Improving Blood Monocyte Energy Metabolism Enhances Its Ability to Phagocytose Amyloid-β and Prevents Alzheimer's Disease-Type Pathology and Cognitive Deficits / 神经科学通报·英文版

Deficiencies in the clearance of peripheral amyloid β (Aβ) play a crucial role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that the ability of blood monocytes to phagocytose Aβ is decreased in AD. However, the exact mechanism of Aβ clearance dysfunction in AD monocytes remains unclear. In the present study, we found that blood monocytes in AD mice exhibited decreases in energy metabolism, which was accompanied by cellular senescence, a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, and dysfunctional phagocytosis of Aβ. Improving energy metabolism rejuvenated monocytes and enhanced their ability to phagocytose Aβ in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, enhancing blood monocyte Aβ phagocytosis by improving energy metabolism alleviated brain Aβ deposition and neuroinflammation and eventually improved cognitive function in AD mice. This study reveals a new mechanism of impaired Aβ phagocytosis in monocytes and provides evidence that restoring their energy metabolism may be a novel therapeutic strategy for AD.

Effects of different courses of moxibustion treatment on intestinal flora and inflammation of a rat model of knee osteoarthritis / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#This study was done to determine the effects of different courses of moxibustion on a rat knee osteoarthritis (KOA) model, and explore the dose-effect relationship of moxibustion on KOA from the perspectives of intestinal flora and inflammatory factors.@*METHODS@#Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal, model, moxibustion for 2 weeks, moxibustion for 4 weeks and moxibustion for 6 weeks groups (n = 5 each group). A KOA rat model was induced by monosodium iodoacetate, and moxibustion intervention was performed at the acupoints "Dubi" (ST35) and "Zusanli" (ST36), once every other day. Pathologic changes in the cartilage of rat knee joints were assessed after intervention, and fecal samples were subjected to 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing for microbial diversity analysis.@*RESULTS@#Damage to the knee articular cartilage was obvious in the model group, which also had increased levels of pro-inflammatory factors, decreased levels of anti-inflammatory factors, and intestinal flora disorders with decreased diversity. The degree of cartilage damage in the 4 and 6 weeks of moxibustion groups was significantly improved compared with the model group. The 4 and 6 weeks of moxibustion groups also demonstrated reduced levels of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α and increased levels of interleukin-10 (P < 0.05). Both the abundance and diversity of the intestinal flora were increased, approaching those of the normal group. Abundances of probiotics Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group and Ruminococcaceae UCG-014 increased, while that of the pathogenic bacteria Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group decreased (P < 0.05). Although the abundance of Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group decreased in the 2 weeks of moxibustion group compared with the model group (P < 0.05), there was no statistically significant difference in serum inflammatory factors, flora species diversity or degree of pathological damage compared with the model group.@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion treatment led to significant improvements in the intestinal flora and inflammatory factors of rats with KOA. Moxibustion treatment of 4 and 6 weeks led to better outcomes than the 2-week course. Moxibustion for 4 and 6 weeks can regulate intestinal flora dysfunction with increased probiotics and reduced pathogenic bacteria, reduce pro-inflammatory factors and increase anti-inflammatory factors. No significant differences were seen between the effects of moxibustion for 4 weeks and 6 weeks.

The effects of borneol on the pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid B and ginsenoside Rg / 中国天然药物

Fufang Danshen preparation (FDP) is consisted of Salviae Miltiorrhizar Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen), Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Sanqi) and Borneolum Syntheticum (borneol). FDP is usually used to treat myocardial ischemia hypoxia, cerebral ischemia and alzheimer's disease, etc. In the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, borneol is usually used to promote the absorption and distribution of the bioactive components to proper organs, especially to the brain. The purpose of this study is investigating the effects of borneol on the pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of tanshinone IIA (TS IIA), salvianolic acid B (SAB) and ginsenoside Rg1 in FDP. Male healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given Danshen extracts, Sanqi extracts (Panax notoginsengsaponins) or simultaneously administered Danshenextracts, Sanqi extracts and borneol. Plasma and brain samples were collected at different points in time. The concentration of TS IIA, SAB and Rg1 was determined by UPLC-MS/MS method. The main pharmacokinetics parameters of plasma and brain tissue were calculated by using Phoenix WinNolin 6.1 software. In comparison with Danshen and Sanqi alone, there were significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters of TS IIA, SAB and Rg1, and the brain distribution of SAB and TS IIA when Danshen, Sanqi and borneol were administrated together. Borneol statistically significant shortened t

