花生四烯酸代谢物对肺的作用

肺是花生四烯酸(AA)代谢很活跃的器官。这些代谢物不仅参与气道及肺血管的体液控制,还参与病理刺激作用下所发生的肺循环及气道的某些反应。AA 的环加氧酶途径产物前列环素(PGI_2)进入体循环还可能影响或调制肺外器官的机能。     

肾素血管紧张素系统对糖尿病内皮细胞损伤机制的研究

肾素血管紧张素系统(RASS)的效应分子为血管紧张素Ⅱ(AngⅡ),对内皮细胞及平滑肌细胞的功能具有重要的影响。血管紧张素II不仅影响血流动力学效应,还通过其血管紧张素1受体(AT1R)发挥强大的促氧化和促炎症反应的效应。在内皮细胞和白细胞中血管紧张素Ⅱ通过烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸磷酸盐(NADPH)氧化酶的激活和细胞内氧化还远信号传导系统从而促进脉管系统炎症反应的形成,血管紧张素Ⅱ和葡萄糖在内皮细胞和炎性细胞中还共享氧化还原信号传导通路,可见血管紧张素Ⅱ参与了炎症的反应、血栓的形成,通过刺激细胞因子和生长因子进行细胞的增值,血管紧张素Ⅱ的这些效应与胰岛素抵抗、氧化应激以及血管内皮细胞的损伤有着密切的联系,并且有研究显示应用RASS抑制剂可以有效地延缓心脑血管疾病的进展,这些证据显示抑制RASS系统在保护血管病变的重要性。     

肺干/祖细胞代谢与呼吸系统疾病研究进展

呼吸系统疾病的全球死亡率居高不下,多种疾病至今仍缺乏根治手段。其中,肺癌、哮喘、特发性肺纤维化和慢性阻塞性肺疾病等难治性疾病都与肺干/祖细胞的调节和功能异常密切相关。在呼吸系统中,不同区域分布着不同类型的肺干/祖细胞。肺干/祖细胞具有自我更新、增殖与分化功能,肺部的损伤修复离不开肺干/祖细胞的这些功能。因此,负责肺脏再生的肺干/祖细胞受到越来越多的关注。研究表明,肺干/祖细胞的功能与糖酵解、脂质合成、磷酸戊糖途径、氨基酸代谢和氧化磷酸化等主要代谢途径密切相关,其代谢发生改变可能与肺脏衰老和多种呼吸系统疾病有关。该文对正常、衰老和疾病状态下的肺干/祖细胞的代谢调控进行了综述。     

同型半胱氨酸相关性慢性阻塞性肺疾病临床研究进展

在世界慢性疾病中,慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)发病率和死亡率均较高,鉴于对患者生活造成严重伤害,越来越受到人们关注。同型半胱氨酸(Homocysteinemia,Hcy)对全身器官损害多有报道,随着研究的深入,Hcy目前对于肺部疾病的影响也受到重视。部分学者提出同型半胱氨酸可能是COPD发病机制中又一重要因素。Hcy在体内可以刺激产生大量的ROS和自由离子,并引起内皮细胞应激,还可降低肺脏内还原型谷胱甘肽含量。研究表明同型半胱氨酸水平在慢性阻塞性肺疾病中处于高表达状态,且其高表达水平与患者疾病的程度成相关性。本文将通过总结Hcy在肺脏及体内的代谢、各种应激反应等方面阑述同型半胱氨酸水平与COPD的相关性,并总结高水平的同型半胱氨酸相关的COPD治疗方法。     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病的研究进展

慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）是一种以不完全可逆性气流受限为特征的、可以预防和治疗的气道慢性炎症性疾病,是呼吸系统常见病之一,主要累及肺脏,但也可引起全身（肺外）的不良效应[1]。在国内外均为常见病,尤其多见于老年人和吸烟者,患病率有逐年上升趋势,     

血管紧张素—（1—7）——肾素血管紧张素系统的新激素

长期以来,血管紧张素－（１－７）「Ａｎｇ－（１－７））」－直被认为是血管紧张素Ⅱ的无生物活性代谢产物。近年的研究证明Ａｎｇ－（１－７）在神经系统和心血管功能调节中起有作用,是血管紧张素系统中一种新的重要激素。     

T淋巴细胞与高血压肾损伤的研究进展

近年来,免疫机制特别是T淋巴细胞参与的免疫反应在高血压肾损伤中备受关注.高血压期间新抗原产生、共刺激信号、交感神经兴奋和高浓度盐可激活T淋巴细胞,被激活的T淋巴细胞不仅通过引起炎症反应导致肾损伤,还可以通过促进氧化应激、影响水盐代谢、激活肾素-血管紧张素系统(renin-angiotensin system,RAS)导...     

