Effects of Ciwujia in inducing marrow stromal cell differentiation into neuron-like cells in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of the traditional Chinese herbal drug Ciwujia in inducing the differentiation of marrow stromal cells (MSCs) into neuron-like cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rat MSCs isolated from the whole bone marrow were amplified by adherent culture in vitro and induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells using serum-free DMEM/F12 containing Ciwujia. The protein and mRNA expressions of nestin, beta-Tubulin III and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the differentiated cells were detected by indirect immunofluorescence method, Western blotting and RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The third-passage MSCs showed positive expression rates for CD44 and CD54 beyond 90% with decreased CD14 expression rate to 2.37%. Induction by Ciwujia of the MSCs resulted in cell body shrinkage and protrusion of the cell processes resembling those of neurons. The differentiated cells were positive for nestin and beta-Tubulin III expression and negative for GFAP as shown by immunofluorescence assay, Western blotting and RT-PCR.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ciwujia can induce the differentiation of rat MSCs into neuron-like cells in vitro.</p>

Study on corresponding areas the liver and lung channels in brain with fMRI / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore distribution of the Liver and Lung Channels in the brain so as to provide imaging basis for construction of channel theory in the brain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty healthy student volunteers were randomly divided into a Liver Channel group (I) and a Lung Channel group (II), and the each group was further divided into five subgroups with 6 volunteers in each subgroup, based on five-shu-point principles which, were Dadun (LR 1, I 1), Xingjian (LR 2, I 2), Taichong (LR 3, I 3), Zhongfeng (LR 4, I 4), Ququan (LR 8, I 5), Shaoshang (LU 11, II 1), Yuji (LU 10, II 2), Taiyuan (LU 9, II 3), Jingqu (LU 8, II 4), and Chize (LU 5, II 5), respectively. In order to observe the brain activating patterns during acupuncture at the different acupoints, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique was adopted. All image data were then analyzed with SPM 2 software. The statistical parameter gram was composed of the pixel P < 0.01, and anatomic location was made according to Talairach coordinate, attaining experimentally activated areas, and the commonly activated area of five-shu-point of each channel was considered as the brain distribution of the Liver and Lung Channels.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The common areas activated by the five-shu-points of the Liver Channel were homolateral Brodmann area (BA) 34, BA 47, red nucleus, contralateral BA 19, BA 30, BA 39, the superior parietal lobule, cerebellum decline, and bilateral BA 3 and culmen. The common areas activated by the five-shu-points of the Lung Channels included homolateral BA 2, BA 18, BA 35, and contralateral BA 9 and substania nigra.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There are relatively specific corresponding brain areas for the Liver and Lung Channels, indicating that there is possible relatively specific connection between channels and the brain.</p>

Functional magnetic resonance image study on the brain areas involved in reading Chinese, English, and Nepali in Nepalese / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the different brain areas activated by Chinese, English, and Nepali word tasks in Nepalese by using the functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI).@*METHODS@#To determine the neuroanatomic functional brain areas responsible for Chinese, English and Nepali reading as well as sentence-formation, blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) block design by fMRI was performed in 6 healthy Nepalese volunteers.@*RESULTS@#During Chinese reading, the activated areas included bilateral motor area, subfrontal gyri, superior temporal gyri, and superior parietal lobule; during English reading, the activated areas were left motor area, left subfrontal gyrus, left supra temporal gyrus, left insula and bilateral cerebellum; and the Nepali task demonstrated the activation of left anterior central gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus. Aside from the bilateral occipital lobes, both English and Nepali activated areas were the left cerebral hemisphere dominant.@*CONCLUSION@#The more familiar with the language, the fewer areas are activated. Superior temporal gyrus might be involved in sentence-formation.