Protective effect of breviscapine against brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation in preterm rats and its mechanism / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the protective effect of breviscapine against brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation in preterm rats and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#A preterm rat model of brain injury caused by intrauterine inflammation was prepared by intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide in pregnant rats. The pregnant rats and preterm rats were respectively randomly divided into 5 groups: control, model, low-dose breviscapine (45 mg/kg), high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg), and high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg)+ML385 [a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor, 30 mg/kg] (n=10 each). The number and body weight of the live offspring rats were measured for each group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of the uterus and placenta of pregnant rats and the pathological morphology of the brain tissue of offspring rats. Immunofluorescent staining was used to measure the co-expression of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 (IBA-1) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in the cerebral cortex of offspring rats. ELISA was used to measure the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the brain tissue of offspring rats. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of Nrf2 pathway-related proteins in the brain tissue of offspring rats.@*RESULTS@#Pathological injury was found in the uterus, and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, and severe microglia pyroptosis occurred in the cerebral cortex of the offspring rats in the model group. Compared with the control group, the model group had significant reductions in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), but significant increases in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the breviscapine administration groups showed alleviated pathological injury of the uterus and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, significant increases in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), and significant reductions in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). The high-dose breviscapine group had a significantly better effect than the low-dose breviscapine (P<0.05). ML385 significantly inhibited the intervention effect of high-dose breviscapine (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Breviscapine can inhibit inflammatory response in brain tissue of preterm rats caused by intrauterine inflammation by activating the Nrf2 pathway, and it can also inhibit microglial pyroptosis and alleviate brain injury.

Long-term intermittent fasting induces abnormal lipid accumulation in mouse liver / 生理学报

Short-term intermittent fasting (IF) is beneficial to weight control in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but the impact of long-term IF is not clear. In this study, healthy C57BL/6N mice with 4-month alternate day fasting (ADF) were used to study the effects of long-term IF on systemic and liver lipid metabolism. The results showed that, compared with the Ad Libitum group, the weight and food conversion rate of mice in the ADF group were markedly decreased and increased respectively, and the liver index and the liver content of triglyceride were significantly increased by pathological examination. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the mRNA expression of the lipogenesis gene Pparγ and lipolysis gene Atgl was up-regulated in the ADF group (P < 0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the ratio of microtubule associated protein LC3-II/LC3-I was increased, while the abundance of autophagy adaptor protein p62 was decreased in the ADF group. In addition, autophagy signal positive regulation key factor AMPK phosphorylation was increased (P < 0.05), and negative regulation factor mTOR phosphorylation was decreased (P < 0.05) in the ADF group, indicating that hepatocyte autophagy activity was elevated. Taken together, ADF for 4 months results in an excessive liver triglyceride accumulation, accompanied by a marked decrease in liver mTOR phosphorylation and a significant increase in hepatic autophagy.

Analysis of the clinical characteristics and risk factors of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients with critical burns / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients with critical burns. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted. From January 2017 to December 2021, two hundred and twenty-seven critically burned aldult patients who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, including 173 males and 54 females, aged 19-83 (43±14) years. The admission years of patients were collected, and the percentage of patients complicated with POAF in each year was calculated. According to whether the patients were complicated with POAF or not, they were divided into POAF group (n=17) and non-POAF group (n=210). Following data were collected in patients in POAF group, including operation methods, duration of operation, intraoperative blood loss before occurrence of POAF each time, occurrence time and times of POAF, postoperative body temperature, blood pressure, hemoglobin, blood glucose, blood lactate, sepsis, and electrolyte, and type, duration, and treatment of POAF. General data of patients in the two groups including age, gender, burn reason, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) and sepsis-related organ failure evaluation (SOFA) scores on admission, combined with underlying diseases (hypertension, diabetes, and other types of arrhythmias), and sepsis were collected and analyzed. The mortality and factors influencing the prognosis of patients in the two groups such as mechanical ventilation time, operations times, and burn intensive care unit (BICU) length of stay were also collected and analyzed. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test or Kruskal-Wallis H test. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the general data with statistically significant differences between the two groups, and the independent risk factors influencing the onset of POAF in 227 patients with critical burns were screened. Results: From 2017 to 2021, the percentage of critically burned patients complicated with POAF increased year by year. In POAF group, eschar debridement in limbs was the main surgical procedure prior to POAF complication, with the operation time of (3.5±1.2) h and the intraoperative blood loss volume of (365±148) mL.The POAF occurred 25 times in total in patients of POAF group, mostly within one week after the injury and within 6 hours after the operation with most of these patients having POAF only once. When POAF happened, the patients were often complicated with hypothermia, anemia, hyperglycemia, high blood lactate, sepsis, and electrolyte disturbance, and few patients had complications of hypotension. The POAF lasted (5±3) h, with all being paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and most of POAF patients were reverted to sinus rhythm after amiodarone intervention. Most patients in the two groups suffered from flame burn, and the gender, age, and SOFA score on admission of patients in the two groups were similar (P>0.05); the APACHEⅡ score on admission, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, incidence proportion of sepsis, combined with diabetes and hypertension and other types of arrhythmias of patients in POAF group were significantly higher or larger than those in non-POAF group (t=3.47, with χ2 values of 7.44, 10.86, 12.63, 14.65, 6.49, and 7.52, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The full-thickness burn area, combined with other types of arrhythmias, and sepsis were the independent risk factors for POAF in 227 critically burned patients (with odds ratios of 4.45, 0.04, and 3.06, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals of 2.23-8.87, 0.01-0.22, and 1.77-5.30, respectively, P<0.01). Compared with those in non-POAF group, the mechanical ventilation time, BICU length of stay, number of operations, and mortality rate of patients in POAF group were significantly increased (Z=3.89, Z=2.57, t=3.41, χ2=3.72, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: POAF is a common postoperative complication in critically burned patients, and the incidence is increasing year by year, which seriously affects the prognosis of patients. The full-thickness burn area together with other types of arrhythmias and sepsis are the high-risk factors for POAF complication in patients with critical burns.