川芎嗪对缺氧大鼠和雪貂肺血管的舒张作用

用大鼠在体肺灌流和雪貂左下肺叶活体灌流方法比较了川芎嗪对缺氧、血管紧张素Ⅱ、高钾、almitrine等所致肺血管收缩的舒张效应。实验结果表明,川芎嗪能使缺氧引起的收缩肺血管明显舒张,此效应可能不通过血管紧张素系统。对高钾引起的肺血管收缩,川芎嗪的抑制作用明显小于异搏定。川芎嗪对肺血管的舒张效应表明缺氧和almitrine对肺血管的作用相近。在急性缺氧情况下,川芎嗪对肺血管的舒张作用比对体血管强,这一点对缺氧性肺动脉高压的防治是很有用的。     

20-羟-二十烷四烯酸对血管内皮细胞的作用研究进展

20-羟-二十烷四烯酸(20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid,20-HETE)是花生四烯酸的细胞色素P-450代谢途径的一个重要代谢产物。近年来研究发现20-HETE对血管内皮细胞发挥重要的生理和病理生理作用。20-HETE可激活内皮细胞烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(nicotinamide adenine dinucleoti-de phosphate,NADPH)氧化酶系统和核因子-кB(nuclear factor-кB,NF-кB)通路发挥氧化应激和促炎作用;20-HETE可介导血管内皮细胞内皮型一氧化氮合酶(endothelial nitric oxide synthase,eNOS)的解离、降低NO的生物利用度及诱导血管紧张素转换酶,调节血管的舒张和收缩功能;20-HETE还可促进内皮细胞的增生而促进血管新生。但国内对20-HETE研究甚少,因此本文对近年来国际上关于20-HETE对血管内皮细胞的研究作一综述。     

血管紧张素受体的研究进展

血管紧张素Ⅱ受体（ＡＴＲ）是机体肾素－血管紧张素系统（ＲＡＳ）的重要组成分之一,介导血管紧张素Ⅱ的生理学效应,参与血管舒缩,水盐代谢和醛固酮分泌以及血管平滑肌增生和功能调节等,是ＲＡＳ系统作用于效应器的关键步骤,本文对ＡＴＲ分型,生物学效应,基因表达调控及信号转导途径进行综述。     

Innate immunity in alcoholic liver disease

Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of chronic liver disease in the Western world. Alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress are important mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. However, emerging evidence suggests that activation of innate immunity involving TLR4 and complement also plays an important role in initiating alcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis, but the role of adaptive immunity in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease remains obscure. Activation of a TLR4-mediated MyD88-independent (TRIF/IRF-3) signaling pathway in Kupffer cells contributes to alcoholic steatohepatitis, whereas activation of TLR4 signaling in hepatic stellate cells promotes liver fibrosis. Alcohol consumption activates the complement system in the liver by yet unidentified mechanisms, leading to alcoholic steatohepatitis. In contrast to activation of TLR4 and complement, alcohol consumption can inhibit natural killer cells, another important innate immunity component, contributing to alcohol-mediated acceleration of viral infection and liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Understanding of the role of innate immunity in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease may help us identify novel therapeutic targets to treat this disease.     

酒精与肝脏脂质代谢

酒精滥用是一个重大的公共健康问题。酒精通过刺激脂肪酸合成,抑制脂肪酸的氧化导致肝脏脂质积累,进而诱发肝细胞病变,导致脂肪肝的病发。从转录调控脂质代谢的改变,异常甲硫氨酸代谢对内质网应激反应的作用等方面概述酒精与脂质代谢的相互调控机制,并阐述了这些调控机制之间的内在联系以及酒精如何影响肝脏脂质代谢,从而导致脂肪肝形成的最新相关研究进展。     

