Establishment and behavioral evaluation of a mouse model of long-term free-choice alcohol drinking / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a model of long-term free drinking mouse by feeding mice with alcohol to simulate the state of human voluntary long-term drinking, and on this basis, to further discuss the evaluation criteria of long-term free drinking mice model in sports, anxiety and cognitive behavior.@*METHODS@#Forty six-week-old SPF C57BL/6 male mouse were randomly divided into two groups: Long-term free drinking group (n=20) and normal control group (n=20). The two groups were given solid feed normally. The long-term free drinking group was free to take 10% alcohol and water every day, while the normal drinking group only took water every day. The mice were fed for 7 months, and were evaluated by a series of behavioral methods, including Rota-rod test, balance beam test, open filed test, the elevated plus maze, two-box social behavior, new object recognition, Y maze and water maze.@*RESULTS@#With the increase of drinking days, the mice showed significant alcohol addiction in the alcohol preference test. With the increase of alcohol intake, the mice in the long-term free choice drinking group had slightly shiny fur and reduced diet. Compared with the control group, the weight gain began to slow down from the third month, and the weight decreased significantly by the sixth and seventh months (P=0.006, P < 0.001). The mice showed reduced balance locomotion ability (P=0.003, P=0.001) in the rotary bar and balance beam test. In the open field and elevated cross test, the mice had obvious anxiety-like behavior (P < 0.001). The mice showed decreased social ability in the two boxes of social behavior (P < 0.016). In the experiment of new object recognition and Y maze, the exploration of new object decreased (P=0.018, P=0.040). In the water maze, cognitive functions, such as learning and spatial memory were reduced (P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#The successful establishment of the long-term free drinking mouse model is more convenient for us to carry out further research on the neural mechanism of alcohol addiction, and lays an experimental foundation for exploring the neural mechanism of alcohol addiction and related new targets.

Relationship between periodontitis and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the relationships of periodontal parameters, cortical width on mental foramen and osteoporotic condition in postmenopausal women.@*METHODS@#Ninetyeight postmenopausal women between 50 to 65 years old were recruited. General conditions, such as age, menopausal age, duration of menopause, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. Periodontal parameters were examined, including oral hygiene index simplified (OHI-S), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), gingival recession (GR) and bleeding on probing (BOP). Panoramic radiograph was taken and the cortical width (CW) of mental foramen was measured on images. The examiner was celebrated. Bone mass density (BMD) of left hip and lumbar spine was assessed using standardized dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. According to World Health Organization, based on the T-score of BMD (difference of the measured BMD and the mean value of young white women in terms of standard deviations), the subjects were divided into osteoporotic group (T-score<-2.5) and non-osteoporotic group (T-score≥-2.5). These parameters were compared between the groups.@*RESULTS@#The number of osteoporotic group was 47 (47.96%). Ages and duration of menopause were significantly different between the groups. Osteoporotic group presented older ages [(59.64±4.58) years vs. (56.94 ± 4.26) years, P<0.05], and longer duration of menopause [(10.17± 5.37) years vs. (6.02 ±4.48) years, P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in menopausal age and BMI between the groups. BOP% was statistically significantly higher in osteoporotic group (29.43±21.12) than in non-osteoporotic group (21.43±17.09), with a P-value of 0.046. The other periodontal parameters, including OHI-S, PD, CAL, and GR were not statistically significantly different in the groups. The CWs were statistically significantly lower in osteoporotic group compared with non-osteoporotic group, with a P-value of 0.001. The mean values of CWs were (3.61±1.04) mm (osteoporotic group) and (4.25±0.77) mm (non-osteoporotic group), respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#The study demonstrated absence of a significant association between periodontal parameters and BMD. However, the CWs were found to be related with the BMD, which may be used to detect BMD abnormal in maxillofacial imaging. The dentists should pay attention not only to the oral health, but also to the general bone mass density, which may be detected on panoramic images.

