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Background Our previous study showed that the expression level of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) increases in astrocytes and Müller cells of retina in chronic hypertensive eye,and this change was clarified to be associated with the damage process of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs).Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) exists in neural glial cells,so we conjecture AQP4 plays a role in the regulating GFAP expression in glaucomatous eye.Objectives This study was to investigate whether AQP4 gene can regulate the expression of GFAP in retina and explore the effect of AQP4 on RGCs damage of glaucoma.Methods Chronic ocular hypertensive eye models were established by cauterizing the scleral venous in the left eyes of 30 male AQP4-/-mice and 30 male wild type (WT) mice with the same background,and the right eyes served as control eyes.The intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured with Icare rebound tonometer at 1 day,3,7,14 and 28 days respectively and the retinas were isolated from 6 of each types of mice at the corresponding time points.The expression of GFAP in the retina was detected by Western blot.The use and care of the experimental animals followed ARVO Statement.Results The IOP was significantly higher in the model eyes than that of the control eyes 1 day,3,7,14 and 28 days in both AQP-/-mice (t =15.29,16.02,13.77,14.34,12.40,all at P＜0.05) and WT mice (t =17.65,14.91,15.97,13.41,12.53,all at P ＜0.05).GFAP was expressed in the control eyes both of the AQP4-/-mice and the WT mice.The expressing level of GFAP (GFAP/β-actin) in retinas was 1.00±0.00,1.99±0.29,4.05±0.69,4.47±0.48,3.21±0.35 and 3.25±0.53 in the control eyes and 1-,3-,7-,14-,28-day model eyes of WT mice; and those in the AQP4-/-mice were 1.00±0.00,1.69±0.31,2.27 ±0.55,2.79 ± 0.39,1.93 ± 0.31 and 1.54 ± 0.40,with a significant difference in the expressing level of GFAP in various time points (F =9.54,P＜0.05).In addition,significant gradually elevation of GFAP expression were seen in the WT mice and gradually decline of GFAP expression was found in the AQP4-/-mice with the lapse of time (all at P＜0.05).No significant difference was seen in the expression of GFAP in the control eyes between the WT mice and AQP4-/-mice (P＞0.05).However,the expression level of GFAP in retina was significantly higher in the WT mice than that of A QP4-/-mice 3,7,14 and 28 days after operation (t =4.51,7.95,6.12,5.76,all at P＜0.01).tonelusions In chronic high IOP mice,AQP4 gene plays an important role in retinal damage by upregulating the expression of GFAP in retina and promoting the activation of RGCs.AQP4 probably is a new target of treatment of glaucoma.
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Objective To investigate epidemiological and clinical features of human ehrlichiosis.Methods The epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic and prognostic data of 21 clinically diagnosed cases of human ehrlichiosis were retrospectively analyzed. Results The epidemic regions where the ticks' activity was high located at the boundary between Hubei and Henan Provinces. All cases were farmers. The median age was 50 years ranged from 19 to 69 years. The male female ratio evident history of tick bite 1 week before the onset. The common symptoms included fever, diarrhea,cough, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and expectoration. The complications included hemorrhage, toxic encephalopathy, acute renal insufficiency, secondary infection and respiratory failure. The common abnormalities of routine lab data were thrombocytopenia, hypoeosinophilia,elevated lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and aminotransferases, leucopenia and proteinuria.Nine cases were tested with peripheral blood smear and intracytoplasmic inclusions in neutrophils were found in one case. Seventeen cases were tested with serological assay and antibodies against Ehrlichia were positive in five cases. After doxycycline, symptomatic and supportive treatments, 14 cases were recovered and seven died. The average age of the deaths was 56 years. Conclusions Human ehrlichiosis is an acute tick-borne zoonosis and multiorgan could be involved. The older cases prone to develop complications and the prognosis is poor.
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OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of somatostatin(SST)on expression of NO,TNF? and 5-lipoxygenase(5-LO)in primary cultured rat Kupffer cells induced by LPS.METHODS Kupffer cells isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured in the presence of LPS added alone or with SST for 12,24 and 48 h,and the production of TNF? was assessed in culture supernatants by ELISA and that of nitric oxide(NO)by nitrate reductase method.5-LO mRNA expression was assessed by semiquantitative RT-PCR.RESULTS Vehicle-stimulated Kupffer cells produced a basal amount of NO,TNF? and expressed 5-LO mRNA.Kupffer cells stimulated by LPS secreted significantly increased amounts of NO and TNF?(P0.05).CONCLUSIONS SST modulates NO,TNF? production and 5-LO mRNA expression by LPS-stlimulated Kupffer cells.