Comparison of alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS was used to systematically analyze and compare the alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. After the samples were pretreated in the solid-phase extraction cartridges, 0.1% ammonium hydroxide(A)-acetonitrile(B) was used for gradient elution. The LC-MS method for characterization of alkaloids in the three herbal medicines was established in ESI positive ion mode to collect high resolution MS data of reference substances and samples. On the basis of the information of reference substance cracking behavior, retention time, accurate molecular mass, and related literature, a total of 155 alkaloids were identified in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Prae-parata. Specifically, 130, 127, and 92 alkaloids were identified in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, respectively. Monoester alkaloids and amino-alcohol alkaloids were dominant in the three herbal medicines, and the alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and Aconiti Radix were similar. This paper can provide a reference for elucidating the pharmacological effects and clinical application differences of the three herbal medicines produced from plants of Aconitum.

To Blame or Not? Modulating Third-Party Punishment with the Framing Effect / 神经科学通报·英文版

People as third-party observers, without direct self-interest, may punish norm violators to maintain social norms. However, third-party judgment and the follow-up punishment might be susceptible to the way we frame (i.e., verbally describe) a norm violation. We conducted a behavioral and a neuroimaging experiment to investigate the above phenomenon, which we call the "third-party framing effect". In these experiments, participants observed an anonymous perpetrator deciding whether to keep her/his economic benefit while exposing a victim to a risk of physical pain (described as "harming others" in one condition and "not helping others" in the other condition), then they had a chance to punish that perpetrator at their own cost. Our results showed that the participants were more willing to execute third-party punishment under the harm frame compared to the help frame, manifesting a framing effect. Self-reported anger toward perpetrators mediated the relationship between empathy toward victims and the framing effect. Meanwhile, activation of the insula mediated the relationship between mid-cingulate cortex activation and the framing effect; the functional connectivity between these regions significantly predicted the size of the framing effect. These findings shed light on the psychological and neural mechanisms of the third-party framing effect.

Novel MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 variants in a cohort of Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease / 中华内科杂志

Objective:Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) comprises a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited neuropathies with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 2500. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and mutational characteristics of Chinese CMT patients with MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 variants.Methods:In this study, genetic analysis was performed in 206 Chinese patients at Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2012 to March 2020 with clinical diagnosis of CMT, and reported variants of MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 related to CMT2.Results:We reported ten MFN2 mutations in ten unrelated patients (7 male, 3 female), two of whom had positive family history. Three novel mutations were detected including c.475-2A>G (splicing); c.687dupA (p.E230Rfs*16) and c.558dupT (p.S186fs). We reported three BSCL2 mutations of four unrelated patients, including c.461C>G (p.S154W), c.461C>T(p.S154L), and novel variants of c.1309G>C (p.A437P) and c.845C>T (p.A282V). Furthermore, two novel variants of LRSAM1, including c.1930G>T (p.G644C) and c.1178T>A (p.L393Q) were detected in two unrelated patients.Conclusion:Mutational spectrum of MFN2-, BSCL2-and LRSAM1-related CMT disease is expanded with the identification of novel variants in Chinese patients.

The Research on Ferritinophagy, Ferroptosis and Related Diseases / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Iron, an important cofactor for heme, mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, and various biologically important enzymes, participates in biological processes including oxygen transport, redox reactions, and metabolite synthesis. Ferritin is an iron storage protein that maintains iron homeostasis in the body by sequestering and releasing iron. Ferritinophagy is a selective type of autophagy that mediates ferritin degradation, releasing free iron when increased intracellular iron level is needed. Moderate rates of iron autophagy maintain intracellular iron content homeostasis. Excessive ferritinophagy will release a large amount of free iron, causing lipid peroxidation and cell damage via reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the Fenton reaction. Therefore, ferritinophagy plays a vital role in maintaining cellular iron homeostasis. Nuclear receptor co-activator 4 (NCOA4) acts as a key regulator of ferritinophagy by targeting ferritin binding and delivery to lysosomes for degradation, leading to release of free iron. Thus, NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy is an important contributor to iron metabolism. Recent research reveals that NCOA4 is regulated by factors including iron content, autophagy, lysosomes, and hypoxia. NCOA4-mediated ferritin degradation is related to ferroptosis (an autophagic cell death process) . Ferritinophagy acts as an upstream mechanism driving ferroptosis by regulating cellular iron homeostasis and ROS production, which are closely correlated with the occurrence and development of anemia, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, ischemia / reperfusion injury, and other diseases. In this study, the functional characteristics of NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy in ferroptosis and the role of NCOA4 in these diseases were reviewed, which may provide new avenues for the treatment of related diseases.

