Echocardiographic Evaluation of Coronary Abnormalities and Cardiac Function in a Murine Model of Kawasaki Disease Using High-frequency Ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Murine model of coronary arterial inflammation has been widely accepted as an animal model of and used in Kawasaki disease (KD). This study sought to evaluate the developmental changes of coronary arteries and cardiac function in a murine model of KD with a high-frequency ultrasound system and to provide evidence for the preparation of the model of KD. METHODS: Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract was prepared and injected into C57BL/6 mice intraperitoneally (i.p.) to induce KD. A total of 120 mice were grouped into three groups. The intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment group was i.p. injected with IVIG (2 g/kg), while the KD model and normal control groups were i.p. injected with 0.5 ml of phosphate buffered solution on day 5. All high-resolution echocardiography detection of mouse heart was performed by the same senior technician. Animal echocardiography was performed by measuring the coronary artery dimensions and cardiac function on days 0, 7, 14, 28, and 56 (high-resolution small animal ultrasound [Vevo770 pattern; VisualSonic, Canada] with broadband probe [RMVTM707B; frequency, 30 mHz; depth of focus, 1.2 cm]) which were measured and analyzed with Vevo770 software. RESULTS: Pathological studies revealed focal inflammatory infiltrate asymmetrically distributed around the coronary artery trunk in the KD model group. Echocardiographic study including coronary dimension and cardiac function measurements was successfully performed in all subjects. The KD model and IVIG treatment groups showed left coronary artery dilation on days 7, 14, 28, and 56. The diameter of left coronary artery in the KD model group (0.53 ± 0.09 mm; 0.36 ± 0.07 mm; 0.34 ± 0.05 mm; 0.34 ± 0.04 mm) was significantly larger than those of IVIG treatment group (0.22 ± 0.02 mm; 0.28 ± 0.03 mm; 0.26 ± 0.03 mm; 0.27 ± 0.05 mm; 0.26 ± 0.03 mm; all P < 0.01) and the normal control group (0.21 ± 0.02 mm; 0.22 ± 0.03 mm; 0.22 ± 0.02 mm; 0.23 ± 0.02 mm; 0.27 ± 0.04 mm; all P< 0.01) on days 7, 14, 28, and 56. No significant differences were observed in the measurements of cardiac function among the groups on days 0, 7, 14, 28, and 56 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiography could identify the consecutive changes of coronary artery in KD mice. Echocardiography is more convenient and direct in evaluating the coronary abnormalities in this animal model.

Antidepressant-like effects and mechanism of action of SYG in depression model in rats.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate whether SYG, a Chinese herbal formula, could produce antidepressant-like effects in learned helplessness (LH) model and chronic mild stress (CMS) model in rats. The mechanism underlying the antidepressant-like action was investigated by exploring BDNF signaling way in the hippocampus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: SYG was administrated for 5 consecutive days (100 and 200 mg/kg/day, intragastrically) in the learned helplessness model; SYG was administered daily by gastric gavages during both the 5-week stress session and behavior tests periods in the chronic mild stress model (100 and 200 mg/kg). The serum corticosterone level was measured in the learned helplessness model. Levels of BDNF and Tyrosine-related kinase B (TrkB), were evaluated in the hippocampus of chronic mild stress model. RESULTS: A deficit in avoidance learning and higher corticosterone level were observed in learned helplessness rats. SYG significantly reduced this deficit and reversed the corticosterone alteration. CMS induced significant reduction of sucrose intake in the sucrose preference test, an increased latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test and an increased immobility time in the forced swim test as compared to the control. It was also found that BDNF and TrkB levels were decreased in CMS model. Chronic treatment of SYG significantly suppressed the behavioral changes and up-regulated the BDNF signal pathway in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that SYG alleviates depression induced by LH and CMS model. The antidepressant-like activity of SYG is likely mediated by activation the BDNF signal pathway in the hippocampus.

Antidepressant-like effects and memory enhancement of a herbal formula in mice exposed to chronic mild stress.

Shen Yuan Gan (SYG) is a Chinese herbal prescription composed of total saponins of Panax ginseng and total oligosaccharide esters of Polygala tenuifolia (2:1). Our previous studies have demonstrated that SYG has antidepressant-like effects in various mouse models of behavioral depression. The present study aimed to test whether SYG affected chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced depression and cognitive impairment in mice. We found that a 5-week CMS schedule induced significant degradation of the coat state, decreased sucrose intake in the sucrose-preference test, and increased the latency to feed in the noveltysuppressed feeding test. All of these CMS-induced changes were ameliorated by SYG (100 and 200 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (10 mg/kg). In addition, SYG restored the decreased monoamine neurotransmitter concentrations (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine) induced by CMS in the prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, SYG ameliorated CMS-induced cognitive impairment in the step-through test, and increased the acetylcholine level in the prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that SYG has an antidepressant-like action and enhances cognition by modulating the serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine levels in the prefrontal cortex.

Local hyperthermia at 44 degrees C for the treatment of plantar warts: a randomized, patient-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

There have been anecdotal reports that local hyperthermia was effective in the treatment of viral warts. We conducted a randomized, patient-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to test the effect of local hyperthermia (44 degrees C for 30 min a day for 3 consecutive days plus 2 additional days 2 weeks later) on plantar warts. By the end of 3 months, 53.57% of patients (15/28) in the treatment group and 11.54% of patients (3/26) in the control group were cured (P < .01). The effect was not influenced by patient age, duration of disease, or number or size of lesions.

