Increased Expression of Apolipoprotein D Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury

Increasing evidence suggests that apolipoprotein D (apoD) could play a major role in mediating neuronal degeneration and regeneration in the CNS and the PNS. To investigate further the temporal pattern of apoD expression after experimental traumatic brain injury in the rat, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to unilateral cortical impact injury. The animals were killed and examined for apoD mRNA and protein expression and for immunohistological analysis at intervals from 15 min to 14 days after injury. Increased apoD mRNA and protein levels were seen in the cortex and hippocampus ipsilateral to the injury site from 48 h to 14 days after the trauma. Immunohistological investigation demonstrated a differential pattern of apoD expression in the cortex and hippocampus, respectively: Increased apoD immunoreactivity in glial cells was detected from 2 to 3 days after the injury in cortex and hippocampus. In contrast, increased expression of apoD was seen in cortical and hippocampal neurons at later time points following impact injury. Concurrent histopathological examination using hematoxylin and eosin demonstrated dark, shrunken neurons in the cortex ipsilateral to the injury site. In contrast, no evidence of cell death was observed in the hippocampus ipsilateral to the injury site up to 14 days after the trauma. No evidence of increased apoD mRNA or protein expression or neuronal pathology by hematoxylin and eosin staining was detected in the contralateral cortex and hippocampus. Our results reveal induction of apoD expression in the cortex and hippocampus following traumatic brain injury in the rat. Our data also suggest that increased apoD expression may play an important role in cortical neuronal degeneration after brain injury in vivo. However, increased expression of apoD in the hippocampus may not necessarily be indicative of neuronal death.     

Characteristics of redox-linked proton ejection in cytochrome c oxidase reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles. New observations support mechanisms different from proton pumping

Experimental observations reveal a number of characteristics of the redox-linked proton ejection from cytochrome c oxidase vesicles, which apparently cannot be explained by a proton pumping activity of the oxidase. These observations seem, on the other hand, to provide useful elements for alternative explanation(s) of the proton ejection. It is proposed here that the process is scalar and not vectorial and can derive from redox-linked rupture of protonated salt-bridges in the oxidase-lipid complex.     

自体输血与异体输血对创伤性颅脑损伤开颅手术患者凝血功能、细胞免疫功能和神经损伤标志物的影响

摘要 目的：探讨自体输血与异体输血对创伤性颅脑损伤（TBI）开颅手术患者凝血功能、细胞免疫功能和神经损伤标志物的影响。方法：回顾性分析2019年4月~2022年5月期间在本院行开颅手术的120例TBI患者的临床资料。根据输血方式的不同将患者分为异体输血组（n=58,异体输血）和自体输血组（n=62,自体输血）,观察两组临床指标、细胞免疫功能、凝血功能、神经损伤标志物和不良反应发生率情况。结果：两组患者手术出血量、输血量、输注含凝血成分血制品比例对比,差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。自体输血组出院时CD3⁺、CD4⁺、CD4⁺/CD8⁺高于异体输血组,CD8⁺低于异体输血组（P<0.05）。两组出院时凝血酶原时间（PT）、凝血酶时间（TT）、纤维蛋白原（FIB）、活化部分凝血活酶时间（APTT）组间对比无统计学差异（P>0.05）。自体输血组出院时S100钙结合蛋白B（S100B）、神经胶质原纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）、神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）低于异体输血组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应发生率组间比较无差异（P>0.05）。结论：自体输血用于TBI开颅手术患者,对患者的凝血功能影响较小,同时还可改善机体细胞免疫功能,降低神经损伤标志物水平。     

Nerve Growth Factor Administration Attenuates Cognitive but Not Neurobehavioral Motor Dysfunction or Hippocampal Cell Loss Following Fluid-Percussion Brain Injury in Rats

Abstract: Lateral fluid-percussion brain injury in rats results in cognitive deficits, motor dysfunction, and selective hippocampal cell loss. Neurotrophic factors have been shown to have potential therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative diseases, and nerve growth factor (NGF) has been shown to be neuroprotective in models of excitotoxicity. This study evaluated the neuroprotective efficacy of intracerebral NGF infusion after traumatic brain injury. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received lateral fluid-percussion brain injury of moderate severity (2.1–2.3 atm). A miniosmotic pump was implanted 24 h after injury to infuse NGF (n = 34) or vehicle (n = 16) directly into the region of maximal cortical injury. Infusions of NGF continued until the animal was killed at 72 h, 1 week, or 2 weeks after injury. Animals were evaluated for cognitive dysfunction (Morris Water Maze) and regional neuronal cell loss (Nissl staining) at each of the three time points. Animals surviving for 1 or 2 weeks were also evaluated for neurobehavioral motor function. Although an improvement in memory scores was not observed at 72 h after injury, animals receiving NGF infusions showed significantly improved memory scores when tested at 1 or 2 weeks after injury compared with injured animals receiving vehicle infusions ( p < 0.05). Motor scores and CA3 hippocampal cell loss were not significantly different in any group of NGF-treated animals when compared with controls. These data suggest that NGF administration, in the acute, posttraumatic period following fluid-percussion brain injury, may have potential in improving post-traumatic cognitive deficits.     

