Interactions among Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase,Cardiovascular System,and Nociception during Physiological and Pathophysiological States

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) plays important roles within the cardiovascular system in physiological states as well as in pathophysiologic and specific cardiovascular (CV) disease states, such as hypertension (HTN), arteriosclerosis, and cerebrovascular accidents. This review discusses the roles of the endothelial NOS (eNOS) and its effect on cardiovascular responses that are induced by nociceptive stimuli. The roles of eNOS enzyme in modulating CV functions while experiencing pain will be discussed. Nociception, otherwise known as the subjective experience of pain through sensory receptors, termed “nociceptors”, can be stimulated by various external or internal stimuli. In turn, events of various cascade pathways implicating eNOS contribute to a plethora of pathophysiological responses to the noxious pain stimuli. Nociception pathways involve various regions of the brain and spinal cord, including the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), caudal ventrolateral medulla, and intermediolateral column of the spinal cord. These pathways can interrelate in nociceptive responses to pain stimuli. The alterations in CV responses that affect GABAergic and glutamatergic pathways will be discussed in relation to mechanical and thermal (heat and cold) stimuli. Overall, this paper will discuss the aggregate recent and past data regarding pain pathways and the CV system.     

中国泽泻科四属的花部综合特征及对传粉方式的适应性

对泽泻科中国产4属8种的花部综合特征的研究表明：长喙长莨泽泻（Ranalisma rostratum Stapf)、东方泽泻[Alisma orientale (Samuel.)Juz.]、窄叶泽泻（A.canaliculatumA.Braun et Bouche.）具有相对平滑的花粉粒及柱头表面、较低的花粉－胚珠比（P／O）和不发达的分泌结构,这些特征不大适合风煤或虫煤传粉而与其花前期闭花授粉（后二种亦有虫传粉）有关,小慈姑（Sagittaria potamogetifolia Merr.)、矮慈姑（S.pygmaea Miq.）和野慈姑（S.strifolia Linn.）的花部特征包括具刺状纹饰的花粉外壁、指状的柱头突起、相对较高的P／O比和较发达的花内分泌细胞,适应于风煤与虫媒兼性传粉方式,更倾向于虫媒粉,而同属的冠果草[S.guyanensis H.B.K.ssp.lappula(D.Don)Bojin]已适用于花才花授粉而只有甚低的P／O比,尽管泽苔草pCaldesia parnassifoia(Bassi ex Linn.)Parl.]光滑在柱头和花粉粒对虫媒粉或风媒传粉绋缺乏适应性,但该种的P／O比在所观察到的各种中却是最高的,这暗示它仍应是异花传粉的。     

家猫ACE2基因克隆、测序及生物信息学分析

本研究从家猫组织中扩增并鉴定血管紧张素转换酶2（angiotensin-converting enzyme 2，ACE2）基因，为阐明SARS相关冠状病毒（SARS-CoV）感染家猫的机制提供理沧依据．从家猫肺脏中提取总RNA，以Oligo dT-Adaptor为引物合成第一链cDNA，根据人及小鼠的ACE2基因mRNA序列设计系列引物，通过聚合酶链式反应，分段扩增出家猫ACE2基因的编码区的特异性片段并测序鉴定．家猫ACE2基因mRNA编码区共包括2418个核什酸，推测编码蛋白含805个氨基酸残基．其氨基酸序列与人、小鼠、大鼠ACE2氨基酸序列的同源性分别达到85％，81％和81%．利用多种生物信息学工具软件对家猫ACE2蛋白的理化及生物学性质进行分析．比较人、家猫、果子狸、小鼠、大鼠等ACE2序列中与SARS-CoV结合有关的3个功能区，发现家猫ACE2与人ACE2的同源性最高，提示家猫ACE2在SARS病毒跨种感染中可能发挥重要作用．     

In vivo measurement of tissue damage, oxygen saturation changes and blood flow changes after experimental traumatic brain injury in rats using susceptibility weighted imaging

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a prevalent disease, and many TBI patients experience disturbed cerebral blood flow (CBF) after injury. Moreover, TBI is difficult to quantify with conventional imaging modalities. In this paper, we utilized susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) as a means to monitor functional blood oxygenation changes and to quantify CBF changes in animals after trauma. In this study using six rats, brain trauma was induced by a weight drop model and the brain was scanned over four time points: pre trauma, and 4 h, 24 h and 48 h post trauma. Five rats survived and one died after trauma. A blood phase analysis using filtered SWI phase images suggested that three rats recovered after 48 h and two rats deteriorated. SWI also suggested that CBF decreased by up to 26%. The CBF change is in agreement with the results of arterial spin labeling methods conducted in this study and with previously published results. Furthermore, SWI revealed an enlargement of the major venous vasculature in deep brain structures, in accordance with the location of diffuse axonal injury. Compared with the traditional, invasive, clinical monitoring of cerebral vascular damage and reduction in blood flow, this method offers a novel, safe and noninvasive approach to quantify changes in oxygen saturation and CBF and to visualize structural changes in blood vasculature after TBI.     

