Ischemic postconditioning lightening ischemia/reperfusion apoptosis of rats via mitochondria pathway.

OBJECTIVE:   To explore whether ischemic postconditioning will lighten hepatic apoptosis caused by hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting the mitochondria pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pathomorphology of hepatic tissues in rats was observed under an optical microscope after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Hepatic apoptosis was detected using agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) with DNA fragments and flow cytometry. Changes in morphology structure of mitochondria in hepatocytes of rats were observed under an electron microscope. Changes in mitochondria transmembrane potential of hepatocytes of rats were detected using a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). Western blotting was adopted to detect changes in the expression of caspase-3 and cytochrome C protein in hepatocytes of rats. RESULTS: Compared with that in I/R group, swelling degree of mitochondria in most hepatocytes of rats in ischemic postconditioning (IPOST) group and IPC group was lighter. Changes in expression of caspase-3 and cytochrome C protein in hepatic cells of rats: caspase-3 was lowly expressed and cytochrome C was highly expressed in S group. The expression of caspase-3 was evidently higher in I/R group than that in S group and expression of cytochrome C protein was evidently lower than that in S group (p<0.05). The expression of caspase-3 protein was evidently decreased in IPOST group and IPC group and the expression of cytochrome C protein was evidently increased (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IPOST can reduce hepatic apoptosis caused by hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats, which may be achieved by inhibiting the mitochondria pathway.

Abated microRNA-195 expression protected mesangial cells from apoptosis in early diabetic renal injury in mice.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs are a class of highly conserved, small, noncoding RNAs that tailor gene expression mainly at the posttranscriptional level. The aim of the present study was to investigate the renal expression profiles of microRNAs and their potential involvement in early diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: Diabetic models were induced with streptozotocin in DBA/2 mice. MicroRNAs were detected by microarray and subjected to bioinformatics analyses. Real-time PCR and Western blots were performed. The relationships between pathological changes and microRNA expression were evaluated by linear regression analysis. Apoptosis and proliferation of cultured mesangial cells treated with microRNA inhibitor were determined by flow cytometry and MTT assay, respectively. RESULTS: Nine microRNAs, including miR-1187, miR-320, miR-214, miR-34a, miR-762, miR-466f, miR-720, miR-744 and miR-1937b, were increased significantly. Another 9 microRNAs, including miR-1907, miR-195, miR-568, miR-26b, miR-703, miR-1196, miR-194, miR-805 and miR-192, were decreased remarkably in diabetic mice. The levels of microRNA repressing BCL2 decreased. Accordingly, BCL2 levels were found elevated and caspase-3 and caspase-8 levels decreased in the diabetic group. MicroRNA-195 expression was negatively related to glomeruli diameter, mesangial score and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation. Moreover, the microRNA-195 inhibitor protected mesangial cells from apoptosis and promoted the cellular proliferation in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that the abated microRNA-195 expression protected mesangial cells from apoptosis, suggesting that the antiapoptosis in a microRNA-regulated manner may play an important role in the early stages of diabetic nephropathy.

Antiosteoporotic activity of icariin in ovariectomized rats.

Icariin was evaluated for its antiosteoporotic activity in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. The rats were divided into sham and OVX groups. The OVX rats were then subdivided into five groups treated with water, nylestriol (1 mg/kg body weight, weekly, orally) or icariin (ICA) (5, 25, and 125 mg/kg body weight, daily, orally) for 12 weeks. In OVX rats, the increases of body weight, serum BGP and ALP were significantly decreased by ICA treatment. In OVX rats, atrophy of uterus and descent of BMD were suppressed by treatment with ICA. In addition, ICA (125 mg/kg body weight) completely corrected the decreased serum concentration of Calcium, Phosphorus, and E(2) observed in OVX rats. ICA (125 mg/kg body weight) increased biomechanical strength significantly in comparison to the sham group. Histological results also showed its protective action through promotion of bone formation. The findings, assessed on the basis of biochemical, bone mineral density, biomechanical, and histopathological parameters, showed that ICA has a definite antiosteoporotic effect, similar to estrogen, especially effective for prevention bone fracture induced by estrogen deficiency.

[Long-term outcome of selective posterior rhizotomy for spastic cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long term outcome and complication of selective posterior rhizotomy for spastic cerebral palsy. METHOD: 26 patients with cerebral palsy who had received SPR were followed up for four years. RESULT: In the 9 patients who could walk and stand up from squatting position independently, 7 could stand steadily on one foot after operation. In the 12 who patients could walk and stand up from squatting position dependently, 7 could walk independently in the room after operation. In 5 patients couldn't walk and stand up from squatting position, 3 patients could walk dependently in the room after operation. Complications occurred in 3 patients. CONCLUSION: Selective posterior rhizotomy is effective in the treatment of spastic cerebral palsy. Strictly selecting candidates for the operation and good rehabilitation training before and after operation should be emphasized for good results.

[Long-term outcomes of non-rheumatic myocarditis]. / Ob otdalennykh iskhodakh ne-revmaticheskikh miokarditov.

Remote clinical outcomes of infectious-allergic myocarditis during 4-8 year observation are usually favourable. The presence of stable repolarization disorders (42.7%) on the ECG was not accompanied by changes of cardiohemodynamics++. In the remote period after the disease was diagnosed as Abramov-Fidler myocarditis in all the patients clinical and instrumental signs of dilatation cardiomyopathy were noted.