Protective effect of succinic acid on cerebellar Purkinje cells of neonatal rats with convulsion / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effect of succinic acid (SA) on the cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) of neonatal rats with convulsion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 120 healthy neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats aged 7 days were randomly divided into a neonatal period group and a developmental period group. Each of the two groups were further divided into 6 sub-groups: normal control, convulsion model, low-dose phenobarbital (PB) (30 mg/kg), high-dose PB (120 mg/kg), low-dose SA (30 mg/kg), and high-dose SA (120 mg/kg). Intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazole was performed to establish the convulsion model. The normal control group was treated with normal saline instead. The rats in the neonatal group were sacrificed at 30 minutes after the injection of PB, SA, or normal saline, and the cerebellum was obtained. Those in the developmental group were sacrificed 30 days after the injection of PB, SA, or normal saline, and the cerebellum was obtained. Whole cell patch clamp technique was used to record the action potential (AP) of PCs in the cerebellar slices of neonatal rats; the parallel fibers (PF) were stimulated at a low frequency to induce excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC). The effect of SA on long-term depression (LTD) of PCs was observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal control groups, the neonatal and developmental rats with convulsion had a significantly higher AP frequency of PCs (P<0.05), and the developmental rats with convulsion had a significantly decreased threshold stimulus (P<0.01) and a significantly greater inhibition of the amplitude of EPSC in PCs (P<0.05). Compared with the normal control groups, the neonatal and developmental rats with convulsion in the high-dose PB groups had a significantly decreased threshold stimulus (P<0.01), a significantly higher AP frequency of PCs (P<0.05), and a significantly greater inhibition of EPSC in PCs (P<0.05). Compared with the neonatal and developmental rats in the convulsion model groups, those in the high-dose SA groups had a significantly decreased AP frequency of PCs (P<0.05). The developmental rats in the low- and high-dose SA groups had a significantly higher AP threshold than those in the convulsion model group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The high excitability of PCs and the abnormal PF-PC synaptic plasticity caused by convulsion in neonatal rats may last to the developmental period, which can be aggravated by PB, while SA can reduce the excitability of PCs in neonatal rats with convulsion and repair the short- and long-term abnormalities of LTD of PCs caused by convulsion.</p>

Influence of cefuroxime sodium on synaptic plasticity of parallel fiber-Purkinje cells in young rats / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of cefuroxime sodium (CS) on the electrophysiological function of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) in Sprague-Dawley rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Postnatal day 7 (P7) Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into early administration I and II groups (administered from P7 to P14) and late administration group (administered from P14 to P21), and all the groups received intraperitoneally injected CS. The control groups for early and late administration groups were also established and treated with intraperitoneally injected normal saline of the same volume. There were 10 rats in each group. The rats in the early administration I group and early administration control group were sacrificed on P15, and those in the early administration II group, late administration group, and late administration control group were sacrificed on P22. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to record inward current and action potential of PCs on cerebellar slices, as well as the long-term depression (LTD) of excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) in PCs induced by low-frequency stimulation of parallel fiber (PF).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control groups, the early and late administration groups had a slightly higher magnitude of inward current and a slightly higher amplitude of action potential of PCs (P>0.05). All administration groups had a significantly higher degree of EPSC inhibition than the control groups (P<0.01), and the early administration II group had a significantly greater degree of EPSC inhibition than the late administration group (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Early CS exposure after birth affects the synaptic plasticity of PF-PCs in the cerebellum of young rats, which persists after drug withdrawal.</p>

