Reactive Synthesis for Porous (Mo2/3Y1/3)2AlC Ceramics through Mo, Y, Al and Graphite Powders.

Through an activation reaction sintering method, porous (Mo2/3Y1/3)2AlC ceramics were prepared by Mo, Y, Al, and graphite powders as raw materials. The phase composition, microstructure, element distribution, and pore structure characteristics were comprehensively studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Archimedes method, and bubble point method. A detailed investigation was conducted on the influence of sintering temperature on the phase composition. Possible routes of phase transition and pore formation mechanisms during the sintering process were provided. The experimental results reveal that at 650-850 °C, transition metals react with aluminum, forming aluminum-containing intermetallics and a small amount of carbides. At 850-1250 °C, transition metals collaborate with graphite, producing transition metal carbides. Then, at 1250-1450 °C, these aluminum intermetallics interact with transition metal carbides and remaining unreacted Y, Al, and C, yielding the final product (Mo2/3Y1/3) 2AlC. Simultaneously, the pore structure alters correspondingly with the solid-phase reaction at different reaction temperatures.

The dual effects of dexmedetomidine on intestinal barrier and intestinal motility during sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis, characterized by dysregulated host responses to infection, remains a critical global health concern, with high morbidity and mortality rates. The gastrointestinal tract assumes a pivotal role in sepsis due to its dual functionality as a protective barrier against injurious agents and as a regulator of motility. Dexmedetomidine, an α2-adrenergic agonist commonly employed in critical care settings, exhibits promise in influencing the maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity during sepsis. However, its impact on intestinal motility, a crucial component of intestinal function, remains incompletely understood. METHODS: In this study, we investigated dexmedetomidine's multifaceted effects on intestinal barrier function and motility during sepsis using both in vitro and in vivo models. Sepsis was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats via cecal ligation and puncture. Rats were treated with dexmedetomidine post-cecal ligation and puncture, and various parameters were assessed to elucidate dexmedetomidine's impact. RESULTS: Our findings revealed a dichotomous influence of dexmedetomidine on intestinal physiology. In septic rats, dexmedetomidine administration resulted in improved intestinal barrier integrity, as evidenced by reduced mucosal hyper-permeability and morphological alterations. However, a contrasting effect was observed on intestinal motility, as dexmedetomidine treatment inhibited both the frequency and amplitude of contractions in isolated intestinal strips and decreased the distance of ink migration in vivo. Additionally, dexmedetomidine suppressed the secretion of pro-motility hormones while having no influence on hormones that inhibit intestinal peristalsis. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that during sepsis, dexmedetomidine exhibited protective effects on barrier integrity, although concurrently it hindered intestinal motility, partly attributed to its modulation of pro-motility hormone secretion. These findings underscore the necessity of a comprehensive understanding of dexmedetomidine's impact on multiple facets of gastrointestinal physiology in sepsis management, offering potential implications for therapeutic strategies and patient care.

Limonin inhibits the stemness of cancer stem-like cells derived from colorectal carcinoma cells potentially via blocking STAT3 signaling.

BACKGROUND: Limonin is one of the most abundant active ingredients of Tetradium ruticarpum. It exerts antitumor effects on several kinds of cancer cells. However, whether limonin exerts antitumor effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), a subpopulation responsible for a poor prognosis, is unclear. AIM: To evaluate the effects of limonin on CSCs derived from CRC cells. METHODS: CSCs were collected by culturing CRC cells in serum-free medium. The cytotoxicity of limonin against CSCs and parental cells (PCs) was determined by cholecystokinin octapeptide-8 assay. The effects of limonin on stemness were detected by measuring stemness hallmarks and sphere formation ability. RESULTS: As expected, limonin exerted inhibitory effects on CRC cell behaviors, including cell proliferation, migration, invasion, colony formation and tumor formation in soft agar. A relatively low concentration of limonin decreased the expression stemness hallmarks, including Nanog and ß-catenin, the proportion of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1-positive CSCs, and the sphere formation rate, indicating that limonin inhibits stemness without presenting cytotoxicity. Additionally, limonin treatment inhibited invasion and tumor formation in soft agar and in nude mice. Moreover, limonin treatment significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 at Y705 but not S727 and did not affect total STAT3 expression. Inhibition of Nanog and ß-catenin expression and sphere formation by limonin was obviously reversed by pretreatment with 2 µmol/L colievlin. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results indicate that limonin is a promising compound that targets CSCs and could be used to combat CRC recurrence and metastasis.

