Effect of different melatonin treatment regimens on white matter damage in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effect of different melatonin treatment regimens on long-term behavior and white matter damage in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and to seek an optimal melatonin treatment regimen.@*METHODS@#Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 7 days, were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operation, HIBD, single-dose immediate treatment (SDIT), and 7-day continuous treatment (7DCT), with 8 rats in each group. A neonatal rat model of HIBD was prepared according to the classical Rice-Vannucci method. On day 21 after HIBD, the Morris water maze test was used to evaluate spatial learning and memory abilities. On day 70 after HIBD, immunofluorescence assay was used to measure the expression of neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampal CA1 region of neonatal rats, and double-label immunofluorescence was used to measure the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofilament 200 (NF200) in the corpus striatum and the corpus callosum.@*RESULTS@#The results of the Morris water maze test showed that the SDIT and 7DCT groups had a significantly shorter mean escape latency than the HIBD group, and the 7DCT group had a significantly shorter mean escape latency than the SDIT group (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Both SDIT and 7DCT can improve long-term behavior and reduce white matter damage in neonatal rats with HIBD, and 7DCT is more effective than SDIT.

Inhibitory effect of calyeosin on apoptosis of PC12 cells under oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the effect of calycosin on ap-optosis of PC 12 cells under oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation. Methods PC 12 cells in logarithmic phase were randomly divided into four groups: Normal control group, model group, calycosin group (0.07 (xmol • L"1) and nimodipine group (5.00 mi-cromol • L"1, positive control group). CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell survival rate; flow cytometry and TUNEL staining were used to detect apoptotic rate and apoptotic index; immunofluorescence staining was used to detect Bax/Bcl-2 ratio; Western blot was used to detect the expression of caspase-3 apoptotic protein. Results Compared with control group, the cell survival rate significantly declined (P <0. 05) , the apoptotic rate and apoptotic index significantly rose (P < 0. 05), and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 protein ex-pression were significantly up-regulated (P < 0. 05) ; compared with model group, the cell survival rate significantly increased in calycosin group and nimodipine group (P < 0. 05) , the mortality and apoptotic index significantly decreased (P <0. 05) , the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 protein expression significantly decreased (P <0. 05) , and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusions Calycosin can significantly improve the survival rate of oxygen-glucose depriva-tion/reoxygenation PC 12 cells and inhibit cell apopto-sis. Its mechanism is related to the regulation of expression of apoptotic proteins Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 by calycosin.

Longitudinal Intrinsic Brain Activity Changes in Cirrhotic Patients before and One Month after Liver Transplantation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the spontaneous brain activity alterations in liver transplantation (LT) recipients using resting-state functional MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty cirrhotic patients as transplant candidates and 25 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. All patients repeated the MRI study one month after LT. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values were compared between cirrhotic patients (both pre- and post-LT) and HCs as well as between the pre- and post-LT groups. The relationship between ALFF changes and venous blood ammonia levels and neuropsychological tests were investigated using Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: In the cirrhotic patients, decreased ALFF in the vision-related regions (left lingual gyrus and calcarine), sensorimotor-related regions (left postcentral gyrus and middle cingulate cortex), and the default-mode network (bilateral precuneus and left inferior parietal lobule) were restored, and the increased ALFF in the temporal and frontal lobe improved in the early period after LT. The ALFF decreases persisted in the right supplementary motor area, inferior parietal lobule, and calcarine. The ALFF changes in the right precuneus were negatively correlated with changes in number connection test-A scores (r = 0.507, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LT improved spontaneous brain activity and the results for associated cognition tests. However, decreased ALFF in some areas persisted, and new-onset abnormal ALFF were possible, indicating that complete cognitive function recovery may need more time.

Effects of propofol, ginsenoside Rg-1, protein phosphatase-2a, and lithium on the learning and memory in rats and the content of glutamic acid in hippocampus after the electroconvulsive therapy / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore and compare the effects of propofol, ginsenoside Rg-1, protein phosphatae-2A, and lithium on the learning and memory and the concentration of glutamic acid in hippocampus after the electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the model of depressed rats induced after the removal of olfactory bulb.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The depressed rats were randomized into ECT intervention (two levels:no disposition and a course of electroconvulsive shock) and drug intervention (five levels:microinjection of saline injection, propofol, ginsenoside Rg-1, protein phosphatae-2A, and lithium, 20 g/L). Learning and memory were evaluated using the Morris water maze test within 24 h after the course of ECT. Glutamate contents in the hippocampus of rats were examined using high-performance liquid chromatography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both propofol alone and ECT alone induced the impairment of learning and memory in depressed rats, but their combination alleviated the such impairment caused by ECT. Ginsenoside Rg-1, protein phosphatae-2A ,and lithium had no obvious effect on the leaning and improved the learning and memory when in combination with ECT. There was a synergic effect between ECT intervention and drug intervention. ECT remarkably increased the glutamate content in the hippocampus of depressed rats, which could be reduced by both propofol and ginsenoside Rg-1. Protein phosphatae-2A and lithium did not affect glutamate content in the hippocampus of depressed rats before and after ECT.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>ECT can increase the content of glutamate in hippocampus and thus cause the impairment of learning and memory in depressed rats. Propofol and ginsenoside Rg-1 can ameliorate the impairment by reducing the content of glutamate in hippocampus. Protein phosphatae-2A and lithium may also improve the learning and memory in depressed rats.</p>

