Changes in sensitivity of bilateral medial vestibular nuclear neurons responding to input stimuli during vestibular compensation and the underlying ionic mechanism / 生理学报

Vestibular compensation is an important model for developing the prevention and intervention strategies of vestibular disorders, and investigating the plasticity of the adult central nervous system induced by peripheral injury. Medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) in brainstem is critical center for vestibular compensation. Its neuronal excitability and sensitivity have been implicated in normal function of vestibular system. Previous studies mainly focused on the changes in neuronal excitability of the MVN in lesional side of the rat model of vestibular compensation following the unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). However, the plasticity of sensitivity of bilateral MVN neurons dynamically responding to input stimuli is still largely unknown. In the present study, by using qPCR, whole-cell patch clamp recording in acute brain slices and behavioral techniques, we observed that 6 h after UL, rats showed a significant deficit in spontaneous locomotion, and a decrease in excitability of type B neurons in the ipsilesional rather than contralesional MVN. By contrast, type B neurons in the contralesional rather than ipsilesional MVN exhibited an increase in response sensitivity to the ramp and step input current stimuli. One week after UL, both the neuronal excitability of the ipsilesional MVN and the neuronal sensitivity of the contralesional MVN recovered to the baseline, accompanied by a compensation of spontaneous locomotion. In addition, the data showed that the small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channel involved in the regulation of type B MVN neuronal sensitivity, showed a selective decrease in expression in the contralesional MVN 6 h after UL, and returned to normal level 1 week later. Pharmacological blockage of SK channel in contralateral MVN to inhibit the UL-induced functional plasticity of SK channel significantly delayed the compensation of vestibular motor dysfunction. These results suggest that the changes in plasticity of the ipsilesional MVN neuronal excitability, together with changes in the contralesional MVN neuronal sensitivity, may both contribute to the development of vestibular symptoms as well as vestibular compensation, and SK channel may be an essential ionic mechanism responsible for the dynamic changes of MVN neuronal sensitivity during vestibular compensation.

Pressure side and tension side comminution of femoral neck cortex are independent risk factors for aseptic necrosis after femoral neck fracture surgery / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the related factors of aseptic necrosis of femoral head after closed reduction and internal fixation of femoral neck fracture.@*METHODS@#From January 2009 to January 2016, 236 patients with femoral neck fracture were treated with closed reduction and internal fixation with 3 hollow lag screws, including 111 males and 125 females, aged from 19 to 89 (50.17±12.88) years. According to the follow-up results, the correlation of aseptic necrosis of femoral head was analyzed. Univariate analysis of age, gender, injured side, body weight, injury mechanism, preoperative waiting time, Garden classification and whether there was comminution of femoral neck cortex was conducted to obtain the independent variables with significant difference. Then binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the independent risk factors of avascular necrosis of femoral head.@*RESULTS@#The average follow-up period of 236 cases was 4.58 years. There were significant differences in the range of injury (24.69% vs. 5.16%, @*CONCLUSION@#High energy injury, preoperative waiting time (>48 h) and comminution of femoral neck cortex were independent risk factors for aseptic necrosis of femoral head. In addition, cortical comminution on the pressure side and tension side of the femoral neck is a strong prognostic risk factor for aseptic necrosis of the femoral head, because it indicates a more serious and complex injury mechanism.

A novel prognostic index in patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: fibrinogen/prealbumin ratio

ABSTRACT Background: Fibrinogen (Fib) to albumin (ALB) fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio as a prognostic index for esophageal cancer has been confirmed. A novel prognostic index was initially proposed with fibrinogen to prealbumin ratio (FPR) in patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Objective: The objective of the study was to study the prognostic role of the novel prognostic index (FPR) in patients with resectable ESCC without any neoadjuvant treatment. Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 372 resectable ESCC patients without any neoadjuvant treatment were included. The best cutoff values were selected by the receiver operating characteristic curves. Two Cox regression analyses with forward stepwise (one for categorical variables and the other for continuous variables) were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Results: The best cutoff point was 0.014 for FPR. Patients with lower levels of FPR (≤0.014) had better CSS (50.7% vs. 18.0%, p < 0.001) and OS (48.0% vs. 17.6%, p < 0.001) than patients with higher levels of FPR (> 0.014). Multivariate Cox analyses (categorical and continuous) demonstrated that FPR was an independent prognostic factor in CSS (categorical: hazard ratio [HR]: 2.014, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.504-2.697, p < 0.001; continuous per 0.01: HR: 1.438, 95% CI: 1.154-1.793, p = 0.001) and OS (categorical: HR: 1.964, 95% CI: 1.475-2.617, p < 0.001; continuous per 0.01: HR: 1.429, 95% CI: 1.146-1.781, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Our study indicated that FPR served as an independent prognostic factor in patients with resectable ESCC.

