OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) on serum leptin concentration and the metabolic parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

METHODSSerum leptin levels and true insulin (TI) levels were measured before and after one night nCPAP therapy in 18 patients. Eight patients received regular nCPAP treatment and had no change of body weight (BMI change < or = 1.5 kg/m2 from baseline) were recruited to the reassessment study 7.5 months after therapy.

RESULTSAfter one night use of nCPAP, there was a significant decrease in serum leptin [(8.47 +/- 0.62) microg/L vs (7.32 +/- 0.64) microg/L, P = 0.022] without change in other parameters. After 7.5 months of nCPAP treatment, serum leptin levels continued to decrease significantly without changes in BMI [(8.35 +/- 0.83) microg/L vs (6.05 +/- 0.78) microg/L; P = 0.036), and fast blood glucose (FBG) and true insulin (TI) also decreased significantly (P = 0.036) in OSAHS patients. However, triglyceral (TG) and cholesterol (Chol) maintained the pretreatment level (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOSAHS may have significant effects on the serum leptin levels and the correction of sleep disordered breathing by nCPAP can reduce the serum leptin levels. Decrease of leptin was independent of BMI change. The glucose metabolic disturbance and insulin resistance in OSAHS were improved after 7.5 months of nCPAP treatment.

Adult ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Female ; Humans ; Leptin ; blood ; Male ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; blood ; therapy

OBJECTIVEThe exercise rehabilitation in patient with chronic heart failure (CHF) is standard clinical practice, but it is rare using CardioPulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) guide to prescribe exercise rehabilitation in China.

METHODSWe performed symptom limited maximal CPET in 10 patients with CHF, randomly divided into two groups: 5 patients as control without exercise and 5 exercise patients used Δ50%W intensity to exercise 30 min/d, 5 d/w, x12 w. Before and after 12 w rehabilitation, we evaluated functions.

RESULTSThere were no significant difference between two groups patients (P > 0.05). The exercise duration was increased from 8 min to 23 min after rehabilitation (P < 0.001); distance 6 minutes walking was increased from 394 m to 470 m (P < 0.05); score of Minnesota quality of life was decreased from 25 to 3 in exercise group (P < 0.01). However, there were nosignificant changes in control group (P>0.05) and their changes were smaller than those in exercise group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe CPET guiding exercise rehabilitation is safe and effective for patients with CHF.

China ; Chronic Disease ; Exercise Test ; Exercise Therapy ; Heart Failure ; therapy ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Walking

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of tonifying Shen recipe (TSR) on levels of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) in aorta, serum lipids and lipid peroxidation in ovariectomized rats.

METHODSRats were randomly divided into the sham group, the ovariectomized group and the TSR group, in which the rats were treated with TSR for 13 weeks starting from 2 weeks after ovariectomy. Blood sample was taken out from rat at the end of the experiment after 24 hrs fasting for determination of lipids and lipid peroxidation, and the animal was sacrificed, the aorta was taken out for detecting AGEs.

RESULTSNo significant difference was found between groups in levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. In comparing with the sham group, levels of aortic AGEs, serum triglyceride (TG), oxidized low density lipoprotein (OX-LDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the ovariectomized group were obviously higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apo-lipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were lower (all P < 0.01). While in the TSR group, as compared with the ovariectomized group, the above-mentioned abnormal changes, excepting for TG, were all reversed to certain degree (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTSR displays its cardiovascular protecting effect in ovariectomized rats through lowering the AGEs content in aorta, reducing the serum levels of OX-LDL and MDA, raising the levels of serum HDL-C and apoA-I and increasing SOD activity.

Animals ; Aorta ; metabolism ; Female ; Glycation End Products, Advanced ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Lipids ; blood ; Ovariectomy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study surgical strategies for ankle and foot deformities secondary to spina bifida and treatment methods for different types of deformities.

METHODSFrom January 1990 and July 2009, 107 patients with ankle and foot deformities secondary to spina bifida were retrospectively analyzed. There were 44 males and 63 females, with an average age of 17.7 years (rangd from 1.3 to 52 years). Among the patients, 58 patients had double ankle deformities, 49 patients had unilateral deformities (22 cases on the left side, 27 cases on the right). Ninety-nine patients with equinus deformities were treated by achilles tendon lengthening and tendon transfering; 25 patients with talipes were treated by release of anterior tendon of ankle and tendon transfer; 17 patients with valgus and varus deformities were treated by tendon transfer and calcaneal osteotomy; 15 patients with flail deformities were managed treated by bone fusion between calcaneus and talus and shortening of achilles tendon; 9 patients with claw toe deformities were treated by bone fusion of interphalangeal joint or Ilizarovs distraction. AOFAS (American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society) comprehensive scoring system was used to evaluate subjective pain and objective functional.

