BACKGROUND: Mutation of the mitochondrial DNA may occur during the aging process of organisms, which is especially likely in the central nervous system. Evidences have been obtained that mitochondrial dysfunction may ensue from genetic impairment involved in oxidative phosphorylation, which is accompanied by corresponding morphological changes.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between olfactory disturbance and ultrastructural mitochondrial changes in olfactory bulb neurons of aged rats in comparison with young rats.DESIGN: Randomized controlled experiment.SETTING: Department of Internal Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Chende Medical College and Department of Electron Microscopy of Chende Medical College.MATERIALS: This experiment was conducted in the Department of Electron Microscopy of Chende Medical College between April and December 2002. Sixteen male Wistar rats were divided equally into aged group (＞ 24 months) with body mass of 300-350 g and young group (6 months) with body mass of 180-220 g.METHODS: The rats in the two groups were anaesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 10 g/L urethane (1 g/kg) and the chest was opened to insert a tube into the ascending aorta for perfusion with 200 mL of the mixture containing glutaric dialdehyde and paraformaldehyde for fixation.The olfactory bulb was then obtained and sliced, fixed in perosmic acid and embedded. Each layer of the olfactory bulb was observed under optical microscope and ultra-thin sections were prepared for observation under transmission electron microscope.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The stratification of rat olfactory bulb and ultrastructural changes of the mitochondria in the major neurons in the olfactory bulb.REULSTS: No obvious changes were found in the stratification of the olfactory bulb in the two groups. From the exterior to the interior of the olfactory bulb, the olfactory nerve fiber layer, glomerular layer, external plexiform layer, mitral cell lalyer, internal plexiform layer and olfactory bundle nerve fiber layer were observed. Ultrastructurally, the mitochondria were more numerous in the brush cells in aged rat olfactory bulb, appearing rodshaped or ovoid with irregular cristae which were arranged in local disorder and some fragmented into small granules to form small bodies of high electron density. A few mitochondria became myeliuoid body with irregular or concentric circular morphologies. In the younger rats, most of the mitochondria in the neurons were ovoid with distinct outer and inner membrane and regular arrangement of the mitochondrial cristae, and irregular arrangement of the cristae was seen only in rare cases.CONCLUSION: The stratification of the olfactory bulb is basically the same in aged and young rats, but the ultrastructural changes in the mitochondria in the major neurons in aged rat olfactory bulb can be obvious,which is consistent with the reduced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation function. This might be one of the major causes for olfactory disturbance related to aging.

Subcutaneous insulin resistance is a condition in which glucose is insensitive to insulin from the subcutaneous tissue,but sensitive to that by intravenous injection.The mechanism of subcutaneous insulin resistance is mainly associated with skin obstruction or delayed entry of insulin into blood circulation.The treatment of the problem involves Aprotinin,anticoagulant and intramuscular injection of insulin.This paper offers an overview of the advances in the researches of subcutaneous insulin resistance.

Pathogenesis is the nucleus of diagnosis and treatment in TCM, this article has reviewed about the research on pathogenesis in TCM, summed up the research results, especially given the analysis on that. It proposes that deeper research would be done on defining the concept and connotation of pathogenesis, clarifying the relation between pathogenesis and syndrome differentiation, and establishing the core states about pathogenesis and so on.

Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma

Objective To revise the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis(RA)with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide(anti-CCP)antibodies and to evaluate its utility in the diagnosis of Chinese patients.Methods All patients from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Peking University People's Hospital who had arthritis complaints in recent two years were enrolled.Patients were divided into RA group and non-RA group according to the clinical diagnosis by experienced rheumatologists.The diagnostic value of ACR criteria and the anti-CCP revised criteria(RA-6,RA-7 and RA-8)were evaluated by analyzing the clinical and laboratory parameters.Results A total of 604 patients were included in the study.312 patients were diagnosed as RA and 292 were diagnosed as other rheumatic diseases by rheumatologists.For those patients who had disease course for less than 2 years,the sensitivity of 1987 ACR criteria,RA-6,RA-7 and RA-8 criteria was 82.0%,91.0%.87.0%and 87.0%,respectively.The specificity of them was 95.6%,83.9%,95.6%and 95.6%.respectively.The sensitivity of 1987 ACR criteria,RA-6,RA-7 and RA-8 criteria for all the RA patients was 92.3%,96.8%.94.6%and 94.6%,respectively.The speciflcity of them was 92.8%,83.6%,92.8%and 92.8%.respectively.Conclusion The 1987 ACR criteria have high sensitivity and specificity in established RA.but its sensitivity in early RA is low.The RA-6criteria can improve the sensitivity dramatically but with reduced specificity.The RA-7 criteria can increase the sensitivity without sacrifice the specificity,especially in early RA patients.It may be used as a new set of classification criteria in clinical practice.

