Novel psychoactive substances of interest for psychiatry

Novel psychoactive substances include synthetic cannabinoids, cathinone derivatives, psychedelic phenethylamines, novel stimulants, synthetic opioids, tryptamine derivatives, phencyclidine‐like dissociatives, piperazines, GABA‐A/B receptor agonists, a range of prescribed medications, psychoactive plants/herbs, and a large series of performance and image enhancing drugs. Users are typically attracted by these substances due to their intense psychoactive effects and likely lack of detection in routine drug screenings. This paper aims at providing psychiatrists with updated knowledge of the clinical pharmacology and psychopathological consequences of the use of these substances. Indeed, these drugs act on a range of neurotransmitter pathways/receptors whose imbalance has been associated with psychopathological conditions, including dopamine, cannabinoid CB1, GABA‐A/B, 5‐HT2A, glutamate, and k opioid receptors. An overall approach in terms of clinical management is briefly discussed.     

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in U.S. older adults: findings from a nationally representative survey

Data on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in late life are lacking. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by examining the prevalence of the broadest range of psychiatric disorders in late life to date; comparing prevalences across older adult age groups using the largest sample of adults aged 85+; and exploring gender differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in late life. Using data from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, we examined the prevalence of past-year mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, and lifetime personality disorders in a nationally representative sample of 12,312 U.S. older adults. We stratified our analyses by gender and by older age groups: young-old (ages 55-64), middle-old (ages 65-74), old-old (ages 75-84), and oldest-old (ages 85+). The proportion of older adults who experienced any past-year anxiety disorder was 11.4%, while the prevalence of any past-year mood disorder was 6.8%. A total of 3.8% of older adults met criteria for any past-year substance use disorder, and 14.5% of older adults had one or more personality disorder. We observed a general pattern of decreasing rates of psychiatric disorders with increasing age. Women experienced higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, while men had higher rates of substance use disorders and any personality disorder. Gender differences in rates of most psychiatric disorders decreased with increasing age. These data indicate that psychiatric disorders are prevalent among U.S. older adults, and support the importance of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders in this population.     

家蝇共生真菌的抗菌活性筛选及菌株CY-03的初步鉴定

利用平板分离法从家蝇中分离出14株家蝇共生真菌,活性筛选表明CY-03有较好的抗菌活性,在供试浓度为0.1 mg/m L时,CY-03发酵液乙酸乙酯萃取物对番茄早疫病菌和苹果树腐烂病菌具有较好的抑制作用,抑制率约60%;在供试浓度为30μg/滤纸片时,与阳性对照相比,乙酸乙酯提取物对枯草芽胞杆菌有中等的抑制作用,抑菌圈直径为21.0 mm。进一步研究CY-03发酵液不同极性溶剂萃取物的抗菌活性,结果表明其活性物质主要集中在中等极性部位,在供试浓度为0.1 mg/m L时,CY-03发酵液乙酸乙酯提取物对苹果树腐烂病菌、杨树溃疡病菌、番茄早疫病菌和苦瓜枯萎病菌等具有较好的抑制作用,抑制率均大于45%;在供试浓度为30μg/滤纸片时,乙酸乙酯提取物对金黄色葡萄球菌、枯草杆菌和大肠埃希菌有中等的抑制作用,抑菌圈直径范围为14.8~23.0 mm。通过形态学特征观察和5.8S r DNA测序分析,初步确定该菌株为尖孢镰刀菌(Fusarium oxysporum)。CY-03作为微生物源杀菌剂值得进一步研究。     

血吸虫病肝纤维化形成的作用机制

血吸虫病(schistosomiasis)是世界上严重危害人类健康的人兽共患寄生虫病之一。在中国主要流行的是日本血吸虫病,其致病机制是由于血吸虫卵沉积于宿主肝内,形成虫卵肉芽肿,导致肝纤维化。血吸虫病肝纤维化免疫过程中,肝星状细胞、T细胞、B细胞及多种细胞因子的调节起着重要作用。现就血吸虫病肝纤维化形成机制的相关研究进展进行了综述。     

Mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.) ameliorate obesity-induced hepatic lipogenesis,fibrosis, and oxidative stress in high-fat diet-fed mice

Obesity is associated with chronic diseases such as fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and severe metabolic syndrome. Obesity causes metabolic impairment including excessive lipid accumulation and fibrosis in the hepatic tissue as well as the increase in oxidative stress. In order to investigate the effect of mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) extract (MLE) on obesity-induced oxidative stress, lipogenesis, and fibrosis in liver, MLE has been gavaged for 12 weeks in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. MLE treatment significantly ameliorated LXRα-mediated lipogenesis and hepatic fibrosis markers such as α-smooth muscle actin, while MLE up-regulated lipolysis-associated markers such as lipoprotein lipase in the HFD-fed mice. Moreover, MLE normalized the activities of antioxidant enzymes including heme oxygenase-1 and glutathione peroxidase in accordance with protein levels of 4-hydroxynonenal in the HFD-fed mice. MLE has beneficial effects on obesity-related fatty liver disease by regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism, fibrosis, and antioxidant defense system. MLE supplementation might be a potential therapeutic approach for obesity-related disease including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.     

