Stimulation of Anterior Thalamic Nuclei Protects Against Seizures and Neuronal Apoptosis in Hippocampal CA3 Region of Kainic Acid-induced Epileptic Rats / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The antiepileptic effect of the anterior thalamic nuclei (ANT) stimulation has been demonstrated; however, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic ANT stimulation on hippocampal neuron loss and apoptosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-four rats were divided into four groups: The control group, the kainic acid (KA) group, the sham-deep brain stimulation (DBS) group, and the DBS group. KA was used to induce epilepsy. Seizure count and latency to the first spontaneous seizures were calculated. Nissl staining was used to analyze hippocampal neuronal loss. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were conducted to assess the expression of caspase-3 (Casp3), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2), and Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax) in the hippocampal CA3 region. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences between the four groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The latency to the first spontaneous seizures in the DBS group was significantly longer than that in the KA group (27.50 ± 8.05 vs. 16.38 ± 7.25 days, P = 0.0005). The total seizure number in the DBS group was also significantly reduced (DBS vs. KA group: 11.75 ± 6.80 vs. 23.25 ± 7.72, P = 0.0002). Chronic ANT-DBS reduced neuronal loss in the hippocampal CA3 region (DBS vs. KA group: 23.58 ± 6.34 vs. 13.13 ± 4.00, P = 0.0012). After chronic DBS, the relative mRNA expression level of Casp3 was decreased (DBS vs. KA group: 1.18 ± 0.37 vs. 2.09 ± 0.46, P = 0.0003), and the relative mRNA expression level of Bcl2 was increased (DBS vs. KA group: 0.92 ± 0.21 vs. 0.48 ± 0.16, P = 0.0004). The protein expression levels of CASP3 (DBS vs. KA group: 1.25 ± 0.26 vs. 2.49 ± 0.38, P < 0.0001) and BAX (DBS vs. KA group: 1.57 ± 0.49 vs. 2.80 ± 0.63, P = 0.0012) both declined in the DBS group whereas the protein expression level of BCL2 (DBS vs. KA group: 0.78 ± 0.32 vs. 0.36 ± 0.17, P = 0.0086) increased in the DBS group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study demonstrated that chronic ANT stimulation could exert a neuroprotective effect on hippocampal neurons. This neuroprotective effect is likely to be mediated by the inhibition of apoptosis in the epileptic hippocampus.</p>

Effect of anterior nucleus of thalamus stimulation on glucose metabolism in hippocampus of epileptic rats / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Electrical stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) appears to be effective against seizures. In this study, we investigated changes in glucose metabolism during high-frequency stimulation of ANT in epileptic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three groups of rats were used: (1) a stimulation group (n = 12), (2) a sham stimulation group (n = 12) with seizures induced by stereotactic administration of kainic acid (KA), and (3) a control group (n = 12) with sham surgery. Concentric bipolar electrodes were stereotaxically implanted unilaterally in the ANT. High-frequency stimulation was performed in each group except the sham stimulation group. Microdialysis probes were lowered into the CA3 region of the hippocampus unilaterally but bilaterally in the stimulation group. The concentrations of glucose, lactate, and pyruvate in dialysate samples were determined by an ISCUS microdialysis analyzer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The extracellular concentrations of lactate and lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR) of epileptic rats were significantly higher than in control rats (P = 0.020, P = 0.001; respectively). However, no significant difference in the concentration of glucose and pyruvate was found between these groups (P > 0.05). Electrical stimulation of ANT induced decreases in lactate and LPR in the ipsilateral hippocampus (KA injected) of the stimulation group (P < 0.05), but it did not influence the glucose metabolism in the contralateral hippocampus (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study demonstrated that the glycolysis was inhibited in the ipsilateral hippocampus of epileptic rats during electrical ANT stimulation. These findings may provide useful information for better understanding the mechanism of ANT-deep brain stimulation.</p>

Treatment and prevention of serious perioperative complications of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize experiences of serious perioperative complications management of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), and evaluate the effect of intervention in decreasing the incidence of serious complications.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective analysis of clinical data in Shenyang General Hospital of PLA and Liaoning Province Jinqiu Hospital of OSAHS surgery cases from January 1995 to December 2009 were included in this study, patients were divided into two groups according to with or without intervention. Experience and lessons were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients without and with intervention were 402 and 521 respectively, and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) cases in each group were 387 and 390. Five patients in the first group who accepted UPPP had breathing difficulty and were all successfully rescued, while no one in the second group had breathing difficulty. The difference was significant (P < 0.05). Sixteen patients in the first group had severe bleeding after UPPP, while only 5 patients had the severe bleeding in the second group. The difference was significant, too P < 0.05. No breathing difficulty cases in the second group, and serious bleeding cases in each group was 5 and in 1, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Breath difficulty and serious bleeding are serious perioperative complications of OSAHS surgery, and with systemic intervention the incidence of the complications can be decreased.</p>

Down-regulation of Twist1 increases the sensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines HNE1 to taxol / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether down-regulation of Twist1 could change sensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line HNE1 to taxol.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HNE1 cells were transfected with the small interfering RNA (siRNA) expression vector pSuppressor-Retro-Si-Twist, containing the short hairpin RNA (shRNA) sequence targeting the Twist gene-coding region by Fugene 6. Positive clones were then selected in Neomycin (400 microg/ml) for 21 days. The low expressions of Twist1 were examined by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. Drug sensitivity of si-Twist1 HNE1 to taxol was determined by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate( FITC)/propidium lodide (PI) double-labeled flow cytometry and detection of DNA ladder. The Effect of Twist1 inactivation on HNE1 cell proliferation was observed by MTT assay and flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Annexin V- FITC-PI assay showed that apoptosis ratio was 40.2% in si-Twist HNE1 after treated with 10 ng/ml taxol, significantly higher than that in the control siRNA group 24.3%. The deference had statistic meaning. After the re-expression of HNE1, apoptosis ratio was 44.80% +/- 4.80% (x +/- s) in low Twist1 protein expression group and that was 27.00% +/- 2.91% in high expression group. The deference had statistic meaning (t = 4.374, P = 0.049). Real time PCR test revealed apoptosis protein bcl-2 expression in si-Twist HNE1 was 0.28 +/- 0.05, significantly lower than that in the control siRNA HNE1 (0.57 +/- 0.08, t = 6.710, P = 0.021), nevertheless, significant bax and bcl-XL changes were not observed (t = 2.000, P = 0.184 and t = 1.502, P = 0.272). MTT and FCM showed that down-regulation of Twist1 did not alter cell proliferation rate (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Down-regulation of Twist1 could increase drug sensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line HNE1 to taxol by inducing apoptosis. These results suggested that Twist1 may be a promising treatment target for nasopharyngeal carcinoma therapy.</p>