In a randomised controlled trial, twelve matched pairs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease received traditional Chinese acupuncture or placebo acupuncture. After three weeks' treatment the traditional-acupuncture group showed significantly greater benefit in terms of subjective scores of breathlessness and six-minute walking distance. Objective measures of lung function were unchanged in either group. Whether these differences are mediated by endogenous opiate and/or peptide release remains speculative.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of ethanol on histone glycation in diabetic rats.

The glycation of liver histones was studied in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, in ethanol (EtOH)-treated rats, and in EtOH-treated diabetic rats. In diabetes, the conditions of glucose-protein addition are more favourable extracellularly in serum and in erythrocytes than in the nucleus. This is indicated by the increased level of serum fructosamine and by the high level of glycated haemoglobin, while the glycation of intracellular histone is decreased. In the serum of diabetic rats, we found a relatively high acetaldehyde level, which resulted in elevated histone fluorescence. Fluorescence is an accepted marker of advanced glycation end-product (AGE), the intensity of which, according to our experiments is related not to the level of serum glucose, but to the level of acetaldehyde. The data obtained with histone proteins in diabetic rats treated with EtOH are in good agreement with the results of our earlier in vitro experimental results obtained with H1 histone: the reaction of the two aldehydes (glucose and acetaldehyde) in combination gives a lower glycohistone value than they do separately.

Acetaldehyde↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Medial temporal lobe width on CT scanning in Alzheimer's disease: comparison with vascular dementia, depression and dementia with Lewy bodies.

A simple linear measurement of the minimum width of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) on angled CT scans has been suggested as an accurate ante-mortem marker for Alzheimer's disease (AD). To determine the clinical utility and specificity of this finding, we performed angled CT scans with 5-mm slices in 116 subjects referred to a geographically based Old Age Psychiatry service in Newcastle. Diagnoses were of NINCDS/ADRDA AD (n = 69, 36 probable and 33 possible). NINDS/AIREN vascular dementia (VaD, n = 25), consensus criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, n = 9) and DSM-IV criteria for major depression (n = 13). Subjects were well matched for age. Minimum MTL width was significantly greater in depressed subjects (13.7 mm) compared to those with dementia, though no differences were seen within the dementia groups (AD 10.8, VaD 10.4, and DLB 10.9 mm). An MTL width below 11.5 mm had a sensitivity of 54% (56/103) and a specificity of 77% (10/13) for distinguishing dementia from depression. We conclude that a single cross-sectional measurement of MTL width on CT does not help differentiate between different types of dementia, though it may provide some supportive evidence when distinguishing depression from dementia.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship of serum antihistone antibody level to the patient's age.

The serum antihistone antibody (AHA) positivity of patients with various autoimmune diseases was compared with their positive reaction for antinuclear factor, rheumatoid factor, lupus erythematosus factor, cryoglobulin, immunocomplex, C-reactive protein, total protein, gamma globulin, IgG and IgM. In non-drug-induced SLE cases the predictive value of the AHA test was not higher than that of the other tests. It was striking that in 42% of patients with non-autoimmune disease aged over 70 the AHA test was positive. Elevated IgM values were recorded in about 70% of positive AHA samples.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Kinetics of histone protein glycation.

The kinetics of glycation of histone proteins was studied. The glucose uptake of H1 linker histone reached saturation attained after an exponential course. H2-H4 core histone and total histone exhibited two-phase courses differing in time. With the uptake of glucose, the electromobility of the fractions changed. The kinetic results are explained in terms of interaction between proteins.

Animals↗