Effect of Puerarin on Tau Hyperphosphorylation in the Olfactory Bulb of Alzheimer's Disease Rat Brain / 医药导报

Objective To observe the effect of Puerarin on the level of tau phosphorylation in the olfactory bulb of Alzheimer's disease rat brain, and explore the underlying molecular mechanism.Methods ① Twenty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, model control group and Puerain-treated group.The levels of tau-1, PS396 and tau-5 in the olfactory bulb were detected by Western blotting.② Twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into model control group, low-dose Puerarin (40 mg·kg-1·d-1), medium-dose puerarin (80 mg·kg-1·d-1) and high-dose puerarin (160 mg·kg-1·d-1) groups.The levels of tau-1 and PS396 phosphorylation in the olfactory bulb were detected by Western blotting.③ The level of GSK-3β phosphorylation in the olfactory bulb of the normal control group, model control group A and puerain-treated group was detected by Western blotting.Results ① It was shown by Western blotting that the relative expression of tau-1 was significantly decreased in the olfactory bulb of the model group A(0.49±0.07)rat brain compared with the normal control group(0.85±0.03)(P<0.01), and the level of tau-1 was obviously higher in the puerarin-treated group(0.58±0.03)compared with that of the model group A(P<0.05).The differences of the levels of tau-5 and PS396 in the olfactory bulb were insignificant among the 3 groups.②Compared with the model group B, the expression of tau-1 in the olfactory bulb was significantly enhanced in the low-, medium-and high-dose of puerarin group: (0.39±0.09)vs(0.69±0.11),(0.55±0.11),(0.70±0.04);and the level of PS396 was significantly decreased in the olfactory bulb of low-dose puerarin group(0.36±0.07) compared with the model group B(0.55±0.05)(P<0.01).③Compared with the normal control group(0.96±0.07), the ratio of pS9-GSK-3β/tGSK-3β was obviously decreased in the olfactory bulb of the model group A(0.51±0.12),while that was significantly increased in the puerarin group(0.62±0.03) compared with the model group A(P<0.01).Conclusion Puerarin can attenuate AD-like tau hyperphosphorylation in the olfactory bulb of Alzheimer's disease rat brains, and decreased activity of GSK-3β might be involved in the effects of puerarin on tau hyperphosphorylation.

Analysis of relevant factors in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with venous thromboembolic ;disease / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To explore the risk factors and clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with venous thromboembolic disorders (VTE). Methods Twenty SLE patients with VTE (VTE group) and 40 SLE cases without VTE (control group) were retrospectively analyzed for clinical and laboratory features. T test, Mann-Whitney U rank sum test, χ2 test, Logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results The prevalence of VTE in SLE patients was 1.5%(20/1 326). Renal involvement, increased blood pressure, history of lower extremity deep vein catheter, merging with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) could be seen more frequently in VTE group than control group ( χ2=5.508, 7.033, 5.208, 7.882, respectively), and the difference were statistically significant (both P<0.05). Hydroxychloroquine dosage used in the VTE group (133±119) mg/d was lower than that of the control group (211±126) mg/d (t=2.156, P=0.034), antiplatelet drug use rate was lower than the control group too, the difference were statistically significant ( χ2=7.080, P=0.008). Logistic regressions showed that renal involvement [OR=5.5, 95%CI (3.6, 12.7), P=0.003], lower C3 level [OR=2.3, 95%CI (1.8, 5.2), P=0.005], SLEDAI activity score [OR=8.13, 95%CI (5.2, 7.3), P=0.001] were independent risk factors for VTE in SLE. Conclusion SLE patients with renal involvement, increased blood pressure, history of lower extremity deep vein catheterization or complicated with APS were risk factors for VTE, while hydroxylchloroquine, antiplatelet drugs may help prevent VTE.

Clinical study of rheumatoid arthritis patients associated with thyroid function abnormalities / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with thyroid function abnormalities.Methods Serum thyroid function,anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were detected in 186 RA patients.Clinical data were then analyzed.Comparison of continuous data between groups was made by t test,while comparison of categorical data was made by x2 test.The non-normal distribution of the data was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U rank sum test.Results Fifty-six RA cases (30％) had abnormal thyroid function,including 25 low T3 syndrome cases,16 subclinical hypothyroidism cases,10 hypothyroidism cases and 5 Graves' disease cases.Among them 23 cases were diagnosed as Hashimoto's thyroiditis.The positive rate in the hypothyroidism group with chills (45 cases,80.3％,x2=99.94),lazy words (14 cases,25.0％;x2=7.896),lethargy (24 cases,42.9％;x2=7.433) and abdominal distension (21 cases,37.5％;x2=7.15) was higher than that in the group with normal thyroid function (all P＜0.05).Level of serum high density lipoprotein was decreased in hypothyroid group [(1.0±0.5) mmol/L vs (1.4±0.6) mmol/L,t=4.087,P＜0.05].Patients with abnormal thyroid function had higher positive rate of ANA [(10 cases,7.7％) vs (25 cases,44.5％),x2=34.98],anti-SSA [(3 cases,2.3％) vs (23 cases,41.1％),x2=48.91],anti-SSB [(2 cases,1.5％) vs (12 cases,21.4％),x2=22.25],TGAb [(20 cases,15.4％) vs (43 cases,76.7％),x2=65.88] and TPOAb [(13 cases,10.0％) vs (27 cases,48.2％),x2=35.90] than those with normal thyroid function (all P＜O.05).Conclusion Rheumatoid arthritis is often accompanied by thyroid disease.The positive rate of auto-antibodies in RA with abnormal thyroid function is higher than those with normal thyroid function and has no relationship with the disease activity.

