Yohimbine protects against endotoxin-induced acute lung injury by blockade of alpha 2A adrenergic receptor in rats / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Alpha 2A adrenergic receptor (AR) is a subtype of α2 AR belonging to G protein-coupled receptors, and exerts a variety of biological effects. Recent studies have demonstrated that the α2A AR activation was closely related with inflammatory reaction. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of α2A AR antagonist, yohimbine, on the severity of endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 72 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group and LPS + yohimbine group. Rats were intratracheally administrated with normal saline or LPS (300 µg), and the rats in the LPS + yohimbine group were treated with additional yohimbine (2 mg/kg, i.p) soon after LPS administration. Six, 24 and 48 hours after treatment, arterial blood gas analysis was carried out, and optical microscopy was performed to evaluate pathological changes in the lung, and lung injury score was assessed. The count of white blood cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was determined. The levels of norepinephrine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in BALF were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunocytochemistry was performed for the detection of α2A AR on inflammatory cells in BALF.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When compared with the control group, the oxygenation index in the LPS group was significantly decreased, and white blood cell count, the lung histopathological scores, levels of norepinephrine and IL-6 as well as α2A AR expression on inflammatory cells in the BALF were dramatically increased at different time points, and the concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β were also increased except at 48 hours after LPS administration. The oxygenation index decreased while white blood cell count in BALF and the lung histopathological scores were obviously increased in the LPS + yohimbine group. The level of norepinephrine in BALF was increased at each time interval in the LPS + yohimbine group, and so did the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 at 6 and 48 hours after LPS administration respectively. When compared with the LPS group, the oxygenation index, white blood cell count, the lung histopathological scores and the level of IL-6 in the LPS + yohimbine group were significantly improved at each time interval, and the concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β were also lower at 24 hours of LPS administration (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated the level of norepinephrine was related to the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the BALF and the lung histopathological scores (r = 0.703, r = 0.595, r = 0.487 and r = 0.688, respectively, P < 0.001) and the intensity scores of immunoreactivity to α2A AR on inflammatory cells were also associated with the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 as well as the lung histopathologial scores (r = 0.803, r = 0.978, r = 0.716 and r = 0.808, respectively, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Yohimbine can inhibit TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 overproduction and relieve the severity of pulmonary inflammation induced by endotoxin, which is maybe mediated by blockade of α2A AR on inflammatory cells.</p>

Alteration of cholinergic and peptidergic neurotransmitters in rat ileum induced by acute stress following transient intestinal infection is mast cell dependent / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Mast cells are implicated in the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is associated with the activation of the "neural-immune" system. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of mast cells in the remodeling of cholinergic and peptidergic neurotransmitters induced by acute cold restriction stress (ACRS) post infection (PI) using mast cell deficient rats (Ws/Ws) and their wild-type controls (+/+).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Transient intestinal infection was initiated by giving 1500 Trichinella spiralis (T.S.) larvae by gavage. ACRS was induced for 2 hours at day 100 PI. Samples of terminal ilea were prepared for H&E staining, mast cell counting and activation and assessment of IL-1beta and IL-10.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When infected, both strains of rats experienced an acute infectious stage followed by a recovery. Histological scores were significantly higher in infected rats compared with those of the non-infected controls at day 10 PI (10 day-PI vs. control: +/+: 2.75+/-0.17 vs. 0.42+/-0.09; Ws/Ws: 2.67+/-0.67 vs. 0.50+/-0.34; P<0.01). In +/+ rats, post-infection ACRS induced the formation of low-grade inflammation, represented by the imbalance of IL-1beta and IL-10 (IL-1beta: PI+ACRS vs. control: (1812.24+/-561.61) vs. (1275.97+/-410.21) pg/g, P<0.05; IL-10: PI+ACRS vs. control: (251.9+/-39.8) vs. (255.3+/-24.7) pg/g, P>0.05), accompanied by hyperplasia and activation of mast cells (PI+ACRS vs. control: 58.8+/-19.2 vs. 28.0+/-7.6; P<0.01). The balance between acetylcholine (ACh) and substance P (SP) was also disturbed (ACh: PI+ACRS vs. control: (743.94+/-238.72) vs. (1065.68+/-256.46) pg/g, P<0.05; SP: PI+ACRS vs. control: (892.60+/-231.12) vs. (696.61+/-148.61) pg/g, P<0.05). Nevertheless, similar changes of IL-1beta/IL-10 and ACh/SP were not detected in Ws/Ws rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The imbalance of ACh/SP, together with the activation of mucosal immunity induced by post-infection ACRS were lacking in mast cell deficient rats, which supports the premise that mast cells play an important role in cholinergic and peptidergic remodeling in the ileum of rats.</p>

Effect of Psych-Social Intervention on the Rehabilitation of Schizophrenia / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of psych-social intervention on the recovery from schizophrenia.Methods160 cases schizophrenia patients leaved hospital were divided into intervention group (80 cases) and control group (80 cases). Meanwhile maintenance drug therapy, intervention group accept systemic psych-social and family intervention. The control group accept maintenance drug therapy only. At the end of initiation 3 month, 1 and 2 years, the patients were evaluated with Disability Assessment Schedule (DAS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PNASS). The number of cases relapsed were counted in both groups. ResultsThe difference of the score of DAS and PANSS between two groups was not significant in 3 month, and became significant at the end of 1 year (P<0.05), very significant at the end of 2 years (P<0.01). The relapsed cases within two years were 12 cases in intervention group and 34 cases in control group (P<0.01).ConclusionPsych-social and family intervention is significantly effective on the improvement of psychiatric symptom, recovery of society function and degrade of relapse rate of patients with schizophrenia.