RESULTSSeventy-nine (127 feet) of 107 patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 48 to 180 months (averaged, 64 months). According to AOFAS scoring system, the results were rated as excellent in 89 feet, good in 26 feet, moderate in 9 feet and poor in 3 feet.

CONCLUSIONTreatment strategies for ankle-foot deformities mainly included four principles, deformity correction, muscular balance, joint stability and reservation of foot elasticity. Different combined procedure was applied for different foot deformities and received good therapeutic effects.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Ankle ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Foot Deformities ; etiology ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Dysraphism ; complications ; Young Adult

Adult ; Blood Coagulation ; Emergency Treatment ; Female ; Humans ; Intraoperative Period ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo determine the impact of passive smoking and the protective effect of antioxidants such as vitamin E and quercetin on learning and memory ability of mouse offsprings.

METHODSA passive smoking model of pregnant mice was established. Learning and memory ability was evaluated by the water maze test and long term potentiation (LTP). Nitric oxide (NO), content, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), acetylcholinesteras (Ache) activity in brain, vitamin E concentration, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in serum were determined. The latency period (the time during which the mice swim from the starting position to the ending position) and errors (the number of mice entering the blind end) in control and antioxidant intervention groups were compared with those in the smoke exposure group after 6 days.

RESULTSThe latency period as well as errors in the air, control diet, tobacco smoke (TS), and vitamin E diet groups were decreased significantly as compared with the TS and control diet groups (P<0.05). LTP was restrained in the TS and control diet groups. LTP in all the antioxidant diet groups was significantly increased compared with the TS and control diet groups. In addition, NOS and acetylcholinesteras (Ache) activitiy was significantly higher in the TS and control diet groups than in the air and control diet group. NO content was not significantly different among the different groups, and significantly lower in the TS and vitamin E diet groups than in the TS group, control diet group, quercetin diet group, and mixture diet group (P<0.05). Vitamin E concentration and ROS activity in serum were correlated with the outcome of water maze and LTP.

CONCLUSIONPassive smoking reduces LTP formation by disturbing the hippocampus function of mice, by decreasing NOS and Ache activity and increasing NO content. Antioxidants (especially vitamin E) partially improve the learning and memory ability of offsprings whose mothers are exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; administration & dosage ; Body Weight ; Brain ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Female ; Learning ; Long-Term Potentiation ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Maze Learning ; Memory ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of the radiosensitizing effect of maximum non-cytotoxic doses of tetrandrine (Tet) on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines CNE1 and CNE2.METHODS:The cells were treated with maximum non-cytotoxic doses of Tet (for CNE1 cells at 1.5 μmol/L and for CNE2 cells at 1.8 μmol/L),irradiation at 4 Gy,or combination of irradiation and maximum non-cytotoxic doses of Tet.The cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry.The protein levels of γ-H2AX,cleaved caspase-3,p-CDC25C,CDK1,p-CDK1,cyclin B1,ERK and p-ERK were determined by Western blot.RESULTS:The expression of γ-H2AX was increased in CNE1 cells and CNE2 cells after combined treatment with irradiation and maximum non-cytotoxic doses of Tet.The percentages of CNE1 cells and CNE2 cells at G2/M phase in irradiation group were (18.09 ±0.42)％ and (18.48 ± 1.32)％,respectively,which were decreased to (15.88 ± 1.04) ％ and (13.80 ± 0.82) ％ in combined treatment group,respectively (P ＜ 0.05).Combined treatment enhanced the increase in the protein level of cleaved caspase-3 caused by irradiation.The protein levels of pCDC25C and p-CDK1 were increased in a dose-dependent manner by Tet treatment (P ＜ 0.05),while the expression of CDK1 showed no difference among different doses of Tet treatments.The protein levels of p-CDC25C,p-CDK1 and CDK1 showed no difference after the treatment with maximum non-cytotoxic doses of Tet.The combined treatment with irradiation and the maximum non-cytotoxic doses of Tet decreased the protein levels of p-CDC25C and p-CDK1 (P ＜0.05),increased the expression of cyclin B1,and had no influence on the expression of CDK1 （ P ＜0.05).The combined treatment resulted in an increase in the protein level of p-ERK1 (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:The maximum non-cytotoxic doses of Tet enhance the DNA damage and apoptosis in CNE1 cells and CNE2 cells caused by irradiation,and the mechanism might be associated with ending of G2/M arrest via activation of ERK/CDC25C/CDK1/cyclin B1 pathways.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the mutations of BRCA1 in breast cancer patients of Uigur women in Xinjiang.

METHODSBy using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing, BRCA1 mutations were detected in 70 Uigur women breast cancer cases and 32 cases of benign breast diseases and non-tumor tissue next to carcinoma.

