Effect of aluminium on lipid peroxidation of human high density lipoproteins

We investigated the effect of aluminium (Al 3+ ) on lipid peroxidation and physico-chemical properties of high density lipoproteins (HDL) isolated from human plasma. Our results demonstrated that Al 3+ enhances lipid peroxidation of human HDL as shown by the significant increase in lipid hydroperoxides in Al-treated HDL with respect to control HDL. The oxidative effect was higher at acid pH (pH 5.5) with respect to pH 7.4. Moreover, a stimulating effect of Al 3+ on iron-induced lipid peroxidation of HDL was demonstrated. The study of the effect of Al 3+ on the physico-chemical properties of HDL, using the fluorescence polarization (Pf) of the probes TMA-DPH (1-(4-trimethylammoniumphenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene iodide) and DPH (1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene), showed a significant decrease of Pf in Al-treated HDL with respect to control. These results suggest that Al 3+ induces a decrease of molecular order at the lipoprotein surface. Moreover, the study of tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence demonstrated that aluminium induces structural modifications of HDL apoproteins and on HDL physico-chemical properties. The effect of Al 3+ on lipid peroxidation of HDL was observed at aluminium concentrations similar to those observed in the brain of patients affected by neurological diseases. Aluminium-induced oxidative damage of HDL could be involved in the development of neurological diseases.     

小剂量阿替普酶治疗急性脑梗死患者的临床疗效及安全性评价

目的:探讨急性脑梗死患者静脉溶栓使用小剂量(0.6 mg/kg)阿替普酶的临床疗效及安全性。方法:将2016年1月至2019年12月我院神经内科收治的溶栓时间窗内40例急性脑梗死患者随机分为标准剂量组(0.9 mg/kg)和小剂量组(0.6 mg/kg),每组20例,分别在溶栓前、溶栓后1小时对患者进行美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表(NIHSS)评分,溶栓前和溶栓后24小时做头颅CT排除脑出血,密切监测不良反应。结果:标准剂量组有效率为80.00%,小剂量组有效率为75.00%,两组比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗前两组NIHSS评分比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05),治疗后两组NIHSS评分均降低,与治疗前相比差异有统计学意义(P0.05),治疗后两组NIHSS评分差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。标准剂量组总不良反应发生率为40.00%,高于小剂量组的20.00%,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:阿替普酶可有效改善急性脑梗死患者的神经功能,小剂量(0.6 mg/kg)与标准剂量(0.9 mg/kg)溶栓效果相当,安全性较好,出血事件发生率较低,可根据患者情况酌情选用小剂量。     

芪蝎活血通络汤对局灶性脑缺血再灌注损伤模型大鼠神经功能、氧化应激及炎症因子的影响

目的:探讨芪蝎活血通络汤对局灶性脑缺血再灌注损伤模型大鼠神经功能、氧化应激及炎症因子的影响。方法:50只SD大鼠随机选取40只采用线栓法构建脑缺血再灌注模型,其中36只成功,4只死亡。随机数字表法将36只脑缺血再灌注模型大鼠分为模型组、低剂量组(芪蝎活血通络汤2.0 mg/kg灌胃处理)、中剂量组(芪蝎活血通络汤4.0 mg/kg灌胃处理)和高剂量组(芪蝎活血通络汤8.0 mg/kg灌胃处理),每组9只,剩余10只大鼠仅切开皮肤分离和夹闭血管(对照组)。建模后芪蝎活血通络汤各剂量组给予相应剂量灌胃,对照组和模型组给予同剂量生理盐水灌胃,持续4周。用药4周后测评各组大鼠神经功能缺损程度、双侧贴纸去除时间、平衡木过杆时间,并测定各组大鼠脑组织中含水量、脑梗死面积以及氧化应激[过氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、丙二醛(MDA)]和炎症因子[白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β),白细胞介素-6(IL-6),肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)]指标。结果:与对照组比较,模型组大鼠m NSS评分、脑组织含水量、MDA含量、IL-6、IL-1β、TNF-α水平升高(P<0.05),双侧贴纸去除时间、平衡木过杆时间延长(P<0.05),脑梗死面积增大(P<0.05),SOD、GSH-Px、CAT活性降低(P<0.05);与模型组比较,芪蝎活血通络汤各剂量组大鼠m NSS评分、脑组织含水量、MDA含量、IL-6、IL-1β、TNF-α水平降低(P<0.05),双侧贴纸去除时间、平衡木过杆时间缩短(P<0.05),脑梗死面积缩小(P<0.05),SOD、GSH-Px、CAT活性升高(P<0.05);与低剂量组比较,中、高剂量组大鼠m NSS评分降低(P<0.05),双侧贴纸去除时间、平衡木过杆时间缩短(P<0.05);高剂量组大鼠脑梗死面积、脑组织MDA、IL-6、IL-1β、TNF-α低于低剂量组(P<0.05),SOD、GSH-Px、CAT高于低剂量组(P<0.05)。结论:芪蝎活血通络汤可降低大鼠脑缺血再灌注损伤,改善神经功能,其治疗作用可能与抗氧化,抗炎作用有关,8.0 mg/kg剂量效果最显著。     

