[Investigation of renal corticomedullary differentiation with age-related change on non-contrast-enhanced MRI].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between renal corticomedullary differentiation, renal cortical thickness and age-related changes with non-contrast-enhanced steady-state free precession(SSFP) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spatially selective inversion recovery(IR) pulse technology as well as its applied value . METHODS: A total of 76 healthy volunteers had been recruited from August 2014 to June 2015 in First Hospital of China Medical University.All volunteers were divided into three groups: 2-40 years old, 41-60 years old, 61-80 years old. All 76 volunteers underwent non-contrast-enhanced steady-state free precession(SSFP) 3.0 T MRI scan using variable inversion times (TIs)(TI=1 000, 1 100, 1 200, 1 300, 1 400, 1 500, 1 600, 1 700 ms). The renal corticomedullary differentiation was observed and the signal intensity of renal cortex and medulla were measured respectively as well in order to calculate renal corticomedullary contrast ratio. Besides, renal cortical thickness and renal size were measured. RESULTS: All 76 volunteers were successfully performed all the sequences of MRI scan, including 152 useful imaging of kidney in total. The renal corticomedullary differentiation was clearly shown in all subjects. There was negative correlation between the optimal inversion time(TI) and age(r=-0.65, P<0.01). Similarly, negative correlation was observed between renal corticomedullary contrast ratio and age(r=-0.35, P<0.01). The mean renal cortical thickness of all subjects was (5.33±0.71)mm and there were statistically significant difference among those different groups, which was negative-related with age(r=-0.79, P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference between sexuality and renal cortical thickness.Additionally, renal cortical thickness had no statistically significant difference in both sides of kidneys. CONCLUSION: The renal corticomedullary differentiation is depicted clearly by means of non-contrast-enhanced steady-state free precession MRI with spatially selective inversion recovery pulse technology. The optimal inversion time decreases along with the increase of age. In the meanwhile, the renal cortical thickness could be measured truthfully and accurately.

Basolateral amygdala regulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and fear-related activation of newborn neurons.

Impaired regulation of emotional memory is a feature of several affective disorders, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Such regulation occurs, in part, by interactions between the hippocampus and the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Recent studies have indicated that within the adult hippocampus, newborn neurons may contribute to support emotional memory, and that regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis is implicated in depressive disorders. How emotional information affects newborn neurons in adults is not clear. Given the role of the BLA in hippocampus-dependent emotional memory, we investigated whether hippocampal neurogenesis was sensitive to emotional stimuli from the BLA. We show that BLA lesions suppress adult neurogenesis, while lesions of the central nucleus of the amygdala do not. Similarly, we show that reducing BLA activity through viral vector-mediated overexpression of an outwardly rectifying potassium channel suppresses neurogenesis. We also show that BLA lesions prevent selective activation of immature newborn neurons in response to a fear-conditioning task. These results demonstrate that BLA activity regulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis and the fear context-specific activation of newborn neurons. Together, these findings denote functional implications for proliferation and recruitment of new neurons into emotional memory circuits.

[Isolation and structure determination of a new saponin of Anemarrhena asphodeloides].

A new saponin, named smilageninoside, mp 265-7 degrees C, was isolated from rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphdeloides by conventional method. The structure of smilageninoside was identified on the basis of IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR and FAB-MS. Its structure was smilagenin 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1----2)]-beta-D-mannopyranoside.

[Relationship between HBcAg in the liver and mechanisms of chronic type B hepatitis HBVM in serum].

We detected the presence and distribution of HBcAg in the liver by immunohistochemistry (ABC method) and the presence of HBV-DNA in serum (spot hybridization) and anti-HBe in serum (ELISA) from 59 cases of hepatitis B hospitalized in our hospital, including 47 cases of CAH, 5 cases of CPH, and 7 cases of subacute fulminant hepatitis. 1. HBcAg in the liver was detected in 25 out of 47 cases (53%) of CAH, in 2 out of 5 cases of CPH and in 4 out of 7 cases of subacute fulminant hepatitis. The total percentage was 53% (31/59). 2. There was no positive correlation between HBV replication activity and liver disease activity (P greater than 0.05). Our results did not support the hypothesis that suggests a direct cytopathic effect of HBV. Oppositely, the fact was that the presence, the amount and the patterns of HBcAg in the liver, and the presence of HBV-DNA in serum were predominant in mild CAH compared with those in severe CAH, predominant in CAH without cirrhosis compared with those in CAH with cirrhosis. There was a tendency of inverse correlation between HBV replication activity and liver disease activity. The results above were in line with the concept that HBcAg expressed on the surface of infected hepatocytes may be relevant target for T lymphocyte cytotoxicity. The results have suggested that an immune response to HBV is present, leading to the destruction of most infected cells. 3. There was a positive correlation between HBV-DNA in serum and HBcAg in the liver (P less than 0.005), indicating that HBV-DNA in serum can represent HBV replication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Correlation between hepatic microcirculation ultrastructural changes and hepatic dysfunction in chronic hepatitis B].

The author observed the ultrastructural changes of hepatic microcirculation and the function of the liver in 41 cases with chronic hepatitis B confirmed histologically. The main ultrastructural changes found in patients were swelling of the endothelium of hepatic sinusoids, hyperplasia of Kupffer cells and decrease of fenestrae in the endothelium. Proliferation of monocytes and fat-storing cells was also found in the lumina of hepatic sinusoids and space of hepatocytes and perisinusoid. The basement membrane in hepatic sinusoids and the base of hepatocytes were formed in the patients with marked pathologic changes of the liver, especially in CAH with cirrhosis. The observations also showed that whatever extent of hepatic microcirculation changes, all of them had more or less elevation of SGPT and ZnT or TT. As soon as hepatic function was impaired slightly, there occurred hepatic dysmicrocirculation. But in the cases of severe ultrastructural hepatic dysmicrocirculation serum gamma globulin elevation values and A/G ratio exchanges were much higher than those in the cases of slight changes. There was some significance on the judgment of sick condition, slight or severe. Values of the elevation of serum gamma globulin and A/G ratio exchanges were much more obvious than SGPT, ZnT and TT changes. These findings suggest that the extents of pathological changes and dysfunction of the liver in chronic viral hepatitis B are correlated to the extent of hepatic microcirculation impairment. So in the treatment of chronic hepatitis early administration of medicine to improve the liver microcirculation should be considered.