[Temperature dependence of additional peaks characteristics of single mode silica fiber stimulated Raman scattering].

Ten meter single mode silica fiber was used to study the temperature characteristics of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), and additional peaks (double-humped structure) were observed at both sides of pump light and first-order Stokes light in the experiment. The peak intensity increased first, and then decreased as the temperature increased from 80 K to 295 K. The first-order Stokes double-humped wave peaks disappeared when the temperature was 295 K. The double-humped peaks phenomenon was caused by simulated four photon mixing (SFPM), according to stimulated four-photon mixing theoretical calculation. At the same time, the phenomenon that the frequency shift of first-order Stokes spectrum line in SRS increased from 706.9 to 712.9 cm(-1) and its half width increased from 1.75 to 2.18 nm was theoretically explained, and the theoretical results are well consistent with experiments.

[LED illuminant-based detection of trace NO2 gases].

Light-emitting diode was used as illuminant in the present paper. The light-emitting diode was chosen according to the high absorption in the range of absorption spectrum of NO2. The pollutant concentration can be calculated by measuring the absorption spectrum, and fitting the experimental absorption spectrum and normal absorption spectrum by means of least square fitting method. The method of measuring nitrogen dioxide concentration making use of absorption spectra was studied, the basic principle was analyzed, the process of data analysis was studied including the fitting of experimental spectrum and standard spectrum, wiping off the slow change, using least-square fitting in reverse calculating of concentration etc. The detecting precision was improved by the method of absorption spectrum. In this experiment the light emitting diode was used as illuminant, which made the detecting become not only convenient but also fast, and online real time supervising can be realized. Taking advantage of the characteristic that NO2 has strong absorption in the range of 300-500nm, the NO2 concentration of sample was measured.

[Study on the hydrolysis distribution of ferric saline by infrared spectrophotometry and single crystal X-ray diffraction method].

The hydrolytic stability of Fe(a), Fe(b) and Fe(c) in different pH values of poly-ferric-flocculants was studied by using Fe-ferron time by time complexation colorimetry. The research results showed that Fe(b) was unstable, and all Fe(b) was transformed to Fe(c) after 10-15 d placement. The content of Fe(c) tended towards stability after 10-15 d. Also, the content of Fe(a) tended towards stability after 10 d. The single crystal was synthesized by the method of direct crystallization in Fe(III)-SO4(2-) water solution at normal temperature and its structure characteristic was studied by single crystal X ray diffraction method and IR (infrared spectrophotometry). The research results showed that there was no group of Fe-OH-Fe, Fe-OH and binary ferric complexed with two hydroxyl groups in the single crystal synthesized from the ferric aqueous solution in low pH (pH was about 0.5). The form of Fe in single crystal was all Fe(III). The chemical formula of the single crystal was Fe(H2O)6 (SO4)2NH4 x 6H2O when the ammonia water was used as the alkalinizing agent. One reason was that with the evaporation of water, these single crystals were synthesized at pH 0. 5 despite of different initial pH and different initial alkalinizing agents. Another reason was that the hydrolysis distribution of ferric saline was unstable. Therefore, it was not easy to obtain the single crystal of Fe(III)-hydroxy complexes or Fe(III)-polymer at low pH value. The study showed that infrared spectrophotometry and single crystal X ray diffraction method have a good prospect in the research on hydrolysis distribution of flocculants.

[The study of infrared absorption spectrum of diamond during growth by FTIR].

The diamond thin films were deposited on silicon substrates under invariable conditions of process pressure, substrate temperature negative direct-current (dc) bias of substrate and microwave power while the rations of methane (CH4) to hydrogen (H2) changing from 3% to 5% and 9% using electron-cyclotron-resonance microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique (ECRCVD). In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) have been used to study the plasma species absorbed on the substrate surfaces as well as the species above the substrates surfaces both before and during the nucleation and film growth. It is demonstrated that these techniques can provide useful information on the early stages of diamond growth. When correlated with film properties measured by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, the results from FTIR indicate that the absorption of the graphitic and diamond phases are related to the ratio of CH4 to H2 and can be identified at the early stages of film growth.

[Study on temperature character of stimulated Raman scattering spectrum in silica fiber].

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) spectrum of silica fiber was studied under different temperatures. The influence of temperature on feature of SRS spectra was analyzed theoretically and experimentally. The laws of how the Raman frequency-shift, bandwidth and intensity of the first order Stokes light change with the temperature were obtained using a pulsed Q-switched doubled frequency laser. The experiments indicate that the frequency-shift becomes bigger with the increasing the temperature. Raman frequency-shift has a linear relationship with the temperature. Under the same pump power, when the temperature is lower, the order of SRS spectrum is lower. Lower temperature has high order Stokes light. For higher order Stokes lights, the lower the temperature, the higher the threshold. But the changes in spectrum bandwidth show no linear relationship with the temperature, and there is a maximum of bandwidth. Theory and experiments indicate that temperature has direct effect on the SRS of fiber.

[Study of Raman scattering of plastic optical fiber].

The first order stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) spectrum of PMMA plastic optical fiber was given, and the characteristic of the first order Stokes spectrum was studied. The threshold and the spectrum width were measured. The formation mechanism of SRS was analyzed, and then the first order Stokes spectrum of plastic optical fiber and that of silica fiber were compared.