ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the relationship between uric acid (UA) level and cognitive function in elderly patients with Parkinson,s disease (PD) and analyze the cognition related factors.Methods The clinical data of 60 elderly PD cases in our hospital from 2001 to 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. The 60 healthy people receiving medical examination in our hospital and matched by gender and age, were as control group. The information including gender, age, illness duration, Hoehn & Yahr stage (H-Y stage), serum UA level and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale were recorded. Results The serum UA level was significantly lower in PD group than in control group [(262±53) μmol/L vs. (332±45) μmol/L, t=-6.724, P＜0.001]. In PD group, the serum UA level was slightly higher in males than in females [(271 ±48) μmol/L vs.(254±39) μmol/L, t=3. 282, P=0. 058]. The serum UA level was significantly lower in male PD patients than in male controls [(353± 62) μmol/L, t=- 5. 625, P＜0. 001], and was lower in female PD patients than in female controls [( 294 ± 59) μmol/L, t = - 4. 721, P = 0. 012]. There were no significant differences in serum UA level among different H-Y stage subgroups (P＞0. 05), but the serum UA level was lower in different H-Y stage subgroups than in control group (F=22. 039, P＜0. 01 ). There was no correlation between the UA level and the illness duration (r=0. 961, P＞0.05).The MMSE score had significant difference between elderly PD group and control group (t= -3. 168,P＜0. 001). In PD patients, the MMSE score was positively correlated with serum UA level (r=0. 789, P= 0. 000), and was negatively correlated with H-Y stage (r= - 0. 577, P = 0. 019 ), age (r= -0. 333, P=0. 034), but was not correlated with illness duration (r= -0. 333, P=0. 207) and BMI (t=- 0. 410, P= 0. 115). Conclusions The level of serum UA is lower in elderly patients with PD than in normal controls. There is correlation between the serum UA level and cognitive impairment. Lower serum UA level predicts worse cognitive scores.
ABSTRACT
Objective To observe neurophysiological changes and pulmonary function in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and analyze their inter-relationship. Methods Sixty OSAS patients were studied. Their lung function and phrenic motor nerve conduction (PNC) were examined. Thirty cases without respiratory disorder served as controls. The lung function tests included percentage of the predicted value of vital capacity ( VC% ), percentage of the predicted value of maximal voluntary ventilation ( MVV% ), percentage of the predicted value of forced expiratory volume in one second ( FEV1% ), inspiratory capacity ( IC), and expiratory reserve volume (ERV). The phrenic nerve was stimulated electrically, and the latent period and the diaphragmatic compound muscle action potential (dCMAP) were recorded. Results The VC%, MVV%, FEV1% , IC and ERV of the patients with OSAS were significantly lower than those of the controls. There was no significant difference between the patients and the controls with regard to their PNC latency. In the OSAS patients the amplitude ratio of their dCMAPs was positively correlated with VC% , MVV% , FEV1% , IC and ERV, and negatively with an apnea hypopnea index (AHI).Conclusions PNC examination can provide valuable information for evaluating diaphragmatic dysfunction in those with abnormal lung function. Decreased dCMAP might be associated with abnormal lung function.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nicotine, which is a known central nervous system stimulant, appears to be the neuroprotective factor of Parkinson disease(PD). It has been reported that PD patients' symptoms such as trembling,rigor, hypokinesia are ameliorated during smoking, but its mechanism still keeps unclear.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of nicotine on gene expression levels of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors (D1R,D2R)in striatum of rats and analyze the possible mechanism of behavioral changes of rats induced by nicotine.DESIGN:Randomized and controlled experiment.SETTING:Institute of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University.MATERIALS :Twenty-four SD rats aged at 10 weeks were chosen,weighing 180-200 g. Nicotine (Sigma),revert AidTM M-Mulv reverse transcriptase (MBI Fermentas,USA), polymerase chain reaction (RCR,Beckman),densitometric scanning imaging system (Stratagene Eagle Eye Ⅱ ,USA).METHODS :This experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Institute of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital,Central South University from July 2001 to July 2002. These rats were divided into two groups: control group (n=12)and nicotine group(n=12). The level of D1 and D2 receptors on striatum of rats was estimated at the timepoint of thirty-minute after chronic nicotine administration (4 mg/kg per day s.c.), and the behavioral activities were also recorded at the same timepoint for thirty minutes. The functional behavioral activities recorded included: rearing up repeatedly, moving about, provoking, climbing, grooming, yawning, rotating, smelling and vomiting. At the fourteenth day, all rats were killed after thirty minutes of nicotine injection,the brains were dissected out and the region of striatum was separated immediately. Total RNA was extracted from striatum by RNeasy Total RNA Kit. PCR amplification was performed at special condition. For semi-quantitative analysis, 10 μ L of PCR products for each was examined by electrophoresis on 12 g/L agarose gel containing 0.5 mg/L ethidium bromide,and absorbance (A value) was quantitated by using densitometric scanning imaging system, thuse D1R,D2R mRNA expression were determined. Differences between means were analyzed with two-tailed student's t test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURFS: Changes of locomotor activities and the gene mRNA expression levels of D1 R and D2R in the regions of striatum in rats.RESULTS: Totally 24 SD rats were involved in the final results.① Locomotor activities of rats become more active after 3-day nicotine administration and reach the top during 7-14 days.②The A value of total RNA ratio of A260/A280 ＞1.8, and the total RNA had no degradation with 12 g/L agarose gels electrophoresis. ③As expected, PCR amplification product lengths of D1R, D2R,βA were 350 bp, 399 bp, 218 bp respectively. A significant increase of 23% of D1R mRNA expression in the region of striatum detected in the nicotine group compared with that of control group (98.63±1.13 and 65.29±1.45 seperately,P ＜ 0.01), no difference was detected on the level of D2R mRNA expression in the same regions above (76.73±1.45 and 78.21±1.69 respectively ,P ＞ 0.05 ).CONCLUSION: Nicotine may induce changes of locomotor activities of rats by up-regulating D1R mRNA expression in striatum.