Clinical characteristics of lung cancer associated acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation associated acute ischemic stroke / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of lung cancer associated acute ischemic stroke (LCA-AIS) and atrial fibrillation associated acute ischemic stroke (AFA-AIS).Methods:From January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018, 46 patients diagnosed with LCA-AIS (LCA-AIS group)in Hainan Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital were selected, and 46 patients diagnosed with AFA-AIS (AFA-AIS group) were matched according to age and sex.The general situation, laboratory test results and imaging results of the two groups were analyzed.Results:(1) The neurological deficit symptoms in AFA-AIS group were more serious than those in LCA-AIS group; there was significant difference in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and the Modified Rankin Scale (mRs) score between the two groups ( P=0.001, P=0.003). (2)The D-D polymer concentration in LCA-AIS group was significantly higher than that in AFA-AIS group ( P<0.001), but the hemoglobin, erythrocyte count and hematocrit were significantly lower than those in AFA-AIS group (all P<0.001). (3)There was no significant difference in imaging classification and the number of infarct basins between LCA-AIS group and AFA-AIS group ( P>0.05). LCA-AIS patients was more likely to have poly-period acute ischemic lesions ( P=0.015), while AFA-AIS had significantly larger infarct diameter and more likely to be complicated with acute hemorrhagic stroke or bleeding ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The clinical characteristics of LCA-AIS and AFA-AIS are similar, so it is necessary to distinguish LCA-AIS from AFA-AIS in combination with neurological impairment, laboratory tests and imaging findings to avoid misdiagnosis.

UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS-based rapid identification of chemical components in substance benchmark of Kaixin San / 中国中药杂志

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field Orbitrap mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS) was used for rapid identification of the chemical components in Kaixin San substance benchmark. The gradient elution was performed through a Waters ACQUITY~(TM) BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×150 mm, 1.7 μm) with water-acetonitrile as mobile phase, a column temperature of 30 ℃, a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1), and a sample size of 1 μL. The scanning was performed in the negative ion mode. The complex component groups in Kaixin San substance benchmark were quickly and accurately identified and clearly assigned based on the comparison of the retention time and MS data with those of the reference substance as well as the relative molecular weight of the same or similar components in the mass spectrum database and literature. A total of 77 compounds were identified, including 26 saponins, 13 triterpenoid acids, 20 oligosaccharide esters, 5 xanthones, and 13 other compounds. The qualitative method established in this study can systematically, accurately, and quickly identify the chemical components in Kaixin San substance benchmark, which can provide a basis for the further analysis of its active components in vivo and the establishment of its quality control system.

Study on mechanism of enhancing antioxidant activity in fermented Ziziphi Spinosae Semen with Poria cocos / 中国中药杂志

In this study, the antioxidant property changes in fermented Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(FZSS) with Poria cocos were analyzed by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. Then the content determination of active ingredients and ~1H nuclear magnetic resonance(~1H-NMR) spectroscopy were also used to investigate the mechanism of FZSS with P. cocos in enhancing the antioxidant activity. The results showed that the content of active ingredients such as total phenols, total saponins and total polysaccharides were significantly increased during the fermentation time. The results of ~1H-NMR metabonomics showed that the contents of amino acids such as leucine, lysine, valine and alanine, nitrogen compounds such as creatine, creatinine, and betaine, and secondary metabolites, for instance, jujuboside A and spinosin were higher after fermentation, and above components showed positive correlation with antioxidant capacity in Pearson correlation analysis. Therefore, it was inferred that the enhancement of antioxidant activity of FZSS may be the result of the joint action of various chemical components. This study preliminarily clarified the mechanism of FZSS in enhancing the antioxidant activity, and provided new research ideas for the product development and utilization of FZSS.