Effect of moxibustion on inflammatory factors and oxidative stress factors in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy between moxibustion and acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and to observe the effect on serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA).@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with KOA were randomized into a moxibustion group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and an acupuncture group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the aucpuncture group, acupuncture was applied at Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35), Heding (EX-LE 2), Xuehai (SP 10), Liangqiu (ST 34), Zusanli (ST 36) and point on the affected side for 30 min.In the moxibustion group, moxibustion was adopted at knee for 60 min. The treatment was given once every two days for 4 weeks, totally 14 times. Before and after treatment, the western ontario and McMaster universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) score was compared, and the therapeutic effect was evaluated in the two groups. The contents of serum TNF-αand IL-1β, the activity of serum SOD and the serum level of MDA were detected in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the WOMAC scores and the contents of serum TNF-α, IL-1β and MDA after treatment were reduced (<0.05), the activity of serum SOD was increased (<0.05) in the two groups. In the moxibustion group, the WOMAC score and the contents of serum TNF-α, IL-1β and MDA after treatment were lower than the acupuncture group (<0.05), the activity of serum SOD was higher than the acupuncture group (<0.05). The total effective rate was 89.3% (25/28) in the moxibustion group, which was superior to 42.9% (12/28) in the acupuncture group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion and acupuncture can relieve KOA symptoms, and the therapeutic effect of moxibustion is superior to acupuncture. The mechanism may be related to the reduction of serum inflammatory factor and oxidative stress factor.

Ultrasound- and Electrical Stimulation-guided Botulinum Toxin Injection for Cricopharyngeal Achalasia Dysphagia: A Case Report / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To apply Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection for cricopharyngeal achalasia dysphagia guided by ultrasound and electrical stimulation. Methods:A case with cricopharyngeal achalasia dysphagia was reviewed. Results:He ate food almost in normal way six days after injection, and cricopharyngeus was open seven days after injection. Conclusion:BTX-A injection under ultrasound- and electrical stimulation-guide is effective on cricopharyngeal achalasia dysphagia.

Determination of the Content of 4-FMA in Rat Plasma Samples by HPLC-MS/MS Method / 法医学杂志

Objective To develop a high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS） method for the determination of the content of 4-fluoromethamphetamine （4-FMA） in rat plasma, and to provide a methodological basis for the study of the toxicokinetics of 4-FMA in rats. Methods Rat plasma samples were added into internal standard methamphetamine （MA）. Its proteins were precipitated with methanol and then separated with Poroshell 120 EC-C18 chromatographic column. A 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and a 0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution were used as the mobile phase at the flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Electrospray ionization source was used for detection in the multiple reaction monitoring （MRM） mode. Results The linear relationship was good when the mass concentration of 4-FMA in plasma samples was in the range of 5-1 000 ng/mL （r>0.999）. The limit of detection （LOD） was 3 ng/mL and the limit of quantification （LOQ） was 5 ng/mL. The accuracy was expressed as relative error （RE）, and in the range of ±5%, the intra-day precision and inter-day precision （relative standard deviation, RSD） less than 9%, and the extraction recovery rate was more than 90%. The analysis and detection of plasma samples were completed within 2.5 min. Conclusion This study developed a HPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of 4-FMA in rat plasma samples. This method is accurate, rapid, simple and sensitive and can be applied to the study of toxicokinetics of 4-FMA.

Determination of Total Polysaccharides in Decoction Pieces of Polyporus with Different Sources and Different Grades / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To establish a method for determining the content of total polysaccharides in decoction pieces of Polyporus,analyze the content of total polysaccharides in samples with different sources and grades. Method: The relative molecular weight and the polydispersity index of polysaccharides in decoction pieces of Polyporus were measured by a high performance gel chromatography coupled with a multi-angle laser light scattering and refractive index system.Dextran with similar molecular weight as polysaccharides was selected as the reference substance.Orthogonal experiment and single factor tests were used to optimize the pretreatment conditions for the determination of total polysaccharides in Polyporus.Polysaccharides in Polyporus with different areas and grades were determined by anthrone-sulfuric acid colorimetric method at 630 nm. Result: The linearity,stability,precision,repeatability and recovery rate of the established method all reached the standards,respectively.The content of total polysaccharides in samples from different areas ranged from 0.87% to 1.39%.The content of total polysaccharides in samples with different grades was 1.40% for first-grade pieces,1.21% for second-grade pieces, and 1.03% for third-grade pieces. Conclusion: The established method is simple,accurate and reproducible,and it can be used for the determination of polysaccharides in decoction pieces of Polyporus.The content of polysaccharides in samples from different origins varies greatly.The content of polysaccharides in samples with different grades shows a certain regularity.The content of polysaccharides is the highest in the first-grade pieces,followed by the content in the second-grade,and the lowest in the third-grade.The results can provide a reference for formulating limits for the content of total polysaccharides and the grade standard of decoction pieces of Polyporus.

