Objective To investigate the effects of low-pressure carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum (CLC) and gasless abdominal distension (GLC) on elderly patients during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods The clinical data,including operation time,hospital stay,surgical complications,and changes of other systems,of 36 elderly patients were analyzed. All the patients were older than 65 years when they received laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our hospital from January 2005 to December 2007. Among the cases,CLC (CO2 pressure:8-10 mm Hg) was used in 24,and GLC was employed in 12. The fourth generation artificial rib lifting apparatus was used for GLC. Results All the procedures were completed by laparoscopy,no patient was converted to open surgery. The operation time of the CLC and GLC groups was (46.2?14.8) min and (52.4?18.6) min respectively (t=-1.087,P=0.285). The vital signs of all the cases were stable during the operation,no carbon dioxide retention or cardiovascular affairs occurred. The hospital stay was (10.5?6.8) d in group CLC and (8.9?5.5) d in group GLC (t=0.706,P=0.485). The patients were followed up for 6 to 42 months,no complications occurred during the period. Conclusions GLC is safe for elderly patients with similar efficacy to that of low-pressure CLC.

Background Exfoliation syndrome is a systemic disease with abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix.Oxidative stress and imbalance between matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases(TIMPs)may play an important role in the pathogenesis of exfoliation syndrome.Researches showed that the incidence of exfoliation syndrome is higher in Uyghur nationality than that in Han nationality.However,whether the imbalance of serum MMPs and TIMPs is associated with pathogenesis of different ethnic groups is unclear.Objective The aim of the study was to discuss the change of serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 in Uyghur patients.Methods This study protocol was approved by Ethic Committee of Xinjiang Medical University and followed Declaration of Helsinki.A prospective cohort study was performed.Forty Uyghur nationality (46 eyes) with exfoliation syndrome were collected from March 2012 to May 2013 in Affiliated First Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and First People Hospital of Kashi.Forty cases(40 eyes)age-and gender-matched normal volunteers were included in the same duration.The peripheral blood was collected under the informed consent.Serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 levels were detected by ELISA,and the results between the two groups were compared using independent samples t test.Results Slit-lamp examination found that part of pigmentation was depigmented and white dandrufflike substance attached in the pupil margin in all the patients,and stripping white dandruff-like substance was deposited in the front surface of the lens capsule which distributed in 3 zones.The pupils were disk-shaped pupil,and the surrounding area was the ring granular and the middle was transparent area without ablative material after dilation.Serum MMP-9 levels were (57.88±18.63)μg/L in the exfoliation syndrome group and (9.35±2.78)μg/L in the normal control group;serum TIMP-2 levels were (17.36±4.66) μg/L in the exfoliation syndrome group and (25.73±3.59) μg/L in the control group.The ratios of MMP-9/TIMP-2 were 3.57± 1.45 in the exfoliation syndrome group and 0.37±0.11 in the control group,with statistically significant differences in serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 levels as well as ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-2 between the two groups(t=11.52,-6.36,9.87,all at P=0.00).Conclusions The upregulation of serum MMP-9 and downregulation of serum TIMP-2 are found in Uyghur patients with exfoliation syndrome.It is verified that the imbalance of serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 contributes to the pathogenesis of exfoliation syndrome in Uyghur patients.

Objective:To explore the expressions of miRNAs related to accelerating senescence in serum of the patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and to clarify their effects in the pathogenesis of aMIC.Methods:The levels of miRNAs related to accelerating senescence (miR-132, miR-193b, miR-130b, miR-20a, miR-296, miR-329 and miR-206) were measured in the serum of the patients with aMCI (aMCI group,n=66) and healthy controls(control group,n=76) using quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).The genes targeted by the altered miRNAs were predicted by TargetScan 6.0.DAVID was used to analyze the function of miRNA target genes.The serum levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and silent in formation regulator 1(SIRT1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.Results:The expression levels of miR-206 and miR-132 in serum of the patients in aMCI group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05).BDNF and SIRT1 were both target genes of miR-206 and miR-132.The levels of BDNF (29.50 μg·L-1± 3.13 μg·L-1) and SIRT1 (1.86 μg·L-1± 0.25 μg·L-1) in serum of the patients in aMCI group were both obviously lower than those in control group (BDNF: 32.29 μg·L-1±3.66 μg·L-1;SIRT1: 2.10 μg·L-1± 0.29 μg·L-1, P<0.05).Conclusion:The expression levels of miR-206 and miR-132 in serum of the aMCI patients are significantly up-regulated.Both of them might be involved in the pathogenesis of aMCI through inhibiting the BDNF and SIRT1 expressions.

