A Wearable Biosensor Based on Bienzyme Gel-Membrane for Sweat Lactate Monitoring by Mounting on Eyeglasses.

A new enzymatic biosensor worn on eyeglasses has been developed for low-noise and noninvasive determination of lactate in human sweat during physical exercise. The Os (osmium)-complex, the electron mediator between the enzyme and the electrode, was first immobilized on a flexibly printed carbon electrode. Then, a gel membrane with the stereoscopic reticular structure of lactate oxidase and horseradish peroxidase was casted on the electrode to form the biosensor. Linearity of the biosensor was observed for up to 25 mM lactate in a phosphate buffered solution of pH 7.0. Chemical selectivity was evaluated by adding common interferent species such as ascorbic acid, glucose and uric acid to the lactate. The negligible current interference indicated excellent discriminatory selectivity of the biosensor. Applied to an analysis of the real sweat lactate dynamics of healthy subjects during cycling exercise, the amperometric profiles of the biosensors reflected changes in sweat lactate that depended on physical exercise intensity. Compared with other reported epidermal biosensors attached to the arm or leg, our biosensor not only exhibited a similar current change tendency but also rarely suffered from deformational interference due to their forehead measurement position. Such a successful application of real-time monitoring of sweat lactate means that eyeglass-bound biosensors hold considerable promise in the physical exercise and biomedical fields.

Mass spectrometry identification of potential biomarker proteins in the 150-kD electrophoretic band in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing schizophrenia is primarily based on the presentation of defined signs and symptoms, none of which is pathognomonic for this group of syndromes. However, few significant genome-wide associations between schizophrenia and individual have detected. Protein profiling of candidate serum biomarkers in schizophrenia is therefore an area of great interest. METHODS: In the present study, we used a combination of 7% polyethylene glycol (PEG) enrichment of immune complexes and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to separate abnormal band, then analyse the band with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). RESULTS: There is a special 150-kD electrophoretic band in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression relative to healthy controls (each 30 samples). Analysis of the band using LC-MS resulted in the identification of 11 serum proteins whose abundance was altered between patients and controls. Among them, 8 proteins (CFH, CFB, cDNA FLJ75416, zinc finger protein 729, isoform 2 of nidogen-1, diaphanous-1, cDNA FLJ77762, and cDNA FLJ58411) were up regulated, while one protein (isoform 1 of collagen alpha-1 (II) was down regulated in patients with schizophrenia, but only zinc finger protein 729 has statistics significance (P < .05). No differences were noted with regard to thrombospondin-1 or collagen alpha-2 (I) among the 3 groups. These proteins take part in several biological functions such as focal adhesion, complement cascades, ECM-receptor interaction, and Staphylococcus aureus infection. CONCLUSIONS: The 150-kD electrophoretic band or zinc finger protein 729 may become biomarkers in patients with schizophrenia. In the future increasing sample size and function research of zinc finger protein 729 should be executed continuously.

Influencing mechanism of magnolol on expression of BDNF and Bax in rats with cerebral ischemic stroke.

The impact of magnolol on cerebral ischemic stroke in rats and the molecular mechanism were explored. Sprague-Dawley rat models were studied. Cerebral indexes, hematoxylin and eosin staining, TUNEL staining assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting were applied. The cerebral index in model group was significantly higher than that in sham operation group, and the cerebral index was obviously decreased after magnolol administration. Inflammatory cells accumulated in the brain tissue of rats in the model group. Abundant apoptotic cells were produced in the model group, which was overtly improved after rats were given magnolol. RT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that expression of mRNA and protein of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were distinctly decreased in model group, and increased after rats were given magnolol; while mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) were significantly raised in model group, and reduced after rats were given magnolol. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in expression of BDNF and Bax among sham operation, model and magnolol administration groups (p<0.01). In conclusion, magnolol can increase the expression of BDNF and decrease the expression of Bax, thereby inhibiting apoptosis to protect the nerves, and magnolol can improve cerebral ischemic stroke in rats.

The mass spectrometry analysis of serum biomarker 32 kD protein in first episode-schizophrenia / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To analyze the constituent of the 32 kD protein band and its expression in schizophrenia se?rum. Methods Sixty schizophrenia patients and 58 health controls were recruited. The serum samples were collected and precipitated with 7%PEG. The sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used to ob?tain the abnormal 32 kD proteins band in patients. This protein band was cut and then analyzed using mass spectrometric technique. Results The 32 kD protein band was present in 38 schizophrenia patients but not in control and positive rate was 63.33%. The mass spectrometric analysis showed that 32 kD protein band contained 14 proteins ranging from 30 kD to 35 kD, including 6 high-frequency proteins (cDNA coded protein 1 and 2, Apolin protein A-1, Isoform 2 of ficolin-2, Complement factor H and clusterin) and 8 low-frequency proteins (IgG H chain, zinc-alphg-2-glycoprotein, fermitin,family apolin protein L-1, isoform 10 of collectin-1, purine nucleoside, anne xin and cDNA coded protein 3). Three cD?NA coded unknown proteins were highly similar to complement C4-B, β2-glycoprotein and erythrocyte band 7 integral membrane protein. Conclusion There is a unknown specific 32 kD protein that is consisted mainly of fourteen proteins in serum of schizophrenia.

[Clinical features and microsurgical treatment of spinal intramedullary cavernoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features and microsurgical treatment of spinal intramedullary cavernomas (SICs). METHODS: A total of 21 patients with pathologically confirmed SIC undergoing microsurgical resection of cavernomas at Beijing Tiantan Hospital and Taian Central Hospital from June 2005 to December 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The postoperative neurological status improved (n = 13) and remained unchanged (n = 6) and aggravated (n = 2). CONCLUSION: The clinical features of SICs are related with their different pathological processes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is specific for the diagnosis of SICs. Appropriate strategies and refined microsurgical techniques are essential for improving the clinical efficacies of SICs.

Prevalence and correlates of cigarette smoking among Chinese schizophrenia inpatients receiving antipsychotic mono-therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence rate of cigarette smoking and its socio-demographic and clinical correlates in Chinese schizophrenia inpatients receiving antipsychotic mono-therapy. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional, two-site, hospital-based survey. Four hundred and twenty-nine schizophrenia patients (male/female: 66.9% vs. 33.1%) were consecutively recruited from psychosis inpatient wards of two large specialty psychiatric hospitals in mainland China. Patients were assessed using a cigarette smoking questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, the Simpson Angus Scale, the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale, and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Socio-demographic and other clinical data were also collected. We calculated the prevalence of current smoking in our sample as well as its indirectly standardized prevalence ratio (ISPR) using data from the 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey in China. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of current smoking was 40.6% in our sample, and 57.5% in males and 6.3% in females. The ISPRs of all patients, men and women were 1.11(95%CI: 0.95 ∼ 1.29), 1.07(95%CI = 0.91 ∼ 1.24) and 4.64(95% CI = 2.12 ∼ 8.82), respectively. The overall and male-specific prevalence of current smoking did not differ significantly between patients and the general population. In multiple logistic regression analysis, male sex, older age, poor marital status, alcohol use, use of first-generation antipsychotics, longer duration of illness, more frequent hospitalizations, and more severe negative symptoms were independently associated with current smoking. CONCLUSION: Male Chinese inpatients with schizophrenia who received a mono-therapy of antipsychotics were not more likely to smoke than the general population. Cigarette smoking is more common in schizophrenia patients with more severe illness.