The clinical and neuroimage features of Non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective Objective The present study was to increase the awareness of nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy ( WE) to reduce its misdiagnosis.Methods The clinical features and MR imaging findings in 6 patients with nonalcoholic WE were retrospectively analyzed.Results All patients exhibited different degrees of unconsciousness.Only two patients presented with the typical triad of neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations, ataxia, and global confusion.All patients presented with typical MR features characterized by bilaterally altered signal of the medial thalamus, periventricular region of the third ventricle and periaqueductal area. In addition, two patients developed symmetric cortical and facial nerve nucleus involvements with deep coma, which was clinically rare.The average clinical recovery and MRI imaging recovery times were 7.5 months and 2.8 months, respectively,.Two patients with deep coma showed a poor prognosis:1 patient died, and the other had a sever spastic paralysis of her extremities and mental retardation during a follow -up of 2 years.Two patients with deep coma showed symmetric hyperintensities on diffusion -weighted imaging ( DWI) .Conclusions MRI images are useful in the early diagnosis of nonalcoholic WE.Cortical and cranial nerve nucleus involve-ment in nonalcoholic WE patients may be an indication of irreversible damage and a poor prognosis.In addition, hyperintensities on DWI may also indicate an unfavorable prognosis.

Expression of microRNA in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes of microRNA expression in cortex tissues in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD)and the possible roles of microRNA in the pathogenesis of HIBD. METHODS Rat HIBD model was prepared. The cortex tissues were obtained 14 days after the HIBD event. The microRNA expression profiles were measured using microRNA microarray. Expression of 9 microRNAs (miR-126,-26a,-674-5p,-21,-25,-290, miR-124,-125b-5p and microRNA-9a) was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>he results of microRNA expression profiles indicated that 27 pieces of microRNA were up-regulated more than 2 folds and 60 pieces were down-regulated more than 2 folds compared with the normal control group. The results of the 9 microRNAs detected by quantitative real-time PCR were consistent with those detected by microRNA microarray.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HIBD rats have significant changes in microRNA expression, suggesting that microRNA expression may play important roles in the pathogenesis of HIBD.</p>

Protective effect of musk extract on rat's cerebral cortical neurons with inflammatory injury / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effects of musk extract (ME) and its possible mechanism on rat's cerebral cortical neurons with inflammatory injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Neurons and astrocytes from newborn rat cerebral cortex were cultured in vitro respectively, and the astrocyte conditioned medium (ACM), obtained by treating astrocytes with 10 mg/L LPS and different concentrations of ME for 24 h, was added in the culture fluid of neurons. The survival rate and apoptotic rate of neurons were measured by MTT method and AO/EB stain; and the changes of inflammatory factors in the ACM were determined by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The survival rate (%) of neurons treated by ACM with ME in concentrations of 18 mg/L, 36 mg/L, 72 mg/L and 144 mg/L was 52.55 +/- 3.52, 55.77 +/- 2.36, 64.89 +/- 3.45 and 73.67 +/- 1.80, respectively, significantly higher than that in the model neurons (43.62 +/- 4. 51, P < 0.05), while the apoptotic rate (%) in them, 68.11 +/- 2.16, 44.27 +/- 3.68, 32.56 +/- 2.14 and 21.89 +/- 2.46, respectively, was significantly lower than that in model neurons (71.33 +/- 3.25, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Level of IL-6 was decreasing along with the raising of ME concentration in the ACM, showing a concentration-dependent state.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ME shows apparent protective effect on neurons against inflammatory injury, especially in a high concentration (144 mg/L), which may be associated with the reduction of IL-6 secreted by astrocytes.</p>

Effects of DSCAM on differentiation of rat marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neurons in vitro / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of Down syndrome cellular adhesion molecule (DSCAM) on differentiation of rat marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into neurons in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MSCs from Sprague-Dawley rats were induced into neurons by baicalin. The expression of DSCAM before and after induction was evaluated by immunocytochemical staining and Western blot assay. After knockdown of DSCAM by siRNA transfection, the differentiation rate of neurons derived from MSCs was measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Before induction, the expression of DSCAM was not detectable in MSCs. After bFGF preinduction for 24 hrs, DSCAM was slightly expressed in MSCs (1.71+/- 0.67%). The DSCAM expression increased 6 hrs after baicalin induction (15.79+/- 4.24%), reached a peak at 3 days (53.16+/- 5.94%) and then decreased gradually. The DSCAM expression 6 days after baicalin induction (28.99+/- 6.72%) was significantly lower than that at 3 days (P<0.01). However, after DSCAM-siRNA transfection, the DSCAM expression in MSCs was significantly reduced. MSCs did not express neuron-specific beta-III-tubulin before induction. After baicalin induction for 6 hrs, 3 days and 6 days, the expression of beta-III-tubulin was 1.40+/- 0.79%, 41.59+/- 3.17% and 59.11+/- 4.76% respectively. But the beta-III-tubulin expression significantly decreased 3 and 6 days after DSCAM-siRNA transfection (28.57+/- 2.91% and 43.90+/- 12.31% respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>DSCAM may play an important role in MSCs differentiation into neural cells.</p>