A comparative study of intracerebral veins and tributaries by SWI with different slice thicknesses / 中国医师杂志

Objectives To investigate the imaging ability of magnetic sensitive weighted imaging (SWI) scans with 2.0 mm and 1.0 mm slice thickness on intracerebral veins and branches.Methods 47 healthy volunteers were recruited,including 20 males and 27 females,aged 21-45 (30.1 ± 12.93).Two SWI sequences with thickness of 2.0 mm and 1.0 mm were performed in all healthy volunteers.After reconstructed by minimal intensity projection (MIP),the display rate and diameter of intracerebral veins and branches were counted by two doctors.McNemar test and paired t-test were used for statistical analysis.Results (1) The display rates of bilateral internal cerebral veins,papular veins and left ventricular veins were 100％ in both scanning schemes,while the display rates of left and right septal veins,anterior caudate nucleus veins and right ventricular veins on SWI sequence images with 2.0 mm thickness were 90.0％ (left),91.0％ (right) and 87.2％ (right),91.5％,respectively.The display rates on SWI sequence images with 1.0 mm thickness were 97.9％ (left),94.0％ (right),97.9％ (left),95.7％ (right) and 95.7％ respectively.(2) There were significant differences in the diameter of bilateral septum pellucidum veins and bilateral anterior caudate nucleus veins between the two scanning schemes (P ＜ 0.05).While there was no significant difference in the diameter of bilateral internal cerebral veins,bilateral papular veins and bilateral intraventricular veins (P ＞0.05).(3) The displaying rate of veins with diameter ＞0.9 mm was 100％ for both scanning schemes,while the displaying rate of veins with diameter ranging from 0.6-0.9 mm (including 0.6 mm and 0.9 mm) in the two scanning schemes had significant difference (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions SWI sequence can clearly show the anatomical shape of intracerebral veins and branches.In contrast to SWI of the scan slices thickness of 2.0 mm,the SWI of scan slices thickness of 1.0 mm showed more efficiency in display thinner brain venous.Therefore,using SWI sequence scanning scheme with 1.0 mm slice thickness will be more conducive to observe and study intracerebral veins and branches.

Mechanisms of histamine ameliorating memory impairment induced by pentylenetetrazole-kindling epilepsy in rats / 浙江大学学报·医学版

To investigate the effects of neuronal histamine on spatial memory acquisition impairment in rats with pentylenetetrazole-kindling epilepsy, and to explore its mechanisms.A subconvulsive dose of pentylenetetrazole (35 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected in rats every 48 h to induce chemical kindling until fully kindled. Morris water maze was used to measure the spatial memory acquisition of the rats one week after fully pentylenetetrazole-kindled, and the histamine contents in different brain areas were measured spectrofluorometrically. Different dosages of hitidine (the precursor of histamine), pyrilamine (H1 receptor antagonist), and zolantidine (H2 receptor antagonist) were intraperitoneally injected, and their effects on spatial memory acquisition of the rats were observed.Compared with control group, escape latencies were significantly prolonged on Morris water maze training day 2 and day 3 in pentylenetetrazole-kindling epilepsy rats (all<0.05); and the histamine contents in hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus were decreased significantly (all<0.05). Escape latencies were markedly shortened on day 3 by intraperitoneally injected with histidine 500 mg/kg, and on day 2 and day 3 by intraperitoneally injected with histidine 1000 mg/kg in pentylenetetrazole-kindling epilepsy rats (all<0.05). The protection of histidine was reversed by zolantidine (10 and 20 mg/kg), but not by pyrilamine.Neuronal histamine can improve the spatial memory acquisition impairment in rats with pentylenetetrazole-kindling epilepsy, and the activation of H2 receptors is possibly involved in the protective effects of histamine.

CT Features of Extra-adrenal Ganglioneuroma:Comparison with Pathological Findings / 中国医学影像学杂志

Purpose To explore the CT features of extra-adrenal ganglioneuroma (GN), and to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the disease. Materials and Methods CT features of 13 patients with extra-adrenal GN confirmed by surgical pathology were retrospectively analyzed, and compared with pathological findings. Results Two of 13 lesions were located in neck, four in posterior mediastinum, four in retroperitoneal space, two in front of sacrum, one in the region of renal hilus. All these masses were well defined, two appeared as round, three as oval, 8 as irregular shape. Of eight cases with irregular shape, six lesions presented a tendency of wedging into the space encasing and lapsing the vessel, with no evidence of invasion of the surrounding organs or vessels. Two tumors grew along the vertebrae and invaded intervertebral foramen. On plain CT imagings, the attenuations of the tumors were less than that of muscle, the masses with homogeneous and nonhomogeneous density were found in four and nine cases, respectively. Two patients associated with scattered and patchy cafilication. After contrast administration, eight lesions showed inhomogeneous enhancement:slight enhancement were seen in the arterial phase and gradually more strong enhancement during the portal venous and delayed phase. Enhancing lines or patchy were observed inside these tumors. Pathologically, the tumors appeared on a large amount mucus background, a few of scattering or nesting ganglion cells were distributed in many mature spindle cells, which lined in weave or fasciculation. Conclusion CT manifestations of extra-adrenal GN have certain characteristics, which are correlated closely with pathological features, therefore is helpful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

Mechanisms of Wuling mycelia powder on memory retrieval impairment in rats with chronic epilepsy / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanisms of Wuling mycelia powder on memory retrieval impairment in rats with chronic epilepsy.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the pentylenetetrazole-kindling group (the model control group), the low dose of Wuling mycelia powder (0.3 g x kg(-1), ig) group, the high dose of Wuling mycelia powder (0.6 g x kg(-1), ig) group and the blank control group. After being successfully trained in the 8-arm (4-arm baited) radial maze, the rats were intraperitoneally injected with a subconvulsive dose (35 mg x kg(-1)) of pentylenetetrazole (saline in control group) every 48 h for 12 times. Wuling mycelia powder were orally administered 30 min before every pentylenetetrazole injection. Memory retrieval was tested at the same maze. Phosphorylated CREB were analyzed by Western blot. Brain pathological sections were stained using HE, hippocampal nerve cells were observed under optical microscopes.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Both of reference and working memory abilities of these chronic epilepsy rats were impaired as expressed in the 8-arm radial maze but reversed by Wuling mycelia powder to some extent. Chronic epilepsy caused a decreasing p-CREB in hippocampal nerve cells and injury in hippocampal CA1 region and CA3 region among rats. Wuling mycelia powder inhibited hippocampal p-CREB from decreasing and protected hippocampal nerve cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Wuling mycelia powder could ameliorate memory impairment induced by epilepsia. Its mechanism may be related to the increase in p-CREB expression in brain and the protective effect on hippocampal nerve cells.</p>