Modulation of locomotor activity by substance P in rats

The effects of intraperitoneally or intracerebrally (DA A-10 area) administered substance P (SP) on locomotor activity of rats were studied in an exact 12-h light/12-h dark cycle changing from dark to light at 6 a.m. SP was administered either at 11 a.m. (light phase, minimal locomotor activity) or at 7 p.m. (dark phase, maximal locomotor activity). The effects of 12.5 micrograms/kg SP intracerebral and 125 micrograms/kg SP intraperitoneal were very similar. In the light phase SP produces excitation but inhibition of locomotion in darkness. Hence, the effect of SP depends on the internal mechanisms controlling motor activity and tends to level off the spontaneous circadian oscillation. We found a long lasting SP effect during both the light and dark period. The present experiments led us to the conclusion that SP has a levelling effect on locomotor activity. Probably this effect might be explained as SP's action on the dopaminergic pathway or dopamine metabolism, because the dopamine content in neurons also has a circadian rhythm.     

Studies on plating efficiency and estimation of viability of suspensions of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells

Mild sonication was used to obtain single cell suspensions of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. These cells were intact by microscopic criteria. Direct cell counts in a given inoculum and colony formation on various media were used to determine plating efficiency. Sonicated and nonsonicated cell suspensions were used to study plating efficiency and to estimate viability by means of vital dyes. Methylene blue, Erythrosin B, and Janus green were unreliable when used with P. brasiliensis, but vital dyes were accurate when tested with Candida albicans.Acridine orange gave more meaningful results of viability. Estimates of viability, however, changed significantly as a result of relatively minor alterations in the composition of the suspending medium.In initial experiments, the plating efficiency of P. brasiliensis was dismally low. It descended abruptly with increasing dilution of inoculum. Efficiency was much improved if horse serum was added to brain heart infusion plates or if glucose glycine yeast extract (GGY) plates were incubated at room temperature and mycelial colonies were counted. With the technique we report, current plating efficiency of sonicated suspensions is of the order of 25 %. Our results and procedures have an important bearing upon those studies concerned with in vitro killing of P. brasiliensis in suspensions or with isolating this fungus from clinical or environmental specimens.     

入院时血清钙水平与高血压性脑出血血肿体积、神经功能及预后的关系研究

摘要 目的：探讨入院时血清钙水平与高血压性脑出血血肿体积、神经功能及预后的关系。方法：选择2018年9月-2020年4月我院收治的高血压性脑出血患者102例,根据患者入院时血清钙水平将其分为低血钙组（血清钙<2.1 mmol/L, n=34）、正常血钙组（2.1 mol/L≤血清钙≤2.7 mmol/L, n=39）和高血钙组（血清钙>2.7 mmol/L, n=29）,比较各组性别、血肿体积、入院美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表（NIHSS）评分等临床资料。所有患者随访1年,观察患者格拉斯哥预后量表（GOS）评分,根据患者预后情况将患者分为预后良好组（n=84）和预后不良组（n=18）,比较两组血清钙、血肿体积、入院NIHSS评分、GOS评分。应用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清钙水平对患者预后的预测价值。结果：三组血肿体积、入院NIHSS评分、GOS评分、1年病死率、1年再出血率、总预后不良率比较有统计学差异（P<0.05）。预后不良组血清钙水平、GOS评分显著低于预后良好组,血肿体积、入院NIHSS评分显著高于预后良好组（P<0.05）。Pearson相关性分析显示：高血压性脑出血患者入院时血清钙水平与脑出血血肿体积、入院NIHSS评分呈负相关,与GOS评分呈正相关（P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示入院时血清钙预测高血压脑出血不良预后的曲线下面积为0.129（95%CI：0.073~0.179）。结论：高血压性脑出血患者入院时血清钙水平与血肿体积、神经功能及预后存在一定关联,且入院时血清钙对高血压性脑出血不良预后具有一定预测价值。     

Acetazolamide alleviates sequelae of hyperglycaemic intracerebral haemorrhage by suppressing astrocytic reactive oxygen species

Abstract

Hyperglycaemia is associated with the poor outcome after intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). Acetazolamide (AZA), a kind of carbonic anhydrogenase (CA) inhibitor, its effectiveness in ICH had been reported. However, the connections between AZA and ICH, especially in hyperglycaemia condition had never been defined. In this study, adult Sprague–Dawley rats were administered with vehicle or streptozotocin (STZ) to render them into normoglycaemic (NG) or hyperglycaemic (HG), respectively. Collagenase was then injected into the striatum. The NG or HG ICH rats treated with vehicle control or 5?mg/kg AZA (oral gavage) underwent haemorrhagic area assessments on the 1st, 4th, and 7th day after ICH. The coverage of pericytes was examined by immunohistochemistry. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assessed in mouse astrocyte cell line treated with vehicle or 20?μmol/L of AZA in culture media according to two different glucose concentrations. AZA reduced the haematoma size, improved neurobehavioral functions, suppressed astrocytic ROS production in vitro, and preserved cerebral pericytes coverage, which are even more remarkable in HG conditions. The present study indicates that AZA may alleviate some sequelae after ICH, especially in poorer prognostic HG rats through the suppression of astrocytic ROS production.     

