Investigation of White Matter and Grey Matter Alterations in the Monkey Brain Following Ischemic Stroke Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Purpose@#Investigation of stroke lesions mostly focuses on the grey matter (GM). White matter (WM) degeneration during acute stroke has remained understudied. In the present study, monkeys were employed to investigate the alterations in GM and WM in the brain following ischemic occlusion using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). @*Materials and Methods@#Permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced in rhesus monkeys (n = 6) using an interventional approach. Serial DTI was conducted on a clinical 3 T in the hyperacute phase (2–6 hours), 48, and 96 hours post-occlusion. Regions of interest in GM and WM of lesion areas were selected for data analysis. @*Results@#Mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) in WM decreased substantially during hyperacute stroke, similar to those seen in GM. No obvious fractional anisotropy changes were seen in WM during the hyperacute phase until 48 hours poststroke when significant fiber loss was observed. Pseudo-normalization of MD, AD, and RD was seen at 96 hours. Pathological changes in WM and GM were observed in ischemic areas at 8, 48, and 96 hours poststroke. Relative changes in MD, AD, and RD of WM were correlated negatively with infarction volumes at 6 hours poststroke. @*Conclusion@#The present study revealed the microstructural changes in GM and WM of monkey brains during acute stroke using DTI. The preliminary results suggest that AD and RD may be sensitive surrogate markers to assess specific microstructural changes in WM during the hyperacute stroke.

Specification and grade of Saposhnikoviae Radix (Saposhnikovia divaricata) / 中草药·英文版

Objective: Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fangfeng in Chinese), the roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata, lacks commodity specification and grade standardization in the current market. This study investigated the existing specifications and grades of Saposhnikoviae Radix to provide a standardized scientific reference for its market use. Methods: Based on a textual research of Chinese herbal medicine from the Han Dynasty to the present, medicinal materials of different specifications and grades obtained from Saposhnikoviae Radix in the main producing areas of China were collected and the markets for these materials were investigated. Field investigations were performed in the major producing areas such as Northeast China, Hebei Province, and Inner Mongolia. Four major Chinese herbal medicine markets in China were investigated. Sensory indices were used to categorize the two specifications (wild and cultivated) according to the shape, color, texture, and cross-section. High-performance liquid chromatography was performed to determine the active components. Vernier calipers and measuring tape were used to measure the diameter and length, respectively, of 41 samples. Using Excel and the R Language software, cluster analysis and descriptive statistical analysis were performed to assist in the application of new specifications and grades based on physical characteristics, pharmacological activity, and chemical composition. Results: The two specifications (wild and cultivated) of Saposhnikoviae Radix were divided into three grades each based on the length and diameter. Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, 5-O-methylvisamminoside, and the length of Saposhnikoviae Radix can be used as a basis for classifying the commodity specifications and grades. The specifications and grade standards of Saposhnikoviae Radix were established based on the following eight aspects: shape, surface characteristics, texture, cross section, taste, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin content, 5-O-methylvisamminoside content and length. Conclusion: The formulation of this standard stipulates the commodity specification level of Saposhnikoviae Radix. It is also suitable for the evaluation of commodity specifications in the process of production, circulation and use of Saposhnikoviae Radix.

Clinical effect of surgery combined with adjuvant therapy and single surgery for resectable pancreatic cancer: a Meta analysis / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective To systematically evaluate the clinical effect of surgery combined with adjuvant therapy (postoperative chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy) and single surgery for resectable pancreatic cancers.Methods Literatures were researched using PubMed,Embase,Science Citation Index Expanded,Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and China Biology Medicine disc with the key words including "pancreatic cancer,adjuvant therapy,chemoradiotherapy,radiochemotherapy,chemotherapy,radiotherapy,胰腺癌,辅助治疗,化学治疗and放射治疗”from the time of database building to October 2016.Two reviewers independently screened literatures,extracted data and assessed the risk of bias.All the patients undergoing surgery combined with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy,surgery combined with adjuvant chemotherapy and single surgery were respectively allocated into the first treatment group,second treatment group and control group.The inverse variance was used for mergering hazard ratio (HR) and related statistic data.HR and 95％ confidence interval (CI) were used for assessing the overall survival time and disease-free survival time.The median survival time and 1-,2-,5-year survival rates were evaluated by the relative risk (RR) and 95％CI.The heterogeneity of the studies was analyzed using the I2 test.Results Eleven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of 9 literatures were retrieved,and the total sample size was 1 482 patients,including 238 patients in the first treatment group,545 in the second treatment group and 699 in the control group.Results of Meta analysis:① overall survival time:there was no significant difference in overall survival time between the first treatment group and control group (HR =0.87,95％ CI:0.56-1.17,P＞ 0.05).There was a significant difference in overall survival time between the second treatment group and control group (HR =0.68,95 ％ CI:0.55-0.80,P＜ 0.05).② Disease-free survival time:there was no significant difference in disease-free survival time between the first treatment group and control group (HR=0.78,95％CI:0.53-1.03,P＞0.05).There was a significant difference in disease-free survival time between the second treatment group and control group (HR=0.56,95％CI:0.45-0.67,P＜0.05).③ Median survival time:there were significant differences in median survival time between the first treatment group and control group (RR=1.82,95％CI:1.35-2.45,P＜0.05) between the second group and control group (RR=1.32,95％CI:1.07-1.62,P＜0.05).④ One-,2-,5-year survival rates:there was no significant difference in 1-,2-,5-year survival rates between the first treatment group and control group (RR=1.24,2.47,1.15,95％ CI:0.72-2.12,0.82-7.41,0.71-1.84,P＞0.05).One-year survival rate in the second treatment group was compared with that in the control group,with no significant difference (RR=1.15,95％CI:0.99-1.34,P＞0.05).There were significant differences in 2-and 5-year survival rates between the second treatment group and control group (RR=1.24,1.73,95％CI:1.01-1.50,1.32-2.27,P＜0.05).Conclusions Compared with single surgery,surgery combined with postoperative chemoradiotherapy cannot significantly improve the overall survival time and disease-free survival time of patients.However,surgery combined with adjuvant chemotherapy can prolong the overall survival time and disease-free survival time of patients.