SOV sensitizes gastric cancer cells to radiation by suppressing radiation-induced autophagy in vitro and in vivo.

Vanadium is a transition metal that naturally occurs in the environment and has a variety of biological and physiological impacts on humans. Sodium orthovanadate (SOV), a well-known chemical compound of vanadium, has shown notable anti-cancer activity in various types of human malignancies. However, the effect of SOV on stomach cancer is yet undetermined. Furthermore, only a few studies have investigated the association of SOV and radiosensitivity with stomach cancer. Our study has investigated the ability of SOV to increase the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to radiation. To detect autophagy triggered by ionizing radiation and the influence of SOV on cell radiosensitivity, the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) test, EDU staining experiment, colony formation assay, and immunofluorescence were performed. The possible synergistic effects of SOV and irradiation were examined in vivo using a xenograft mouse model of stomach cancer cells. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that SOV markedly reduced the growth of stomach cancer cells and improved their radiosensitivity. Our results showed that SOV increased gastric cancer cells' radiosensitivity, thereby blocking the radiation-induced autophagy-related protein, ATG10. Thus, SOV can be considered a potential agent for radiosensitizing gastric cancer.

Comparison of the effects of buffalo LIF and mouse LIF on the in vitro culture of buffalo spermatogonia.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is an important growth factor that supports the culture and maintenance of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) by suppressing spontaneous differentiation. Different LIF sequences may lead to differences in function. The protein sequences of buffalo LIF and mouse LIF differed by 65.5% according to MEGA software analysis. The PB-LIF-GFP-Puro vector was constructed, and the CHO-K1 cell line was established. The final LIF protein concentration in the CHO-K1 cell culture medium was approximately 4.268 ng/mL. Here, we report that buffalo LIF effectively maintains the self-renewal of buffalo spermatogonia during culture. Buffalo spermatogonia were cultured in conditioned medium containing no LIF (0 ng/mL), mouse LIF (1 ng/mL), mouse LIF (10 ng/mL), or buffalo LIF (1 ng/mL). Furthermore, the effects of mouse LIF and buffalo LIF culture on the maintenance of buffalo spermatogonia were determined by analyzing cell colony formation, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, cell immunofluorescence, and cell counting. The buffalo LIF (1 ng/mL) group showed similar maintenance of the proliferation of buffalo spermatogonia to that in the mouse LIF (10 ng/mL) group. These results demonstrated that the proliferation of buffalo spermatogonia can be maintained in vitro by adding a low dose of buffalo LIF. This study provides a foundation for the further optimization of in vitro buffalo SSC culture systems.

Multidose evaluation of 6,710 drug repurposing library identifies potent SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitors In Vitro and In Vivo.

Identification of host factors contributing to replication of viruses and resulting disease progression remains a promising approach for development of new therapeutics. Here, we evaluated 6710 clinical and preclinical compounds targeting 2183 host proteins by immunocytofluorescence-based screening to identify SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibitors. Computationally integrating relationships between small molecule structure, dose-response antiviral activity, host target and cell interactome networking produced cellular networks important for infection. This analysis revealed 389 small molecules, >12 scaffold classes and 813 host targets with micromolar to low nanomolar activities. From these classes, representatives were extensively evaluated for mechanism of action in stable and primary human cell models, and additionally against Beta and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants and MERS-CoV. One promising candidate, obatoclax, significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 viral lung load in mice. Ultimately, this work establishes a rigorous approach for future pharmacological and computational identification of novel host factor dependencies and treatments for viral diseases.

Transcriptome analysis revealed differences in the microenvironment of spermatogonial stem cells in seminiferous tubules between pre-pubertal and adult buffaloes.

The microenvironment in the seminiferous tubules of buffalo changes with age, which affects the self-renewal and growth of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and the process of spermatogenesis, but the mechanism remains to be elucidated. RNA-seq was performed to compare the transcript profiles of pre-pubertal buffalo (PUB) and adult buffalo (ADU) seminiferous tubules. In total, 17,299 genes from PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules identified through RNA-seq, among which 12,271 were expressed in PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules, 4,027 were expressed in only ADU seminiferous tubules, and 956 were expressed in only PUB seminiferous tubules. Of the 17,299 genes, we identified 13,714 genes that had significant differences in expression levels between PUB and ADU through GO enrichment analysis. Among these genes, 5,342 were significantly upregulated and possibly related to the formation or identity of the surface antigen on SSCs during self-renewal; 7,832 genes were significantly downregulated, indicating that genes in PUB seminiferous tubules do not participate in the biological processes of sperm differentiation or formation in this phase compared with those in ADU seminiferous tubules. Subsequently, through the combination with KEGG analysis, we detected enrichment in a number of genes related to the development of spermatogonial stem cells, providing a reference for study of the development mechanism of buffalo spermatogonial stem cells in the future. In conclusion, our data provide detailed information on the mRNA transcriptomes in PUB and ADU seminiferous tubules, revealing the crucial factors involved in maintaining the microenvironment and providing a reference for further in vitro cultivation of SSCs.