Prognostic value of time to generalization in 71 Chinese patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background:@#It is important to determine prognostic factors for the outcome of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at an early stage. The time taken for symptoms to spread from spinal or bulbar regions to both (time to generalization; TTG) is considered a strong predictor of survival; however, this has rarely been studied in Asian populations. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate potential factors affecting prognosis in Chinese patients with sporadic ALS, with a focus on the association between TTG and overall survival.@*Methods:@#Seventy-one patients with sporadic ALS who were hospitalized at Chinese PLA General Hospital from 2009 to 2016 were followed up until December 2017. Survival analysis was performed using univariate Kaplan-Meier log-rank and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. The clinical data of the patients were recorded and analyzed. Variables studied were age at symptom onset, sex, site of symptom onset, diagnostic latency, TTG, diagnostic category, ALS Functional Rating Scale-revised score, percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%), and disease progression rate (DPR) at diagnosis.@*Results:@#The mean age at onset was 54 (SD = 10.2) years, and the median survival time from symptom onset was 41 months (95% confidence interval: 34–47). By univariate analysis, factors independently affecting survival were age at symptom onset (Log rank = 15.652, P < 0.0001), TTG (Log rank = 14.728, P < 0.0001), diagnostic latency (Log rank = 11.997, P = 0.001), and DPR (Log rank = 6.50, P = 0.011). In the Cox multivariate model, TTG had the strongest impact on survival time (hazard ratio = 0.926, P = 0.01).@*Conclusions:@#TTG can be used as an effective indicator of prognosis in patients with sporadic ALS.

Prognostic value of time to generalization in 71 Chinese patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#It is important to determine prognostic factors for the outcome of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at an early stage. The time taken for symptoms to spread from spinal or bulbar regions to both (time to generalization; TTG) is considered a strong predictor of survival; however, this has rarely been studied in Asian populations. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate potential factors affecting prognosis in Chinese patients with sporadic ALS, with a focus on the association between TTG and overall survival.@*METHODS@#Seventy-one patients with sporadic ALS who were hospitalized at Chinese PLA General Hospital from 2009 to 2016 were followed up until December 2017. Survival analysis was performed using univariate Kaplan-Meier log-rank and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. The clinical data of the patients were recorded and analyzed. Variables studied were age at symptom onset, sex, site of symptom onset, diagnostic latency, TTG, diagnostic category, ALS Functional Rating Scale-revised score, percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%), and disease progression rate (DPR) at diagnosis.@*RESULTS@#The mean age at onset was 54 (SD = 10.2) years, and the median survival time from symptom onset was 41 months (95% confidence interval: 34-47). By univariate analysis, factors independently affecting survival were age at symptom onset (Log rank = 15.652, P < 0.0001), TTG (Log rank = 14.728, P < 0.0001), diagnostic latency (Log rank = 11.997, P = 0.001), and DPR (Log rank = 6.50, P = 0.011). In the Cox multivariate model, TTG had the strongest impact on survival time (hazard ratio = 0.926, P = 0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#TTG can be used as an effective indicator of prognosis in patients with sporadic ALS.

Therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / 中华神经科杂志

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressively aggravating fatal neurodegenerative disease, and there is no radical cure. This paper reviews the current progress of ALS therapies, mainly including drug therapy, symptomatic management, stem cell transplantation and gene therapy.

Proteomic Analysis on Exosomes Derived from Patients’ Sera Infected with Echinococcus granulosus

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus at the larval stage, predominantly develops in the liver and lungs of intermediate hosts and eventually results in organ malfunction or even death. The interaction between E. granulosus and human body is incompletely understood. Exosomes are nanosized particles ubiquitously present in human body fluids. Exosomes carry biomolecules that facilitate communication between cells. To the best of our knowledge, the role of exosomes in patients with CE is not reported. Here, we isolated exosomes from the sera of patients with CE (CE-exo) and healthy donors and subjected them to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Proteomic analysis identified 49 proteins specifically expressed in CE-exo, including 4 proteins of parasitic origin. The most valuable parasitic proteins included tubulin alpha-1C chain and histone H4. And 8 proteins were differentially regulated in CE-exo (fold change>1.5), as analyzed with bioinformatic methods such as annotation and functional enrichment analyses. These findings may improve our understanding about the interaction between E. granulosus and human body, and may contribute to the diagnosis and prevention of CE.

