) attenuated the change of the absorbance induced by TNFalpha.

CONCLUSIONThe findings indicate that TNFalpha protects myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion injury via inhibiting mitochondrial calcium uniporter opening as well as mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening.

Animals ; Calcium Channels ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cardiotonic Agents ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; methods ; Male ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; drug effects ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermine ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of telomerase in various lesions of adrenal cortex.

METHODSBy autoradiography-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol, telomerase expression was detected in 36 samples of adrenocortical lesions, including 29 cases adrenocortical adenoma (8 Cushing's syndrome, 17 aldosteronism and 4 nonfunctional adenomas), 5 cases of hyperplasia of adrenal cortex (presented with Chushing' syndrome), 2 cases adrenocortical carcinoma, and 4 samples of normal adrenal cortex.

RESULTSOf the 40 samples, 2 cases of adrenocortical carcinomas had telomerase expression, and the others had no telomerase expression detected.

CONCLUSIONSNo significant telomerase expression was found among different endocrine functional benign adrenocortical lesions. Telomerase expression may be used as an important marker of malignant adrenocortical tumor.

Adrenal Cortex ; enzymology ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; enzymology ; Adrenocortical Adenoma ; enzymology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Cushing Syndrome ; enzymology ; Humans ; Telomerase ; analysis ; biosynthesis ; genetics