Metabolic profiling of an alcoholic fatty liver in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is becoming a popular developmental biology model to study diseases and for drug discovery. In this study, we performed proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-NMR)- and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS)-based metabolic profiling of an alcoholic fatty liver using a zebrafish disease model. We examined metabolic differences between the control and alcoholic fatty liver groups in zebrafish to determine how metabolism in an alcoholic fatty liver is regulated. Multivariate statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the control and alcoholic fatty liver groups. The alcoholic fatty liver group showed increased excretion of isoleucine, acetate, succinate, choline, creatine, acetoacetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), ethyl glucuronide (EtG), lactate/pyruvate ratio, fatty acids, and cholesterol, and decreased excretion of citrate, aspartate, tyrosine, glycine, glucose, alanine, betaine, and maltose. Metabolites identified in the fatty liver groups were associated with long-term alcohol consumption, which causes both oxidation-reduction (redox) changes and oxidative stress. This study suggests that global metabolite profiling in a zebrafish model can provide insights into the metabolic changes in an alcoholic fatty liver.     

Redox regulation of hepatitis C in nonalcoholic and alcoholic liver

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family that is estimated to have infected 170 million people worldwide. HCV can cause serious liver disease in humans, such as cirrhosis, steatosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV induces a state of oxidative/nitrosative stress in patients through multiple mechanisms, and this redox perturbation has been recognized as a key player in HCV-induced pathogenesis. Studies have shown that alcohol synergizes with HCV in the pathogenesis of liver disease, and part of these effects may be mediated by reactive species that are generated during hepatic metabolism of alcohol. Furthermore, reactive species and alcohol may influence HCV replication and the outcome of interferon therapy. Alcohol consumption has also been associated with increased sequence heterogeneity of the HCV RNA sequences, suggesting multiple modes of interaction between alcohol and HCV. This review summarizes the current understanding of oxidative and nitrosative stress during HCV infection and possible combined effects of HCV, alcohol, and reactive species in the pathogenesis of liver disease.     

Oxidative imbalance in alzheimer’s disease

Oxidative stress is a striking feature of susceptible neurons in the Alzheimer’s disease brain. Importantly, because oxidative stress is an early event in Alzheimer’s disease, proximal to the development of hallmark pathologies, it likely plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Investigations into the cause of such oxidative stress show that interactions between abnormal mitochondria and disturbed metal metabolism are, at least in part, responsible for cytoplasmic oxidative damage observed in these susceptible neurons, which could ultimately lead to their demise. Oxidative stress not only temporally precedes the pathological lesions of the disease but could also contribute to their formation, which, in turn, could provide some protective mechanism to reduce oxidative stress and ensure that neurons do not rapidly succumb to oxidative insults. In this review, we present the evidence for oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s disease and its likely sources and consequence in relation to other pathological changes.     

Attenuation of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Airway Mucus Production by Hydrogen-Rich Saline in Rats

Background

Over-production of mucus is an important pathophysiological feature in chronic airway disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Cigarette smoking (CS) is the leading cause of COPD. Oxidative stress plays a key role in CS-induced airway abnormal mucus production. Hydrogen protected cells and tissues against oxidative damage by scavenging hydroxyl radicals. In the present study we investigated the effect of hydrogen on CS-induced mucus production in rats.

Methods

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham control, CS group, hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment group and hydrogen-rich saline control group. Lung morphology and tissue biochemical changes were determined by immunohistochemistry, Alcian Blue/periodic acid-Schiff staining, TUNEL, western blot and realtime RT-PCR.

Results

Hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment attenuated CS-induced mucus accumulation in the bronchiolar lumen, goblet cell hyperplasia, muc5ac over-expression and abnormal cell apoptosis in the airway epithelium as well as malondialdehyde increase in the BALF. The phosphorylation of EGFR at Tyr1068 and Nrf2 up-regulation expression in the rat lungs challenged by CS exposure were also abrogated by hydrogen-rich saline.

Conclusion

Hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment ameliorated CS-induced airway mucus production and airway epithelium damage in rats. The protective role of hydrogen on CS-exposed rat lungs was achieved at least partly by its free radical scavenging ability. This is the first report to demonstrate that intraperitoneal administration of hydrogen-rich saline protected rat airways against CS damage and it could be promising in treating abnormal airway mucus production in COPD.     

Mechanisms of surface-tension-induced epithelial cell damage in a model of pulmonary airway reopening.

