INTRAARTERIAL INJECTION OF IODINATED CONTRAST MEDIUM FOR CONTRAST ENHANCED COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OF THE EQUINE HEAD

Minimizing the volume of contrast administered for contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the equine head is desirable for reducing costs and risks of adverse reactions, however evidence‐based studies on the effects of varying volumes on image quality are currently lacking. The objective of the current study was to determine whether low‐volume intraarterial administration of contrast medium would result in an equivalent image quality and tissue attenuation vs. high‐volume intravenous bolus administration. A prospective cross‐over experimental design was used in a sample of six horses. After anesthetic induction, the right carotid artery was exposed surgically and catheterized. Four CT scans of the cranium were performed for each horse: baseline, immediately following intraarterial contrast injection, five‐min postinjection (return to baseline) and a final scan after intravenous contrast administration. Soft tissue attenuation in predetermined regions of interest (ROI); and length, width, and height measurements of the pituitary gland were recorded at each time point. Horses were euthanized and measurements of the pituitary gland were repeated postmortem. No adverse reactions to contrast administration were observed. Intraarterial and intravenous administration of contrast medium resulted in significantly greater soft tissue enhancement of some brain ROI's and the pituitary gland vs. baseline values. Pituitary gland measurements made on postcontrast CT images did not differ from those obtained during postmortem examination. Findings indicated that low‐dose intraarterial administration of contrast material in the equine head resulted in comparable soft tissue enhancement vs. high volume intravenous administration.     

Effects of capsaicin on cognitive impairment and mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion

AIM:To observe the effects of capsaicin on cognitive impairment and mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs) of hippocampal CA1 area in the rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH), and to investigate the underlying molecule mechanism of cognitive defects induced by ischemia. METHODS:Healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats(n=48) were randomly divided into sham operation (sham) group,CCH model (CCH) group, capsaicin group,and solvent group, 12 rats in each group. Capsaicin at 2.5 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected twice a week for 4 weeks, starting on the 7th day after surgery. The rats in solvent group were given the same amount of solvent at the same time and under the same conditions. Morris water maze, object recognition test and open field test were conducted to analyze the cognitive related behavior performance on the 4th week after surgery. The changes of MAMs in the hippocampal CA1 region were observed under transmission electron microscope, the co-localization of the MAMs was observed by immunofluorescence double-labeling, and the expression of mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) in the hippocampal tissue was determined by Western blot.RESULTS:Four weeks after the operation, the behavior tests showed that the cognitive function of CCH rats was impaired compared with sham operation group. Compared with solvent group, spatial learning and memory in capsaicin group was improved significantly. The results of transmission electron microscope and confocal microscope showed that the distance of MAMs in the hippocampal CA1 area of CCH rats was increased compared with sham operation group, and the co-localization of the contacts was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with solvent group, the correlation between the mitochondria and ER in capsaicin group was increased (P<0.05). The protein level of Mfn2 in CCH group was significantly lower than that in sham group (P<0.05). Compared with solvent group, the protein level of Mfn2 in capsaicin group was higher (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:CCH rats showed decreased cognitive function and loosen MAMs. Capsaicin improves the cognitive behavior of CCH rats by up-regulation of MAMs.     

血浆D-二聚体和超敏C反应蛋白检测在急性脑梗死中的临床价值

目的探讨血浆D-二聚体(D-dimer,D-D)及超敏C反应蛋白(high-sensitivity C-reactive protein,hs-CRP)水平与急性脑梗死(acute cerebral infarct,ACI)的关系。方法采用免疫透射比浊法检测102例ACI患者和50例正常对照者血浆D-D和hs-CRP水平。根据梗死灶大小102例ACI患者分为大梗死灶组、中梗死灶组和小梗死灶组,并进行相关统计分析。结果 ACI组患者血浆D-D和hs-CRP水平显著高于正常对照组(P0.01);大梗死灶组D-D和hs-CRP水平明显高于中、小梗死灶,而中梗死灶组D-D和hs-CRP水平高于小梗死灶组。结论监测血浆D-D和hs-CRP能为ACI的临床诊断、病情判断提供重要的参考依据。     

Effects of noninvasive delayed limb ischemic preconditioning on prognosis of myocardial infarction