Objective To study the effect of rosiglitazone on pathologic changes of ? cell ultrastructure in insulin-resistant (IR) rats. Methods IR rat model was established in 6-8-week-old SD rats by high-glucose feeding (70% calories from glucose) for 6 weeks. The IR rats was then divided into IR group (n=10) and rosiglitazone (RSG) group (n=10). Rats in RSG group were treated with RSG 10 ?mol?kg -1?d -1 for 6 weeks by gavage. Ultrastructure of ? cells was observed with transmission electron microscope. Results Systolic blood pressure and serum levels of triglyceride, free fatty acids and insulin in RSG group were lower than those in IR group (all P

Objective To study the effect of rosiglitazone on pathologic changes in the ultrastructure of aortic endothelia in insulin-resistant (IR) rats. Methods IR rat model was prepared in 6-8-week-old SD rats by high-glucose chaw (70% calories from glucose) for 6 weeks. IR rat model was divided into IR group (n=10) and rosiglitazone (RSG) group (n=10). Rats in RSG group were given rosiglitazone 10 ?mol?kg -1?d -1 (16:00) by gavage for 6 weeks. Ultrastructure of aortic endothelia was observed with transmission electron microscope. Results Systolic blood pressure and serum levels of triglyceride, free fatty acid and insulin in RSG group were lower than those in IR group (both P

To study the effect of melatonin on pathologic changes in beta cells ultrastructure of insulin-resistant(IR) rats, insulin-resistant rat model(n=20) was reproduced in 6-8 week old Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats by feeding with high-glucose diet (70% calories from glucose)for 6 weeks. The IR model rats were divided into an IR group(n=10) and a melatonin(MEL) group(n=10). Rats in the MEL group were given melatonin 10mg?kg -1?d -1(4PM) introgastrically for 6 weeks. Ultrastructure of beta cells was observed with a transmission electron microscope(TEM). The results showed:systolic blood pressure(SBP) and serum triglyceride(TG), low-density lipoprotein(LDL-c),insulin(Ins), malondialdehyde(MDA) in MEL group were lower than in IR group (all P

The aim of this study was to observe the changes of melatonin and its receptor in ischemic cerebral apoplexy(ICA) rats and the effect of melatonin pretreatment on The ICA rats. The ICA rat model was reproduced by using Pulsinelli′s method. Serum corticosterone and melatonin concentration were determined in each group. The radioactivity of melatonin receptor in the brain and peripheral leucocytes was deteced by -Mel radioligand binding assay. Bmax and Kd of melatonin receptor were calculated. The results indieated serum corticosterone in apoplexy group was higher than in sham operation group (P

To investigate the melatonin receptor(MR) gene and protein expression in human HUT78 cell line, total RNA of HUT78 cells was isolated by single-step method of acid guanidinium-thiocyanate-phenol-chloform, and mt 1 and MT 2 mRNA were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The Envision method was applied to immunohistochemistry to identify and localize mt 1 and MT 2 protein. The mt 1 cDNA fragment of the expected size of 370bp was determined, but the MT 2 cDNA fragment of the expected size of 320bp was not determinable by RT-PCR. Sequencing result indicated that the positive product coincided with the cDNA of human mt 1. The mt 1 protein was observed by immunohistochemistry. These buffy positive granules were scattered with some areas stronger than the others, and were primarily located in cytoplasm and membrane, with rare location in nucleus; meanwhile the MT 2 protein was not observed. These results demonstrated the mt 1 mRNA and protein expression in HUT78 cell line. It is indicated that melatonin has directly immune-regulative effects on T lymphocyte, The changes of MR in physiological and pathological stages need to be investigated.