Neuroprotective Effect of Compound Anisodine in a Mouse Model with Chronic Ocular Hypertension / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Compound anisodine (CA) is a compound preparation made from hydrobromide anisodine and procaine hydrochloride. The former is an M-choline receptor blocker with the function of regulating the vegetative nervous system, improving microcirculation, and so on. The latter is an antioxidant with the activities of neuroprotection. This study aimed to investigate the potential neuroprotection of CA, which affects the degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in an animal model with chronic ocular hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Female C57BL/6J mice (n = 24) were divided randomly into four groups: normal control group without any treatment (Group A, n = 6); CA control group with feeding the CA solution (Group B, n = 6); microbeads (MBs) control group with injecting MB into the anterior chamber (Group C, n = 6); CA study group with MB injection and with feeding the CA solution (Group D, n = 6). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured every 3 days after MB injection. At the 21st day, neurons were retrograde-labeled by Fluoro-Gold (FG). Animals were sacrificed on the 27th day. Retinal flat mounts were stained immunohistologically by α2-III-tubulin. FG-retrograde-labeled RGCs, α2-III-tubulin-positive RGCs, and α2-III-tubulin-positive nerve fibers were quantified.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mice of Groups C and D expressed the incidence of consistent IOP elevation, which is above the IOP level of Group A with the normal one. There is no significant difference in IOP between Groups A and B (P > 0.05). On the 27th day, there were distinct loss in stained RGCs and nerve fibers from Groups C and D compared with Group A (allP < 0.001). The quantity was significantly higher in Group D as compared to Group C (allP < 0.001) but lower than Group A (allP > 0.001). There was no significant difference in the quantity of RGCs and nerve fibers between Groups A and B (allP > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These findings suggest that CA plays an importantly neuroprotective role on RGCs in a mouse model with chronic ocular hypertension.</p>

Epidemiology and etiology of hand-foot-and-mouth disease seen in Jiangsu province from 2008 to 2010 / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the etiological and epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) seen in Jiangsu province from 2008 to 2010, and provide evidence for its prevention and control.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on the requirement of supervision program of HFMD, surveillance and report were done according to National Disease Supervision Information Management System. Descriptive epidemiological method, performed between 2008 and 2010, was used to analyze the time, region and population distribution and results of etiologic analysis of HFMD. Nucleic acid of enterovirus (EV) genome was detected by real-time RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average incidence rate of HFMD was 86.70 per million between 2008 and 2010, the peak incidence occurred in April to July. There were significant differences among the incidence in different districts (P<0.05), and the highest incidence was seen in the densely inhabited southern areas of Jiangsu province. Most of the cases were infants and children aged less than 5 years. The number of male cases (2008: 17,008, 2009: 48 768, 2010: 50,231) was much larger than that of the female cases 2008: 9662, 2009: 29 151, 2010: 30,655. The HFMD cases with mild symptoms were caused mainly by enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (Cox A16) and there was difference among different years. The severe HFMD cases and deaths were mainly caused by EV71 infection.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The epidemiologic characteristics of HFMD in Jiangsu province from 2008 to 2010 had close relationship with season, population and region. The mild cases of HFMD were mainly infected with EV71 and Cox A16. However, EV71 illness seemed to be more severe and had significantly greater frequency of serious complications and fatality than the illness caused by Cox A16.</p>

Epidemiological characteristics and temporal-spatial clustering analysis on hand-foot-mouth disease in Jiangsu province, 2009-2011 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To analyze the epidemic characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in Jiangsu province.Methods We downloaded the case-data of HFMD in Jiangsu province during 2009-2011 from the Chinese National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System,and made a comprehensive analysis on the epidemiological features of it with descriptive epidemiological methods and retrospective space-time permutation scan statistics.Results A total of 285 414 cases were reported in Jiangsu,from 2009 to 2011,with an annual incidence of 122.66 per 100 000.There were 3686 severe cases in the 3 years accumulatively,accounting for 1.29％ of the total.Proportion of the cases being 5 years old or even younger was 93.64％.Scatteredly living children accounted for 64.08％ of the total cases and 78.65％ of the severe cases,respectively.The epidemics of HFMD were visible in each city of Jiangsu province,with a lowest annual incidence rate of 44.02 per 100 000 and a highest one up to 202.90 per 100 000.Regions as Suzhou,Nanjing,Wuxi had the highest incidence in the province,with cases in these three areas occupying almost 40％ of all.The numbers of severe cases in Suqian and in Yancheng cities increased by 339.22％ and 328.33％ in 2011 compared to in 2010,respectively,and the rates of increase in these two cities were much higher than those in the other regions.Two peaks of incidence were observed every year,with the highest occurring between April and June and the second occurring in November.The spatial-temporal distribution of HFMD was not random in Jiangsu province,from 2009 to 2011.Clusters for general cases in August and 7 clusters for severe cases were detected,respectively.12 359 cases of HFMD were laboratory confirmed in the said 3 years,including 10 414 common cases and 1945 severe cases.EV71 and CoxA16 accounted for 43.49％ and 37.07％ of common cases,respectively.In terms of the severe cases,the ratios were 80.82％ and 5.96％,respectively.Conclusion HFMD was highly endemic in Jiangsu province,and the situation of prevention and control for it is still grim.Scatteredly living children of 5 years old or younger were the major population at risk,and the epidemic in different regions and seasons was different.EV71 and CoxA16 were the major etiologic agents,but the etiologic constitute showed seasonal changes.