Investigation and predictive analysis on Q-marker of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen based on human intestinal microbiota transformation / 中草药

Objective: The aim of this work was to investigate the quality markers (Q-markers) of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS) based on biotransformation by human intestinal microbiota. Methods: In this study, in vitro biotransformation of ZSS aqueous extract by normal human intestinal microbiota was analyzed using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS. Furthermore, the time course of the biotransformation was studied to probe into the biotransformation mechanism of compounds in ZSS by human intestinal flora. The change rules of flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids in the incubation solution at different time points were plotted based on the percentage of peak area of compounds. Results: A total of 31 original ingredients and four metabolites were characterized in transformed ZSS aqueous extract by human intestinal microbiota. No obvious degradation was observed for benzylisoquinoline alkaloids within 24 h. As far as flavones concerned, a wide range of metabolic reactions as well as significant reaction were shown. Meanwhile, these flavonoids were completely degraded during 24 h. In addition, both jujuboside A and jujuboside B were metabolized to their saponins by deglycosylation reactions. Thus, coclaurine, zizyphusine, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, spinosin, vicenin II, jujuboside A, and jujuboside B were referred as prospective Q-markers. Conclusion: The results indicated that the chemical compounds in ZSS were obviously affected by transformation. Intestinal transformation studies play an important role for the elucidation of therapeutic material basis of ZSS and it should be taken into account during the process of the investigation of Q-marker.

Effects of Age and Gender on Lumbar Proprioception / 中国康复理论与实践

@# Objective To explore the difference in lumbar proprioception between the youth and the elderly, and the male and the female. Methods From September to November, 2017, 58 elderly aged 65 to 80 years and 56 youth aged 20 to 30 years were randomly picked up from the community. Their lumbar proprioceptions were measured by Con-Trex isokinetic dynamometer. The absolute error angles of lumbar flexion and extension in passive replication test was used to assess lumbar proprioceptive function. Results The absolute error angles of passive replication test were less on youth proprioception than on elderly ones (t > 4.218, P < 0.001), either in men or women (t > 2.844, P < 0.001), and was not different between men and women neither in the elderly group nor in the youth group (t < 1.473, P > 0.05). Conclusion The lumbar proprioception in the elderly was obviously inferior to that of the youth, both men and women. There was no gender difference between men and women in lumbar proprioception, both elderly and youth.

Clinical and radiological characteristics of hemiplegic arm raising related to yawning in stroke patient / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical and radiological characteristics of parakinesia brachialis oscitans (PBD) related to yawning in stroke patient and its mechanism.Methods We reported 4 patients with involuntary raising of the paralyzed limbs when yawning in neurological unit of Hainan Branch of Chinese PLA General Hospital,and analyzed their clinical characteristics together with published cases in literatures.Results In this group of stroke patients,when they yawned,their paralyzed upper limb could lift upward involuntarily.Totally 22 patients with ischemic (n=20) and hemorrhagic (n=2) stroke were enrolled.Brain imaging showed infarcts in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in 17 patients and in the brain stem in 5 patients.This phenomenon occurred 4 hours to 4 months (14.57 ± 31.66d) after stroke onset,and lasted from 1 week to 3 years (6.70 ± 11.66 months).Corticobulbar tract and pyramidal tract were both damaged in these 22 patients.The mechanism might be that after corticobulbar tract and pyramidal tract damaged,their dominant role in the cranial nerve nuclei of the brainstem and the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord disappeared,and the projection of oxytocinergic neurons from paraventricular nucleus functions,thus causing yawning and muscle contraction.Conclusion PBO may be a rare phenomenon of abnormal movement after stroke.This phenomenon indicates damaging of pyramidal tract,and PBO disappears gradually with the recovery of pyramidal tract function.