Prevalence status for smokers of undergraduates in Huaihua and the influential factors / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the prevalence status and the influential factors for smokers of undergraduates in Huaihua.@*METHODS@#The undergraduates from different grades and different professions in Huaihua were selected randomly and investigated using a self-developed questionnaire. The influential factors for smokers of students were analyzed using a Chi-square test and a logistic regression.@*RESULTS@#A total of 1 050 undergraduates were surveyed in our study. Among them, 973 were valid. The rate for students with a habit of smoking was 21.17%. 53.7% of smokers began to smoke at the stage of primary and high schools. The main reason for smoking was due to curious (47.1%) or depressive (45.2%). The male students were more likely to smoke than female students (OR=6.730). The attitudes of parents on smoking, such as no intervention, were important risk factors that affect the children's behavior on smoking (OR=1.866).@*CONCLUSION@#The periods in primary and high school are the most possible time for student to begin smoking. The curiosity and depression are the most risk factors, and the gender and family education are also the important factors that affect the behavior of undergraduates on smoking.

Lentiviral-AQP1 vector successfully transfect the myocytes and aggravate the myocardiac edema after cardiopulmonary bypass / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective Construct the lentiviral AQP1 vector and explore whether it can transfect the myocyte or not,then test the law of the AQP1 expression and the edema in the successfully transducted myocytes after cardiopulmonary bypass in sheeps.Methods Design cleavage primer according to ovine AQP1mRNA,clone it into expressing vector and transducated into the 293T cells with other packing vectors to produce the lentiviral AQP1 vector,then test the virus titer.36 adult healthy sheeps are randomly divided into blank or AQP1-lentiviral transfected group,blank or AQP1-lentiviral vector suspension was injected in the ventricle tissue of healthy adult sheeps during cardiopulmonary bypass and take specimen in different time points (2,6,12,24,48,72 h)after extracorporeal circulation,3 in each group.Realtime-PCR WesternBlot ELISA FACS immumofluorescent and Dry/Wet methods are emploied to detect the expression of AQP1 and the according degree of edema.Results lentiviral AQP1 vector was successfully construced and transducated into the myocytes.The tranducated groups have the same trend of AQP1 of expression and cardiac edema after cardiopulmonary bypass compared to the blank vector group,but the degree is heavier(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Lentivral AQP1 vector can successfully transfect the myoctyes,and the overexpressed myocardial tissue have the same trend of AQP1 expression and edema after cardiopulmonary bypass,but with a heaver degree.The expression of aquaporins was positively relevant to the edema.

Evaluation of right ventricular diastolic function in patients with essential hypertension by quantitative tissue velocity imaging / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To analyze right ventrieular diastolic dysfunction in essential hypertension by quantitative tissue velocity imaging(QTVI). Methods Twenty normotensives and forty-five hypertensives underwent standard Doppler echocardiography and QTVI of right ventricular lateral tricuspid annulus. By QTVI,diastolic measurements were obtained. According to WHO standard, the patients with hypertension were classified into three groups, grade Ⅰ (group Ⅰ) 15 cases, grade Ⅱ(group Ⅱ) 15 cases, grade Ⅲ (group Ⅲ) 15 cases. Results Pulsed Doppler eehocardiography showed impaired Doppler diastolic indexes in hypertensives, without changes among the eases groups. In all hypertension groups, QTVI showed reduction of right ventricular Ea, increase of Aa and Ea/Aa<1 comparison with controls. IVRT of Ⅱ, Ⅲgroups was longer than normal. Conclusions Right ventricular diastolic function with essential hypertension decreased according to the degree of staging. QTVI has a greater predictive value than conventional imaging, and is useful for evaluating right ventricular function in patients with essential hypertension.

Quality standard for Jinqiaomai Tablets / 中成药

AIM: To establish the quality standard for Jinqiaomai Tablets ( Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma). METHODS: Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma was identified by TLC. The contents of (-)-epicatechin and procyanidin B2 were determined simultaneously by HPLC,the Symmetry C18 column (5 ?m,3. 9 mm id ? 150 mm) was used. The water (adjust pH value to 3. 00 ? 0. 02 with phosphoric acid)-acetonitrile (92 ∶ 8) was used as a mobile phase,the detecting wavelength was at 280 nm. The column temperature was at 35 ℃. RESULTS: Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma could be identified. The calibration curve of (-)-epicatechin was linear in the range of 0. 113 6-2. 272 ?g with the correlation of 0. 999 968 (n = 8). The average recovery of (-)-epicatechin was 97. 12% ,RSD = 0. 92% (n = 6). The calibration curve of procyanidin B2 was linear in the range of 0. 166 4-1. 664 ?g with the correlation of 0. 999 702(n = 8). The average recovery of procyanidin B2 was 98. 26% ,RSD = 0. 61% (n = 6). CONCLUSION: The method is specific,reliable and accurate,so it can be used for the quality control of Jinqiaomai Tablets.