Airway collapse and reopening due to mechanical ventilation exerts mechanical stress on airway walls and injures surfactant-compromised lungs. The reopening of a collapsed airway was modeled experimentally and computationally by the progression of a semi-infinite bubble in a narrow fluid-occluded channel. The extent of injury caused by bubble progression to pulmonary epithelial cells lining the channel was evaluated. Counterintuitively, cell damage increased with decreasing opening velocity. The presence of pulmonary surfactant, Infasurf, completely abated the injury. These results support the hypotheses that mechanical stresses associated with airway reopening injure pulmonary epithelial cells and that pulmonary surfactant protects the epithelium from this injury. Computational simulations identified the magnitudes of components of the stress cycle associated with airway reopening (shear stress, pressure, shear stress gradient, or pressure gradient) that may be injurious to the epithelial cells. By comparing these magnitudes to the observed damage, we conclude that the steep pressure gradient near the bubble front was the most likely cause of the observed cellular damage.     

Effects of ethanol on lipid metabolism.

Alcohol promotes accumulation of fat in the liver mainly by substitution of ethanol for fatty acids as the major hepatic fuel. The degree of lipid accumulation depends on the supply of dietary fat. Progressive alteration of the mitochondria, which occurs during chronic alcohol consumption, decreases fatty acid oxidation by interfering with citric acid cycle activity. This block is partially compensated for by increased ketone body production, which results in ketonemia. Thus, mitochondrial damage perpetuates fatty acid accumulation even in the absence of ethanol oxidation. Alcohol facilitates esterification of the accumulated fatty acids to triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol esters, all of which accumulate in the liver. The accumulated lipids are disposed of in part as serum lipoprotein, resulting in moderate hyperlipemia. In some individuals with pre-existing alterations of lipid metabolism, small ethanol dose may provoke marked hyperlipemia which responds to alcohol withdrawal. Inhibition of the catabolism of cholesterol to bile salt may contribute to the hepatic accumulation and hypercholesterolemia. The capacity of lipoprotein production and hyperlipemia development increases during chronic alcohol consumption, probably as a result of the concomitant hypertrophy of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. However, this compensation is relatively inefficient in ridding the liver of fat. This inefficiency may be linked to alterations of hepatic microtubules induced by ethanol or its metabolites, which interfere with the export of protein from liver to serum, promoting hepatic accumulation of proteins as well as fat. As liver injury aggravates, hyperlipemia wanes and liver steatosis is exaggerated. Derangements of serum lipids similar to those found in other types of liver disease also become apparent. The changes in serum lipids may be a sensitive indicator of the progression of liver damage in the alcoholic.     

Modeling neurodegenerative disease pathophysiology in thiamine deficiency: consequences of impaired oxidative metabolism

Emerging evidence suggests that thiamine deficiency (TD), the cause of Wernicke's encephalopathy, produces alterations in brain function and structural damage that closely model a number of maladies in which neurodegeneration is a characteristic feature, including Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, along with alcoholic brain disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Impaired oxidative metabolism in TD due to decreased activity of thiamine-dependent enzymes leads to a multifactorial cascade of events in the brain that include focal decreases in energy status, oxidative stress, lactic acidosis, blood-brain barrier disruption, astrocyte dysfunction, glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, amyloid deposition, decreased glucose utilization, immediate-early gene induction, and inflammation. This review describes our current understanding of the basis of these abnormal processes in TD, their interrelationships, and why this disorder can be useful for our understanding of how decreased cerebral energy metabolism can give rise to cell death in different neurodegenerative disease states.     

Oxidative and nitrative stress markers in glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and is the leading cause of blindness in the United States and other industrialized countries. Elevated pressure in the eye is a risk factor for glaucoma and indeed experimental studies of induced pressure elevation in nonhuman primate's results in typical glaucomatous optic nerve damage. However, normal intraocular pressure can also lead to loss of vision in glaucoma. Although the initiating causes leading to glaucoma are unknown, oxidative and nitrative stress appears to play a role in the progressive neuronal death that is characteristic of glaucomatous optic nerve damage. Increased markers of oxidative stress that have been reported in glaucoma include protein nitrotyrosine, carbonyls in proteins, lipid oxidation products and oxidized DNA bases. Studies have also highlighted the role of nitric oxide in glaucoma by reporting the presence of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the iris-ciliary body, retina and in the glaucomatous optic nerve head of experimental rat models. This review discusses the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the pathogenesis of glaucoma and examines the relevance of antioxidants in neurodegeneration associated with the disease. It is concluded that oxidative and nitrative stress have a pathogenic role in glaucoma.