AIM: To study the effects of noninvasive delayed limb ischemia preconditioning (NDLIP) on animal cardiac function, myocardial morphology and myocardial apoptosis after myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Healthy SD male rats[n=45, weighing (250±10) g] were randomly divided into 3 groups:MI group:the animal model of MI was established by surgical ligation of left anterior descending artery (LAD) after 2 weeks; NDLIP group:after the success of the MI animal model, NDLIP was carried out every other day until the 4th, 6th and 8th weeks; sham group:as the negative control group, the animals were taken heart LAD threading but no ligation. All rats were fed conventionally. At the end of the 4th, 6th and 8th weeks, all rats were made ventricular intubation, and then the hemodynamic parameters were recorded. The blood samples were withdrawn from the abdominal aorta and the serum was separated via centrifugation. The serum contents of Bcl-2 and Bax were measured by ELISA. Left ventricular anterior wall was homogenized. The mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ in the myocardial tissues were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: At the end of the 4th, 6th and 8th weeks, compared with MI group, left ventricular systolic pressure in NDLIP group was significantly increased, while left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in NDLIP group was significantly decreased (both P<0.05). Mitochondrial respiratory chain complexesⅠ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ in NDLIP group were significantly increased (P<0.05). The serum level of Bcl-2 in NDLIP group was significantly increased and Bax level was reduced remarkably (both P<0.01). CONCLUSION: NDLIP improves the hemodynamic indexes, promotes the mitochondrial respiratory function and inhibits cell apoptosis, thus improving the prognosis of MI.     

Effect of SAPK/JNK signal pathway on neuronal apoptosis in cerebral infarction rats

AIM: To investigate the molecular mechanism of neuronal apoptosis by observing the changes of key proteins in SAPK/JNK and Bcl-2/Bax signal pathways after brain infarction. METHODS: The cortical infarction was induced by photochemistry, namely photothrombotic cortical injury (PCI). Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: PCI group and sham-operated group. The ipsilesional cortex was harvested for histomorphometry and transmission electron microscopy 7 days after PCI. Some key proteins including p-JNK1, p-JNK2, p-c-Jun, p-ATF-2, total JNK1, total JNK2, Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by Western blotting analysis.RESULTS: The cortical infarction in rats was successfully induced by photochemistry. The apoptosis of neurons in cortex was more obvious in PCI group than that in sham-operated group 7 days after PCI. The levels of p-JNK1, p-JNK2, p-c-Jun and p-ATF-2 in PCI group were significantly higher than those in sham-operated group, whereas the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was significantly lower(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Apoptosis is a major contributor to neuronal loss induced by cerebral hypoxia-ischemia for a long period after cortical infarction. The process is related to some apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2/Bax and the SAPK/JNK signal pathways activated by ischemic injury.     

Effects of pioglitazone on myocardial energy metabolism and hemodynamics in rats with myocardial infarction

AIM: To observe the effects of pioglitazone on myocardial energy metabolism and hemodynamics in rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: The model of MI was established by ligation of left anterior descending artery. The 20 surviving rats were randomly divided into MI group (n=10) and pioglitazone intervention group (P group,n=10, pioglitazone 3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 orally). The sham-operated rats (SH, n=10) served as controls. Hemodynamic parameters were measured. The ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight (LVW/BW) and the ratio of right ventricular weight to body weight (RVW/BW) were calculated after 8-week treatment. The expression of PPARγ was examined by Western blotting. Mitochondrial respiratory function was determined by Clark oxygen electrodes. The size of adenine acid pool (ATP, ADP and AMP) in mitochondria was measured by HPLC. The adenine nucleotide translocator(ANT) activity was detected by the atractyloside-inhibitor stop technique. RESULTS: Compared with SH group, the protein expression of PPARγ was significantly decreased in MI group (P<0.01). The mitochondrial respiratory activity, the transport activity of ANT and the high-energy phosphate content were decreased in MI group (P<0.01), and the hemodynamic parameters were in disorder (P<0.01). Compared with MI group, the protein expression of PPARγ in P group was significantly increased. The mitochondrial respiratory activity, the high-energy phosphate content, the transport activity of ANT were improved (P<0.01). However, the hemodynamic parameters were not significantly changed.CONCLUSION: Pioglitazone increases the protein expression of PPARγ and improves myocardial energy metabolism in the development of heart failure in the rat model of myocardial infarction, but dose not change the hemodynamic parameters significantly.     