Repetitive Nerve Stimulation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Nowadays, it is widely known that decremental responses in low-frequency repetitive nerve stimulation (LF-RNS) are frequently observed in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The pathological mechanism of this phenomenon remains unknown. This study aimed to illuminate the features of RNS in Chinese patients with ALS.</p><p><b>Methods</b>Clinical and electrophysiological data of 146 probable and definite ALS patients who underwent RNS were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed. LF-RNS (3 Hz) was performed in trapezius, deltoid, abductor digiti minimi (ADM), quadriceps femoris, and tibialis anterior. High-frequency RNS (HF-RNS, 10 Hz) was performed only in ADM. The two-sample t-test and Chi-squared test were used for statistical analysis.</p><p><b>Results</b>Decremental responses to LF-RNS (≥10%) in at least one muscle were detected in 83 (56.8%) of the cases and were most commonly seen in trapezius and deltoid. The incidence of decremental response was higher in patients with upper limb onset. Incremental responses to HF-RNS (≥60%) in ADM were observed in 6 (5.6%) of the cases. In 106 muscles with decremental response, 62 (57.4%) muscles had a continuous decremental pattern, more than a U-shape pattern (37 cases, 34.3%). Nineteen cases showed definite decrements in LF-RNS tests in trapezius, while no abnormalities were found in the electromyography and neurological examination of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, supplied by the accessory nerve as well.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>Decremental responses in the RNS are commonly observed in ALS patients. The findings regarding the trapezius indicated that some ALS onsets could be initiated by a "dying back" process, with destruction of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) before motor neurons. Incremental responses in the ADM implied damage of the NMJs involved both the post and presynaptic membranes.</p>

Effect of cilostazol on carotid intima-media thickness / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To systematically assess whether cilostazol can delay the progression or decrease the carotid intima-media thickness (clMT).Methods Papers on the effect of cilostazol on cIMT in randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were retrieved from a number of foreign and domestic databases.The data were analyzed by Review Manager 5.3.Results Six randomized controlled trials and two cohort studies were included in this study.A total of 1107 patients were divided into cilostazol therapy group (n=533) and control group (n=574).Meta-analysis showed that cilostazol therapy for 6 months,12 months,≥24 months could reduce the maximum cIMT with a mean difference of-0.04 mm (95％CI:-0.05--0.03,P=0.000),a mean difference of -0.04 mm (95％CI:-0.05--0.03,P=0.000) and a mean difference of-0.08 mm (95％CI:-0.11-0.05,P =0.000) respectively.Conclusion Cilostazol therapy for 6 months,12 months,24 months or more than 24 months can reduce the maximum cIMT,which is needed to be confirmed by studies with a large sample of clinical data.

Chinese ischemic stroke classification in relation with cerebral infarction due to migration to different climatic zones in autumn and winter / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To study the characteristics of Chinese ischemic stroke subclassification (CISS) in relation with migration to different climatic zones in autumn and winter.Methods Ninety-six subjects who travelled from northeast China,northwest China and north China to Hainan Province from September 2012 to February 2017 and were admitted to our hospital due to cerebral infarction occurred within 3 weeks after they arrived at Hainan were included in this study.Their demographic data,risk factors for cerebrovascular disease,laboratory blood test and imaging parameters were recorded.The patients were classified according to their medical history,auxiliary examination findings and CISS.The recorded data were statistically analyzed.Results CISS showed that penetrating artery disease,large artery atherosclerosis,cardiogenic stroke,and undetermined etiology accounted for 50.0％,38.5％,4.2％,7.3％ respectively.Hypertension (70.8 ％) and abnormal glucose metabolism (61.5％) were the major risk factors for cerebral in farction.Conclusion The incidence of penetrating artery disease is the highest,followed by that of large artery atherosclerosis in cerebral infarction patients.Alert to cerebral infarction should thus be stressed for those with hypertension and abnormal glucose metabolism who are going to travel in autumn and winter.

Distribution of interleukin 17 receptor mRNA in rhesus macaques / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To delineate the distribution and abundance of interleukin 17 receptor mRNA in normal tissues of rhesus macaques.Methods:Tissue samples were collected from different systems including lymphoid system,digestive system and genital system and the mRNA levels of IL-17RA and IL-17RC were examined by real time RT-PCR.Meanwhile the levels of IL-17RA and IL-17RC mRNA in the PBMCs of rhesus macaques,African green monkeys and cynomolgus monkeys were examined.Results:IL-17RA mRNA was expressed in all the tested tissues and the levels were significantly different among these systems (P＜0.05).IL-17RC mRNA level in the large intestine was higher than that in the small intestine.IL-17RA mRNA level in rhesus macaque PBMCs was 3 and 5 times higher than that of cynomolgus monkeys and African green monkeys respectively,while IL-17RC mRNA in the PBMCs was below the limit of detection.Conclusion:IL-17RA is widely distributed in rhesus macaques;the expression level is different among different tissues and species.