Objective To research the changes of bile dynamics and plasma levels of cholecystokinin ( CCK ) and vasoactive intestinal peptide ( VIP ) in post-cholecystectomy patients. Methods Twenty-nine post-cholecystectomy patients were selected as observation group, including 14 patients combined with bile duct dilatation and 15 without bile duct dilatation. Another 17 healthy subjects were enrolled as the control group. They were assessed with quantitative 99mTc-EHIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy to determine bile dynamics. Plasma levels of CCK and VIP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Scintigraphic analysis demonstrated that the time to maximum counts and half excretion of liver were no significantly different among the three groups ( all P＞0. 05). The developing time of common hepatic duct, time of maximum counts of common bile duct, half excretion of common bile duct, developing time of duodenum, hepatic portal and duodenum transit time significantly increased in the bile duct dilatation group compared with those of the control group ( all P＜0. 05). Development time of duodenum, hepatic portal and duodenum transit time were significantly less in the non-bile duct dilatation group compared with those in the bile duct dilatation group and control group (all P＜0. 05). Fasting plasma levels of CCK and VIP were no significantly different among the three groups ( all P＞0. 05 ), while postprandial plasma levels of CCK and VIP were significantly higher in the bile duct dilatation group compared to those in the other two groups ( P＜0. 05). Conclusion After cholecystectomy, the flow and velocity of bile in bile duct and intestine increases during the interdigestive period for patients without bile duct dilatation, while for patients with bile duct dilatation, bile remains in common bile duct and is blocked from intestine, with gastrointestinal hormone regulation disorder.

In the last decade, it has become increasingly recognized that a balanced gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining the health of the host. Numerous clinical and preclinical studies have shown that changes in gut microbiota composition are associated with a variety of neurological diseases, e.g., Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and myasthenia gravis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are complex and remain unclear. Behavioral phenotypes can be transmitted from humans to animals through gut microbiota transplantation, indicating that the gut microbiota may be an important regulator of neurological diseases. However, further research is required to determine whether animal-based findings can be extended to humans and to elucidate the relevant potential mechanisms by which the gut microbiota regulates neurological diseases. Such investigations may aid in the development of new microbiota-based strategies for diagnosis and treatment and improve the clinical management of neurological disorders. In this review, we describe the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and the corresponding mechanisms in common neurological diseases, and discuss the potential roles that the intestinal microbiome may play in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders.
Animals ; Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/physiology* ; Nervous System Diseases ; Parkinson Disease ; Microbiota ; Brain

Uridine is one of the essential nutrients in organisms. To maintain normal cell growth and intracellular metabolism, the uridine must be maintained at certain concentration. Recent studies have shown that uridine can reduce inflammatory response in organisms, participate in glycolysis, and regulate intracellular protein modification, such as glycosylation and acetylation. Furthermore, it can protect cells from hypoxic injury by reducing intracellular oxidative stress, promoting high-energy compounds synthesis. Previous studies have shown that the protective effects of uridine are closely related to its effect on mitochondria. This review summarizes the effect of uridine on mitochondrial function.
Uridine/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism*

Objective To compare the effects of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 on depression-and anxiety-like behaviors in chronic unpredictable stress-induced rats.Methods Seventy male SPF grade SD rats were tested for sugar and water preference after 5 days of adaptation and divided into seven groups according to their preference index:a control group,model group,fluoxetine hydrochloride group,ginsenoside Rg1 24 mg/kg group,ginsenoside Rg1 48 mg/kg group,ginsenoside Rb1 33 mg/kg group,and ginsenoside Rb1 67 mg/kg group.All rats,except for the control group,were subjected randomly to one or two different stimulating factors every day for a total of 35 days.On the 36th day,behavioral experiments including sugar and water preference,open field,novel environment feeding inhibition,elevated cross maze,and forced swimming experiments were conducted to investigate the anti-depression and anti-anxiety effects of the treatments.Serum and hippocampal levels of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α and serum corticosterone were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Compared with the model group,ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 significantly increased sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test and decreased immobility in the forced swimming test.Ginsenoside Rg1(48 mg/kg)significantly reduced the latency to eat in the novelty-suppressed feeding test,and ginsenoside Rg1(24 and 48 mg/kg)significantly increased the percentage of open arm entries and time in the elevated cross maze test.Serum corticosterone levels were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 groups,serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rg1(48 mg/kg)group,serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rb1(33 mg/kg)group,and IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α levels in the hippocampus were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rg1(48 mg/kg)and Rb1(67 mg/kg)groups.Conclusions Both ginsenosides can regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and inhibit neuroinflammation,improving depression-and anxiety-like behaviors in rats induced by chronic unpredictable stress.Ginsenoside Rg1 has a significantly better anti-anxiety effect than Rb1.