Effects of Zuogui Pill () and Yougui Pill () on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A signaling transduction pathways of axonal regeneration in model rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of Zuogui Pill (, ZGP) and Yougui Pill (, YGP) on the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling of axonal regeneration in the Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), in order to explore the possible mechanism of ZGP and YGP on promoting axonal regeneration.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC), model (MO), prednisone acetate (PA), ZGP and YGP groups. The EAE model of rat was established by injecting antigen containing myelin basic protein (MBP)68-86. The brain and spinal cord were harvested on the 14th and 28th day post-immunization (PI), the protein and mRNA expression of BDNF and PKA in the brain and spinal cord of rats were detected by Western blot analysis and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the cAMP levels were detected by using enzyme-immunoassay method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) On the 28th day PI, the mRNA expression of BDNF in brain white matter and spinal cord of rats in ZGP and YGP groups were up-regulated, especially in YGP group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). (2) On the 14th day PI, the cAMP levels in brain white matters significantly increased in PA and YGP groups compared with MO group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the cAMP level in YGP group was higher than that in ZGP group (P<0.05). The cAMP level in spinal cord also significantly increased in YGP group compared with MO, PA and ZGP groups, respectively (P<0.01). (3) On the 14th day PI, the PKA expression in spinal cord of rats in ZGP group was significantly decreased compared with MO and YGP groups, respectively (P<0.05). (4) On the 28th day PI, there was a positive correlation between cAMP and PKA expression in the brain white matter of YGP rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The results suggest that ZGP and YGP may promote axonal regeneration by modulating cAMP/PKA signal transduction pathway, but the targets of molecular mechanism of ZGP may be different from those of YGP.</p>

Psychological trauma of funnel chest in adolescents and the appropriate age for minimally invasive surgery repair / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Funnel chest has a negative effect on adolescents and it has a strong effect on adolescents' psychological and behavior. This study aimed to investigate the psychological characteristics and factors that affect adolescents with funnel chest and to evaluate the relationship between the patients' age and their physiological and psychological health. We aimed to establish an age model for maximum surgery benefits for funnel chest patients to provide an objective basis for choosing surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The study adopted a general evaluation approach to assess the risk and benefits of minimally invasive surgery for funnel chest. The funnel chest index, the Symptom Checklist-90, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were used as assessment tools to observe physiological and psychological features in funnel chest patients. A sample of 234 adolescents with funnel chest was selected from a third-grade class-A hospital in Beijing. Age groups were adopted as an independent variable, and other factors in funnel chest patients were dependent variables.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was a significant difference in the relapse rate for funnel chest in the different age groups (χ(2) = 11.883, P = 0.008). There was a higher relapse rate in patients of ≤10 or ≥19 years old than in patients of 11-18 years old. There was a significant difference in the SCL-90 total score in the different age groups (F = 12.538, P = 0.0001), the patients older than 13 years had a higher score than those younger than 13 years in the SCL-90. There was a significant difference in the standard score of E (introversion/ extraversion) in the different age groups (F = 10.06, P = 0.0001). There was also a significance in the funnel chest index before surgery in the different psychological scales (P < 0.01), with a higher funnel chest index score associated with more obvious psychological trauma. Age and the number of variables, including the relapse rate, SCL-90 score, standard score of E, and standard score of N in the EPQ were significantly correlated (correlation indices were 0.402, 0.623, -0.505, and 0.473, respectively, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There are higher complication rates after surgery and relapse rates when funnel chest patients are too young or too old. There is more obvious psychological trauma in patients with a high funnel chest index. Our results indicate that the best age for surgery for funnel chest is 14-16 years.</p>