血清TM、P-selectin、HDL-C以及凝血功能指标与创伤性骨折患者术后深静脉血栓形成的关系研究

摘要 目的：探讨血清血栓调节蛋白（TM）、P-选择素（P-selectin）、高密度脂蛋白（HDL-C）以及凝血功能指标与创伤性骨折患者术后深静脉血栓形成（DVT）的关系。方法：选择2018年1月至2020年1月我院收治的术后发生DVT的创伤性骨折患者100例作为DVT组,同期术后未发生DVT的创伤性骨折患者100例作为无DVT组,比较两组血清TM、P-selectin、HDL-C、血浆凝血功能指标[凝血酶时间（TT）、凝血酶原时间（PT）、活化部分凝血酶时间（APTT）、纤维蛋白原（FIB）、D-二聚体（D-D）],应用Pearson相关性分析血清TM、P-selectin、HDL-C与凝血功能指标的相关性,应用多因素Logistic回归分析创伤性骨折患者术后DVT的影响因素。结果：DVT组血清TM、P-selectin、血浆D-D、FIB水平、年龄≥60岁比例高于无DVT组,血清HDL-C水平低于无DVT组（P＜0.05）。DVT组血清TM和P-selectin与血浆D-D、FIB呈正相关（P＜0.05）,血清HDL-C与血浆D-D、FIB呈负相关（P＜0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,年龄≥60岁、血清TM≥9.50 IU/mL、P-selectin ≥70.00 ng/mL、HDL-C<1.00 mmol/L、血浆D-D≥700.00 μg/L、FIB≥4.00 g/L是创伤性骨折患者术后DVT的危险因素（P＜0.05）。结论：创伤性骨折患者术后发生DVT患者血清TM、P-selectin较无DVT患者升高,HDL-C较无DVT患者降低,联合检测血清TM、P-selectin、HDL-C和凝血功能指标可能有助于降低DVT的发生风险。     

THE +1245G/T POLYMORPHISMS IN THE COLLAGEN TYPE I ALPHA 1 (COL1A1) GENE IN POLISH SKIERS WITH ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine the association of +1245G/T polymorphisms in the COL1A1 gene with ACL ruptures in Polish male recreational skiers in a case-control study.

Methods

A total of 138 male recreational skiers with surgically diagnosed primary ACL ruptures, all of whom qualified for ligament reconstruction, were recruited for this study. The control group comprised 183 apparently healthy male skiers with a comparable level of exposure to ACL injury, none of whom had any self-reported history of ligament or tendon injury. DNA samples extracted from the oral epithelial cells were genotyped for the +1245G/T polymorphisms using real-time PCR method.

Results

Genotype distributions among cases and controls conformed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p = 0.2469 and p = 0.33, respectively). There was a significant difference in the genotype distribution between skiers and controls (p = 0.045, Fisher''s exact test). There was no statistical difference in allele distribution: OR 1.43 (0.91-2.25), p = 0.101 (two-sided Fisher''s exact test).

Conclusions

The risk of ACL ruptures was around 1.43 times lower in carriers of a minor allele G as compared to carriers of the allele T.     

Aerosol generation using nanometer liposome suspensions for pulmonary drug delivery applications

Abstract

Pulmonary lung targeting finds applications in drug delivery to the lung itself and to other body organs, via blood circulation following transfer across alveolar membranes. Understanding pulmonary drug delivery systems towards improving their efficacy needs identification of particle sizes of relevance and elucidation of links between suspension properties, techniques of atomisation and properties of the generated aerosols. This review article is focussed on understanding the elements of pulmonary drug delivery, specifically related to suspensions of small liposomes. Specific objectives of this review include (a) understanding aerosol particle deposition and absorption on pulmonary surface, (b) links between properties of aerosol generation and colloidal drug carriers used for drug encapsulation, and (c) investigation on the controlled properties of liposome aerosols generated using different atomisation techniques for efficacious aerosol therapy.     

Rapid Accumulation of Endogenous Tau Oligomers in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury: POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND SPORADIC TAUOPATHIES*

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious problem that affects millions of people in the United States alone. Multiple concussions or even a single moderate to severe TBI can also predispose individuals to develop a pathologically distinct form of tauopathy-related dementia at an early age. No effective treatments are currently available for TBI or TBI-related dementia; moreover, only recently has insight been gained regarding the mechanisms behind their connection. Here, we used antibodies to detect oligomeric and phosphorylated Tau proteins in a non-transgenic rodent model of parasagittal fluid percussion injury. Oligomeric and phosphorylated Tau proteins were detected 4 and 24 h and 2 weeks post-TBI in injured, but not sham control rats. These findings suggest that diagnostic tools and therapeutics that target only toxic forms of Tau may provide earlier detection and safe, more effective treatments for tauopathies associated with repetitive neurotrauma.     

Connexin-43 hemichannels contribute to the propagation of μ-calpain-mediated neuronal death in a cortical ablation injury model

We investigated the role of the astrocytic and neuronal hemichannels (HCs) in the spread of cortical neuronal death in a rat cortical injury model. Over time (by 6 h), propidium iodide (PI)-positive cells with labeling either with anti-neuron specific enolase or anti-parvalbumin (indicating GABAnergic interneurons) antibody spread in the deep cortical layers adjacent to the injury and co-localized with activated μ-calpain. Connexin (Cx)-43, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), activated μ-calpain and α-fodrin breakdown product (FBP) increased post-injury, peaking at 1 h, in the injury and adjacent areas. GFAP-Cx43-positive reactivated astrocytes exhibited similar distribution to the dead neurons. Cx43 and Cx36 primarily comprise HCs in the astrocyte and neuron, respectively. Ethidium bromide (EtBr) uptake was enhanced post-injury, and confirmed in the Cx43- and Cx36-positive cells. A Cx43-HC inhibitor Gap26 prevented the opening of the Cx43-HC and Cx36-HC, μ-calpain activation, α-fodrin proteolysis and death in the deep cortical neurons. Collectively, opening of the astrocytic Cx43-HC and neuronal Cx36-HC would induce the regional spread of cortical neuronal death through μ-calpain activation in the rat brain injury model.