Complement-dependent cytotoxicity in neuromyelitis optica requires aquaporin-4 protein assembly in orthogonal arrays

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system in which binding of pathogenic autoantibodies (NMO-IgG) to astrocyte aquaporin-4 (AQP4) causes complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and inflammation. We previously reported a wide range of binding affinities of NMO-IgGs to AQP4 in separate tetramers versus intramembrane aggregates (orthogonal arrays of particles, OAPs). We report here a second, independent mechanism by which CDC is affected by AQP4 assembly. Utilizing lactate dehydrogenase release and live/dead cell cytotoxicity assays, we found in different cell lines, and with different monoclonal and patient-derived NMO-IgGs, that CDC was greatly (>100-fold) reduced in cells expressing M1- versus M23-AQP4. Studies using a M23-AQP4 mutant containing an OAP-disrupting mutation, and in cells expressing AQP4 in different M1/M23 ratios, indicated that NMO-IgG-dependent CDC requires AQP4 OAP assembly. In contrast, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity produced by natural killer cells did not depend on AQP4 OAP assembly. Measurements of C1q binding and complement attack complex (C9neo) supported the conclusion that the greatly enhanced CDC by OAPs is due to efficient, multivalent binding of C1q to clustered NMO-IgG on OAPs. We conclude that AQP4 assembly in OAPs is required for CDC in NMO, establishing a new mechanism of OAP-dependent NMO pathogenesis. Disruption of AQP4 OAPs may greatly reduce NMO-IgG dependent CDC and NMO pathology.     

A link between chemokine levels and disease severity in human African trypanosomiasis

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense infection is an important public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. This parasitic disease is difficult to diagnose due to insidious clinical signs and transient parasitaemias. The clinical course is marked by two stages of increasing disease severity. An early systemic parasitic invasion is followed by the development of a progressive meningo-encephalitis. During this latter stage, a broad spectrum of neurological signs appears, which finally lead to a demyelinating and fatal stage if untreated. Treatment is toxic and difficult to administer when the CNS is invaded. Therefore, accurate diagnostic methods for stage determination are needed. The classically used criteria are not sufficiently specific and mechanisms of parasite invasion through the blood-brain barrier remain poorly understood. As cytokines/chemokines are involved in the early recruitment of leukocytes into the CNS, this study has focused on their potential value to define the onset of CNS involvement. Levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/CCL-2, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α/CCL-3, IL-8/CXCL-8, regulated upon activation T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)/CCL-5 and IL-1β were measured in paired sera and CSF from 57 patients and four controls. Patients were classified into three groups (stage 1, intermediate and stage 2) according to current field criteria for stage determination (CSF cell count, presence of trypanosomes in CSF and neurological signs). In sera, cytokine/chemokine levels were poorly related to disease stage. Only CXCL-8 was higher in stage 1 patients when compared with stage 2 and CCL-5 was higher in controls when compared with patients. In contrast, in CSF the expression of the selected cytokines, except CCL-5, was associated with the presence of neurological signs, demonstrating their diagnostic value. We observed a relationship between the presence of trypanosomes or trypanosome-related compounds in CSF and levels of IL-1β, CXCL-8, CCL-2 and CCL-3. These cytokines and chemokines may be triggered by the parasite and hence are potential markers of CNS invasion.     

