The effects of GABAergic neurotransmitters and GABAA receptors on the auditory afferent pathway in the brainstem analyzed by optical recording / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To explore the influence of GABAergic neurotransmitters and GABAA receptors on the auditory afferent impulses recorded in the brainstem evoked by electro-stimulation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Brainstem slices were prepared using ddy/ddy mice of postnatal 0-5th days. The brainstem slices were stained with a voltage-sensitive dye(NK3041). The cut end of the vestibulocochlear nerve (nVIIIth) connected with slices was stimulated by a tungsten electrode, a 16 x 16 pixels silicon photodiode array apparatus was used to record the optical mapping from auditory brainstem slices. The data were analyzed by ARGUS-50/PDA software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The spatial-temporal patterns of the excitatory propagation from the vestibulocochlear nerve (nVIIIth) to cochlear nucleus and vestibular nucleus were displayed with multiple-sites optical recording. The optical signal coming from one pixel consisted of a fast spike-like response and a following slow response. Inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA decreased the fast spike-like response and following slow response of evoked optical signals, while an antagonist BMI against GABAA receptors increased the both responses.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A 16 x 16 pixel silicon photodiode array apparatus can be used to record multiple-sites optical mapping evoked by electro-stimulation to the cut end of the vestibulocochlear nerve. The every optical signal consists of both presynaptic and postsynaptic elements. Inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and an antagonist BMI of GABAA receptors can modulate the excitatory propagation of evoked optical signals.</p>

Expression of osteopontin mRNA and its clinical significance in gastric cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of osteopontin mRNA and its correlation with clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer and elucidate its role in tumor invasion and distant metastasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of OPN mRNA was detected by semi-quantitive RT-PCR. The relationship between the relative content of OPN mRNA and clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 66 cancer tissue samples, a 330 bp band was detected in 50 cases, the positive rate of OPN mRNA expression was 75.8% (50/66). The expression in all 20 cases of normal gastric mucosa was negative. The expression was associated with the depth of tumor invasion, diameter, lymph node metastasis and but had no correlation with differentiation grades. The 66 patients were followed up for 10 approximately 27 months (mean 16 months). The OPN mRNA expression positive group (50 cases) had recurrence in 15 patients and the negative group (16 cases) had only 1 case with recurrence (P = 0.05); 10 patients died in OPN mRNA expression positive group but no patient died in OPN staining negative group (P = 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>OPN mRNA is over-expressed in gastric cancer. It reflects the progression of disease and association with poor prognosis of gastric cancer. OPN may play an important role in the process of distant metastasis in gastric cancer.</p>

Clinical study on fetal encephalic fluid / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective To discuss the clinical significance of fetal encephalic accumulated fluid revealed by prenatal ultrasonography.Methods Prenatal ultrasonography was performed on 8426 women at more than 20 weeks' gestation.Totally 150 women with fetal encephalic accumulated fluid more than 5 mm were included in this study.The changes of fetal encephalie accumulated fluid and the associated anomalies were observed regularly every 2 weeks until delivery.The live infants were followed up regularly.Results The incidence of fetal encephalic fluid was 1.8%,including 72 cases with fluid in the fetal anterior or posterior cornu of unilateral ventricle,46 cases with accumulated fluid in fetal posterior fossa,32 cases with fluid in more than 2 sites.Generally,the accumulated fluid in fetal encephalus was first diagnosed at 17-40 gestational weeks,with a median of(26?5)weeks.Most of them were found between 29-32 gestational weeks(63 cases,42.0%),and the maximum amount of accumulated fluid was also found between 29-32 weeks(70 cases,46.7%).Spontaneous regression of intracranial fluid could be seen in 111 fetuses (74.0%).The period of fluid regression ranged from 29 to 40 weeks of gestation,of which the average gestational week was(36?2)weeks.Additionally,the most frequent period of regression was in the first two thirds of the three trimesters of pregnancy.The incidence of defected infants was 3.8%,10.2% and 67.4%,respectively,when the amount of accumulated fluid was less than 10mm,10-14 mm and more than 15 mm.And the accumulated fluid in more than 2 sites was also a risk factor of defected fetuses,with an incidence of 60.0%.Conclusions Most cases could be diagnosed between 29-32 gestational weeks, and the maximum amount of accumulated fluid is also observed in this period.The more fluid in fetal encephalus,the more sites the fluid distributed in,the more defected fetuses or infants would be observed.So in cases of more than 15 mm of fluid,or accumulated fluid in more than 2 sites,anomalies should be observed extremely carefully.