Significance of Simultaneous Analysis of Bone Marrow Smear and Bone Marrow Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Lymphoma / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the value of bone marrow smear combined with biopsy in the diagnosis of lymphoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 50 cases of lymphoma from our hospital were analyzed retrospectively, and the results of the bone marrow smear and the bone marrow biopsy were compared simultaneously.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The decision for the degree of bone marrow hyperplasia in bone marrow biopsy slice was superior to that in smear, and the active or highly active hyperplasia of nucleated cells were observed in all the bone marrow biopsies; the lymphomatic cells were observed in bone marrow smear of the 12 patients(24%), but the bone marrow biopsies showed a higher detection rate of lymphomatic cells 44% in 22 patients(P<0.05); The hyperplasia of bone marrow fibrous tissue, mainly mild to moderate, were the common in cases with bone marrow involvement and the severity of bone marrow fibrosis positively correlated with the number of lymphomatic cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Biopsy combined with aspiration can improve the accuracy of diagnosis in lymphoma with bone marrow involvement.</p>

Research progress of phytoestrogens-like chemical constituents in natural medicines / 中国中药杂志

Phytoestrogens, which can bind with estrogen receptor and produce estrogen-like effects, are a kind of nonsteroidal compound in plant. Phytoestrogens chemically include isoflavones, coumarins, lignans and other compounds. Phytoestrogens are selective estrogen receptor modulator, and have therapeutical effects on breast cancer, prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and other disease, however, do not produce stimulatory hyperplasia effects on uterus, mammary glands and other tissues and organs with positive estrogen receptor. Long-term exposure or excessive use of phytoestrogens maybe affects male reproductive system and hematopoietic function of fetus. Some questions need to be further studied, such as evaluation criteria on biological activity, adverse effects, and action mechanism of phytoestrogen. This review covers plant sources, chemical structure, pharmacological activity and safety of phytoestrogens. It will provide a useful reference for intensive research and rational utilization the phytoestrogens.

Role of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of lesions in the sellar region / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of lesions in the sellar region.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The MRI data of 142 patients with surgically and pathologically proved lesions in the sellar region were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the MRI findings, the lesions were divided into pituitary adenoma and sellar region diseases except pituitary adenoma. According to the pathologic features, the sellar region diseases except pituitary adenoma were further divided into cystic lesions, parenchymatous lesions, and cystic and parenchymatous lesions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of these 142 patients, pituitary adenoma was found in 30 cases, cystic lesions of sella region diseases except pituitary adenoma in 24. Further classification resulted in 66 cases of parenchymatous lesions and 22 cases of cystic and parenchymatous lesions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MRI-based classification of lesions in the sellar region is useful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis.</p>

Correlation of apparent diffusion coefficient with Ki-67 in the diagnosis of gliomas / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and Ki-67, a marker of tumor activity, in the diagnosis of gliomas.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), enhanced scanning, and diffusion-weighted imaging were performed in 76 patients with pathologically confirmed gliomas. The ADC values were measured at tumor parenchyma and the corresponding contralateral normal brain. The relatively ADC (rADC) values of the tumor parenchyma were calculated. The correlation of the ADC values with tumor grades was analyzed. The expression of Ki-67 was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The correlation between ADC value and Ki-67 in the diagnosis of gliomas was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ADC values and rADC values of high-grade gliomas were significantly lower than those of low-grade gliomas. The ADC values of tumor parenchyma were inversely associated with the degree of malignancy of the gliomas (r=-0.898, r=-0.868; P<0.01). The expression of Ki-67 was significantly higher in high-grade gliomas than that in low-grade gliomas. The Ki-67 labeling index in grade 3 and 4 gliomas were (29.48 ± 19.78)% and (31.21 ± 17.50)%, respectively. Both of them were significantly higher than Ki-67 labeling index in low-grade (grade 1 and 2) gliomas [(2.33 ± 2.20)%] (P<0.01). Nevertheless, the Ki-67 labeling index showed no significant difference between grade 3 and 4 gliomas (P>0.05). The expression of Ki-67 was negatively correlated with the ADC values and rADC values in tumor parenchyma (r=-0.627, r=-0.607; P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The ADC and rADC values of tumor parenchyma can indirectly reflect the proliferation and malignancy of gliomas and therefore can be useful for the grading of glioma.</p>

Activation of hippocampal D1 dopamine receptor inhibits glutamate-mediated depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress in rats / 生理学报