Growth hormone and outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage: a pilot study

Background: Endocrine alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis are one of the first measurable physiological changes in cerebral insults. During acute stress, human growth hormone (GH) is stimulated and has shown to have a prognostic value in various diseases. Within this pilot study, we evaluated the prognostic value of GH in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: In a prospective observational study in 40 consecutive patients with ICH, GH was measured on admission. The prognostic value of GH to predict 30-day mortality and 90-day functional outcome was assessed. Favorable functional outcome was defined as Barthel Index score >85 points and Modified Rankin Scale <3 points.

Results: GH levels were increased in patients who died within 30 days as compared to survivors (0.45 (IQR 0.20–1.51) vs. 1.51 (IQR 0.91–4.08) p?=?0.03), and in patients with an unfavorable functional outcome as compared to patients with a favorable functional outcome after 90 days 0.28 (IQR 0.16–0.61) vs. 0.78 (IQR 0.31–1.99) p?=?0.03). For mortality prediction, receiver-operating-characteristics revealed an area under the curve (AUC) on admission for GH of 0.78 (95% CI 0.60–0.96), which was in the range of the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) (AUC 0.82 (95% CI 0.59–1.00) p?=?0.80). For functional outcome prediction, GH had an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.54–0.87), which was statistically not different from the GCS (AUC 0.81 (95% CI 0.68–0.94) p?=?0.36).

Conclusions: In our small cohort of patients with acute ICH, elevated GH level were associated with increased mortality and worse outcome. If confirmed in a larger study, GH levels may be used as an additional prognostic factor in ICH patients. (ClincalTrials.gov number NCT00390962).     

微创颅内血肿清除术治疗高血压脑出血的效果分析

目的:探讨微创颅内血肿清除术在高血压脑出血治疗中的应用效果。方法:选择我院收治的80例高血压脑出血患者(2014年12月至2015年12月),通过随机数字表将其分为实验组和对照组。在患者知情同意基础上,实验组患者(42例)采用微创颅内血肿清除术进行治疗,而对照组患者(38例)使用开颅血肿清除术进行治疗。观察并比较两组患者治疗前后颅内压、GCS评分(格拉斯哥昏迷评分)、神经功能,同时对两组患者治疗有效性以及安全性进行评价。结果:治疗前,两组患者颅内压、神经功能以及GCS评分无明显差异性(P0.05),而治疗后,实验组患者上述指标值明显优于对照组,且差异性明显(P0.05)。实验组患者总有效率明显高于对照组(P0.05),而不良反应发生率却低于对照组(P0.05)。结论:颅内血肿清除术治疗高血压脑出血不仅能有效降低颅内压,改善患者神经功能及其昏迷症状,并且安全性较高。     

一组有或无CT 脑灌注" 点征"的自发性脑内出血患者临床效果观察

目的:观察有或无CT脑灌注"点征"自发性脑内出血(sICH)患者的临床疗效。方法:以本院2013年5月~2015年5月就诊的100例s ICH,均接受基线CT脑灌注检查,依据是否有"点征"将患者分为观察组(有"点征")与对照组(无"点征"),24内行CT平扫复查,比较两组影像学结果及临床结果。并通过Logistic多因素分析影响s ICH患者预后不良(死亡)危险因素。结果:观察组24h内CT平扫复查血肿增长6 mL以上、血肿增长相对值33%及以上比率均明显高于对照组(P0.05);观察组血肿进展发生率、3个月内死亡率分别为63.04%、36.96%,显著高于对照组的14.81%、7.41%(P0.05)。Logistic回归分析发现sICH患者预后不良独立危险因素包括基线血肿体积、"点征"。结论:有或无CT脑灌注"点征"自发性脑内出血患者血肿进展、预后不同,基线血肿体积、"点征"为sICH患者预后不良的独立危险因素。     

神经内镜手术与小骨窗开颅手术治疗高血压脑出血疗效对比的回顾性研究

摘要 目的：回顾性对比神经内镜手术与小骨窗开颅手术治疗高血压脑出血（HICH）疗效。方法：回顾性选取2018年7月~2021年3月期间在联勤保障部队第909医院治疗的83例HICH患者的临床资料。根据手术方式的不同,将患者分为A组（n=41）和B组（n=42）,A组患者采用小骨窗开颅手术治疗,B组患者采用神经内镜手术治疗,对比两组围术期指标、并发症发生率、神经功能、生活能力、神经损伤指标及预后。结果：与A组相比, B组的手术时间、住院时间明显缩短,术中出血量减少,血肿清除率升高（P<0.05）。B组术后1周美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表（NIHSS）评分低于A组,Barthel指数评分高于A组（P<0.05）。B组术后1周神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）、S100B 蛋白（S100B）、髓鞘碱性蛋白（MBP）、胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）水平低于A组（P<0.05）。B组的并发症发生率小于A组（P<0.05）。B组的预后良好率高于A组（P<0.05）。结论：神经内镜手术、小骨窗开颅手术治疗HICH均可获得较好的疗效,其中神经内镜手术在缩短手术时间、住院时间,减少术中出血量和并发症发生率,提高血肿清除率,减轻神经功能损伤,促进患者生活能力改善,改善患者预后方面的效果更为显著。     

An Imported Case of Blastomyces Dermatitidis Infection in Mexico

Blastomycosis is an acute or chronic primary infection of the respiratory system, endemic in North America (United States of America and Canada), Africa and Asia. We report a case in Mexico, in a three years old child who had been born in California and lived in Chicago, U.S.A. The patient presented pulmonary symptoms prior to development of a skin ulcer. Blastomyces dermatitidis was identified by mycological and molecular procedures. The patient was successfully treated with amphotericin B, oral ketoconazole and itraconazole.