Regularities of clinical application of hand acupuncture therapy to treatment of various diseases based on data mining / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To explore the regularities of clinical application of hand acupuncture therapy to the treatment of diseases of different departments by using data mining technique, so as to provide a reference for clinical practice. METHODS: We searched papers, academic dissertations and case reports (published in journals from Jan 1, 1953 to December 31, 2017) from databases of China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), VIP, and Wanfang, and also searched papers from medical books about hand acupuncture treatment of different diseases/illness by using keywords of "hand acupuncture" and "hand acupoints"， followed by constructing a database after sorting, screening, recording, extracting, and statistical analysis by using a computer. Then, the data mining was conducted for summarizing the characteristics and rules of the hand acupuncture therapy in clinical application. RESULTS: The hand acupuncture therapy in Chinese medical journals was found to be applied to various clinical departments, with the frequency from high to low successively being 16 types of diseases (37.21%) in the surgery, 15 diseases (34.88%) in the internal medicine, 2 diseases (4.65%) in the pediatrics, 8 diseases (18.60%) in the ophthalmology-otorhinolaryngology, 1 disease (2.33%) in the genecology and 1 disease (2.33%) in the dermatology. In the treatment of diseases, the cure plus markedly effective rate of hand acupuncture was found to be highest for diseases of the pediatrics (90.65%), and was 88.45% surgery, 78.06% internal medicine, 89.96% ophthalmology-otorhinolaryngology, 60.61% gynecology, and 67.73% dermatology, respectively. When hand acupuncture used, the acupoints of the hand region on both sides, healthy side and affected side were often selected, and movement exercise was often used in combination, particularly for problems of the surgery. In the collected medical records and 6 acupuncture books, the hand acupuncture was employed for treatment of 34 and 123 kinds of diseases or problems, respectively, with the tissue injury, lumbocrural pain being most frequently seen in the records, and abdominal pain, lumbocrural, chest obstruction, etc. most frequently seen in the acupuncture books. CONCLUSION: Hand acupuncture therapy is widely used in the treatment of many clinical problems of different departments, such as tissue injury, leg pain, etc. of the surgery; abdominal pain, asthma, etc. of the internal medicine; infantile enuresis, diarrhea, etc. of the pediatrics. Acupoints of the hand on the unilateral side are frequently employed and may have a better therapeutic effect.

CT-guided Botulinum Toxin Injection into Cricopharyngeus for Dysphagia after True Bulbar Palsy: a Case Report / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the effect of CT-guided Botulinum toxin injection into cricopharynx muscle on dysphagia caused by true bulbar palsy. Methods:A case of dysphagia caused by true bulbar palsy was treated with CT-guided Botulinum toxin injection and its therapeutic effect was reported. Results:The patient had dysphagia after brainstem infarction and was diagnosed as true bulbar palsy. After routine rehabilitation of dysphagia and balloon dilatation, her dysphagia relieved, but reappeared three times. Botulinum toxin was injected into the loop pharynx muscle under the guidance of CT, the clinical effect was remarkable, and no recurrence of the disease appeared in the follow-up. Conclusion:CT-guided Botulinum toxin injection into cricopharyngeus is effective on dysphagia caused by true medullary palsy, and the probability of recurrence is small.

Subtypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors involved in the persistent activity of layer V pyramidal neurons in the primary auditory cortex of young mice / 生理学报

Cholinergic receptor activation and intracellular current injection lead to the persistent activity (PA), which may be involved in inducing neural plasticity. Our previous study showed that PA is closely related to the activation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) in pyramidal neurons of mouse primary auditory cortex (AI). However, the subtypes of mAChRs involved in PA remain unclear. Thus, using whole-cell patch-clamp recording and pharmacological methods, we investigated the role of different mAChR subtypes in inducing PA in AI layer V pyramidal neurons of young mice. The results showed that activation of mAChRs with intracellular depolarizing current induced PA in layer V pyramidal neurons. Blockade of M1, M2 or M3 subtypes prevented the PA, whereas M4 receptor antagonists did not affect the production of PA. The results suggest that the PA may be induced through a mechanism involving M1, M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors, but not M4 subtype.

