AIM: To explore the effects in different dosage of ketamine on the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in medial septal nuclei (MS) and vertical diagonal band (VDB) of rats. METHODS: 40 SD rats were randomized into normal control group,normal saline(NS) group, low, middle and high dosage of ketamine(25,50,100 mg?kg~ -1 ,ip) group.Each group was maintained intraperitoneally by given daily dosage once a day for a period up to 7 days. That was done at 2100 hour each night, and by 2 h of the last administration, poured, fixed and sliced were carried out. Method of nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) was used to show the expression of NOS in MS and VDB pars dorsalis and ventro. RESULTS: Compared with normal control and NS group, the number of NOS positive neurons were decreased in MS and VDB pars dorsalis and ventro in ketamine groups.There were statistical meaing in different-dosage groups of ketamine(P

OBJECTIVETo explore the nerve regeneration mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with polysaccharide of gastrodia elate blume (PGB) for secondary thalamic damage of focal cerebral ischemia.

METHODSForty Sprague-Dawley adult rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, an EA group, a PGB group and an EA + PGB group, 8 rats in each group. The rat model of right middle cerebral artery occlusion was prepared by suture-occluded method. Two weeks after model establishment, rats in the normal control group and model group received no treatment; rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Baihui" (GV 20) and left "Zusanli" (ST 36), 30 min per treatment, once a day for 14 successive days; rats in the PGB group were treated with intragastric administration of PGB (100 mg/kg) , once a day for 14 days; rats in the EA + PGB group were treated with EA and PGB treatment, once a day for totally 14 days. The expressions of nestin and stem cell factor (SCF) in thalamic ventroposterolateral nucleus (VPL) were detected by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSThere were positive cells of nestin in ischemia VPL in the model group, and the number of SCF positive cells was increased compared with that in the normal control group (P<0.05). The number of positive cells of nestin and SCF in ischemia VPL in the EA group, PGB group and the EA + PGB group was increased compared with that in the model group (all P<0.05), and the average gray value of immune positive product was all reduced (all P<0.05). The number of positive cells of nestin and SCF in the EA + PGB group was higher than that in the EA group or the PGB group (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA combined with PGB can significantly increase the SCF expression in ischemia VPL and promote the proliferation of neural stem cells, which is likely to be one of the nerve regeneration mechanism of acupuncture and medication tor secondary thalamic damage of local cerebral isctemia.

Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Electroacupuncture ; Gastrodia ; chemistry ; Humans ; Male ; Nestin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polysaccharides ; administration & dosage ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cell Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Thalamic Nuclei ; metabolism

AIM: To study the renoprotective and synergistic effects of sesamin in combination with vitamin E on nephropathy in rats with the metabolic syndrome.METHODS: Nephropathy of metabolic syndrome in rats was induced by high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet.Sesamin(30 mg?kg-1?d-1),sesamin +vitamin E [(15+20) mg?kg-1?d-1),sesamin +vitamin E(30+20) mg?kg-1?d-1] and vitamin E(20 mg?kg-1?d-1) were given to rats with metabolic syndrome at 9th week and lasted for 16 weeks.After 24 weeks,the body weight,left kidney humid weight,blood glucose(BG),blood lipids(BL),systolic blood pressure(SBP), renal function,and indexes of oxygenation and antioxygenation for renal cortex were measured.Pathological changes,collagen deposition and iNOS protein and nitrotyrosine expression of kidney were observed by HE-stain,Masson-stain and immunohistochemical method,respectively.RESULTS:(1)In high-fat and refined-sugar diet group(HFS): the levels of BG,BL,SBP,and MDA,OH and NO2-/NO3-in renal cortex were increased;the activities of T-SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in renal cortex were decreased;the expressions of iNOS protein and nitrotyrosine in kidney were up-regulated;the inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition in renal glomerulus and renal interstitium were severe;the glomerular sclerosis and renal interstitial fibrosis were obvious;the renal function was deteriorated.(2)In sesamin +vitamin E [(30+20) mg?kg-1?d-1] group: the decreases in BG,BL,SBP,MDA,OH-and NO2/NO3-in renal cortex were obviously observed;the activities of T-SOD,CAT and GSH-Px in renal cortex were increased;the expressions of iNOS protein and nitrotyrosine in kidney were down-regulated;the inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition in renal glomerulus and renal interstitium were improved;the glomerular sclerosis and renal interstitial fibrosis were reversed;the renal function was ameliorated.The therapeutic effect of sesamin +vitamin E[ (30+20) mg?kg-1?d-1] surpassed that of using sesamin or vitamin E alone(P