LncRNA UCA1 stimulates the repair of hyperglycemic vascular smooth muscle cells through targeting miR-582-5p.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) UCA1 in inducing the repair of hyperglycemic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by targeting microRNA-582-5p (miR-582-5p), thus alleviating diabetic angiopathy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Arterial vessels and serum exosomes were collected from 40 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and 40 non-T2DM patients. Relative levels of UCA1 and miR-582-5p in collected samples were detected. Then, the interaction between UCA1 and miR-582-5p was assessed by Dual-Luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, the regulatory effects of UCA1 and miR-582-5p on VSMCs phenotypes were determined. RESULTS: Results showed that compared with non-T2DM patients, UCA1 was markedly downregulated, while miR-582-5p was upregulated in VSMCs and serum exosomes of T2DM patients. They exerted a negative expression correlation between each other. Besides, miR-582-5p was the direct target of UCA1. Under the induction of increased doses of glucose, UCA1 stimulated proliferative and invasive abilities in VSMCs. MiR-582-5p was responsible for the repairability of UCA1 in VSMCs under the hyperglycemia state. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA UCA1 induces the repair of hyperglycemic VSMCs via negatively regulating miR-582-5p. UCA1 may be a novel target for T2DM diagnosis and treatment.

Tramadol: a new centrally acting analgesic.

The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, adverse effects, and dosage and administration of tramadol are reviewed. Tramadol is a synthetic analogue of codeine that binds to mu opiate receptors and inhibits norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake. It is rapidly and extensively absorbed after oral doses and is metabolized in the liver. Analgesia begins within one hour and starts to peak in two hours. In patients with moderate postoperative pain, i.v. or i.m. tramadol is roughly equal in efficacy to meperidine or morphine; for severe acute pain, tramadol is less effective than morphine. Oral tramadol can also be effective after certain types of surgery. Tramadol and meperidine are equally effective in postoperative patient-controlled analgesia. In epidural administration for pain after abdominal surgery, tramadol is more effective than bupivacaine but less effective than morphine. In patients with ureteral calculi, both dipyrone and butylscopolamine are more effective than tramadol. For labor pain, i.m. tramadol works as well as meperidine and is less likely to cause neonatal respiratory depression. Oral tramadol is as effective as codeine for acute dental pain. In several types of severe or refractory cancer pain, tramadol is effective, but less so than morphine; for other types of chronic pain, such as low-back pain, oral tramadol works as well as acetaminophen-codeine. Common adverse effects of tramadol include dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, and sedation. The abuse potential seems low. The recommended oral dosage is 50-100 mg every four to six hours. Tramadol is an effective, if expensive, alternative to other analgesics in some clinical situations.

Clinical and electrophysiological correlation in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy: a case report.

The clinical effect of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is reported as correlated with electrophysiological study in a 15-year-old boy with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Within three months the patient developed from progressive paraparesis to complete quadriplegia with relative preservative of sensory and bulbar functions. High dose IVIg with 0.4 gm/kg per day was given for five consecutive days, and recovery occurred during the first week, particularly in both the lower limbs. Maximal benefit was achieved by another course of IVIg treatment. The effect maintained for six weeks, but muscle power deteriorated rapidly one week later. Muscle power improved again after another two courses of IVIg infusion. Serial nerve conduction velocity studies showed an improvement in the distal latencies and the amplitudes of compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) which were not, however, well correlated with the clinical improvement. No improvement in nerve conduction velocities was ever noted.