The Relationship Between Serum Netrin-1 Expression Levels and Prognosis in Revascularized Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the relationship between serum netrin-1 expression levels and acute prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within 24 hours after revascularization. METHODS: A total of 121 revascularized patients admitted to the Jinshan Branch of the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, China, between July 2019 and July 2021 were selected as study subjects. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score three months after revascularization: patients with an mRS score >2 were classified into the unfavorable prognosis group and others into the favorable prognosis group. Those with serum netrin-1 expression levels greater than the median of all patients were classified into the elevated protein group and others into the decreased protein group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors for prognosis in patients with AIS after revascularization. RESULTS: The differences between the unfavorable prognosis group and the favorable prognosis group in gender, age, coronary heart disease, and netrin-1 levels were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and number of patients with comorbid hypertension in the unfavorable prognosis group were significantly higher than in the favorable prognosis group (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NIHSS score before revascularization was an independent risk factor for unfavorable prognosis but that netrin-1 expression levels were not significantly associated with prognosis in patients after revascularization. CONCLUSIONS: Serum netrin-1 expression levels in the acute phase are not significantly associated with prognosis in patients with AIS after revascularization.

[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in treatment of lower limb peripheral arterial disease in diabetes patients: analysis of 150 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the technical success rate and short-term clinical results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in treatment of lower limb peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. METHODS: 150 consecutive DM patients PAD (176 limbs) with Fontaine degree I - IV were treated with PTA and followed up for 5 months (1 - 16 months). The result with the residual stenosis < 30% was regarded as success. RESULTS: Totally 187 PTA procedures were performed in 150 patients (176 limbs) with a technical success rate of 91.4% (161/176)). No serious complication occurred. The clinical symptoms of all patients improved after successful PTA. The median ankle-brachial index (ABI) marginally increased from the baseline value of 0.34 +/- 0.27 to 0.96 +/- 0.24 after intervention. The ABI levels 1 month and 6 months after PTA were 0.88 +/- 0.34 and 0.71 +/- 0.26 respectively. The cumulative restenosis rate was 13.7%, and the reintervention rate was 7.2%. CONCLUSION: With high success rate, low complication rate, and sure curative effect, PTA can be performed as the first choice in treatment of the lower limb PAD in DM patients.

[Effects of Refined Xuefu Capsule on vascular patency rate after femoral-popliteal bypass].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of refined Xuefu Capsule (RXC) in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) after femoral-popliteal bypass (FPB). METHODS: Thirty-eight ASO patients with 41 limbs underwent FPB were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group (18 cases with 20 operated limbs) and the RXC group (20 cases with 21 operated limbs). All patients received long-term anticoagulant treatment with Warfarin, and RXC was given to the RXC group additionally for 3 months. Changes of clinical symptoms, blood coagulating function, as well as the condition of vascular patency and ankle arm index (AAI) were assessed 6 and 12 months after operation. RESULTS: Clinical symptoms were improved in all the patients after operation. One year after operation, incidence of intermittent claudication and amputation rate in the RXC group was 20% and 5 %, being lower than the respective rate (56% and 17%) in the control group (P < 0.05); the patency rate was 86% in the RXC group, being higher than that in the control group (65%, P<0.05). Six and 12 months after operation, AAI was 0.73 +/- 0.24 and 0.69 +/- 0.19 respectively in the RXC group, being significantly higher than that in the control group (0.45 +/- 0.17 and 0.41 +/- 0.23, P < 0.05) at the corresponding time points. CONCLUSION: RXC could obviously increase the patency rate 12 months after FPB, improve the clinical symptoms and alleviate the symptom of limb ischemia in ASO patients.

Newborn screening of inherited metabolic diseases by tandem mass spectrometry.

