Objective To study the diagnostic and prognostic values by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and computed tomography(CT) for investigation of infantile spasms(IS).Methods Fourty-two patients with IS were retrospectively reviewed by CT scan and MRI T1W,T2W and inversion recovery (IR) and MRA techniques.Results Fourteen cases were found abnormal in CT,including encephalatrophy,hemorrhage,gross malformation and lesions with underlying calcification;MRI studies of 24/28 cases showed that MRI was the most appropriate imaging technique in diagnosis of the underlying substrate of patients with IS and other epilepsies,particularly in periventricular leuko malacia(PL),delayedmyelination(DM),hypxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE),kernicterus,tuberous sclerosis(TS),hippocampal sclerosis(HS),brainstematrophy,heterotopia,corpus callosum and vascular malformation,et al.MRI was also valuable for determining the prognoses of IS,but it should be combined with the clinical symptom and ages. Conclusions MRI and CT are highly important for the investigation and treatment of patients with IS; MRI is much more sensitive to exploration of neuropathology of infatile spasms,such as PL,DM,HIE,kernicteus,HS,heterotopias and focally cortical dysplasia.

Objective To present a method to treat soft tissue defects with bone exposure after the distal tihial fracture.Methods Twenty-six patients who had suffered from the distal tibial fracture complications leading to exposure of the bone or fixation material sought medical help in our department.The internal fixation material was removed and radical revision of dead and infected tissue was carried out in all cases.Five of the 26 cases were treated using a free microvascular muscle flap and the mesh skin graft by one stage.Twenty-one of them were re- paired with the same method by two-stage.Results Follow-ups were 10 to 24 months.The microvascular re- construction was successful in 22 patients.Two of the 26 cases had partial necroses of the skin graft,and the other two cases had delayed wound healing.All the fractures united.Conclusion Microvascular free muscle flap re- construction of the leg is regarded as a reliable method to treat legs with massive soft-tissue defects or defects with bone exposure and chronic infection or fistulation at the distal leg.

Migraine headache causes significant burdens for both the individual and society.The pathogenesis of migraine is incompletely understood until now.The clinical therapies mainly include medical treatment,surgical treatment,behavior therapy,acupuncture and so on.However,drug treatment could only relieve symptom temporary and bring many side effects for long term use including nausea,vomiting.Surgical therapy maybe becomes an efficient method for migraine headache.The authors have reviewed the pathogenesis of migraine,anatomical basis for surgical therapy and clinical application in this article.

Sixteen compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Euphorbia sikkimensis by means of various chromatographic techniques such as silica gel, Sephades LH-20 and RP-18, and their structures were elucidated as naringenin (1), kaempferol (2), quercetin (3), kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (4), quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (5), quercetin-3-O-(2"-galloyl)-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (6), 5alpha, 8alpha-epidioxy-(22E, 24R)-ergosta-6,22-dien-3beta-ol (7), stigmast-5-ene-7-one-3beta-ol (8), 3beta-hydroxy4a, 14alpha-dimethyl-5alpha-ergosta-8, 24(28)-dien-7-one(9), beta-sitosterol (10) , 10-cucurbitadienol( 1) , scopoletin(12) , ethyl gallate(13), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (14), 3 betahydroxybenzeneethanol( 15) ,and 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-acetophenone (16) on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. All the compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time, and compounds 1, 4-8, 15 are obtained from Euphorbia species for the first time.
Chromatography ; Euphorbia ; chemistry ; Organic Chemicals ; analysis ; isolation & purification

ObjectiveTo investigate the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on 6q in bladder tumor.MethodsD6S404 and D6434 microsatellite markers near 6q21 were tested by PCR-SSLP-stain method on tumor DNA from 31 cases of bladder tumor.ResultsAmong these 31 cases of bladder tumor,LOH was detected in tumor tissues on site for D6S404 (35.5%) and D6S434(22.6%).ConclusionOne or more tumor suppressor gene near 6q21 maybe relevant for the development of bladder tumor.

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Huantiao (GB 30) and Weizhong (BL 40) on thigmesthesia, gait function, and expression levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) in rabbits with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH). Methods: Forty healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into a blank control group, a model group, an EA at acupoint group and an EA at non-acupoint group, with 10 rabbits in each group. The LIDH pathological model of rabbit was established using the self-made LIDH model maker. The thigmesthesia and gait function of rabbits were recorded by Siegal method. The serum IgG and IgM expression levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: EA at Huantiao (GB 30) and Weizhong (BL 40) could improve the clinical symptoms of thigmesthesia and gait function, and inhibit the expressions of serum IgG and IgM in the LIDH rabbits, which were significantly different compared with those in the model group and EA at non-acupoint group. Conclusion: EA at Huantiao (GB 30) and Weizhong (BL 40) can improve the clinical symptoms of LIDH rabbits, which is associated with inhibition of the serum IgG and IgM expressions and reduction of the immunoinflammatory factor release. This may be one of the mechanisms of EA at Huantiao (GB 30) and Weizhong (BL 40) in the treatment of LIDH.