Effects of the Three Gorges project and change of water level on local mouse density / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To study the impacts of the Three Gorges dam and change of water level on the survival of the local rodents, and to provide scientific basis to control the outbreak of rodent-borne diseases.Methods Four villages located around the Three Gorges dam were selected in the study. The mouse populations by using Elton night trapping method was monitored. Metallic spring traps were set for two consecutive nights. The mouse density and identified the mouse species was calculated. The mouse species indoor and outdoor, as well as the mouse density indoor and outdoor were compared. The impacts of water level in the dam and cleaning work on local mouse density were also analyzed. Results A total of 678 mice were caught in this study, 517 were caught indoor and 161 outdoor. Indoor dominant species was flavipectus; accounting for 36.49%(189/517), while outdoor was apodemus, reaching 56.88% (91/161). For mouse species, there was a significant difference between indoor and outdoor(x2 = 678.00, P ＜ 0.01 ). The average mouse density was 8.44%(678/8036) in trap nights. Indoor mouse density reached 14.44%(517/3581 ), which was significantly higher than that of outdoor(3.61%, 161/4455 ).For mouse density, there was a significant difference between indoor and outdoor(x2 = 301.04, P ＜ 0.01 ). When the water level was up to 156 m, mouse density reached 10%(513/5132), which was higher than that of before (5.68%, 165/2904). There was a significant difference in mouse density before and after reserving water (x2 = 44.68, P ＜ 0.01 ). With the change of water level, upstream mouse density formed a high platform from May 2007 to May 2008, followed by 12.25%(80/653), 13.16%(90/684), 12.95%(90/695), and decreased to 8.38%(28/334) after cleaning of the dam. Conclusions The Three Gorges dam and change of water level actually alter the survival environment of the local mouse, and affect local mouse density and mouse species. These may lead to local outbreak or epidemic of rodent-borne diseases.

Serum levels of IL-12, TGFbeta1 and IgE in children with asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study examined the changes of serum levels of interleukin 12 ( IL-12), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFbeta 1) and immunoglobulin E ( IgE) in children with asthma as well as the correlation of IL-12 and TGFbeta 1 with IgE in order to investigate their roles in asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum levels of IL-12 , TGFbeta 1 and IgE were detected using ELISA in 85 asthmatic children at the acute and the remission stages. Thirty healthy children served as control group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, serum IL-12 and TGFbeta 1 levels were significantly lower and serum IgE levels were significantly higher in the asthmatic group through the acute to the remission stages. Serum IL-12 and TGFbeta 1 levels (40.42+/-15.26 ng/L and 65.41+/-22.38 pg/mL) significantly increased in the asthmatic group at the remission stage compared with those at the acute stage (28.42+/-10.73 ng/L and 40.25+/-11.73 pg/mL) (P<0.01), but remained lower levels than those in the control group (67.42+/-20.58 ng/L and 178.54+/-90.56 pg/mL) (P<0.01). The asthmatic patients at the remission stage showed significantly decreased serum IgE levels (145.67 +/-51.25 IU/mL) compared with those at the acute stage (280.35 +/-80.54 IU/mL) (P<0.01), but the IgE level in the remission stage was obviously higher than in the control group (53.61+/-13.32 IU/mL) (P<0.01). Serum IL-12 and TGFbeta 1 levels were negatively correlated with serum IgE level in asthmatic children.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There might be an imbalance in serum IL-12, TGFbeta 1 and IgE levels in asthmatic children. IL-12, TGFbeta 1 and IgE may play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. They may be useful in the diagnosis and severity evaluation of asthma.</p>

Correlation between matrix metalloproteinases activities and myocardial injury in neonatal rats after asphyxia / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study possible correlation between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activities and myocardial injury after asphyxia in neonatal Wistar rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Sixty neonatal Wistar rats (7 to 10 days old) were randomly divided into four groups: control group (group D); asphyxia groups A, B and C (1 day, 7 days, 14 days after asphyxia), every group had 15 rats. In the asphyxia groups, animal model was produced by normobaric asphyxia. Groups A, B and C were sacrificed on days 1, 7 and 14 days after asphyxia, and group D rats were sacrificed on the 7 th day. Then the heart blood was taken to tested the serum cTnI. The myocardial MMPs-3 and 9 activity was measured by using immunohistochemical assay. Histological sections of the hearts were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and myocardial histopathological scores were determined under an optical microscope. The amount of myocardial collagen was measured by means of chloramines T.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>cTnI was significantly higher in group A (0.3680 +/- 0.40 ng/ml) than group D (0.0783 +/- 0.06 ng/ml) (P < 0.05), and was lower in group B (0.1889 +/- 0.15 ng/ml) but still significantly different from that of group D (P < 0.05), and declined to the normal level in group C (0.1338 +/- 0.07 ng/ml), but the difference between groups C and D was not significant (P > 0.05). Myocardial tissue MMPs-3 activity was transiently high in group A (0.1847 +/- 0.04), higher in group B (0.2780 +/- 0.05) as compared to group D (0.1213 +/- 0.03) (P < 0.05 for all). The activity of MMPs-3 increased earlier than that of MMPs-9. The amount of myocardial collagen of group B (38.94 +/- 0.67) and C (40.69 +/- 0.75) was significantly greater than that of group D (P < 0.05). Myoardial tissue MMPs-3 and MMPs-9 positively correlated with myocardial histopathological scores (r = 0.669, 0.667, P < 0.05) and myocardial collagen (r = 0.482, 0.679, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In rats with asphyxia, there was an excess activation of myocardial MMPs-3 and MMPs-9 activities and secondary to which, the quantity of myocardial collagen increased. The injuries of myocardium may be closely associated with myocardial tissue MMPs. MMPs may be used to evaluate the severity of myocardial interstitial damage.</p>