Differentiall behavioral and adrenocortical responses to stress among three macaque species

Behavioral and adrenocortical responses of rhesus (Macaca mulatta), bonnet (M. radiata), and crabeating (M. fascicularis) macaques were compared in their home cages, during exposure to novelty and during physical restraint. Both behavioral and adrenocortical responses differentiated species in each condition. In all conditions, post-test corticosteroid levels were highest for crabeaters and lowest for rhesus. Rhesus were the most active behaviorally, and bonnets were the most passive, while crabeaters exhibited the greatest signs of behavioral disturbance. Relationships between adrenocortical and behavioral responses varied between groups. Both adrenocortical and behavioral profiles were in accord with the behavior of these three species under more natural conditions. The role of psychophysiological responses in general behavioral dispositions toward the environment is discussed. It is concluded that behavioral dispositions, inclusive of psychophysiological responses, may vary qualitatively even among closely related primate species.     

ACT与PEF在支气管哮喘缓解期管理中的应用

目的:观察在哮喘缓解期阶梯治疗中,哮喘控制测试(asthma control test,ACT)与最大呼气峰流速(PEF)作用的相关性,帮助支气管哮喘患者更加准确、简便的进行自我监测,提高患者的依从性。方法:选择我院哮喘专病门诊就诊的78例哮喘患者,吸入糖皮质激素(ICS)进行缓解期的阶梯治疗。要求每日早、晚监测PEF,并记录到哮喘日记上。每月哮喘专病门诊复诊一次,了解PEF值、PEF占个人预计值的百分比(PEFpred%),PEFpred%个人预计值80%为哮喘控制,PEFpred%个人预计值80%为哮喘未控制,同时进行ACT问卷,计算得分,20分为哮喘未控制;20~25分为哮喘控制。结果:ACT评分20~25分组与ACT评分20分组PEFpred%比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。PEFpred%个人预计值80%组与PEFpred%个人预计值80%组ACT评分比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。ACT评分与PEFpred%具有线性相关关系,P0.001。结论:在哮喘缓解期阶梯治疗中,ATC评分与PEF具有良好的相关性,对于没有条件或不能监测PEF的哮喘患者可以用ACT评分作为评估哮喘控制的指标,指导阶梯治疗。     

Enhanced resistance to infection with Haemonchus contortus in sheep treated with a corticosteroid

Adams D. B. and Davies H. I. 1982. Enhanced resistance to infection with Haemonchus contortus in sheep treated with a corticosteroid. International Journal for Parasitology12: 523–529. Fewer worms established from experimental infections with Haemonchus contortus in either immune or naive sheep or in sheep of undefined immune status given the corticosteroid, dexamethasone, around the time of challenge. In four experiments, the number of adult worms present in sheep treated with dexamethasone ranged from 32 to 36% of that in untreated animals. That the phenomenon did not stem from direct action of dexamethasone on the worms themselves was demonstrated by comparing continuous treatment with the drug from infection until patency with treatment given at infection and four days later. Sheep continuously treated with dexamethasone harboured similar numbers of worms as the infection controls whereas fewer parasites were found in sheep given dexamethasone around the time of infection. The results imply that active regulation of immunological unresponsiveness operates in sheep during infection with H. contortus and that disruption of immunoregulation by dexamethasone released protective responses thereby decreasing worm burdens. Because suppressor lymphocytes are implicated, cellular perturbations following treatment with dexamethasone were investigated. Dexamethasone did not cause marked lymphopenia. It, however, reduced blastogenic responses by lymphocytes to con A but not PHA. Comparison of responses to these mitogens in cells from blood and lymph demonstrates that con A and PHA-reactivity resides in identifiably different cell populations in sheep.     

Activity Monitoring of the Inhabitants in Tauwema,a Traditional Melanesian Village: Rest/Activity Behaviour of Trobriand Islanders (Papua New Guinea)

The inhabitants of Tauwema village represent a traditionally living society. Altogether, 39 inhabitants belonging to seven families were included in this study. Families or people living in one household were preferentially chosen for monitoring particularly the effects of social zeitgebers and synchronization within families. They were observed continuously for 7 consecutive days using microelectronic actometers that register locomotor activity with a sampling period of 2 minutes and a resolution of 7 bit. The activity data obtained showed that in young infants circadian patterns develop out of ultradian components dominating in the first months of life. The rhythmicity of the adults was well-related to the natural light-dark cycle, combined with a strong social component which is reflected in a comparatively small intra- and inter-individual variability in the time of the end of the main sleep span in the morning, while the variability in the beginning of the main sleep period in the evening is much greater. The mean sleep duration of the younger infants (up to 11 months; n =4) varied between 9 and 12 h per day and that of the adults (n = 23) between 7 and 10 h. Gender-specific differences occurred in married couples with wives having a longer sleep duration in 7 out of 9 cases.     

Long-acting beta-agonists plus inhaled corticosteroids safety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of non-randomized studies

Background

Although several systematic reviews investigated the safety of long-acting beta–agonists (LABAs) in asthma, they mainly addressed randomized clinical trials while evidence from non-randomized studies has been mostly neglected. We aim to assess the risk of serious adverse events in adults and children with asthma treated with LABAs and Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICs), compared to patients treated only with ICs, from published non-randomized studies.

Methods

The protocol registration number was CRD42012003387 (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/Prospero). Literature search for articles published since 1990 was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE. Two authors selected studies independently for inclusion and extracted the data. A third reviewer resolved discrepancies. To assess the risk of serious adverse events, meta-analyses were performed calculating odds ratio summary estimators using random effect models when heterogeneity was found, and fixed effect models otherwise.

