Therapeutic effect of hemin on gestational hypertension in rats and the mechanism / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the therapeutic effects of hemin, an inducer of heme oxygenase, in a rat model of gestational hypertension and explore the possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighteen pregnant SD rats at day 12 of gestation were randomized equally into gestational hypertension model group, hemin treatment group, and normal pregnancy (control) group. In the former two groups, the rats were subjected to daily nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 80 mg/kg) gavage since gestational day 14 for 7 consecutive days to induce gestational hypertension; saline was administered in the same manner in the control rats. The rats in hemin group received daily intraperitoneal injection of hemin (30 mg/kg) starting from gestational day 16. HO activity and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level in rat placental tissue were detected with spectrophotometric method, and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in the placental tissue homogenate supernatant were detected using ELSIA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At gestational day 20, the blood pressure and 24-h urinary protein were significantly higher in the model group than in the other two groups (P<0.05), and were higher in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05); HO activity and COHb content in the placenta tissue were the lowest in the model group (P<0.05), and was lower in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05). The level of sFlt-1 was significantly higher and VEGF level significantly lower in the model group than in the other two groups (P<0.05); sFlt-1 level remained higher and VEGF lower in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Hemin can reduce blood pressure and urinary protein in rats with gestational hypertension possibly by up-regulating HO activity, enhancing carbon monoxide production, reducing sFlt-1 and increasing VEGF in the placental tissue.</p>

DRD2/ANKK1 Taq IA polymorphism and early infant temperament / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether there is an association between DRD2/ANKK1 Taq IA polymorphism and early infant temperament.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>DRD2/ANKK1 Taq IA polymorphism (rs1800497) was determined using polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) techniques in 149 Chinese Han infants from Changsha City. Their mothers were asked to complete the Early Infant Temperament Questionnaires (EITQ) when the infants were 1 to 4 months old (mean: 2.75 months). There were three genotypes found in these infants: C/C, T/T and C/T. The subjects were subdivided into T-carrier (CT, TT) and non-T-carrier (CC) groups for statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no differences in the temperament style distribution between the T-carrier and non-T carrier groups. There were also no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the score of the nine temperament dimensions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>DRD2/ANKK1 Taq IA polymorphism is not associated with early infant temperament.</p>

Correlations between Infant Temperament and Cord Blood T-Lymphocytes Subsets / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To examine whether neonate′s cord blood T-lymphocytes is related to infant temperament.Methods Twenty-five healthy babies were randomly chosen in Changsha from Jul.2005 to Aug.2005 and their cord blood was drown when they were born. CD4+ and CD8+ counts, CD4+%, CD8+%, CD4+/ CD8+ratios were obtained using flow cytometry analysis. Infant temperament were measured after 1-4 months( mean age 2.52 months) with parent response to carey revised infant temperament questionnaire(EITQ/RITQ) administered.Results The percentage of CD4+ T-cell subsets to total lymphocytes correlated negatively with persistence scores (r=-0.43 P=0.033). However, CD8+%, CD8+ and CD4+ counts, CD4+/ CD8+ ratios were not correlated with temperament traits.Conclusions The lower CD4 %, the better infants' persistence.