Effects of different liquid therapies on brain water content, intracranial pressure, and expressions of aquaporin-4 and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-1 in cerebral tissue / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of different liquid therapies on the intracranial pressure, brain water content, and expressions of aquaporin-4 and N-methyl-D-aspartate-1 in the brain tissue.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two intervention factors including the colloids (two levels: 4% gelofusine; 6% hydroxyethyl starch and sodium chloride injection) and the crystal/gel ratios (two levels: 0:1; 1:1) were set based on the results of the analysis of variance of factorial design. Thirty-two patient who had undergone epilepsy surgery were equally and randomly divided into four groups: group A (4% gelofusine, crystal/gel ratio 0:1); group B (6% hydroxyethyl starch and sodium chloride injection, crystal/gel ratio 0:1); group C (4% gelofusine, crystal/gel ratio 1:1); and group D (6% hydroxyethyl starch and sodium chloride injection, crystal/gel ratio 1:1). The intracranial pressure during operation was recorded. After the operation, the intracranial pressure and brain water content were measured and the expressions of aquaporin-4 and N-methyl-D-aspartate-1 in the brain tissue were determined with Western blot. Glasgow coma scores were obtained 2 hours after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The intracranial pressure (F=55.714, P=0.000; F=142.432, P=0.000) and the brain water content (F=31.477, P=0.000; F=84.896, P=0.000) significantly increased after the application of the 6% hydroxyethyl starch and sodium chloride injection and crystal/gel ratio 1:1, and the expressions of aquaporin-4 (F=37.205, P=0.000; F=149.652, P=0.014) and N-methyl-D-aspartate-1(F=29.664, P=0.000; F=65.951, P=0.000) in the brain tissue significantly increased. There were additive effects between two of them (the intracranial pressure: F=11.056, P=0.002; the brain water content: F=8.007, P=0.008; the expression of aquaporin-4: F=9.845, P=0.004; and the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate-1: F=5.020, P=0.033). However, the Glasgow coma score showed no significant difference after the administration (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The liquid therapy with 4% gelofusine and crystal/gel ratio 0:1 can result in better control on the intracranial pressure, brain water content and expressions of aquaporin-4 and N-methyl-D-aspartate-1 in the brain tissue better than the liquid therapy with 6% hydroxyethyl starch and crystal/gel ratio 1:1 during neurosurgery, although it may not improve the coma status.</p>

Magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of treatment response of gamma knife for brain tumors / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in assessing treatment response to gamma knife radiosurgery for brain tumors.</p><p><b>DATA SOURCES</b>Published articles about assessing treatment response to gamma knife radiosurgery for brain tumors were selected using PubMed. The search terms were "MRI", "gamma knife" and "brain tumors".</p><p><b>STUDY SELECTION</b>Articles regarding the MRI techniques using for early assessment of treatment response of gamma knife were selected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MRI techniques, especially diffusion weighted imaging, perfusion weighted imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, are useful for early assessment of treatment response of gamma knife by detecting the hemodynamic, metabolic, and cellular alterations. Moreover, they can also provide important information on prognosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Diffusion weighted imaging, perfusion weighted imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy can provide early assessment of treatment response of gamma knife for brain tumors, and also information of tumor progression or recurrence earlier than conventional MRI. But there are still many questions to be answered which should be based on the development and advancement of MRI and related disciplines.</p>

Analysis on sexually transmitted diseases and the related risk factors among men who have sex with men in Jiangsu province / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate infections of syphilis, neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trachomatis and the related risk factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jiangsu province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 400 MSM were enrolled by Snowball Sampling Method from August to October in 2010 and then 328 cases were surveyed by a questionnaire and collected serum sample 5 ml per person as well as rectal swab on the spot; all of the serum samples were tested for syphilis by ELISA and TRUST, and all of the rectal swabs were tested for neisseria gonorrhoeae or chlamydia trachomatis. The influencing factors of syphilis, neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trachomatis were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 328 MSM were (32.46 ± 9.72) years old, 59.15% (194/328) were unmarried.75.00% (246/328) MSM had rectal sex with men in the past 3 months, and condom use rate for recent sex was 56.71% (186/328), while 53.05% (174/328) MSM didn't have sex with women in the last 3 months. The syphilis infection rate among MSM was 13.41% (44/328), the neisseria gonorrhoeae infection rate was 3.66% (12/328), and the chlamydia trachomatis rate was 11.59% (38/328). The number of sex partners was the key factor that influenced syphilis infections (OR = 4.213, 95%CI: 1.133 - 15.656).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalence of syphilis and chlamydia trachomatis was high in MSM in Jiangsu, while risk behavior rate were high in the MSM and then should be intervened.</p>

Study on the association of serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 and white blood cell count to type 2 diabetes mellitus with macroangiopathy and the interventing treatment / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To evaluate the relationship between serum matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9), white blood cell(WBC)count and type 2 diabetes mellitus with macroangiopathy and to investigate the mechanism of the protective effects of rusiglitazone(RSG)on blood vessel.Methods Serum MMP-9 was determined by ELISA in 30 normal controls and 80 type 2 diabetic patients(including 40 cases with macroangiopathy and 40 without maeroangiopathy).WBC count and other clinical parameters were also determined.32 type 2 diabetic patients received RSG(4rag qd)for 12 weeks.All parameters were determined after 4 weeks(17 patients)and after 12 weeks(all patients)to observe the changes in MMP-9,WBC and other parameters.Results In the diabetic patients,serum MMP-9 and WBC were markedly higher as compared with normal controls;and MMP-9 and WBC in patients with macroangiopathy[579(440-949)?g/L,(7.51?1.47)?10~9/L]were higher than those [324(275-423)?g/L,(6.22?0.79)?10~9/L]in the cases without macroangiopathy(P