Objective:To observe the effect of moxibustion on T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of rats with gastric cancer. Methods:Sixty healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were adaptively fed for one week. By the random number table method, 10 rats were randomly selected as a blank group, and 12 rats were randomly selected to simulate the tumor transplantation process; after transplantation, 10 rats were randomly selected as a sham operation group. The remaining 38 rats were used to prepare gastric cancer models by gastric transplantation of the Walker-256 tumor tissue; 8 rats were randomly selected to verify the successful modeling after 7 d; the remaining 30 rats were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and an infrared group by the random number table method, with 10 rats in each group. From the first day of enrollment, the rats in the moxibustion group received mild moxibustion at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) (the first group) and bilateral Pishu (BL 20) and Weishu (BL 21) (the second group), and the two groups of acupoints were alternated every other day. The rats in the infrared group received infrared radiation on the stomach area and the area on the back between the T12-T13 spinous processes, the two areas were alternated every other day. Rats in the moxibustion group and the infrared group were treated for 20 min each time, once a day for 21 d. Rats in the blank group, the sham operation group, and the model group were simultaneously grasped and fixed, and no other treatment was performed. After 21 d of intervention, the rats in each group were fasted for 12 h, and blood was collected from the orbits. The numbers of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry, and the ratio of CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ was calculated. The rats were sacrificed and the thymus was dissected under sterile conditions to calculate the thymus index. Results:Compared with the blank group, the thymus index, peripheral blood CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+ and CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ ratio in the sham operation group did not change significantly (allP>0.05). Compared with the blank group, the thymus index of the model group was increased (P<0.05), the CD3+ and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes were increased (bothP<0.01), and the CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ ratio was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the thymus index of the moxibustion group was increased (P<0.01), and CD3+, CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes and the ratio of CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ in peripheral blood were increased (allP<0.05). Compared with the infrared group, the thymus index of the moxibustion group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the CD3+ and CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood were significantly increased (bothP<0.01), and the CD3+CD8+ was increased (P<0.05). Conclusion:Moxibustion can significantly increase the thymus index of gastric cancer-bearing rats and activate CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood.

OBJECTIVETo examine the important roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating amphid structure and function, we performed a computational analysis for the genetic loci required for the sensory perception and their possibly corresponding miRNAs in C. elegans.

METHODSTotal 55 genetic loci required for the amphid structure and function were selected. Sequence alignment was combined with E value evaluation to investigate and identify the possible corresponding miRNAs.

RESULTSTotal 30 genes among the 55 genetic loci selected have their possible corresponding regulatory miRNA (s), and identified genes participate in the regulation of almost all aspects of amphid structure and function. In addition, our data suggest that both the amphid structure and the amphid functions might be regulated by a series of network signaling pathways. Moreover, the distribution of miRNAs along the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of these 30 genes exhibits different patterns.

CONCLUSIONWe present the possible miRNA-mediated signaling pathways involved in the regulation of chemosensation and thermosensation by controlling the corresponding sensory neuron and interneuron functions. Our work will be useful for better understanding of the miRNA-mediated control of the chemotaxis and thermotaxis in C. elegans.

Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; embryology ; genetics ; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cilia ; genetics ; Computational Biology ; methods ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; genetics ; Genome ; genetics ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Models, Genetic ; Nervous System ; embryology ; metabolism ; Neurons, Afferent ; metabolism ; Sensation ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo determine the content of 7 anthraquinones in Semen Cassiae.

METHODA HPLC method was developed, with Inertsil ODS-3 column, acetonitrile and 0.1% H3PO4 solution as mobile phases in gradient elution. The detection wavelength wasset at 278 nm, and the flow rate was 0.8 mL x min(-1).

RESULTRecoveries of all 7 anthraquinones were between 95%-105%. The content of the anthraquinones in crude drug produced in different habitation were different.

CONCLUSIONThe method is convenient and accurate, which provides the foundation for the research of Semen Cassiae.

Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; isolation & purification

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of exogenous bcl-2 on spinal cord motoneurons following sciatic nerve axotomy. After epineurium suturing, sense bcl-2 (Ad/s-bcl-2), antisense bcl-2 (Ad/as-bcl-2), or reporter gene lacZ (Ad/lacZ) recombinant adenovirus or NS was injected into the sciatic nerve 0.5 cm distant from the sutured point respectively in different groups. The rats were transcardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde on postoperative 48 h, 7 d, 15 d and 30 d respectively and the spinal cords of L4 to L6 were harvested. X-gal staining, bcl-2 in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining, TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling) staining and AChE (acetyl cholinesterase) histochemical staining were used. We observed that the exogenous lacZ gene was expressed in the spinal cord of Ad/lacZ group, and sense bcl-2 significantly decreased the number of apoptotic motoneurons and the decreasing degree of AChE activity of the motoneurons in the spinal cord induced by sciatic nerve axotomy and accelerate AChE activity recovery. However, antisense bcl-2 increased the number of apoptotic motoneurons and the decreasing degree of AChE activity of the motoneurons in the spinal cord induced by sciatic nerve axotomy and prolonged AChE activity recovery. These results demonstrate that exogenous bcl-2 may protect motor neurons from injury induced by peripheral nerve axotomy.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Axotomy ; Male ; Motor Neurons ; physiology ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Sciatic Nerve ; injuries ; physiopathology ; Spinal Cord ; physiopathology