Inhibition of miR-155 alleviates sepsis-induced inflammation and intestinal barrier dysfunction by inactivating NF-κB signaling.

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is implicated in the pathological processes of sepsis. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of miR-155 in sepsis-induced inflammation and intestinal barrier dysfunction remain unknown. In this study, mouse models of sepsis were established by caecal ligation and puncture (CLP). To reduce miR-155 expression, the mice were injected for three consecutive days with an miR-155 inhibitor (80 mg/kg) before CLP. The serum DAO concentration was measured by ELISA, and histological changes in the intestine were identified by H&E staining 24 h after CLP. FITC-dextran assays were used to evaluate intestinal permeability. MiR-155 gene expression was evaluated with RT-PCR, and relative protein expression was assessed by Western blotting. NCM460 cells were transfected with an miR-155 mimic/miR-155 inhibitor or pretreated with an NF-κB inhibitor before LPS treatment, and the cytokines levels, miR-155 gene expression and relative protein expression were measured. Sepsis increased miR-155, DAO and FITC-dextran levels and reduced Occludin and ZO-1 expression. Mice injected with the miR-155 inhibitor recovered from the damages. Transfection of NCM460 cells with the miR-155 mimic elevated the NF-κB (P65) and p-NF-κB (p-P65) localization and expression in the nucleus, which was reversed by the miR-155 inhibitor. Pretreatment with an NF-κB inhibitor suppressed inflammation, improved cell permeability to FITC-dextran and increased Occludin and ZO-1 levels. Transfection with the miR-155 inhibitor decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels, reduced cell permeability to FITC-dextran and increased ZO-1 and Occludin expression. The effects induced by transfection with the miR-155 mimic, including elevated TNF-α and IL-6 levels, hyperpermeability to FITC-dextran and reduced ZO-1 and Occludin expression, were partly rescued by pretreatment with the NF-κB inhibitor. These findings reveal that the miR-155 inhibitor alleviates inflammation and intestinal barrier dysfunction by inactivating NF-κB signaling during sepsis.

Effects of different culture systems on the culture of prepuberal buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) spermatogonial stem cell-like cells in vitro.

Currently, the systems for culturing buffalo spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in vitro are varied, and their effects are still inconclusive. In this study, we compared the effects of culture systems with undefined (foetal bovine serum) and defined (KnockOut Serum Replacement) materials on the in vitro culture of buffalo SSC-like cells. Significantly more DDX4- and UCHL1-positive cells (cultured for 2 days at passage 2) were observed in the defined materials culture system than in the undefined materials system (p < 0.01), and these cells were maintained for a longer period than those in the culture system with undefined materials (10 days vs. 6 days). Furthermore, NANOS2 (p < 0.05), DDX4 (p < 0.01) and UCHL1 (p < 0.05) were expressed at significantly higher levels in the culture system with defined materials than in that with undefined materials. Induction with retinoic acid was used to verify that the cultured cells maintained SSC characteristics, revealing an SCP3⁺ subset in the cells cultured in the defined materials system. The expression levels of Stra8 (p < 0.05) and Rec8 (p < 0.01) were significantly increased, and the expression levels of ZBTB16 (p < 0.01) and DDX4 (p < 0.05) were significantly decreased. These findings provided a clearer research platform for exploring the mechanism of buffalo SSCs in vitro.