Effects of neuro-immuno-modulation on healing of wound combined with local radiation injury in rats / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>PURPOSE</b>To investigate effects of neuro-immuno-modulation on wound healing by observing changes of cytokines and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormones in acute stress reaction in rats with wound and combined local radiation injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty female Wistar rats (weighting 200 ± 20 g) were randomly divided into normal control group, wound group and combined wound-local radiation (CWR) group (25 Gy local radiation post wound), 20 rats in each group. Contents of IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ and IL-4 in serum were measured and changes of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and glucocorticoid (GC) in serum were analyzed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and radioimmunologic assay, respectively at different time points post wound and radiation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The level of IFN-γ, one of the Th1 cell cytokines increased significantly at 14 d post CWR, which was markedly higher than that in control group and wound group. However, the level of IL-4, IL-1β and IL-6, one of the Th2 cell cytokines, did not show obvious change. (2) Ratio of Th1/Th2 (IFN-γ/IL-4) in wound group and CWR group increased significantly at 7 d after wound and radiation, which suggested that Th1/Th2 balance drifted to Th1 immune response. The ratio of Th1/Th2 in wound group returned to the normal level up to 14 d after the wound and radiation, while the Th1/Th2 ratio in CWR group increased persistently and was much higher than that in control and wound groups. (3) Level of serous ACTH and GC in CWR group increased at 3 d post wound and radiation, and among them, level of GC showed statistically significant increase, which was much higher than that in control and wound groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Level of serous neurohormone GC in rats increased significantly immediately after wound and radiation; while the level of IFN-γ showed significant increase only up to 14 d after wound and radiation, and the Th1/Th2 imbalance sustained till 28 d post wound and radiation. In order to reduce acute damage caused by CWR, organic immune system and nerve system showed up a marked regulate effects simultaneously and mutually. Nonetheless, the excessive stress induced by CWR causes disturbance of immunoregulation, which is one of the key reasons for delayed wound healing in CWR.</p>

Clinical Characteristics, Electrophysiology, and Skin Biopsy of 38 Peripheral Neuropathy Cases with Small Fiber Involvement of Various Etiologies / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>In small fiber neuropathy (SFN), thinly myelinated Aδ and unmyelinated C fibers are primarily affected, resulting in sensory and/or autonomic symptoms. Various etiologies have been shown to be associated with SFN. This study was aimed to analyze a variety of features in peripheral neuropathy (PN) with small fiber involvement, and to compare disease severity among patients with idiopathic PN, PN associated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and metabolic syndrome (MS) PN.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-eight PN patients with small fiber involvement were enrolled from December 20, 2013 to May 31, 2016. Patients were divided into idiopathic PN, IGT-related PN, and MS-related PN groups. Detailed medical history and small fiber neuropathy were investigated, and symptom inventory questionnaire was conducted, as well as the visual analog scale. Nerve conduction studies and skin biopsies were also performed. The differences among the groups were analyzed using analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eight patients were diagnosed with pure SFN. Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) weakly correlated with motor conduction velocity (MCV) (r = 0.372, P = 0.025), and proximal (r = 0.383, P = 0.021) and distal (r = 0.358, P = 0.032) compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of the tibial nerve. IENFD also weakly correlated with MCV of the peroneal nerve (r = 0.399, P = 0.016). IENFD was shown to be significantly different among all groups (χ2 = 9.901, P = 0.007). IENFD was significantly decreased (χ2 = 23.000, P = 0.003) in the MS-related PN group compared to the idiopathic PN group. The MCV of the tibial nerve was significantly different among all groups (χ2 = 8.172, P < 0.017). The proximal (F = 4.336, P = 0.021) and distal (F = 3.262, P = 0.049) CMAP of the tibial nerve was also significantly different among all groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>IENFD of patients included in the present study weakly correlated with various electrophysiological parameters. Small and large fibers are more involved in patients with MS-related PN than in patients with idiopathic PN.</p>