Carbapenem resistance of KPC-possessing Enterobacteriaceae / 中华临床感染病杂志

Objective To evaluate 5 drug sensitivity tests in detecting carbapenem resistance of KPC-possessing Enterobacteriaceae.Methods Thirty-six Enterobacteriaceae isolates were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital,Cofiege of Medicine,Zhejiang Univeristy,including 32 of Klebsiella pneumoniae,1 of Escherichia coli,1 of Citrobacter freundii,1 of Klebsiella oxytoca,and 1 of Serratia marcescens,and the cacbapenemase producing was confirmed with PCR.Resistance to imipenem,meropenem and ertapenem was determined by agar dilution and disk diffusion tests,that to imipenem and meropehem was determined by ATB with G-5 panel,that to imipenem by BD Phoenix 100 with NMIC-109 panel,and that to imipenem and ertapenem by VITEK 2 Compact with AST-GN13 card.Results The resistance to imipenem determined by ATB,BD Phoenix100,VITEK 2 Compact,agar dilution and disk diffusion tests were 13.9%(5/36),11.1%(4/36),13.9%(5/36),22.2%(8/36)and 69.4%(25/36).ATB,agar dilution and disk diffusion tests reported 22.2%(8/36).55.6%(20/36)and 47.2%(17/36)as resistant to meropenem.VITEK 2 Compact,agar dilution and disk diflusion tests reported 69.4%(25/36),77.8%(28/36)and 88.9%(32/36)as resistant to ertapenem.The MICs of ertapenem determined by VITEK 2 Compact and agar dilution were≥2 μg/mL.Conclusion The sensitivity of agar dilution and agar disk diffusion is higher than other automatic methods in the identification of KPC-mediated carbapenem resistance,and ertapenem is a more sensitive indicator than mempenem and imipenem for screening KPC-possessing isolates.

Churg-Strauss syndrome involving large-and medium-sized arteries: report of six cases and review of literature / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To summarize the clinical manifestations and treatment of Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) involving large and medium-sized arteries. Method Six cases were investigated retrospec-tively and literature were reviewed. Results The pathological category of large-and medium-sized arteries involved in CSS included occlusion, stenosis, thrombesis, dissection, aneurysm, arteritis, and periarterifis. The involved arteries included coronary artery, central retinal artery, mesenteric artery, vertebral artery, basilar artery, carotid artery, aorta, and arteries of extremities. The large-and medium-sized arteries involvement in patients with CSS might not associated with age, duration of disease, and the titer of perinuclear-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. Treatment with corticosteroid and immunosuppressive agents combined with surgical interventions or anticoagulation if needed might improve the prognosis in the early stage. It was particularly hazardous for coronary involvement in patients with CSS. Conclusion CSS can involve many kinds of large-and medium-sized arteries. The pathological category of large and medium-sized arteries involved in CSS is diverse. More attention should be paid to large and medium-sized arteries involvement in patients with CSS.

Experimental study of effect of corticosterone on primary cultured hippocampal neurons and their Ca2+/CaMKII expression / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

To explore the effect of different concentrations of corticosterone (CORT) on primary cultured hippocampal neurons and their Ca2+/CaMK II expression and possible mechanism, the changes of hippocampal neurons were observed in terms of morphology, activity of cells, cell death, concentrations of cytosolic free calcium, and the expression of CaMK II by using MTT assay, flow cytometry, fluorescent labeling of Fura-2/AM and Western blotting after 10(-7), 10(-6) and 10(-5) mol/L of CORT was added to culture medium, The evident effect of 10(-6) and 10(-5) mol/L of CORT on the morphology of hippocampal neuron was found. Compared with control neurons, the activity of the cells was markedly decreased and [Ca2+]i increased in the neurons treated with 10(-6) and 10(-5) mol/L of CORT, but no change was observed in the neuron treated with 10(-7) mol/L of CORT. The death was either by way of apoptosis or necrosis in the cells treated with 10(-6) and 10(-5) mol/L of CORT respectively. The correlation analysis showed that a reverse correlation existed between [Ca2+]i and the expression of CaMK II. Either apoptosis or necrosis occurs in the hippocampal neurons treated with CORT. The increased hippocampal [Ca2+]i is both the result of CORT impairing the hippocampal neurons and the cause of the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons and the decreased CaMK II expression.