Results

Of 4,415 candidate articles, 1,759 abstracts were reviewed and 220 articles were fully read. Finally, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of them were retrospective observational cohorts. Sample sizes varied from 50 to 514,216. The meta-analyses performed (69,939-624,303 participants according to the outcome considered) showed that odds ratio of the LABAs and ICs combined treatment when compared with ICs alone was: 0.88 (95% CI 0.69-1.12) for asthma-related hospitalization; 0.75 (95% CI 0.66-0.84) for asthma-related emergency visits; 1.02 (95% CI 0.94-1.10) for systemic corticosteroids; and 0.95 (95% CI 0.9-1.0) for the combined outcome.

Conclusions

Evidence from observational studies shows that the combined treatment of LABAs and ICs is not associated with a higher risk of serious adverse events, compared to ICs alone. Major gaps identified were prospective design, paediatric population and inclusion of mortality as a primary outcome.     

Corticosteroid-dependent differentiation of human marrow preadipocytes in vitro

Summary A unique population of human bone marrow-derived, adherent fibroblastlike cells differentiates to adipocyte morphology when grown in vitro in the presence of horse serum and hydrocortisone sodium hemisuccinate. Over the initial 8-weeks growth at 37°C, 7% CO₂, these cells accumulate Oil Red O-positive lipid and form colonies of over 100 cells, which persist in confluent cultures for over 30 weeks. Similar to cultures derived from mouse marrow, corticosteroid-induced adipocyte differentiation is associated with long-term granulopoiesis. Human marrow preadipocytes, as well as human, mouse and rat embryo fibroblast cell lines, failed to differentiate to adipocyte morphology in the presence of insulin. In contrast, the 3T3-L1 insulin-dependent preadipocyte cell line was not induced to differentiate in the presence of hydrocortisone. These studies demonstrate that human marrow preadipocytes are dependent upon corticosteroid for differentiation in vitro. Supported by National Cancer Institute Virus Cancer Program Contract NCI NO1-7-1051.     

不同疗程全身糖皮质激素对AECOPD患者的疗效与安全性Meta分析

目的通过系统评价比较不同疗程全身糖皮质激素治疗对AECOPD患者的有效性与安全性。方法计算机检索PubMed,EMBASE数据库,Cochrane图书馆中关于对AECOPD患者全身使用糖皮质激素的所有文献(使用随机对照实验)。检索时间从建库至2016年1月,并由2名评价者独立筛选文献、提取资料并评估纳入研究偏倚风险后,采用RevMan 5.0软件进行Meta分析。激素组按照疗程分为短期组(≤3天)和长期组(3天),分别在两组中按照起始剂量80mg泼尼松为界限分为高剂量组(≥80mg/d)和低剂量组(80mg/d)两个亚组,并进行分析。结果纳入文献11篇,涉及1142例患者。其中10篇文献涉及肺功能FEV1,在短期组中使用SCS后病人FEV1明显提高,Meta分析结果显示[MD=0.13,95%CI(0.08,019)],在短期组的中高剂量组为[MD=0.09,95%CI(0.03,0.16)],低剂量组为[MD=0.23,95%CI(0.12,0.33)],差异均有统计学意义。长期组与对照组比较,FEV1差异无统计学意义[MD=0.06,95%CI(-0.01,012)];在长期组的中低剂量组与对照组比较,差异有统计学意义[MD=0.14,95%CI(0.05,0.22)],高剂量组无统计学意义[MD=-0.06,95%CI(-0.16,0.04)]。激素组与对照组不良反应患者中,发生高血糖的Meta分析结果显示[OR=3.94,95%CI(2.15,7.24)],高剂量组[OR=3.50,95%CI(1.73,7.05)],低剂量组[OR=5.48,95%CI(1.58,18.96)],高低剂量激素组发生糖尿病的风险均较对照组增加,差异均有统计学意义。激素组与对照组及不同剂量亚组中二重感染、高血压、胃肠道出血等不良反应比较,差异无统计学意义。结论AECOPD患者行全身糖皮质激素治疗以低剂量短期疗法的效果较好,安全性更高。     

Methylprednisolone Attenuates Airway and Vascular Responses Induced by Reactive Oxygen Species in Isolated, Plasma-Perfused Rat Lungs

The effects of methylprednisolone (MP) on the acute airway and pulmonary vascular responses induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated in isolated, plasma-perfused rat lungs. ROS were generated by adding xanthine oxidase and hypoxan-thine to the perfusate. MP was administered in 3 different ways: 1. Added to the perfusate (1 mg*ml^-1) 5 min prior to xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine, 2. Given as intraperitoneal injections (40 mg*kg^-1) to lung donor rats 12 and 2 hours prior to the experiments, or 3. Combining 1 and 2. The lungs were perfused at constant volume inflow (15 ml*min^-1). Pulmonary arterial pressure and transpulmonary pressure were followed for 30 min after addition of xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine. ROS induced a powerful, acute broncho- and vasoconstriction, which was inhibited by addition of MP to the perfusate. Pretreatment with MP also inhibited the vascular and airway responses. Adding MP to the perfusate of pretreated lungs further reduced the ROS-induced smooth muscle constriction. In conclusion, MP inhibits vasoconstriction and bronchocon-striction induced by ROS in isolated rat lungs.