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Pain Transition and Content of Protein Kinase Cε in Dorsal Root Ganglia in Hyperalgesia Rats / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA)on mechanical pain transition and content of protein kinase C epsilon(PKCε)in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in inflammatory articular pain rats，so as to explore its peripheral mechanism underlying relieving transition from acute to chronic pain. METHODS: 1)In the first part of the present study，male SD rats were equally randomized into blank control，sham hyperalgesic priming(HP), and real HP groups(n＝6 in each). The HP model was established by subcutaneous injection of 1% carrageenan (100 µL) into the left hind paw (the first injection)，followed by injection of PGE 2 (100 ng/25 µL, the second injection) into the dorsum pedis of the same hind paw 7 days after the first injection. The mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) of the ipsilateral paw was detected before and 4, 24, 48, 72 h, and 7 d after the first injection，and 1, 4, 24 and 48 h after the second injection. 2) In the second part，SD rats were randomly divided into sham-HP，real HP，sham-EA and EA groups(n＝6 in each). The sham-HP and HP models were made in the same way as those in the first part. Bilateral "Zusanli"(ST 36)and "Kunlun"(BL 60)were punctured with filiform needles and also stimulated with electrical current：2 Hz/100 Hz，0.5－1.5 mA(0.5 mA increase per 10 min)for 30 min，1 time/d from the 1st carrageenan injection on till the end of the experiments. PKCε protein expression in the L 4－L 6 DRGs was assayed by Western blot 48 h after the second injection. RESULTS: 1)In the first part of the study，compared with the sham-HP group，the MWT at 4, 24、48 h after carrageenan injection and 4, 24 and 48 h after PGE 2 injection were significantly decreased in the HP model group(P<0.01). 2)In the second part，compared with the HP group，the MWT at 24、48 and 72 h after carrageenan injection, and 24 and 48 h after PGE 2 injection were significantly up-regulated in the EA group(P<0.05，P<0.01). 3)The relative content of PKCε in the DRGs(L 4－L 6)was significantly higher in the HP group than in the sham-HP group(P<0.01)，but considerably lower in the EA group than in the HP group (P<0.01)．. CONCLUSION: EA has a good effect on pain conversion in inflammatory joint pain rats，which may be related to its effect in down-regulating the PKCε level in the ipsilateral lumbar DRGs.

Mechanisms of gross saponins of Tribulus terrestris via activating PKCepsilon against myocardial apoptosis induced by oxidative stress / 药学学报

This study is to observe the effect of gross saponins of Tribulus terrestris (GSTT) on protein kinase Cepsilon (PKCepsilon) and apoptosis-associated protein in the apoptosis of cultured cardiocyte apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and to explore the mechanisms of GSTT against myocardial apoptosis. Primary cardiocytes were isolated and cultured. Myocardial apoptosis was induced by H2O2 and analyzed with flow cytometry. Protein content of phospho-PKCepsilon, Bcl-2, and Bax were detected with Western blotting analysis. Cleaved caspase-3 protein content was determined with immunocytochemical technique. After the pretreatment of 100 mg x L(-1) GSTT, compared with H2O2 group, GSTT could not only decrease the apoptotic percentage in cardiocytes damaged by H2O2 (P < 0.01), but also reduce protein contents of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 (P < 0.01), and increase protein content of phospho-PKCepsilon and Bcl-2 significantly (P < 0.01). PKC inhibitor chelerythrine (Che) could prevent partly the effect of GSTT against myocardial apoptosis (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Mechanisms of GSTT against myocardial apoptosis might be associated with inhibition of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway after PKCepsilon activation.