Magnesium and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Datura alba Improve Cognitive Impairment and Blood Brain Barrier Leakage

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder involving persistent spontaneous seizures and uncontrolled neuronal excitability that leads to cognitive impairments and blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Currently available antiepileptic drugs present side effects and researchers are trying to discover new agents with properties to overcome these drawbacks. The aim was to synthesize magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles from Datura alba fresh leaf extracts and evaluate their anti-epileptic potential in mice kindling or a repetitive seizures model. The phytoassisted synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using spectroscopy; FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and EDX. Analysis of the NPs confirmed the crystalline pleomorphic shape using the salts of both zinc and magnesium possibly stabilized, functionalized and reduced by bioactive molecules present in plant extract. By using several characterization techniques, NPs were confirmed. UV-Vis spectroscopy of biologically produced ZnO and MgO revealed distinctive peaks at 380 nm and 242 nm, respectively. Our findings categorically demonstrated the reductive role of biomolecules in the formation of ZnO and MgO NPs. The mice kindling model was induced using seven injections of Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ, 40 mg/kg, i.p) for 15 days alternatively. The results showed that mice post-treated with either ZnO or MgO nanoparticles (10 mg/kg, i.p) significantly improved in respect of behavior and memory as confirmed in the Morris water maze (MWM), open field (OF), novel object recognition (NOR) test compared with PTZ treated mice. Furthermore, the ZnO and MgO nanoparticle treatment also maintained the integrity of the BBB, reducing the leakage, as confirmed by Evans blue dye (EBD) compared with PTZ treated mice only. In summary, the current finding demonstrates that green synthesized ZnO and MgO nanoparticles have neuroprotective, ant-epileptic potential, molecular mechanisms, and clinical implications need to be further explored.     

碰撞/反应池电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法测定血液中16种元素

采用直接稀释法,使用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪测定血液中元素的过程中,由于血液样本成分复杂,容易产生较大的基体效应,同时一系列多原子离子(例如,⁴⁰Ar¹⁶O⁺、⁴⁰Ar⁴⁰Ar⁺等)会影响与其有相同质荷比核素的检测,进而影响测定结果。通过使电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICP-MS)分别工作在标准模式、氦气模式和氢气模式下,对比仪器的氧化物离子产率(CeO/Ce)、双电荷离子产率(Ba⁺⁺/Ba)、灵敏度与检出限情况,同时对氢气模式时仪器上述指标优于其他两种模式的潜在机理进行分析;随后再使用氢气作为碰撞/反应池气体,使用直接稀释法分析全血标准品以及小鼠血液样本中16种元素的含量情况。结果表明,使用氢气作为碰撞/反应池气体时,氧化物离子产率(CeO/Ce)、双电荷离子产率(Ba⁺⁺/Ba)、灵敏度与检出限情况优于标准模式和氦气模式,且16种元素在0.5～100.0μg/L线性关系良好(R²≥0.999...     

Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Dementia in Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Studies

Down Syndrome (DS) is considered the most frequent form of Intellectual Disability, with important expressions of cognitive decline and early dementia. Studies on potential treatments for dementia in this population are still scarce. Thus, the current review aims to synthesize the different pharmacological approaches that already exist in the literature, which focus on improving the set of symptoms related to dementia in people with DS. A total of six studies were included, evaluating the application of supplemental antioxidant therapies, such as alpha-tocopherol; the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor drugs, such as donepezil; N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, such as memantine; and the use of vitamin E and a fast-acting intranasal insulin. Two studies observed important positive changes related to some general functions in people with DS (referring to donepezil). In the majority of studies, the use of pharmacological therapies did not lead to improvement in the set of symptoms related to dementia, such as memory and general functionality, in the population with DS.     

Cardiovascular Signal Entropy Predicts All-Cause Mortality: Evidence from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

In this study, the relationship between cardiovascular signal entropy and the risk of seven-year all-cause mortality was explored in a large sample of community-dwelling older adults from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). The hypothesis under investigation was that physiological dysregulation might be quantifiable by the level of sample entropy (SampEn) in continuously noninvasively measured resting-state systolic (sBP) and diastolic (dBP) blood pressure (BP) data, and that this SampEn measure might be independently predictive of mortality. Participants’ date of death up to 2017 was identified from official death registration data and linked to their TILDA baseline survey and health assessment data (2010). BP was continuously monitored during supine rest at baseline, and SampEn values were calculated for one-minute and five-minute sections of this data. In total, 4543 participants were included (mean (SD) age: 61.9 (8.4) years; 54.1% female), of whom 214 died. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between BP SampEn and all-cause mortality. Results revealed that higher SampEn in BP signals was significantly predictive of mortality risk, with an increase of one standard deviation in sBP SampEn and dBP SampEn corresponding to HRs of 1.19 and 1.17, respectively, in models comprehensively controlled for potential confounders. The quantification of SampEn in short length BP signals could provide a novel and clinically useful predictor of mortality risk in older adults.     

Quantification of Zonisamide in Dried Blood Spots and Dried Plasma Spots by UPLC–MS/MS: Application to Clinical Practice

In this research, a UHPLC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of zonisamide in dried plasma spots (DPS) and dried blood spots (DBS). Detection of zonisamide and internal standard, 1-(2,3-dichlorphenyl)piperazine, was carried out in ESI+ mode by monitoring two MRM transitions per analyte. Total run time, less than 2.5 min, was achieved using Acquity UPLC BEH Amide (2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 µm particle size) column with mobile phase comprising acetonitrile–water (85:15%, v/v) with 0.075% formic acid. The flow rate was 0.225 mL/min, the column temperature was 30 °C and the injection volume was 3 µL. Desolvation temperature, desolvation gas flow rate, ion source temperature and cone gas flow rate were set by the IntelliStart software tool in combination with tuning. All of the Guthrie cards were scanned, and DPS/DBS areas were determined by the image processing tool. The influence of hematocrit values (20–60%) on accuracy and precision was evaluated to determine the range within which method for DBSs is free from Hct or dependency is within acceptable limits. The validated method was applied to the determination of zonisamide levels in DPS and DBS samples obtained from patients confirming its suitability for clinical application. Finally, the distribution of zonisamide into the red blood cells was estimated by correlating its DPS and DBS levels.