RESULTS(1) 12 new loci of BRCA1 gene mutation were detected firstly in 70 Uigur women breast cancer patients. (2)The frequency of BRCA1 mutation in 70 Uigur women breast cancer cases was 12.86% (9/70). The frequency of BRCA1 mutation in Uigur women early onset breast cancer was 31.82% (7/22), which was significantly higher than that in late onset group (2/48, 4.16%) (chi(2) =10.295, P<0.01). (3) There were BRCA1 gene polymorphisms in 9 of 70 Uigur women breast cancer patients. The loci of polymorphisms in 8 of 9 cases were 3232A>G. (4)In the research group two cases of bilateral breast cancer were found with BRCA1 gene mutation.

CONCLUSIONThe mutation of BRCA1 gene may be related to Uigur women breast cancer and bilateral breast cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; China ; Ethnic Groups ; genetics ; Female ; Genes, BRCA1 ; Humans ; Introns ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational

To explore the effects of repeated immobilization stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in female rats. Methods: Forty female SD rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group (n=20) and experimental group (n=20). One group was fed normally, the other group was subjected to incremental load restraint stress. Brake stress once a day in the retainer (starting at 9: 00 a.m.), braking for 2 hours on the first day, increasing load by 0.5 hours a day for two weeks. Body weight, estrous cycle, sex hormone, organ coefficient, pathology and expression of related genes were detected to explore the harm of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Repeated immobilization stress caused weight loss, prolonged estrous cycle, and changed the organ coefficient and morphology of ovaries and uterus. QPCR technique was used to detect the related genes. It was found that the expressions of gonadotropin releasing hormone, pituitary gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone mRNA were decreased significantly, while the expressions of ovarian follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA were increased significantly. The expression of estrogen receptor mRNA in ovary and uterus was decreased significantly. Repeated immobilization stress may disrupt the estrous cycle by interfering with the endocrine regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, thus damaging the gonadal and reproductive endocrine function of female animals.

This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism of Erxian Decoction(EXD) against neurogenesis impairment in late-onset depression(LOD) rats based on cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) proteomics. A total of 66 20-21-month-old male Wistar rats were randomized into naturally aged(AGED) group, LOD group, and EXD group. All rats received chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) for 6 weeks for LOD modeling except for the AGED group. During the modeling, EXD group was given EXD(ig, twice a day at 4 g·kg~(-1)) and other groups received equivalent amount of normal saline(ig). After modeling, a series of behavioral tests, such as sucrose preference test(SPT), open-field test(OFT), forced swimming test(FST), and Morris water maze test(MWMT) were performed. Immunofluorescence method was used to detect the number of Ki-67/Nesti-positive cells and BrdU/DCX-positive cells in the hippocampal DG area of each group. High-concentration corticosterone(CORT) was combined with D-galactose(D-gal) to simulate the changes of LOD-related stress and aging and the proliferation and differentiation of primary neural stem cells of hippocampus in each group were observed. Data independent acquisition(DIA)-mass spectrometry(MS) was used to analyze the differential proteins in CSF among groups and bioinformatics analysis was performed to explore the biological functions of the proteins. Behavioral tests showed that sucrose consumption in SPT, total traveling distance in OFT, and times of crossing the platform in MWMT were all reduced(P<0.01) and the immobility time in FST was prolonged(P<0.01) in the LOD group compared with those in the AGED group, suggesting that LOD rats had developed depression symptoms such as anhedonia, decreased locomotor activity ability, and cognitive dysfunction. Behavioral abnormalities were alleviated(P<0.01, P<0.05) in the EXD group as compared with those in the LOD group. Immunofluorescence results demonstrated that Ki-67/Nesti-positive cells and BrdU/DCX-positive cells in the hippocampal DG area were fewer(P<0.05) in LOD group than in the AGED group, and the positive cells in the EXD group were more(P<0.05) than those in the LOD group. In vitro experiment showed that the proliferation and differentiation of primary hippocampal neural stem cells under the CORT+D-gal treatment were reduced(P<0.01). The proliferation rate of neural stem cells decreased(P<0.05) in CORT+D-gal+LOD-CSF group but increased(P<0.01) in CORT+D-gal+EXD-CSF group compared with that in the CORT+D-gal group. A total of 2 620 proteins were identified from rat CSF, with 135 differential proteins between the LOD group and AGED group and 176 between EXD group and LOD group. GDF11, NrCAM, NTRK2, and GhR were related to neurogenesis and 39 differential proteins were regulated by both LOD and EXD. EXD demonstrated obvious anti-LOD effect, as it improved the locomotor activity ability and cognitive function of LOD rats and protected the proliferation and differentiation of hippocampal neural stem cells. EXD exerts anti-LOD effect by regulating the proteins related to neurogenesis in CSF, such as GDF11, NrCAM, NTRK2, and GhR and maintaining hippocampal neurogenesis.
Animals ; Depression/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Growth Differentiation Factors ; Hippocampus ; Male ; Neurogenesis ; Proteomics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar