Effect of Grape Seed Procyanidins Combined with Allicin on Lipid Levels in Hyperlipidemic Rats.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) combined with allicin on serum lipids level and vascular damage in a rat model of hyperlipidemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SD rats(male, 170-220 gn= 40) were randomized into five groups (n = 8/group): modelhigh fat and cholesterol diet; controlnormal diet; model+low-dose (GSP+allicin )(GSP 45mg/kg, allicin 30mg/kg, orally); model+high-dose (GSP+allicin) (GSP180mg/kg, allicin 90mg/kg, orally) and positive control (model+simvastatin (4 mg/kg)). Normal control group was fed conventionally, and remaining four groups were fed high cholesterol and fat food to replicate the high fat model. After 9 weeks, the normal control group continued to receive regular feeding, while the other groups continued to receive high-fat feeding. At the same time, model and normal control groups were given equal volume of physiological saline by gavage, and the other treatment groups began to receive corresponding drugs by gavage once a day. After 4 weeks, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as well as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in rats were determined. And the body weight of rat, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA)in serum were identified. The level of endothelin-1(ET-1) was quantitative analysis by ELISA assay. RESULTS: In comparison to normal controls, the model group displayed a marked rise in body weight, an increment in serum concentrations of LDL-C, TG and TC, as well as a decline in HDL (P<0.01), demonstrating successful model replication; All doses of GSP in combination with allicin resulted in a reduction in TG, LDL-C, and TC and an enhancement in HDL-C in contrast to the model control (all P<0.05). High-dose (GSP+allicin ) decreased MDA, and increased T-AOC and SOD activity(all P<0.01). All doses of GSP combined with allicin decreased ET-1 (all P<0.05). In addition, the protective effect of GSP combined with allicin was dose-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: Studies have shown that GSP combined with allicin can significantly improve blood lipids in hyperlipidemic rats, and this mechanism may be related to antioxidants and reduced endothelial damage.

Fine mapping of Rf2, a minor Restorer-of-fertility (Rf) gene for cytoplasmic male sterility in chili pepper G164 (Capsicum annuum L.).

KEY MESSAGE: Genome re-sequencing and recombination analyses identified Capana06g000193 as a strong candidate for the minor male fertility restoration locus Rf2 in chili pepper G164 harboring two dominant male fertility restoration genes. Male fertility restoration genes of chili pepper restorer line G164 (Capsicum annuum L.) were studied using molecular marker genotypes of an F2 population (7G) of G164 crossed with the cytoplasmic male sterility line 77013A. The ratio of sterile to fertile single plants in the F2 population was 1:15. This result indicates that chili pepper G164 has two dominant restoration genes, which we designated as Rf1 and Rf2. An individual plant recessive for Rf1 and heterozygous for Rf2, 7G-112 (rf1rf1Rf2rf2), was identified by molecular marker selection and genetic analysis, and a single Rf2 gene-segregating population with a 3:1 ratio of fertile to sterile plants was developed from the self-pollination of male fertile individuals of 77013A and 7G-112 hybrid progeny. Bulk segregant analysis of fertile and sterile pools from the segregating populations was used to genetically map Rf2 to a 3.1-Mb region on chromosome 6. Rf2 was further narrowed to a 179.3-kb interval through recombination analysis of molecular markers and obtained the most likely candidate gene, Capana06g000193.

Factors Associated with Benzodiazepines Prolonged-Term Use in Post-Stroke Subjective Sleep Disturbance: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study from China.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of short- and long-term benzodiazepine and z-drugs (BZD) for the treatment of post-stroke subjective sleep disturbance (SSD) and to evaluate the risk factors associated with prolonged BZD treatment in this patient body. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1st January 2018 and 1st December 2018, we identified 542 inpatients suffering from acute stroke in Heyuan People's Hospital. Of these, 290 inpatients were included in our final analysis. These patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment they received: non/occasional BZD (non-BZD), short-term BZD (short-term) and prolonged-term BZD (prolonged-term) treatment. We investigated the prevalence of each BZD treatment term and identified differences between the groups. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify potential predictors for the prolonged use of BZD. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the correlation between the prolonged use of BZD and potential predictors. RESULTS: The prevalence of cases receiving short and prolonged BZD treatments were 40.35% and 31.72%, respectively; none of the patients received polysomnography (PSG) screening from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSP). Treatment strategies were limited to BZD and traditional Chinese medicine; none of the patients received cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) or other forms of treatment. Logistic regression analysis showed that the short-term use was associated with z-drugs (odds ratio [OR]: 2.189, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.419-3.378), non-communication barriers (OR =0.535, 95% CI: 0.325-0.880) and posterior circulation infarct (POCI) (OR =2.199, 95% CI: 1.112-4.349). The prolonged-term use was associated with z-drugs (OR =3.012, 95% CI: 1.637-5.542), non-communication barriers (OR =0.530, 95% CI: 0.307-0.916), partial anterior circulation infarct (PACI) (OR =0.455, 95% CI: 0.250-0.827), and non pain after stroke (OR =0.315, 95% CI: 0.207-0.480). CONCLUSION: The status of BZD abuse for post-stroke SSD is worrying. Additional research attention and treatment options are needed for the treatment of post-stroke SSD. In particular, the potential combination of stroke and OSP appears to be underestimated and neglected. Post-stroke SSD patients should receive more comprehensive assessment and rigid follow-up to avoid the prolonged use of BZD. Additional and effective therapeutic strategies (such as positive pressure ventilation treatment or CBT) are urgently needed for cause-specific intervention.

A diagnostic challenge of primary Central nervous system lymphoma: from the eyes to the brain.

BACKGROUND: Being a subtype of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) is a rare and fatal intraocular malignancy manifesting as blurred vision and floaters, and is usually combined with, or eventually progresses to, central nervous system lesions. The diagnosis of PVRL/PCNSL remains challenging because of the nonspecific clinical features and diagnostic dependency on biopsy. CASE PRESENTATION: In this paper, we present the clinical, imaging, laboratory, brain biopsy, and vitreous biopsy findings of a 56-year-old immunocompetent woman who presented with blurred vision of the left eye, but which rapidly evolved into lesions of the central nervous system. The dramatic changes on brain imaging and the undiagnostic brain and vitreous biopsy results presented great challenges for the diagnosis. PCNSL was eventually presumed according to comprehensive consideration of the disease progression pattern, the characteristic neuroimaging, and molecular hints. CONCLUSIONS: PCNSL is a highly invasive tumor, and timely diagnosis is the key point in clinical practice. However, the requirement for biopsy and the existence of sentinel lesions impedes the diagnosis. Therefore, follow-up and repeated biopsy is always necessary for a definitive diagnosis. This case indicates that a complete evaluation of neuroimaging, ophthalmic testing, cytologic examination of the cerebrospinal fluid, diagnostic vitrectomy, and brain biopsy are essential for diagnosis of PCNSL. Moreover, molecular and cytokine analyses are useful adjuncts to the diagnostic cytology. Of note, the analysis of cytokine levels (IL-10/IL-6) is an important auxiliary diagnostic strategy in the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Genetic mutation analysis of hereditary spastic paraplegia: A retrospective study.

Hereditary spastic paraplegias are heterogeneous disorders with diversified clinical manifestations, and genetic testing is important for the diagnosis and typing of hereditary spastic paraplegias.Gene panel sequencing containing 55 hereditary spastic paraplegias-related genes was performed to screen the pathogenic genes for hereditary spastic paraplegias. Sanger sequencing was adopted to validate if the family member carried the same pathogenic gene as the proband.Fifteen out of 53 patients carried mutation(s) in the screened hereditary spastic paraplegias-related genes. Among the 23 identified mutations, only one mutation had been previously reported as a pathogenic mutation. In the pedigree of case 6, the proband, his mother and uncle all carried the same novel deletion mutation (c.1459delA) at SPAST gene. Based on the pedigree, the disease was inherited in an AD pattern. In the pedigree of case 53, the family disease may be in an X-linked recessive inheritance pattern. The proband (case 53) carried two novel mutations in ALT1 gene and L1CAM gene (c.2511C>A), respectively. The L1CAM gene is the causative gene for the SPG1 X-linked recessive-hereditary spastic paraplegias.Our data confirm the genetic heterogeneity of hereditary spastic paraplegias, and SPG4/SPAST were the most frequent forms. The pathogenicity of the novel mutations is worth to be further investigated.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy due to GMPPB mutations: A case report and comprehensive literature review.

Mutations in the guanosine diphosphate mannose (GDP-mannose) pyrophosphorylase B (GMPPB) gene are rare. To date, 72 cases with GMPPB gene mutations have been reported. Herein, we reported a case of a 29-year-old Chinese male presenting with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) who was found to have two heterozygous GMPPB mutations. The patient had a progressive limb weakness for 19 years. His parents and elder brother were healthy. On examination he had a waddling gait and absent tendon reflexes in all four limbs. Electromyography showed myogenic damage. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed fatty degeneration in the bilateral medial thigh muscles. High-throughput gene panel sequencing revealed that the patient carried compound heterozygous mutations in the GMPPB gene, c.553C>T (p.R185C, maternal inheritance) and c.346C>T (p.P116S, paternal inheritance). This case provides additional information regarding the phenotypic spectrum of GMPPB mutations in the Chinese population.

Hereditary and idiopathic spastic paraparesis: preliminary findings of a single center experience.

OBJECTIVES: Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited neurologic disorders with diversified clinical manifestations. The purpose of this study was to summarize the clinical manifestations of HSP by analyzing the clinical data of 56 HSP patients. METHODS: A total of 56 HSP patients treated in our hospital from January 2014 to March 2016 were included. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were collected. The severity of HSP was assessed by disease severity score. RESULTS: The patients included 40 males and 16 females. The mean onset age was 17.86 ± 12.56 years (range: 1-47). The mean disease duration was 13.46 ± 12.82 years (range: 1-63). There were 29 pure (51.8%) forms and 27 complicated (48.2%) HSP. The common manifestations included increased deep tendon reflexes in the lower extremities (94.6%), positive Babinski sign (94.6%), increased muscle tone of lower extremities (91.1%), scissors gait (83.9%), ankle clonus (69.6%), reduced muscle strength in the lower extremities (48.2%) and skeletal deformities (37.5%). Reduced cognitive function was the most common manifestation (55.6%) of the complicated HSP patients. The mean disease severity score was significantly higher in males than in females (2.75 ± 0.55 vs. 2.18 ± 1.13, P = 0.013). Patients with a disease duration >30 years had a significantly higher disease severity score than those with disease duration of 1-10 and 21-30 years. DISCUSSION: We reported the clinical features of HSP from 56 patients in our hospital. Our findings should be helpful for better understanding of clinical features of HSP.

Therapeutic effects of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A meta-analysis.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a method widely used for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); nevertheless, its effect on survival remains unclear. The purpose of this meta-analysis study was to determine the effects of PEG on survival in ALS patients. Relevant studies were retrieved from PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane Library databases, from inception to June 2017. Studies comparing PEG with other procedures in ALS patients were included. Odds ratios (ORs) in a random-effects model were used to assess the survival at different follow-up periods. Briefly, ten studies involving a total of 996 ALS patients were included. Summary ORs indicated that PEG administration was not associated with 30-day (OR = 1.59; 95%CI 0.93-2.71; P = 0.092), 10-month (OR = 1.25; 95%CI 0.72-2.17; P = 0.436), and 30-month (OR = 1.28; 95% CI 0.77-2.11; P = 0.338) survival rates, while they showed a beneficial effect in 20-month survival rate (OR = 1.97; 95%CI 1.21-3.21; P = 0.007). The survival rate was significantly prominent in reports published before 2005, and in studies with a retrospective design, sample size <100, mean age <60.0 years, and percentage male ≥50.0%. To sum up, these findings suggested that ALS patients administered with PEG had an increased 20-month survival rates, while there was no significant effect in 30-day, 10-month, and 30-month survival rates.