苦杏仁对照提取物替代苦杏仁对照药材的可行性研究

目的：以对照药材技术要求为基础,以等量同质为原则,利用现代的提取制备技术,制备成质量稳定、均匀性好的苦杏仁对照提取物。通过考察不同的薄层系统,建立薄层鉴别用对照提取物的质量标准,供中药标准中薄层鉴别使用。并对其主要药效成分进行方法学考察,确保今后制备的对照提取物的一致性。方法：采用不同薄层色谱系统对苦杏仁对照提取物可替代对照药材进行定性研究;并用高效液相色谱法测定苦杏仁对照提取物中苦杏仁苷的含量。结果：在苦杏仁对照提取物薄层色谱中,展开剂：为甲苯－甲酸乙酯－甲醇－甲酸－水（6∶2∶0．4∶0．1∶0．1 ）,在与对照药材色谱相应位置上,显相同颜色的斑点。HPLC测定苦杏仁对照提取物中苦杏仁苷含量,苦杏仁苷线性范围461．7～15．39 mg／L（r＝0．9995）,平均回收率为101 ．1％（RSD＝2．15％）,该方法准确、可靠、专属性强,重复性好。结论：苦杏仁对照提取可替代对照药材进行定性鉴别。     

The Multi-organ Chip - A Microfluidic Platform for Long-term Multi-tissue Coculture

The ever growing amount of new substances released onto the market and the limited predictability of current in vitro test systems has led to a high need for new solutions for substance testing. Many drugs that have been removed from the market due to drug-induced liver injury released their toxic potential only after several doses of chronic testing in humans. However, a controlled microenvironment is pivotal for long-term multiple dosing experiments, as even minor alterations in extracellular conditions may greatly influence the cell physiology. We focused within our research program on the generation of a microengineered bioreactor, which can be dynamically perfused by an on-chip pump and combines at least two culture spaces for multi-organ applications. This circulatory system mimics the in vivo conditions of primary cell cultures better and assures a steadier, more quantifiable extracellular relay of signals to the cells. For demonstration purposes, human liver equivalents, generated by aggregating differentiated HepaRG cells with human hepatic stellate cells in hanging drop plates, were cocultured with human skin punch biopsies for up to 28 days inside the microbioreactor. The use of cell culture inserts enables the skin to be cultured at an air-liquid interface, allowing topical substance exposure. The microbioreactor system is capable of supporting these cocultures at near physiologic fluid flow and volume-to-liquid ratios, ensuring stable and organotypic culture conditions. The possibility of long-term cultures enables the repeated exposure to substances. Furthermore, a vascularization of the microfluidic channel circuit using human dermal microvascular endothelial cells yields a physiologically more relevant vascular model.     

伊曲康唑治疗肝衰竭合并侵袭性肺部真菌感染患者的疗效和安全性分析

目的 评价伊曲康唑治疗肝衰竭合并侵袭性肺部真菌感染患者的疗效和安全性.方法 回顾性分析伊曲康唑治疗肝衰竭合并侵袭性肺部真菌感染患者的有效性和安全性.治疗方法:静脉注射伊曲康唑0.2g静脉滴注q12h 1天或者2天后改为伊曲康唑0.2g静脉滴注qd,疗程2～4周.结果 共有16例患者符合入选标准和排除标准纳入本研究,男女比例为3∶1.其中4例由白色念珠菌感染所造成,4例为热带念珠菌感染,8例为曲霉感染.临床结果:4例肝衰竭合并白色念珠菌感染患者,其中3例治愈出院,1例死于肝衰竭.4例肝衰竭合并热带假丝酵母感染患者,其中2例治愈出院,1例死于肺部感染,1例死于肝衰竭.8例肝衰竭合并肺曲菌病感染患者中,5例感染控制,其中2例治愈出院,2例接受肝移植,1例死于肝衰竭.3例肺部感染加重,死于呼吸衰竭.结论 伊曲康唑治疗肝衰竭合并侵袭性肺部真菌感染安全有效,可以作为治疗肝衰竭合并侵袭性肺部真菌感染患者的选择.