Application of Component Apheresis in Pre-deposited Autotransfusion.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effects of preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) using apheresis in patients who underwent elective surgical procedures, and investigate its clinical usefulness. METHODS: Data from 109 patients who underwent general and orthopedics elective surgery were analyzed in this study. Patients were divided into three groups: control group, patients who did not donate autologous blood; whole blood (WB) PABD group, patients who underwent preoperative autologous WB donation; autologous apheresis group, patients who donated autologous blood using erythrocytapheresis. Hb, Hct, and PLT levels in all patients were measured and compared before the operation and on postoperative days one and three. Furthermore, postoperative recovery indexes in the three groups were compared including allogeneic blood transfusions and postoperative hospitalization days. RESULTS: Hb, Hct, and PLT levels in the three groups after the operation were lower than levels before the operation. However, Hb levels were higher than 110 g/L and the Hct levels were not less than 33%. Differences in Hb and Hct drop values on postoperative days one and three among the three groups were statistically significant (P>0.05). Furthermore, PLT level in the control group was lower than in the WB PABD group and autologous apheresis group (P<0.05). PABD using erythrocytapheresis reduced blood transfusion (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Erythrocytapheresis PABD led to an equal or even better postoperative recovery effect than WB PABD, and erythrocytapheresis PABD is feasible for blood transfusion therapy in patients undergoing elective surgical procedures.

Protective effects of a composition of Chinese herbs-Gurigumu-13 on retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in DBA/2J glaucoma mouse model.

AIM: To explore the concrete mechanism of a Mongolian compound medicine-Gurigumu-13 (GRGM) for glaucoma treatment. METHODS: DBA/2J mice, as glaucoma models, were intragastric administrated with GRGM to study the effect of GRGM on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The loss of RGCs was evaluated with the number of RGCs and axons. The expression of the target protein of RGCs or mouse retinas was determined by Western blot. The relative content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was examined by ELISA assay. RESULTS: GRGM distinctly improved retina damage via increasing the number of neurons, RGCs and axons in a concentration dependent manner. Meanwhile, GRGM obviously decreased the high level of MDA and the expression of oxidative stress-related proteins in retinas of DBA/2J mice, but promoted the expression of antioxidant proteins. Additionally, GRGM also significantly inhibited the protein expression of Bip and Chop, which were markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSION: GRGM have obvious protective effects on RGCs in DBA/2J mice, and increase the number of RGCs and axons via inhibiting oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

GRGM-13 comprising 13 plant and animal products, inhibited oxidative stress induced apoptosis in retinal ganglion cells by inhibiting P2RX7/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of GRGM-13 on oxidative stress induced apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and revealed its possible mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Caspase-3 activity, MDA level, and glutathione peroxidase level were detected by Caspase-3 assay kit, Lipid Peroxidation MDA Assay Kit, and Total Glutathione Peroxidase Assay Kit, respectively. Protein levels of Bax, Bcl-2, p-p38 and p38 were observed by Western Blot. Reactive oxygen species assay kit was used to determine intracellular ROS level. Apoptotic cells were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: GRGM-13 inhibited apoptosis of RGCs and ROS level in rat retinal tissue and RGC-5 cells, and the decrease degree strengthened with the increase of GRGM-13 concentration. In addition, ROS upregulated p-p38 expression, while GRGM-13 reversed this effect. We also found that p38 inhibitor SB202190 did not change L-glutamate (Glu) or H2O2-induced ROS level, while SB202190 inhibited apoptosis of RGC-5 cells. Finally, we observed that P2 × 7R agonist BzATP reversed the inhibition effect of GRGM-13 on RGC-5 cell apoptosis, ROS level and p-p38 expression, while si-P2 × 7R inhibited oxidative stress-induced phosphorylation of p38. CONCLUSION: GRGM-13 could inhibit oxidative stress-induced RGCs apoptosis via inhibiting P2RX7/p38 MAPK pathway, which revealed the possible mechanism of GRGM-13 on stress-induced RGCs apoptosis and provided new Chinese medicine for the treatment of glaucoma.