Transplantation of bcl-2 gene-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells improves cardiac function and angiogenesis in rabbit ischemic car-diac insufficiency model

AIM: To investigate the effects of transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) modified by bcl-2 gene on myocardial cell apoptosis, angiogenesis and cardiac function in the rabbit after acute myocardial infarction (MI).METHODS: The rabbit BMSCs were isolated, cultured and purified in vitro. The BMSCs were transfected with adenovirus or adenovirus-Bcl-2. The rabbit model of MI was established by ligation of left anterior descending branch. The rabbits were injected with Ad-Bcl-2-BMSCs (MI+Bcl-2-BMSCs group), Ad-BMSCs (MI+BMSCs group) and DMEM (MI group) in infarction marginal zone 2 weeks after ligation. The cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography.The apoptosis of myocardial cells was measured by TUNEL. The mRNA expression of VEGF was detected by real-time PCR. The expression of CD31 was examined by immunohistochemical staining, and new blood capillaries were counted at 4 weeks after BMSCs transplantation. The correlation of the above values with cardiac function was analyzed.RESULTS: The cardiac function was better, the apoptotic rate was lower, the mRNA expression of VEGF and the capillary density were higher in both MI+Bcl-2-BMSCs group and the MI+BMSCs group than those in MI group, and those in MI+Bcl-2-BMSCs group increased more obviously.The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) had a negative correlation with the myocardial cell apoptosis rate. A positive correlation with the mRNA expression level of VEGF and the capillary density was also observed.CONCLUSION: The transplantation of BMSCs modified by bcl-2 gene significantly reduces the myocardial cell apoptosis, promotes angiogenesis, improves heart function of the rabbits with MI.     

Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 and neuroglobin in piglet cortex during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest

AIM: To observe the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) and neuroglobin (NGB) in piglet cortex during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. METHODS: Wuzhishan piglets were randomly assigned to cardiopulmonary bypass group (CPB group), 40 min of circulatory arrest (CA) at 18 ℃ without cerebral perfusion (DHCA group) or with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP group). After 180 min of reperfusion, cortical tissue was harvested for determining HIF-1α and NGB expression by HE staining, Western blot and real-time PCR. RESULTS: Severer cerebral injury was observed in DHCA group than that in SACP group. After 180 min of reperfusion, HIF-1α protein and mRNA levels were significantly higher in DHCA group than those in CPB group (P<0.05). Accordingly, SACP animal had higher levels of HIF-1α protein and mRNA than those in DHCA group (P<0.05). Simultaneously, higher NGB protein and mRNA levels were found in DHCA group than those in CPB group after 180 min of reperfusion (P<0.05). The SACP animal had higher levels of NGB protein and mRNA than those in DHCA group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Up-regulation of HIF-1 and NGB are involved in the mechanism against cerebral injury resulting from DHCA in the cortex and possibly a part of cerebral protective effect of SACP.     

脑络通胶囊对大鼠局灶性脑缺血模型的影响

目的观察脑络通胶囊对大鼠大脑中动脉缺血模型的影响。方法通过线栓法建立大鼠大脑中动脉(MCA)局灶性脑缺血模型,动物经给药3次,观察脑络通胶囊对脑缺血大鼠的行为状态、脑缺血面积、脑组织形态学的作用。结果脑络通胶囊1.72、0.86、0.43g/kg剂量均能明显改善大鼠脑缺血后的行为状态,缩小缺血范围,降低缺血程度,使病变的脑组织得到明显地改善。     

温度对蝴蝶兰成花诱导的影响

【目的】探讨适宜蝴蝶兰抽梗的温度，为生产管理提供依据，也为难催花品种及低温替代提供参考。【方法】以‘火凤凰’蝴蝶兰袋苗为材料，在人工气候箱条件下，采用单因素随机区组试验设计方法，设置 5个温度处理，分别为 29/22、26/19、23/16、20/13、17/10 ℃（日 / 夜），每个处理温差均为 7 ℃，昼夜光周期10 h/14 h，相对湿度 75%。【结果】26/19 ℃处理后蝴蝶兰抽梗时间最早，处理后 30 d 抽梗，抽梗率为 100%，抽梗指数为 14.86；23/16 ℃处理后 36 d 抽梗，抽梗率达 100%，抽梗指数为 2.41；20/13 ℃处理后 40 d 抽梗，抽梗率为 95%，抽梗指数为 1.13。20~26 ℃处理抽梗前可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白质、丙二醛含量显著上升，抽梗后显著下降。抽梗前超氧化物歧化酶活性上升。【结论】蝴蝶兰最适抽梗温度为 26/19 ℃；29/22 ℃处理未抽出花序轴，表明高温条件下蝴蝶兰不能诱导开花；17/10 ℃处理引起低温伤害，培育一段时间后转移到较高温度可以抽出花梗，但花梗质量偏差。