Effects of different culture systems on the culture of prepuberal buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) spermatogonial stem cell-like cells in vitro

Currently, the systems for culturing buffalo spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in vitro are varied, and their effects are still inconclusive. In this study, we compared the effects of culture systems with undefined (foetal bovine serum) and defined (KnockOut Serum Replacement) materials on the in vitro culture of buffalo SSC-like cells. Significantly more DDX4- and UCHL1-positive cells (cultured for 2 days at passage 2) were observed in the defined materials culture system than in the undefined materials system (p < 0.01), and these cells were maintained for a longer period than those in the culture system with undefined materials (10 days vs. 6 days). Furthermore, NANOS2 (p < 0.05), DDX4 (p < 0.01) and UCHL1 (p < 0.05) were expressed at significantly higher levels in the culture system with defined materials than in that with undefined materials. Induction with retinoic acid was used to verify that the cultured cells maintained SSC characteristics, revealing an SCP3⁺ subset in the cells cultured in the defined materials system. The expression levels of Stra8 (p < 0.05) and Rec8 (p < 0.01) were significantly increased, and the expression levels of ZBTB16 (p < 0.01) and DDX4 (p < 0.05) were significantly decreased. These findings provided a clearer research platform for exploring the mechanism of buffalo SSCs in vitro.

Effects of different culture systems on the culture of prepuberal buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) spermatogonial stem cell-like cells in vitro

Effects of different culture systems on the culture of prepuberal buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) spermatogonial stem cell-like cells in vitro

Currently, the systems for culturing buffalo spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in vitro are varied, and their effects are still inconclusive. In this study, we compared the effects of culture systems with undefined (foetal bovine serum) and defined (KnockOut Serum Replacement) materials on the in vitro culture of buffalo SSC-like cells. Significantly more DDX4- and UCHL1-positive cells (cultured for 2 days at passage 2) were observed in the defined materials culture system than in the undefined materials system (p < 0.01), and these cells were maintained for a longer period than those in the culture system with undefined materials (10 days vs. 6 days). Furthermore, NANOS2 (p < 0.05), DDX4 (p < 0.01) and UCHL1 (p < 0.05) were expressed at significantly higher levels in the culture system with defined materials than in that with undefined materials. Induction with retinoic acid was used to verify that the cultured cells maintained SSC characteristics, revealing an SCP3⁺ subset in the cells cultured in the defined materials system. The expression levels of Stra8 (p < 0.05) and Rec8 (p < 0.01) were significantly increased, and the expression levels of ZBTB16 (p < 0.01) and DDX4 (p < 0.05) were significantly decreased. These findings provided a clearer research platform for exploring the mechanism of buffalo SSCs in vitro.

Maturation of buffalo oocytes in vitro with acetyl-L-carnitine improves cryotolerance due to changes in mitochondrial function and the membrane lipid profile.

The effects of acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) supplementation during IVM on subsequently vitrified buffalo oocytes were evaluated, followed by determination of the mitochondrial DNA copy number, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and identification of the lipid profile of oocyte membranes as markers of oocyte quality after vitrification. Supplementation with ALC during IVM significantly improved the rates of oocyte cleavage and morula and blastocyst formation, and increased MMP after vitrification compared with unsupplemented vitrified oocytes (P<0.05). Using a bidirectional orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis based on positive ion matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry data, five phospholipid ions (m/z 728.7 (phosphatidylcholine (PC) 32:3), 746.9 (PC 32:5), 760.6 (PC 34:1), 768.8 (PC P-36:3) and 782.6 (PC 36:4); P<0.05) were identified as significantly more abundant in fresh oocytes than in unsupplemented vitrified oocytes. Meanwhile, three phospholipid ions (m/z 734.6 (PC 32:0), 760.6 (PC 34:1), and 782.6 (PC 36:4); P<0.05) were more abundant in ALC-supplemented vitrified oocytes than in unsupplemented vitrified oocytes. Therefore, supplementation with ALC during IVM may improve buffalo oocyte quality after vitrification by enhancing mitochondrial function and altering the phospholipid composition of vitrified oocyte membranes.

Treatment with acetyl-l-carnitine during in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes improves oocyte quality and subsequent embryonic development.