Histamine Excites Rat GABAergic Ventral Pallidum Neurons via Co-activation of H1 and H2 Receptors / 神经科学通报·英文版

The ventral pallidum (VP) is a crucial component of the limbic loop of the basal ganglia and participates in the regulation of reward, motivation, and emotion. Although the VP receives afferent inputs from the central histaminergic system, little is known about the effect of histamine on the VP and the underlying receptor mechanism. Here, we showed that histamine, a hypothalamic-derived neuromodulator, directly depolarized and excited the GABAergic VP neurons which comprise a major cell type in the VP and are responsible for encoding cues of incentive salience and reward hedonics. Both postsynaptic histamine H1 and H2 receptors were found to be expressed in the GABAergic VP neurons and co-mediate the excitatory effect of histamine. These results suggested that the central histaminergic system may actively participate in VP-mediated motivational and emotional behaviors via direct modulation of the GABAergic VP neurons. Our findings also have implications for the role of histamine and the central histaminergic system in psychiatric disorders.

X-ray characteristics of posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow caused by ligament injury / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the role of lateral collateral ligament complex on the posterolateral rotatory instability and the relationship between the radiocapitellar ratio (RCR) and the injury of lateral collateral ligament complex on X-ray images.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty elbow joints from fresh-frozen adult cadavers were used to make osteo-ligamentous elbow specimens. The specimens were fixed with a self-made device to maintain posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow joint. All the specimens were divided into two groups: group A and group B. Surgical procedures were carried out as follows in the lateral structures of group A: A1, intact specimen; A2, transection of radial ulnar collateral ligament firstly; A3, transection of annular ligament secondly; A4, final transection of the radial collateral ligament. The procedures in group B were carried out as follows: B1, intact specimen; B2, transection of the radial collateral ligament firstly; B3, transection of the annular ligament secondly; B4, final transection of the radial ulnar collateral ligament. Lateral X-ray films of elbow joint were taken, and the radiocapitellar ratio (RCR) was measured by using PACS. All analysis was performed with SPSS 17.0 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Group A: the increases in RCR had statistical differences among A1, A2, A3, and A4 groups. Group B: the increases in RCR had no statistical differences among B1, B2 and B3 groups; but the increase in RCR in group B4 was more than that in B1, B2 and B3 groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The radial ulnar collateral ligament is a key structure to maintain posterolateral rotatory stability;the radial collateral ligament and the annular ligament are the secondary important structures. There are 4 grades of the posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow, according to the X-ray imaging classification.</p>

Molluscicidal activities of medicinal plants from eastern China against Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum / Atividades moluscicida de plantas medicinais do leste da China contra Oncomelania hupensis, o hospedeiro intermediário da Schistosoma japonicum

In a search for natural products that could be used to control schistosomiasis, nineteen extracts of eleven medicinal plants from eastern China have been tested for molluscicidal activity against snail Oncomelania hupensis. The n-butanol fraction of the fresh leaf from Buddleja lindleyana Fortune, Buddlejaceae, showed significant activity against the snails. Statistical analysis revealed that the LC50 and LC90 values for the n-butanol fraction were 39.91 mg L-1 and 59.28 mg L-1 for 48 h, respectively. Otherwise, the LC50 values for the n-butanol fraction to zebrafish was 403.24 mg L-1 for 48 h. Therefore, the n-butanol fraction of the fresh leaf from B. lindleyana may be a potent and safe molluscicides.

Na busca por produtos naturais que podem ser utilizados para controle da esquistossomose, dezenove extratos de onze plantas medicinais do leste da China foram testados para atividade moluscicida contra o caramujo Oncomelania hupensis. A fração n-butanol das folhas frescas de Buddleja lindleyana Fortune, Buddlejaceae, mostrou atividade significativa contra os caracóis. A análise estatística revelou que os valores de CL50 e CL90 para a fração n-butanol foram 39,91 mg L-1 e 59,28 mg L-1 por 48 h, respectivamente. Por outro lado, a CL50 para a fração n-butanol para peixe-zebra foi 403,24 mg L-1 por 48 h. Portanto, a fração n-butanol das folhas frescas de B. lindleyana poderá vir a ser um moluscicidas potente e seguro.