Determination of Endosulfan Concentrations in Biological Samples by GC-MS/MS / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To establish an analytical method of the endosulfan concentrations （α-endosulfan and β-endosulfan） in biological samples by GC-MS/MS. To observe the distribution of endosulfan in aquatic animals and provide experimental evidence for forensic identification of relevant cases.@*METHODS@#Acetonitrile was added to the blood and muscle samples for precipitating the protein. The endosulfan concentrations were determined by GC-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Qualitative analysis was performed according to the retention time and ion rate, and quantitative analysis was performed by external standard working curve method.@*RESULTS@#In blood samples, the calibration curves of α-endosulfan and β-endosulfan ranging from 0.062 5 to 10 μg/mL had good linear relationship, the correlation coefficients （r） of which were >0.99. The limits of detection （LOD） were 1 ng/mL and 2 ng/mL and the limits of quantification （LOQ） were 4 ng/mL and 8 ng/mL, respectively. In muscle samples, the calibration curves of α-endosulfan and β-endosulfan ranging from 0.062 5 to 10 μg/g, the r of which were >0.98. The LOD were 1 ng/g and 4 ng/g and the LOQ were 4 ng/g and 16 ng/g, respectively. The accuracy of α-endosulfan and β-endosulfan was 90.76%-108.91% both in blood and muscle samples, the interday and intraday precision were 2.35%-8.71% and 5.44%-10.29%, respectively. In poisoning cases, endosulfan were detected in all parts of fish and crab and the content difference was statistically significant.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The endosulfan detection method based on GC-MS/MS established in the present study is rapid, sensitive and accurate, which can be applied to the endosulfan detection in traces biological samples. The distribution of endosulfan in fish and crab was different, which can provide evidence to the sample collection and analysis for toxicological analysis in relevant forensic identification.

Simultaneous determination of somedon and its metabolites by GC–MS/MS / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To develop a method of support liquid-liquid extraction (SLE) and simultaneous determination of 4 components in somedon and its 8 metabolites by GC–MS/MS. Methods Somedon and its metabolites were extracted by SLE and determined by GC-MS/MS in MRM mode. The qualitative analysis was based on retention time and ratio of ions. The quantitative analysis was based on internal standard method and calibration curve. Results After SLE and determination of 4 components in somedon and its 8 metabolites, the extraction rate were 37.57%~95.87%, the linear range were 0.12μg/mL~16.00μg/mL, the correlation coefficient(r)were 0.989 6~0.999 7, LOD were 0.08ng/mL~14.48ng/mL, the accuracy were 79.63%~122.90%, the interday and intraday precision were 0.99%~7.43% and 2.19%~10.60% respectively. Conclusion Simultaneous determination of somedon and its metabolites by GC–MS/MS in biological samples, which was rapid, simple, accurate and was high precision and recovery, can be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis in forensic cases.

Study on the toxicokinetics of cymermethrin and its metabolites in dog bile / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To study the toxicokinetics of Cymermethrin and its metabolites in dog bile and provide evidence for forensic cases of identification of Cymermethrin poisoning. Methods 1/4LD50 doses of Cymermethrin were given to 6 male dogs by oral perfusion after the gallbladder fistula surgery on them,and their bile were collected at different time, in which Cymermethrin and its metabolites were extracted by Liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane and detected by HPLC-MS-MS. The qualitative analysis was based on retention time and MRM ions. The quantitative analysis was based on an internal standard method and calibration curve. Toxicokinetics equations of Cymermethrin and its metabolites in the bile were established from the c-t curves which were fitted by the WinNonlin toxicokinetics software meanwhie toxicokinetics parameters were obtained. Results The toxicokinetics of Cymermethrin met first-order dynamic equation. The Tmax of Cymermethrin(CYM), 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), 3-(2,2-Dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropanecarboxylate (DCVA) respectively were 1.52±0.30,1.29±0.04,0.93±0.41 h ; The Cmax of CYM, 3-PBA, DCVA respectively were 0.38±0.03,7.9±1.32,30.9±16.24 μg/mL ; The T1/2 of CYM, 3-PBA, DCVA respectively were3.93±0.71,1.36±0.11,4.49±2.81 h; Conclusion The toxicokinetics of Cymermethrin in dog bile met first-order dynamic equation ; The toxicokinetics model and parameters of Cymermethrin can provide evidence for forensic identification of Cymermethrin poisoning cases.