Oocyte quality is one of the important factors in female fertility, in vitro maturation (IVM), and subsequent embryonic development. In the present study, we assessed whether acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) supplementation during in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes could improve oocyte quality and subsequent embryonic development. To determine the optimal level of ALC supplementation, we matured cumulus-oocyte complexes in maturation medium supplemented with 0, 2.5, and 5 mM ALC. The oocytes with a polar body were selected for parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). We found that oocytes matured in 2.5 mM ALC had significantly higher PA blastocyst rate (P < 0.05) and blastocyst cell number than those of unsupplemented oocytes (P < 0.05) and a significantly higher IVF blastocyst rate than that of oocytes matured in 5 mM ALC (P < 0.05). In all further experiments, we supplemented the maturation medium with 2.5 mM ALC. We then tested whether ALC supplementation could improve various markers of oocytes and cumulus cells. We compared cell proliferation; concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), intracellular ATP, estradiol, and progesterone; mitochondrial distribution; mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA); and expression levels of four genes encoding oocyte-derived factors (GDF9, BMP15) and steroid hormones (StAR, P450scc) between the supplemented and unsupplemented oocytes and cumulus cells. Cumulus cells matured with ALC supplementation were more prolific than those matured without ALC supplementation (P < 0.05). Oocytes treated with ALC had lower concentrations of intracellular ROS (P < 0.05) and a higher rate of diffuse mitochondrial distributions (P < 0.05) than those of untreated oocytes. Additionally, the mtDNA was higher in the ALC-treated oocytes (P < 0.05) and cumulus cells (P < 0.05) than that in the untreated cells. The ALC-treated maturation medium had a higher postmaturation concentration of estradiol than that of the untreated medium (P < 0.05). Finally, the gene expression levels of P450scc and GDF9 were greater in ALC-treated oocytes and cumulus cells than those in untreated cells (P < 0.05). Therefore, in buffalo, our results suggest that ALC affects mitochondrial function, regulates oocyte-derived paracrine factors, and increases the production of steroid hormones, leading to increased quality of matured oocytes and improved embryonic development in vitro.

Incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcome of interstitial pneumonia in patients with lymphoma.

Interstitial pneumonia (IP) is a lethal complication in lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy. A total of 2212 consecutive patients diagnosed with lymphoma between 2009 and 2014 were enrolled in the present study. IP was defined as diffuse pulmonary interstitial infiltrate found on computed tomography scans. IP was observed in 106 patients. Of these, 23 patients were excluded from the study. Finally, 83 patients with IP were included in this study. The incidence of IP was 3.9% (7/287) in Hodgkin lymphoma and 2.4% (76/1925) in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (P = 0.210). The median number of chemotherapy cycles before IP was 3. The median time from the cessation of chemotherapy to IP was 17 days. Eighty-two (98.8%) patients recovered after the treatment with glucocorticoids. Sixty-six (79.5%) patients had a delay in chemotherapy, and 14 (16.9%) patients had premature termination of chemotherapy. Sixty-nine patients were re-treated with chemotherapy after remission from IP, of which 22 (31.9%) experienced IP recurrence. The incidence of IP recurrence was significantly higher in patients re-treated with a similar regimen than in those re-treated with an alternative regimen (65.4 vs. 11.6%, P < 0.001). In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, B symptoms and a history of drug allergies were identified as risk factors for IP. In conclusion, IP is a life-threatening complication in lymphoma patients. Glucocorticoid therapy with continuous monitoring of chest radiographic changes may be a favourable strategy for treating IP. However, IP may recur, especially in patients re-treated with a similar chemotherapy regimen.

Nanos2 is a molecular marker of inchoate buffalo spermatogonia.

Nanos2 belongs to the Nanos gene-coding family and is an important RNA-binding protein that has been shown to have essential roles in male germline stem cells development and self-renewal in mouse. However, little is known about Nanos2 in inchoate buffalo spermatogonia. Here, rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) was used to obtain the full-length buffalo Nanos2 sequence and bioinformatic analysis revealed a highly conserved Nanos2 sequence between buffalo and other mammalian species. Although Nanos2 was expressed in various tissues, the highest mRNA expression levels were found in testes tissue. Moreover, Nanos2 mRNA was abundant in fetal and pre-puberal testes but markedly decreased in the testes of adults. At the protein level, immunohistochemistry in pre-puberal testes revealed a pattern of NANOS2 expression similar to that for the undifferentiated type A spermatogonia marker PGP9.5. Furthermore, NANOS2 expression was low in adult testes and restricted to elongating spermatids. Altogether, our data suggest that Nanos2 is a potential preliminary molecular marker of inchoate buffalo spermatogonia, and may play an important role in buffalo spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) development and self-renewal, as has been observed in other model animals.