Application of TMS technology in newborn screening has resulted in major expansion of disorder panel for metabolic diseases in recent years. This automated, multiplex testing methodology detects multiple analytes from single analysis of one blood spot, which leads to detection of 30-35 disorders of amino acids, organic acids, and fatty acids metabolism. The early identification of persons affected with inborn errors of metabolism has led to unexpected discoveries related to the natural history of the disorder or options for therapy. This article summarized (1) the basic principles of this technology and methodology. (2) Current status of application of this methodology in the United States, European countries and in China. (3) The positive impacts on the public health and advances in medical genetics. Finally (4) Challenges, issues and possible solutions. The purpose of this article aimed at introducing new technology and exploring the possibilities of implementing into developing countries where medical genetics is not developed and foreseeing the possible problems and obstacles.

Effect of Huangkui on mouse podocytes under high glucose environment / Efecto de Huangkui en podocitos de ratón en un entorno de glucosa alta

To explore a new underlying molecular mechanism of Huangkui Extract Powder (HKEP) in the alleviation of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Murine immortalized podocytes were divided into (i) normal glucose (NG, 5.6 mM), (ii) NG + HKEP (0.45 g/L), (iii) HG, and (iv) HG + HKEP (0.45 g/L) groups. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the podocyte proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle. Cell viability was inhibited, and apoptosis increased in(iii) HG group compared with (i) NG group (p<0.05). mRNA and protein expression of nephrin and podocin significantly decreased in (iii) HG group compared with (i) NG group (p<0.05). When compared with (iii) HG group, (iv) HG + HKEP group had higher cell viability, lower apoptotic rate and higher mRNA and protein expression of nephrin and podocin (p<0.05). HKEP can attenuate HG-induced podocyte damage, which may be one of the mechanisms of HKEP for attenuating DN.

Explorar un nuevo mecanismo molecular subyacente del extracto del polvo de Huangkui (HKEP) en el alivio de la nefropatía diabética (ND). Los podocitos murinos inmortalizados se dividieron en (i) grupos de glucosa normal (NG, 5,6 mM), (ii) NG + HKEP (0,45 g/L), (iii) HG y (iv) HG + HKEP (0,45 g/L). Se utilizaron el ensayo MTT y la citometría de flujo para detectar la proliferación de podocitos, la apoptosis y el ciclo celular. La viabilidad celular se inhibió y la apoptosis aumentó en el grupo (iii) HG en comparación con el grupo (i) NG (p<0,05). La expresión de ARNm y proteínas de nefrina y podocina disminuyó significativamente en el grupo (iii) HG en comparación con el grupo (i) NG (p<0,05). En comparación con el grupo (iii) HG, el grupo (iv) HG + HKEP tuvo una mayor viabilidad celular, una tasa de apoptosis más baja y una expresión de ARNm y proteínas más altas de nefrina y podocina (p<0,05). HKEP puede atenuar el daño de los podocitos inducido por HG, que puede ser uno de los mecanismos de HKEP para atenuar la DN.

Contrasting effects of fish oil and safflower oil on hepatic peroxisomal and tissue lipid content.

To examine the mechanism by which fish oil protects against fat-induced insulin resistance, we studied the effects of control, fish oil, and safflower oil diets on peroxisomal content, fatty acyl-CoA, diacylglycerol, and ceramide content in rat liver and muscle. We found that, in contrast to control and safflower oil-fed rats, fish oil feeding induced a 150% increase in the abundance of peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase in liver but lacked similar effects in muscle. This was paralleled by an almost twofold increase in hepatic peroxisome content (both P < 0.002 vs. control and safflower). These changes in the fish oil-fed rats were associated with a more than twofold lower hepatic triglyceride/diacylglycerol, as well as intramuscular triglyceride/fatty acyl-CoA, content. In conclusion, these data strongly support the hypothesis that n-3 fatty acids protect against fat-induced insulin resistance by serving as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha ligands and thereby induce hepatic, but not intramuscular, peroxisome proliferation. In turn, an increased hepatic beta-oxidative capacity results in lower hepatic triglyceride/diacylglycerol and intramyocellular triglyceride/fatty acyl-CoA content.