Comparison of clinical efficacy of patients treated with letrozole and clomiphene in infertility patients with polycystic ovary syndrome / 中国生化药物杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of letrozole and clomiphene in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome in patients with ovulatory disorder. Methods Retrospective analysis of 480 cases diagnosed as polycystic ovary syndrome caused by ovarian infertility in patients with clinical diagnosis and treatment of information from January 2015 to January 2017, in which the treatment of cimetidine urinary hormone therapy as the control group (n=240), using letrozole urinary hormone therapy for the treatment group (n=240). The serum levels of sex hormones were measured before and after treatment in both groups. The endometrial thickness of patients was monitored by B-ultrasonography. Adverse reactions were recorded during treatment. Results The total effective rate was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05). The ovulation rate and pregnancy rate of the treatment group were 75.0% and 67.5% respectively, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (52.5%), 42.5% , χ2=(26.28, 30.30), P=(0.00,0.00). The levels of LH and T in the treatment group were (6.69±1.32) IU/L, (0.97±0.55) ng/mL, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (9.88±1.78) IU/L, (1.36±0.81) ng/mL. E2 in the treatment group was (44.25±10.71) pg/mL, significantly higher than that of the control group (39.35±7.69) pg/mL(P<0.05). The thickness of endometrium in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). No significant adverse reaction was observed during the treatment period. Conclusion Letrozole combined with urinary hormone treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome caused by ovarian disorder infertility patients with significant effect.

Comparison of clinical efficacy of patients treated with letrozole and clomiphene in infertility patients with polycystic ovary syndrome / 中国生化药物杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of letrozole and clomiphene in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome in patients with ovulatory disorder. Methods Retrospective analysis of 480 cases diagnosed as polycystic ovary syndrome caused by ovarian infertility in patients with clinical diagnosis and treatment of information from January 2015 to January 2017, in which the treatment of cimetidine urinary hormone therapy as the control group (n=240), using letrozole urinary hormone therapy for the treatment group (n=240). The serum levels of sex hormones were measured before and after treatment in both groups. The endometrial thickness of patients was monitored by B-ultrasonography. Adverse reactions were recorded during treatment. Results The total effective rate was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05). The ovulation rate and pregnancy rate of the treatment group were 75.0% and 67.5% respectively, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (52.5%), 42.5% , χ2=(26.28, 30.30), P=(0.00,0.00). The levels of LH and T in the treatment group were (6.69±1.32) IU/L, (0.97±0.55) ng/mL, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (9.88±1.78) IU/L, (1.36±0.81) ng/mL. E2 in the treatment group was (44.25±10.71) pg/mL, significantly higher than that of the control group (39.35±7.69) pg/mL(P<0.05). The thickness of endometrium in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). No significant adverse reaction was observed during the treatment period. Conclusion Letrozole combined with urinary hormone treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome caused by ovarian disorder infertility patients with significant effect.

Vascularized composite flap with iliac crest and internal oblique muscle of abdomen for half mandibular reconstruction / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of vascularized composite flap with iliac crest and nternal oblique muscle of abdomen for half mandibular reconstruction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From July 2009 to Sept. 2013, 14 cases with half mandibular defect after tumor resection were treated with composite flap of iliac crest and internal oblique muscle of abdomen pedicled by deep circumflex iliac vessels. During operation, one group performed tumor resection and got the recipient area vessels ready for anastomosis. The other group performed harvesting of composite flap. Then the flap was trimmed and fixed to construct the defect with vessel anastomosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the 14 composite flaps survived with local infection only in 1 case. The size of harvested iliac crest ranged from 6 cm x 3 cm to 9 cm x 3 cm. The size of harvested internal oblique muscle of abdomen ranged from 5 cm x 4 cm to 7 cm x 5 cm. The patients were followed up for 6 months to 26 months (mean, 13 months) with satisfactory results and no complication. Mandibular panoramic radiographs showed new bone formation and good union.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Vascularized composite flap with iliac crest and internal oblique muscle of abdomen has the advantages of abundant bone volume, as well as soft tissue reconstruction in one stage. The reconstructed mandible can attain normal function and appearance.</p>

