Lynggreer7318

Although the suppressive action of synthetic steroids on the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis is established, little is known regarding the effect of the administration of synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

In the context of a randomized, open label, comparative study assessing the efficacy and safety of ACTH and betamethasone in the treatment of hospitalized patients with acute gout, we compared the effects of these agents on thyroid function tests.

Serum TSH, total T4 and T3 and cortisol were measured before and at 24 and 48h after a single intramuscular dose of synthetic ACTH (1mg) or betamethasone (6mg), in 38 hospitalized patients with acute gout and normal thyroid function.

The final analysis included 32 patients, due to missing data. The ACTH and betamethasone groups did not differ regarding the mean age, gender, severity of gout attack, and baseline thyroid parameters. In the ACTH group TSH and T4 were significantly decreased at 24 and at 48h compared to baseline, while T3 was decreased at 24 but not at 48h. In the betamethasone group T3 remained stable; TSH and T4 decreased significantly from baseline levels at 24h; at 48h, TSH had returned to and T4 showed a partial rebound towards pre-treatment values.

A single IM administration of 1mg of synthetic ACTH has more profound and prolonged effects on the HPT axis, lasting for at least 48h, compared to a single IM dose of 6mg betamethasone.

A single IM administration of 1 mg of synthetic ACTH has more profound and prolonged effects on the HPT axis, lasting for at least 48 h, compared to a single IM dose of 6 mg betamethasone.Neurotoxicity is thought to be one of the causes of lidocaine-associated neurological complications; however, the mechanisms underlying lidocaine-related neurotoxicity are still unclear. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are novel mediators of neurotoxicity, and their role in lidocaine-induced neurotoxicity needs to be explored. Here, we established a rat model of lidocaine-induced neurotoxicity via the repetitive intrathecal administration of 10% lidocaine. Thereafter, microarray and bioinformatics analyses were performed to evaluate the changes in lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the lumbar spinal cord of the treated rats. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was also employed for verification. The lidocaine-treated rats (group L) showed elevated paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) as well as histopathological injuries in the lumbar spinal cord compared with the control saline-treated rats (group N). Further, relative to group N, microarray analysis showed 179 and 675 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and DEmRNAs in the lumbar spinal cord of rats in the group L, respectively. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses of the DEmRNAs showed that the most significantly enriched functions and pathways were those associated with cell cycle and immuno-inflammatory processes. Furthermore, coding-noncoding co-expression analysis showed multiple lncRNAs that were co-expressed with factors that regulate inflammation. Additionally, by constructing a preliminary competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis, we established a regulatory network of the lncRNAs and mRNAs that are potentially involved in lidocaine-induced neurotoxicity. In conclusion, our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of lidocaine-induced neurotoxicity; this has significance with respect to the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Hepatic energy metabolism is a dynamic process modulated by multiple stimuli. In nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), human studies typically focus on the static fasting state. We hypothesized that unique postprandial alterations in hepatic lipid metabolism are present in NAFLD.

In a prospective clinical study, 37 patients with NAFLD and 10 healthy control subjects ingested a standardized liquid meal with pre- and postprandial blood sampling. Postprandial plasma lipid kinetics were characterized at the molecular lipid species level by untargeted lipidomics, cluster analysis, and lipid particle isolation, then confirmed in a mouse model.