The present study was to investigate the role of dopamine D1 receptors and its relationship with glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor in depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). CUMS-induced depression model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats, and intrahippocampal microinjections of D1 dopamine receptor agonist SKF38393, non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 and AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX were respectively adopted by rat brain stereotaxic coordinates. The behavioral observations were conducted by measurement of weight changes, sucrose preference test, open-field test and tail suspension test. The concentration of glutamic acid and the expression of its receptors' subunits were detected by HPLC and Western blot, respectively. The results showed that, compared with control group, CUMS rats showed depression-like behavioral changes, higher concentration of glutamic acid, lower expressions of NMDA receptor (NR1) and AMPA receptor (GluR2/3) in hippocampus. Pretreatment with injection of SKF38393 could rescue such depression effect of CUMS, decrease the concentration of glutamic acid, and increase the expressions of NMDA receptor (NR1), AMPA receptor (GluR2/3) in hippocampus. Pretreatment with MK-801 could enhance the antidepressant effect of SKF38393, while NBQX weakened. These results suggest that agonists of D1 dopamine receptor could reduce the concentration of glutamic acid in hippocampus, and its antidepressant effect may be mediated by AMPA receptor partially.

Characteristics of T-cell lineage immunophenotype in 95 patients with acute lymphoid leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

The objective of this study was to investigate the immunophenotype of T-lineage acute lymphoid leukemia (T-ALL) and to find valuable immunologic markers in T-ALL diagnosis and therapy. Four-color multiparametric flow cytometry(FCM) with CD45/SSC gating was used for immunophenotyping of 95 patients with newly diagnosed T-ALL. The results demonstrated that T-ALL occurred more frequently in males younger than 30 years of age and was usually accompanied by a high WBC count and tumor mass at diagnosis. Univariate analysis showed an influence on achievement of CR1 for age (< 30 years) but not for WBC count and tumor mass. According to WHO (2008) classification of tumors of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues, 87 patients with confirmed subtype included 27 cases of Pro-T-ALL (31.0%), 31 cases of Pre-T-ALL (35.6%), 23 cases of cortical-T-ALL (26.4%), 6 cases of medullary-T-ALL (6.9%). CD34 expression in Pro-T-ALL was significantly higher than that of Pre-T-ALL (p = 0.001). After the first chemotherapy, the complete remission rate in Pro-T-ALL was statistically lower than that of Pre-T-ALL. Besides, the complete remission rate of immature T-ALL (including Pro-T-ALL and Pre-T-ALL) was also significantly lower than that in mature T-ALL (including cortical-T-ALL and medullary-T-ALL). Myeloid antigen (CD13, CD33) expression was associated with T-ALL subtype and treatment effect. While 66.7% of CD13(+) patients belonged to Pre-T-ALL, most (60.0%) of CD33(+) patients were classified into Pro-T-ALL; CD13 expression had no effect on CR1 rate whereas CD33(+) patients had worse treatment effect compared with CD33(-) groups (p = 0.001). Notably, the expression of CD117 reached up to 26.7% and the positive cases were primarily distributed in pro-T-TAll and pre-T-ALL. It is found that CD117 expression in CD34(-) group was homogeneous and CD117 expression level was less than 10% in 73.2% patients, but CD117 expression level in CD34(+) group was not homogenous, in which group the CD117 expression levels < 10%, 10% - 20% and > 20% were 44.2%, 17.3% and 38.5% respectively. As compared with CD34(-) group, the proportion of patients with CD117 expression levels < 10%, > 20% in CD34(+) group was higher, and there was significant difference between these 2 group. It is concluded that immunophenotype has great value in T-ALL diagnosis, classification as well as treatment. Flow cytometry provides access to find valuable immunologic markers for T-ALL biological research.

Progress in biology of dendritic cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

As the most potent antigen-presenting cells (APC), dendritic cells are important in launching both humoral and cellular immune responses against tumor. Although the high evaluation of DC in immunotherapy for cancer by means of DC vaccines, more studies have indicated DC is a heterogeneous population and proved that DC subsets are prominent determinants for the effectiveness of immune responses. Different DC subsets display different receptors and surface molecules, and express different sets of cytokines/chemokines, which result in distinct immunological outcomes. Clinical trials with ex vivo generated DC vaccines also manifest unexpected immunological tolerance as well as allergic response. It is essential to study the biological aspects of human DC subsets, which may be a key to the generation of novel DC-based vaccines. In this article, the progress of studies on biology of dendritic cells including their origins, differentiation, function and application of DC subsets is reviewed.