Correlation research on thyroid hormone joint detection and hyperthyroidism during pregnancy / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To determine the clinical value of comcombined detection of serum FT 3 ,FT4 ,TSH ,TRAb ,TPOAb on outcome of women who have hyperthyroidism during pregnancy .Methods 100 patients with hyperthyroidism during pregnancy and 102 healthy pregnant women was selected in this research .Results The difference between the disease group and control group was statistically significant(P<0 .05) .Conclusion The combined detection of serum FT3 ,FT4 ,TSH ,TRAb ,TPOAb may have special impact on outcome of pregnant women .

In vitro whole-cell patch clamp recordings of neurons in subnuclei of mouse inferior colliculus / 生理学报

The inferior colliculus (IC) is a pivot along the central auditory pathway. Using infrared visual whole-cell patch clamp recording technique, we investigated the electrophysiological properties of IC subnuclei neurons. Recordings were made from 88 neurons, including 21 neurons from the dorsal cortex of the IC (ICd), 43 neurons from the central nucleus of the IC (ICc) and 24 neurons from the external cortex of the IC (ICx). Based on the responses to positive current injection, three firing patterns, i.e., onset (6.8%, n = 6), adapting (39.8%, n = 35) and sustained (53.4%, n = 47) patterns, were identified. The hyperpolarization-activated inward current (Ih) could be recorded in half of the neurons (49/88). The sustained pattern occurred in more than half of ICd and ICc neurons (61.9% and 67.4%), while the adapting pattern occurred in majority of ICx neurons (75%). Action potential (AP) threshold and time constant also showed significant differences across neurons from the ICd, the ICc and the ICx. Our results indicate that IC neurons are different in electrophysiological properties across the subnuclei. The variance of the responses may be related to the distinct types of neurons as well as the received projections, which is implicated in the distinct roles of IC neurons in central auditory processing.

A study on patients’negative emotional reactions and its influencing factors at the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis / 预防医学

Objective To investigate patients’negative emotional reactions and its influencing factors when pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB ) was diagnosed, and to provide evidence for health education and intervention. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among 440 PTB patients who were treated at the designated clinics of two counties in Zhejiang Province.Twenty patients at one clinic were randomly selected for a semi-structured interview.Results A total of 437 qualified questionnaires were collected and 19 patients were successfully interviewed.When they were told the result of diagnosis,58.58% patients felt worried,29.75% were shocked,20.37% tended to blame themselves,10.98% felt helpless and 35.70%had a sense of shame.In the semi-structured interview,the main reasons for negative emotions told by the patients were disbelieving the fact of getting the disease and misunderstanding TB was incurable.Old people felt more shocked (40.26%),worried (58.44%)and self-blaming (38.96%)about the diagnosis of TB.The divorced and widowed expressed more reactions of worry (95.24%), shock (6 1.09%), self -blame (6 1.09%), helpless (42.86%).Farmers had higher rate of shock (48.89%),worry (70.37%),and self-blame (43.70%).Conclusion Negative emotions or feelings were popular among TB patients when the disease was diagnosed.The elders,divorced or widowed people and farmers need to be attached more importance during the process of health education or intervention.

Influence of ketogenic diet on the clinical effects and electroencephalogram features in 31 children with pharmacoresistant epileptic encephalopathy / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of ketogenic diet (KD) on the clinical and electroencephalogram features in children with pharmacoresistant epileptic encephalopathy.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Thirty-one children (19 boys, 12 girls) aged 7 months to 7 years (mean 2 years 5 month) with epilepsy refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were included in this study. In addition to their original AED treatment, the children were assigned to different ketogenic diets based on their age. The prospective electro-clinical assessment was performed prior to the KD and then one week, one month and again 3 months after the initiation of therapy, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The reduction of seizure frequency in 52%, 68% and 71% of all patients exceeded 50% one week, one month and three months after KD treatment respectively. KD is particularly effective in myoclonic astatic epilepsy (MAE; Doose Syndrome) and West syndrome with 100% and 81.25% of the patients having a greater than 50% seizure reduction, respectively. After 3 months of KD treatment, more than 2/3 patients experienced a reduction in interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) and improvement in EEG background.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The clinical and electroencephalographic improvement confirms that KD is beneficial in children with refractory epilepsy.</p>