Effect of atorvastatin on serum oxidative stress and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide expression in rats

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on serum oxidative stress and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide expression in rats.@*METHODS@#A total of 40 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group (Group A, n=10, saline 5 mL/d), ischemia-reperfusion group (Group B, n=10, saline 5 mL/d), atorvastatin group (Group C, n=10, atorvastatin 20 mg/kg · d), atorvastatin + N-amino-arginine group (Group D, n=10, atorvastatin 20 mg/kg · d + N-amino arginine 15 mg/kg). Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion rat model was established after 3 days of gavage. N-amino arginine 15 mg/kg was given by tail vein injection 15 min before ischemia. After reperfusion, enzymology indicators such us creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase and the oxidative stress parameters such as nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total superoxide dismutase (TSOD), and n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) expression was detected by immunohistochemistry.@*RESULTS@#LDH and CK levels of group A were significantly lower than the other three groups, and group B was the highest. There was significant difference between group B and group C (P0.05). MDA levels in group B were significantly higher than the other three groups. The lowest was group A, followed by group C, the difference among groups was significantly (P<0.05). TSOD and NO levels in group B was the lowest, the level in group A was the highest, followed by group C, the difference among groups was significant (P<0.05). NT-proBNP level in group B was significantly higher than the other three groups, the lowest was group A, followed by group C, the difference among groups was significant (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Atorvastatin has a protective effect on the myocardial injury in the myocardial ischemia and reperfusion rats. It can increase NO synthesis and decrease MDA content, increase serum TSOD activity and the oxidative stress effect, meanwhile protect myocardial cells and reduce myocardial injury.

Construction of a subtracted cDNA library of chronic intermittent hypoxia rabbit liver by suppression subtractive hybridization / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To construct a subtracted cDNA library of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) rabbit liver by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH).@*METHODS@#Twenty-four rabbits were divided into 4 groups: ordinary feeding group, full-fat food group, ordinary feeding in chronic intermittent hypoxia group, and full-fat food in chronic intermittent hypoxia group. The mRNAs were extracted from different rabbit livers and converted into double-strand cDNA. After digestion with restriction enzyme, the cDNA of hyperlipidemia-sensitive rabbit group was subdivided into 2 portions and each one was lighted with different adaptors. Two rounds of both hybridization and suppression PCR obtained the differentially expressed cDNA. The PCR products were inserted into T/A vector to set up the subtractive cDNA library. The clones were selected and amplified by PCR and identified.@*RESULTS@#Based on the pathology of the abdominal aorta and liver, and the amplified library contained 500 positive bacteria clones, including 462 clones, which had inserts from 250 to 700 bp by PCR analysis. A novel rabbit gene, Cthrc1, involved in CHI had been cloned. The GenBank Accession Number is XM_418373.@*CONCLUSION@#The molecular mechanism of CIH promoting atherogenesis formation is made clear.

Evaluation on the accuracy of obese indexes in predicting obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in male adults / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the best cutoff value and reference standard of obese indexes and to compare their diagnostic value in screening, predicting and diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in male adults by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 1110 male adults were included and cross-sectional study was adopted. Four parameters including: body mass index (BMI), neck circumference (NC), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were studied. The correlativity between apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and BMI, NC, WC and WHR were analyzed by pearson correlation test. ROC curve was used to assess the diagnostic value and determine their best cutoff value to predict OSAHS and reference standard to screen/diagnose it. Their conformity in predicting OSAHS was analyzed by area under curve (AUC). SPSS software version 13.0 was used for statistical analysis and P< or =0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) All of the fourindexes (BMI, NC, WC and WHR) showed a significantly positive correlation with AHI in adult male patients, with their Pearson coefficients as 0.373, 0.276, 0.291 and 0.127, respectively, and their P value were all below 0.001; (2) The best cutoff value of BMI, NC and WC in predicting OSAHS were 26.5 kg/m2 , 39 cm, 95 cm, and their corresponding sensitivity rates were 54%, 57% and 64% while rates of specificity as 73%, 65% and 53%; (3) BMI was better than other two indexes in predicting OASHS in adult male patients; (4) The value of BMI, NC and WC in screening OSAHS among adult male patients with 90% sensitivity and 10% rate of missed diagnosis as 23 kg/m2, 35 cm, 85 cm; (5) The value of BMI, NC and WC in screening OSAHS in adult male patients with 90% specificity and 10% misdiagnosis rate as 29 kg/m2, 43 cm, 105 cm, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BMI seemed better in predicting OSAHS in male adults than NC, WC and WHR. The best cutoff values to predict OSAHS of BMI, NC and WC were 26.5 kg/m2, 39 cm and 95 cm, respectively. Their reference standards to screen OSAHS were 23 kg/m2, 35 cm and 85 cm while 29 kg/m2, 43 cm and 105 cm to predict OSAHS.</p>

Effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure short-term treatment on C-reactive protein and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investgate the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nC-PAP) short-term treatment on the serum level of C-reactive protein (CRP) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients.@*METHODS@#Twenty patients with OSAHS ( AHI > or = 15 ) and 15 controls (AHI < 15) were recruited. After polysomnography (PSG), the venous blood was collected from all subjects to investigate CRP and ICAM-1. The effects of short-term treatment (4 d) of nCPAP on the serum levels of CRP and ICAM-1 were studied in patients with moderate and severe OSAHS.@*RESULTS@#Before the treatment, there was a significant positive correlation between CRP and AHI in all subjects (r = 0.615, P < 0.001), a significant negative correlation between CRP and the mean nocturnal oxygen saturation (r = -0.682, P < 0.001), and a significant negative correlation between CRP and the lowest nocturnal SaO2 (r = -0.61, P < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between ICAM-1 and AHI in all subjects (r = 0.751, P < 0.001), a significant negative correlation between ICAM-1 and the mean nocturnal oxygen saturation (r = -0.68, P < 0.001), and a significant negative correlation between ICAM-1 and the lowest nocturnal oxygen saturation (r = -0.656, P < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between CRP and ICAM-1 (r = 0.437, P = 0.009). The levels of CRP and ICAM-1 were significantly higher in patients with moderate and severe OSAHS than in the controls (P < 0.01). nCPAP decreased the levels of CRP and ICAM-1 in patients with moderate and severe OSAHS (P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Inflammatory reaction exists in OSAHS and can be palliated after nCPAP short-term treatment.