Effects of Wulongdan on learning and memory abilities of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of Wulongdan, a tradition Chinese medicinal preparation, on the learning and memory abilities of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia and explore the mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male rats with chronic cerebral ischemia induced by permanent ligation of the bilateral carotid arteries were randomized into sham-operated group, chronic cerebral ischemia (model) group, and high-, middle-, and low-dose Wulongdan groups and Yinxingye group. The corresponding treatments were administered in the rats 24 h after the operation once daily for 8 consecutive weeks. Morris water maze and step-through tests were performed after 7 weeks of drug administration. The brain tissues were then taken to observe the morphological changes in the hippocampal neurons with Nissl staining by transmission electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the model group, the latency of finding the platform in Morris water maze test was significantly shortened (P<0.05 or 0.01), and that in step-through test significantly prolonged (P<0.05 or 0.01) in high-, middle-, and low-dose Wulongdan groups and Yinxingye group. In the model group, Nissl staining of the hippocampal CA1 region visualized obvious pathological changes in the neurons, showing a significant difference from the sham-operated and high-dose Wulongdan groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Wulongdan can enhance the learning and memory abilities of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia possibly through a mechanism in relation to neuronal protection in the hippocampus CA1 region.</p>

CD4+CD25+high regulatory T cells in patients with autoimmune hepatitis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of CD4+CD25+high regulatory T cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CD4+CD25+ high regulatory T cells and CD4+ T cells were measured by using flow cytometry in 16 patients with autoimmune hepatitis, 22 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 20 healthy blood donors. Foxp3 protein was detected by immunohistochemical assay in liver tissues from the patients with autoimmune hepatitis or chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The percentage of CD4+CD25+high/CD4+ in patients with autoimmune hepatitis was significantly lower than that in healthy controls and patients with chronic hepatitis B. Meanwhile, the percentage of CD4+CD25+high/CD4+ highly increased in patients with chronic hepatitis B, compared with healthy controls; Foxp3 positive cells were mostly located in the hepatic lobular perisinusoidal spaces and the portal tract, and there was a significant difference in the quantity of Foxp3 positive cells between patients with autoimmune hepatitis and chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients with autoimmune hepatitis harbor a decreased percentage of CD4+CD25+ high regulatory T cells, which may be associated with development of autoimmunity.</p>

The relationship between the efficacy of interferon-alpha treatment and the variation of perforin protein expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in chronic hepatitis B patients / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship between the efficacy of interferon-alpha and the variation of perforin protein expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 35 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The perforin protein in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells was detected by immunocytochemistry technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The level of the perforin protein expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells was significantly higher in the post-treatment group with interferon-alpha than in the pre-treatment group. At the end of the treatment with interferon-alpha, there were 12 cases of complete responders, 14 cases of partial responders, and 9 cases of non-responders. After interferon-alpha treatment, the mean level of the perforin protein expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells was 12.1%, 6.9% and 3.9% respectively, and there existed significant differences among the three groups. Moreover, before treatment, the level of the perforin protein expression in the complete responder group was significantly higher compared to the partial responder group or the non-responder group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Treatment with interferon-alpha can increase the perforin protein expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with CHB. The variation of perforin protein expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells may be closely related to the efficacy of interferon-alpha treatment against hepatitis B virus.</p>

Effects of Buyanghuanwu decoction on nerve proliferation in rats with sequelae of ischemic stroke / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the effect of Buyanghuanwu decoction (BYHWD) in inducing nerve proliferation in rats with sequelae of ischemic stroke.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A rat model of ischemic stroke sequelae was established by means of craniectomy in which the right common carotid artery was ligated with 4-0 silk thread followed by cauterization of the right middle cerebral artery. Programmed electric shock was administered 24 h after the onset of ischemic stroke for 2 h daily for 20 consecutive days. The rats in sham operation group were not subjected to ligation of the right common carotid artery or right middle cerebral artery occlusion. The rats in the treatment groups were given oral BYHWD for 15 consecutive days. All the rats received repeated intraperitoneal injections of the cell proliferation-specific marker 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and the intake of BrdU in the cerebral tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of BrdU-immunoreactive cells in the cerebral tissues of BYHWD-treated rats was significantly greater than that in the untreated model group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BYHWD can promote nerve proliferation in rats with ischemic stroke sequelae.</p>