醒脑静联合纳洛酮对急性脑出血伴意识障碍患者神经功能、炎性因子和氧化应激的影响

摘要 目的：探讨纳洛酮联合醒脑静对急性脑出血（ACH）伴意识障碍患者炎性因子、神经功能和氧化应激的影响。方法：选取2017年2月~2019年12月期间我院收治的95例ACH伴意识障碍患者,按照随机数字表法将上述患者分为对照组（n=47）和研究组（n=48）,对照组患者予以纳洛酮治疗,研究组则在对照组的基础上联合醒脑静治疗,比较两组患者疗效、神经功能、炎性因子和氧化应激指标,记录两组不良反应发生情况。结果：研究组治疗10 d后的临床总有效率为91.67%（44/48）,高于对照组的74.47%（35/47）（P<0.05）。两组治疗10 d后美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表（NIHSS）评分,白介素-6（IL-6）、C反应蛋白（CRP）以及肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、丙二醛（MDA）水平均较治疗前下降,且研究组低于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗10 d后超氧歧化酶 (SOD)水平均较治疗前升高,且研究组高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应发生率对比未见统计学差异（P>0.05）。结论：醒脑静联合纳洛酮治疗ACH伴意识障碍患者,疗效显著,可有效改善患者神经功能、炎性因子和氧化应激,且安全性较好。     

Proteomic changes in the brain of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) during exposure to anoxia

During anoxia, overall protein synthesis is almost undetectable in the brain of the western painted turtle. The aim of this investigation was to address the question of whether there are alterations to specific proteins by comparing the normoxic and anoxic brain proteomes. Reductions in creatine kinase, hexokinase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate kinase reflected the reduced production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during anoxia while the reduction in transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase reflected the conservation of ATP or possibly a decrease in intracellular Ca²⁺. In terms of neural protection programed cell death 6 interacting protein (PDCD6IP; a protein associated with apoptosis), dihydropyrimidinase‐like protein, t‐complex protein, and guanine nucleotide protein G_(o) subunit alpha (G_o alpha; proteins associated with neural degradation and impaired cognitive function) also declined. A decline in actin, gelsolin, and PDCD6IP, together with an increase in tubulin, also provided evidence for the induction of a neurological repair response. Although these proteomic alterations show some similarities with the crucian carp (another anoxia‐tolerant species), there are species‐specific responses, which supports the theory of no single strategy for anoxia tolerance. These findings also suggest the anoxic turtle brain could be an etiological model for investigating mammalian hypoxic damage and clinical neurological disorders.     

A new liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of gangliosides in human plasma

Gangliosides are a family of glycosphingolipids characterized by mono- or polysialic acid-containing oligosaccharides linked through 1,3- and 1,4-β glycosidic bonds with subtle differences in structure that are abundantly present in the central nervous systems of many living organisms. Their cellular surface expression and physiological malfunction are believed to be pathologically implicated in considerable neurological disorders, including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. Recently, studies have tentatively elucidated that mental retardation or physical stagnation deteriorates as the physiological profile of gangliosides becomes progressively and distinctively abnormal during the development of these typical neurodegenerative syndromes. In this work, a reverse-phase liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) assay using standard addition calibration for determination of GM2, GM3, GD2, and GD3 in human plasma has been developed and validated. The analytes and internal standard were extracted from human plasma using a simple protein precipitation procedure. Then the samples were analyzed by reverse-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/MS/MS interfaced to mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization using a multiple reaction monitoring mode to obtain superior sensitivity and specificity. This assay was validated for extraction recovery, calibration linearity, precision, and accuracy. Our quick and sensitive method can be applied to monitor ganglioside levels in plasma from normal people and neurodegenerative patients.     

MicroRNA: Crucial modulator in purinergic signalling involved diseases

Both microRNAs (miRNAs) and purinergic signalling are widely and respectively expressed in various tissues of different organisms and play vital roles in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Here, we reviewed the current publications contributed to the relationship of miRNAs and purinergic signalling in cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, neurological diseases, and ophthalmic diseases. We tried to decode the miRNAs-purinergic signalling network of purinergic signalling involved diseases. The evidence indicated that more than 30 miRNAs (miR-22, miR-30, miR-146, miR-150, miR-155, miR-187, etc.) directly or indirectly modulate P1 receptors (A₁, A_2A, A_2B, A₃), P2 receptors (P2X1, P2X3, P2X4, P2X7, P2Y2, P2Y6, P2Y12), and ecto-enzymes (CD39, CD73, ADA2); P2X7 and CD73 could be modulated by multiple miRNAs (P2X7: miR-21, miR-22, miR-30, miR-135a, miR-150, miR-186, miR-187, miR-216b; CD73: miR-141, miR-101, miR-193b, miR-340, miR-187, miR-30, miR-422a); miR-187 would be the common miRNA to modulate P2X7 and CD73.