Expression of Ceruloplasmin in the Peripheral Blood of Patients With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

This study was performed to detect the expression of ceruloplasmin in the peripheral blood of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and explore the mechanisms of iron metabolism disorder in drug-resistant epilepsy. Peripheral blood was collected from 32 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, labeled the drug-resistant group; 30 patients who were drug responsive, labeled the drug-responsive group; and 34 healthy people, named the normal group.The expression levels of ceruloplasmin mRNA and ceruloplasmin protein in the peripheral blood of the 3 groups were detected using real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The differences in the expression of ceruloplasmin mRNA of different seizure frequencies and types, electroencephalogram abnormal discharges, and different medication methods were analyzed and compared. The relative expression of ceruloplasmin mRNA and ceruloplasmin protein in the drug-resistant epilepsy group was significantly higher than that in the drug-responsive group (P = .002 and .010, respectively) and higher in the drug-responsive group compared with the normal group (P = .014 and .005, respectively). The relative expression of ceruloplasmin mRNA in patients with epilepsy using different medication methods was statistically significant (P = .001). Patients who received a combination of 2 or 3 drugs exhibited a higher expression than those treated with single-drug treatment, whereas those who received a combination of 3 drugs had a higher expression than those with 2 drugs (P = .013, .001, and .011, respectively). There was no significant difference in the relative expression of Cp mRNA in patients with epilepsy with different seizure frequencies and types and abnormal electroencephalogram discharges (all P > .05). The increased expression of ceruloplasmin in the peripheral blood of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy was closely related to the different medication methods, but no obvious correlation with epileptic seizure frequencies or types and abnormal electroencephalogram discharges was identified. The increased expression of ceruloplasmin enhanced iron oxidative damage and may be the potential mechanism of drug-resistant epilepsy and may be one of the drug resistance indicators for combination drugs when treating drug-resistant epilepsy.

20S proteasome and glyoxalase 1 activities decrease in erythrocytes derived from Alzheimer's disease patients.

As a result of accumulating methylglyoxal and advanced glycation end products in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, it is considered a protein precipitation disease. The ubiquitin proteasome system is one of the most important mechanisms for cells to degrade proteins, and thus is very important for maintaining normal physiological function of the nervous system. This study recruited 48 individuals with Alzheimer's disease (20 males and 28 females aged 75 ± 6 years) and 50 healthy volunteers (21 males and 29 females aged 72 ± 7 years) from the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities (Baise, China) between 2014 and 2017. Plasma levels of malondialdehyde and H2O2 were measured by colorimetry, while glyoxalase 1 activity was detected by spectrophotometry. In addition, 20S proteasome activity in erythrocytes was measured with a fluorescent substrate method. Ubiquitin and glyoxalase 1 protein expression in erythrocyte membranes was detected by western blot assay. The results demonstrated that compared with the control group, patients with Alzheimer's disease exhibited increased plasma malondialdehyde and H2O2 levels, and decreased glyoxalase 1 activity; however, expression level of glyoxalase 1 protein remained unchanged. Moreover, activity of the 20S proteasome was decreased and expression of ubiquitin protein was increased in erythrocytes. These findings indicate that proteasomal and glyoxalase activities may be involved in the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease, and erythrocytes may be a suitable tissue for Alzheimer's disease studies. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities (approval No. YJ12017013) on May 3, 2017.

Network meta-analysis of the efficacy and adverse effects of several treatments for advanced/metastatic prostate cancer.

This network meta-analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of several treatments for advanced/metastatic prostate cancer (PC). The PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of treatments for advanced/metastatic PC. Eighteen studies covering 6,340 patients were included in this analysis. The calculated were odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) curve. Pairwise meta-analysis showed that overall survival rates achieved with radiotherapy or endocrine therapy were lower than obtained with radiotherapy + endocrine therapy. The endocrine therapy includes estrogen therapy, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRH-A), anti-androgen therapy (ADT), ADT + LHRH-A and estrogen therapy + LHRH-A, and its SUCRA values indicated that for overall response rate, estrogen therapy + LHRH-A ranked the highest (92.6%); for overall survival rate, ADT ranked the highest (75.2%); for anemia, estrogen therapy ranked the highest (88.2%); and for diarrhea and hot flushes, ADT ranked the highest (diarrhea, 87.4%; hot flushes, 89.3%). Cluster analysis on the endocrine therapy showed that ADT + LHRH-A achieved the highest overall survival and overall response rates in the treatment of advanced/metastatic PC. Estrogen therapy and ADT had the lowest incidences of diarrhea and anemia. Thus, combined radiotherapy + endocrine therapy had higher overall survival rate, and among the endocrine therapy, in terms of overall response rate and overall survival rate, ADT + LHRH-A may be a better regimen in the treatment of advanced or metastatic PC.

[Effects of irrigation fluid absorption on system during mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of irrigation fluid absorption on system hemodynamics, fluid-electrolyte and hormone during mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy. METHODS: In this study 128 patients with renal calculus or calculus of superior ureter from January 2007 to February 2008 were collected. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), plasma osmotic pressure (POP), fluid-electrolyte, serum creatinine (Cre), renin, angiotensin II and aldosterone were determined before and after operation. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and oxygen saturation (SPO(2)) were recorded dynamically every 30 min. RESULTS: The HR speeded up accompanied with the irrigation time. When compared with before operation, POP, Cl(-), renin and Cre were significantly increased after operation; Hb, Hct and K(+) were significantly decreased after operation; MAP, SPO(2), Na(+), aldosterone and angiotensin II did not change significantly after operation. No serious surgery-related complication occurred in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Irrigation fluid is absorbed during mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The absorption amount is positively correlated with irrigation time. Changes of hemodynamics, fluid-electrolyte balance and renin may be caused by the irrigation fluid absorption.