Elevated triglycerides and low triiodothyronine: Key risk factors for coronary artery calcification in patients with schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a well-established independent predictor of coronary heart disease, and patients with schizophrenia have significantly higher rates compared to the general population. We performed this study to examine the population-specific risk factors associated with CAC in patients with schizophrenia.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, patients with schizophrenia who underwent low-dose chest CT scans between January 2020 and December 2021 were analyzed. Ordinary CAC scores and results of routine blood tests were obtained. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for potential risk factors in patients with and without CAC, while the negative binomial additive model was used to explore the dose-response relationship between risk factors and CAC score.

RESULTS

Of the 916 patients, 233 (25.4 %) had CAC, while 683 (74.6 %) did not. After adjusting for confounding factors, higher triglyceride levels (OR = 1.20, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.04 to 1.38, p = 0.013) and low triiodothyronine levels (OR = 0.50, 95 % CI: 0.29 to 0.84; p = 0.010) were identified as risk factors for CAC. Both triglycerides (p = 0.021) and triiodothyronine (p = 0.010) were also found to have significant dose-response relationships with CAC scores according to the negative binomial additive model in the exploratory analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights elevated serum triglycerides and decreased triiodothyronine levels as population-specific risk factors for CAC in patients with schizophrenia, suggest the need for close monitoring of CAC in patients with schizophrenia and further prospective trials to provide additional evidence on this topic.

Human in vivo evidence of reduced astrocyte activation and neuroinflammation in patients with treatment-resistant depression following electroconvulsive therapy

AIM

The current study aimed to investigate the neuroinflammatory hypothesis of depression and the potential anti-inflammatory effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in vivo, utilizing astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (ADEVs) isolated from plasma.

METHODS

A total of 40 patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and 35 matched healthy controls were recruited at baseline, and 34 patients with TRD completed the post-ECT visits. Blood samples were collected at baseline and post-ECT. Plasma ADEVs were isolated and confirmed, and the concentrations of two astrocyte markers (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP] and S100β), an extracellular vesicle marker cluster of differentiation 81 (CD81), and nine inflammatory markers in ADEVs were measured as main analyses. In addition, correlation analysis was conducted between clinical features and ADEV protein levels as exploratory analysis.

RESULTS

At baseline, the TRD group exhibited significantly higher levels of two astrocyte markers GFAP and S100β, as well as CD81 compared with the healthy controls. Inflammatory markers interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α, IL-10, and IL-17A were also significantly higher in the TRD group. After ECT, there was a significant reduction in the levels of GFAP, S100β, and CD81, along with a significant decrease in the levels of IFN-γ and IL-4. Furthermore, higher levels of GFAP, S100β, CD81, and inflammatory cytokines were associated with more severe depressive symptoms and poorer cognitive function.

CONCLUSION

This study provides direct insight supporting the astrocyte activation and neuroinflammatory hypothesis of depression using ADEVs. ECT may exert an anti-inflammatory effect through inhibition of such activation of astrocytes.

[Electron microscopic observation on cysticercus cellulosae treated with mienangling in vitro]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of Mienangling (MNL) in treating cysticercus cellulosae in vitro.

METHODS

The changes of cysticercus cellulosae treated in vitro with the MNL extracts, praziquantel (PQT) and albendazole (ALB) were studied under the transmission and scanning electron microscopes.

RESULTS

Under the scanning electron microscope, the authors can see that all of the cysticercus's scoleces did not grow in the MNL and PQT groups, cyst walls shrivelled, tegument's ectoplasts were damaged, microtriches's ultrastructures were not clear or exfoliated, some corpuscular matter densely was distributed in the surface; 46.7% of cysticercus cellulosaes in the ALB group had been excystated, the rostellar hooks of rostella developed normally, four sucker's surface wrer hollow, the necks were eroded, and grooves of sonite disappeared. Under the transmission electron microscope, we can see that the tegument, basement membrane, muscular layer and parenchyma in the groups of MNL and PQT were all clearly damaged, but the harmful effect of MNL to parenchyma's nerve cords is more serious than the PQT. The damage of all layers of the cysticercus cellulosae in the ALB group is smaller in degree than the MNL and the PQT.

CONCLUSION

The MNL has marked damaging effect to cysticercus cellulosae.

[Changes of auditory brainstem response and auditory cortex response after exposure to intensive noise]

Auditory brainstem response and auditory cortex response were recorded repeatedly in 35 guinea pigs after exposure to intensive white noise (125 dB, 150 min.) for 62 d. the amplitude of evoked potential of acoustic nerve was decreased by 29% (P < 0.05), of the cochlear nuclei by 28% (P < 0.05). However, the amplitude of response of superior olives nuclei was increased by 21% (P < 0.05), of the inferior colliculi by 37% (P < 0.05), of the cortical evoked response by 131% (P < 0.001). The results indicate that the amplitudes of auditory evoked potential showed a centripital augmentation after exposure to intensive noise. The centripital augmentation was observed not only during the period of the temporary threshold shift (TTS) but also during that of the permanent threshold shift (PTS).

[Clinical study in treating intractable ulcerative colitis with traditional Chinese medicine]

Clinical double blind study in treating 153 intractable ulcerative colitis with Chinese medicinal herbs was conducted, the patients were randomly assigned to three groups. Group I is administered with Jian Pi Ling (JPL) tablet with retention-enema of Radix Sophorae Flavescentis and Flos Sophora (RSF-FS) decoction per night, group II with salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP) and retention-enema of dexamethasone, group III with placebo and retention-enema of decoction as that in group I. After 90 days every patients were checked by means of fibro-enteroscope, pathologic and immunologic parameters.

THE RESULTS

the curative rates of group I, II, III, were 53.1%, 27.7% and 19.0%, the total effective rates were 85.9%, 59.6% and 45.2% respectively. By comparison among groups, the efficacy of group I was the best (P < 0.01). The check of T and B lymphocyte subpopulation showed the B lymphocyte of group I markedly decreased, OKT3 and OKT8 obviously increased, the ratio of OKT4 and OKT8 approached normal value. The amount of IgG, IgM, C3 increased abnormally, decreased dramatically after medication, while those of group II and III have not changed significantly. The bacteriostatic test in vitro showed the bacteriostatic effect of RSF-FS on pathogenic B. coli, Shigella dysenteriae and Staphylococcus aureus was the best, that of solution Jian Pi Ling the next, that of SASP was the least effective. Therefore, the principle and method of group I seems to be the best therapeutic programme.

[Duplication of animal model of ulcerative colitis and studies on rehabilitation effect of jianpiling prescription]

In this paper, the ulcerative colitis model of rats with immuno-method was reported and the mechanism of using Jianpiling for the treatment of ulcerative colitis was studied. The rats of experimental group were subdivided into 3 subgroups (A, B and C), 15% Jianpiling suspension was given to rats in subgroup A per os, 15% Bupi-Yichang Pill to rats in subgroup B per os, 4.5% SASP suspension to rats in subgroup C, and same amount of saline to rats in the control group. The therapeutic results showed that the anti-diarrhia, anti-infection and repairing function of tissue by Jianpiling were obviously better than those of Bupi-Yichang Pill and SASP. Serological exams also showed that Jianpiling was much better than other therapeutic groups in increasing nonspecific cellular immunity and lowering level of antibody against large intestine and IgG. These results suggested that the mechanism of Jianpiling on ulcerative colitis was realized by increasing cellular immunity, inhibiting humoral immunity and promoting immune modulation.