Factors affecting thrombolysis in myocardial infarction myocardial perfusion frame count: insights of myocardial tissue-level reperfusion from a novel index for assessing myocardial perfusion / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Myocardial tissue-level perfusion failure is associated with adverse outcomes following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) despite successful epicardial recanalization. We have developed a new quantitative index-thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) myocardial perfusion frame count (TMPFC)--for assessing myocardial tissue level perfusion. However, factors affecting this novel index of myocardial perfusion are currently unknown.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 255 consecutive STEMI patients undergoing primary angioplasty were enrolled. Myocardial tissue level perfusion was assessed by TMPFC, which measures the filling and clearance of contrast in the myocardium using cine-angiographic frame counting. We differentiate three groups with two cut off values for TMPFC: a TMPFC of 90 frames was the upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the TMPFC observed in normal arteries, and a TMPFC of 130 was the 75th percentile of TMPFC.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>STEMI patients with TMPFC > 130 frames (68 patients, 26.7%) had higher clinical and angiographic risk factor profiles as well as a higher 30-day MACE rate compared with those with TMPFC ≤ 90 frames and those with TMPFC > 90 and ≤ 130 frames. Multivariable analysis identified that the independent predictors of TMPFC > 130 frames were age ≥ 75 years (OR 2.08, 95%CI 1.21 to 3.58, P = 0.007), diabetes (OR 1.37, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.86, P = 0.042), Killip class ≥ 2 (OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.05 to 2.21, P = 0.027), and prolonged pain-to-balloon time (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.07 to 2.79, P = 0.013). TMPFC > 130 frames was identified as the strongest independent predictor of 30-day major adverse cardiac event (MACE) (OR 2.77, 95%CI 1.21 to 6.31, P = 0.008), along with age ≥ 75 years (OR 2.19, 95%CI 1.11 to 4.33, P = 0.016), female gender (OR 1.67, 95%CI 1.03 to 2.70, P = 0.038), and Killip class ≥ 2 (OR 1.83, 95%CI 1.07 to 3.14, P = 0.021).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>STEMI patients with poor myocardial perfusion assessed by TMPFC had higher risk factor profiles. Advanced age, diabetes, higher Killip class, and longer ischemia time were independent predictors of impaired TMPFC after primary percutaneous coronary intervention. These results emphasize that particular attention should be paid on myocardial microvascular reperfusion in STEMI patients with these risk factors.</p>

Effect of 1-tetrahydropalmatine on spontaneous electric discharge induced by chronic dorsal root ganglion neurons compression in rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of 1-tetrahydropalmatine (1-THP) on the spontaneous electric discharge (SED) induced by chronic dorsal root ganglion neurons compression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using single fiber recording method, the SED of 84 neurons class A induced by compression were recorded. The effect of 1-THP on the SEDs and its relation with concentration were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 84 SED of neurons, 25 showed periodical rhythmicity (PR) and 59 showed non-periodic rhythmicity (non-PR). 1-THP (100 micromol/L) inhibited SED in 16.0% (4/25) of neurons with PR and 67.8% (40/59) of neurons with non-PR (P < 0.01) in an effect-dose dependent manner, the higher the concentration of 1-THP, the more the inhibition, with quicker inhibiting in initiation and longer time needed for recovery. SED in 57.1% neurons were recovered 20 min after elution, but unrecovered even after 3 h in the others.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>1-THP shows inhibitory effect on the A-fiber SED induced by chronic dorsal root ganglion neurons compression.</p>

