Medical Gas Research最新文献

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the therapeutic opportunities for patients with psychological disorders when they may decline to take medication. We sought to systematically compare the anesthetic efficacy of ketamine, propofol, and dexmedetomidine for electroconvulsive therapy in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder patients. This double-blind trial enrolled treatment-resistant major depressive disorder patients (n = 85) who had been hospitalized for ECT in the Amir Kabir Hospital's psychiatric ward (Arak, Iran). The ketamine, propofol, and dexmedetomidine groups received a dose of 0.2 μg/kg ketamine, 1.5 mg/kg propofol, and 0.8 mg/kg dexmedetomidine, respectively. In all intervention groups, 10 mL of interventional drugs was injected intravenously for 10 minutes, and in the placebo group, 10 mL of normal saline was given over the same period. The dexmedetomidine group's blood pressure was revealed comparatively lower at all times. Dexmedetomidine-treated patients showed their marked satisfaction, while those treated with propofol had shorter recovery time, shorter seizure duration, and shorter time to achieve an Aldrete score of 9-10 and increased relaxation, and next dexmedetomidine produced deeper relaxation. Propofol could shorten recovery time and seizure duration, and enhance relaxation, while dexmedetomidine was associated with higher patient satisfaction. Considering that any anesthetic which does not shorten seizure duration may serve efficiently for ECT and that ketamine-treated patients had more prolonged seizure duration, the preferred drug can hence be considered from various angles, thereby offering anesthetic agents with highly favorable efficacy in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder patients needing ECT. The drug choice thus depends on physical conditions, underlying diseases, and psychiatrist consultation.

Hydrogen (H₂) has been widely used in the chemical industry as a reducing agent. As the researches move along, increasing attention has been paid to its biological functions. The selective antioxidant effect of hydrogen is considered to be the main reason for medical applications. So far, many studies have confirmed its potential protective effects on ischemia/reperfusion injury of multiple organs, neurodegenerative diseases, bone and joint diseases, and respiratory diseases, opening a new era in the medical research and application of H₂. Increasing studies have focused on its biological effects and molecular mechanisms in the treatment of different diseases. In this paper, we review the biological effects, molecular mechanisms and methods of H₂ supply. We do hope that the advances in materials science can be better translated into medical applications and solve clinical problems. The medical application of H₂ is promising, and how to prepare an H₂ sustained-release system to achieve a sustained and stable H₂ supply in the body and ultimately improve the therapeutic effect of H₂ is a problem worthy of further investigation.

Reactive oxygen species and other free radicals cause oxidative stress which is the underlying pathogenesis of cellular injury in various neurological diseases. Molecular hydrogen therapy with its unique biological property of selectively scavenging pathological free radicals has demonstrated therapeutic potential in innumerable animal studies and some clinical trials. These studies have implicated several cellular pathways affected by hydrogen therapy in explaining its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. This article reviews relevant animal and clinical studies that demonstrate neuroprotective effects of hydrogen therapy in stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, neurotrauma, and global brain injury.

Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its biological effects are largely unknown. Similar to other gaseous molecules such as inhalation anesthetics, H₂ is more soluble in lipids than in water. A recent study demonstrated that H₂ reduces radical polymerization-induced cellular damage by suppressing fatty acid peroxidation and membrane permeability. Thus, we sought to examine the effects of short exposure to H₂ on lipid composition and associated physiological changes in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. We analyzed cells by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry to define changes in lipid components. Lipid class analysis of cells exposed to H₂ for 1 hour revealed transient increases in glycerophospholipids including phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and cardiolipin. Metabolomic analysis also showed that H₂ exposure for 1 hour transiently suppressed overall energy metabolism accompanied by a decrease in glutathione. We further observed alterations to endosomal morphology by staining with specific antibodies. Endosomal transport of cholera toxin B to recycling endosomes localized around the Golgi body was delayed in H₂-exposed cells. We speculate that H₂-induced modification of lipid composition depresses energy production and endosomal transport concomitant with enhancement of oxidative stress, which transiently stimulates stress response pathways to protect cells.

Acrylonitrile is a potential carcinogen for humans, and exposure to this substance can cause adverse effects for workers. This study aimed to carcinogenic and health risk assessment of acrylonitrile vapor exposure in exposed personnel of a petrochemical complex. This crosssectional study was performed in 2019 in a petrochemical complex. In this study, to sample and determine acrylonitrile's respiratory exposure, the method provided by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH 1601) was used, and a total of 45 inhaled air samples were sampled from men workers, aged 39.43 ± 9.37 years. All subjects' mean exposure to acrylonitrile vapors was 71.1 ± 122.8 μg/m³. Also, the mean exposure index among all subjects was 0.02 ± 0.034. The non-carcinogenic risk assessment results showed that the mean Hazard quotient index was 4.04 ± 6.93. The mean lifetime cancer risk index was also 2.1 × 10^-3 ± 3.5 × 10^-3 and was in the definite risk range. Considering that both carcinogenicity and health indicators of exposure to acrylonitrile in the studied petrochemical complex are more than the recommended limits, the necessary engineering and management measures to control and manage the risk to an acceptable level are essential to improving the worker's health.

Nitric oxide can activate neutrophils and macrophages, facilitate the synthesis of collagen, which allows significantly accelerating the regeneration of traumatized tissues. We studied the effects of nitric oxide-containing gas flow generated by plasma-chemical device "Plason" in a rat model of full-thickness wounds. Histological and morphometric analyses revealed that Plason treated wounds expressed significantly fewer signs of inflammation and contained a more mature granulation tissue on day 4 after the operation. Considering the results of the experimental study, we applied the Plason device in sports medicine for the treatment of lower limb bruises of 34 professional soccer players. Athletes were asked to assess the intensity of pain with the Visual Analogue Scale. Girths of their lower limbs were measured over the course of rehabilitation. Nitric oxide therapy of full-thickness wounds inhibited inflammation and accelerated the regeneration of skin and muscle tissues. Compared with the control, we observed a significant reduction in pain syndrome on days 2-7 after injuries, edema, and hematoma, and shortened treatment duration. This pilot study indicates that the use of nitric oxide is a promising treatment method for sports injuries.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a complex disorder caused by long-standing diabetes. Oxidative stress was considered the critical creed in this DPN pathophysiology. Hydrogen has antioxidative effects on diabetes mellitus and related complications. However, there is still no concern on the beneficial effects of hydrogen in DPN. This paper aimed to evaluate the effects of exogenous hydrogen to reduce the severity of DPN in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Compared with hydrogen-rich saline treatment, hydrogen inhalation significantly reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic rats in the 4^th and 8^th weeks. With regard to nerve function, hydrogen administration significantly attenuated the decrease in the velocity of motor nerve conduction in diabetic animals. In addition, hydrogen significantly attenuated oxidative stress by reducing the level of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species, and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine and meaningfully enhanced the antioxidant capability by partially restoring the activities of superoxide dismutase. Further studies showed that hydrogen significantly upregulated the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and downstream proteins such as catalase and hemeoxygenase-1 in the nerves of diabetic animals. Our paper showed that hydrogen exerts significant protective effects in DPN by downregulating oxidative stress via the pathway of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2, which suggests its potential value in clinical applications.