There was a specific increase of multiple plasma diacylglycerol (DAG) species at 4 hours postprandially in patients with NAFLD but not in controls. This was replicated in a nonalcoholic steatohepatitis mouse model, where postprandial DAGs increased in plasma and concomitantly decreased in the liver. The increase in plasma DAGs appears early in the disease course, is is still unknown whether the increased exposure to hepatic DAGs contributes to extrahepatic manifestations and cardiovascular risk in NAFLD, our study highlights the importance of extending NAFLD research beyond the fasting state.The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is locally expressed in skeletal tissue and is known to affect bone health. This study investigated the therapeutic effects and potential mechanisms of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) captopril (CAP) in a rat model of glucocorticoid-induced femoral head necrosis (GIONFH). Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSC) from mice treated with dexamethasone (DEX) in vitro and methylprednisolone (MPS)-induced rats in vivo were used to explore the effects and mechanisms of CAP, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected in vitro by the CCK-8 assay, apoptosis by Annexin V-FITC-PI and Western blotting, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the DCFH-DA probe. Osteogenic ability was assessed by alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red staining. In vivo hematoxylin and eosin staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, micro-computed tomography, RT-PCR, and Western blotting were also performed. The in vitro data showed that CAP promotes DEX-induced mBMSC proliferation, reduces apoptosis and ROS accumulation, and promotes osteogenesis. However, these protective effects were partially counteracted by A-779, a specific Mas-receptor antagonist. In vivo experiments showed that CAP prevented MPS-induced osteonecrosis, attenuated inflammation levels, and corrected bone metabolism and bone loss while reversing MPS-induced upregulation of ACE1, AT1-receptor, and RANKL expression and downregulation of ACE2, Mas-receptor, and osteoprotegerin expression. Taken together, these findings demonstrate for the first time that CAP exerts anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and osteoprotective effects against GIONFH by activating the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas receptor signaling pathway, which expands a new strategy for the treatment of orthopedic diseases.Several studies have suggested that phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors may be a disease-modifying for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cilostazol (CSZ) has been shown to be a new treatment for cognitive impairment with limited efficacy. Our aim was to investigate the effect of caffeine on the efficacy of CSZ against STZ-induced type 2 diabetes (T2D)-related cognitive impairment in high fat/high fructose fed rats. The efficacy of low doses of caffeine, CSZ, and CSZ plus caffeine against abnormal behavioral, biochemical, histological, or genetic changes of animal models of AD was examined. Eight weeks treatment with CSZ plus caffeine was more effective than CSZ or caffeine in improving impaired behavioral tests for cognition and memory. Histological examination exhibited a significant augmentation in the efficacy of CSZ by caffeine in protecting neurons from damage in T2D rats. Importantly, CSZ and caffeine normalized the accumulation of Amyloid beta (Aβ-42) and phosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) positive cells in the brain of T2D rats. this website CSZ or CSZ plus caffeine reversed low glutamate gene expression, elevated cholinesterase level, and elevated caspase-3 activity in T2D rats. Furthermore, CSZ plus caffeine was significantly more effective than CSZ or caffeine in inhibiting the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level, total oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines and glucogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) in the hippocampus of T2D rats. Also, CSZ plus caffeine was more effective than CSZ or caffeine in alleviating insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia in T2D rats. Our findings suggest the possibility of effective treatment of AD by enhancing the therapeutic potential of CSZ through combined treatment with lower doses of caffeine. The enhancement of CSZ effect by caffeine is attributed to the increased inhibitory effect of CSZ on insulin resistance, GSK-3β activity, hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines.Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease with unknown etiology. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-fibrotic effects of heterophyllin B, a natural product from Radix Pseudostellariae having anti-inflammatory and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. In bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF mouse model, heterophyllin B treatments (5 or 20 mg/kg/d) significantly attenuated BLM-induced alveolar cavity collapse, inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar wall thickening and collagen deposition. When compared to model group, heterophyllin B treatments also increased adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation levels by 359% (P less then 0.001) and reduced the expression of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) by 73% (P less then 0.001). Furthermore, co-administration of heterophyllin B with AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin (Compound C) significantly blocked the improvement effects of heterophyllin B on BLM-damaged lung tissue, and also increased the protein expression of STING which was inhibited by heterophyllin B in fibrotic lungs (P less then 0.001). It is known that alveolar epithelia and lung fibroblasts exert prominent roles in the fibrosis progression. In the present study we found that, in vitro, heterophyllin B significantly inhibited alveolar epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and lung fibroblast transdifferentiation. We also found that the inhibition of heterophyllin B on lung fibroblast transdifferentiation and STING expression was reversed by Compound C. To summarize, heterophyllin B exhibited protective effects on BLM-induced lung fibrosis potentially by inhibiting TGF-Smad2/3 signalings and AMPK-mediated STING signalings.Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with several retinal degenerative diseases including Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups are inherited from a common ancestral clan and are defined by specific sets of genetic differences. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the effects of mtDNA haplogroups H and J on transcriptome regulation and cellular resilience to oxidative stress in human RPE cytoplasmic hybrid (cybrid) cell lines in vitro. ARPE-19 cybrid cell lines containing mtDNA haplogroups H and J were created by fusing platelets obtained from normal individuals containing H and J haplogroups with mitochondria-deficient (Rho0) ARPE-19 cell lines. These cybrids were exposed to oxidative stress using 300 μM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), following which mitochondrial structural dynamics was studied at varying time points using the mitochondrial markers - TOMM20 (Translocase of Outer Mitochondrial Membrane 20) and Mitotracker. To evaluate mitochondrial function, levels of ROS, ΔΨm and [Ca2+]m were measured using flow cytometry, and ATP levels were measured using luminescence.