Finite element analysis on simulation of change characteristics in human lumbar vertebrae under different motion status / 医用生物力学

Objective To compare characteristics of stress variations in 3D finite element models of normal and degenerative lumbar vertebrae and the dose-effect relationship, and analyze the mechanism of mechanical balance by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manipulation on degenerative lumbar vertebrae. Methods The 3D finite element model of intact, real human degenerative lumbar vertebrae (L4-5) was established to simulate the physiological activity of flexion and extension in lumbar vertebrae. The characteristics of stress variation in degenerative lumbar vertebrae under external loading, namely, the TCM manipulation was analyzed, and the stress variation in degenerative lumbar vertebrae under gradual increasing-external loading was analyzed as well, which was compared with the stress and strain variation in normal lumbar vertebrae under different motion status. Results Under different motion status, the stress distributions on lumbar disc as well as the elastic modulus of nucleus pulposus and fiber ring showed a gradually increasing tendency with lumbar degeneration increasing. TCM manipulation could change the stress distributions on lumbar disc, enlarge the space of spinal canal to a certain degree, and decrease the stress on nerve root. Stresses on small joints of the vertebral body and vertebral pedicle under posterior extension were larger than those under anterior flexion, while stresses on intervertebral disc under anterior flexion were greater than those under posterior extension, which showed a gradually increasing trend from top to bottom. Conclusions The mechanical environment of human lumbar vertebrae can be balanced by TCM manipulation, for the purpose of improving and treating lumbar disc diseases. The comparison with the 3D finite element model of normal human lumbar vertebrae and investigation on lumbar degeneration from perspective of changes in biomechanical environment and characteristics can provide scientific basis for clinic application of TCM manipulation in prevention and treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases, as well as new research idea for studying mechanical mechanism of TCM manipulation in effective prevention and treatment of lumbar lesions.

Effect of pulsed magnetic fields on endogenous neural stem cell factors in the brain after craniocerebral injury / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that pulsed electromagnetism has a good effect in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration after cerebral infarction and spinal cord injury, and improving memory function in patients with neurological disorders. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of pulsed magnetic field on brain function and endogenous neural stem cell factor in the brain tissue of rats with brain injury. METHODS: Totally 320 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group, pulsed magnetic field 0.1 mT group, pulsed magnetic field 0.3 mT group and pulsed magnetic field 0.5 mT group (n=80 per group). After brain injury models were established using lateral hydraulic strike method, rats in the latter three groups were exposed to pulsed magnetic fields 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 mT, respectively. After electromagnetic radiation 1, 3, 7, 14 days, the motor function of rats was evaluated by beam-walking test and water maze test. Rats were intraperitoneally injected 5-deoxy-uridine (BrdU) at 1 day prior to different radiation time points, and BrdU and nestin expressions in the cerebral cortex were measured by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The time of water maze test and the beam-walking test at 1, 3 and 7 days after irradiation was ranked as follows: pulse magnetic field 0.5 mT < pulse magnetic field 0.3 mT < pulse magnetic field 0.1 mT < model group, and there were significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). (2) The expressions of BrdU and nestin at 1, 3 and 7 days after irradiation were highest in the pulse magnetic field 0.5 mT group, successively followed by pulse magnetic field 0.3 mT group, pulse magnetic field 0.1 mT group and model group (P < 0.05). In summary, the pulse magnetic field exhibits remarkable protective effects on the brain function of rats with craniocerebral injury in an intensity-dependent manner. The possible mechanism is related to the activation of neural stem cells and the proliferation of neural stem cells in the brain tissue of rats with craniocerebral injury.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 16 cases of gnathostomiasis / 中国人兽共患病学报

To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of emerging infectious gnathostomiasis in China,a retrospective analysis was performed on 16 cases of gnathostomiasis found during 2009-2011.Patients consisted of 11 women and 5 men.The median age was 48 years (ranging from 27 to 68years).Eleven out of 16 patients (68.8％) had history of ingesting raw or undercooked freshwater fish.The main manifestation of patients was cutaneous form.Clinical symptoms included migratory swelling,creeping eruption and skin rash.Among them,43.8％ (7/16) of patients presented eosinophilia.The results of serological tests showed all patients were Gnathostoma-specific IgG positive by dot immunogold fitration assay (DIGFA) and 5 cases (31.2 ％) were positive by immunoblot for detection of specific 24-kDa protein band reaction.The median time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 12 months with a range of 2 weeks to 3 years.A total of 11 patients were treated with albendazole and/or ivermectin.Ten patients did not relapse post treatment.During 2009-2011,the number of patients with gnathostomiasis significantly increased due to consumption of raw or under-cooked loaches and swamp eels.Serological test was a necessary tool to support clinical diagnosis while gnathostomiasis commonly presented complex symptoms.Ivermectin and albendazole were effective to treat gnathostomiasis.