Prognostic value of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein in patients with acute coronary syndromes underwent percutaneous coronary intervention / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the prognostic value of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients with ACS underwent PCI in our hospital from December 2004 to September 2005 were included in this study. Plasma BNP (n = 189) and CRP (n = 141) were measured at a median of (34.2 +/- 16.3) hours from symptom onset, total mortality and the risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACE, including death, recurrent MI, recurrent angina, heart failure, readmission for any reason) at 30 days and at 3 months was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients were divided into 4 groups according to their BNP levels (BNP <or= 100 ng/L, BNP > 100 ng/L to <or= 300 ng/L, BNP > 300 ng/L to <or= 600 ng/L and BNP > 600 ng/L) and the 3-month mortality was 0%, 1.4%, 7.7%, 48.3% and 3-month incidence of MACE was 7.9%, 17.1%, 57.7%, 79.3% respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the plasma BNP level predicted 30-day (r = 0.8515, P < 0.01) and 3-month (r = 0.9201, P < 0.01) mortality and 30-day (r = 0.7066, P < 0.01) and 3-month (r = 0.7090, P < 0.01) incidence of MACE independent of other known prognostic factors such as age, gender, family heredity, hypercholesterolemia diabetes, hypertension, smoking and LVEF. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to their CRP levels (CRP <or= 8.0 mg/L, CRP > 8.0 mg/L to <or= 32.0 mg/L, CRP > 32.0 mg/L) and 3-month mortality was 2.7%, 7.7% and 28.6% and 3-month incidence of MACE was 28.4%, 41.0% and 60.7% respectively. CRP predicted 30-day (r = 0.5882, P = 0.0044) and 3-month (r = 0.5235, P = 0.0038) mortality independent of traditional risk factors, and predicted 30-day (r = 0.2705, P = 0.0380) and 3-month (r = 0.2290, P = 0.0429) incidence of MACE after adjustment for patient age. CRP lost its predictive value after BNP was introduced into the model, while BNP was still an independent predictor for mortality and incidence of MACE at 30 days and 3 months in ACS patients underwent PCI.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both plasma BNP and CRP are good predictors for early mortality and MACE incidence in ACS patients underwent PCI.</p>

Effect of er'bao granule on integration of ingestion behavior-related information by neurons in lateral hypothalamic area of anorexia rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To confirm the effect of Er'bao granule (EBG) on the sensitivity to peripheral afferent signal of neurons in lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) to illustrate the central mechanism of EBG in promoting ingestion behavior.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The anorexia rat model was established by feeding special prepared forage for one week, and all the model rats were administrated with EBG by gavage for 3 weeks. The spontaneous discharge of LHA neurons was recorded using electro-physiological extracellular recording method, and its response to electrical stimulus on gastric vagus nerve and intravenous injection of glucose were observed and compared among the normal, model and treated groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with the normal group, among the LHA neurons responding to afferent gastric vagal impulse, the proportion of glycemia-sensitive neurons in the model group was significantly decreased (P <0.01), but insignificant difference was shown in comparison between the treated group and the normal group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EBG play a role in regulating the sensitivity of LHA neurons to peripheral afferent signal and thus to influence the multi-afferent information integration of ingestion central neurons.</p>

The clinical value of sixteen-detector row computed tomography angiography for the assessment of coronary artery bypass graft / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of sixteen-detector row computed tomography angiography (CTA) for the assessment of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-two consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were recruited. Among them, 6 patients were excluded from the study due to unfavorable control of heart rate. A total of 56 patients with 152 coronary artery bypass grafts (internal mammary artery, n = 48; saphenous venous grafts, n = 104) were examined by computed tomography angiography (CTA) with sixteen-detector row CT and by conventional invasive coronary angiography (CAG). All CT procedures were performed with retrospective electrocardiogram gating method. The patients' mean heart rate was 58 +/- 6 beats/minute. 120 ml of Visipaque 320 were continuously injected with the rate of 4.0 ml/sec during the procedure. The patency and the stenosis of coronary artery bypass grafts were evaluated by two experienced readers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the coronary artery bypass grafts were visualized by CTA, and all the proximal bypass anastomoses and 71% of the distal bypass anastomoses were also visualized by CTA. Furthermore, 29 occlusions and 13 significant stenoses of coronary artery bypass grafts were detected by CTA. The comparison of the results between CTA and CAG showed that among all the 42 occluded and stenosed coronary artery bypass grafts detected by CTA, 34 were confirmed by CAG; among all the 110 normal coronary artery bypass grafts detected by CTA, 108 were confirmed by CAG. There were 8 false positive and 2 false negative findings, resulting in a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 95%, a positive predictive value of 86%, and a negative predictive value of 99%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sixteen-detector row CTA technology may provide a reliable visualization and higher diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery bypass grafts lesions. This technique can be used as a noninvasive procedure for the diagnosis of suspected coronary artery bypass grafts dysfunction.</p>