Thalamocortical Circuit Controls Neuropathic Pain via Up-regulation of HCN2 in the Ventral Posterolateral Thalamus / 神经科学通报·英文版

The thalamocortical (TC) circuit is closely associated with pain processing. The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) 2 channel is predominantly expressed in the ventral posterolateral thalamus (VPL) that has been shown to mediate neuropathic pain. However, the role of VPL HCN2 in modulating TC circuit activity is largely unknown. Here, by using optogenetics, neuronal tracing, electrophysiological recordings, and virus knockdown strategies, we showed that the activation of VPL TC neurons potentiates excitatory synaptic transmission to the hindlimb region of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1HL) as well as mechanical hypersensitivity following spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain in mice. Either pharmacological blockade or virus knockdown of HCN2 (shRNA-Hcn2) in the VPL was sufficient to alleviate SNI-induced hyperalgesia. Moreover, shRNA-Hcn2 decreased the excitability of TC neurons and synaptic transmission of the VPL-S1HL circuit. Together, our studies provide a novel mechanism by which HCN2 enhances the excitability of the TC circuit to facilitate neuropathic pain.

Applications of ultrasonic bone mineral density measurement in the diagnosis of early rickets in infants / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To investigate the diagnostic significance of ultrasonic bone mineral density measurement in infant rickets.Methods A total of 120 cases of rickets in children and 120 healthy infants were divided into three groups according to age,＜ 1 year group,1-2 years group,＞ 2 years group,who were subjected to determination of ultrasonic bone mineral density.The Z value and percentage of bone mineral density via ultrasound detection among different groups were compared.Results There were statistically significant differences in Z value and the percentage between each age group of infant rickets and healthy children according to bone mineral density via ultrasound detection (P ＜ 0.05).No significant differences in Z value and the percentage between each age group of male and female children of infant rickets through ultrasound detection (P ＞0.05).Conclusions The ultrasonic bone mineral density detection in the diagnosis of infant rickets had advantages of sensitivity,specificity,convenient detection,painless,noninvasive and easy popularization,which plays an active role in the early diagnosis and treatment of rickets,itis worth in clinical application.