The mechanism of the anti-depression effect of the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair determined by liver metabolomics / 药学学报

This study analyzed the effect of the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair on endogenous metabolites in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression by using LC-MS liver metabolomics. Rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: a normal control group, a CUMS model group, a venlafaxine-positive group, and a high-low dose group for the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair, with continuous modeling and administration over 28 days. The efficacy of Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair was evaluated by measuring traditional pharmacodynamic indicators of depression (body weight, open field test, sucrose preference test and forced swimming test). Animal experimentation was approved by the Committee on the Ethics of Animal Experiments of Shanxi University (SXULL2016036). Liver metabolic profiles were obtained by the UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS metabolomics technique. The results show that the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair can significantly decrease depression-like behavior of rats in the CUMS model group. Increases in 25 depression-related metabolites were identified by LC-MS metabonomics, and the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair could significantly decrease 16 of them. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and glutathione metabolism were the main metabolic pathways altered by this herb pair in CUMS model rats.

Sequence Analysis and Molecular Characterization of Wnt4 Gene in Metacestodes of Taenia solium

Wnt proteins are a family of secreted glycoproteins that are evolutionarily conserved and considered to be involved in extensive developmental processes in metazoan organisms. The characterization of wnt genes may improve understanding the parasite's development. In the present study, a wnt4 gene encoding 491amino acids was amplified from cDNA of metacestodes of Taenia solium using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Bioinformatics tools were used for sequence analysis. The conserved domain of the wnt gene family was predicted. The expression profile of Wnt4 was investigated using real-time PCR. Wnt4 expression was found to be dramatically increased in scolex evaginated cysticerci when compared to invaginated cysticerci. In situ hybridization showed that wnt4 gene was distributed in the posterior end of the worm along the primary body axis in evaginated cysticerci. These findings indicated that wnt4 may take part in the process of cysticerci evagination and play a role in scolex/bladder development of cysticerci of T. solium.

Acupuncture and Tuina in Namibia / 中国针灸

The development of acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina in Namibia was introduced in the article. The history of acupuncture in Namibia is only 15 years, and there are 3 acupuncturists and Tuina practitioners with permanent resident permit in Namibia. The University of Namibia has already established a medical college, which is now cooperating with the concerning Chinese medical university of China and carrying out education for the undergraduate students. The development of acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina has a great potential in Namibia with an extensive indication involving diseases of internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics, and neurology.

Migration and Neuron Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells When Transplanted to the Lateral Ventricle of Neonatal Rat / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the migration and differentiation of the human neural stem cells (hNSC) after being transplanted to the neonatal rat lateral ventricle,to provide some data on therapy for neonatal cerebropathy by using of neural stem cells.Methods N2 medium containing EGF+FGF2+LIF was used to culture the NSC spheres from the forebrain tissues of aborted human fetus.The hNSC was identified by detecting the NSC marker nestin antigen and showing the potency to differentiate into neural cells( including astrocytes,oligodendrocytes and neurons)by using indirect immuno-fluorescence assay(IFA).The part of the hNSC in-vitro cultured for 14 d was digested to suspensions of cell.Cultured for 14 d, the hNSC in-vitro and the suspension were transplanted into the lateral ventricles of the neonatal rat brains.The rats were respectively killed at 24,48 and 72 h respectively post-transplant,the whole brain was sectioned,and the special immuno-response detection was performed by using anti-human nuclei(anti-hNuc)and anti-human neurofilament(anti-hNF).Results In vitro culture,the typical NSC spheres were obtained from the forebrain of the human fetus.The suspensions of cells were obtained from the neurosphere.In neurosphere group, the results of anti-hNuc detecting tracing at 72 h post-injection showed that the grafts had migrated into the cortex grand layers of olfactory bulbus,medial precentral area of lobus frontalis,hippocampal,and lobus occipitalis.The label-positive cells lined along the Cerebellar Purkinje cell layers and appeared in most parts of mesencephalons.The immuno-respons results of anti-hNF showed that the positive cells scattered in the grand layer of cortex,the connection among positive cells was watched.In suspensions group,the results of anti-hNuc detecting tracing at 24 h post-injection show a great quantity of positive cells in the ventricles and injection track.At 72 h, a small quantity of positive cells remained in the ventricle and nearby brain tissue.Conclusions Whole neurospheres migrated intensely and differentiated into neurons and gliocytes.At the same time,transplants of cells from suspension transplants showed limited or no migration because of internal environment of the brain and construction of neurospheres.

Transplantation of human fetal neural stem cells into cerebral ventricle of the neonatal rat following hypoxic-ischemic injury: survival, migration and differentiation / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) harms the lives and health of newborn infants and children severely. Given the absence of effective therapies for HIE, it is important to derive new strategies. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have great potential as a therapeutic tool for the repair of a number of central nervous system disorders that involve cell loss. This study was designed to transplant the neural stem cells derived from human fetal brain (hNSCs) into cerebral ventricle of neonatal rat following hypoxic-ischemic injury and to investigate their survival, migration and differentiation in rat brain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cells obtained from the forebrain of a 12-week old fetus were cultured in the presence of epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and leukemia inhibitory factor for 11 days. Animal models were built in 7-day-postnatal Wistar rats, 3-days after hypoxia-ischemia (HI), 5 microl suspension containing 5.0 x 10(5) hNSCs was injected into the left cerebral ventricle of each HIE rat by using stereotactic instrument. No immunosuppression therapy was given to the animals. At 1, 2, 4 weeks and 3 months after transplantation, the rats were sacrificed and brain tissues were harvested and were then examined by H-E staining and immunohistochemical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Implanted cells expressing human nuclear protein (hNP) migrated form the subventricular zone (SVZ) along corpus callosum to the damaged areas, especially to the injured side of cortex and hippocampus. In different areas, the implanted hNSCs differentiated into different cell types which were similar to the host cells. The 85% implanted cells in cortex consisted of hNuc-NF or hNuc-Tublin double positive cells, while in the migratory way, 60% implanted cells differentiated into hNuc-GFAP double positive cells. Compared with the 1-week time point, an increased number of hNP-positive cells were observed at 2-weeks, but the number of these cells greatly decreased at 4-weeks and 3 months.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The implanted hNSCs could extensively survive, migrate in the brain of neonatal rat with HIE and could differentiate into neurons and astrocytes in a regionally specific manner.</p>

Treatment of an infant with severe neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy sequelae with transplantation of human neural stem cells into cerebral ventricle / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Severe newborn hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) has a very high rate of disability and no effective treatment is available. The present study aimed to preliminarily evaluate the effects of human neural stem cell transplantation in treatment of severe neonatal HIE.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The patient was a 75-day old male infant with sequelae of severe HIE who had highly delayed development of intelligence and movement and myotonia. MRI showed multiple cerebromalacia and encephalatrophy. Cells obtained from the forebrain of an 11-week old fetus were cultured and amplified for 15 days. And then the human fetal neural stem cells were injected into cerebral ventricle of this infant.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twenty eight days after transplantation, remarkable improvement occurred not only in his myotonia but also in his intelligence and movement, which became similar to those of the normal infants of the same age. Positron emission tomography (PET) showed significantly increased radioactivity at temporal and occipital lobes which suggested that the cellular metabolism had increased greatly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The short-term effect of NSCs transplantation on the infant with severe HIE sequelae was significant. PET suggested that the implanted NSCs survived. Many more studies are needed to evaluate long-term effects of NSC transplantation in treatment of HIE.</p>